Back at it

I've been wanting to light the fires again for a while. I can't remember the last time I was in the shop to pound metal. June, maybe, during the three days between semesters, I think. I took some time today to tidy up and read the Northwest Blacksmith Assn's newsletter "Hot Iron News" while the forge came up to temp.
I needed a project that wasn't too intensive, but wasn't something that felt like production work, either (something besides sets of hooks or leaves). I found a plan for some acorn and oak leaf napkin rings. The hard part is forging 1/2" down to 1/8" round- well, it's time consuming if not hard. But it was good to be out there swinging the 2, 3 and 4 pound hammers. Most of it was with the 2# because I need to work on my control and it's too easy to squash rounds that thin. I might have the first one done tonight, maybe. I'm not in a rush and again I'm trying to avoid feeling like I "have" to be out there or that I'm doing production.
I think I need to be out there as a way to refocus my mind. I'm finding it's too easy to waste a bunch of time goofing off on the internet (and I'm not even going to smithing sites) instead of answering the question sets for history or taking the time to write quality responses to message board posts for my English class. Now I need to balance working in the shop with homework and eliminate 90% of that aimless internetting. Only 10 more months and I'm done with the BA. Then I will likely move on to a master's program for a public history degree... but that's still up in the air.

EFC 7/21