Tax time!
What does that have to do with knitting?
Being an accountant I know no later that 12/31 exactly how much taxable income I have for the past year and how much I’m getting back. I have the pseudo luxury of being overworked and underpaid with two kids at home and a mortgage. As a divorced woman who doesn’t have to put up with many of the b/s compromises that other gals do, I get to claim both kids and the earned income credit. (That changes next year).
I bet I have spent my return about a hundred times. My kids are used to the phrase “when I get my taxes back.”
I know I will have to put an extra payment on the house and I know that if I am behind on anything I will pay that and there is the bail bondsman who had to send bounty hunters after my ex. I owe him $600.00 although that is a good bit better than the 3500 it would have been if the ex had gotten clean away. (We were married when I posted the bail.)
No; in all honesty the very first thing I will do after the text message from my Visa card tells me that the funds are loaded will be to go on line and renew all my knitting magazines.
There is the new one: Knit Today. Vogue Knitting, Interweave, Knit Simple, Knit –n- Style, Piecework (that’s the new one to me that Kat loves). Am I forgetting any?
I had it in my head that there were six now. I don’t subscribe to the international ones. Yes, six. If you know of any I have missed PLEASE let me know!
I will experience a brighter mood when I pull one from the mailbox. I will forgive the worst tantrum thrown by a co-worker with a new Vogue Knits in my arms. I will anticipate getting home, running my hot bubble bath and locking the door so that I may enjoy my prize in peace. They are the new cigar for me. They keep me sane when the world is out to make me crazy. They inform me of all the little trends and products. I love those gadget pages. Are you kidding? I would never spend good money on that crazy stuff, but they are fun to look at. They take me on tours of shops from all over the world. These humble little bits of paper provide a multileveled delight for the sciences. They offer the promise of projects to come and treasure to delve through later when the yearning to “gift” strikes.
Yes, when it comes to financial matters.
One MUST keep matters in proper perspective
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Thoughts on the process
Staring at the blank page to write the blog is a lot like staring at the stash.
There is so much potential there. One can with the correct ingredients make a masterpiece. Or, you can make a frog.
Sadly I seldom get to do either. My days are spent full of work and Don and the kids. I only get about half of my time at my place. And. When I do there is something else calling for my attention.
Yet, this never seems to slow down the demand for knitted goods from my tribe or to put an end to the 6 to 8 projects I always seem to have going. I wonder why?
Usually I am rummaging through the bags and buckets in a quest for some yarn that I just know that I have and Tori is managing to swear doesn’t exist, or if it did it was in a prior era. I resort to going back to paypal on occasion to find the picture of the yarn.
Proving that I bought it seldom phases Tori. She just swears I gave it away or have knitted it. Not likely, but…. She has on occasion been the guilty party who copped it for one of her projects.
A quick dig usually lands the sought after prize in my lap for closer examination.
Then it is on.
I begin by comparing the pattern I have with the yarn. I do not ever go out and buy yarn from the pattern. #4 yarn is #4 yarn etc. And I tend to translate up or down on the weight and the needles as it is. I do swatches and get my gauge and go from there.
I will most likely have made a copy of the pattern at the office. (Wonderful boss who doesn’t care if I use the copier).
At this point I begin writing on it to “fix it”.
The notes are for the yarn and the needles.
Sometimes as in the case of a dress I am currently working on the pattern turned out to be rough guide for something I liked but had no intention of actually knitting. That was started as a “one skein wonder” from the book by the same. The pattern is called Diatema and is a completely seamless top. I have made it a couple of times and love it. Soooo I decided to turn the boat neck into a square neck. I am still debating on adding sleeves, however, I am sure that I have enough yarn to keep going and make it a dress. I pulled cashmere, silk and wool to make one yarn. And all the browns and blacks and whites will go great with a black jacket or sweater and some pumps.
Yes that is the other idiosyncrasy I have. I combine yarns. Generally they are fine lace and fingerling weights that when pulled together as one yarn becomes a nice worsted weight.
Guess that will have to be a photo post when it’s done, huh?
In the meantime I forwarded a Lola cartoon to my knitting group. Caption was: When it becomes necessary I’ll go through the stash. I would say that’s about right.
There is so much potential there. One can with the correct ingredients make a masterpiece. Or, you can make a frog.
Sadly I seldom get to do either. My days are spent full of work and Don and the kids. I only get about half of my time at my place. And. When I do there is something else calling for my attention.
Yet, this never seems to slow down the demand for knitted goods from my tribe or to put an end to the 6 to 8 projects I always seem to have going. I wonder why?
Usually I am rummaging through the bags and buckets in a quest for some yarn that I just know that I have and Tori is managing to swear doesn’t exist, or if it did it was in a prior era. I resort to going back to paypal on occasion to find the picture of the yarn.
Proving that I bought it seldom phases Tori. She just swears I gave it away or have knitted it. Not likely, but…. She has on occasion been the guilty party who copped it for one of her projects.
A quick dig usually lands the sought after prize in my lap for closer examination.
Then it is on.
I begin by comparing the pattern I have with the yarn. I do not ever go out and buy yarn from the pattern. #4 yarn is #4 yarn etc. And I tend to translate up or down on the weight and the needles as it is. I do swatches and get my gauge and go from there.
I will most likely have made a copy of the pattern at the office. (Wonderful boss who doesn’t care if I use the copier).
At this point I begin writing on it to “fix it”.
The notes are for the yarn and the needles.
Sometimes as in the case of a dress I am currently working on the pattern turned out to be rough guide for something I liked but had no intention of actually knitting. That was started as a “one skein wonder” from the book by the same. The pattern is called Diatema and is a completely seamless top. I have made it a couple of times and love it. Soooo I decided to turn the boat neck into a square neck. I am still debating on adding sleeves, however, I am sure that I have enough yarn to keep going and make it a dress. I pulled cashmere, silk and wool to make one yarn. And all the browns and blacks and whites will go great with a black jacket or sweater and some pumps.
Yes that is the other idiosyncrasy I have. I combine yarns. Generally they are fine lace and fingerling weights that when pulled together as one yarn becomes a nice worsted weight.
Guess that will have to be a photo post when it’s done, huh?
In the meantime I forwarded a Lola cartoon to my knitting group. Caption was: When it becomes necessary I’ll go through the stash. I would say that’s about right.
Friday, January 14, 2011
The most wonderful time of the year!
This is, I think my favorite time of year for knitting. Maybe it is the cold weather. A time to cuddle up with the blankets that were too hot to even look at back in July, now you can get those puppies finished!
Perhaps it is the post holiday feeling. “At last I can work on something for me.”
A new year and a chance to start fresh?
For whatever the reason, more of my dear friends seem to make it to the knitting meetings, yarn seems to have a whole new pallet to choose from, and even the knitting needles seem to be more inviting. You know, the ones that looked sooo good on the web or in the magazine and then weren’t suitable for anything you wanted to work on? Or am I the only one who buys those things for their beauty?
We have a great new gal at the meetings. She is from Alaska and has decided to relearn knitting. Poor thing has an allergy to metals. I can feel for her since so many foods and other fun things are on my “usedtocould” list. She has to use plastic or other non-metal needles. I guess I am lucky. I do not know what I would do without my Adis’.
I have a new buddy with the Boy Scouts…. Well several actually, but I feel for her in that she can’t knit or crochet anymore since the carpel tunnel has gotten bad. Another new pal may be going to try again since her surgery.
Perhaps that’s it. I am feeling the shear joy of knitting lately. Though my hands lock up and my dear Tori has to massage them I can still move my hands without too much pain. I can use my favorite needles and as long as I switch back and forth between sizes I am good. I don’t have any trouble with any yarns I use. I am free to take up the Entralac sweater I started, the wool purse, the king size Entralac bedspread, or any of about six additional projects that are sitting neatly in their bags waiting my return.
I am free to begin new projects. I can dig in my stash. I have one you know….. Yes ridiculously large, but I shouldn’t have to shop for yarn for years…. HA!
Yes, this is my favorite time of year to knit.
THEN AGAIN..... IT COULD BE MY ANTICIPATION OF KNITTING THAT WILD RED DRESS THAT I STARTED FOR MY SON'S WEDDING AND DIDN'T GET TO WEAR.
TORI IS ENGAGED TO A WONDERFUL GUY AND THE WEDDING IS SET FOR LATE OCTOBER!
Perhaps it is the post holiday feeling. “At last I can work on something for me.”
A new year and a chance to start fresh?
For whatever the reason, more of my dear friends seem to make it to the knitting meetings, yarn seems to have a whole new pallet to choose from, and even the knitting needles seem to be more inviting. You know, the ones that looked sooo good on the web or in the magazine and then weren’t suitable for anything you wanted to work on? Or am I the only one who buys those things for their beauty?
We have a great new gal at the meetings. She is from Alaska and has decided to relearn knitting. Poor thing has an allergy to metals. I can feel for her since so many foods and other fun things are on my “usedtocould” list. She has to use plastic or other non-metal needles. I guess I am lucky. I do not know what I would do without my Adis’.
I have a new buddy with the Boy Scouts…. Well several actually, but I feel for her in that she can’t knit or crochet anymore since the carpel tunnel has gotten bad. Another new pal may be going to try again since her surgery.
Perhaps that’s it. I am feeling the shear joy of knitting lately. Though my hands lock up and my dear Tori has to massage them I can still move my hands without too much pain. I can use my favorite needles and as long as I switch back and forth between sizes I am good. I don’t have any trouble with any yarns I use. I am free to take up the Entralac sweater I started, the wool purse, the king size Entralac bedspread, or any of about six additional projects that are sitting neatly in their bags waiting my return.
I am free to begin new projects. I can dig in my stash. I have one you know….. Yes ridiculously large, but I shouldn’t have to shop for yarn for years…. HA!
Yes, this is my favorite time of year to knit.
THEN AGAIN..... IT COULD BE MY ANTICIPATION OF KNITTING THAT WILD RED DRESS THAT I STARTED FOR MY SON'S WEDDING AND DIDN'T GET TO WEAR.
TORI IS ENGAGED TO A WONDERFUL GUY AND THE WEDDING IS SET FOR LATE OCTOBER!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Finally done!!!
Ok this one I have been working on for almost a year. Blanket for the grandchildren. IT IS DONE.
Just had to brag a little....
Miss Cathy and Sarah were kind enough to hold it for me. Got to love those Saturday at Books-A-Million Gals!!!
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