A few months ago I joined Ravelry, and it has changed my knitting world. I can search for patterns and see what yarns people have used and how it looks on various body shapes. I can look up a particular yarn and see what people have done with it. And last but not least, I can record my own projects and stash.
To Jeff, late at night: But if I stay up a little bit longer, I can tick off another 5% on this project!
I have started brailling again. I stopped because I was moving to California, and then I didn’t start again because I was tired from my new job or because I was planning my wedding. A week before the latter event, the WTBBL called and said I should either do some work for them or give the software license key back. I said I’d start up again after the wedding, and I did.
I completed the first assignment over the first weekend I had it, but the second took me a while to find the time
(really, the energy). I started on Monday and am now three-quarters done.
I have also recommenced knitting. I took a hiatus for quite a while because I simply felt uninspired. I was uninspired by the yarn in my stash, mostly left-over or speculative purchases, and I didn’t feel that I could afford to buy new yarn. I saw the exotic fibers my co-workers brought in and felt scornful of my own plain wool.
In the summer I bought a load of Blue Sky Cotton and knitted what I call Jeff’s go-faster sweater.
After that I bought a lot of other yarn for little Christmas projects (and a couple of bigger gift projects too). I am finished with most of my planned Christmas projects and am looking forward to starting on other things.
I was tired for a long time—a fatigue that sleep never seemed entirely to solve. I have begun to sleep more effectively, perhaps—not necessarily to sleep better but to feel better after sleep. For a while I came home exhausted after work, took a nap, and then couldn’t sleep for half the night. I am trying not to do that any more.
Maybe my hobbies are helping too. I felt like I only had time to work, eat, and sleep, but now that I am making time for myself and my interests, especially brailling now, I feel like I am using myself and my time to a fuller extent. I am living my life, not the other way around. As I am so fond of saying, there’s not enough of it to waste.
I stayed up too late last night, finishing Jeff’s new sweater. I shouldn’t have done it, but I had already gone too many days without finishing it. Besides, I was comforted (or egged on) by the knowledge that on many occasions my mother has stayed up late, finishing projects for me.
The sweater was supposed to be Jeff’s birthday present, but his birthday isn’t until March, and I was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to wear it then. It is thick and warm, black with yellow radiation symbols on the sleeves. Jeff chose the design, and we made up the chart together. I doubt that anyone else in the world has such a sweater.
He wore it today. Apparently, his fellow physics students were impressed. Dude, where did you get that?!