I've always been a person who sets goals and then doesn't follow through, and it's a problem. I'll have some grand, awesome idea, and then it just gets left in the corner to rot after a day or two. This got so insanely irritating (or irritatingly insane, depending on how you look at it), that I finally decided that something had to be done. Last July, between this problem and the dull hours of summer, I decided that I needed more directive in life, so I came up with a system. Ever since that day last July, I have sat down every night and come up with a list of ten goals to achieve the next day.
Now, I rarely complete all ten of these goals (in fact, some days I only get to scratch off two or three...those are not good days), but that isn't the point. The point is to give myself goals, and by thinking about them and setting them every night, I bring my current projects, ideas, and needs to the forefront of my mind, so that I go through the next day thinking about them, and that's what is important. This practice has in fact made me a lot more productive and goal-oriented. It's given me the stick-to-it-iveness to finish things.
Here's today's list as an example:
1. No facebook, whatsoever
2. 1 hour of play-writing
3. I hour of studying German
4. Blog before three (well, I already failed that one)
5. Take pictures of cake (more about that tomorrow)
6. Remember my dreams
7. Carpe Diem
8. KNIT
9. Journal
10. 1 hour of homework
Now, so far I've completed 5 of those, and I still have seven hours of daylight left, so I'm doing all right, considering I woke up at eleven o'clock. There's already one that I've failed at, and a couple that I'm positive aren't going to happen, but that's ok, because the point is that tomorrow, when those couple of things are on the list again, I'll be reminding myself that I REALLY need to work on those and not put them off (otherwise I'll be hit by a big block of guilt).
This is why I like my system, it makes me think about what I'm doing, and gives me a tiny pinch of guilt if I don't accomplish what I wanted to (especially when something appears on the list multiple times in a row without being scratched off, that's just embarrassing).
Well, sorry for the short post but I have to run now. There will be a longer one tomorrow.
Thing to be grateful for today: My grandmother's extensive baking knowledge, and the fact that I can call her at any time should I need her.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Streep is Goddess
Meryl Streep has been my Goddess and savior over the past two days. I've now seen "Julie and Julia" once last night and "Doubt" twice tonight. Both movies were absolutely extraordinary, and both provided EXCELLENT knitting time! I'm almost done with the whole body of the cardigan! (And now I've spent the past twenty or so minutes that I'm getting ready to get out from under the warm safety of this blanket to go photograph the cardigan...I'm actually going to do it now)
Here he is:
(Yes, the Cardigan is a he, since the pattern is called Dave A very good friend of mine and I have decided that Dave and I have a very healthy relationship that is going to last a long time.)
Now, back to Meryl Streep, Godess of knitted inspiration. She was a major character in both "Julie and Julia" and "Doubt", and was absolutely astounding in both! Both of her characters were incredibly believable and 3-Dimensional. What made it even more amazing was that the two characters (Julia Childs and Sister Aloysius) could not have been more different! Julia Childs was sweet, bubbly, and innocent, while Sister Aloysius was cold, hardened, and harsh. In fact, the only trait they seemed to share was their determination!
In both films, Streep was intense and powerfully in her character. Her portrayal of Julia Childs (Who I am, admittedly, rather unfamiliar with...I thought that she was an actress), was funny and engaging. As Sister Aloysius, she was somehow able to make the viewer detest her, find her hillarious, and finally come to a deep understanding that the character was in fact a very good person who was trying to do what she thought was right.
"Julia and Julia" was an AWESOME movie, and particularly relevant to me because it's about a woman who keeps a blog for a year (I honestly didn't know that until a few days ago). It was sweet, funny, and poignant. "Doubt" was INTENSE, but in an awesome way! Everyone in that movie was absolutely excellent, and it's no wonder Viola Davis one an academy award for her short, but AMAZING portrayal of a mother who just doesn't know what to do. Both movies were thought provoking and beautiful, and if you haven't seen one or both of them, go and rent them...now!
Thing to be grateful for today: My large amount of size 8 knitting needles (They came in handy this afternoon).
Here he is:
(Yes, the Cardigan is a he, since the pattern is called Dave A very good friend of mine and I have decided that Dave and I have a very healthy relationship that is going to last a long time.)
Now, back to Meryl Streep, Godess of knitted inspiration. She was a major character in both "Julie and Julia" and "Doubt", and was absolutely astounding in both! Both of her characters were incredibly believable and 3-Dimensional. What made it even more amazing was that the two characters (Julia Childs and Sister Aloysius) could not have been more different! Julia Childs was sweet, bubbly, and innocent, while Sister Aloysius was cold, hardened, and harsh. In fact, the only trait they seemed to share was their determination!
In both films, Streep was intense and powerfully in her character. Her portrayal of Julia Childs (Who I am, admittedly, rather unfamiliar with...I thought that she was an actress), was funny and engaging. As Sister Aloysius, she was somehow able to make the viewer detest her, find her hillarious, and finally come to a deep understanding that the character was in fact a very good person who was trying to do what she thought was right.
"Julia and Julia" was an AWESOME movie, and particularly relevant to me because it's about a woman who keeps a blog for a year (I honestly didn't know that until a few days ago). It was sweet, funny, and poignant. "Doubt" was INTENSE, but in an awesome way! Everyone in that movie was absolutely excellent, and it's no wonder Viola Davis one an academy award for her short, but AMAZING portrayal of a mother who just doesn't know what to do. Both movies were thought provoking and beautiful, and if you haven't seen one or both of them, go and rent them...now!
Thing to be grateful for today: My large amount of size 8 knitting needles (They came in handy this afternoon).
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Finding Balance
Lately, life seems to be about finding balance for me. When you're trying to find balance, you tend to ask a lot of questions. How do I give my time to these important tasks, while keeping some for my own down time? How do I take care of this person, while retaining my own integrity? How do I not fall on my ass as I bend forward, squat, and push my weight downward? (That one's from yoga) It's all about checking in with yourself and your own needs, and that means putting yourself first.
Now, I'm not saying that taking care of others is wrong or unhealthy (in fact, I'm completely of the opposite opinion, and what I'm saying here is really more of an ideal philosophy that I'd like to be able to adhere to, but don't very often). What I'm saying is that, if there is anything I've learned in the last year or so, it is that if you're hurting yourself to help someone else, it often isn't worth it. Sometimes, taking care of yourself has got to come before taking care of someone else, and for some of us, that's a really hard idea to get a hold of, but it's important that we do.
Balance is, in theory, quite simple. You take forces, and you attach them all to a center point, and you don't let the entire contraption tip too far one way. Balancing your life, however, is not so simple, because we're human, and we're flawed. Not only are we flawed, but our society as well. We're designed to be multi-taskers (for example: Right now, I'm drinking tea, blogging, chatting on facebook, and listening to Krista Detour). With all the plates we're expected to keep spinning, how can we possibly hope not to drop a few? Personally, I just put them down from time to time.
Sometimes, putting things off is not a bad thing. It's important to take space you need to just do what you want. Take today, I got home from my first day of school, knowing that I had to blog, do homework, go to yoga, and make myself dinner, but I was feeling pretty drained because it was my first day back, and that transition can beYou know what I did? I knit on the cardigan while watching "Julie and Julia" (Great movie, full review tomorrow, maybe along with "Doubt"). Anyway, I finished the movie (stopped in the middle to fix myself some dinner), went straight to yoga, and came home to do homework and am now writing my blog. All my stuff done, but I took care of myself first, and now I feel awesome! Plus, I have 16" done of the cardigan now! See?
I might actually have it done by the end of the month!
Thing to be grateful for today: Balance
Now, I'm not saying that taking care of others is wrong or unhealthy (in fact, I'm completely of the opposite opinion, and what I'm saying here is really more of an ideal philosophy that I'd like to be able to adhere to, but don't very often). What I'm saying is that, if there is anything I've learned in the last year or so, it is that if you're hurting yourself to help someone else, it often isn't worth it. Sometimes, taking care of yourself has got to come before taking care of someone else, and for some of us, that's a really hard idea to get a hold of, but it's important that we do.
Balance is, in theory, quite simple. You take forces, and you attach them all to a center point, and you don't let the entire contraption tip too far one way. Balancing your life, however, is not so simple, because we're human, and we're flawed. Not only are we flawed, but our society as well. We're designed to be multi-taskers (for example: Right now, I'm drinking tea, blogging, chatting on facebook, and listening to Krista Detour). With all the plates we're expected to keep spinning, how can we possibly hope not to drop a few? Personally, I just put them down from time to time.
Sometimes, putting things off is not a bad thing. It's important to take space you need to just do what you want. Take today, I got home from my first day of school, knowing that I had to blog, do homework, go to yoga, and make myself dinner, but I was feeling pretty drained because it was my first day back, and that transition can beYou know what I did? I knit on the cardigan while watching "Julie and Julia" (Great movie, full review tomorrow, maybe along with "Doubt"). Anyway, I finished the movie (stopped in the middle to fix myself some dinner), went straight to yoga, and came home to do homework and am now writing my blog. All my stuff done, but I took care of myself first, and now I feel awesome! Plus, I have 16" done of the cardigan now! See?
I might actually have it done by the end of the month!
Thing to be grateful for today: Balance
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Little Magic
Wow! Look at this! I have a blog post up during a normal person's waking hours!
Today, we're talking about little bits of magic. You know the kind I mean; the things that are so amazingly simple, but seem so fantastic; the things that take raw materials and make something entirely different. That's magic.
That's knitting.
Knitting is the simple act of taking string and two sticks and making clothes! (Hopefully good clothes) But the thing is, you aren't just limited to clothes! There are all kinds of things that people have knit! People have knit earrings, purses, headbands (is that an article of clothing?...hmmm...), and even BOATS (Yes, that's right, there is someone out there who has knit a boat).
Today, I'm going to show you some of my knitting.
I thought I'd start the project montage off with a bit of humility and show you my first project ever. I had intended for it to be a cat-eared hat. Suffice to say, that didn't happen.
And here's the other side:
See those sad droopy corners? Yeah, cat ears.
Anyway, I have in fact created two very serviceable and very cute cat eared hats since this debacle, I don't have pictures of those because they are owned by other people, but they exist!
Now that I've thoroughly smashed my knitting ego before all of you, I'm going to attempt to restore it by showing you my latest hat.
The pattern is "Knotty But Nice" by Natalie Larson. Instead of the yarn suggested, I used Cascade Peruvia. I like it...a lot. I've yet to block it, but I will.
Here's a side view:
That cabling was so complicated and fun! I sped through the whole thing (I cast it on December 23rd, and had it done for myself on Christmas morning).
This pattern was one of those special ones where, as long as you do the pattern right, the knitting is going to look really awesome! However, there is knitting where the pattern is ridiculously basic, but the yarn makes it AWESOME!
Case in point:
That's two different colors of Noro yarn (One Silk Garden, one Kureyon), in a 1x1 ribbing, where I changed the working color every 2 or 4 rows depending on how I liked the stripes length. That sounds complicated when you write it out, but I promise, that's pretty basic knitting. The thing that makes that scarf my absolute favorite (and the thing that makes it a real crowd-pleaser) is the colors, not the pattern. That's pretty fantastic when you think about it. This yarn is so awesome, that you could do all kinds of crazy things with it, and it would be gorgeous, because the colors ROCK!
So, that in a nutshell is why I like knitting so much. It's magical. Go figure.
Thing to be grateful for today: Knitting.
Today, we're talking about little bits of magic. You know the kind I mean; the things that are so amazingly simple, but seem so fantastic; the things that take raw materials and make something entirely different. That's magic.
That's knitting.
Knitting is the simple act of taking string and two sticks and making clothes! (Hopefully good clothes) But the thing is, you aren't just limited to clothes! There are all kinds of things that people have knit! People have knit earrings, purses, headbands (is that an article of clothing?...hmmm...), and even BOATS (Yes, that's right, there is someone out there who has knit a boat).
Today, I'm going to show you some of my knitting.
I thought I'd start the project montage off with a bit of humility and show you my first project ever. I had intended for it to be a cat-eared hat. Suffice to say, that didn't happen.
And here's the other side:
See those sad droopy corners? Yeah, cat ears.
Anyway, I have in fact created two very serviceable and very cute cat eared hats since this debacle, I don't have pictures of those because they are owned by other people, but they exist!
Now that I've thoroughly smashed my knitting ego before all of you, I'm going to attempt to restore it by showing you my latest hat.
The pattern is "Knotty But Nice" by Natalie Larson. Instead of the yarn suggested, I used Cascade Peruvia. I like it...a lot. I've yet to block it, but I will.
Here's a side view:
That cabling was so complicated and fun! I sped through the whole thing (I cast it on December 23rd, and had it done for myself on Christmas morning).
This pattern was one of those special ones where, as long as you do the pattern right, the knitting is going to look really awesome! However, there is knitting where the pattern is ridiculously basic, but the yarn makes it AWESOME!
Case in point:
That's two different colors of Noro yarn (One Silk Garden, one Kureyon), in a 1x1 ribbing, where I changed the working color every 2 or 4 rows depending on how I liked the stripes length. That sounds complicated when you write it out, but I promise, that's pretty basic knitting. The thing that makes that scarf my absolute favorite (and the thing that makes it a real crowd-pleaser) is the colors, not the pattern. That's pretty fantastic when you think about it. This yarn is so awesome, that you could do all kinds of crazy things with it, and it would be gorgeous, because the colors ROCK!
So, that in a nutshell is why I like knitting so much. It's magical. Go figure.
Thing to be grateful for today: Knitting.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Time May Change Me, but You Can't Change Time
Tonight, I went to the first class of a four week series on beginner's hatha yoga. In the middle of our introductions, the instructor stopped us to give a little talk about yoga and what it does for people. Somewhere during this he said something to the effect of, "Let me warn you now...Warning! Warning! Things will change! It may not all happen at once, but once you start to do yoga, the way you relate to things around you will change."
Now, this really struck me for a lot of reasons. The first being that, as a seventeen-year old, I'm used to changes. Life changes a lot when you're seventeen. Not only has your body spent the past few years growing and contorting (and in my case it did quite a bit of shrinking too), but your mind has also begun to expand and settle into itself (God help the person who's mind ever totally settles).
The second reason is that, should change be something we are afraid of? Sure, there is negative change, but it isn't stasis. Yes, change can be a scary thing, but, personally, the idea of a life where I always know that everything is goint be all right and there are no surprises sounds not only revolting, but scary as well, because at that point, what is there to live for? Now, that is not to say that I don't love things in my life, and want to keep them just as they are, we all do, but if you knew that they would stay, would you want them as much? Just something to think about.
Now, the final reason that this got me thinking, is that, somehow, in the last two years, "change" has become a buzzword. This is of course, because of the Barack Obama campaign, "Change We Can Believe In". I've thought a lot about Barack Obama in the year that he's been our president, and while I personally think he is doing a better job of it than McCain would have (and he's certainly better than what we had before), I still question whether or not he is really providing the change he promised.
On the one hand, there has not been much in the way of policy change that really pushes us toward a better world, but on the other, he is creating a change in our society simply by being our first black president. Suddenly, you don't have to be a white male to be president, and this idea in and of itself is ground-breaking. Thought he hasn't broken down the socio-economic boundaries that prevent anyone who isn't upper class from becoming president (don't even get me started on that one), he has broken down the racial ones. It is these sort of changes in the mindset of a country that can help us to make leaps and bounds in a very positive direction. (On a side note, President Obama hired an openly transsexual woman, Amanda Simpson last week, which is quite astounding as well.)
Now, I promised some knitting today, so here it is.
Although I've only been knitting for a little over a year and a half, I'd like to think that I've gotten pretty good in that time since I'm currently making a sock and a cardigan for myself. You've already seen the cardigan, but about that sock... I bought the yarn from a local woman, Alisha. You should look at her stuff it's pretty awesome. The sock is just a basic toe-up (knit that way by necessity and not preference. I wasn't sure how long I could make the cuff before I ran out). Anyway, here it is.
I am clearly not as awesome at taking sock photos as our lady, The Yarn Harlot, but I would definitely like to think that my sock knitting has come a long way since the DISASTER last spring.
That is the LAST time I try to knit someone a knee-high rainbow sock! (Though this sock was for a very dear and lovely person, it was not meant to fit her body.)
Anyway, it looks like I needn't have worried too much about having enough yarn...
Because I have a good bit left even now that I've gotten an inch or two into the leg. Awesome! To those of you who can knit, would it be odd to knit one sock toe-up and the other cuff-down? Is that a no-no?
Anyway, I think I know what tomorrow's post is going to be about, which is rather nice.
Today, I am grateful for the magic and soul that is breath.
Love.
Now, this really struck me for a lot of reasons. The first being that, as a seventeen-year old, I'm used to changes. Life changes a lot when you're seventeen. Not only has your body spent the past few years growing and contorting (and in my case it did quite a bit of shrinking too), but your mind has also begun to expand and settle into itself (God help the person who's mind ever totally settles).
The second reason is that, should change be something we are afraid of? Sure, there is negative change, but it isn't stasis. Yes, change can be a scary thing, but, personally, the idea of a life where I always know that everything is goint be all right and there are no surprises sounds not only revolting, but scary as well, because at that point, what is there to live for? Now, that is not to say that I don't love things in my life, and want to keep them just as they are, we all do, but if you knew that they would stay, would you want them as much? Just something to think about.
Now, the final reason that this got me thinking, is that, somehow, in the last two years, "change" has become a buzzword. This is of course, because of the Barack Obama campaign, "Change We Can Believe In". I've thought a lot about Barack Obama in the year that he's been our president, and while I personally think he is doing a better job of it than McCain would have (and he's certainly better than what we had before), I still question whether or not he is really providing the change he promised.
On the one hand, there has not been much in the way of policy change that really pushes us toward a better world, but on the other, he is creating a change in our society simply by being our first black president. Suddenly, you don't have to be a white male to be president, and this idea in and of itself is ground-breaking. Thought he hasn't broken down the socio-economic boundaries that prevent anyone who isn't upper class from becoming president (don't even get me started on that one), he has broken down the racial ones. It is these sort of changes in the mindset of a country that can help us to make leaps and bounds in a very positive direction. (On a side note, President Obama hired an openly transsexual woman, Amanda Simpson last week, which is quite astounding as well.)
Now, I promised some knitting today, so here it is.
Although I've only been knitting for a little over a year and a half, I'd like to think that I've gotten pretty good in that time since I'm currently making a sock and a cardigan for myself. You've already seen the cardigan, but about that sock... I bought the yarn from a local woman, Alisha. You should look at her stuff it's pretty awesome. The sock is just a basic toe-up (knit that way by necessity and not preference. I wasn't sure how long I could make the cuff before I ran out). Anyway, here it is.
I am clearly not as awesome at taking sock photos as our lady, The Yarn Harlot, but I would definitely like to think that my sock knitting has come a long way since the DISASTER last spring.
That is the LAST time I try to knit someone a knee-high rainbow sock! (Though this sock was for a very dear and lovely person, it was not meant to fit her body.)
Anyway, it looks like I needn't have worried too much about having enough yarn...
Because I have a good bit left even now that I've gotten an inch or two into the leg. Awesome! To those of you who can knit, would it be odd to knit one sock toe-up and the other cuff-down? Is that a no-no?
Anyway, I think I know what tomorrow's post is going to be about, which is rather nice.
Today, I am grateful for the magic and soul that is breath.
Love.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Identifying Times
I had an interview with a really lovely alumnus of my high school today about sexual orientation and gender identity today and it really got me thinking. Our society is so obsessed with identities, and it's incredibly difficult not to get wrapped up in this obsession, I know that I do. Here's an experiment: Go to a coffee shop and observe the people there. Notice how you classify them. When I've done this, I've been intrigued by what information I think classifying, and what information I don't. Right off the bat, I notice that, if someone's white, I'll describe their hair color or clothes, maybe their weight, but if they aren't, their race becomes an immediate classifier. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just interesting. It really opens my eyes to how I see the world, and how I suspect others do as well. We create a little box that is "me" and we put it inside of a larger box filled with the people who are like us and we label it "us", and everyone else is in a box labeled, "them". Sometimes people use these boxes to choose friends, or spouses, sometimes they use them to justify war. Let me clarify, it is bad when we allow the boxes to rule our lives past first impressions. I understand the need our brains have to classify and identify with things, but when we begin to fill our social circles with "us" people, and no "them", we lose a very valuable thing, the people who can teach us the most. Not only that, but we limit our own ability to grow. We've put ourselves into labels that are constricting and unforgiving that tell us we are this or that, and that we will always be this or that, and if we try to be otherwise or to expand what "this" and "that" means we will be classified as a "them", and some people are so afraid to lose their "us" that they are willing to contort and shrink into their "us" box.
I know that, personally, I have a tendency to take identities that have classified me as a "them" and make them such a huge part of my facade that I fool myself and many of the people around me into thinking that it's the most important part of me, and that just isn't the case. I've realized in the past week or so that it doesn't MATTER, that no one should have to say that they are this or that or the other simply because it's more comfortable for society, and no one should take a single part of their identity and make it who they are, because as humans, we are MANY things. Think about it, what if, as a blue-eyed man, I went around talking about how "blue-eyed" I was, and people started to think of me as "that blue-eyed guy"! Wouldn't everyone think that that was absolutely ridiculous? How can anyone expect to say that because they are gay/straight/lesbian/bisexual/male/female/transgender/gender-queer/black/white/Muslim/Christian/Taoist/Buddhist/Unitarian-Universalis/whatever that that is all they are? Everyone is so many things! And why should you have to say or think you are any of those things? Certainly not because people are more comfortable if you fit into their boxes! That's absurd!
So, I say, take who you believe you are, whatever that may be, and not what anyone says you are, and fearlessly be "I".
Tomorrow, I think I'll talk about some knitting.
Thing to be grateful for today: Interviews
I know that, personally, I have a tendency to take identities that have classified me as a "them" and make them such a huge part of my facade that I fool myself and many of the people around me into thinking that it's the most important part of me, and that just isn't the case. I've realized in the past week or so that it doesn't MATTER, that no one should have to say that they are this or that or the other simply because it's more comfortable for society, and no one should take a single part of their identity and make it who they are, because as humans, we are MANY things. Think about it, what if, as a blue-eyed man, I went around talking about how "blue-eyed" I was, and people started to think of me as "that blue-eyed guy"! Wouldn't everyone think that that was absolutely ridiculous? How can anyone expect to say that because they are gay/straight/lesbian/bisexual/male/female/transgender/gender-queer/black/white/Muslim/Christian/Taoist/Buddhist/Unitarian-Universalis/whatever that that is all they are? Everyone is so many things! And why should you have to say or think you are any of those things? Certainly not because people are more comfortable if you fit into their boxes! That's absurd!
So, I say, take who you believe you are, whatever that may be, and not what anyone says you are, and fearlessly be "I".
Tomorrow, I think I'll talk about some knitting.
Thing to be grateful for today: Interviews
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Beginning a New Year
So, I know that I'm a little late to the game with this, in that it is now the third of January, and not the first, but today I was challenged to, as a writing exercise, start a blog and write a post every day for a whole year. I'm rather ecstatic about the idea, so here we are. Who knows if my attempts to network this blog will come to fruition and give me a nice amount of followers, or if I'll basically be writing for a few friends, either way, this is a documentation of the next year of my life at least. I don't yet know if I'll actually stop on January the third of next year, or if I'll keep it up after that, I suppose that depends on how I feel at the time. Either way, this should be a very entertaining and enlightening experience.
I'd like to say now, that the name of this blog is in fact "Ink In Pieces" (Not "Pisces" like the astrological sign, for the record, I'm a Capricorn. "Pieces" as in "piece of pie").Now, I choose the name "Ink In Pieces" for a few reasons. The first reason being that I had so many things to write about that I couldn't pick a single topic to be in the title of the blog, so I choose something that had to do with writing, which will always be a part of the blog. The second reason was that, for me, that is what this blog is about. It is about finding my writing style, my "ink", in little pieces as the year goes on and I refine my writing and find my voice. Right now, I worry that my writing is too formal, that it seems very stern and distant. I'm trying to become more personal and to invite playfulness into my words. The third reason I gave it the name that I did, was because I'm using this blog as a sort of coming of age story for myself, and so I'm hoping to find myself in the pieces that I write. I've just turned seventeen, and have, once again, begun to redefine myself, and I'm trying to use this blog as a tool in doing so.
It's a new year, a new age for me, and I can feel that it's going to be a good one. While riding home from watching the fireworks ring in the new year a few nights ago, I realized that I felt a palpable difference in the world. It was as if someone had taken the radio frequency that runs through my bones and changed it. It felt as if this year, this age, is going to be a good one. I believe that right now, the world is standing tip-toe on a single point, and we could either fall or find the balance we need to stay up-right, and this change I felt made me believe that, in this year, balance is possible for all of us, not only on a personal level, but on a global one. Come what may, I plan to be a part of it.
Now, who am I? I am a seventeen year-old aspiring writer, skilled knitter (wannabe spinner), stone-carver, hippie, environmentalist, equal-rights activist, pescatarian. I am a free-thinking, God-searching, stubborn, idealistic young man. I believe that there is a road for all of us. I believe that life is challenge, consequence, and reward. I believe that life is a search for ourselves. I believe that life is a classroom in which the world is filled with our teachers, and we can either learn their lesson and progress as human souls, or we can shun what we are being taught and regress. I believe that life is what we make it.
Now, this is only an introduction, but I want to start with a take-off, so I want to give you a bit of what is to come...
Here's what I'm working on right now.
It's a cardigan, though you may not be able to tell from that picture, because it is all wrapped up in itself. Behind it is the rest of the yarn that I'll need to finish it up. The pattern is "Dave" by Jane Ellison. Here's the Ravelry link. So, I was leery of calling it a cardigan, simply because that seemed very feminine, and it's for me, however, I was told by a friend to look up "Cardigan" on wikipedia before I decided that. You learn something new every day don't you? Anyway, it's officially my cardigan, so I'm pretty excited. I cast it on on the last day of 2009, but didn't properly begin to knit it until January first. Here's a better shot of the whole thing.
I have eight inches of length now, and at 196 stitches per row and around 5 rows per inch of length I've knitted approximately...7840 stitches in the last three days (Though, I guess to be technical, I could say that I've purled half of those, and knit the other half). I'm knitting it in Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed...it's pretty awesome yarn.
Now that I've covered knitting, I have one more thing to talk about...lists. Personally, I like lists of ten, which seemed appropriate, given this list is for 2010. So here they are, my
GOALS FOR 2010
All right, well, I hope I haven't bored anyone to death, and I hope that you keep reading, because I plan on trying to make every day as interesting/funny/poignant/thoughtful as I can.
Peace.
I'd like to say now, that the name of this blog is in fact "Ink In Pieces" (Not "Pisces" like the astrological sign, for the record, I'm a Capricorn. "Pieces" as in "piece of pie").Now, I choose the name "Ink In Pieces" for a few reasons. The first reason being that I had so many things to write about that I couldn't pick a single topic to be in the title of the blog, so I choose something that had to do with writing, which will always be a part of the blog. The second reason was that, for me, that is what this blog is about. It is about finding my writing style, my "ink", in little pieces as the year goes on and I refine my writing and find my voice. Right now, I worry that my writing is too formal, that it seems very stern and distant. I'm trying to become more personal and to invite playfulness into my words. The third reason I gave it the name that I did, was because I'm using this blog as a sort of coming of age story for myself, and so I'm hoping to find myself in the pieces that I write. I've just turned seventeen, and have, once again, begun to redefine myself, and I'm trying to use this blog as a tool in doing so.
It's a new year, a new age for me, and I can feel that it's going to be a good one. While riding home from watching the fireworks ring in the new year a few nights ago, I realized that I felt a palpable difference in the world. It was as if someone had taken the radio frequency that runs through my bones and changed it. It felt as if this year, this age, is going to be a good one. I believe that right now, the world is standing tip-toe on a single point, and we could either fall or find the balance we need to stay up-right, and this change I felt made me believe that, in this year, balance is possible for all of us, not only on a personal level, but on a global one. Come what may, I plan to be a part of it.
Now, who am I? I am a seventeen year-old aspiring writer, skilled knitter (wannabe spinner), stone-carver, hippie, environmentalist, equal-rights activist, pescatarian. I am a free-thinking, God-searching, stubborn, idealistic young man. I believe that there is a road for all of us. I believe that life is challenge, consequence, and reward. I believe that life is a search for ourselves. I believe that life is a classroom in which the world is filled with our teachers, and we can either learn their lesson and progress as human souls, or we can shun what we are being taught and regress. I believe that life is what we make it.
Now, this is only an introduction, but I want to start with a take-off, so I want to give you a bit of what is to come...
- Writing (A lot of pondering and rhetorical questions are probably in order).
- Knitting, one of my many loves and obsessions
- Whatever comes my way
- Lists, another one of my many loves and obsessions
- Opinions on movies, politics, religion, music, knitting, other blogs, life, and people
- More Opinions
Here's what I'm working on right now.
It's a cardigan, though you may not be able to tell from that picture, because it is all wrapped up in itself. Behind it is the rest of the yarn that I'll need to finish it up. The pattern is "Dave" by Jane Ellison. Here's the Ravelry link. So, I was leery of calling it a cardigan, simply because that seemed very feminine, and it's for me, however, I was told by a friend to look up "Cardigan" on wikipedia before I decided that. You learn something new every day don't you? Anyway, it's officially my cardigan, so I'm pretty excited. I cast it on on the last day of 2009, but didn't properly begin to knit it until January first. Here's a better shot of the whole thing.
I have eight inches of length now, and at 196 stitches per row and around 5 rows per inch of length I've knitted approximately...7840 stitches in the last three days (Though, I guess to be technical, I could say that I've purled half of those, and knit the other half). I'm knitting it in Queensland Kathmandu Aran Tweed...it's pretty awesome yarn.
Now that I've covered knitting, I have one more thing to talk about...lists. Personally, I like lists of ten, which seemed appropriate, given this list is for 2010. So here they are, my
GOALS FOR 2010
- Blog every day, or at least make sure something new is on the blog every day.
- Knit (and complete) at least two sweater-type garments and my blanket.
- Complete one alabaster sculpture (stone-carving is a lost passion of mine, I'm hoping to reclaim it).
- Finish the first draft of my play by June 1st (I'll write more about that later).
- Become a better writer.
- Become happier with my body (I don't hate it, but I see it as a work in progress).
- Face at least one major fear.
- Carpe Diem (This goes on a lot of my lists, it's an important one).
- Learn five new skills that I will use for the rest of my life.
- Find a different thing to be grateful for every day.
All right, well, I hope I haven't bored anyone to death, and I hope that you keep reading, because I plan on trying to make every day as interesting/funny/poignant/thoughtful as I can.
Peace.
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