Sunday, July 29, 2007

I've been hibernating for a week, apparently.  I rallied tonight and got as caught up as I could on my e-mail and responded to all of the comments that I was able to.  Thank you for your wonderful support -- what a great (and huge!) circle of friends I have!

Let's talk about knitting, shall we?

I made a secret pair of socks for Sister Number One's July birthday:

She called to thank me for them yesterday, so I can show them to you now.  They're Tidal Wave Socks, a free pattern from Southwest Trading Company, knit from their Tofutsies yarn (that I won in a drawing at Woven Art!  Yay!  Oh wait -- don't tell Sister Number One that the yarn and the pattern were free!).  The Tofutsies yarn was lovely to work with.  I used two long Addi Turbos and didn't have any problem with the yarn splitting.

The body of Celtic Dreams is finally done:

I'm not hitting the specified gauge, so I ended up adding an extra set of chart repeats to get the length I wanted.  It looks kind of skinny to me, and I know it will widen out with blocking, but I tried it on and it looked pretty darned good so far!  I'm putting off knitting the sleeves until after Stitches Midwest, because I'd like to use it as a sample for Beth's Aran class and I don't want needles dangling off of it.  And besides, I know I'll screw up the rate of decrease on my first try, so I'm putting that off until I can handle the frustration . . .

My comfort knitting during the week of Knitting Camp has also been delivered to it's rightful owner, although it's rightful owner has yet to make an appearance (last I heard, anyway!):

It's a Baby Surprise Jacket (pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman), worked exactly according to the absolutely brilliant pattern (except for the single crochet around the edge, a la The Harlot), knit with some ColorJoy Cushy ColorSport yarn from LynnH.  Here's a close-up:

Cute-o-rific!  The neck opening looks a little scrawny to me, so I've advised the mom-to-be to leave that top button undone.

And I finally finished the umpteenth re-knitting of my (Losing) Faith Jacket strips.  Here's the final layout before most of the crochet joining was done:

I'm much happier with it than I was.  I don't think I showed you, but I showed some of my local knitting buddies in person, and they agreed that I needed to rearrange some of the lights and darks.  I think I've got that problem licked, and now I've just got to finish it up!  If you've seen me doing any finishing work lately, you'll understand why I'm putting it off.  I've been taking off my glasses, sitting hunched over, and holding the work right up to my nose.  Yes, I have bifocals, and yes, I've just been to the eye doctor.  She's the one who told me to take my glasses off!  But boy, is my back killing me!

I've also got buttons to sew on and ends to weave in on Meg Swansen's Fair Isle Cardigan.  And it needs to be blocked.  That sweater will be a great sample for the Fair Isle class at Stitches Midwest, so I'd like to finish it up within the next week and a half.

And in case you didn't notice, that leaves no knitting on the needles!  I wonder what's going to happen next . . .

Oh -- and here's a hoot:  I was knitting innocently away at Wednesday afternoon's knit in at ThreadBear last week when suddenly a lovely woman approached me with one of the patterns I have for sale there and asked me for my autograph!  I shrieked and started laughing so hard that I neglected to respond as appropriately as I would have liked:  i.e., I should have gotten her name and taken her picture!  Turns out Rob sent her over, so he's to blame.  I was as red as a beet, but I signed it for her and thanked her profusely.  Gadzooks!

Later, gators!

Sarah

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Sorry, no pictures of knitting again.  Maybe next time!

Son Number One is currently upstairs, about halfway through the last Harry Potter book, which arrived by mail this morning before I was even out of bed.  I'm next in line, but it looks like I'll have to wait one more sleep before I get a crack at it.  That's how we've been measuring the countdown -- by how many "sleeps" remain.  I don't know where I heard that term used recently (a knitting blog, I'm sure), but I like it, and I'm using it.

I need to work through some things that are distracting me from concentrating on everything else.  The night of the day that Beth first contacted me about teaching at Stitches Midwest for her (over two weeks ago), I had so much WORRY running through my mind that I finally got out of bed at 2:30 in the morning, found some paper and a pen, and wrote down everything I was thinking about (will they let me do it?  should I get a hotel room?  what classes am I teaching?  can I bring a helper?  do I need to knit some samples?  will there be time to go over the class notes with Beth beforehand?).  And then I went back to bed and fell fast asleep.  That's what I'm shooting for now, sort of -- letting it all out (whatever "it" is), and then going back to doing my everyday things with a reasonable amount of focus.  Husband Number One is right smack dab in the middle of switching jobs (last day at the old company was Friday, first day at the new company is Monday), and he's not saying a whole lot but I think he's way more affected by it than he's letting on, so I'm leaving him out of my current cloud of insecurity.  My kids are, well, kids, and just aren't able to help me through this.  But YOU guys -- you guys are going to listen closely and then say all the right things, so you guys are the ones who get to hear me out.  (Hurry!  Click away now before it's too late!) 

The fact that today is a big (did I say big?  More like unprecedentedly ginormous) day in the world of Harry Potter fandom is appropriate, because here's one of the things I want to say:

I lead a charmed life. 

Ever since I graduated from college, I have experienced a chain-reaction of wonderful job opportunities which were made available to me when I wasn't looking for them. 

I worked for a typing service (remember typewriters?) while in college, and upon graduation took over as office manager.  One of "my" typists also had a summer internship at a wheel manufacturing plant, which was looking for someone to fill in for an employee who was on an extended leave of absence.  I took that job, and after a few months the company offered me an entry level position as a computer programmer, for which I had zero experience, and for which they trained me from scratch.  Fourteen years later (during which time I met and married a coworker -- Husband Number One -- and had two children), my job became obsolete at about the same time that the company was sold, so I quit to stay home with my two young sons.  With a little free time on my hands, I started hanging out at a new yarn shop, and the owner asked me to teach knitting classes for her, which I did.  A year or so later, friends coerced me into offering my services to an additional yarn shop, which I did, resulting in the birth of my business, "Sarah Peasley, Handknitter".  Additional yarn shops contacted me about teaching for them, which I have been doing for a number of years now, and that's where things stood a couple of weeks ago. 

Enter the fantabulous Beth Walker, who just handed me a national-level teaching career on a huge silver platter, and we're caught up to today.

Charmed, right?

Have I mentioned that XRX (the company that runs the Stitches events) has already asked me to submit proposals for my OWN classes for future events?  Have I mentioned that Beth has also asked me to substitute for her at the TKGA National Convention in California in September?  I'm trying not to count my chickens before they're hatched, but . . . honestly?  I can do this.  I'm very good at what I do, and I can totally do this.

But here's the thing:

I'm physically sick to my stomach right now with worry about teaching on a national level. 

And it's not even anything major -- once I'm in front of a class, I'll be totally fine.  But it's a lot of little things, like: 

What should I wear to teach?  (Answer:  what I normally wear to teach)

What should I wear to the meet and greet, and to the banquet?  (Answer:  keep it simple and comfortable)

Shouldn't I wear something I've knit?  (Answer:  not unless it makes me feel good, and please don't let me forget that I can't wear a shawl to save my life)

Should I try a new hairstyle?  (Answer:  no, the ponytail is fine)

I don't think I like my glasses anymore.  Should I get new ones?  (Answer:  no one seems to be bothered by them but me, so they must be fine)

What knitting should I take to work on?  Should I try to prove myself worthy of being there by working on an incredibly difficult project?  (Answer:  no.  How about a nice pair of socks or some nice garter stitch or stockinette stitch?  I think I'll need to have some "comfort" knitting close at hand)

Will my family be all right without me?  (Answer:  I've gone to Stitches as a student many times and they've done just fine -- why would this be any different?)

I usually have 6-12 students in a class.  Can I teach 30 students at a time?  (Answer:  yes, and I have supportive and talented friends who have volunteered to assist me)

Can I successfully substitute teach for someone else's classes?  (Answer:  yes, it's the exact same material I teach on a regular basis)

Will people be upset that I'm not the instructor they signed up to take classes from?  (Answer:  maybe, but it won't be a reflection of me or of my ability to teach)

Will they walk out of the class?  (Answer:  see previous answer, and hey -- that'll help with the issue of having more students than I'm used to!)

I've always placed the instructors from whom I've taken classes on a pedestal, metaphorically speaking.  Granted, some pedestals are higher than others, but still . . . will any of my/Beth's students see me that way?  That would be weird.  (Answer:  if I've felt that way, then someone else probably will too.  And to be perfectly honest, I guess it's already happened here in Lansing, and I've felt uncomfortable and then told some self-deprecating story to make everyone laugh, and then we've moved on) 

I'm a blogger, and I often take photos of my instructors.  Will anyone want to take my picture?  I strongly dislike having my picture taken.  Will this be an issue?  (Answer:  I'll say it again -- if I've done it, someone else will, too.  I'll just have to deal with it if it happens.  Maybe if I imagine that everyone is naked . . .) 

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Okay.  I'm not sure what I've accomplished, but at least the nausea has gone away.  Unfortunately, I have about nineteen more sleeps to come up with more stuff to worry about.

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Thank you for all of your lovely and supportive comments.  You knitters are the best cheerleaders I could ever ask for!

And thank you, too, for all the offers to sign up for Beth's classes so you can harass me while I'm teaching, but that won't be necessary, or even possible, because Beth's classes were already sold out (that should give you an idea of the big shoes I have to fill!).  Hugs in the hallway will be totally acceptable, however.  As will chocolate.

Thanks for listening!

(Hello?  Anyone?  Wait a minute . . . are those crickets chirping?)

Sarah

Thursday, July 19, 2007

I could show you some pictures of knitting, but instead I'm going to tell you a little story, so listen up!  There are going to be a lot of commas and parentheses, so please try to pay attention. 

Three Knitting Camps ago (not this year, and not last year, but the year before that) I roomed blind (which means I didn't know who my roommate would be ahead of time) and was paired up with Beth Walker, with whom it turned out I had about a gazillion things in common.  We are both former computer programmers who now teach knitting for a "living" (although she teaches at a national level, and I teach locally).  We each have young sons (mine are a little older, as am I).  We both dabble in design (although she has an actual publisher, and I self-publish).  I think we both have some connection to Pittsburgh (I remember mine, of course, but not hers, alas, so I might be making that part up).  We ordered the same food and drank the same wine.  We both showed up with our own pillows in purple pillow cases, and with apricots (how weird is that?). 

At Stitches Midwest later that summer, Beth, who was teaching, and I, who was taking classes, made sure to get together for dinner.

Two Knitting Camps ago (that would be last year), Beth and I chose to be roommates again, since we had hit it off so fabulously the previous year.  Both Camp and Beth were fabulous, again.

At Stitches Midwest later that summer, Beth, who was teaching, and I, who was taking classes, made sure to get together for dinner.

One Knitting Camp ago (that would be last weekend), Beth was busy teaching at a TKGA convention in New Hampshire, and couldn't attend Camp, and I was busy trying not to spend money so I could pay for my new windows, and couldn't attend Camp, so Beth and I didn't get to hang out together.

Beth was scheduled to teach at Stitches Midwest later this summer, but I, who was busy trying not to spend money, would not be attending, and so we would not be getting together for dinner.

But.

Something came up (nothing bad, just Something).

And now Beth won't be teaching at Stitches Midwest later this summer. 

But I will.

She won't be teaching at Stitches East in the fall, either, as a matter of fact.

But I might be.

Because Beth is so fabulous, and because she recognized that she and I are essentially the exact same person, she told the Stitches people that I would be the perfect substitute teacher and that they wouldn't have to cancel her classes.  And the Stitches people said, "Um . . . okay!"  And so, I'll be teaching Beth Walker's classes at Stitches Midwest in Chicago in August, and if all goes well there (and I can't imagine why it wouldn't, unless I have a complete nervous breakdown), I'll also be teaching her classes at Stitches East in Baltimore in October.

Can you believe it?  I can't believe it.  But I'm very, very excited about it.  And also a teensy bit nervous.  But mostly excited.

And now I have to go lie down.

Sarah

Friday, July 13, 2007

Friday the 13th!

I'm pouting this weekend because I'm not at Knitting Camp.  I am, however, attempting to make the best of it.

Meet Nancy and Russ:

Nancy and Russ live close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is where I grew up.  Nancy has been a constant commenter on this here blog, and she and Russ were kind enough to stop and have breakfast with me in Lansing, Michigan on their way to Knitting Camp in Marshfield, Wisconsin.  Where I won't be this year, because I'll be looking (longingly, in the direction of Marshfield) out of my beautiful new windows that I have to pay for in November (new windows = no Knitting Camp).

We had a lovely chat over our two and a half hour breakfast (wish it was longer!), and it was just like having breakfast with old friends.  I wish I could have hitched a ride on to Wisconsin, but instead I handed off some cookies for the Campers and drove off in the opposite direction with a sad, sad, heart. 

BUT, with fabulous new friends!  Hi Nancy!  Hi Russ!

Hey!  I just noticed that you can see my car in both of those photos!  Cool!

So anyway, I'll be holding my own little personal Knitting camp over the weekend despite being a) in Michigan, not Wisconsin, and b) surrounded by Cats, not Campers.

Moving on . . .

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Let's play catch-up with some projects that have been finished for a while, shall we?

Here's a garter stitch scarf knit from side to side (rather than end to end) out of red yarn from the stash:

And a close-up:

I've got enough red yarn left to make at least one more of these.  Probably two, but I think I'll be done after one. 

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Have I mentioned yet that I've volunteered to be Charity Knitting Coordinator (a just made up that title -- I don't really know what it's called) for my Guild?  I'm trying to knit up some samples of what knitters can make if they feel so inclined.

Here's a scarf for the military, knit in seed stitch using Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in a camouflage-y color:

And a blurry close-up:

And here's a helmet liner knit with Cascade 220 Superwash Wool in a dark heathery green:

The helmet liner pattern and guidelines for the scarf were found here.

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I've been getting some great feedback on my Gallery.  Thanks!  I hope it proves to be entertaining, inspirational, and motivating.

Here's a new addition from Deb:

Look at the cute buttons! 

Deb said they're too heavy for the sweater so she's probably going to replace them.  Oh well! 

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And now it's time for an announcement:

My friend Jacquie, who spun and dyed the amazing yarn I'm using in my Faith Jacket (which I hope to finish very soon) called to tell me that all of her yarns will be on sale for 20% off at Woven Art from Sunday, July 15 until Saturday, July 21.  Run, do not walk, to Woven Art this week and take advantage of this opportunity to pick up some gorgeous, one-of-a-kind hand made yarns. 

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And now it's time for me to go figure out which way Marshfield is from my house so I can aim a chair in that direction and cast on for some EZ goodness!

Sarah

Friday, July 6, 2007

It took me about two weeks of actual hard work (and about five years of putting it off), but I finally updated my Student Gallery.  Look at what my students can do!  And if you're one of my students, and you don't see one of your projects in there, please send me a photo, or bring your project to me and I'll take a picture for you.  Let's show off your work!

Sarah

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