well, there’s a lot going on.  next thursday is my birthday – the 16th.  and its one of those “banner” ones.  not saying which, but one of the ones that makes you look at life and say – WTF is up!

and that’s really the point of my life right now – still in limbo with disability (not appropriate for a public blog to say more) and thus life is a bit undirectional right now.  due to nature of malady days sometimes are dark and filled with anxiousness and sometimes with sadness.  struggling struggling …

 knitting is a good constant – as is practicing the piano – something that i have turned back to – actually was one of the primary reasons i made the move out of nyc last year .  my piano is currently in shop being rebuilt – quite an expensive proposition given my current situation, but a necessary one in order to have a decent instrument.  this is the first piano i have ever owned, bought from a singer friend, it needed a bunch of work to make it a “pianist’s piano”  but that is pretty standard for older pianos – i couldnt buy a new steinway if i had the kind of money to buy one – the older ones are built better and getting them rebuilt / reconditioned inside is the best way to go.  buying the piano and making the move was a conscious decision to put my music back in forefront of my life.   this is a HUGE leap for me as its been awhile since i was practicing regularly and will take some effort to get back to my former playing level.  its a frustrating process cause my brain is musically ready but my finger/hand/arm/back muscles have to get back in shape.  so i have to find music that is challenging enough intellectually but not so much technically for now.

Leap and the net will appear

A favorite saying of mine which i had read in The Artists Way a number of years ago and ironically received as a present last Christmas (a little tile that rests on a stand – its in my Music Room where I can see it while practicing).  

the hardest thing about living alone and being unwell is keeping energy up and keeping to a schedule.  for awhile this fall i was on a very weird sleeping schedule where i would be up most of the night then go to sleep around dawn and wake around noon but need a nap around dusk.   it was the hardest thing to break this – interestingly it magically cleared up the week AFTER the switch back to Standard Time.  actually i just realised that.  hmmm.   it played havoc with any kind of schedule – i would practice and then fall asleep and then it would be late night and not really the time to do chores, etc (i live in a four apt house).  but i am back on a regular schedule now and so that its one good thing!

yesterday was not such a good day physically -it was a painful day and so i knit and rested and cooked soup and make cornbread.  actually knit most of the first sleeve for Arian (part of the Red Sweater/Chic Knit Ariann KALs).  silly me this morning misread the pattern and ripped back most of the knitting to the WRONG version length – sigh.  but will replace those inches tonight watching the ELECTION RETURNS (GO Democrats!)

anyway, today a better day – was able to practice for a few hours– and it was good work – really intense work on the Allemande from Bach’s Partita #2 (lots of hand separate and slow together practice) and then read thru the Schubert Impromtus Op 142 and some of Op 90 to figure out some to work on .  i need some shorter pieces with technical issues to build up strength and get my “chops” back.  i had started on a Mozart sonata this summer but am finding its not what i really need right now – I love Schubert and these will do for now.  Also some Chopin – starting with some of the Nocturnes. 

knitting progress

am working on a Totem Jacket by EZ (for Zimmermania KAL too) for the elder nephew.  am working on the first sleeve right now – will probably use a black to do the borders . 

this has been a bit of a challenge in that i am using a bulky yarn that i got in a buying spree years ago – its Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Buiky and i had to do a bit of fiddling with the pattern to figure out the stitches – finally figured out that its working out to about 2/3 of the written pattern figures.  i do find it a bit of a problem that there is no row gauge – i am using the pattern in The Opinionated Knitter – and since the actual boy is in the Berkshires and repeated requests for chest and length measurements have gone unanswered – i resorted to using figures from several sources to guestimate the length and chest.

 and an aran of my own design for the younger nephew.  i do have chest measurements – well a current fitting sweater – and as this if for this year wear – he is getting a baby brother in January so i know it will be worn again –  i am knitting to size and not for growth.  

The other WIP is my Ariann (for the Ariann KAL and the Red Sweater KAL).  have finished the body up to the sleeve join and working on the first sleeve – almost done.  need more yarn for this – there are two EBAY auctions i am watching.

Other than these i am itching to start a new shawl and also am drooling over the cover sweater of the new Interweave Knits – which i have NOT read yet – am saving it for a special treat .  i just keep drooling over the cover!

Nantucket Jacket
design by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino (100% merino; 92 yd [84 m]/50 g): #8532 cinnamon stick, 12 (12, 14, 16, 18) balls.