Knitting in bed

It's been a rough last couple weeks. Work continues to be super stressful and unrelenting. And I was on a doubly intense knitting deadline for two different upcoming secret projects that coincidentally (and unfortunately) were due on the same day.  But I can happily say that everything was successfully shipped off and submitted, which means I no longer have to stay up until 3 AM every night knitting until my contacts are so dry that my eyes gum shut. Yeah!  It's the little things...

I've gone through a bit of limbo the last few days since the big deadline where I literally had an intense negative physical reaction when I thought about knitting. Just the thought of needles and yarn made me cringe and get a little dry heave-y. I've drained all the fun out of knitting over the last couple weeks by having to set aside everything else in my life in order to get things finished in time. But now that that strange (and unfamiliar) feeling has passed, I'm ready to dig in again!

Ahhhhh, this is my view tonight:

I'm laying in bed curled up with my favorite blanket, charting out some fresh designs and playing around with some stitches.  I LOVE this stage of designing...when everything is possible and the design has the ability to take on a life of its own.

Knitting in bed isn't the most comfortable thing, but I'm willing to give up some comfort for the luxury of being cozied up with my laptop, some yarn and a movie.  I've tried a few different knitting-in-bed positions, but my favorite is on my stomach with pillows underneath my chest so that I'm propped up enough knit in front of my face. Weird, huh?  It makes my neck hurt after a while though.

Anyways...I feel a change in the air the last couple days. Have you felt it too? Maybe I feel like I've turned a corner in the summer and feel the relative calm of fall moving in. Whatever it is, I feel like exciting things are on the horizon, both knitting and otherwise.

There's this song that has been stuck in my head the last few days, which I think has only heightened my feelings of change in the near future...This is by far my favorite verse of the song:

...Come writers and critics who prophesize with your pen

Keep your eyes wide, the chance won't come again.

Don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'.

For the loser now will be later to win

For the times, they are a-changin'....

A stitch for your thoughts

I've got nothing truly knitting-related to post today and yet I felt compelled to say something.  

All weekend I've felt like I was ready to snap. I've not been sleeping well, which makes me super cranky. I'm in ultra-crunch time for two different deadlines coming up on the same day and I won't be sleeping anytime soon until both samples are finished. I've been knitting so much for the deadlines that my hands are aching. And to top it off, work is still super stressful at this point in the year and I'm still working 70+ hours/week, when generally this is the time I can let my guard down a bit and relax and actually enjoy a weekend. I'm stuck in the tunnel with no light in sight.

So, yeah. I'll admit I was feeling a bit sorry for myself today.

And then I heard the news that the father of a former roommate, good friend, & fellow knitter had passed away this morning after a very short battle with a previously undiagnosed cancer.  And everything snapped into perspective.  Yes, the knitting deadlines and my day job are important to me, but nothing about them is life and death. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little humbled.

So, if you've got a few stitches to spare tonight, knit a few for a fellow knitter who could use some good thoughts as she grieves over the loss of her father. 

As for me, I'm going to be sending some stitches, love, and positive thoughts across the miles to her too.  

And I'll also be daydreaming of the fall when things are less stressful and I can play around with this gorgeous fiber from Blue Moon that came in the mail not long ago.  Those colors are enough to even bring a smile to my cranky face. 

Twist Collective Fall 2011 - Footsie

The Twist Collective Fall 2011 issue went live last night....and I am so in love with absolutely every pattern in this issue.  There are 38 designs (!) and a pattern by yours truly just happens to be one of them!

Meet Footsie.

Photo courtesy of Twist Collective

Footsie is a his-and-hers sock pattern that was worked up in two different yarns from the amazing and gorgeous Sweet Georgia Yarns.  The men's version (on the left above) was worked in BFL Sock in the Cypress colorway and the women's version (on the right) was knit up in CashLuxe Fine in Botanical.  Meandering twisted stitches surround a simple central cable panel that is mirrored on the opposite sock.  The central cable is repeated on the heel and up the back of the sock, with twisted rib on either side.

I had to knit up both of these pairs of socks in just about two and a half weeks back in April. Now that might be a piece of cake to some of you, but I'm a fairly slow knitter (well, more than anything, I'm a distracted knitter) so I literally spent every waking moment during those couple of weeks knitting these socks.  I probably got about 3 hours of sleep each night because I knew I had to use up every spare moment to get them finished by the deadline.

And use up every spare moment I did...I finished knitting both pairs the morning that I absolutely had to get them in the mail in order for them to arrive on time via 2nd Day Air.  I almost didn't have time to block them, but I wanted them to look their best, so I quickly dunked them in some hot water and then used the triple-threat method to dry them:  a combination of ironing, tumbling in the dryer and my hairdryer.  I was still trying to dry them 10 minutes before I had to be at the post office...it was a real nail biter but I pulled it off!

Both yarns were amazing to work with, but CashLuxe Fine has captured a special place in my heart. In fact, last night when I couldn't sleep because of the excitement, I did a little retail therapy and purchased some of my very own in the Raspberry, Orchid, and Black Plum colorways! I'm thinking some stripey socks are in my future.

Pattern Details:

Design:  Footsie  (Rav link)
Yarn:  Sweet Georgia Yarns in CashLuxe Fine (Botanical) and BFL Sock (Cypress)
Construction:  Worked from the toe up; The twisted stitch and cable panel is both charted and written row-by-row.
Sizes:  Foot Circumference: 7 ¼ (8, 8 ¾, 9 ½)" / 18.5 (20.5, 22, 24) cm, (unstretched)
Gauge:  36 sts and 52 rows = 4" / 10 cm in Stockinette in the round
Needles:  Size 1 (2.25 mm) circular, or size needed to obtain gauge.

You can purchase this design directly on Twist Collective's website by clicking here.

P.S. Can you feel fall in the air? I can!