Hello...hello...hello...Can you hear me now???

Hello!  Yes, it's me.  Returning from my hiatus.  To be completely honest with you, outside of my travels and a few things that slip in, I try to shy away from sharing anything too personal on this blog.  I've had bad experiences in the past with putting myself out into the public domain, and I care not to repeat them.  That being said, the sewing and knitting online communities offer so much support and wisdom, that I'm throwing this out there.

I have been positively over-committed, with work, personal life and anything else that I can take on.  If there's a knitting KAL that I can do, I've joined.  If there's a sew-along, I'm doing that too.  Learn to spin?  Why not?  Team sport, I'm in.  Why don't I take a course for work?  Sure!  Drive the girls somewhere?  Heck ya!

I took time off from the blog unintentionally.  I have not made a conscious decision to do anything in the past few months.   I have absolutely no idea where the past three months have gone.  It's all been a blur.  I am feeling tired, right down to the bones.  Life is not enjoyable and I'm rushing from one thing to the next.  My house is not clean (at least to the way I like it) and full of clutter.  

It is time for this to stop.  I have worked myself into a frenzy, and want to regroup and revise.  I am not going to give or give in.  Life is about the journey, right?

I am not giving up the blog, I am not giving up the sewing, the knitting, the spinning or the team sports.  I'm not giving up the work course or the spending time with my girls (!).  What I am going to do is make a list, prioritize and make a conscious effort to be fully in the moment of whatever I'm doing.

What I am going to give up is the deadline things.  I'm involved with Camp Loopy right now, but I'm going to release myself from the pressure.  I didn't pay attention to the details for my first project, and realized halfway through that I didn't have enough yardage to meet the specs of the first project.  So, I happily ordered more yarn (with some extra for consolation) and expected myself to finish two projects in one month (this is completely unheard of for me, and with everything else going on...Oivey.  What was I thinking??!!). I finished the first shawl while waiting for the new yarn.  Pretty, pretty...soft and squooshy.

First Shawl - Transverse Shawlette by Wendy Johnston, unblocked, MadTosh Pashmina in Terra

I'm now halfway through the second first project, which I am thoroughly enjoying, but I'm finding my knitting time at 11:30 at night (and I get up at 5:30 for work!)  I cannot continue to do this, or I will get sick.  So...Self...I give you permission to NOT finish this on time if that's the way it works out.  I'll still have a gorgeous shawl at the end of it (actually two, but whose counting?!).  I've ordered yarn for the second project, but if I don't get that done...no biggie.

Second Shawl - Renita by Corrina Ferguson, PicnicKnits, out of JulieSpins Silky 435 in Nectarine

I also need some new summer clothes.  As a result of eating out all the time when I've been travelling (and that's been a lot for work), I have gained...ahem...a few pounds (let's be realistic.  It's more like 15).  So, I don't fit into my summer clothes anymore, except my knit dresses.  I'd really like to lose the weight, but that's taking longer than I had hoped, and in the meantime I have not a whole lot to wear.  Shorts are a priority.  I like McCalls 5391, and have that pulled out along with some black cotton twill for a muslin pair.


No pressure though.

I'm at a course all weekend (the subject matter is a secret until I'm successful at it...which I will be!!)  I'll tell you more about that on Monday.

Whew!  Long post.  Lots going on, and there's more, but I'll save that until the next post.

Thanks for hanging in there!