Simpler

It all started with this post, but the idea of simplified holidays has been floating around in my mind for a while. Like that post, my family is in a kind of enforced “spending strike” this year (a single income in downtown Toronto only going so far these days) and, while we’re not homesteaders, we’re doing a pretty decent job at urban frugality. But the holiday season just has so many expectations upon it — whether self-placed or external — and are wrapped into ideas of “more”.

So I’m just letting go.

I’ve let go of the idea of Christmas knitting. Sure, some people might get something handmade for Christmas. But not everyone.

I’ve let go if trying to get “the perfect gift”. My family will appreciate what we find for them, but the quest for that one, super-special something is just too elusive this year.

I’ve let go of entertaining. I miss our large parties, but with two kids under three some quieter evenings with smaller groups just make more sense. No hors d’oeuvres necessary.

I’ve let go of having a tree (this one was a big one for me). Once again this year, we won’t be in our own home for the big days, so instead of spending too much on a tree we won’t even be sitting around, we’re just putting up some decorations around the house and are hoping that the tree at grandma’s has room for a few extra ornaments on the bottom branches to let the littles place something on the tree they’ll be seeing Christmas morning.

I’m letting go of expectations in favour of finding what really counts.. Soule Mama just posted about this same process, of finding the special within the simple. I like this. Sensible, but special. Simpler.

Here’s hoping it makes the holidays pass a bit more sanely…

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No Apologies

…It sure has been a while since I last posted…

I’ve been reading this general sentiment a lot lately (I think Got Medieval put it most succinctly by opening with “Let’s skip the whole “excuses for not posting more often” section…”) and get the feeling that with all this other Social Media Stuff* floating about the ether and general daily life, a lot of non-pro bloggers are finding it difficult to blog regularly. In the face of diligent, post-every-day-on-schedule blogs, any post I make seems like it must absolutely be prefaced with an apology.

Even I am getting tired of these apologies and meta-blogging. I can only image what few readers I have left must be getting sick of it.

So, let’s just stop that, shall we? No more apologies for sporadic blogging. I’m busy. You’re busy. Lives take work. Creativity takes effort. Sometimes things get done, other times they get balled up in a heap and forgotten about until you remember company’s coming over in 10 minutes and people actually can sit on that chair in the corner…

From now on, I’ll try just writing about what’s been going on, whether in my head or with my creative output. You can kindly read, choose to comment, or whatever you like. We’ll see where this takes us.

Onward.
* * * * *

I have been doing absolutely no knitting whatsoever for the last 3 months. This lack has been killing me so much I’ve turned to crochet for near-instant gratification of yarn-play resulting in an FO. I’ve crocheted three sunhats, all but one of which have gone to that hidden part of the park where kids bury their sunhats because no kid ever wants to wear a sunhat, especially if it is a sunhat crocheted specially for you by your crazy mom. I miss knitting. Someday, perhaps, I’ll be able to finish a sock, or scarf…

My non-knitting does not mean I have not been buried in wool however. On these, some of the hottest days of the year, I have been almost literally swathed in wool, as I sew tunics, coats, and kirtles like the madwoman I must be. On the other hand, a friend and I discovered a magical, insane fabric warehouse that sold beautiful woolens for the ridiculous price of $4.99/yd, so hopefully we will finish all this crazy sewing in time and not just be wrapping ourselves toga-like** in all this wool. No matter what, when we’re camping this year, we will not be cold.

*Social Media Stuff can include blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. etc.
**Historical fact of the day: Roman senator’s togas were made of wool.

Four

Today’s my blogiversay. Four — 4! — years ago I entered  the blogosphere as a fully-participating member.

That’s why I joined: to participate in the community I was starting to know through the blogs I read. I felt like if I was going to comment on someone’s post, that they should be able to check out who was reading them.

I still do: that’s why I keep a Facebook account dispite the terrible interface and questionable copyright stuff, why I’m on Twitter regardless of any need to “market” myself, why Ravelry is revolutionary beyind its massive databases. It’s about communication.

I’m really grateful for this blog these past four years. Through blogging, I’ve made friends I’ve never met, and I’ve met friends I never would have otherwise. I’ve gone outside my comfort zone, whether by knitting in public or designing my own projects or learning to spin. Through this blog, I’ve gotten job interviews and teaching gigs and published original designs. I’ve also gained skills, started a professional career, become a mother, experienced love and change and betrayal and recovery and a whole host of other stuff I don’t share in public media, and I’m sure there’s even more.

The blogosphere shifts; the world changes; time and goals and all are in flux. I’m still not entirely happy with this blog, or at least with my writing/organizing of it, and I’m sure it will continue to shift right along with everything else. But I’m really glad that it exists, and that I’m still “here”, four years later.

Here’s to another year!

Begin as you mean to go on

I’ve blog-complained that I want a make-over, that things aren’t quite fitting here, that it may even seem like this here blog’s gone and kicked the bucket.

There have been major changes in my life over this past year or so, things that I want to explore in writing, things that I’d like to share with the world at large. Some huge life stuff that has come, that is happening, that we’ve just taken steps to follow. Some esoteric thoughts that float around my brain and write imaginary blog-posts about themselves. Some genuine finished knitted objects!

So, no more waiting until things are right, or until I have more time (ha!), or whatever. September 1st is as good a day as any to begin. Changes start now — they may be slow, they may not happen as I desired or inteded,, but they are happening.

*****
Note: the blog header. “Not Another Knitblog” was becoming literal, and thus no longer ironic or amusing. This will be a collection of the bits and pieces, possibly worthless to most but of interest to a few. Ephemeral.

I’ll be fixing up pages, links, etc when I get to it. Expect more changes, but not on any schedule :)

Anyone out there good with graphics? I just don’t possess the skill set (or software) to make a decent blog header. Want to make one for me? I’d be happy to repay in trade, be it yarn or a spindle or whatever. Let’s talk!

*****
Really huge important life change: Baby #2!

Lorelei Linda was born on lucky Friday the 13th of August, at home, at 7:54pm. She weighed 7lbs exactly, and was 51cm long (and has far surpassed those measurements in the 19 days she’s been in the world since!). She is — surprise surprise — an entirely different baby than her sister was. Parenting a newborn and a toddler certainly has it’s challenges, but the whole family is doing really well! I hope to write up both my girl’s birth stories soon.

*****
So there we go. A new begining, or a continuation of this journey along a slightly different path. I wonder where it will go next…

Belated Cleverness

I finally figured out something that I should have thought of ages ago, something that may lead to more actual posts!

You know how I was gifted an iPod touch for Xmas? That wonderful little device that has enabled me to read free Project Gutenberg e-books while nursing the baby, always know what the weather will be like tomorrow, and stalk the internets with abandon? Yet apart from F/B status updates and Twitted, has been poor for the blogging?

Turns out, there’s an app for this too!!

So yeah, I’ve finally got wordpress on my iPod and hope to actually get back to the blog. One day there may even knitting again, too!

(I have faith. Also, a rediscovered sweater-in-progress…)

Top 3 Reasons I’m Not Blogging Lately

Reason #1: Baby

Yesterday she turned 3 months old. Can you believe it?!? Three whole months (13 weeks +2 days) have already passed since she joined our world and took over my life. I’m so amazed at how intensely she’s become a part of my world, at how much energy one tiny person can both contain and require of others, and at how completely in love with her I am!!

Reason #2: iPod Touch

Dru went and got me the ultimate geek-girl-gadget for Christmas this year, and it has both become a near-indispensable tool and favorite toy for me! Many of the great things about the iPod Touch — touch-screen, portability, large file-storage capacity — mean that I can read email, surf the web, read e-books, listen to music & podcasts, etc… all while playing with / napping with / nursing the baby. However, it’s small touch-keyboard significantly reduces the amount of online typing I can do (or feel like doing). Which leads to…

Reason #3: Facebook / Twitter

These lovely little social applications/time sucks allow one to reach out to the world in tiny blog-bites. With these, I can post little tiny updates (type-able on the iPod!) and pretend that I’m still part of the blogosphere. Even though I’m totally not.
(You can follow my tweets at http://twitter.com/aemmeleia)

Bonus Reason: Seriously Boring Knitting.

Dudes, it’s true. I’m ashamed. The knitter that once had many an interesting sock, colourwork mittens, the occasional sweater, and a minimum of one longterm-lacework project on the go has of late been making stunning forays into “great cats, if it’s going to be -20 I need a warmer baby hat NOW” and “if I have to walk with you in the sling from 8-10pm nightly, I’m going to make a stockinette sock so I don’t go mad“. Neither of which are very interesting in either the knitting nor the viewing. I know that in the interest of a complete Ravelry page, however, I really ought to photograph these tiny projects and share them here. If only my iPod had a built-in camera… ;)

My New Stash

I am a very lucky mother-to-be.

Amidst the craziness and generosity of the baby shower my SIL organized for me last weekend, there was one gift in particular that stood out. This gift was not even wrapped, just a large cardboard box full of hand-me-downs. Not usually something to get excited about, right?

Yet this box contained but one thing: three children’s worth of cloth diapers, for all stages!

Now, probably many of you are wondering why this is so exciting. Well, go look up the price of a single cloth diaper online real quick, and then consider the fact that there are 74 diapers in the above picture.

We knew cloth would be the right choice for us, having seen the math comparing yearly outlay of disposables vs. cloth (not to mention environmental and heath bonuses). It’s obvious that cloth are cheaper, but the down side to them is a large initial purchase. And that, for us, has now been effectively completely removed!

Oh, there was also an equal stash of vinyl covers/diaper wraps, too…

Sure, I probably will end up buying a few more tiny-sized diapers (there are far more medium and large ones in the new stash than smalls). And I much prefer the idea of wool soakers and longies to the plastic pants. But the thing of it is, these are now choices, not needs, and for that I am very grateful!

So, anyone got a favorite wool diaper-cover knitting pattern?

Things Unfinished

Unfinished: February Lady Sweater.

I know what you’re thinking: “Another sweater, already? Has she gotten cocky or something?” But hey, this is a really cute sweater, it’s construction and lace pattern are pretty easy, and I had yarn enough in my stash. Everyone else is doing it…

Unfinished: Baby Surprise Jacket.

It almost seems like one would have her “Knitter” status revoked if one was pregnant and did not knit this ubiquitous cardigan. It’s ok by my, though, since I love reading Elizabeth Zimmerman, and this particular pattern manages to be dead-simple and not ‘mindless’ at the same time. It’s also like the origami of knitwear — it’s fun to blindly knit along and not know how it will work out and then just twist the needles and see a glimpse of it all!

Unfinished: generic sock.

For those times that a simple sweater and/or garter stitch are still too complex… a boring ol’ sock. But it’s Austermann yarn “mit aloe vera“, which is pretty nice! And yes, sometimes I still can be sucked in by the novelty of yarn that stripes itself.

Unfinished: the nursery / baby ‘gear’.

I took a photo, but it’s just so overwhelming I can’t bring myself to upload it. There are many things that need to be not-in-there (some stuff that just needs to be trashed, and unfortunately more that need–ugh–organizing), a tonne of baby-shower gifts that need to find their new permanent homes (my gods, how many onsies does one baby need? I don’t think I’ll get to buy this baby any clothes until it’s a toddler!), and some critical pieces (crib? diaper pail?) that don’t even exist in this current reality.

And let’s not even talk about all those moms-to-be with their designer diaper bags and a month’s worth of meals in the freezer. Because that must be a myth, right?

Unfinished: gestation.

Baby belly at 34 weeks

I’m beginning to find myself entering the ‘countdown’ phase, the point of no return looming close and feeling up to the challenge! (“Stuff” notwithstanding.) I know that there could be many more weeks before this little one decides it’s time to join us in the world, but I also can tell that my body is beginning to prepare for that transitional journey.
Having Dru tell me “I want to meet my baby now!” on a daily basis helps (or doesn’t), too :)

words from an absentee blogger

I am a terrible blogger these days. Sometimes I just want to give it up entirely, but there’s something about it that I enjoy so much (or at least, have in the past), and so many good things that have so far come about from it, that I just can’t bring myself to end it.

Many things are going on, these days, foremost on my mind being the pregnancy. Can you believe I’m already in the 3rd trimester? (I barely can!) My belly has become huge and round, I’m getting kicks and motions every day, and have begun counting down the weeks until my maternity leave begins — I’m taking about a month before birth to just relax, be well rested and healthy, and if (I have the energy) get things all settled before our home of two becomes three.

I am regaining creative energy, which makes me so very happy. My Tilted duster is progressing well*, and I’ve cast on for that most famous of baby-knitting projects, the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket. I’m teaching at the PP tonights (socks) and Sunday (spinning), and hope to teach a couple of classes in Oct. as well. I’ve been doing bits-and-bobs of spindle spinning, and am finally feeling the urge to sit before the spinning wheel again. I’ve also been becoming involved with SCA things again, and on the weekend went to a lovely event where I learned the basics of bookbinding!

Sometime, I will get photos up to flickr, and maybe even here on the blog. In the meantime, for those of you who are still reading, thanks for sticking around.

*If I get around to it, I must let you all know about my first experience with the magic of steam blocking!

SP12 Question of the Week #9 & 10

Am I boring you yet? Are these questions really blog posts, or just a cop-out way to let me feel like I’m still blogging but really I’m just too lazy/distracted to take photos and write genuine original content?

I think I might be boring myself, these days…

QotW #9:
Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?
Ever entered? Nope. Would I do it? Yes, I think so. Currently my “local” agricultural fair is the Royal, so I don’t think I’m up to calibre here! But if I were to move to a smaller community, I think it could be interesting to see how my knitting/spinning held up to others’.

QotW #10:
What Olympic event would best describe you knitting/knitting style?
Confession time: I don’t really care about the Olympics. I remember watching with my parents as a kid, but I’ve never been a “sporty” one. So now, I barely know what counts as an Olympic event.*
Are there any non-competitive events in the Olympics? (Um…ok, probably not.) Well, I don’t really think of my knitting as any competition or event. My knitting is something I do to relax, to make girly things and the occasional gift. Maybe I’m the “Interpretive Ribbon Gymnastics” of the knitting world…

*Last night we were in a pub, which had several t.v. screens showing Olympics. The one most in my view had what I can only imagine was “women’s power walking”. Dudes. I had no idea this was considered a sport (it’s a race, obviously; but if someone starts to jog, are they disqualified?!?), and it certainly was bizarre seeing a crowd of scantily-clad athletic women with flipping feet, jelly legs, pumping arms and wibbly-wobbly middles, all walking as fast as they all could (without jogging, of course) around the course.