november post 7: who knows where the time goes?

I was too busy doodling the day away on Saturday to remember to do a post. ooops! Perfection is boring, right? I'll keep plugging away for the month of November.

Time - or the lack of it--is serious business around here. And I mean that, literally. When you are self-employed, it's all one big blob of time- there's not timesheet to fill out, no hours you are expected to keep. On the one hand, there's ultimate freedom. I'm not complaining!  On the other hand: no work=no pay.  I've been working as a freelance photographer full-time most of my adult life. It suits me.  But it means my job depends on me figuring out how to make the most of my time , whether I'm on a photo shoot somewhere, editing images and  doing paperwork in my office, or planning an afternoon outing with my family. Or knitting and making stuff. If I wait to fit in, it ain't happening. The best thing is to make time for making. 

Wait, does that sound like a bumper sticker & t-shirt?

I got into working for myself because I wanted to avoid corporate/institutionalized structure--but guess what? Joke's on me! Time management theory, that organizational tool dear to the hearts of corporations, is now one of my favorite subjects. Have I found the ultimate fit-all theory? Nope, I don;t think there is one. But I had already worked out my own little semi-effective system when I heard this interview with Jule Sheranosher on the Beyond the To Do List  business podcast.  I don't listen to biz podcasts often, once in a while I remember it may be good for me-and I had this one in a set of links I'd saved.  After I heard it, I started following her Time Hackers blog & podcast snips. That link gives you some idea of her approach.Even if you just use one or two of her ideas, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

Warning: There's no woowoo factor. You won't see any hands gently cupping a seedling on her website, or little flowery curlicues. But that's what I like. Get'er done and you have plenty of time to find your own woowoo. Wait--is that a bumper sticker?..........
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november post 2: what's your sweater starting rule?

I loved reading the comments from yesterday's post regarding my scheming to knit the Holland sweater, while owning how slow my sweater-in-progress is going. To be fair, Mary Lou, who said I should make the new pattern but only after I finish the one at hand is so right. She knows the slo-mo project is a test knit I'm doing for her, for a book project we've been working on together....and she knows what happens once I get distracted. Trouble. It's a fabulous pattern, by the way, so I have no complaints.

Anyway, she didn't have to worry. I'm in the same camp as Michele/pdxKnitterati who said she has rules about cheating on her sweater underway (Ok she didn't put it that way, but you know that's what it is).  Until I read her comment, I didn't realize I have the same rule.  I'm fine with casting on a different kind of knit--I have a shawl, a scarf, a pair of socks, a blanket all in various stages of done--and various levels of challenging, if you know what I mean. Like, a scarf that needs me to count stitches and switch colors but a blanket that's super simple...but I'll only work on one sweater at a time. In fact I pretty much will only work on one of each kind of project at a time.
Am I alone? What are your personal  guidelines for starting projects? Isn't it funny how we make up rules for ourselves? (and, ummm, then break them?).

november post 1: holland pattern & fibrespace classes coming 11/12&13

I am thrilled to be teaching at Fibre Space in Alexandria VA Nov 12 & 13th 

Thurs evening 6-9 : SmartPhone Photoclass . Not just for knitters, bring a friend!

Fri 10-5  Photo for Knitters & Makers - Tips, tricks, shooting, editing, critiquing - we'll do it all, click links for both classes' details. Limited spaces left! See you there.

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Now, on with the show. Maybe it's the weather or the time of year or the glut of  tempting new patterns going by my field of vision, but I am super inspired to be knitting/making stuff.  For example, I shot this sweater, Holland, designed by Maureen Clark for Green Mountain Spinnery in August.  It has so many good points.

I'll confess, I tried on the sample, I couldn't resist. As you may know, I am shaped not at all like beautiful Josephine, shown here. And yet this sweater somehow looks great on both of us.  That's point 1.

Point 2 - the swingy shape. It's fun to wear. The sleeves are not wide, they are slim fitted, which is Point 3, it doesn't have that saggy baggy overall effect- it works the way Boxy does. The wide  soft V neckline is Point 4- you can wear with a collared shirt or a tank top. A crisp V neck is too preppy for my taste. You could dress this up. Even I could dress this up. It's that good.

Point 5 Beautiful details. The unfinished rolling edge collar, raglan sleeve,  sleeve embellishment stitches. Point 6 it's DK weight, so it's not too heavy yet it'll knit fairly quickly. It's shown in Green Mountain Spinnery Sylvan Spirit, a western (USA) Targee wool and tencel blend. (If you aren't familiar with the Spinnery , you should check them out. They've been doing Grown in the USA and breed specific, thoughtfully sourced yarns for decades, way ahead of the curve).  I love the tweedy gray.  Whatever I knit this sweater in, it's going to need to be tweedy. Maybe in their Mewesic yarn, which is soft and tweedy wool and comes in a really good denim-y shade called Blue Bayou . 

All this sounds so doable- but I am embarrassed to say I've been taking for-eh-vah to knit a simple DK weight sweater that I started in, oh, I dunno, August?  I am only happy that democracy will come to the rescue of my knitting, as I should be able to get some serious sweater time in while working as an election official on Tuesday, during this quiet local-races-only year.

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I just learned that NaBloPoMo is a general thing (I read it on BlogHer) not just a knitblogging thing, as I'd thought. And it stands for National Blog Posting Month.  My track record isn't great but my intentions are solid. I did decently in November 2009. Having just read over the entries from that month, I am cheered by knowing it's possible to come close (I made 25 posts) and also touched by that glimpse into my own life 6 years ago. Only six years! So many changes. 

 Come back and check on me while you're surfing around.   I might just stick with this blogging thing, how about you?

 

q & a sunday

q: Does it bug you that you already missed a day for NaBloPoMo ? 
a: No, not really. I'm taking the yoga attitude: I'm blogging with the intention of doing it daily.

q: Is a cicada a bug, truly ?
a: Yes, so they say in Canada

q: What do you like about this photo ? 
a:  The colors. I am loving odd color combinations. Maybe it's the time of year. Some photos I look at just to let the colors resonate. Not so much for content or composition.

q: Are you actually knitting anything ? You seem to be avoiding the topic? 
a: Yes. No. Details later .

na-na-na nah & yeah

 yarnbomber customizing knit graffiti on the fly, see more in yesterdays post

NaKniSweMo3 ? sorta, kinda. I've been cranking on a sweater for Dave today.  That's a man sized sweater, and even with holiday gifts underway I WILL finish it this month. But I started it before the 1st so there's one rule broken. Maybe I can pull off one for me that starts & finishes by 11/30. I've got some Cascade EcoWool and I'm not afraid to use it. My eye is on a Lia. That's all I'm saying.

NaWriNoMo - ha. are you kidding? No WAY will I write a novel, not even a fictional sentence. oh, wait. That is one right there.

Vestvember ? It doesn't have a Na it. Not on the short list.

NaBloPoMo ? Ok. why not. I'll give it a try. Again .