And so.

I've been saying that word a lot lately - the word "so".
Sometimes twice in the same sentence, or thought. Maybe I've always had a habit of doing that, but I just noticed it this week. I really don't know why I say it, except that maybe I just feel the need to explain myself; especially in light of the whirlwind of change that seems to be going on around me. Nothing is really changing for me - just for people of somewhat close association with me. I can't keep up, so I've just found myself content to just sit in the eye of the storm and observe everything happen around me. Since I've remained un-involved, I have to preemptively think up some creative excuses for my laziness, somehow making my life seem busier and more interesting than it really is, sitting here in my calm little bubble. That's where the "so"s come in.
So anyway, here are just a few of the little things that have gone on in my life as of late:

• I saw an alpaca today rolling around in a grassy field. This made me very happy.
• I got a Canon 5D!! I ordered it on Sunday and just received it yesterday. Bought it from a private seller on Amazon.. $845.00 - a screamin' deal for a full sensor camera. I was not prepared for the fact that I would need to invest in another type of memory card for it and that my Rebel kit lens would not be suitable for it. Just some of the details to work out :)
• I tore out the cardi I was working on, and started on another pattern: Concur cardigan. I don't want to have to explain why I did it. I shall have this done possibly by next Spring.
• A guinea pig got his sweater!! Yes, sweet little Mac finally got to sport his tailor made sweater about a week and a half ago. 

• Two very important people in my life got married just a few weeks ago!!! Josh & Rhianna of J.michel Photography. I had the privilege of photographing the event alongside two other inspirational and talented photographers: Natalie Braham of Natalie Bee Photography and Ifong Chen of Ifong Photography. I am now in the process of editing my shots. I hope I can get them all done soon!!!

• oh oh oh, and upcoming trips: 
• Coastal camping adventure with my little brother over Memorial day!! 
• My cousin's wedding in Wisconsin in mid June!!
• And a friend's wedding in Portland in mid July!!

So, for now, I feel pretty content to just remain in the eye of the storm. Something big is going to happen soon, I just know it ;)

The General Craftarian Dilemma

THERE ARE JUST SO MANY THINGS I WANT TO DO!!!!!!

Yep. I just said it - and Pinterest is not helping this little fact.
Trying to reconcile all the little projects I want to do, what I need to do, and ... ehem ... real life might just be driving me a little nuts.
Things I want to do that have just come to mind in the last few minutes:

• Knit cute things
• Knit cute things for friends
• Knit cute things for the world (think humanitarian-ness)
• Be a good daughter/sister/friend and maybe, just maybe, someday be a good wife & mother :)
• Be a good dog owner
• Organize my life! (fun little idea I had this week, take a week of vacation and organize EVERYTHING! 'Cause when I get a roll baby, there is no stopping me!)
• Go someplace completely spontaneous (another cute idea I had this week... schedule a week of vacation, wait until about a week before my vacay and see what plane tickets are on sale! Hopefully someplace I've never been before and that I don't know anyone. Trips are just more fun that way)
• Visit New York City and the Oregon Coast again!
• Be a supreme organic gardener extraordinaire and eat seasonably and all that jazz
• Make my own clothes (since I haven't been buying anything, I need some way to spruce up my wardrobe!!)
• Be good at braiding my own hair
• Go hiking, biking, running, zumba, dance. Something active that doesn't involve the elliptical machine.
• Make cards for people
• Play passionately voluptuous romantic era music on my violin
• Play old time church hymns on my ukulele and sing along
• Take lots of pretty pictures of all my adventures
• Get involved in meals ministry at church
• Get involved in a downtown youth ministry
• Be a gluten free baking expert
• Do a good job at work so I can get promoted so that I can earn more money to afford all the things I want to do and have more vacation so that I have the time. Oh and enjoy the personal satisfaction that work brings too :)

I've been telling myself that I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do - if only I had more vacation time, or maybe if God had created a world where we just got 2 more hours each day. I'm pretty sure though, that with even more time, I would still feel as spread out as I do now. I also keep telling myself that if only... if only there was a man that would marry me.... someone who was secure in his career. That maybe I could have good health insurance through his work. Then I wouldn't have to work. Or maybe I could work just part-time - at a cute little interior decor shop, or own my own yarn shop. If only. Even then, I know I would be too spread out to be a good wife and mother. 

No offense to anyone out there, this is purely my opinion: I think us craftarians are one big group of control freaks, with our lives tied together with pretty bow that we wove and tied ourselves. I'm beginning to think that this might be a great big exercise God has me going through in letting go. Letting go of selfish ambitions and the perfectionist idealistic modern-day renaissance woman mindset. Let God guide my daily footsteps and show me what's really important.

So, this is my public declaration: My Pinterest Pinboard includes a lot of things that I want to do. If Yahweh so wills, I may, or may not accomplish it all.

Anyway, I did finish a guinea pig sweater! It's awaiting it's time to be worn by the little guy. I will of course take pictures of that event. I really wish I could write a pattern for how I knit it, but I did it kinda freestyle. Started out with a 3x2 rib, connected it in the round then worked stockinette, binding off and casting on for the armholes, shaping it for the belly so that, by request, it would not drag around in feces and ending it with a 3x2 rib. Very exciting little project!

My cardigan has a few more rows knit on it and I have a skein of Mountain Colors "Twizzle" (85% Merino, 15% Silk) in "Firestorm" that wants to be a hat. I might start on that soon ;) ... Oh! and I bought two sewing patterns today - so that I might one day sew a polka dot skirt and some hiking pants.

A Tale of Two Sweaters

A cardigan and a guinea pig sweater are what's OTN (on the needles, tehe... I feel clever). Anyway, yeah. I started a guinea pig sweater. No pattern, just making it up as I go! I should have it done soon. It's my instant gratification project for now. The other sweater now, I actually haven't knit a stitch on it since I was sick a couple weeks ago. I have to be in the right mood for it, and have a good lineup of shows on Hulu to catch up on. That way, I can knit while watching "TV" and have the pattern right in front of me too... 'cause the pattern is on my computer you see and not on paper ... being green and all that jazz. Or maybe my printer might just be refusing to work.

Speaking of being green - Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!!! Oh, and my basil and thyme are growing!! Not as fast as I'd like them to. Of course if I was uber serious about growing anything, I'd have flats lined out with dozens of little seedlings and a heat lamp over them like my daddy does. And it would drive my roommates nuts. Plus, I'm definitely not one to be any kind of efficient about anything I do.

Also, one more thing - I would like to introduce you to my latest singer/songwriter obsession - Rosi Golan. Some of her music has banjos in it. It makes my heart super happy. Hope you enjoy too!!