Girl Who Knits

I went home this weekend to attend a dear friend's wedding.  It was a beautiful wedding of two people who went through quite a lot to be together and who are madly and truly in love and committed to each other despite the difficulties they have faced.  Normally at weddings I have my cheese meter on and am prepared to be kindly amused by the gushy photos and cheesy sentiments expressed.  I don't know if I have changed or if this wedding was just different but there was nothing silly about it.  Every kiss, every look, every whispered "I love you" was so real I could feel it.  When the groom started singing to his bride as they danced I felt, not amused, but happy.  

I initially thought this was a bad weekend for me to be gone.  I am still house-hunting and not anywhere near settled.  I really, really want to be settled.  I want my stuff back and I want to feel the comfort of having my own place.  Of being home.  Now at the end of my weekend, I realize that I needed it.  I have been so frustrated and stressed out that I haven't allowed myself to relax.  I now feel recharged and ready to face the decisions I have to make in the next week or so.  So that is good.

I am spending the afternoon trying to get caught up on blogs which has made me crave my knitting, blogging, and communicating with friends.  I am so ready to get back to my creative pursuits.  To real life.  Please forgive me for not being very communicative of late.  I have been a bad blogger.  For instance, I have been meaning to write about fun Estes Park and the good times I had there but haven't been able to get around to it.  It feels a little late for a full recap now but I will say it was fun to have my sister there, to see some of my favorite Utah knitters, and to meet-up with some new and familiar Colorado knitters.  I even got a special going away gift from the grrrls at my old SnB group.   

Gifts from home. 

These women (and one man) are fun, thoughtful, giving, kind, interesting, smart, diverse, and all around class acts.  It was an honor to knit with you.  Thank you for thinking of me and welcoming me into the group.  I hope to knit with you all again really soon.

I think I am having a sentimental afternoon.  It feels good though.  I like Colorado--I just needed a break from internalizing my move.  I am ready to go back in just a couple short hours.  I am starting again to feel more like myself.  I think I will feel home again really soon.  

There has been an embarrassing lack of knitting on this here blog.  In fact, there has been an embarrassing lack of knitting in my life lately.  Unfortunately, it has taken a back seat to the bone tiring task of finding a place to live.  But I have to find some knitting time for sanity sake and in the last month I have got some knitting in.  I don't think I mentioned it before but I have been working on the Bella Blouse, a web pattern from Interweave.  I have the edge, front, and back finished and part of the right neckband done.  I am using Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton which I think matches the pattern perfectly since it has a kind of vintage-y look and feel to it.  

When I picked the colors I thought they were a little closer in color to each other.   I wanted two close shades of a neutral color.  That was my vision.  But when I started knitting them up the colors ended up looking a little less subtly different then I had hoped.  I am hoping when the neck and sleeves are done the colors will balance each other out and look okay.

So this weekend brings with it lots to look forward to.  My fav knitting companion, sister, and ex-roommate Kara is coming to visit me.  AND just in time for Estes Park Wool Market on Saturday.  If you are planning to go make sure to look for two tall sisters and say hello!  

Week one in my new state was good.  Yes, good.  The job, well, the job is great.  I have been busy and am working on fun, interesting and exciting stuff.  Work is great.  Everything else...well, it is fine.  I still don't know where I should live and I miss my family and friends and I miss Salt Lake.  The farmer's market opened this weekend and I LOVE the farmer's market.  I guess I am just a little homesick.  I am sure I will get over it.  

I think I just need to get settled.  Find a great place to live, have my stuff around me again, start getting out and meeting people.  I had been staying in a temporary apartment which was very helpful but a little limiting.  I mean, only 2 tv channels and no internet.  I didn't realize how dependent I have become on the internet until I couldn't use it on a whim.  Thankfully on Friday I moved into my friends' house in Ft. Collins and yes everyone, I am online once again.  But still without permanent housing.  One step at a time I guess.  

Anyway, I thought I would check in with you all.  Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and support.  I am sorry I haven't been able to email everyone back but I am really so thankful for all the blog love that came my way this week. 

In fact, I felt a lot of love from friends in the weeks leading up to my move (still not sure about that segue but I am tired so it will have to do.)  Several of my closest and best friends come over the Saturday before I moved to help me pack.  I gave two of them the task of packing up my stash.  I don't know if any of you have ever used Space Bags but Kara became obsessed with them and so we ended up buying some to help with the move.  So...I gave my friends a space bag and sent them to my stash.  

Now remember these are non-knitter, non-blogger friends.  And yet they still knew how to document a blog-worthy event like packing the stash.

Yes, Angie, I have a lot of yarn.  This next one is a little disturbing to me...

Thing is, I wish I could have packed up Amy and all my friends and taken them with me.  Just not using Space Bags.  That would be creepy.   

First, I apologize for my lack of communication these last couple weeks.  I have been unable to do much blog commenting, emailing, posting, and pretty much anything fun.  But big change always accompanies a little inconvenience and soon I hope to be back to blogging and catching up with all of you.  So please don't delete me from your bloglines just yet.  There is good stuff to come--promise.

So yes, big change.  I am moving to Colorado.  Today.  

I made the decision a few weeks ago and since it has been a mad house trying to get my life in order to be ready to move.  I am moving for a job I am so crazy excited about that this time in my own personal moving nightmare will be worth it.  At least it better be.  I HATE moving.  This is the kind of job I have been waiting for without knowing it was out there to actively seek.  Let me explain...

My baby sister graduated from college about 2 years ago.  She had a two month struggle of finding the right path/job but then was given her dream starter job which has grown into her full fledged dream job.  Two months after graduating and Bri is skipping to work loving every minute of her day.  I must admit I was jealous.  I mean here I am 8 years after graduating from college and I have a good job, decent career, and I like it--but I don't love it.  I want to be passionate about what I am selling and talking about day after day.  Then a co-worker gave her 2 weeks to go work for a scrapbooking magazine.  She is passionate about scrapbooking and when this job came her way, she jumped on it.  She wrote me an email a couple months after she left telling me about the happiness she has found in her new job.  The email sent me into a light depression.  I just couldn't let the thought alone that it is what I should do.  

Fast forward a couple months and I by chance stumble upon a job that exactly matches my professional experience to my personal interests.  I applied and you know the rest.  Only problem, taking this job means moving and leaving in Salt Lake the best roommate ever:

the babies (not mine of course, my brother's--I have no babies):

Ryan likes cookies.

How can you not love that face? 

So grown up. 

my friends, my restaurants, my shops, my LYS, my SnB group (miss you guys), and my best friends--my siblings. (sorry no time to find pictures of all these things)

Change is hard.  My Mom once sent me an eraser when she was trying to get me to end an unhealthy relationship, the eraser says "smart girls make changes."  I feel very very smart this week.  But also a little nervous.  

I promise I will be back as soon as I can with new projects to show off and some new crafts I want to take on.  I don't know what kind of internet access I will have right away--still don't know where I am going to live--but I will check in as soon as I can.  This will be an adventure and I'll keep you posted.  Promise.