Creativity

Good Morning and Happy Sunday! The view out the patio door is soft and muted today as the normally rich blue sky is feeling faded. It is also the first day of February. I'm not quite sure how to feel about that one. January up until the last week felt extremely slow and long, which had both good and bad points. Now that February is here, I hope it doesn't flash by.

What did we do this week? Dear Serra finally got back to routine on Tuesday as campus was closed Monday to clean up two feet of snow! Thankfully the storm did not hit the area until after they returned from the tattoo conference. Tuesday she finally got to attend Genetics lab. Since she is such a quick study and has found her calling in DNA, she finished early and was able to help out other students. She hopes Organic Chem lab finally happens on Monday night. Saturday is not only the end of January but her birthday! She celebrated the big 2-0 with a package from home and spam musubis.

Amanda has been following her hockey, applying to more positions on the job front and landing an interview. A classmate of hers from Rochester was hired last summer and her company is hiring again. Their plan is to have people in training by the beginning of March, and they are not messing around. Amanda has an interview with four people at once over zoom on Thursday. Fingers crossed it all goes well. 

January was a very busy month with classes at The Loopy Ewe! New knitters, hats, brioche, lace and socks were all on the agenda. February has room in Fair Isle, Estonian Lace and a garter stitch knit pattern. I am also thinking about summer one session classes and new options for fall. Being at the yarn store that much is dangerous as I bought more!

I've had an idea for many years to write a progressive lace pattern series. The creative portions of my brain have been spinning hard lately, and it is time to get back to it. These two skeins will be the first pattern. 

Little Squirrel also brought in the January sock set! Sarah dyes faster than I knit!

Wintry is a cozy set of blues, purples, and teals that I'm glad Amanda hasn't seen yet! This colorway is totally in her wheelhouse.

The creative brain got to play a bit with other design work.

I've had a design brewing with one of the Little Squirrel sock sets from last year and finally decided to play a bit. We'll see what happens. I still need to get back to other patterns that have been knit but not written. Interpreting years old notes is an interesting challenge!

As for me, it's been a roller coaster of a week. Classes were wonderful and I hope they keeping going this well. I'm trying to figure out how to avoid the summer slump. Some unexpected news brings its challenges, and I'm hopeful for Amanda with this new company. Right now, it's just breathing through it all until I can proper rest again.

Next week! Hello February, you're a full one, aren't you? Here's hoping the month does and doesn't fly by. Time feels a bit like an enemy at the moment as I feel it running out. Hopefully that's not the case. Serra and campus missed the bomb cyclone so it's classes as usual this week. Some review and getting some helpful hints for Amanda's interview so it goes well on Thursday. Me? Students to teach, classes to prepare, work to get ahead on, and life to live. Can't forget to find space to live and feel rather than simply exist. Breathe, hope, center, be, Love, keep hanging on, and I'll be back next week :)