A Post-Doctoral Post

One week ago today . . . I became Dr. Punctuated Knitter.

In the meantime, the whole winter disappeared, and part of the spring. I took an official-must-not-work-at-all four days off before my new job started and spent some time looking at the lovely blossoms all over Columbia and catching up on sleep. I realized that it's hard to take four days off. I had forgotten, but I like to work. Having one project somewhat completed and not started yet on a new one, I did get a chance to do some Thinking About Biology, and that was good. I think while I knit. Usually, it's just planning/worrying about what needs to happen next in the mundane day-to-day sense, but this time I did get to think about some more big picture questions.

And I bought post-doctoral silk at my LYS. I have not had 100% silk before, so I thought this was a good occasion. I am officially on a yarn diet since packing up the stash and realizing how large it is, but this doesn't count. It's my present to myself, and I wasn't going to use my binge on just any old wool. It would be like blowing your diet on Hershey's Kisses. Good, but if if you're going to go, go all the way. I'm making a Clapotis. I will get back into documenting my projects as I'd planned for this blog, as I get back into a regular post-thesis life (that is, the having of a life).

I also got "Fitted Knits" by Glampyre Stephanie Japel, whose work I always admire, and "No Sheep for You" by knitty's Amy Singer. There were a ton of patterns in "Fitted Knits" that I liked, and several I can make with yarn already in my stash (yay!). "No Sheep for You" had a couple patterns I liked, but I really bought it for the overview of non-animal-hair yarns, which was excellent.

Here is my spring and summer knitting goal list:
1. Work my way through any UFOs I actually intend to finish
(frog, re-ball and donate or stash yarn from those I won't)
2. Christmas gift socks
3. Play with dying sock yarn
4. Finish presents for former co-workers
5. Use leftovers to learn Continental knitting (felting project with swatches?) and learn two-handed fair isle

I learned from last summer's heat--except for #1 none of these goals involve a lapful of wool.


In the meantime, Arthur is putting on some needed weight and looks healthier and has more energy. He is snoozing happily next to me on the couch. He likes to be with us all the time. We had a good time napping together on my days off. I'm so thankful he was rescued from Animal Control. He's a wonderful kitty. I get so upset thinking about him there in a cage waiting for the end, but he will never have to go through that again. At least we can give one cat a home for the rest of his life. And all my knits will now feature the occasional fine, orange hair knit in!