mmmm.... Having a latte and a chocolate chunk cookie (It's HUGE! at least an inch thick) at Borders. I've been in a rut... My days are filled with lots of time. Which means its almost guaranteed that I'm gonna be depressed. Whenever I have a lot of free time, I find that I feel useless and purposeless. So, in trying to simply get up in the morning and get out of the house, and maybe help others in need in the process, I joined the volunteers at Public Law Center. Today, i went to the clinic for the first time in Westminster and since I don't speak Vietnamese, I couldn't do the client intake interviews, but at least I got started on how to do that. Hopefully next week, I'll be more helpful in Costa Mesa.
It's already having a positive effect on me. I got to meet a couple of attorneys from PLC and other volunteers. It was fun; meeting new people and sharing stories about weird clients from the past... I'm really looking forward to clinic next week.
Knittingwise, I'm tired too. I've been very task-oriented lately. Sample/test knitting, sister's birthday present, friend's baby shower gift. I mean knitting is always fun and enjoyable. But I feel like I don't feel as creative as I used to feel when I first got into knitting. I'm at the stage where I'm learning a lot of new techniques but it's more about following instructions than thinking, imagining.
But anyway, here are some photos of the baby shower gifts I made for Veronica. I initially planned on just doing the blanket. But, for some odd reason! I couldn't finish the blanket on time for the baby shower. I ended up going empty handed....... Thank God, Veronica is also a knitter/crocheter, and she has countless experiences knitting for someone else and never finishing them on time, so she totally gets it. Nonetheless, I felt pretty bad about going to the shower empty-handed, so I ended up making a three-piece set! Baby blanket, baby bonnet, and baby jacket. And baby baby, they were really fun, especially the jacket.
The patterns I used: Debbie Bliss "Ribbed Baby Jacket," Pinwheel Baby Blanket, Baby Bonnet from Last-Minute Knitted Gift.
Everything is machine washable, and I did a LOT of research to make sure the baby and Veronica both feel comfortable using the items. For example, every podcast and blogs about knitting for babies said that garments should be made in the larger sizes, because you never know how fast the baby grows! And, instead of using buttons for the jacket, I bought snaps to make it easier to put it on and off. As for the bonnet, I guess it's easier to wear than usual hats/caps because it won't slip off while the baby gets fidgety.
Anyways, I came to Border's after the clinic, hoping to wake up that creative juice flowing somewhere in me. I looked through a bunch of knitting magazines. I especially like The Knitter.
To subscribe to the magazine: http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/store/displaystore.asp?sid=554
Otherwise, these are available at Borders. It's UK-based, so a bit pricier, at $10.99 but I think it's soooo worth it. The quality of paper, the photography, classic designs...They're all so inspiring. IK and VK are great (In fact, I just broke down and purchased IK Weekend and the new issue of VK) but I see a lot of repetitiveness. Shawls and socks, reallyw eird color arrangements. Really artsy but not practical knits. In a rut.
I hate the paper they use, so matte and unflattering. I guess there's always gonnabe a part of me, the "magazine editor" gene, that makes me look at the layout and photography, THEN the contents.