Goal Setting

I find goal setting to be an incredibly useful tool in keeping me focused.  But I also don't let goal rule my life...they're just goals after all.

Retirement Goal

The countdown calender in the left column of this blog shows I have only a few days left until retirement:

Of course, the above is just a screen print, so the number of days will be dependent on what day you looked!

Regardless, unless something quite drastic happens before the end of this month, it's not likely I'll be retiring.

A couple of reasons:

1. I'm working with a client whose project won't complete until the middle of next month, and they want me to stay on for the remainder of the year.  I really like this client, and they pay me well.
2. I haven't met my financial goals for retirement.  Seems I'm still a bit short of what I'll need to retire.
3. There is no government healthcare, and it costs about $13,000 a year to insure Thaddeus and I for health, and that won't reduce until he reaches age 65 (in another 6 years).

So, I'm not sure when I'll retire, or even semi-retire.

I'll keep you updated, but I'm not going to re-set the goal.

Current Knitting

I got a bit more work done on the second sleeve of the Icelandic wool pullover.

Gray on gray doesn't really work, and the size of the sweater is really for Thaddeus (who is a little bigger than I am), but still I think this is going to make a fine looking sweater.

Please Rise...

...and welcome the President of the United States, Donald John Trump.

He's Got Everything You Need
Instead of allowing the cream to rise to the top, the U.S. presidential election process allows for some of the dregs to rise up as well.

It's virtually impossible to get elected the President of the United States without two important components...a huge ego and a way of readily raising millions and millions of dollars.

The ego part is obvious...the job sucks the life out of its incumbents and requires them and their families to live under the constant protection of the secret services. I can't imagine it's such a great lifestyle. Anyone that's willing to go through all the mudslinging and vitriol it takes to become president, has to really believe that they can leave a legacy that will allow them to live on in history.

The dollars part is rather obvious.

Since Donald Trump has both those characteristics, I say he's a perfect candidate for president.

Plus it would put some level of finality on the thoughts lately that our country has been exposed to way too much lead paint or pesticides in the last century, and we've created an entire population of dimwits.

Current Crocheting
It doesn't look like it, but I've actually gotten quite a bit of additional border done on the crochet baby blanket.

Plus, I've been able to take a couple of decent photos of the project to give you a sense about what it really looks like.

I'm just going to do a couple more rounds and then a simple shell border in the orange color.

Cascading Fuchsias Market Bag

The Cascading Fuchsias Market Bag is finally completely finished, and ready to be given away...

But that didn't stop me from pretending it was mine for a day.

The bag turned out very well, and I'm sure that the recipient will be pleased with it. It was a pretty fast project, and I would consider knitting it again. I used Cascade 220 for this project and size 11 needles for the bag body.

The flowers were fun to make and really set off the bag in my opinion.

Can you see the little sewn on seed beads?

As for the bag's interior, I hired a seamstress to line it according to the instructions on Nora Bellows website. She added two zippered pockets in contrasting colors as well as a snap closure. I think that the pockets and snap make it a more useable piece.

After the bag was lined, I sewed on the vines and flowers with a matching sewing thread.
I love how the vine wraps around the bag handle.

Thankyou to my lovely friend Audrey for her wonderful photography!

It's Back

I recently ordered a new little something...

Do you know what this means?

That is right.. The podcast is returning!

Season 7 will be starting up soon!

New Horizons

I can finally announce this publicly...I'm starting a new job on May 10th.

Well...Not Really New
It's actually the exact same kind of work I've been doing for about 13 years now, except I'm leaving my current company and starting up with a new firm.

Mostly, it seemed that many of my talented co-workers were heading to this new company. With a few of them already there, I feel as though I have a pre-established network that I can rely on to help me through the transition and start being productive on day-one.

I'm very please at how everything worked out. They hired me starting May 10th despite the fact that I'm off the following week for the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat. You gotta love a company that understands a man's priorities!

Current Knitting
Made a bit more headway (although it's not exactly clear in this photograph.

I've added another 2 squares (almost) to the top row of squares on the back of the Zaire pullover. Two more squares to go, then the shoulders and the sleeves and the collar, and it'll be done!

Current Spinning
I finished up the first bobbin's worth of spinning and started on the second one, spinning up this lovely natural colored Cormo roving.

The final yarn will be a lofty fingering weight yarn, or perhaps a light-weight DK. I'll look forward to seeing the final result of this wonderful fiber.

Readers' Comments/Questions
Regarding my shameful admittance about liking Microsoft Office softwares, Formerly-No-Blog-Rachel asks, "So....how do you feel about Outlook?"

I actually like Outlook...or I should qualify...I like it MUCH better than my current e-mail system, Lotus Notes...which I absolutely HATE.

Keisha follows up with, "I have to ask this: Even Office 7.0?"

Yes, although the transition to the new navigation has been a bit difficult. One of the things I like about the new version is that it's more consistent between software...it used to be that you could do certain things in one application, but couldn't do a similar thing in another, like Excel used to be limited to just a few colors, whereas PowerPoint and Word had virtually unlimited color choices. So I like the consistency. Once I'm used to the navigation, I'll be a little happier with it.

Fredda writes, "THAT's your ugly shame?? Try harder!"

Okay...again, I need to qualify...that's my ugly shame that I'm willing to announce publicly. I'm not trying to make readers completely hate me after all.

Never Not Knitting Window Display At Loops!

This is so cool I just had to share it with you!

A few weeks back Shelley, the owner of Loops yarn shop in Tulsa Oklahoma, asked my permission to use my Haltermelon and Cedar Leaf Shawlette pattern pictures for a front window display for her shop.

Of course I said YES!

Above are the pictures she sent me of her new window displays.

You can't tell from the pictures but these photo banners are 4 feet across by 6 feet tall!

How awesome! I so wish that I could see the displays in real life!

I cant tell you how amazing it feels to have a yarn shop prominently feature my designs like this.

It truly is an honor! Thank you Shelley!

If you live close by, please check out Loops! You can find more info about the shop by clicking here. Loops stocks all of the

Never Not Knitting designs in print if you'd like to see my patterns in person.

Figwort Knitting Stitch Pattern

This knitting pattern looks a lot like figwort . Rich texture of this stitch will look awesome on a sweater or cardigan.

Knitting instructions:

Make Figwort
- Purl 1. Insert right needle in loop (stitch) 4 rows below the 2nd stitch on left needle. Wrap working yarn around right needle as if to knit, and draw up a loop. Pull the loop out sufficiently to cover the distance from the stitch 4 rows down to your right needle. (In other words, don't let it get too tight.). Purl 1, Knit 1, Purl 2. Insert right needle into same stitch 4 rows down and draw up another loop.

Similar as in the picture below

Knitting abbreviations:
K: Knit
P: Purl
K2tog: Knit 2 stitches together.

Knitting chart

Cast on: mulitpe of 6 stitches +1.

Pattern instructions:
Row 1: *P3, K1, P2; rep * to last st, P1
Row 2: K1, *K2, P1, K3; rep *
Row 3: Rep row 1
Row 4: Rep row 2
Row 5: *P1, Make figwort; rep * to last st, P1
Row 6: K1 *K2tog, K1, P1, K1, K2tog, K1 rep *
Repeat these 6 rows.

View more: Textured Knitting Stitch Patterns