AtomicKnits

More swatches for J. Knits!

According to my sidebar, I don't have very many things on the needles right now.  The reason for that is I've been really busy knitting more swatches for J. Knits!  They were happy with the Silky swatches I did for them last month, and they asked me to do more!  This time they sent me 5 skeins of Dreamy Worsted, which is a wool/mohair single-ply blend.  Working with this yarn is very similar to working with Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted.  The colors they sent this time were really pretty.  The purple is out of sight in person.  I just finished the last of the swatches yesterday and here they are in all of their blocking glory!  Doing this swatches has been really fun. I love trying out the new yarns and figuring the gauge for each one has been a really good exercise.

J. Knits swatches are done and blocked!

As I mentioned before in my last podcast, I scored a small knitting gig knitting swatches for the J. Knits yarn company.  They sent me three skeins of Silky, and I spent the last week or so knitting swatches.  I love how they look all lined up and blocked!

I knit most of them in stockinette like I was supposed to, but I did knit a few of them in different stitch patterns.  I really enjoyed working with this yarn, because it was so soft, and love the subtle variegation in the solid colors.  It kind of has the same effect I see in a lot of kettle dyed yarns.

I'm glad I completed this task so quickly.  Tomorrow I will drop the swatches in the mail!  I am receiving yarn credit for these swatches.  I'm interested to see what these yarns are like when completing an actual project.

2. Take time off - about 2-3 months - Complete!

I'm going to cross this one off of the list since I have been enjoying my time off since the end of April.  Even though I am getting kind of antsy to have a stable income-generating situation, I am really glad I made this decision.  I have officially gotten used to having a completely open schedule.  I have traveled a little bit, done a lot of relaxing, and definitely got to know myself a bit better.  I now know how important it is to incorporate a generous amount of leisure time into your lifestyle and make time to do the things you enjoy.

This also hasn't been the easiest goal for me to accomplish.  Lately I have been feeling kind of depressed about not having a job.  I definitely am happy to not have a job that I hate, but I am realizing that I miss the routine of working everyday and the fulfillment you do get from having a job.  I have been thinking about it a lot, and I think that right now I want a good work/life balance.   I want a job that is good enough, but does not require crazy hours or a crazy commute and allows me to have ample free time to do the things I enjoy.  I also know that I need to not be hasty and realize what I have when it comes along and enjoy it the best I can.

When it comes time for me to go back to work, I will be rested and rejuvenated and know that I am making a choice to go back to work and take a particular job.  I am making a choice that I need to be happy with for now.  I will not turn back into the person I was when I worked in a job I didn't like.  I will be happy with my choices and enjoy my time as much as I can.  I will know why I am doing the things that I am doing and things will rule!  Being unemployed is not scary if you are prepared and if I choose to do something like this again, I will be even more ready.

And out of tune song today.

I am at work with not much to do.  I am making lists in my head of things I'd like to do, would possibly be doing right now if I didn't have to hold this chair down.  Here are some things:

1. Clean up my room.  Get rid of all the stuff I don't need at all.  Don't even think about it, just get rid of stuff.  I started doing this over the weekend.
2. Clean up my desk. It is a mess, I haven't done anything in weeks, and the cat likes to play on it at night.  I just need to put it all away.
3. By a new camera.  I should just order it.  I guess I just don't want to part with the money right now, and I don't want to put it on my credit card.  I feel like I have been spending a way lot of money on dumb stuff like beer, lunch during work, coffees, and junk like that.  I should take a week off of not spending any unnecessary money like this, and maybe that will get me back on track a bit
4. Exercise at least a little bit.  There are two evening yoga classes at my gym during the week that I could make easily.  Even if I just did that, maybe I would feel less pooey about my body.

I guess the point is, here I am again.  At this new job with not much work.  At a desk.  I'm not sure if that will change once I get to Watertown.  It's not that far away, so I guess I'll see soon.  I feel like I'm back where I've started, except that I'm making a lot more money.  I really don't understand how this works.  I guess I just need to wait until I become a boss, so I have more freedom.  Or maybe that will stink. 

Where did this come from?

I have a lot to update you all on.  First of all, I got a new job.  It was time for a change.  I was really getting sick of my job, as you can tell from some of my previous posts.  The awesome thing was that I really didn't have to try that much.  I updated my resume on Monster and MediaBistro, and make sure all my info was right on LinkedIn, and people started contacting me.  I started the interview process for Microsoft and Google.  Microsoft didn't go anywhere.  Google did, but slowly.  I was contacted by Bluestreak also, and they wanted to interview me right away.  I took a day off and drove down to Providence to interview, and three days later I got a really good job offer.  Of course the day after I took the job, Google FINALLY called me back and asked me to fly out there for on-site interviews.  I was kind of irritated that I had to turn them down, but I think this was the right choice.  The folks at ST did not take it well.  There were many closed door meetings and secret crap.  They made me feel like poo and made a weaker counter-offer to get me to stay.  They asked me all of these questions about why I wanted to take the new job.  They thought I had been scheming this for months.  They weren't happy for me at all, and over all it kind of stank.  But that was kind of good, because it just confirmed to me that taking this new job was the right decision.  I really like it so far.  I'm a Product Support Specialist for their Ion Ad server.  I get two monitors and everything.  My nerd status is increasing bit by bit.  The only thing that is kind of sucky for now is my commute to Providence everyday, but that is suppose to change fairly soon.

Also, I just bought a new car!  It's a 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid.  It's so awesome.  Today was the first day I drove it to work and I love it.  I can plug my ipod into it and everything.  When I come to a stop, the car turns off (!) until I take my foot off of the brake and then it starts again so I don't use any gas when I'm stopped!! This is great when I'm stuck in retahded traffic.  I broke down and rented a parking spot from my landlord because I'll be paranoid for a while about my new car.

ALSO, my mom just bought tickets for us to go to China in August to visit my brother!  Like what? I have no idea what to do in China.  Everything is going to be so Haribo.  I'm kind of nervous about it, but I'm sure it will be the trip of a lifetime.  I need to buy a new digital camera before I go.  I can't wait to see Timmy's apartment and where he works.  I guess he has a Chinese girlfriend too.  Wee!

Overall, I have been feeling like things are starting to fall into place a bit more nicely.  I feel like I'm on my way with my career finally, and I'm really feeling at home in Boston.  I'm glad I didn't move away from here just yet.

My rails went straight, but straight into the wall.

Ok so at work, here's how is goes.  I'm part of the Sales department.  The sales department is divided up into two sections - sales (I know) and traffic.  I am part of traffic.  This means that there is a sales manager and a traffic manager.  The traffic manager is my manager.  Today, he informed us that he's leaving the company to make his life better (which is awesome for him).  His last day is in a week.  The sales manager is going on maternity leave in a couple of weeks.  This means that our department is going to have no bosses.  I mean, they sat down with us and explained a "strong transition plan" that they are going to "implement" in the meantime so that there's the illusion that there's bosses.  The significance of this is that it REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY makes me want to leave my job right away.  The idea of no bosses rules.  But in reality, it's going to be a hell.  When other people around me leave their jobs to make their lives better, it makes it seem more like something that's actually in reach.  And without bosses, it kind of thwarts my (imaginary) plan of doing a bad job on purpose in the hopes of getting "squeezed out."  They don't fire people here, they keep demoting them and having weird meetings with them until they quit.  Isn't that like so wrong?  That seriously only happens to Milton.  If I was trying to get fired so bad, and it wasn't working, I'd be the most appalled disappointed person ever.   I mean, the company may as well throw some money in a bonfire rather than keep a useless employee.

It's so cold outside the fold.

Hello, y'all. So this is the first post since December 19th?? Jeez.  Well, I guess the most important new thing is that I applied to grad school.  Yes, you heard me.  I've only applied to one school so far - SUNY Purchase.  I've started looking around locally too.  I really want to go to Purchase, it's *just* an art school, I could get two degrees at one time, and it's my most affordable option.  To be honest, though, the thought of leaving Boston in the fall makes me sad.  I have a good job here, I live in an awesome location, and I've made friends and have really started to feel comfortable.  It seems like it's really soon to leave all of that.  On the other hand, sometimes I get so angry and upset because I know that I'm really not doing what I love.  I really do feel like I have to make this move and jump back into school before I get too complacent in this cubicle hell.  I know that this is the right thing to do.  Now I'm in a position where I need to worry about money, and need to take into consideration the cost of this, and make sure that when it's over, I'll be able to make a living and pay it all back in a decent amount of time.  The thought of getting an awesome education and then moving back out here and getting a really cool job in a completely different field is really exciting to me.  I guess I don't have to worry about it until I get accepted (or rejected).  That's the big news.

Today I've also thought a lot about why I don't post enough pictures of my knitted things on here.  I've decided it's because I have a crappy camera.  Everything turns out blurry and it can only hold like 14 pictures.  I know this is because I got it as a gift several years ago (like, SEVERAL).  I'm thinking, while I'm still working and have dollars++, I'll invest in a new digital camera.  I also need a better location to take pictures with better lighting.  The apartment is pretty dim naturally, and although we have improved this situation with the addition of extension cords and power strips (thank you Santina's mom and sister!), it hasn't been enough.  I know an easy solution to this.  Hmm..here it comes..GO OUTSIDE??  I know. I need to go outside and take model pictures that won't come out blurry.

I'm trying to think of all of the things I finished after the best.  There's the hipster, rpm, and the Noro dolmen jacket.  Is that it?!  Oh yeah, and I still haven't seamed up the Pinup Girl sweater. :)  I'm going to start my first top-down raglan sweater with this awesome orange/purple variegated yarn that my mom gave me.

-------

I wrote that part above on Tuesday.  It's Thursday right now.  I'm going to go ahead and publish this.  And work on getting a digital camera.  And redesigning this orange monstrosity.

You want some lovely? I've got some lovely, in my heart.

Things are getting better at work I think.  I took a new job at the company as a traffic person on the sales side.  I think I'll like it a bit better than my marketing gig, because I'll be busier and be responsible for more things.  The best this about this for me was that it gave me a chance to update my resume.  I posted it on Monster, and on a Vermont job board just for kicks.  I'm not planning on leaving here anytime soon, but if a unbelieveable opportunity comes up, I can take it.

I'm going to try to post her just a little more often, because I decided it might be a good idea to use my blog to try to work some stuff out with my job, and also my free time, and my future, and my quest for passion and all that junk.  So, right now, I guess I'm happier with my job, but ultimately, I don't want to be in the corporate world anymore.  I'm going to stick to this Internet ad road until I can dramatically change what I do for a living. Whether it be go back to school for a more art-related degree, or get my hands on a lot of money and open a yarn store, or something like that.  I have been trying to think only about myself and my personal goals.

In between that last paragraph and this paragraph, I went to play ping pong and lost my train of thought.  So, more later.