Quinn’s Blog

I guess this is somewhat of a confession. For those of you who do not already know, though it should be pretty obvious from my blog tag line, is that I knit. Yep, that’s right I am a man who can knit. Specifically loom knitting is my preferred method but I do know how to knit with needles, but admittedly not very well. I got into it about two years ago thanks to my fiancé Sharon who had these strange looking devices which piqued my curiosity. Since then I’ve gone head long into the world of loom knitting.

The point is I just kind of fell into it and found that I really enjoy it. There is something particularly satisfying about taking a single skien of yarn and turning into something useful or ornate. I also find that it is both mentally challenging and relaxing at the same time. Knitting is also a good inexpensive way to channel any creative tendencies that one might have.

If you do not know what loom knitting is and would like to find out more here is a few good sites to check for more information:

• loomknittinghelp.com :They have allot of really good information on Loom Knitting including a brief history, stitch techniques, and even how to make your own looms.
• ProvoCraft.com:Makers of the popular Knifty Knitter looms that you can find at most craft stores even Walmart carries them and they are great place to start. Inexpensive and everything you need to get started except of course the yarn.
• Purling Sprite: When you’re ready for some more advanced looming check out Isela Phelps blog. She has some great videos and instructions on some the more advance stitches, cast on and bind off techniques.

So now that I’ve got that out of the way and even plugged a few sites lets move on.

I was going through my stuff today just to take account of what I have done so far and I realized that most of the items I’ve knitted that I’m really proud of or that I think came out very nice, I’ve either given away or sold already. Without taking any pictures or keeping any other type of record of it. So what I have left is stuff that came out alright but are often the results of first trials and experiments. This poses a problem for me because I often modify or change things as I work along the project and if I didn’t keep track, which is often the case, I will move onto the next project and forget what I did before.

So I decided to start blog entries under the category of the manly knitter for a couple different reasons. One, it gives me something else to blog about that’s perhaps a little more interesting than my usual personal blurbs. Two, it might help me keep track of things as I go along. Perhaps share some of my experiences with other loomers and even learn from the more experienced as well.

If you are a loom knitter already and you happen to stumble on my blog here, feel free to shout out. I’d love to hear from you

After having said all that about keeping track of things, the current project I’m working on I can’t speak of because it’s going to be birthday present, though a late birthday present at this point which might end up as a Christmas present because it’s taking a little longer than I anticipated. At any rate my list of things to do is currently adding up.

I received a fine gauge sock loom for my own birthday a few weeks ago so I think that will be my next experiment and I think will make a good candidate to start these entries out with. In the mean time I have posted pictures of what I currently have to flickr under the manly knitter photo set. I haven’t really figured out the best way to photograph these things but the Sharon and the kids might end up becoming models in the future

hehe

So, have I lost complete interest in blogging? I don’t know if it’s loss of interest, laziness or simple lack of available time to form tangible paragraphs of interest. Perhaps it’s all of the above.

Realizing that my last actual blog entry was written before we left Kentucky it would appear an update is in order.

As you probably have guessed Sharon and I managed to make it back to California safely. Which was an adventure in itself having tightly packed up everything we own in a 6×12 U haul trailer and towing it about 2000 mile cross country in about three days. Oh, did I mention we had a slightly hyperactive five year old in the back seat the whole time? Nothing test the strength and solidarity of a relationship then a long road trip. But we all survived and had great time.

Sharon, fortunately, had a great job waiting for her when we arrived. I, on the other hand was chancing it and hoping to find something soon when we got here. Quickly discovering that we decided to make our big move to California when the economy seems to be working it’s way through a slow period. But alas I did manage to find something and within the time frame of about a day I had gained a job and lost a job. It’s a long story which still angers me so I’m not going into the details.

While all of this is happening I have had the pleasure, joy, and sometimes difficult task of seeing my own children on a regular basis. In addition, my extended family as well. My Mother, Grandmother, Sister, brother-in-law and their three small children. It’s been a really busy past three months as you can see. But it’s been great and we really enjoy being back home.

The past couple weeks my children have been on their summer break from school which means they’ve been with us. If you’re keeping count that’s my four kids with Sharon’s one for a total of five children, three of which are boys, all in a quickly shrinking two bedroom apartment. Thank God for Grandma’s backyard, a park within walking distance, the apartment pool, and the Playstation 2.

whew

Within this time frame I have managed to get through a few things. I’ve knitted a couple of Christmas stockings for the kids, a new scarf pattern, a matching child size hat and scarf, and a cell phone tote. I received from my lovely Sharon a fine gauge sock loom for my birthday so a pair of socks is in the works for my next project.

I’ve also managed to finish reading three novels, due to frequent trips to the park. Micheal Crichton’s Next , Walker Percy’s The Thanatos Syndrome, and almost finished with Michael Crichton’s State of Fear.

In the chaos of all this I’ve been trying to get in some regular game time on Lord of the rings on-line but haven’t been successful.

This past week has probably been the climax of everything. The good news is that I finally received a job offer, which I accepted, for a Field Service Tech. covering Riverside/San Bernardino area. It is only a temporary position helping to fill in for the busy upcoming holiday season but it is really good pay, local, could possibly lead to permanent position, and at the very least it will keep me working until January of next year.

As you can see it’s been a very busy and exciting time. Sharon and I are so glad to be home in California, not so much that it’s California, but more that it’s close to family and friends. Honestly, if we could really get the logistics worked out we would so move to someplace more interesting. I’ve made several suggestions to buy a big plot of land near the Oregon coast and just start our own commune (hehe). Perhaps we’ll just settle for the local mountains for a time.

I am so very tired of urban and sub-urban environments. This is just far too much city for me. I’ve been in it for far too much time and I long for the woods and trees and the peaceful solitude again… sigh~

I’m not sure why I felt the need to put that last bit in, but there it is. That should bring the blog up to date, minus the highly probable boring details. Do with it what you will but my part is finished, at least until the next entry.

Apparently there has been a Ukulele video contest on YouTube. I don’t know what else to say about this except that it’s probably one of the funniest videos I’ve seen in a while. w00t!

Today is the last day for internet service for us until next week. Why? Because we are moving. w00t! That’s right, the time is finally here. We are finally moving back to California.

The big day is actually this Sunday when we hit the road for the long drive home. At any rate we are hoping to be in are new place by Wednesday and they are coming to hook up our FIOS service on Thursday of next week. So it will only be a brief service interruption.

With that said, consider this the official last post from Lexington Kentucky. This hasn’t been all that bad of a place to live and we gave it our shot. But even if everything worked out the way we wanted we would still move back to “Cali”. Because it’s home to us. Yes, we know all the “cons” to living in California but it’s where our family and friends are and we miss them all terribly.

The plus side of things is that Sharon already has a killer job waiting for her at UCR and we already have a shiny new place to move into when we get there. I have a few good prospects on the job market so I’m sure it won’t take me long to find something. There is certainly far more opportunity out there for one in my field of work then there is here in Lexington.

Since we are talking about work and I’m feeling a bit sentimental, I’d like to say thanks and goodbye to all those at University of Kentucky’s CNS (communications) department. It’s been a good run and I’ve met, worked with, and gotten to know a lot really good people. I’ve learned quite a bit from this experience, not just about networking, phone systems, cabling, terminations, etc. etc. but really important stuff like the difference between a donkey and a mule, how to properly hard boil and egg, and a plethora of southern “country boy” slang. Thanks guys and good luck to you all.

Well, that’s it. See ya in the next post sometime next week.

Goodbye Lexington Kentucky! Hello California!

This is part of a new project, or an experiment really, of knitting cables on a round loom. Once I’ve got it down to a solid pattern I will follow up in another post with instructions.

This is a simple two stitch cable set on a background of purl stitches.

A closer look at the twist to make a braid.

A nice place to sit and relax a bit

How did I manage to miss this one for so long