Oh no - I knew I wasn't in a very creative frame of mind when I came up with my blog title, but silly me forgot to do the all important google search before I set the name in stone in my blog address. Apparently there is an embroidery company called Joystitch Designs... I had originally thought to call my blog Joystix Knits but wasn't sure I liked the sound of it. Now I'm wishing that perhaps I did call it that, although pending the google search, that's probably taken somewhere too! What do you all think - should I change my blog name? It would still have the same address though so will eternally be using the Joystitch name unless I start a fresh blog, which at this stage, I'm unwilling to do as I am only just starting to get people to find me as it is. Here are my potential name candidates: Joystix Knits (using my name, and referring to the knitting needles), Klickety Klack (I mostly use metal needles), Knitting Still or just keep Joystich Knits. I'm still not in the right creative frame of mind to come up with wonderful names so all are a tad corny, but oh well.
I think I like the first one the most but Austy's minimink hat (modelled below - he's also wearing an outfit I made him in that pic at about 6 months old) will fit him perfectly this winter so I would like him to be able to wear it with the chunky jumper since they will be about the same colour. So hard to decide... any help much appreciated!
Time to be honest with you all. I am really not enjoying my hectic life at the moment and wish I could spend more time with the little love of my life, Austin. I get 2hrs every night between getting in the door, and kissing him goodnight, and in that time there's probably only about 20 mins where I can actually chat to him, read to him, play with him, snuggle with him and generally be what a mum should be (at the moment I'm only an ounce of the mum he deserves). The rest of the time I'm getting changed out of my work clothes and putting the nappies in the wash from the day, cooking dinner, feeding him dinner (as much as I try to get him to self feed, he doesn't really eat much yet unless I feed it to him), tidying up the cooking mess, clearing the dinner dishes, washing him down, changing him and feeding him his boob/bottle mix for bed (my milk supply has dropped drastically since going back to work full time and I just don't have enough for him anymore - looks like I'll have to stop breastfeeding well before the 2yr mark I was aiming for). You get the picture. As soon as I get in the door it's all rush, rush, rush and "Sorry Austy - no piggyback tonight I have to get dinner on so we can eat". At least when I was working only part time, I could always tell him "Guess what baby? It's Mummy and Austy day tomorrow! We'll go to the park, I'll be with you ALL day!", which cheered me up immensely after a long 8-5 day at work and nearly an hour away from him. Plus he gave me big huge smiles - enough to cheer anyone up.
So what has this all got to do with knitting? Well, after he's in bed and the dishes are done, the nappies hung out and another load of washing on, clothes out for Austy and me for tomorrow and all the toys packed away, I sit on the couch if there's something half decent on telly, needles in hand and destress. Knitting has become my therapy over the past few months of full time work, even if I only get little bits doen at a time. On the nights when I've had lectures (after all the housework is done for the evening I get stuck in front of the laptop watching a downloaded videostream for 2hrs) or assignments due, I really miss my knitting. I have been known to sit on the couch with the laptop on the arm of the chair playing lecture vidoes while I knit - the beauty of studying by correspondence and at home! If there's nothing on the box, and I don't have assignments to do then I'm in here, "meeting" other knitting bloggers and reading about their creative process. So far I have found being a part of the knitting web community a very warm and uplifting experience. So I wanted to thank you all for welcoming me in with open arms. It is surely appreciated!
I look forward to my first knitting exchange with great vigour and am looking forward to getting lost in a warm woolly scarf to help me wind down in the evenings. Can't wait for next week when I get to find out all about my buddy and choose a yarn and pattern - I have several ideas brewing, I just hope one of them is the perfect fit. ISE4 starts next Thursday 15th March and it couldn't come around soon enough. The other good project I am looking forward to sink my teeth into is Austy's chunky knit jumper in a nice chocolate brown of some kind (to match his stunning eyes!!!). So far I am tossing up between this (Debbie Bliss)
this (Debbie Bliss)
and this cable knit jumper from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits (knitted in DB cashmerino).
I think I like the first one the most but Austy's minimink hat (modelled below - he's also wearing an outfit I made him in that pic at about 6 months old) will fit him perfectly this winter so I would like him to be able to wear it with the chunky jumper since they will be about the same colour. So hard to decide... any help much appreciated!
I am still stuck for ideas on how to use my handyed wool. I knitted a swatch (now unpulled) and love how it knits up. Not bad for my first ever dyeing experience if I do say so myself. Maybe some baby socks? I'd probably have to do newborn size though with only 25g - it would have made great socks for Austy's 16m old cousin Elizabeth, but I don't think I have quite enough for that size.
6 comments:
I think you should keep your name, it works and it's not like you are trying to sell anything using it so no harm done.
I love the first jumper, I can just iamgine how great it would look on Austy.
With your 25g of hand dyed wool...what about if you dyed one more ball but only in one of the colours and that way you could knit little socks for your niece and use the second ball for toes, heel and cuff? I would knit both socks at the same time (one from the outside of the ball and one from the middle) and knit them as toe-ups so that you can knit to the very last bit of yarn.
Good Luck!
Imagine how many unexpected hits your blog might get from having a similar name to an embroidery company. You might even introduce some knitters/embroiderers to the interesting world of blogging! :-)
www.2hot2knit.blogspot.com
i like joystix!
love the hoodie too!
I don't know how you do it juggling work and bubs! I find it hard enough fitting in being a sahm and getting everything done around the house!
can't wait for the swap either!
Corrie:)
There's a big knitting company in the US called Pick Up Sticks, so I know exactly what it's like to have this happen to you. I've decided just to let it go - although I do get visits from people googling the other company. I have no idea if they know about me.
Also, I had the same fulltime work dillemma you're facing a few years ago until I left my job and went part time. Haven't looked back. And, ironically, now that the kids are a bit older and I'm tossing up going back fulltime, the job I had is still vacant.
Soemone once said to me: the job at home won't wait for you nor be offerred you again, but the job you get paid for you can always go back to. It certainly doesn't help that on top of juggling work, family and leisure, we load ourselves up with guilt as well. It is a very tough call, and I feel for you.
Right, that's my opinionated two cents worth anyway. Carry on.
Oh, and the cardigans?
The middle one.
Perhaps some mittens for yourself? you can find some matching yarn for the main body and do the cuff and/or the thumb in your handdyed yarn. It is always tough finding stuff to knit with small amounts of yarn hey?
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