Gansey WIP and more....

Whoops! I did it again! I dropped off the radar after promising I would do better in keeping up with the blog postings. Life got a little too hectic as usual. I guess we all need to take comfort in the fact that I do come back ~ eventually.

So, what's new with me? Well, a lot of things:

~ I finally finished my TKGA Level III submission and shipped it off to the comittee for review. Let's all take a deep sigh of relief. It has been over a month and I've not heard back from them, and I am not too worried about that. I've already been warned it will take the committee a couple months or so to go over my materials. here's hoping that I pass and will be certified as a Master Knitter.

~I've acquired a second home with access to a lake. That is where I am keeping my Butterfly sailboat for sailing whenever the wind is good. The house itself needs work - there is old carpet to rip out and over 1400 square feet of laminate flooring (Venetian Walnut) to put down. I'll be busy for awhile since I am doing the labor myself. Anybody out there want to help a guy out?

~ I am still working two jobs. I need it since I have two houses to support along with putting money aside for a new sailboat in the Spring. I'll be keeping the Butterfly where it is, but will join the yacht club in Grand Rapids along with buying a Laser sailboat to race with. An expensive plan, but it should be cheaper after the first year (no new boat and club stock to purchase).

~ I am still knitting in spite of my crazy life. Usually it would just be an hour of knitting before bed each night. It is a good way to unwind and drop all the cares from the day.

Right now I am knitting myself a Gansey. The color is a dark teal, and it has my initials ("RO") on the front, along with the Butterfly logo and my sailboat's number (613) on the back. The knit-purl patterns along with the initials I got from a book. the logo and number is a design of my own creation.

The construction of the Gansey will be folksy and primitive. I knitted it in the round to under the arms, and am now knitting back-and-forth the front and back separately. The plan is to knit shoulder straps, pick up stitches around the armholes, and finish off the sleeves in the round. So far, it is looking pretty good.

~ I signed up for a writing course with Long Ridge Writer's Group. People have commented that i am a good writer, but I guess I am not satisfied with that. I would like to learn how to write consistently, and in developing my skills in working with words. There is so much I would like to write and yet become overwhelmed by the thought of expressing myself through language. I had figured I need the help of a mentor to develop a structured practice.

I am a bit late with my second writing assignment. I am hoping to get it typed up tonight, edited, printed out and sent on its way. I am embarrassed to admit the reason for not keeping up was lack of focus. I had a garden to work on, vegetables to put away for Winter, work, classes to teach at the community college and three houses to take care of (my parents are in Spain, so it is their house along with my two). What I really need is an assistant to help me out! Or simplify my life (Ha!). Are there any ideas or volunteers?

This is all for now. Winter is coming, so keep on knitting.