New beginnings

Well, I took the plunge. It was either kill or be killed at work, so I killed. It left me with 3 weeks pay, plus insurance through the end of the month. Not bad, considering the alternative. Granted, it wasn't 100% certain that I'd be fired, but all the signs were there. Who schedules a meeting on Friday (payday as well) the last 30 minutes of someone's day to tell them GOOD news? I don't know of too many people. In any case, what's done is done. Now I get a 2 week vacation (not having to work my notice) and I can job hunt more effectively.

In knitting, man, there's been a great deal going on. I've started the Cigar gloves for my brother, and a second pair of socks. I finished Sheldon #2, and it still needs to be given to the recipient. I learned a new cast-on (which is really cool and should work well for the baby hat and sweater I'm working on), and I still have a long list of items to do. My stash is semi-stagnant. It seems being in TWNY is a bad influence...spinning is now on my list to learn. Evil Jenna! :) Fun though. Perhaps a drop spindle is in my future...

Success!

Well, work still sucks...but knitting is AWESOME!!!!!!!!! I figured it all out...and I made some socks using the most extreme knitting I could think of. I started from the toe, double knit, on Magic Loop. They turned out really well too. I have 3 more sizes to go through, and then once they are all done, I'm going to type up the directions, and I'll post it on here. I'm thinking about putting it in a PDF format and making it available for a small donation. After all, it was a lot of time and effort on my part. I'm hoping to get a few test knitters to try it out, or at least read through it to make sure it makes sense to more than just me. I'm hoping to get the pictures of the great reveal from one of the lovely ladies at TWNY. I was surprised at how easy the socks actually were!

I need to get cracking on updating this site...there's oh-so-much to do on it. I'll have to sit down maybe Monday night and work on it (hubby has a massive paper due on Monday, so stolen moments with the computer is all I can manage this weekend!).

From Bad Moods to Bad Days

My apologies for those of you who tune in for knitting content. First, I know that there hasn't been a whole lot of that going on, at least not on here. Second, I really need to get this out. Please bear with me, and please comment.

I'll admit I make mistakes. I'll admit I make a lot of mistakes. And I probably make more than I should in some areas. However, I hate to feel like I'm being railroaded. Something's fishy in Denmark, you know?!

So, here's what's going on in a nutshell...I've been issued a "final written warning" at work. I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes. I'm human. I would think however that since retraining has been somewhat requested, you'd think someone would do something. I however have a bit of a conspiracy theorist in me, and I think there has been a budget cut and I'm the scapegoat. Maybe I am just that bad of a worker. Maybe I have just screwed up that much. But I'd think it would have taken a shorter amount of time to uncover my incompetence than 2 and a half years...don't you? Maybe my work ethic hasn't been as strong as it once was since having my baby. Maybe family comes first a little too often for corporate. Maybe since I don't want to pursue a masters' degree and a CPA, they don't think I'm worth keeping around.

I should have listened to my gut 3-6 months ago. I could feel it coming down the pipeline. I figured I would just be out-and-out fired...Georgia is an "at will" state...if they want to fire me, they can.

On the other hand, maybe I deserve this somehow. Not careful enough with tasks I'm given, getting a little too hurried and a little too sloppy...I can think of a dozen reasons for and against this.

What I don't understand is why me and why now. Why not 6 months ago, and why not someone else? Maybe I don't politic enough. Maybe I don't put on enough of a show for them. I'd start now, but since they've basically made up their minds (if I don't show IMMEDIATE improvement, I'm out), so is it too little too late? Do I even care enough if their minds are made up to put forth the effort? I know as a Christian I should always do my best. I thought I had been doing my best. Apparently, either what I think is my best really isn't, or it just isn't good enough for them.

I'm also in the process of figuring out who knows...I know of at least 3 people who know, and I didn't tell them. I know of one person who knows because I told her. So, there's 4 people, plus myself, who knows. I have a suspicion that 3 other people know, and at least one of them helped.

I'd really rather be a stay-at-home mom, but unfortunately, that doesn't pay the bills. We can't afford that right now (since I'm the only wage earner) but hopefully we can soon. In the meantime, I'm off to do a serious job search.

Bad Moods

I am just in a bad mood. It seems like everything and everyone is on a mission to screw with me today. Ever have those days? Everything is just getting on my nerves. It's either because I'm really tired (my little man is going through a growth spurt and isn't sleeping well plus allergies make it hard for him to breathe) or my allergies are acting up (always a possibility) or it's just time for me to be in a bad mood, since I really don't have them that often. I am SO ready to start really getting up someone else's nose today.

I have, on the bright side, been finishing things right and left. I finished the Baby I.Q. Afghan (all but weaving in ends), and the body of Sheldon. I also organized my recipes. I find a stack here and there that need organizing, but it's all a process. It's supposed to rain this weekend, so I think I'm going to spend Saturday doing a few things in the house, rather than in the yard. I hope to start a couple of more projects this month, and get a few things finished as well. Here are the goals for April:

1. Finish Sheldon completely and give to recipient.
2. Complete toe-up double knitted socks and write down instructions.
3. Start on gloves for my brother
4. Start on socks for either my brother or sister-in-love. :)
5. Get desk/front room organized.

It doesn't look like a very long list, but trust me, it will keep me VERY busy this month. We're heading up to Toccoa next weekend to visit the in-laws. Hopefully I'll have some knitting time in the car to and from, so I can make some serious progress on some of the above items. I need to get the front room organized, so I can block my Clapotis. It's great as a scarf right now, but it could really use some blocking so I can wear it as a wrap.

Finishpalooza

I'm trying to have a finishpalooza, and if I would stop starting new projects, I could probably get more done. I did finish Clapotis this weekend (although it could use blocking and I have blocking pins downstairs somewhere in the abyss that is the craft room, the spare bedroom floor isn't in the condition necessary to block anything, so I'm stuck just wearing it unblocked and I LURVE it), and I have to say, I LOVE this pattern. I can definitely see why it was such a hit about 3 years ago. Again, sometimes I'm a little slow on the uptake. I hope to knit this one again in a red/black/grey colorway to the pattern specs, rather than making it longer and narrower than the original.

Tonight I'm hoping to finish the edging on JHAC's Baby I.Q. Afghan tonight, and then there will just be the sewing in ends part. That takes what feels like forever, but it has to be done. After that, I need to finish Sheldon (the newest Knit Night project).

I'm trying to be good and purchase more yarn or start a new project...but I did purchase a new book this weekend! I found a copy of Knitting Without Tears on the shelf (this NEVER happens...it's always an ordered book! - at least for me it is. I never luck into these things). So I definitely picked it up. I am coming into the EZ love ring. :) Once I can find Knitting Workshop (I'm thinking I'm going to hit my LYS up for this one...I think Debi carries it regularly, and doesn't have to order it). I know I've seen the DVD there, so I'm pretty sure she has the book too. I also picked up the latest Interweave Knits. I haven't looked at it in detail (I just skimmed it when I got home on Saturday) but I'm kind of "eh" on the changes. I do miss the lack of men's patterns. Of course, since I have so many men to knit for, I like to have options.

Evil Baking Genius

I was evil...and I did bake. The genius part, well, that's up for debate. I took Chocolate Toffee Bars to Knit Night last night, and I only brought home 3. My hubby finished those off. I don't think it was too bad. :)

In knitting, I'm chugging along on my Clapotis, and I'm over halfway done. I was hoping to have it finished by Easter (and my birthday), but that just didn't happen. Nonetheless, it's still in progress. I STILL haven't finished the Baby I.Q. Afghan (I'm close, but no cigar) and I still have to sew on snaps to the Classic Cardigan. Sheldon isn't moving very far either. And here I am, starting a new project. I'm toying with double knit socks...knitting both socks at the same time, one inside the other, from the toe up. I figured out how they HAVE to start, and now it's just a matter of getting the toddler socks completed, directions written up and test-knitted. I think I can find some test knitters for that. That's all for now...I'm going to grab a pattern and get started on those socks.

Changing things

Ok, I'm going to try and get some changes going here. I signed up at Ravelry for the BOA (Blog Organization Along) and have yet to work on it. I think I tried to tackle too much. So, I'm hoping that next week I can start getting some changes made on this here blog. Work should slow down a little, and maybe then I can post a little more as well. I've got TONS of stuff going on, and I want it all done now. Ever have those days? I guess I need to keep a list going and prioritize in a major way. I just wish I didn't have to sleep...it's cutting into my knitting time (and other things as well).