Nervous Knitting and Stage Fright

On Thursday night, April 28, I had to give an oral presentation on a group benchmarking report about airlines. In past years, I used to get up and sing or play guitar in front of 100's of people. I have done this many times, so a person like me never gets stage fright?! The answer to that is a big "NO"!  I get stage fright every single time, I am a nervous wreak right up until I set foot on "stage" and then it's like another person just takes over. This is a phenomena I have never understood.

What does all of this have to do with the shawl picture above? Well I have found an advantage to stage fright and a new advantage to knitting. Knitting calms me down and stage fright causes me to get a LOT of knitting done. Not to mention, how much housework got done.  Greg threatened to ask my instructors to require more oral presentation because he really liked my productivity. :D

Stage fright doesn't feel good but at least I've found an advantage to it.

Organizing the Fiber-Arts Library

It is finals time for my Spring Semester. And as if a 30 page Benchmarking Report, Oral Presentation, Accounting Homework, Final Exams, loads of reading, housework, bookkeeping, KAL's, etc. weren't enough.....  I had the brilliant idea to, for once and all, index my immense Fiber-Arts library.  I have finished the Crochet only part and have a total of 156 Crochet books, this doesn't include magazines, freebies, and leaflets. Needless to say, I am a crazy woman and fiber/pattern addicted. Once again I stand up and say, "Hello my name is Susan and I am a fiberaholic!"

Best Day Ever!!!! Yumiko Alexander Trunk Show

This past Saturday April 16, 2011, I had the best day ever!!! I got to meet someone that I have admired for a long time, Yumiko Alexander.  It always a great thing to meet someone like this and find that not only are their talents to be admired but that they are also a gracious, wonderful person.

When I woke up on Saturday I told Greg this is my Christmas. It's like if he got to have lunch with his favorite rock star, Dug(that's how he spells it) from King's X. Then he got it.

My day did not disappoint. It was a wonderful day of going through the patterns, seeing the designs up close and personal, visiting with friends old & new, and of course getting some knit/crochet time. I worked on my Coquille Shawl, can't forget it has a deadline.

Yumiko was nice enough to allow me to have my picture taken with her.  We are both holding our own version of her Bamboo Leaf Bag, it's crocheted and felted. You can find all her patterns at DanDoh, Etsy, and don't forget your local lys  Grandma's Spinning Wheel.

Coquille KAL

On April first I cast on for Crystal Palace's Coquille Shawl KAL. I will post pictures of the progress.  The pattern is gorgeous!  The yarn is even more gorgeous-er!!!