And the crazy begins...

I had ever intention of getting a blog update up before school started…and that just didn’t happen. There are so many details that go into the start of each term, and I had my share of ‘fires’ to put out. I enjoyed those first few days of January when I could spend more time on finishing and planning projects. I have a great big list right now which I probably won’t get all the way through this year, but I’m going to give it a good shot!

As I wrapped up my end of the year finishitis, I got all my Firefly ornaments for my geek tree finished. I bought the pattern from an Etsy seller, but I added the quotes myself. As I survey my handiwork, all I can say is, “Shiney!”

I finished the Christmas church cross stitch which involved a stupid number of French knots. Now to find a frame big enough…

I also finished my Kenya socks; I don’t know how I was able to put this scrumptious yarn and pattern down; now I can’t wait to a) cast on another pair of this pattern, and b) go blow all my money on Malebrigo sock yarn. Seriously, you’ve got to try it, but be warned—addiction will likely follow!

I am going to have to wait for some yarn for a pair of mittens I want to make, but I have picked my Names of the Doctor scarf back up, and am once again falling in love with the magic that is double knitting. Color me weird, but I will double knit over strand any day! I was laughing at myself last night, because this is basically the same colors as the There and Back Again scarf, but this yarn is significantly nicer—Knitpicks Gloss—a treat to work with!

I’m working on a stealth project for my river/mindless knitting, and I cast on the Bluebell Cardigan from the latest issue of Jane Austin Knits. Sadly, I’m going to have to rip out this progress and start again; between a super lightweight fingering and the fact that I’d like to be able to wear cloths under this (odd concept, I know!), I’m going to have to do some fancy math. The good news is that the exciting parts of this sweater happen where it will be easy to jiggle the stitch count—not on the yoke. Yes, this sweater is going to take awhile…

Other than that, I have been putting out school fires, teaching, and going to bed exhausted every day. After hearing about David Bowie’s death at the beginning of last week, I’ve been enjoying the buzz on the internet, thinking about the impact he made, and listening to his music. While I was not a fan of his per say, his portrayal of Jareth is a movie role that will never leave me, I LOVE his voice, and knowing that there was someone in this world who was joyously that weird made it a bit of a better place. RIP David Bowie…or knowing you, don’t!

In tribute, I couldn’t stand it anymore and ended up casting on this pair of Into the Labyrinth mitts. Yes, it’s stranded, but I love the fact that they aren’t matching, and that they have some of my favorite quotes on them. So, I’ll work on knitting, magic knitting, and remembering the man.