The 16-day work slog is finally over. Due to some trades at work, I did 16 days in a row, with 2 days off about a third the way through so I could catch up on sleep. My “short” days at work are 11 hours, assuming I get the work done on time. The “long” days are 15 hours. I love my job, I love my job, I love my job. Remind me not to agree to trades again. The flip side of all the trading is that I now have 12 days off in a row. Well, 11, I was in a coma yesterday and missed most of it. My plans for today involve not getting dressed for several more hours. At least my husband, a dedicated morning person, has finally learned not to shake me at 7 AM with a “honey, honey, it’s a beautiful day, want to get up and go do something?” Honey, honey, I’m already doing something, shake me one more time, and you’ll lose a hand.
I have done a bit of knitting, but it’s all been on a grey stockinette Peace Fleece sweater with no shaping. Back and forth, back and forth. It’s boring as hell, but also very, very satisfying in a grey stockinette tweedy wool sort of way. OK, OK, here’s a photo.
Really, it is pretty exciting. You should smell this stuff. It has that wonderful sheepy smell that I just love. I’m almost to the underarm shaping on the first piece. And that’s about all the knitting news around here.
Oh, not quite, I forgot about my knitting excitement yesterday. The one thing that I did get done was my annual girlie physical, something really to look forward to when you’d much rather spend the entire day with a blanket over your head. I have a new gynecologist, and yesterday was my first visit. I was knitting away on a sock* when she came into the room, and it turns out that she’s a knitter, is relatively new in town, and wants to come to our weekly knitting fiesta at the local coffee shop. Sweet.
And the most exciting non-knitting news? November 1st is only 12 days away. Who cares, you ask? It’s NaNoWriMo time again! The crazy month where thousands of insane wanna-be writers decide to pick up a pencil on November 1st, and not put it down again until they have a 50,000 word novel done by the stroke of midnight on the last day of the month. I participated in this nutball event in 2004 and 2005, finishing in the first year, fizzling in the second. Last year I decided to sit it out, but this year I’m going for it again. Finishing the novel is of course the main point, but it’s a hoot even if you don’t. The next 12 days will be spent on nailing down some characters and a rudimentary outline of a plot (plot? you mean I have to have a plot?), then rushing headlong into the writing on the 1st. If you’re equally insane, go on over and sign up. And I don’t want to hear any sniveling that you don’t know how to write a novel. Neither do I. It doesn’t need to be good, nobody but you will read it, it’s all about getting 50,000 words down on paper in 30 days.
Go on over and sign up. If you do, let me know. Here’s my Nano profile page.
*What, you don’t knit with your feet up in stirrups??
I didn’t remember my mammogram tech, but she remembered me — apparently I was knitting a sock last year when I had my mammogram too. Can’t knit precisely *during* the mammo, with my arm up and my cheek smooshed against the machine and ‘turn this way’ and ‘drop your shoulder’ and ‘hold your breath’. But before and after, of course!
Welcome back to the outside world. You didn’t miss much.
I didn’t think of knitting during my exam in July, I know it would have been much easier to ignore the invasion ;).
Yay for 11 days off. hehe.
Enjoy your days off!
Looks like this is gray stockinette sweater month. 🙂
So brave of you to sign up for NaNoWriMo. I didn’t know about it, but I’m gonna keep an eye on it.
Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I’ve considered doing that, but really, November is a busy month for us, who has the time?? (grin)
Way to go, Lorette, although just the thought of writing a novel in one month makes me want to turn off the computer, throw all legal pads in the trash. It took four years to write my first one, which came out in 2002, and I haven’t read it since it hit the shelves because I know I’d find a billion things I want to revise. Put on some Ray Price and Conway Twitty and get back into 1968. You can do it, though, you prove you’re a great writer here all the time, and I’ll keep an eye out to see how you do. And as for that warm underbelly smell of wool, especially when wet, I thought I was the only one wierd enough to love it. Same thing with wet silk.
Welcome back! No more trades, ok? 😉
I just signed up! How exciting. This will be my first one.
Glad to see you are still with us! I really like that gray!
Woo hoo 12 days off! I’m thrilled to be meeting up with you during this break!
Love the grey sweater – there is nothing quite as comforting as stockinette, is there.
A novel in a month? whoa. that’s amazing. I think I’ll just be a lurker this time around.. but maybe next year (yes I also secretly harbor the desire to write!)
Reminds me of the the time I was in stirrups and the exam was interrupted by two cops answering a bomb threat call.
Happy belated b-day,
Li
Since your last few years of doing it..it’s inspired me…one day! It’s amazing how you still get projects completed with your schedule! Way to go!
You might have just lured me into the writing. I have been dying to give it a try and now I might just have to.
NO MORE TRADES! The days off may be nice but the cost might be high too…..
Love the grey St St. It seems to be the yarn of the month. I am working on a Channel jacket from a 1980’s pattern leaflet that I have used a bizillion times and never tire of.
I knit at the OB/GYN, but I don;t think I have ever tried to knit while he does the exam….there’s always next year….
Did you know there is a group on Ravelry of yarn sniffers? Or so I’ve been told. I’ll have to send bill over to the novel site. He’s been threatening to write one for years – a historical novel about the Civil War. He’s actually a pretty darn good writer except he can’t spell worth a hoot!
I too love that sheepy smell – somehow it smells like crayons to me & transports me back to my childhood. I have a large stash of Ballybrae (why on earth did they stop making that fantastic yarn) & every once in awhile I just pull some out & sniff it!!!
I too love that sheepy smell – somehow it smells like crayons to me & transports me back to my childhood. I have a large stash of Ballybrae (why on earth did they stop making that fantastic yarn) & every once in awhile I just pull some out & sniff it!!!
I don’t even like to work 2 days in a row – let along 16! Enjoy your days off!
Knitting while on the examining table–I’ve got to consider that. I get bouts of “white-coat hypertension”, especially at the gynecologist, and that might cure my problem!
Enjoy your days off.
Oh I just love a good sheepy smelling wool. It makes the art seem so real. Like we were there in the pasture watching the sheep graze and knitting right from their backs 🙂
OK, I did it, you convinced me to sign up for NaNoWriMo. I’m quaking in my boots, so it must be what I need. Can’t wait.
I love the sheepy smell so much I bought some…..sheep that is. I think my Shetlands smell like horses and autumn leaves. IMHO they’re the best smelling sheep around. Ha ha.
~snort~ I haven’t gone that far….yet. I’m sure my doctor will not be surprised if I do 😉 good luck with the novel, all I can say is wow.
Stockinette, maybe, but lush looking.
I’m giggling here in the morning, about your exchange with your DH. Sounds familiar. Why don’t they get that part of doing things? You gave me a new snappy comeback.
I’m impressed with the novel.