Fiber Fool

Several weeks back now I got to put on my photographers hat and help Deborah Robson update her publications packet with new author photos. So with DH in tow to helpfully carry equipment and perhaps help hold reflectors we headed out to one of my favorite places to take photographs in the area.

I am not really a portrait photographer who gives much direction. I’ll jump in a fix a stray hair or right a wonky necklace, but mostly I prefer to capture the natural expressions with natural head positions and such. That isn’t quite what most people are going for with author photos, but Deb was looking for something kind of casual.

That said, I think my absolute favorite is totally inappropriate and I won’t show it here in case that is Deb’s least favorite, but it captured “her” so well. But here are my other four favorites. I’m sure you can’t guess which of these four is my next favorite, LOL! Though it wouldn’t be appropriate for author photos in most instances. If for no other reason than the size of them, but it also slightly blurred due to the action of the shot in combination with the overcast skies.

I’m still mostly playing the waiting game at the moment. I have the yarn for one make that two (one just arrived yesterday) out of three things that need knit this month and the sample for the fourth item that requires the pattern be turned in by the end of the month as well. Unfortunately, the yarn that will be getting passed to my very talent test knitter I have lined up has yet to arrive. What did arrive I won’t be able to look at for at least a few days as I want to get the current project on the needles a little further before I start in on the other one.

I tell you, the phrase “snail mail” doesn’t seem more appropriate than when you are waiting for things (rather impatiently) that are required in order to meet tight deadlines.

I don’t have a ton to show for my work this week which is rough. But if I work at seeing what I’ve accomplished I have actually accomplished quite a bit - it just isn’t all that tangible. It is either all in computer files (and on paper, but somehow that doesn’t seem as tangible as knit fabric) or I’ve problem solved in my head or I’ve furthered communication in places where it had stalled out. I’m probably going to get a reputation as being a PITA, LOL!

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I found a great seed starting guide in my inbox this week from Organic Gardening so I’m itching to spend some quality time with that and figure out what I’m late starting and what needs to get started when. My fingers are ready for some play in the dirt :-) But I’m having a hard time mentally giving myself permission to sit down with a calendar and work out those dates for the veggies we’re planning on this year. But how I am looking forward to opening some of those seed packets and getting the newspaper starter pots filled with seed starting mix!

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The photo leading this post is a contrail at sunset which I caught a couple weeks ago on my way out to SnB. I just loved the vibrant, almost glowing, coral contrail against the darking blue of the sky that I had to take a few moments to capture it. I just had my point and shoot with me so it is just a snapshot, but I like it just the same.

My previous absence from the blog was due to a large number of invitations to submit design proposals for publication. Out of 9 proposals I sent in response to 3 invitations I had 5 projects chosen! This is both good and bad for me. I get to work with some new publishers and editorial teams. I get to work with some yarns I haven’t worked with yet. I get to watch lots of TV that has piled up on the DVR as I knit like a mad woman as well as read more audiobooks. I’m gonna get some great exposure to new audiences in time. These are all fantastic things.

On the negative side, I’m stressed! Four of the five things are due by the end of this month. I did some bargaining on due dates and will get to push portions of the work off, but everything needs in by the end of April and I’m gonna be gone the better part of the second half of April. This also means I will once again be pretty absent from blogland as the timeframe for these things is so tight.

I hadn’t mentioned this previously, but I’ve been going through physical therapy for some neck/shoulder issues that had recently resurfaced. Quite likely the issue has resurfaced in part due to the crazy knitting on the proposal swatches in January in addition to stress and compounded by my not taking care of myself. Number one on the list of taking better care of myself was to add some vitamins to my daily pill regime and to start water aerobics once again.

I’m gonna try pop in at least once a week and am hoping I can manage more like three times a week. But since I can’t *really* blog about the knitting I’m up to the once a week goal might be more realistic. Though prep for starting seeds has begun so there could be potential for some garden-related blogging… And we’ve curtailed our dining out a bit so perhaps a return of the regular food blogging may be a possibility as well.

Up above? That’s one of the yarns I’m getting to work with for one of the designs. It’s Socks That Rock Lightweight in the colorway Blarney Stone. What a fitting color to be knitting on in March, huh? I find it so interesting to compare yarn in the hank, in a cake, and swatched. This is the first of the yarns to arrive and I can’t wait to see the colors I’ll be using for all the other designs!