Hello Internet

I've been working on some things. There is a sweater I've started for my mom's Christmas present which is all done except the front. It's made with acrylic yarn leftover from the sweater I made my husband a few years ago. (Which he doesn't ever wear. Not that I'm bitter except I totally am because it's super soft and I would wear the heck out of it if it wasn't big enough for three of me but I digress.)

I still haven't finished my Norwegian mittens. It turns out that though I love the way the design is turning out, it makes me sort of anxious to think about knitting on those tiny little needles. I've been working at UPS for 6 months and my fingers are basically a constant state of peeling/blistering from wearing gloves and handling packages and pushing buttons etc. Hopefully I'll get another job soon and I can start getting back to small needles again.

As it is, I've joined a knitting group at my local library which knits for charity. It's a fantastic way to knit up scraps. Which I need to do. Because I may have entered a bet with my husband and my son. They are both betting that I can NOT go the entire year without buying any yarn. So far, I haven't. But I did buy a lot of knitting books second hand... but those don't count! I ONLY SAID YARN! Also they don't know about the knitting books because once they are added to my giant bookshelf they blend in with the tons of other knitting books I already have so... plus one for me. Part of me recognizes that technically the same thing would happen if I bought yarn because they have absolutely no idea what yarn I have already, but the spirit of competition would be lost if they did in fact win. Even if they weren't aware that they did.

So the charity knits. I cast on a garter stitch blanket for the local hospital. Again, acrylic.

Modeled happily by my handsome poocher, who I adore. Feel free to also adore him but be aware he will bark at you.

And then I picked up some old I Love This Cotton from my Hobby Lobby days and worked up a few little hats.

It's been really nice having those hours at the knitting group to get some reliable knitting time in every week. My mom is amazing and has been watching my kids, including picking up my son from school just so that I can knit with these ladies. I am the youngest in the group, but I don't see much difference between any of us at all! Well, except how most of them are retired which I am frankly just jealous about!

I've taken this huge long hiatus from blogging and normally I would probably say that it has to do with school or work or how I'm so busy, and it's true that I have been so busy. But it's more than that. I suffer from seasonal depression. And regular depression too I guess. I finally went to see a counselor and was prescribed medication and it is like night and day. I feel like I have a reason to live again, and so maybe I will have a reason to blog too. Perhaps there will be more of me around here. It certainly seems like there is more of me in general. I always worried about taking antidepressants because I thought it would change who I am? Does that make sense? Well, it turns out that what was changing who I am was having depression and constantly thinking negative thoughts and crying at work and just being generally miserable. With these pills I can smile again. I can focus on my kids. I can get a B on a test and not have a complete meltdown because I'm able to look at the big picture and see that it doesn't matter all that much in the long run. (I know. Crazy!!!) In the last few months I have crawled out of my shell and met people in my town. I have opened up and made friends at school and at work. I have started taking my kids out to the park, to the zoo, and to the library. I manage to get most things done...mostly. And it's OKAY. It's amazing for me, although it may not sound like much to anyone who has never suffered with depression.

So, anyway. This is me, saying hello again to you beautiful people.