Disappointment

This has been a disappointing week for so many reasons.

I'm disappointed in my lack of productivity on the studying front. I think at this point it would be wise for me to change my plan and try to write my exam next summer instead. Although I typically do well with a deadline, this is causing me more stress than it's worth and making me feel like I'm failing. Considering this is a totally self-imposed stress - it's not required right now - I'm going to do myself a favour and grant myself an extension. I still plan to plug away at the courses and write my exam, but I want to take my time, really absorb the information, and not give myself a guilt ulcer in the process.

I'm disappointed in those women who let the rest of us down by being terrible. This one is truly disappointing. Coming on the heels of my feminist ranting, and right in the middle of Women's History Month (for most of the world - oddly enough, not in Canada), I've re-realized that some women are truly terrible people. I suppose that makes sense since people are often terrible and we are, after all, just people. In the past I've been a subscriber to the "kill them with kindness" philosophy, but with the truly mean-spirited, this only seems to make it worse. There's nothing like a bit of honey to fuel the queen bee, and I'm tired of feeling like a suck-up. Dammit! I want my dignity back! I think in honour of St. Patricks day I'm going to start using sarcasm to drive away the "snakes". Maybe then I can stop feeling like a doormat. Or at the very least, make myself chuckle.

I'm disappointed in the tilt of the earth on it's axis because I really feel that the air should warm up, the snow should melt, and my garden should grow... Now. There really isn't anything to be done about this. I just have to wait.

Weeks in Review

I've spent what feels like quite a bit of time working over the past few weeks, but fortunately for my sanity I've managed to do a few other things too. I'm dog-sitting my parents golden retriever again, which is super-fun. He's adorable, if a bit smelly and sheddy.

Since gardening probably won't happen any time soon, I've decided to go ahead and start things indoors. The craving to grow can't be satisfied!! So I planted some peas, celery, tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, beets, onions, cukes, eggplant and peppers in small green houses in the kitchen and living room. Hopefully it will keep me sane until the snow melts and also result in an early harvest and tons of fresh veggies :)

No studying.

FOs

I finished a super cute pair of minion mittens for a certain nephew's Christmas gift! Unfortunately I forgot to add hair, so I'll need to go back and add that, but they're still counted as done.

Works in Progress

I'm still plugging away at my mom's sweater, but I'm finding it a bit frustrating since it's not finished, and I think I need a bit of a break from it. So while that sweater has a time out, I've done some spinning and started another pair of socks for me. Just to keep things interesting, I decided to try knitting them continental style. We'll see how that goes...

Show and Tell

Buddy being adorable and leaving lots of fur on the furniture.

Bald minions

Handspun superwash merino tencel that I CAN'T wait to use!!

Making good use of the coffee press cozy I made.

That's all I have for now! Take care!

Femiwha?

I was having a discussion with my partner today about why I consider myself to be a feminist. He wanted to know why, if what I wanted was equal rights for women, I didn't consider myself a humanist instead, and I thought I better spend some time chewing on that.

I recently listened to an audiobook by Caitlin Moran called How to Be a Woman (which I highly recommend, by the way... Hilarious!). At one point she poses this question to any woman who doesn't consider herself a feminist:
"What part of liberation for women is not for you? Is it the freedom to vote? Is it the right to not be owned by the man you marry? The campaign for equal pay? Vogue by Madonna? Jeans?"
Although I don't necessarily agree with everything that Ms. Moran wrote in her book - I don't recommend tasting menstrual blood. NOT because I think menstrual secretions are particularly nasty, but because it's a bodily secretion. I also don't think it's a good idea to taste urine, nasal secretions, pus, or earwax - I did really enjoy her writing and think everyone who cares about women (or is a woman or likes to laugh) should read it.

Anyhow, I'm going continue to call myself a feminist until women around the world don't need to be afraid of being gang-raped if they take the bus after dark, and girls don't get shot for going to school.

BTW, Plan Canada runs a project called Because I Am a Girl that supports communities and families in developing parts of the world by empowering girls and women. Did you know that If 10% more girls attend school, a country’s GDP increases by an average of 3%? I just learned that on their website :)

Weeks in Review

Unfortunately, my last couple of weeks have been relatively unproductive. I've been at work, and I've spent lots of free time wishing winter would end, but otherwise things have been a bit dull.

The highlight of my knitting life is that I finished my Owls!! It turned out great and it's soft and comfy and very warm :) I also finished the fine mittens I was working on for the KAL, which have been very well received, and I enjoyed the experience so much, I cast on a pair of socks and finished those too! I'm still working on my mum's sweater, but I'll talk more about that in a minute.

I'm so very ashamed to admit to the world that I haven't done any studying, but there it is . I haven't picked up my course materials once... Not even with my shiny new iPad. I now have about one month to double the amount of work I did in the last year to be able to register to write the IBCLCE this summer. Oops?

WIPs

My only knitting work in progress right now is my mum's sweater, and unfortunately I've had to rip it back again. I was about to start the ribbing for the waist but when I had my mum try it on she felt it was a bit snug around the middle. I want this to be a comfortable sweater that she can throw on and lounge in, so I decided to rip it back to the underarms and do the body over again without the waist shaping. It was sad and frustrating to rip back, but I know my mum and I will both be happier with the finished product.

I'm still picking away on my Light My Fire spindling project and still really enjoying that. There's something so peaceful and zennish about spindling. It makes my toes curl a bit in pleasure, feeling the soft fluffy fibre pass through my fingers and become a sturdy yarn.

Show-and-Tell

This is me, modelling the Owls sweater.

The fingering weight mittens I knit for the KAL.
They were photographed on our ample supply of snow.

This is another Chuck photo.
He looks innocent, but he had just finished attacking my shoulder and was about to do it again. 

My green socks. A super-enjoyable knit! Plus I added them the A Homespun House's KAL :)

I think that's all I've got on the go right now! Thanks for stopping by!