Friday, January 06, 2006

Everybody's Doin' It...

OK, this seems to be a trend so I'll jump on the bandwagon, why not??

Taking Stock:
1.) Accomplished some goals I did not know I had in the knitting world. I really love teaching, and really love designing.
2.) Spent much time with Aidan and watched him grow. This is about the most important thing I've actually done this year. I forgot how narrow the window is to influence for good or ill. I hope it's for good.
3.)Let...nay, encouraged Meg to get her license. This is huge for me. She is the last, the baby, the final chapter. With my best friend pregnant it is, I think, harder to accept that I am done with active parenting. What I am ending, Kristie is just beginning, and I envy her the journey some days. And Meg has just been such an incredible kid that it's hard to see her grow up and begin to go. Gene sees this whole license thing as very beneficial. If I no longer will need to drive Meg to Webs to work, and therefore will not be "forced" to stay and shop a while. He seems to forget that I do have a license and a car all my own, and do know how to get to Webs.
4.)Lost interest in cleaning the house. This can be looked at as good or bad depending on your perspective. It certainly frees me to knit more.
5.) Got cool chickens from Sandhill. Funky little guys, some quite rare, and I adore them all.
6.) Bravely submitted designs to someplace other than "Kathy's Office".
7.) Stopped trying to prove myself Yankee Wife of the Year by hauling large quantities of cord wood, grain, dog, etc. I actually discovered that I have limits, and I learned that other people can do some of these jobs and the world keeps turning.
Resolved (or at least seriously considering for this coming year):
1.) Get off my butt. We've now got a bike set up so I can knit and pedal which will make it easier for me to find motivation. I've been on it a couple of times since we ordered the new trainer and I basically get so into my knitting that I am not really aware of time passing and so spent 40 minutes the other day without realizing it. And yes, there is sweat. I get so absorbed I pedal faster, increase the tension, keep pedaling...it's actually the smartest thing I've ever done in terms of exercise.
2.) Keep knitting area more tidy, with a list of WIP's, to do's, and design plans.
3.) Write that book!
4.) Submit more to the outside. Organize design stuff into a cohesive pile instead of the disaster of hotel napkins and grocery receipts it currently is.
5.) I am NOT going to, as my beloved husband suggests, promise to buy no yarn or knitting books this year. He can forget it. He can kiss my - well, you know what he can kiss. I will say that I shall try to complete my planned projects, WIP's and etc before buying new ones. As to the books, forget it, it's not even worth it. I will however try to buy only with store credit or under deep discount. That's as far as I am willing to budge on that one.
I guess that's it. I wonder if I will have the fortitude to accomplish the book thing. It is hard somedays to push past the idea of myself as a chicken farmer from Western Massachusetts. Not that there is anything limiting about being a poultry farmer, and I revel in it, but the idea that I could write a book verges at times on the preposterous!

8 comments:

Persnickety Knitter said...

The book could play off the chicken farmer thing. Book could be titled "Chicken Farmer Knits" or "New Chicken Knits on the Farm." Just teasing ;-)
The couple of times I knit while on the stationary bike my tension got really tight -- noticeably so. Maybe that wouldn't be a problem if I had a project that I ONLY worked on while biking (so the tension would be consistently tight). Hmmm, could be some easy knit with a chunkyish yarn. Uh oh, I feel another WIP coming...

Anonymous said...

I KNOW you can do that book! Being a poultry farmer, knitter,designer etc,etc make you interesting! The book is goint to happen!!

So, I think the web-site/group chat/blog is a great idea. We can just use yours! or yeah get a group thing going again, but we may be in the minority!

Let's talk copywrite law. (There is a great "fact sheet" on geocities, but I don't think I saved it. I know you can't copywrite (or is that Right) a stitch, so I would think most "patterns"- cable designs, mosaic stitch combos, etc that type of thing would not be copywritable(!) When does something become a design? When it's made into a garment combining a variety of "common knowledge" stitches? Let me see if I can find that link.. Chat soon!

MelissaKnits said...

"Gettin' Chicky Wi' Knit"

I did Meg's socks. I think having a bike project is the way to go, IMHO. It gets the job done and I don't feel like I was slacking. Not knitting around here is a greater sin than not exercising.

MelissaKnits said...

Actually, I think that is a very pertinent bit of thinking..very relevent. When and what constitutes "design" or "original"? If I sit down and make a pair of socks based on measurements and don't touch or look at a pattern, did I design socks? Or make them?

#1 Stepson here with girlfriend! Yeah!! We get to EAT NOW!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Interesting-designing vs making. I have in my "future Projects" Karabella's pattern for travelling cable cardigan. I bought a different yarn and actually checked my gauge w/ a swatch larger than a match book! I am going to have to re-size the pattern to fit me; need more wiiidth, will have to re figure shoulders, therefore sleeves, and the cables flare out at lower back where visually I don't need any flaring out! So lots of re- working needed. BUT in my mind it will always be Karabella's design for a travelling cable cardigan.

On the other hand although I am using the Yankee sock pattern for my current sock project I am adding design, texture, changing the cuff and for that matter not doing the ribbing. I am using her basic template for socks, but sizing it to my foot. When does it become design? Is that particular pattern significantly different to Twisted sisters or any number you can download for lots of sites??

Thoughts??!!

MelissaKnits said...

I think for me the line here: if I sit down, draw it, then build it to fit measurements XS-S-M-L-XL, I designed it. If I take a sock pattern (like Yankee Knitter) and put a lace pattern over it and change the st count to make it fit my foot, I have modified or enhanced an existing pattern. I heard someplace that in order to be considered "original" an item must have at least 6 changes from the original if you're working from someone else's work. To me, if you're working from someone else's work, it's not designing. Just MHO...which of course is correct, becasue it's ME!!

Persnickety Knitter said...

With regard to this discussion on copyright law, check out the Girl From Auntie's website for lots of info on the subject: http://girlfromauntie.com/copyright/index.php/88/
and
http://girlfromauntie.com/copyright/index.php/89/

Anonymous said...

persnickety knitter-Thanks for the site. The other is www.geocities.com/jbtocker/
copyright/

In the appendix she talks about design. Very interesting and somewhat confusing.