The Dean has signed my signature page.

I am officially Dr. Gnome, Ph.D.

My degree will be dated Dec 31st

~The Gnome

Hi guys.

I’m almost done. For realz this time. Just a few signatures left. I was hoping to get one last update to the shop up before xmas, but that is not going to happen. At this rate I’ll be lucky to get everything I have to get done, done in time.

I’ve got boss’ signature on my dissertation and then all the printing and official paperwork left. Then I’m done with that, and all that’s left is getting car insurance and health insurance signed up for/redirected/etc.

In the meantime, here’s a project I finished ages ago, but couldn’t tell you about at the time, and then things got insane.

This was what I did for the Fiber to Scarf Exchange 2009. Basically, you send out fiber, and it goes to someone (you don’t know who until after) and they spin it up and knit (or crochet or weave) a scarf or cowl out of it and send it back. You’ll remember a ways back when I posted the lovely alpaca scarf I got from my fiber.

What I got was some lovely purple/blue corriedale/romney from BlackBunny Fibers. I spun it up on both my ashford and my (at the time) new SR30.

2-ply, spun more-or-less with a point of twist sort-of-short draw.

(Photo by Joe)

I decided to knit without a pattern, because I like torturing myself, or something. Also, I’m really poor at following patterns.

So I designed this pattern, though I’m fairly certain it’s been done before by others. It’s essentially just a 3×3 diagonal rib (not a cabled diagonal like koolhaus or the like). I liked the effect, and think it came out pretty well. It scrunches nicely.

(Photo by Joe)

Here it is on me before I sent it out…

Then I sent it to the awesome QueerJoe (who’s fiber it was, and who took the better photos you’ve seen here)

And he loved it. Thank goodness. I’m always worried when crafting for other people.

Ok, back to forms.

~The Gnome

Whee.

I defended on Monday. It went well. My presentation was pretty smooth, despite being reorganized the Friday before, then the Sunday before. The “defense” was mellow and collegial. I have about until Xmas to get things in in order to have all the dates right. That means fairly hard work for the next few weeks, getting the edits done. However, once that’s done, I’ll be done done. I will turn that in and officially be a Ph.D. Thank you a thousand times to everyone who came, who wished me luck, who congratulated me. Having that many people there in person and spirit really does make a difference.

Paper needs more edits and rewrites for publication. We’ll be discussing final decisions on how to handle that tomorrow.

Thanksgiving was excellent and spent with family.

So now, I’m editing, applying to jobs, and dyeing again. A lot on the plate. Things will be much more open in January on, when I won’t have a job other than this, until I find a new one.

That’s the quick update. I have new dyeing to show as soon as I get a camera again (left mine at my parents’), new projects I did, a few lovely gifts, some new spinning, and um… something else I’m probably forgetting right now.

Be back with those soon.

~The Gnome

No really!

Dissertation is turned in. Working on my defense presentation now. That happens next Monday. I’ll be more human after that, I promise.

Shop update.

Polwarth

Finn

Dorset

Jacob

Wensleydale

Romney

Have more to update with, in terms of yarns for the shop, stuff I’ve knitted, stuff I’ve received but… defense.

~The Gnome

Yes, I’m spammy today, but I’m way behind, and I didn’t want to combine them all.

The shop has been reopened and updated. It still needs restocking, but there’s quite a few new stitch markers, including binary and sock/lace markers.

There is also, Ramboulliet, Jacob, Wensleydale, Romney, SW Merino, Dorset, and Cotswold.

I’ll be putting up some new yarns shortly.

In other news:

I turned in my thesis to my boss for final edits on Monday. I’m applying to jobs this week. I’ve applied two one, am working on the cover letter for a second and third, and formatting my resume for a fourth. I’m also trying to get a handle on my apartment which has been escaping while my dissertation ate my brain. I’ve reclaimed ah… one room.

After much fighting with stupid fashion industry standards, I found two business/government interview appropriate dress shirts that aren’t ridiculously too long. Apparently the “fitted” shifts the shoulders enough to shorten the 32″ sleeves to 31″ effectively, making them only 1″ too long. Tomorrow I take in my pants to be taken in. Next up, another shirt or two, and comfortable dress shoes.

One week from Monday I hand in my thesis. Two weeks from that, I defend it all to the community and my committee. Wheeeeee. Scary.

OH! I totally forgot. I actually finished a hat. I started it on the plane down to MD, so I misremembered how many stitches to cast on. Ended up 10 short. Which is ok, it will go to a deserving young man I know of. It was mostly a conceptual exercise for me anyway. I have a concept in my head I wanna test out. I’ll get photos soon.

~The Gnome