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Finished knitting a pair of mittens while wearing my flannel mitten pjs. Yay!

Sore throat, sipping tea, hoping tomorrow is a productive day.

In between yardwork and Thanksgiving, I got a little bit of knitting done. I finished a mitten! Now to hunker down and get its mate done.

As a kid, my first exposure to fiber arts and crafts was at home. Mom crocheted, cross-stitched, sewed, and then some. I learned bits and pieces from her — probably as much as any short-attention-spanned kid. I also remember learning macramé from the Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to Needlework (I found a copy of this book at the used book store a couple of years ago!).

I stopped doing anything fiber artsy when I was in high school and through college. It wasn’t until I graduated from college that I picked beading back up and then a couple of years later, crochet.

not really related, but pretty

Finally in 2005 I decided that I wanted to knit socks. Knitting. I didn’t know how to knit. I didn’t live with anyone that remembered how to knit. 2005? Where do you learn? I don’t like to fail at things with people watching. Of course the answer is online.

I would call myself a fairly advanced knitter at this point, with almost all of my learning either from books, drawings and descriptions online, or videos (I learned how to use a weird yarn today on youtube!). I have attended one class ever — at Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat in February 2009.

As I get older, I seem to be slightly less concerned with failing at things while others watch (see: hockey newbie) and put more value on learning from others, especially when it comes to my hobbies. I initially skimmed the class list at Madrona Fiber Arts for 2012 and decided that I couldn’t take a class. I had a change of mind when I revisited the class list and saw a class on dyeing fiber with lichen. I registered for it yesterday.

Lichen! Dyeing! It should be fun, learning from real live people that I don’t know.

I finished a hat. A very ugly hat. It’s soft and comfy though and I think the recipient will enjoy it.

Exhausted from hockey last night and the time change. I have no brain power to write. I’m tired of all the blue things I’m knitting. Why is everything blue??!

Back in June 2008, I bought this yarn on a trip to Seattle. I had no plans for it, I just liked the way it looked.

I still do — except knit up. It looks awful! Colors vomiting and spiralling up the hat tube.

I’ll finish the hat and maybe someone will love it and take it off of my hands.

Today’s shot, taken during a dog walk at a local park before the weather turned nasty:

I love autumn. And now I’m off to upgrade my laptop to Ubuntu 11.10.

I’ve started leaving my camera in various spots around the house so I can just pick it up and take some shots periodically through the day. It’s meaning a lot more animal pictures…

Happy birthday to my dad (who would have turned 50) and my dad-in-law, both cat people. I love that they share a birthday. (14/365)

Ginger stalks something in the bushes.(15/365)

I was feeling sad about the anniversary of my dad’s death when I turned around and saw a rainbow. Thanks, world. (16/365)

Boris runs back to the house after the last potty break of the day. (17/365)

I am excited working on my current knitting project. (18/365)

I’ve had a cold for over a month that is pretty minor but will. not. leave. So while I took pictures every day, I missed a post the past two days.

5/365

My alma mater played in a bowl game. And lost.

6/365

I worked surgery on a simple knit project.

I was behind this guy early this afternoon. I cheated and put the lens on autofocus.

The current knitting project is super fiddly, but I am happy with how it is coming out this time.

Creating of a different sort. I finally finished this baby sweater. I think it’s cute and hopefully not too modern for the parents.

I had a hard time finding a good button. I’m not 100% happy with this one but it’ll do.