| knitting (again)

|bobble hat - one size too big|

This is proof that the weight of the yarn AND the size of the needles make a huge difference. It was supposed to be a baby hat. But as you can see, it fits my head - whoops! I'm headed to the yarn store this weekend to pick up the right size needles and try again.

baby blanket

A while back I started a knitting project that I shared with you. But I had to keep most of the details a secret until it was gifted. Well, it is now keeping little M warm, so I can show it to you in all its full color glory.





PS: A special thanks goes out to KNR for confirming that the first pattern I found was written incorrectly (I kept ending up with additional stitches) and finding another that looked the same and worked even better.

| a freshman again

[I debated over writing this post. I wondered if it would be better to not say anything, to make it seem like I had my act together, like it came easily for me. That was until I realized that I'm a horrible liar and the artists (and their blogs) that I respect the most are the ones who are willing to be vulnerable and share.]

{sigh} No, I'm not going back to school. But I feel like a Freshman all over again. Starting out on a new venture will do that to you. There's all the excitement of "the new" combined with the nervous butterflies (and slight urge to hurl) knowing that everywhere you look are people who are doing it better and longer than you.

This past weekend we drove up to Madison, WI to visit with some great friends who we hadn't seen in a while. They're an awesome duo with an even awesomer (totally not a word but I'm using it anyway) kid - she's way cooler than I'll ever be. He does videography and she's a photographer so together they're a one stop shop for documenting that special wedding day. So, of course our conversation often turned towards photography. I tried to glean as much of their professional wisdom as possible in a 48 hour period.

This is where feeling like a Freshman comes into play. I had a 300 level class my freshman year of undergrad that was probably a bit premature, but I did it anyway. I remember feeling so intimidated by the upper class men who understood the material and could ask in depth questions, all while I was still trying to figure out what page we were discussing. But every now and again there would be moments of "I get it!" where something would click and I'd actually feel like maybe just maybe I could hold my own if I was called upon. Welcome to my world. This is how I've been feeling lately. Immensely intimidated most of the time, with short bursts of confidence sprinkled in to keep me going in the right direction.

So... all that to say, the ball is rolling. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but it's rolling. I'm going with it as best I can. There are some important things in the works this week. I hope to share a new online gallery with you, which will allow you to order prints and have them sent straight to your very own door. I'm going to put together a price list for sessions. I need to pull together forms for all the legalese which needs to be signed off on. Basically, the little things that can't be overlooked but often aren't thought about when conjuring up that "big picture" plan.

Stay tuned!

[Shameless plug: if you're in the Madison/Chicago area and have that big day coming, book Primavera Studios. They're great. Seriously. Go, call them, now.]

knitting again

Ever since KR left, I have been knitting away (as previously mentioned). My most recent project is only in the 'cast on' phase, but I hope to be adding more rows later today. I really can't wait to see how it turns out. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it will be or even show you the color because... shhhh! It's a secret! Don't tell anyone that you know about it. Okay, I may have, in my excitement, leaked it out to a few people. If you are one of them... keep a lid on it! For the rest of you, here's a sneak peak at the beginnings. I promise to show you the end result once it has been gifted.

knitting spoils

Due to the recent increase in baby activity around us, I've been knitting up gifts the past few weeks, with more planned for the future. It must be noted that the hoodie could not have been accomplished without my dear friend K. I would have been utterly lost without her help. Seriously. She helped me crank that thing out in a week. But now I know how to knit in the round and a few other snazzy things!

A hat for bringing the baby home from the hospital (it'll be winter time in Chicago... brrrrrr!)

A hoodie for baby c.r.l.

with booties to match!