Today is the start of my new year. I could look at it as coming late to the party, but I’d rather look at it as coming early to the parade, since tomorrow begins the Chinese New Year. Whatever the perspective, my life has just ordered it that way so on we go….
Looking for a nice New Year graphic, I stumbled on this interactive Hallmark card that tells the future. First click: Lose ten pounds. Point taken. Second click: Move in with parents. Yikes! Too close to reality, since my parents’ health may require this soon. Third click: Buy more junk. Not the best advice, but easily predictable. How about one more click, just for good measure: Kiss Fewer Frogs. Well, what can I say to that?! Click on the fortune teller to see your own predictions.
While I do feel a little late to the party, I did manage to go out on New Year Eve, celebrating properly with fireworks and good friends. At home we cooked and ate black eyed peas for good luck on January 1st. After that the man and I slipped away for a quiet anniversary dinner and B&B in San Francisco. I attended our guild’s Roc Day, a lovely gathering shared with sweet people. I started a weaving class on the first Wednesday, which I am really enjoying and will blog about later. (None of these events has a photographic record, so the imagination is left to cope.) My most recent adventure has been an emergency trip to the dentist for a root canal, after many days of misery. But life cannot be all fun and pleasure, right? Having said that — let’s get back to the pleasures, shall we?
For many people, my family included, one of the best things to happen this year is the dawn of the new presidential administration. I have so much hope invested in this new direction. Peace. Stability. Freedom. Respect. So many important things tied up in the hopes for the new year. And I have my own personal symbol of this new era: Obama Sox!
I won these socks in a raffle on the Knitters For Obama group on Ravelry. They were knit specially for me by Marisa (Risala on Ravelry) in the Yes We Can! colorway from C*Eye*ber Fibers. Marisa worked hard to make these perfect and they are. It’s the best prize ever! The KFO group raised over $32,000 in donations to the Obama campaign and kept me informed of all the latest news. It’s been great to be a part of the group and the huge number of people who stood up to bring our new president into office. I wear these socks with pride and hope.
My own stitching is a new thing for me, too. I’m making Eva’s Shawl from Without Seams and using my handspun. It will be a small shawl to hang on the back of my chair. this is my first real project with my own handspun. It will be a great keepsake.
This shawl is part of a knitalong, and in my haste to get started, I neglected to wash and set the yarn. I wound it right off the bobbin and started crocheting. There are a couple problems with that. I tend to overspin and I’m using this as a single ply, so it kinks back on itself. 
I’m stubbornly persisting, though, straightening the yarn while working it. I am curious to see how this blocks out in the end. I’m not worried about it since it is something for my own enjoyment. The color changes are fun and the lace pattern repeat is very easy. I actually think that I pick this project up when I want to procrastinate on other knitting I should be doing.
What am I procratinating about? Uggs! I wanted to make some of these for a young friend who is due any day now. I swapped for the yarn and got as far as this: One. Big. Bootie. Not my kind of knitting, either. I really should make some little ones. I really don’t want to do it. So I work on my chair shawl.
We’re headed out tomorrow for another doctor’s appointment in San Fran, so I might take the booties as my travel knitting. I tend to take something that will make the long drive seem productive, like chemo caps. These booties would be just right. I’ll report back on how that works out. (I’m going to take the shawl, too!)