A Time For A Soak

The second to last block is underway.  This project will be finished within a week.  As I mentioned previously, a long car ride is in my future.  I should be able to get this wrapped up during that trip.  Trisha is very excited to have it in her possession.

I will be very excited to have it finished.  Thank goodness Blake has two years until he heads off to college.

My spinning goal for September has been met.  I plied the singles and put it in the sink for a soak.

After about 30 minutes, I gently squeezed out the water, gave it a good snap to set the twist and hung it to dry.  I let it drip dry over my washer.

My rough guess is that I have 800 yards of 2-ply lace weight.  I'll weigh it after it dries.

The colors are subtle.  There are greens, blues, purples, roses mixed in with brown.  I will have to carefully consider a pattern for this.  After it is finished, I'll see what it says to me.  Sometimes the yarn talks.  I'll let it have its opinion voiced.

2 out of 4 so far

Funny thing about goals.  Some seem so easy to accomplish.  Reality isn't quite that way though.  Here's how it's gone since Monday.

Insomnia has been plaguing me for the past several weeks.  My intention to exercise every day has fallen by the wayside because of it.  I got a workout in Monday and Thursday.  That's it.  I plan to get a workout in as soon as I'm done here.  I've started taking melatonin to help me sleep.  Hopefully my brain will stop feeling so foggy and I'll be able function more like a human soon.

I haven't touched the PMP book, but I have spent a couple hours with an online class to help me prep for the boot camp.  That counts for something, doesn't it?

There has been progress on Trisha's afghan. The first block of the last row is almost complete.  I'll finish this block and get the next one started tonight while watching the Ohio State versus Virginia Tech football game. Football season is always a very productive time for knitting.

I know I said I'd sit in my sun room and spin, but it was way too hot in there this week.  Last night I moved Lena into the kitchen.  I finished up the singles of the Frabjous Fibers Tourmaline 

and began to ply them.  I forgot until this moment that you should let the singles rest before plying.  Oh, well.

The color in the first photo is too intense and the second photo is too washed out.  I'll have a photo of the finished skein hopefully next week.

Goals for September

Something is happening around here.  It is something that I haven't encountered in a long time.  It is both strange and wonderful.  This something was caused by the following:  my girls are out of the house and at their respective colleges, my son is busy with school and his part time job and hunting season started today for my husband.  For the first time in 21 years I HAVE TIME FOR MYSELF!!!

Ahem, sorry.  I didn't mean to shout that.  But I am excited.

With the potential of extra time, I am setting some goals for myself during the month of September.

Goal #1:  Finish Trisha's afghan.

  

I've begun the last row.  I'm averaging a block a week.  Getting it completed by the end of the month is very doable.

Goal #2:  Exercise at least 30 minutes each day.  I have a library of DVDs.  If I can't get myself motivated to go to the gym, I can at least pop one of these in.  Today I did the aerobics workout from this on.  It feels good to start the day with a good sweat.

Goal #3:  Read this behemoth.  I'm working on getting my Project Management certification.  I'm taking an intense boot camp class in October.  It is recommended that I take the exam within two weeks of the class.  This book will preview the concepts for me before the class and hopefully improve my chances of passing the exam on the first try.

Goal #4:  Sit in my sun room and spin.

The red item in the picture above is a travel bag for my spinning wheel.  Later in September, one of my sisters and I will be taking our mother and one brother to Virginia to visit another sister.  The sister in Virginia is the one that taught me to spin.  I'm taking Lena along for some sisterly spinning.  Patty says she has a couple extra wheels that our mom and sister can use.  Maybe we'll make spinners out of them.