Can one make up for a two year gap?

Have just spent the past hour reading blogs that have brought great happiness to me in the past. And I wonder why I ever stopped? Something about moving to LA, changing careers, a difficult year commuting between Santa Monica and Los Gatos, little time to blog and less time to knit... All excuses.

I have had time to knit, but small projects and mostly in the evenings. I have been focused on getting my family resettled in the Bay Area and starting my own business. Now there seems to be time to return to reading and writing about knitting. I feel like I have been left behind in many ways, the projects that I see, the gorgeous gorgeosity of the blogs these days. I feel a little bit like a relic, but what the heck. Here it goes again.

Projects that I am currently knitting include (pictures to be posted later):

Kim Hargreaves "Erin" - a lovely cabled cardigan knit in Rowan Calmer (for the mom's Christmas)
Noro socks in a great brown colorway (for the hubby's Christmas)
Various cabled scarves for random gifting.

I'm not too worried that Mom or Hubby with read this post since neither of them knows that I am back at the blog, and I am pretty sure that none of you out there will breathe a word.

Happy Holidays!

The years fly by...

Well, I am back. Ensconced in Santa Monica, CA, and colder than I ever was in Los Gatos. Has something to do with central heat and modern architecture... The transition has been by turns exciting and devastating, but in the end we are all here and in good emotional stead. I am not working, which has been a great part of my depression, but two good friends from the Bay Area have just arrived, and TJ's office mates are stellar. So slowly but surely I am finding my place here.

Then there is the fact that I can't really be that depressed since there are knit shops up the wazoo and within walking distance of me! Fantastic knit shops, famous knit shops where stars by yarn (and no I have yet to see a star in LA - might have something to do with the fact that I am nearsighted, and more probably because I am uninterested). However I am near Wild Fiber and Compatto. Now Wild Fiber has the whole Tracy Ullman connection, and it is a nice shop if a bit overpriced. But Compatto! Wow, Nancy is a wonderful and warm woman, and Gracie the shop dog is a love! And I am knitting. Fewer sweaters these days, but a slew of purses, hats and baubles. Photos will follow in the next day or so.

The major push in my life these days has been to finally make that career move that has had me spooked; office manager to photographer. I have had my first success and paying job, creating the holiday card for a local company! And I am enrolled in one of the most rigorous photo programs in the nation (Santa Monica College, a community college is ranked 19th in the nation, and the only community college on the list!!! And if you want me to back it up, I will.... )

Sadly backdated updates:
Heather is still languishing without a neck as I can't decide how to finish her
Garland is FINALLY finished, and has the incredible stretching neck... has anyone else had this happen with Rowan patterns - far wider than they are tall?????
Iris is frogged and will never live in the yarn that I chose. By now, after 6 to many reknits I HATE that denim blue. I still long for the bolero, but she will manifest in a different color and a different time.
Many wee projects have flown off the needles: dog toys, Christmas stockings, apres surf hats, and purses galore (Noni patterns are wonderful! There are a few camellia flowers drying in the laundry room as I write...)

Photos will follow tomorrow, and life resumes at TS.

Yikes

A month and more goes by and I am finding less and less time to write or read blogs. Sad to say I think that my time at Throwing Sticks might be coming to an end. In the year that I have had this blog I have met some really wonderful women, seen some wonderful knitting, completed some of my own projects. My blog sustained my creativity through a very bleak period in my life - the soul sucking job that I left last September. It is hard to imagine that it has been that long. In the intervening time I have re-acquainted myself with my friends in the theatre, have been working steadily, and have found a new passion. I threatened well over a year ago to become a better photographer. To that end I enrolled in classes at the local community college. A whole new world has opened up. It hasn't replaced knitting, nothing can, but it is taking up all that time previously spent bored out of my skull eight hours a day. It is quite possible that Throwing Sticks will morph into something more like a hybrid between knitting and photography... My sticks and stash have been my models on more than one occasion. Until such time as I get myself organized, thanks all for stopping by and reading.

All apologies...

Busy, busy, busy am I. I am in hell week (although I am told that it is no longer PC to refer to Tech/dress week as hell week - oops who knew).

I was hired by Palo Alto Players to ASM (assistant stage manage) their current production of Urinetown. Now before there is a collective "eeeeewwwww", let me tell you I am decidedly anti the discussion of bodily functions, however, this is a really fun show, and really only has one lurid peeing scene. Trust me, its fun. But the really good news is that I have been hired to direct a project for the SF Fringe Festival. Working a local community theatre production gets my feet back in the busines, but directing in the Fringe is what I really want to be doing!!!!

I have finished Heather. Well, I lie just a little... all but the neck is knit, blocked, sewn... now I am having a design crisis. I don't like things touching my neck, Heather is a funnel necked sweater, so I am debating making her a crew neck. I have actually been wearing her with an unfinished neck (and a big scarf), just for the sheer joy of having my camel colored sweater before the warm weather sets in... Pictures and links will follow tomorrow.

In the interum I am working on Iris - and old friend whom I had a major altercation with last spring. Since then I have learned how to short row, I should have a denim blue bolero within the week.

Promise, pictures tomorrow.

There is much afoot

And I can't talk about it... grrrr... Suffice to say there was a meeting in Berkeley today regarding a theatre festival in which I very much want to participate. Last week there was an interview with a prestigious theatre company for whom I want to work. Yikes!

And I knit.

Hey, did anyone know that babies the best recipients of knit work? Damn! They are small, and very small amounts of yarn are needed. A classmate of mine is expecting next month and I went on a bootie rampage! I didn't take any photos as I was in the middle of finals (and a huge resume push), but I knit my ass off in a bootilicious frenzy. Let me just say - all of ya'll who want to breed, befriend yourselves some knitters, 'cos that is some fun and satisfying knitting! Bring on the babbies, Tia Godiva is here to knit their world!

And Heather continues Given that our weather is crap (I admit not as horrible as the weather that the folks in the mid states have experienced), I am a knitting machine. This weeks is spring break, I have a few meetings with potential gigs, two lunches with former co-workers,and that is it, so I think that I might actually have the time to finish Heather before the season it out... keep fingers crossed!

Pictures tomorrow

PS Did I mention that I have a photo commission with a local LYS? More on that when and if it all works.

Corsa Update 2

Thank you to everyone who sent out those good thoughts for Corsa Chili. All that positive energy worked. His surgery was a fantastic success. The final biopsy of the leg revealed that the cancer had not progessed beyond stage I, the upshot being that he will not need any further treatment. He will be with us for a long time. You would never know that he had ever used four legs, he is so good with three! We love our boy-o!

Premature...

SNOW!

Ok I got a ration of shite from my good friends in snow country for my measly snow pictures of Thursday. Things took a turn Friday midday, and on Sunday morning we woke up to a winter wonderland. I present snow Santa Cruz Mountain Style.


Snowing on Friday afternoon.


Godiva considers snow, and is, well, confused.


Sunday morning, the farm across the road, could be Montana (maybe?)


Later on Sunday, the snow melts off the the driveway, but the yard still looks gorgeous.


Corsa loves the snow (he is totally unaware that he lacks a leg - this is four days after his surgery).


The back deck.

Wow!