First finished project of the year!

Well, guess what! I have finished my Liesl that I started back in 2009 (lol!). It is the high-neck, cap-sleeve verion of the cardigan and it only took a little over a skein of the Malabrigo worsted. That means I can make a cowl with my beautiful yarn. All I have to do is block this baby along with my shawl and we'll be in business (I'm hoping amazon.com will still have those foam interlocking mats on sale by the time I get my student loan money this week). Now, I need to get working on my IUE socks and get the second sock of the rainbow pair started and I'll be good.

Have you been enjoying this weather? We got about six inches and I believe there's more coming this week. I haven't been out to play in my carhardts yet, but can't wait to go sledding since it's been a couple years (stupid job). Anyhoo, have a fun new year - ciao!

Happy 2010!!!!!

Yes I know it's been over a week - I just haven't been in the mood to blog. Finals are done, I believe I've passed all of my classes - one D, two Cs, and an A-. Now I'm enjoying the time off from school since I don't start my classes until the 19th (a Tuesday, what are they thinking?). I'm going to take four classes, three on campus and one online. I don't have them too early and I don't have to go in the evenings (yay!).

For Christmas, I got me a homemade snuggie, a pair of Carhardt bib overalls (so I can wear them while sledding and stuff), some sock yarn from JoAnn's and Hobby Lobby. I got some socks, some Bath and Body Works stuff and the New Super Mario Bros. for Wii. Dad got me an accersory kit for the Wii balance board (he thought he got the actual thing and was a bit upset about it). Umm...That's what's sticking out in my mind right now.

I've finally have finished the shawl! I'm so happy with it - it only took me about 4 to 5 months - not bad since I had work and classes going on. Right now, it's just sitting in my room until I get something to block it on - I'm thinking of some interlocking mats that are on sale on amazon.com. It's a decent size right now and I will get some pictures up later (we've got dad's accountant over right now) of it.

I've also started a new pair of socks - it is the Cable Net pattern from Knitty Fall 2006 in Plymouth Happy Feet in the all red colorway. I've named them my IU East socks because that is my school's color (plus it will look good with all the BSU shirts I have). Once again, I will have pictures up later.

I've also started on a new Liesl in Malabrigo in Tortuga. It's a pretty black with undertones of blue and red (not too noticeable though). I started it last Tuesday and had to frog it and start again because I was off on stitch count. But now I'm working on the body and it fits great! I'm using my new pair of zephyr tips and I might get me the options set (probably the metal tips).

I'm really lucky today. Over the weekend one of the coil springs in my car finally broke. So dad had talked with our machanic and was told that there was a recall or something on the springs. So I called the dealerships around here and they said that because of the extended warranty, they would be replaced for free (and I only had like 4 months and 10,000 miles before it was up)! So we're going to take them to the Muncie dealership and they will fix them sometime this week (but that means I have to get up early yuck).

Well that's it for me. Pictures are to come - caio!

Quicky

I'm going to write a longer post after finals. Just trying out the squarespace iPhone app. Have been busy - working on the border of my shawl (yay!) and putting off school work. See you in about a week.

Indian Summer

Gosh, can you believe that it's November already! This past week has been unseasonally warm - it was hitting 70 degrees F over the weekend and I've been going out with either a hoodie or long sleeves. I just wonder what does this mean about our winter - I'm thinking it's going to be a tough winter (but I always say that and it doesn't, but we're due since we haven't had anything hard since 2005). Over Halloween weekend I went and visited my sister up at Purdue. We went and saw O.A.R. in concert on Friday and it was very good.

taken by camera phone

On Saturday, Lori let me go to River Knits in Lafayette while she played with my iPod in the car (she had been coughing all week and is just now started to feel better). I knew I wasn't going to be long because I was going to get some Malabrigo Worsted to make a Liesl cardigan. I picked out some what looked like black in the store and is #118 Tortuga. It looks similar to what I linked but here's a crappy flash shot of it:

You can see the subtle variation in it - there's a red tone and a blue tone in it. All the other colors were very varigated and the color I really liked only had one hank left. :( So I can't wait to start on it, but will wait until I have the shawl done (more in a bit). That night we went out and hit like 4 different parties. They were all interesting and would have been a little better if Lori wasn't sick. I went as Batgirl and Lori as a 70s disco gal (saying she was Farrah Fawcett). I was surprised that I saw only one Michael Jackson, saw one Billy Mays, a few Lady Gaga and even Bert and Ernie (can we say weird!).

Anyhoo, I've worked a bit on my shawl - just a few rows from finishing the 9th repeat of the body lace. I've also worked on the 2nd blanket buddy and love the softness of Bernat Cottontots. I finally have some pictures of my campus scarf that I've been working on at home. I'm starting to see a color shift (finally!) and I do love the colors in it.

I'm hoping to somehow set something up that I can do some blocking - like some kind of board and batting and fabric - or just get some blocking mats from Knit Picks. But I need to wait until after Christmas - I have a Nintendo Wii in layaway at Kmart that I need to pay on. I'm also going to get my BFF something this Saturday when we go shopping because I have a day off that I didn't request! Enjoy November and enjoy the holidays coming up. Ciao!

Time sure flies!

I can't believe that October is half over with (well just about). I've been busy with classes and busy with work. I did get my car paid off back in September! I'm waiting for the title and I'm so happy it's mine! It's going to get a rotten hose replaced and winterized at the beginning of next week - I just hope it's not more than I have. I enjoy my classes so far. I've been doing decent in all of them - finite math is getting a little more exciting and is very easy for me (ok, I understand augmented matrices, just can't execute them very well). I'm still getting a bit confused with python programming, but oh well with that one. My other classes are just boring right now. Oh, I put a Wii in layaway at Kmart this week and will get it in like 7 weeks! I figure it will be fun and I'll eventually get a balance board to go with it - but not at the moment, maybe when I get my tax return this next winter.

Ok, remember the socks above? Well back during the summer I had taken one of those battery-powered defuzzers to it by accident and ruined them. Well tonight, I decided to rip them out and got this mess:

And that's not all of it. It was so bad that I had little strings only a yard or so long. I still have quite a bit of this yarn that hasn't been knitted with. I'm thinking of making some ornaments with this yarn - little sweaters, socks, mittens, scarves - I just got the ornament kit from Knit Picks last week.

Here's how my rainbow sock is coming - I'm at the cuff now and it's just been sitting there for a bit - I was wanting to work on it while I was on campus. But I had left it here at home and so one day I went out and bought some Jojoland Melody superwash and started working on a chevron scarf that will be stuck in my bookbag so I can have for when I'm waiting on campus.

Speaking of the ornament kit from Knit Picks, I actually started working on a sweater ornament with some Palette yarn that I had leftover - I don't want to start in on what I got from the kit just yet (and I did get some Palette in schools colors for what I don't know just yet). That's the body of the sweater and now I'm working on one sleeve:

I'm going to try to see if I can duplicate stitch an initial on it when I am done. But I really like the patterns in the booklet - really like the popcorn and cranberry garland and lights garland. But I can't wait to try them out. Shoot, I might do a big set for my sister in Purdue colors if she would like it - right </sarcasm>.

This is the cute little Blanket Buddy from 101 designer one-skein wonders that I'm making for my friend from Sandusky who had twins back in August. I'm going to make another one in a lighter pink for her other twin and one in cream for a gal at work who's due middle of November. The yarn I'm using is Bernat's Cottontots held doubled. I used 10.5 for the blanket part of it and 7s for the head. I will have to go and buy some more - just shy of finishing it too - but I love working with it.

I'm going to go and see my sis up at Purdue end of the month - Halloween weekend! We're going to see O.A.R. in concert on that Friday and then she's taking me to my first Frat party Halloween night. I'm going to go dressed as Batgirl XD - I have a shirt that I got from hottopic.com that is the batman costume (they have a superman one to, and I haven't seen them in the stores around here), some leggings, a cute pair of boots (that worked better than I thought). I just need to figure out if I want a skirt or not and get a cape and mask from my aunt and make some gauntlets from a yellow shirt I bought at goodwill.

It got cold all of a sudden here in Indiana - in the 40s and rained all day yesterday - nasty stuff, especially when I was going home from class, yuck. I hear that there's suppose to snowflakes in the air this weekend. :( I want some more 50-60 degree weather, doesn't feel like we get a fall anymore. The trees are very purdy now - little pin oak tree in the front of the house is purdy.

Ciao everyone - I need to get off and get some sleep.

It's September

Let me tell you, I've been busy. On August 31, I started classes. This is really the first time I've ever been on the Indiana University East part of the campus (granted, I've only been in Ivy Tech's buildings). I got lucky this semester when my classes are in the same buildings - well, I mean I don't have to go to different buildings in one day. I really like my information management class - I just got a 92% on the test (it was an open book test though). I'm learning new things with my finite math class - matrices and such - I'm fine until we get into graphing. My infostructures I class is all right - I'm doing programming with python and it's confusing - very nit picky. And my geography class is all right right now - we haven't gotten into the book just yet, just been sort of reviewing. All in all it hasn't been too bad. I've also been working 4 days a week at the store - mainly the weekends and Tuesday since I only have an afternoon class.

I've been working on a new sock - I call them Rainbow Socks (rav) because the yarn is so bright. The pattern is Layburn socks that has a smocking effect that works with the crazy dye job of elle rae lace merino yarn (that's not really lace weight). I do love working with the yarn because it's soft and squishy and bright. I haven't really messed with the shawl because I haven't had any time to work with it since it takes forever to do a row at the moment. I've also put the tank away because I don't remember how to do the invisible cast-on and I need to redo the one strap since I did a crappy job joining the ends.

One last thing, I got my car paid off - I'm so happy about it! That's more money for me! :D That's been it for me right now, it's been too humid here lately, but I've heard some Canadian winds going to be coming down. Ciao!

Greetings from the new MacBook Pro!

Ok, yesterday I went down to Indianapolis and bought a new 13.3" MacBook Pro and an iPod Touch. It is so nice to have a little Mac to mess around with instead of the stupid desktop that I was bound to. I really like the whole new stuff that's different from the tiger operating system. My only gripe, and it's teeny, is that the edge of the unibody is sharp and I've got a bad habit of resting my wrists when I type (I don't know why I do it, never got broke of it). It's also nice to actually see the pictures and everything else very clear. The desktop has an old CRT moniter that sucks period. I also love the touch - it's so fun to mess around with the web browser and all the apps I can get. I'm getting hooked on Tap Tap Revenge.

me messing around with photo booth on my macbook pro

While down there, we (I took my bff with me, since I didn't want to drive all by myself to Indy) went walking through the Fashion Mall in Keystone (where I bought the Mac things) and looking at different things that we can't afford. We then went to Castleton Square Mall, which is the largest mall in Indiana. I got a new bookbag since my old one that was big enough for books and the laptop was kind of boyish and 5 years old. I also got some tops at JC Penney's since they had the buy one get one $0.88 deal and some camis at Forever 21 for $2.50 each. We went to Michael's (I was a bit sad about the yarn selection and the whole store period) and to JoAnn's Etc. (It was a huge store and really nice).

Let's see...I have started making a new cami. It's the Razor Cami and I'm using Louisa Harding Jasmine. I love this yarn, it's soft and it has a nice drape to it. I think it's gotten about 10 inches long, I haven't measured it for a while. I had to go and buy some more of the yarn (which I needed to since I had orginally gotten 2 things) and now it's on a roll. The pattern is so simple and sraight forward. I need to try it on again and pray that it fits fine.

I'm in the middle of the 7th repeat - I think (haven't touched it for a few days) - of my first shawl. At the moment, it's takes a long time to do one row now. And I'm also having a bit of annoyance with the needles and wish I had some stickier needles. I should get a set of some knit picks Options Zephyr - if only I hadn't spent all my money yesterday - maybe around Christmas. :D

That's about it for me. Oh, classes start on Monday!!!!! I'm excited to get that stuff started (because I'm so bored right now). Well, enjoy the rest of the month - ha - and caio!

Alrighty - August heat is in full swing!

It's actually starting to feel like summer around here! Granted, I'm not thrilled about the stickiness or the fact my room's the nastiest one in the house. We have our a/c running for the first time in like a month and a 1/2 - thank God for that! I've been busy - working at Bouser's, working at the the store, and hanging around the house. I've been doing a lot of reading - I just got The Time Traveler's Wife (the book the movie's based on) and I'm enjoying it right now. Umm...I've been spending time with the family, had family reunions the last 2 Sundays and then shopping with 2 of my cousins and Lori. We went on tractor rides and a walk down to the bridge today. There were a load of crawl dads in the creek and it was low too. Where has the summer gone?

shawl made witht hte size 3 needles

On the knitting front, I started working on my first shawl (ravelery) - the Fountain Pen Shawl from Interweave Knits Spring 2009 magazine. The yarn is Fino by Alpaca with a Twist (an alpaca/silk blend) that I had gotten when I was up at Purdue last spring. I really like working with the yarn - it's so purdy and soft. I started using my Knit Picks size 3 circulars but I didn't love the fabric. So I decided to switch to some size 5s. I love the fabric right now, but I'm not in love with the needles (they're not as pointy as the knit picks one). So right now I am in the middle of the 4th repeat of the pattern.

Umm...I think that's been about it, I haven't done anything else but that shawl. Classes start Aug. 31 at Indiana University East. I'm just twiddling my thumbs waiting on my financial aid - I should be able to see if I got any kind of aid by Thursday (but I think I have gotten a state grant). I can't wait until I do get some money to get a new computer - hopefully enough for a macbook pro. Well that's it - enjoy ciao!

Chilly July

So what have I been doing that is more important than blogging? I've been working and going to class for the last month or so. I have been knitting and stayed away from the yarn shop when I've been down in Richmond (even though I've bought a few balls of cotton from Meijers).

With knitting, I've been working on projects - both old and new. At the moment, my moderne blanket is put on hold because I stole the needles to make a bag. But I believe I'm working on the 3 block in a light purple color.

I haven't gotten a picture of the Harry Potter bag that I started. It's the HP House Fair Isle Pouch bags (rav) and I'm using Cascade 220 wool in like the cranberry and gold colors for a Gryffindor bag. I don't remember exactly when I started that, but it was like 2 weeks before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince came out. Right now, I'm in the middle of the shield - just started the color work of the lion.

Above is my TOFUtsie socks - I was going to do a plain toe up sock, but then found the Knitty pattern Breeze (rav) for a nice summer sock. Of course, these look horrible with the shoes I was kind of making these for. I'm also having problems with the yarn itself. When I had wound it up a while ago, I found that some strands were cut and being pains in the butt. So far I haven't found any such strands.

I'm also working  on a Baby Surprise Jacket out of some kitchen Cotton yarn. The above picture is not a very good on - can you tell I do a lot of knitting and take pictures with the phone camera at night? I'm using size 8 needles and it's big - like maybe 6 month or 12 month size. That pink is some leftover yarn I had and that I've ran out of. I should find the washcloth that I had made and rip that out. But I did find a picture that had the label so I know what to get.

Next is a camera cozy that I made up all by myself. It wasn't hard and I finished it in a couple of hours. I did the magic cast on and casted-on 20 stiches. I had increased 4 stitches and did 2x2 rib until it was long enough on my camera. I bound off and then 8 stitches before the end I had done a 2-stitch i-cord to make a loop for the button closure. I then was lucky to find a bunch of buttons in my room and sewn one on. I had actually started this because I was itching to knit during the Spongebob special that was on last night.

Well that's all there is that is interesting. Enjoy the summer - it's been a cool July that's for sure. We'll be paying for it in August and September. Ciao!

It's June and the year's 1/2 over!

Oh boy, I've just finished my second week of class and I should be working on a paper right now. It's interesting, there's a lot of reading and a lot of internet work - I would be fine not going to class at all. I'm also in at IU East, but I need to get a hold of someone and get some classes or something.

I've been doing some knitting - I've completed a hat (rav) - Thorpe to be exact. I've used some Sidrar Escape to make the large size to compensate for the fact I used a thinner yarn. I love the pattern - it was so easy and so fast to work. I love the effects that the yarn makes. When I was first making it, I wasn't too thrilled at what it was doing. But when I got it in some natural light, it looked great! I'm now trying to find a pattern to make some mittens to complete the set.

Other than that, I've been doing nothing. Oh, Eldora got rescheduled for September. But I do have some pictures of when we just stopped up there - it was cold and muddy out there. I was glad that I decided to wear my rainboots (note to self, must wash off the boots).

Now, we have a wedding reception for a family member we rarely get to see coming up in July. Also going to be seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince sometime then too.

Well that's it! Enjoy and Ciao!