Joiner that I am, I signed up for the Ravelympics. But in a non-commital way. I am competing in the WIP wrestling event, meaning my goal is to finish stuff. As much stuff as I can.
Fortunately for me, my newest obsession (seen above) was started a week ago and therefore technically counts as a WIP. Maybe not the intention of the event, but whatever. They're actually going relatively quickly and after they're finished I plan to actually dive into my UFO bin. Scary!
Of course. As soon as I swore I wouldn't cast on till I finished Serendipity I lost all interest in it. Well, in my defense things got busy (busier than normal that is). So the last sock drug on a bit. But, they're done now and I'm IN LOVE!
They fit perfectly and they even survived a long day at work. I'm definitely a Socks that Rock convert. (For the record, I'm enjoying the mediumweight a bit more than the lightweight used here)
After wearing these socks Tuesday and an older pair of handknit socks Wednesday, I've come to a conclusion. It's a mission really. Life is much too short for poor-fitting socks! Nearly every sock I've knit to this point has been "great but." You know, great but a little loose, great but too short, great but bound off too tightly. Most of the time I knew the problem as soon as I tried the socks on, but decided it wasn't that big of a deal, or I just really wanted to be done with them.
NO MORE!!! These socks took a little more time, I mean it nearly killed me to have to rip back after I thought I was done, but it was so worth it. Now I have a pair of socks I look forward to wearing. From now on, I will not settle. 
Until a couple weeks ago, I really hadn't knit since my trip (had to go to DC for a work-required class for a week in February).
Fortunately, Junior has slept through the night since about 7 weeks and not long after that he established a pretty regular schedule of going to be between 8 and 9. I generally don't make it to bed till at least 10:30 and sometimes later, so it seems like I'd have plenty of time to get in some knitting or anything else. Except I was tired. I work all day and then come home and play with/take care of Junior so Jaime can have a break. I never even get a chance to eat dinner till the kid is in bed. So mostly I would just sit between his bedtime and mine.
For some reason though, I've been feeling a lot less tired lately. Work has been going well and Junior really enjoys playing with all his toys, so I can maybe even manage some dinner while he's awake.
Add this new energy to my recent motivation, namely the Rockin' Sock Club and suddenly I'm knitting again.
I had started the first sock on my trip but never finished it. Then all of a sudden the next shipment seemed to be sneaking up on me. One glorious Saturday afternoon alone and a few good lunch hours and I've finished sock one and am making good progress on sock two.
I REALLY want to keep up with this club, if I do nothing else knitting related this year. I just received the March club shipment and can't wait to get started. I had finished my Serendipity socks last night and just wanted to take a few pictures. This is how one picture turned out.
Don't know if you can tell but the bottom sock is a wee bit shorter than the other. Yeah, I sorta forgot half a repeat of the pattern on the second sock. I was just so excited to finish it! So I ripped back and am patiently (haha) working my way towards the finish line again. My new yarn keeps staring at me though...
Hopefully I'll have some finished socks to show you very very soon!
Yeah, I suck. Moving on...
I managed to get myself swept up in the newest blog craze, Pay It Forward. Here are the details:
I will send a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days. That is my promise. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.
I'm going to be getting something fabulous (I'm sure) from the lovely Ren. So, any takers?
(Not so) Daily Baby Pic
taken 10/23
Next time, my ambitious (for me) Christmas knitting list.
So here we are, at the first post for National Blog Post Month (NaBloPoM0) in which I attempt to post every single day for a whole month. Yeah, I'm a joiner. I figured that a month of posts might get me back on track here. Or bore us all to death, we'll see.
Today was a really good day. Jaime was FINALLY able to bring Junior to my job to show off. Of course everyone loved him :) Actually, he got the best compliment to date. A man at my job said that Junior looks really smart (and then added "like his mother," which I didn't mind hehe). Everyone says how cute he is, and of course I agree. But most babies are. It just meant a lot that someone saw something else. I guess I've always been more about brains than looks.
Yesterday my new-mom buddy in the office stopped by to show off her sweet little girl. She'll be returning to work next week, so I've gone into overdrive trying to knit something sweet for her. She made it to my shower and gave me a great gift, but Junior was really new when she had her shower so I missed it. So now I get to make it up. I'm making a soft yellow bonnet, Miss Dashwood. So far, I'm only on the picot cast-on.
Better get back to knitting!
So, no baby yet. But getting closer. Baby J's still doing great. I'm due Monday the 13th and we decided that if nothing happens we'll be inducing Wednesday morning. I'll actually be going in Tuesday night to get things ready and then they'll start the pitocin Wednesday bright and early. We were really hoping that things would happen a little sooner, but I'm really ok with everything.
I've been so focused on how uncomfortable I am, always wondering whether this new sensation meant that I was going into labor. Every day I'd think that maybe this was the day. It was exhausting! So even though it could still happen at any time, I still am relieved to have a scheduled time. I really feel like for the next week I will just be sure and enjoy being pregnant and not worry (too much) about what is coming next.
There's been knitting progress too. I have been working on my Forget-Me-Not socks. I found this sweet pattern on Ravelry and actually decided to cast on after joining the Sockdown there. The idea is to knit a pair of socks based each month based on either the theme or designer of the month. This month the theme is lace and I just decided to jump in. Really didn't need another project, but oh well.
And since finding out that I have another week till hospital time, I have cast on for the second in the pair of Twinkletoes slippers. I knit the first one a while ago thinking that it'd be nice to have something special to wear in the hospital, but then had issues with the second and had to rip. Well now they're moving forward again.
Yeah, I think I might be rebelling against all the blue. But, I'm making progress!
That's the name of the game for now. Baby J is officially due the 13th but could decide to make his appearance just any time. Every time I feel something even the slightest bit new or different, I'm convinced that I'm going into labor. I know that I just need to be patient, but that isn't my strongest virtue.
Other than being a bit stubborn, the little one is doing just fine. I really can't complain either, although this heat isn't so much fun. As long as I'm sitting down and I'm in the AC I'm great though. Just can't wait to meet him!!
I've actually been getting in some good knitting time recently, thanks mostly in part to finally getting into Ravelry. I won't go on and on about it, but suffice it to say that I'm completely hooked. My nickname is Allsmile, feel free to look me up if you're already signed up. I can't wait until it is public so everyone can get involved and we can get even more fun features. Ok, so I'm really just looking forward to not having to mess with my sidebar anymore...
So, what have I been knitting? Well, there was some baby knitting going on. I finished up a nice soft pinwheel blanky that is safely tucked away in Baby J's diaper bag. I figure he'll need something nice and homemade while in the hospital. I was hoping that finishing the blanket would be enough to entice him out, but no such luck. After knitting on that for a couple days straight to finish it, I was about done with baby stuff for the moment. I still have another blanket on the needles, his Trellis which is paused way too close to being done, and a sweet bootie needing some seaming and a mate.
Since finishing the pinwheel, I've really been working on just two projects: MS3 and a pair of socks. I signed up for the last Mystery Stole, but never got around to starting it. This time I have really gotten into it! Not enough to keep up with the clues, but still. Here's my progress so far.
Are you allergic to any fibers? Nope!
What are your favorite colors? Absolute fave is pink, but I'm pretty open to color. I'm not a huge fan of primaries or pastels.
Are you a new mitt knitter? How long have you been knitting mittens? I've knit gauntlets and fingerless gloves/mitts. I'm not too worried about being able to handle a mitt pattern though.
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? Uh, both? Depends on the pattern I guess. On something as small as mitts I definitely wouldn't mind a pretty handpaint.
What fibers do you prefer in mitten yarn? Natural fibers, wool and the like. Not a big acrylic fan.
Where do you usually knit mittens? I do most of my knitting at home. A bit while waiting for classes or appointments.
How do you usually carry/store small projects? I have one little project bag (pink silky lantern moon beauty) other than that I use drawstring plastic bags from my lys. Sad, really.
What are your favorite mitten patterns? Don't really have any. Just got a book with some lovely two color patterned mittens that I'm drawn to. Cables are nice too. I'm not picky!
What are your favorite mitten knitting techniques? See above
What new techniques would you like to try? See above
What are your favorite needles for knitting mittens? Double points, probably bamboo although I don't mind metal either. No addi's though, we don't get along well.
What are some of your favorite yarns? HUGE cascade 220 fan. Love anything soft. Not a big fan of yarns that are sheddy (I'm looking at you Lamb's Pride!)
What yarn do you totally covet? Not sure it's mitt related, but the yarn I must have someday is Jade Sapphire Cashmere in vintage rose color. It's a wee bit expensive though.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? As far as mitts, again I'm really feeling the two color "fair isle" mittens.
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? See above
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I'm gonna go with my Cascade 200. I'm pretty plain (in a good way) but practical and soft.
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Not a big chocolate fan. Love gummy anything.
What's your favorite animal? Piggies!
Would you prefer super warm mittens or something more like fingerless mitts? At this point I really need something warmer, but there's always room for another pair of fingerless mitts too.
If you were a color what color would you be? Hm, I'd say I'm a combo of pink and brown. I have a very girly side (and obviously love pink), but in reality I'm a pretty simple girl. I don't dress up much and don't NEED to be girly at all times.
What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? Right now I'm really inspired by the lovely autumn leaves. I think the characteristics of the different seasons really inspire me.
Do you have a wishlist? Not really.
for a good swap! I totally missed out on the KSKS so I'm super excited to get in on the KMKS (Knit Mitt Kit Swap). You should all join so we can all play together. It'll be fuuuun!
Happy Halloween!
I'm in the middle of several days of getting ready for school to start. Tomorrow is the big day. I am the type who makes a big deal of starting a new semester. I like to have some fresh supplies (a new pen and pencil is a MUST) for the fresh start. So yesterday was spent almost entirely shopping for these things. Today, I've been cleaning my spaces (have to have some order for my fresh start) and getting my backpack ready. I even have a brand new book and knitting project in my bag for use during breaks tomorrow. Yeah, I'm a little nuts. But I have fun.
Knitting has come to almost a complete standstill, thanks mostly to a good (long) library book that's due Saturday and a new video game that I can't seem to put down. I did break out my spiral scarf* last night for some tv watching, but that's about it. I really am trying to get something (ANYTHING) finished for UFO August, but I just don't see it happening. If nothing else, it has been good motivation to get out my long-ignored projects. And (besides the requisite new knitting for school) I am dedicated to finishing these projects before starting anything else.
WW Update
Yeah, downward spiral here. So, I had a tiny gain last week, up .2 pounds. Which didn't discourage me too much really, especially considering the amount of salt I had the night before. But then this week I have been just totally off plan. From a trip to Outback to a couple fast food incidents, it hasn't been pretty. But I'm back on track today and ready for the big changes tomorrow. I was afraid that going back to school would ruin my diet as I had gotten into a bit of a routine, but I have a plan that should work.
I'll report back after my first day. Have a great day!
*I'm too lazy to link, but if you ever want more info on my projects, there are links on the sidebar to my project blog. It has pictures and stats for all my past and current projects. Just FYI :)
It's all over. That's a plus. So Jaime's car tags expired at the end of July. But being broke now, and with the promise of money coming out our ears by mid-month, we really had no choice but to wait for the money to get him new tags. But I'm not doing a darn thing, so he had been taking my car to work. No biggie. Not ideal maybe, but nothing terrible.
Until Friday (only the 4th), when we both woke up from an afternoon nap (hey, just cause I don't do anything doesn't mean I can't get tired...) to find that his car was gone. We assumed that someone in the apartment office had it towed. Yeah, great! Jaime flipped out and after I finally calmed him down we spent the rest of the night trying to remember what "normal" was supposed to feel like. He talked to someone in the office Saturday, but she only works on Saturdays and had no idea what was going on. She seemed to deny that they had anything to do with it, suggested we try the police, and gave the name of the tow company they use. Hmmm, first hint that things weren't adding up.
So we searched for the phone number for this tow company, but they had no listing in the phone book or online. Must not get much business that way huh? Called the police station and they said that they can't tow a car from private property. Haha. Another dead end.
Meanwhile my wonderful Mommy, whom I may never speak ill of again, assured me that by Monday she would be able to get us the money we'd need to get the car back. Sure, she'd already given me $60 so we could pay our rent, but she's just that good. I got a lot of knitting done that weekend. Not much sleep, but my nervous fingers were flying! Here's some proof.
In honor of UFO August I've gone back to working on my Clapotis. It is so slow! And, I'm going to need another skein to make it as long as I want it. But I made progress none the less. You can click here for a close-up.
Sunday I went with my dad to Topeka (1.5-ish hours away) to see my Aunt Cathy in the hospital. She has been there for over a week now with some bad bladder infection turn kidney infection. I assume she isn't home yet, as I told my dad to keep my updated, but she was doing a bit better when I saw her. (Her kidney function was up to 25% and she had pretty much stopped hallucinating) On the trip, I got some work done on my socks. Gotta love passenger knitting.
Monday we called the office to get the number of the tow company. She apologized up and down, claiming that the tow company makes a sweep every so often and she didn't know whose car it was and she's soo so so so sorry. Hmmm. And gave us a cell phone number for the tow company. We called, they had the car. WOOOHOO! Yes it sucks, but it's better than it being stolen. Oh, and they'll even tow it back. No need to go to them. Again, I find this whole thing VERY ODD. But we want the darn car back, so ok.
We got the money they told us we needed, plus a little towards the car tags which we had to go get that day too. They called and said they were on their way, and to watch for them at around 11:45. Jaime, not wanting to miss them, goes outside at 11:30. At 12:30 they call and say they're running late (really??) and are probably 15 minutes away. At 1:00 they finally show. I watch from a window, and notice that they are having to jump start the car to get it parked. Hmmm, is that normal? I don't know much about cars, obviously.
Jaime comes back upstairs, not so happy. Turns out that the battery is beyond dead. The power locks wouldn't even work. The tow guys claim that the dome light was on when they picked it up. I don't believe it for a second myself. Oh, and they tried to charge us an additional $50 for towing the car back here. Which they didn't mention when totaling the charges over the phone and giving us no choice in the matter. Jaime said he only had $25 extra and they decided that was ok. People can be so kind.
So the car was back in the lot. And after an hour sitting on the floor at the DMV, we even had it's new tags on it. Sure, it won't move, but at least we know where it is. Jaime decided that he could change the battery, now we just needed the money to buy a new one. He was going to ask his boss for a loan, but he was away for a few days and it was making Jaime crazy not to have his car, and this whole ordeal, fixed and done. So I asked my mom for a wee bit more money. I will not complain the next time she asks me to vacuum the ceiling for her. At least not out loud.
Yesterday, Jaime got the battery and switched them out. I was terrified that after all this, something else would go wrong, but it seemed to do the trick. AHHHHHHHHHH!
I've also gone back to spinning again. I've been doing one length every day, and I can see such an improvement over the last skein I spun up. It isn't completely even, but much much more so. And I'm getting pretty good at adding in a new length of roving and even at reattaching the roving when there's a break. Those two things have been giving me the most problems so it's nice to be figuring them out. Of course, I still spin the spindle, park it and then draft, but it works for me so I'm not stressing it.
WW Update
I lost another good amount this past week, 4.2 pounds. I've so far lost 22.4 pounds and I'm so happy. I'm just a little over 10 pounds away from making my big 10% mark and I'm hoping to have it gone before my birthday in September. Wish me luck!
Have a great week everyone. I sure am going to try to :)
Sakes! I start school again on the 17th. Guess I better get in as much lazy time as possible before then, huh? hehe
Here's a picture of that yarn I mentioned spinning. It's about 60 yards of, uh, some kinda wool, and just all over the place as far as gauge. Mostly pretty bulky though I'd have to say. Oh, and with SEVERAL knots from some plying incidents. But I'm thinking they'll just add character if I ever knit it up. Click here for a close up.
I actually haven't gotten back to spinning since finishing up this little skein. I was really enjoying it, but I did all the plying in one sitting and it got me a bit frustrated. And I've actually been somewhat seriously looking at wheels, which doens't motivate me to use the spindle much. I enjoyed using the wheel MUCH more. I'm thinking today I might pick up the spindle again...
It seems that there has been a UFO bug going around blogland lately. I actually joined the August UFO KAL to encourage me to finish up some projects before the fall knitting season. Check the sidebar for the link. My UFO's are all listed in my sidebar as well, feel free to click on them for more details as usual. Some are getting pretty old now, so I think it's time to get moving on them. I have put down my socks and picked up good old clappy again. It's going well, but still awfully slowly. I'll have pictures soon.
WW Update
I had a good loss this week, down 5.6 pounds for a total of 18.2 so far. Of course, there was one day where I wasn't feeling that great and sorta "lost" my dinner. But I still think I deserved the loss for the most part. I'm trying to really stay on plan this week to make sure I can keep all of that loss and not backtrack.
I'm a Kansas girl, what can I say? This looks to be a picture heavy post, so beware.
First off, my first ever on-time Saturday Sky.
And of course the end of the birthday celebration. For those of you with delicate sensibilities, I edited this picture of Jaime's cake.
I bet you just have no idea what's under that airbrush huh? I decorated it myself. Aren't I an artiste? Ha. We're goofy, what can I say...
Here's one of the birthday boy blowing out the candles. He wouldn't tell me what he wished for.
Sorry for the fuzziness. That's one of those tricky shots. So, all in all we had a great day yesterday.
So, when I haven't been partying with Jaime, or reading books like they're melting, I really have been knitting. Here's proof!
Getting closer.
There's even been some spinning. I picked my spindle back up three days ago and for once it seems I haven't forgotten everything I'd learned. I've spun a section a day since then. I might eventually have enough yarn to knit something with. Imagine that.
For those of you who've made it this far, a special treat. This is the second thing I knit. The first being a "scarf" that was probably 14x40 inches, with variegated acrylic yarn, in garter stitch. Was fun fur a step up? That's debatable. Well, this scarf has been well loved and is now looking a bit mangy so I'm giving it to Goodwill. But first I had to take a picture.
WW Update
apparently my intuition about those gummies for breakfast was right. I gained .8 pounds this week, but I know I deserved it. Just means I'll have to get my butt back in gear this week :)
First order of business, a tardy Saturday Sky for Sandy.
Unfortunately, it's looked like this for a couple days now. I love the rain, and the supposed cool-down (it still feels pretty warm out to me), but sun sure is nice.
And now for the main subject of this post, my sweetie Jaime. This whole weight loss thing has been a big adjustment for both of us. Sure, I'd hinted in the past that I'd like to lose weight, but he laughed it off saying he liked me round and soft. Of course this was nice to hear, but not exactly motivating. When I decided to join Weight Watchers, Jaime figured it was another time (and there have been many) when I was doing something just to make my mom happy. So he wasn't thrilled and I didn't really talk to him about what I was doing, not the program I was on or anything.
After about a week, though, he realized that this was different. I am truly doing this for myself and no one else. Since I started WW I've had a totally different attitude and I'd like to think that it shows. So he started asking questions about the plan I was on and how I was doing. He said he really knew I was serious when he offered to get us breakfast from McDonald's (a nearly weekly routine for us) and I said I wasn't interested. He has since then been completely supportive.
He has encouraged me not to give in, but he has also reminded me not to deprive myself. He pushes me towards balance and a lifestyle that I can live with as opposed to a diet. He knows that I can't handle certain things and he makes sure not to bring them in the house. And when I was discussing how I wasn't sure if I could keep up the routine once I was back in school (ya know, once I have to leave the house more than once a week...), without even thinking he said that working out 5 days a week was awesome enough and I didn't have to exercise everyday. He actually said I was doing awesome. And he doesn't say awesome, um, ever.
So this is just a big public thank you to Jaime. I won't say that I couldn't do this without him, because I've gotten to a place where I know that I'm worth the effort just as I am. But he makes it so much easier.
I love you Pookie. Thanks for everything.
WW Update
Sheesh, nearly forgot. I had a whopping loss of .4 pounds this week. I was hoping for more, but it's still a loss.
First, I'll share my stash. Not as much as some, but I'm pretty proud of it. Now seems a good time for my not-so-frequent reminder that you can click on any of my pictures to see a bigger size.
Here's the corner where all my yarny goodness lives. Except for the backpack of leftover partial skeins which is in the closet. I didn't pull that out and don't consider it stash (denial I know hehe). And the yarn I got from my SP which I don't know where to put. As you'll see, the drawers are pretty much full...
And working from the top down we have:
My needles, stitch markers, tape measures, and other random accessories
Cotton for dishcloths, my handspun yarn, and some fixation
The sock yarn drawer
Spinning stuff
My Cascade 220 collection (anyone surprised that's what I have a whole drawer of?)
Random yarn I don't really have plans for yet, some more sock yarn that won't fit up top, and the yarn for my shapely tee
And finally the yarn that has been set aside for a specific pattern
So, show me yours!
The other meaning to the title is that I'm completely thrilled I'll finally be able to share my love of knitting with someone I love. My mom has decided, after finding out she doesn't have lymphedema (yaay!) that she'd like to learn to knit so she could knit hats for charity. I love that I can share knitting with her. I am totally excited that she's going to have a hobby (I think I've mentioned that I worry that she doesn't have much to do). And I think it's wonderful that she wants to help others, which I really should do more of with my knitting. I'm thinking next weekend when I go do my laundry I'll get her started. SO HAPPY!
Ok, so not at the same time. Tuesday night we went to the live taping of Smackdown and it was SO MUCH FUN! Like I said before, I'm not a huge huge fan, but in person it was great. Not so great for photography though. The combination of the low lights and them moving constantly made it nearly impossible to get a good shot. This one shows how close we were (and the nice security guy). It was crazy, we were like 15-20 feet from the ring. I think I got a bit starstruck frankly. And the boys, they look even tastier in person. It'll be on TV tonight so we'll be watching and hoping we made it on the show. Well, sorta hoping and sorta thinking I don't need those extra 10 pounds on national TV...
Here we are before the show. I'm doing the try to hold the camera as far away as possible trick, can you tell? haha
And now onto the pink. My amazing SP, Cassa knows me SOOO well. Wanna see how I know?
Look at all that pink! I also got a beautiful pink Lantern Mood pouch for holding some yarn on the go (seen here) and some to-die-for honey bath stuff all of which is currently being used. YUM! I think my favorite part though is the needles with little pigs on the ends. Piggies are so fun :)
Thanks a bunch Cassa. You were a great pal and spoiled me much more than I deserved.
Tomorrow I'll be back for the big stash flash and then maybe I can tell the tale of my aunt's socks. Have a great weekend!
My first finished (sorta) sweater. I'm very proud of it, but being the person that I am I can't help but think what I'll do differently next time. For one, the collar is too wide. Also, while I love the color, it doesn't match much of any of my clothes. Well, unless I want to look like an Easter egg, which isn't really what I'm going for. I think I did learn a lot about the construction used though. Ahh, a learning experience.
Yesterday I went got on a major cleaning streak. I think Jaime nearly passed out when he saw what all I did. He's the clean one in the relationship. That is to say, if left alone eventually I would clean up, but I don't see it as a priority really. It can always wait till x is over, ya know? Anyway, I got my stash a bit more organized and my stash corner cleaned up. Just in time for...
It's always nice to see what all you've got. I, for instance, have an entire drawer (my stash takes up 5 drawers of varying sizes not including projects already started) of a certain yarn. Any guesses??
So I mentioned in my last post that I may have picked the wrong project for these Knitting Olympics (too lazy to link, but it's in the sidebar for now). Yeah, I loved the yarn I got and really the stranded knitting wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be, although I could still work on my tension. The problem, is that this is what I had exactly one week into the Olympics.
I got REALLY into knitting it needless to say. I would have had it done in probably 3 days or so but I had schoolwork and "life" to attend to. All joking aside, I'm terribly proud of it. I love the color and it matches my squiggle scarf (photos on my projects page) really well. In fact, I went to the doctor with my mom and everyone there was gushing over how amazing it looks. Of course, as I said, I'm not thrilled with my tensioning, but it fits. I'm definitely going to have to find some more stranded knitting to play around with.
Other than that I haven't been doing anything terribly fun. School has been nuts as I had 3 tests within a 24 hour period. I survived however and think I did fairly well. Only 3 weeks till spring break, woohoo! I'll be sitting on my butt and knitting, but I still can't wait.
As for the engagement, so far everyone has taken it really well and seems pretty happy for us. Strangely enough, my dad was the one who brought up the actual wedding, which for some reason I didn't connect to the engagement. So, being the person that I am, I've now started "thinking." We won't be getting married until at least fall of next year, which is what I'm pulling for, although Jaime seems to think that's too soon. But let's face it, he's gonna be freaked by the whole thing no matter when it happens. We've talked about a few things and we even got so far as to thinking about who all we'd invite. It's funny, we both figured that we weren't going to be able to think of many people to invite (who'd actually show up) and we'd have this tiny wedding, but we came up with over 100 to invite and over 80 who we think would really show up. Sakes! That's what big families can do for you. I'm not sure my dad knows what he's in for lol.
Thanks for all the sweet comments last post. Guess it takes a ring to bring out the lurkers, just teasing. It was nice to feel so loved. Hope you have a great evening and good luck to everyone trying to finish up something tonight :)
*edited* About 5 seconds after I posted I just decided I couldn't say something not nice (it wasn't MEAN really) on the blog. So it's gone now. Sorry bout that.
Yep, it was bound to happen. And I think Jaime is only a little bit jealous. My new love? Knitting podcasts! Thanks to the generous people at the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at KU, and special shout out to whoever gives the accounting scholarships, I finally got my iPod a week or so ago. So of course after uploading every CD I can find and spending my $15 iTunes gift card I started searching for the free goodies. I'd listened to maybe half an episode of Knit Cast before, but just sitting and listening really didn't do that much for me. So after I dug around an found a few others I forced myself to save them for knitting time. Yesterday, I finally managed to get my reading for class done with early and had some time to sit in the hall and knit. And try my podcasts. LOVE THEM! It is so nice to knit and feel like I'm having a conversation at the same time. And they do a great job of blocking out the sounds of episode 5 million 76 of "Spiderman the Animated Series." I may be a bit obsessed. Eventually I'll get the links up to all the ones I've found and adore so far.
Anyway! What have I been busily knitting away on while listening to my beloved podcasts? Well all kinds of good things! At first I was working on my bright socks. I'm getting through the long stretch that is the foot right now.
I'm thinking that Fixation maybe isn't the sock yarn for me. I love it in theory, and there are some great colors, but the socks just never look how I want them too. And the place where my big toe goes always gets REALLY stretched out and funky looking. I guess this could be fixed with some of that carry along sock stuff, but really I'm just thinking it isn't for me. I picked up some beautiful Toasty Toes by Interlacements at the LYS the other day (and at 20% of bay-bee!) and can't wait to try it.
The other thing I've gotten back into is my clapotis. I know, it's about time. The darn thing just moves so slowly... I knit for at least 2 hours last night and only got through one repeat of the straight section. But I will finish it, really.
And last night, after an emergency trip to the LYS when I realized I didn't have the right size needles, I swatched a bit for my Olympic project. I can't wait till tonight!! I'm kinda sorta getting gauge, that counts right? Don't answer that. See, first I knit with just one of the colors alone and got a too few stitches per 4 inches. Then I tried doing a little made up fair isle pattern to see how it feels (really awkward so far btw) and it turned out to be just the right gauge. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I figure I'll probably see how it goes tonight and then if I need to I can go buy another addi to make it work.
Sorry for the extreme lack of pictures. I'll get some for next time though. Have a great day and good luck to all my fellow Olympians :)
I've been totally lazy the past x days, but I do have a few updates coming. To get started, here's my answers for the newest SP exchange. I got my pal's name tonight, and I already have a secretive note and cute e-postcard from my pal. Yay!
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
Sorta kinda. I hate to say I'm a yarn snob really, but I prefer soft and natural fibers. I do a ton of knitting with Encore though as everyone I knit for insists on machine washables.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I do both, but neither very well. I'm very interested in getting better at spinning though. Crochet is interesting, but I do prefer knitting.
3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
Right now I have my straights and dpns in needle rolls. My circs are all in the little zippies they came in.
4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been really knitting for maybe 2 years or so. I guess I'd say I'm advanced. I'm pretty comfortable with most of my skills and there's nothing I'm really scared to knit, but there are still some simple things (like finishing) that I need to work on.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
I have a wish list blog, there's a link on the sidebar.
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Honey! I've been on a big honey kick lately. I also like vanilla and fruity/citrusy scents. Pretty much anything but really flowery.
7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Of course! I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but can definitely do white or dark chocolate in moderation. I really love fruity candies like skittles or starburst. And I LOVE gummies of all types.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Anything really. I cross-stitch, sew, scrapbook, make cards, etc. And what I havne't tried that's crafty I probably want to try.
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I am a big country fan, but I listen to lots of other things too. My computer can play mp3s and I'm determined to get an iPod soon.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
PINK! Pink is by far my fave color, but I'm pretty open to colors in general. I guess neons are probably my least favorite, but I could find a use for them if I tried.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I live with my sweetie Jaime and our one hamster.
12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I don't wear ponchos mostly because I generally carry a backpack and/or purse. The others I wear though.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I'm a big fan of Cascade 220. I really haven't experienced too many yarns, so other than that I can't say. I'd love to find some new favorites though :)
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I'm not terribly big on novelty yarns, if that counts, but even they have their place.
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Hmmm. I'm currently obsessed with finishing old projects so I can start some new ones fresh. I have the yarn a plans for a couple shrugs once I get the old stuff finished.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Anything really. Scarves kinda make me crazy if they don't have much to keep me interested.
17. What are you knitting right now?
I'm working on finishing up a clapotis, a double knit (read: sloooow moving) scarf, and a pair of socks with Cascade Fixation.
18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Sure!
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Straight in theory, but cirsulars are usually more practical so I have more of them.
20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Yes please, hehe.
21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No, but I'd LOVE to ;)
22. How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself from a book.
23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Too old! A little over a year old.
24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I like Pooh and his friends the best. My favorite animal is a pig.
25. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas
26. Is there anything that you collect?
Pigs, yarns.
27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Interweave Knits
28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Wow, there are so many. Anything on my list would be great, but I love surprises too.
29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'd like to learn fair isle.
30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. My feet are about 9.75 inches around, 9.5 inches long, and my ankle is 10 inches around. My calves just get bigger from there so I always make myself ankle socks, but if you're brave I'd love regular length socks :)
31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
September 8th
