Summertime fun

Otherwise known as the CPA exam. Took it last Wednesday and have NO IDEA how I did on it. The scoring people guarantee that I'll have results in hand by the first week of the next testing window. Hm. Next testing window start date = October 1. Yey. I will likely have taken the next section by then. Hmph.

Obviously, with the last week of cramming, I didn't have any time to knit. I made up for that over the weekend! Finished a moss stitch scarf. B. said, "If poop had a color, that would be it!" Great, honey, that's definitely a line I can put in my Etsy listing! It's very brown and olive-y with some navy scattered throughout. I hope to block it tomorrow evening and then have the listing and pictures up over the weekend.

Tuesday Night Knitting Group was a lot of fun tonight. It's interesting to look around the table and see all the diverse people who come together. This evening, we had a relative newcomer, L., come with her adorable baby. There are a couple of other mothers in the group as well. Some of us are married, some are singletons, some are in serious relationships. As far as careers go, we have all sorts: KD is a lab scientist; I'm an accountant; L. is a SAHM; JLo is a horticulturist; LB is a pastor/minister at a local hospital; and ATS is a realtor. I don't know the other members' jobs, but hey, that gives me something to ask about next week!

In personal career news, this time of year is when my employer holds annual reviews. I received a promotion this year! I was very surprised but, of course, very pleased. As my mother put it, it is a promotion in title and in pay. (She worked for the government, so I think their pay grades and staff levels may have been much more structured than the levels at my firm.) My responsibilities won't dramatically increase overnight, which is a relief. My work mentor, MH, is a manager at the firm, and we discussed at our quarterly lunch today what I can expect and how I can live up to the new position. My actual evaluation is tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll find out then what my bonus will be, or if that news will show up on the next pay day. Either way, that will be another boost to my savings account and another dent in my credit card debt.

TNKC

I really enjoy the friendships I've made at my knitting groups. Last May (2007), I met KD at the Knit Wits in southwest 0rlando. She had just moved here a few days prior and didn't know anyone. Of course, I had to take her under my wing and do whatever I could to help her settle in to Happytown life. She is one of my best girls now, and I really enjoy knowing her. Thanks to her, I started attending a different knitting group after we moved to the northeast section of town; the Knit Wits are simply too far away to make the drive. The new group, the Tuesday Night Knitting Club, is so much fun. The other knitters have become good friends... from JLo and her bachelorette party to LR's daughter in the new big movie that just came out recently to JI looking up belly-dancing classes on her iPhone for us...

I laugh when people are surprised that I, a 20-something, knit - "Knitting's for grandmas! I bet you're the youngest one at your little knitting circle." HA! Not quite. Well, actually, I might be, but it would be by a matter of months, not decades.

I really enjoy spending the time with other crafty people and seeing their projects grow. LB is working on a market bag that I might have to steal, and V. (a crocheter) was working on a little tin-type thing. Watching her crank out the lid of the box in one evening was amazing, and then I realized that's what I do, too. I had put out several inches of my latest basketweave scarf by the time I left.

One of the other things that is very helpful is conferring with the more experienced girls about how to actually do a new stitch. Trying to translate words on a page to actual movements can be tricky, and having someone guide me has really benefited me. Thankfully, there's YouTube for the times that I can't get to TNKC.

Well - I'm out of here for tonight. Have to straighten up my desk and then get to bed. I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday!

Little bits

Just a quick post to say - I haven't vanished!

Started working on a seed-stitch scarf last night. I really enjoy this yarn - it's Patons Rumors, which is acrylic and merino. It's very loose, so I'm glad I'm using my needles with sharp-sharp points. I can't imagine trying to knit this on my bamboo needles (which have much blunter points). I had started this scarf last week, but it was turning out to be much too wide. I frogged it all and restarted with a few less stitches per row, and it is a much more appropriate width right now.

I have so many yarns in my stash that I'm looking forward to getting into! I have some more Patons Classic Wool Merino, which is, of course, destined for more My So-Called Scarves. I might try to make some hats to match them, as the last pair of scarves I made were very, very long.

The next thing I'm trying to do for my Etsy shop is improving my photography skills. Bradley takes excellent pictures for me, but he isn't always available to shoot when I need pictures. Maybe I should have a real, actual contract with him ;-) Ha! That would be pretty entertaining. It's easy to find instructions online to make a light box, so I think that will be my first step. Then I'd like to get a mannequin head; finding a dress form or mannequin upper torso is also in my plan.

I missed my knitting group last night, and I missed connecting with my girlfriends. My friend E. needed help picking up an entertainment center, and since she has always been so helpful when I needed to borrow her truck, I wanted to return the favor. I definitely have to make it to knitting next week! The girls there are so helpful with advice and suggestions; I love the immediate feedback and the bonding. I don't feel like I'm 40 years older than I am (28) just because I'm knitting.