Laura Chau’s Simple Yet Effective Shawl [ravelry link] done up in my handspun. Half a skein of Oliver New and one full skein of Lovesick, dyed by Funky Carolina; A full skein of Mephistopheles, dyed by Pigeonroof Studios; About a quarter of a skein of Amor, dyed by Becoming Art.

It’s not a large shawl, just perfect for slipping over one’s shoulders on a chilly winter day. Rustic and thick, it is exactly what I was hoping for when I started knitting!

Mods: cast off with a picot point cast off, did one picot every 5 stitches. Will pin them out when blocking.

This is such a fun group. I saw a couple of familiar faces from the WeHo Stitch n Bitch and also some new faces, which was cool. I like widening my circle of friendly knitters! It’s not very big, sometimes only a couple of people show up and sometimes more. I really hope it takes off and keeps going at this location. The Homegirl Cafe is a really cool place, with a great intention behind it. I like the idea behind the whole Homeboy Industries venture. This is a really shitty time economically as we all know. It would suck if this business didn’t do well. Recession, inflation, depression, whatever, bottom line is, it’s tough to keep a business going right now. So damn skippy, you know? I’m there.

Plus, ya know, it’s a really convenient time and location for me! Right across Alameda from the Chinatown Gold Line station.

I worked on Juno for a bit. I’m out of the lace and into the long boring stockinette columns part, so it is the perfect knitting in a group project.

She is coming along rather nicely. I’m transitioning into the second ball/colorway and really loving how she looks. Can’t wait to see how the next color shift transitions.

Tomorrow is back down to Downtown, with a stop at Philippe French Dip for lunch, a stroll around Olveras Street and maybe Chinatown, and some architectural photo ops. Should be fun! Hopefully we’ll be able to dash between the raindrops and take it all in!

It seemed appropriate to cast on for Juno Regina in light of having just completed a course in ancient history. Naturally, my research paper for the class was about women and textiles. While Juno didn’t have any specific links to textiles that I can find, she was the protector of women in ancient Rome, and women were the ones who spun the wool and made the cloth. Close enough for government work. It also seems appropriate because Juno, like so many of Mim’s other patterns, has these elegant and stately columns of stockinette stitch and yarnovers (which, I am sorry to say, are a total slog to get through.) Columns are tres Roman, non?

Plus, my history class was a complete and utter bore in the middle, capped with periods of intense interest on either end.

Really, it’s the perfect project to commemorate going back to college and will always remind me of the first class I took on the road to my degree. I’ll wear it with pride.

Getting things done. Not letting things languish. Finishing what I start. It’s kind of nice and feels a lot like moving forward. Moving out of Culver City and up to the Fortress Of Solitude (aka Casa Fabulous) was a real kick in the pants. I registered for college, three weeks into the semester and I am doing well in my classes. I think I can. I know I can. I am. It’s here. It’s now. I started.

I signed up for yoga. I signed up for 8 weeks of bellydance. I decided I wanted to do and live and be rather than have a lot of plans and unfinished business, and then I went out and began to do.

I’ve struggled with crippling depression on and off for my whole life, and I don’t know what’s shifted in the last year, but I don’t feel like I’m struggling quite so hard anymore. Maybe it’s just that I’ve accepted certain limitations and so I don’t spin my wheels in the deep soft sand now. I find the places where I can get traction, where I can move, and I focus there.

I still spend huge swaths of time alone, quiet, nurturing my need for down time. But I’ve learned that it is possible to get out and do, around those islands of solitude. In fact, it may even be that it is necessary to get out and do, to balance the quiet.

Things seem more in focus. I feel pretty good. I think I’m actually pretty happy, though it’s hard to quantify because it isn’t a feeling I’m really used to. But I think that’s what this is.

It is a lot of work this being happy. It takes effort. I have to kick my own arse a lot of the time to get that stuff on the calendar, get in the car, get it done, to do. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe that stuff isn’t supposed to be easy and the point is to make it work anyway. I have no idea. I just know, it seems to be working.

It feels a lot less like trying not to fall off of a tightrope and a lot more like easily walking across something a little more substantial. Actual rocks under my feet. Stepping stones that stay where I put them. I don’t want to get too cocky because that is when you fall down, and I don’t want to fall down… but I feel like maybe, I won’t fall down? If that makes sense.

Of course the beautiful thing about depression is, you don’t trust it for a minute and you’re always looking out for that thing that’s going to knock you on your keister, right?

I’m trying not to go there. And just keep walking forward.

There has been a lot of driving about, proving residency, getting permits and applying to our school of choice in the new district. We don’t want to go to our home zoned school – the state took it over last year. If Gov. S can’t make a budget, I don’t want him in charge of my daughter’s HS education. That is for the youngest. The oldest is going to homeschool her final year of high school, and take classes at the local junior college concurrently. Actually, because she has taken extra courses all along, and because she’s met all but 4 senior requirements and passed her CAHSEE, she’ll be graduating in December. Her second term at college in the spring will be her first term as a fully fledged college student, a full semester early.

Go girl!

I am really hoping she will parley this into admission as a junior at a local state uni and continue until she earns a BA, but she has some hare-brained plan to “travel the world!” after graduating with her AA degree in Graphic Arts, then move to Canada and finish her BA up there as a guest of the folks who brought you the Yarn Harlot.

I am also registered in college classes this fall. With any luck I’ll be applying to nursing school in about 3 semesters, once I get a few math, chemistry and bio classes out of my way.

Anyone know a good algebra tutor in the SGV?

On Monday, one of the cats sprouted massive allergies, swelled up, got scabby, explosive in all the wrong ways, and had to be rushed to the vet. He is okay, though we’re still not sure what he’s allergic to. At $400, I will not be running the blood panel to find out. A shot of steroids, an overnight in the hospital, fluids and some special hypoallergenic food will hopefully help. Between Senor Scabbersons, the kitten and the other two cats all needing their own special snowflake food, breakfast time is exciting around here now.

And of course… knitting.

The blocky pink baby cardi is coming along nicely. The other front panel is going to be a darker pink, with contrasting pockets and sleeve bands on each front panel to tie them together. The button band, neck and hem will all be that pale pink. I think it will be very modular and cute when it’s done.

I am also really enjoying the Loksins! pattern. Lace socks are always a lot of fun and knit up so quickly.

I am knitting this one up in Dream in Color Smooshy. The charted parts are extremely simple and fast. I got this pattern from a secret pal a few rounds back and am finally getting to enjoy the knit. A great on the go sock!

And now I’m off to help #1 Daughter get sorted for her college assessment tests, and then to go buy birthday presents for #2 Daughter, who turns 14 tomorrow and expects something wrapped in ribbons to commemorate the occasion.

Oh Mittens. You’re so easy.

I took this for Lucia when I was up Eureka because I always enjoy her flower pictures so much and wanted to share one back.

Have opted for no fringe on the Lady E, as I think my friend would probably appreciate something a little less fussy (and less apt to dangle ends into a teacup) so it is washed, gently blocked, dry, all the ends are woven in and I’m calling it completely perfect.

It’s so dramatic and amazing looking and what really blew me away was how much the Silk Garden relaxed and softened after a soak in some woolwash and a gentle blocking (by which I mean, I stretched it gently into place on towels spread on the rug, but did not use blocking wires or pins or get aggressive at all.) The piece really grew!

It totally got the woolwash treatment because of the kitten spit issue. Mere steaming would not do. While I was knitting it over the last year, Mittens would curl up on the seat next to me and knead/nurse on the end. So I really hope that my friend doesn’t mind her knitwear being a surrogate kitten mother in a previous incarnation!

Y’all… I’m going to get a sweater out of this, right? It’s not like some huge cosmic Elizabeth Zimmerman knitting joke, right?

It is really nice to get all the old stuff done and off my needles and out of the back of my head!

Photos soon, particularly of Lady E. She’s so dramatic, I need the help of one of my teenagers to play model.