Festivus!

Best. Weekend. EVER!!!

Ok, I say that every year, this weekend.

Why? Because it was Montpelier Fiber Fest!!!! Every year I go with one of my favorite people in the whole world…she’s my mentor, my trainer and basically who I want to become when I grow up. I get to spend the whole weekend with her and her family, some other friends, AND we go to a fiber fest, AND get awesome food (because her mom is an amazing cook) AND I get to run one of my favorite routes, AND I get my flu shot!!! YES!!!

I’m not kidding, this weekend even makes me excited about flu shots.

I love this weekend so much. Only 363 more days until I get to do it again!!!

Friday night we got in late. I basically went right to bed so that the next day we could get up and go to the festival!!!

I love this festival so much. Awesome vendors, great selection, but not over-crowded. I can look around, then go back around again and get what I wanted. No pressure. It’s fantastic. More on the purchases later. I promise.

So after the festival we headed home for dinner…and these awesome ladies gave me the most amazing card…and I lost it. Cried at dinner. They also got me a little gift to wish me well for the following weekend (this coming weekend) when I will complete my first-ever marathon. The full 26.2. The big dance.

*falls over*

So…I’m as prepared as I can be. More on that…next week.

Oh holy God I’m actually doing this, aren’t I? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

EEK!!!!

Ahem.

So. Stash that got acquired….

 

From leftish to rightish: 1) Spinning gift bag from friend’s mom. Included a new lap pad for spinning WITH POCKETS!! What??!? Yes. 2) Alpaca fleece from friend’s mom is under that. AWESOMESAUCE. I almost bought one and was regretting it. She had some to spare. SO COOL. 3) Spindle and 3oz fiber for a gift for a friend that worked all weekend at the yarn store for me so I could go play!!! 4) 6 oz each of merino in slate and burgundy. Goal is to spin for the Tempest sweater. 5) White merino for dying. 6) So…I had a dream the night before the show. I dreamed I was knitting the Rocky Coast Cardigan….and I was wearing it in my engagement photos. So I bought yarn to make it. Why not. I feel like if something comes to you in a dream and it’s reasonable…you should follow that notion. 7) Random 3.5oz of cormo that was purchased to go with hard to see 8) which is my new supported spindle!!!! IS SO PRETTY!!! Better pictures later. 9) Spinners Book of Yarn Designs. *drool* Had wanted for awhile. Friends mom had it and I spent all weekend lusting over it. So I bought one. Then 10/11) is the gifty from the amazing friends and the card.

Fantastic weekend.

Well…3 days until Baltimore. I better get packed!!!

Salted Caramel Tardis

Well, last week involved a lot of crying. Mostly grad school related. This week started off with Flat Tire Monday!!!

So awesome.

I don’t know HOW I didn’t look at my car on Sunday night when we got back from TN. We parked right beside it, I got out on the side of Stephen’s car facing the offending tire. No idea how I missed seeing my flat tire. But I did. So Monday morning I got in and pulled out of my parking spot and instantly knew something was wrong and what that something was.

Got out, walked around, confirmed suspiscions, said a few explitives to myself. Started unpacking the crap in the trunk to get to the donut. Gave up. Texted my dear, dear, amazing, wonderful friend, KL, and got her up a half hour before she needed to be up…and she came to help me change it.

Long story short, I have awesome friends, my car is ancient, crap is breaking. Need new car. The tire wasn’t actually the issue. It’s the rim. I know this now because on Wednesday, the day DF has to have surgery…my tire was flat again. So Charlotte the Carlett is off at the mechanics, waiting to find a suitable rim to make her all better.

Thankfully, got DF to surgery, got through surgery, and knocked him out on the couch with some good pain meds. He is currently knocked out beside me. Love those meds. 🙂

Shockingly, I don’t have much in the way of

Knitting News

I didn’t even touch my needles at the hospital. I did, however get a LOT done on my Hitchhiker on the trip to TN. Let’s rummage around for a picture, shall we?

There. So we are at 27 points. Kind of half way point-wise…but definitely not halfway knitting-wise since (if you know the pattern you know this) the latter points mean longer and longer and longer rows. I’m going to tell myself I’m 1/3 done. Sound good? Ok.

Sadly no

Spinning Stuff

to report either. 😦

But I DO have lots of

Recipe Reviews!!

Let’s start with dessert, shall we???

As a thank you to my dear, dear friend for helping me change my flat tire, I made her some salted caramel rice krispie treats!! That I found on pinterest, of course.

I was kind of worried that the massive amount of liquid on top and in the treats would make the treats too soft and not all krispie like I like them. The top layer was a tad more moist than a normal treat (I made regular ones to…compare, right? Sure. Let’s go with that.) but overall it was still a good amount of krisp. 🙂

Then I also attempted some vegan black bean chili that is also gluten free! I’m trying hard to avoid gluten because I have noticed that it makes me feel icky. I don’t have celiac’s or a specific allergy to it…but it really does have an impact on me. So avoidance when possible. (With exceptions for cupcakes from Viva La Cupcake. Oh. Em. Gee. Worth it.) Anyway. The chili was quite good. I tweaked it a bit by adding about a half cup of quinoa for some extra texture. I also put a little more flavor in with some onion powder, a diced pepper of unknown variety from the CSA box, and diced garlic….a lot of garlic. I can’t help it. Everything needs more garlic.

Not the best picture, but tastes pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.

And now for a new section:

Craft-tastic Creations

Aside from knitting…pinterest has made me 10 kinds of crafty lately. In case you didn’t notice on the last entry from the fleamarket finds.

Recently, DF turned 30. So I had to go big, right? For some reason, I keep putting themes to his birthday events. Last year it was Thundercats. Complete with a Thundercat cake. No joke.

This year? Dr. Who.

So I took our white pantry that we use for extra storage in the kitchen and turned it into a TARDIS. Because who doesn’t need a TARDIS in their kitchen??? (If you have no idea what I’m talking about right now, then I am oh-so sad for you. Get yourself to BBC or Netflix and get your Whovian on.)

My friend and I managed to transform the cabinet from boring to Who-tastic in just a few hours while DF was at work!!

I had dad pre-cut out all the wood to make the doors look like the TARDIS. The Amazing KL helped nail them on.

2 inch painters tape for windows, YES.

And painting and painting and painting….

We didn’t paint where the sign goes, I was worried it would show through when I put the sign on.

ALL DONE!!! Peeled off the painters tape, added the top sign and the door sign (printed them off google image) and it was done!

TA-DA!!!!! How awesome is that??

Well, that was a looooong post. Longer than I meant. I’ll try to break it up more, I think.

Now, off to visit the teaching blog for a bit!

What Your Moped Means to Me

Hello!!!

It’s been a little while since I’ve made a real post. The last few weeks have been tied up with family issues and then vacations. First my Uncle, who is like a second father to me, wound up in the hospital and then had to have surgery…so needless to say I dropped most things and spent several days driving back and forth to the hospital. He’s still in the hospital, but is recovering fairly well. Then…I went on a much needed vacation to the beach. More on that in a wee-bit. Let’s get started.

Knitting News

I finished TWO projects since we last chatted!!! Two!!!! AND STARTED A THIRD!!!! And no one had better point out the other 15 UFO’s hanging out around my house. Most of which I haven’t even put on Rav because I don’t want to face the numbers. I am not a monogamous knitter, ok?? Ok.

So…the Inishbofin Cowl from KnitScene Accessories is DONE! He-whom-it-is-for does not know this yet…and hopefully won’t read this or see me modeling it. Hehehe. If he does, he can harass me about mailing it. I’ll get there eventually.

Cowl completion!!

;

Details

Then I knit up a pair of mittens for my Aunt for Christmas. Yeah, you heard me. ONE CHRISTMAS PRESENT DONE!!! HA!!!!!

;

Mittens DONE!!

Then finally, I started some fingerless mitts for myself. I used my regular mitten pattern and added a 2×2 cable about 6sts in for the left mitt, and 23 sts in is the plan on the right. For the left it should have been over another 2 sts, but…then I would have had to move things on to different dpns and my sts wouldn’t have been even on each needle and…I was lazy, ok?? Sheesh.

;

Fingerless Mitt #1

I worked on my neon socks a little bit too. I…should put some of these things in the Ravewhatever Games. I joined like 3 teams. I should…ya know…compete.
I’m a slacker. For more evidence, see below.

Spinning Stuff

Um….no.

Seriously. Haven’t touched a thing. I had a Tour De Fleece epic fail…and have continued to fail.

Wants and needs

To spin more.

Ha!

Right now…I can’t stop buying buttons. Mostly from Ephemera and Beanforest. I needs them. I wants them. MUST HAVE ZE BUTTONS!!!!!

They go on my nifty new back-to-grad-school bag.

Dr Who Messenger Bag!!

Yeah….I’m a dork like that. So far…I’ve bought 6 new buttons this month. I need to post a picture of my button board…my purse is covered in buttons too…and sometimes they fall off. And then I cry. I need to sew them on. I’ve said that for…forever.

So what I want more than anything is a magical monkey to sew all my buttons on to things because I’m a slacker. Kthx. 🙂

Workout World

Last week I did a killer 7 mile LR. It was AWESOME. So happy with that one…however…this week I went to the beach. Aaaand I did nothing.

Can you blame me for not working out??

Actually I walked a lot…but we were only there 3 days, technically…it was one. Monday…we drove, Tuesday we beached, and Wednesday we drove home. So…yeah. Thursday I did bike a little…but I felt awful most of the day. Vacations wear you out!! But I’m slowly getting back in to things.

Today…I did one leg of a sprint distance triathlon. So there’s that. More on that in a wee bit. Tomorrow the goal is to do about 6-7 miles.

 

General Chatter

Well…as I mentioned, I start grad school in a few weeks. It’s starting to get all kinds of serious now, with meetings scheduled, and my first training for being a TA…but the fun part is all the new school stuff. I’m a sucker for school supplies…I can’t help myself. I LOVE NOTEBOOKS. And pens. Oh and don’t get me started on post-its and highlighters. SQUEEEEE!!!!

In other news, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, my neighbor annoys the $@!* out of me. In addition to his antics, we also have “The Vertical Trailer Park”.

I swear, it’s just this one building. All the other buildings in our complex are older people, or young post-college couples just starting out. But the VTP is ridiculous. It’s also the newest building in the complex which that right there just makes me want to rip my hair out…anyway. Everyone in the VTP…seems to be what one might call “trailer trash”. Most…seem to be related or at least in close association. Often people are wandering barefoot from one of the buildings stairwells to another. Frequently dragging kids back and forth. Or just screaming from one balcony to the other while hanging off the edge.

The cast of characters includes Little Hispanic Girl Who Glares, Big Lady Who Wears Things With Writing On The Rear, and my personal favorite, Orange Mohawk Safety Vest Marley Moped Man. That’s just a few of the gems. In fact, there is a whole moped crew, which that alone terrifies me. Driving a moped says one of two things: Either “I’m too broke to afford a real vehicle and think driving 35mph is socially acceptable” or “I have had so many DUI’s that this is all the state will allow me to operate”. Both of those just rub me the wrong way.

It is quality entertainment, but it’s starting to make me uneasy. The other day a man tried to sell me an air conditioner…and I’m fairly certain I saw a woman from social services doing a home check on one of the residences. Also I think two of the apartments are occupied by a husband and wife who are now divorced, because they yell at each other, transport kids back and forth between apartments, and both discipline the rugrats. It’s lovely. Really.

Before I go off on a rant about letting your children sit in the middle of a frequently used parking lot at 10:30pm…we will move on.

Awesome Award

TA-DA!!!

Team KnitWits!

 

This week’s Awesome Award is for my mom and my good friend Jo!!! Both of them completed their first sprint distance triathlon as a relay team!!!!! Jo has a full-fledged sprint tri coming up soon, so this was her practice for it. Mom…is not a super-swimmer so this was a great way for her to compete without getting her feet wet!

Jo swam, I biked, and mom ran. It was a really great race and I’m SUPER proud of these two ladies for all their efforts.

And apparently we need to give my dad a bonus Awesome Award for his sprint with the camera. According to witnesses (DB and Jo’s Hubby) dad snapped a few pictures of me finishing the bike leg, then grabbed his chair, water, hat, and camera, and sprinted off to the run start to see mom before the rest of the group even knew he had moved. Apparently, he moved so rapidly that the rest of our support crew was talking to him one minuted, and couldn’t locate him the next. With all the races and horse shows dad has played pit-crew for, he clearly knows how to navigate a crowd, and make a speedy exit if needed. He also knows where to be with a camera. Thanks dad, for always supporting us. And way to be quick on your feet while toting all our crap and your chair…but next time maybe tell the noob’s where you went….

That’s it for now! Hope everyone had a good week or so while I disappeared. And look for more updates of the Vertical Trailer Park and Downstairs Neighbor…I’m sure they will come…

 

Contacts For Mom, Fireworks For Dad

How’s it going guys?!?! It’s been an up and down week here…and this weekend looks to get a lot more hectic, so let’s get down to business, shall we?

Knitting News

This week there has not been a lot of knitting. I’m blaming the Tour. I worked a little on the cowl for JoJo…and a wee bit on my socks. Other than that…no knitting.

JoJo’s Cowl

Neon Socks

See? Not much. Mostly it’s been….

Spinning Stuff

On to the TOUR DE FLEECE!!!! Clearly all of my effort has been here. You’ve seen Day’s 1 and 2 which included my proudest accomplishment thusfar:

Mohair/Wool/Angelina. Bought at Montpelier Fiber Fest in 2010. FINALLY DONE!

Day 3 I worked on a little of the silk/merino and some drop spindling.

Day 4 was mostly the silk/merino, not a lot though.

Then Day 5 was the 4th of July which was also my dad’s birthday. I did some drop spindling at the cookout…then…didn’t feel so hot later that day and didn’t mange to do pictures. But I DID spin!!!

Day 6 I finished up 50g of the Silk/Merino and today I worked on that some more.

Tomorrow I’m doing a spinning demonstration at a museum, so I’ve got around 3 solid hours of non-stop spinning!!! Yay!!!! My spinning teacher/mentor invited me to do it with her. I’m also bringing my drop spindle my dad made so any kids that want to try, can. I don’t let other people touch my wheel for the most part…especially kids. Do you share your wheel with others?? I can’t bear to…

Wants and needs

I. Want. Rainbows!!!!

Everyone on Rav/TDF has such AMAZINGLY colored fibers!!!!! I want to spin something rainbow-y.

Perhaps some FatCatKnits

Or Far Alaska from SpunRightRound

Then WoolGatherings has some camel…I’ve not spun camel……

I need to stop. My etsy cart is protesting and the DB isn’t home to smack the credit card out of my hand….*deep breaths*

Workout World

Well I’ve been mildly frustrated this week because I had to take two sick days off. NOT FUN. But before the illness I did manage to complete the 1000 squat challenge! That’s 1000 squats in ONE WEEK!!! The first two days hurt the most, after that it wasn’t too bad.

Last week I did 5 as a long run…this week (meaning tomorrow) I’m hoping to hit 4. It will be my first run since…gosh Tuesday!!? ACK!!! I’ve got to get back out there if I want to stay on a race training schedule. Sheesh.

General Chatter

So for those of you unaware…my corner of the world had some ridiculous storms last Friday night. There’s a good chance I was hiding in my bathroom for awhile…but that’s another story.

Basically I went outside last Friday night to walk my dog and saw this…

This was the leading edge of the derecho wind storm over my house.

I basically turned around and ran back inside without letting the poor dog go pee. We survived that day with power intact, but lost it the next day due to a strong thunderstorm. SO glad that is all over and done with. There were SO many trees down it was crazy.

Then the 4th was my dear dad’s birthday. He knows how to party.

He’s so special. As is my mother. She called me today. She was excited because she got her new contacts out by herself and I didn’t have to drive over and do it for her. (Not kidding…she’s made me do that twice this week) Then she asked if contacts come out when you cry. I told her no, they would not. Then she said she has “another good question” and asked what do you do if you’re wearing contacts and you get a bug in your eye. I told her to wear glasses and hung up before any more “good questions” arose.

And finally today I got to give my very best friend her one year anniversary gift. I was honored to stand beside her in her wedding last year. She’s been my best friend for over half my life. I am so happy for her. After her wedding last year I ended up with her vows and the box the rings came in. So I kept them…because I’m sneaky.

Today I gave her this.

Beth’s Shadow Box.

It has her vows, her husbands, and their ring box. She almost cried. I adore her.

Awesome Award

Speaking of weddings…

This week’s Awesome Award is for my friend Amanda Hanna who got married on June 31st!!! 30th!!! I clearly wasn’t looking at the calendar. I just knew it was the day before the 1st. Shut it Erika. She found her prince charming and had a beautiful wedding in Jamaica last weekend. I’m so proud to know Amanda who I met through our mutual friend, JoJo. Amanda is living her dream of being an author. Her books are available for download on to the Kindle nearest you!!!

CONGRATS AMANDA!!!!!!!!

What Really Happened…

Ok, once more with feeling…shall we? (WordPress…has been hateful for the last 20 minutes. We won’t talk about it though.)

Ok. SO. Now that the holiday season is mostly behind us, let’s recap what REALLY happened with the Christmas Knitting, shall we?

So here is the list that was on the sidebar of my blog as it stood for my last post on November 29th-ish. (Yeah I’ve been a slacker on posting.)

1. Scarf for Aunt S – DONE
2. Mittens for Aunt C – DONE
3. Mittens for ? – DONE
4. Mittens for ?? – DONE
5. Socks for Jo – Halfway!
6. Shawl for Baw-Baw – Started
7. Scarf for BT – Started
8. Socks for Aunt Cy – Halfway!!
9. Ruffle Scarf for CL – Not Started
10. Socks for Dad – Not Started (May not happen)
11. Hat for RB – DONE
12. Mittens for Nemo – DONE
13. Cowl for LT – Not Started
14. Hat for K – Not Started (but I bought yarn!)
15. Mittens for HL – Not Started

 

And here is what really happened as of gift-giving time:

1. Scarf for Aunt S – DONE
2. Mittens for Aunt C – DONE
3. Mittens for ? – DONE
4. Mittens for ?? – DONE
5. Socks for Jo – Halfway! Still…only one sock done. She may kill me soon.
6. Shawl for Baw-Baw – DONE
7. Scarf for BT – Started…but on hold until next year. She got ENOUGH presents.
8. Socks for Aunt Cy – Over halfway!!! On the heel of the second sock!!!
9. Ruffle Scarf for CL – Not Started…and not happening
10. Socks for Dad – Not Started and not happening
11. Hat for RB – DONE
12. Mittens for Nemo – DONE
13. Cowl for LT – Turned in to Earwarmers and – DONE
14. Hat for K – DONE
15. Mittens for HL – DONE

 

So…10 out of 15 were accomplished. 11 if you count the two socks for different people as half finished projects and put them together and make a whole project. Hehe. So the grand count for Christmas 2011 will be 12 projects once these last socks are finished and shipped off. The 3 people who didn’t get knit-gifts didn’t suffer much though. CL didn’t know she was getting anything and still doesn’t so if I ever finish it…she’ll be ecstatic. Dad got cookware which thrills him no-end. Then BT….BT will survive if she doesn’t get knit-wear this season. I assure you.

Out of my 63 projects on Ravelry…I own 3. Beth has at least 6 to her name. So she has more of my handknits than any other human being. She also has my largest and most time consuming project…so she will be ok if she doesn’t get something knitted this year. She got a crapton of stuff because she’s SO easy to buy for.

But let’s go to the pictures, shall we!?

Christmas Knits 2011

 

Top Row, L to R: Aunt’s Sock and Jo’s Sock. Kim’s Asshat, HL’s Mittens (there were 2, I swear). Aunt Co’s Mittens.

Middle Row, L to R: AB’s mittens, RB’s hat, Ja’s Mittens, LT’s headband

Bottom Row L to R: Ke’s Mittens, Grandma’s Shawl, Aunt S’s Scarf.

 

TADA!!!! Christmas 2011 complete.

Then….I knit THESE!!!!!!!

My first mittens that I get to keep!!!

 

I’ve made 6 or so pairs of mittens…and these are MINE!!!!! I’m excited to wear them when/if it ever gets cold. Right now…I think winter forgot us…which kind of strikes terror in to my knitterly heart.

 

So, how about you? How was your Christmas Knit-List? Did it happen? Still working? (Someone HAS to be working still…I can’t be alone….can I?!?!?)

Let me know how it went! And watch for my upcoming sheep to….hat post. 🙂

The Countdown

Ok Knitters…you know it’s time. It’s coming. You can’t stop it…and your fingers probably can’t knit fast enough. You may not like the songs already on the radio…the wrapping paper and decorations for sale already in stores…but it’s coming. Heck, it’s here.

1 month and 4 short days….that’s all the knitting time you have left. Christmas knitting season is in full swing. We are in crisis mode here, people!!! Or…those of us with an absurd goal are in crisis mode. Perhaps you are much wiser than I am…perhaps you have chosen a modest 3 or 4 knitted projects to take on.

Me? Well I do have 4 projects. 3 aunts and 1 grandma. That’s 4.

But then I have parents.

And cousins.

And friends.

And nephews and nieces.

And a sister.

And the total comes to….(Seriously I have to pull out the app on my phone for this) a minimum of 13 projects…there’s a possibility for 15…but the goal is to have 15 done by Christmas. Yeah. 15. You heard me. I. Am. Insane. Whoooo crazy. Batcrap crazy.

How many are done? HA…let’s go see, shall we?

Mittens for Cousin (or maybe niece)

 

Scarf for Aunt

 

Mittens for Cousin (or maybe nephew)

 

Mittens for Aunt

Well…so I only have 4 done. And I…started in…July? HA!!! Wow that’s sad. Well let’s see what I’ve at least got in progress.

Socks for Sister (One sock 2 in from done)

 

Multnomah for Grandma (on 4th lace repeat)

 

Scarf for B (Also making hat for her husband and mittens for son)

 

Socks for Aunt C (One sock 2 in from done)

So….8 done or almost-done projects total. Other projects include mittens, an earmuff head wrap thing, a hat, the hat and mittens for my friend’s husband and son…so that brings us to 13.

4 finished + 4 in progress + 5 to do = Christmas Knitting Insanity.

So what have you got on the needles? Anything off the needles?? Is anyone out there crazier than my 13 projects????? I will find you some kind of prize if you can beat me. I’ll bake you cookies or granola or something. Come on. Who can top me? (And you totally can’t be retired, that’s cheating. I work 10 hours a day teaching high school. I can’t compete with someone with even a part time job)

Share your Christmas Knits!!!

Also…let’s congratulate the Knewest Knitter I Know….Miss E!!!! I work with E and taught her to knit about a month ago. She completed her VERY FIRST HAT tonight!!!!!!!!! I am so proud of her…and super excited because I think she may be the real-life knitting friend I’ve always wanted. She gets squealy like I do about pretty colors. I’m hoping to pull her further to the dark side and go to fiber fests together…she will squee with me…I can tell. We squee over shoes together, it’s an easy transition to yarn!

Welcome to the best part of your life, E. Congrats on becoming a knitter.

I Confess…

I need to confess my knitterly-sins.

But don’t you look at me like that!!! You know you’ve done it too!!!!

You know how when your family/friend/co-worker/auto mechanic finds out that you knit…they always say one of two things….either “That’s so cool, I want to learn to do that” or “That looks really hard” and this statement, no matter which it is, is inevitably followed by “You should knit me a ________.”

Yeah. You know that conversation.

So let’s say this person is someone close enough to you that they might actually deserve a knitted gift. Let’s say they are a close family friend. We’ll call her Jane. So Jane tells you how pretty your knitting is…and that she’d love a hat. But then…Jane says that one phrase that drives all knitters insane.

Jane says “But I’m allergic to wool.”

Yeah. She said it. You heard that. She’s allergic. ALLERGIC. Mhmm. Yeah. You know what’s going through your head. You know you are sitting there thinking that Jane probably has never felt the soft kiss of merino. You’re betting your tape measure that Jane has only experienced itchy store-bought machine-knit things or, heaven forbid, is thinking of her grandma’s itchy acrylic crocheted afghan…and making a horrible mistake.

So what’s a knitter to do? Do you knit her something with cotton, or God-forsaken squeaky acrylic??

I’ll tell you right now…this is where I become a very bad knitter. Telling me you’re allergic to wool, without any supporting stories or evidence…will almost ensure that I will knit you something out of wool.

I mean come ON, have you people FELT Malabrigo?!?! How can anyone resist THAT??? Or say that it’s iiiiitchy.

Whiners.

My aunt told me she was allergic to wool.

Guess what she got for Christmas.

Yeah. Hand knit socks.

And has she mentioned a mysterious rash? Noooo. Did she wear them all day on Christmas? Yeeeees.

Allergic my ass.

There. I’ve confessed. I’m a knaughty knitter and I’m proud of it.

Don’t judge me. You know you’ve slipped someone some Malabrigo too!!!

 

Boatload of Random

Welcome to the Wonderful Wednesday of RANDOM!!!

I have made some pretty awesome discoveries lately.

1. I own 4 pairs of size 8 needles, and 2 identical size 9 circ’s.
2. Needles hurt but I don’t pass out as long as it’s not a doctor holding the needle.
3. I am not scared of heights, I’m scared of the ground and going towards it quickly.
4. I drive a halibut.
5. My cat thinks he is invincible.

Lesson 1: The first discovery was made when I found an AWESOME app for my Droid. The app is KnitStash and it is the answer to my prayers.

You see…I have the problem of just buying the needles I need for a project…when I’m at the store buying the yarn….I rarely think to look at HOME for the needles. No. That would make too much sense.

I keep trying to put my needles in to Ravelry…but I get all confused as to what I have, and what I’ve given to mom…and the metal ones I’ve gotten rid of…I mean I love Rav and the needle section…but printing the card just doesn’t work.

However…something in my phone? YEAH. That never leaves my side. So when I found that app, I went nuts. You can put in your needles, hooks, and projects! It also has a counter so you can use it for multiple projects…I can count rows on a sock, and stitches on a shawl!!!

Lesson 2: So…I got my second tattoo. *gasp* Yeah. The first one…didn’t really count. It’s Tiiiiiiiny. Teeny tiny even. This one is bigger…maybe 3x3in. And it’s right on my hip bone so…little painful. I laughed through the first part…then the pain hit and I wasn’t really laughing anymore. At one point I started wishing I was fat so there would be some padding between the needle and my bone! But I pulled through.

Fresh Ink!

Lesson 3: Next I learned to suck up my fear of heights and get over it. I went rock climbing for the very first time!!! It was at an indoor gym about an hour from where I live. It was a BLAST. I also learned that you have GOT to trust that person on the ground and they really need to know what they are doing! I got a ton of pictures and videos.

Lesson 4: Auto text hates me. I tried to type “Chevy Malibu” but got “Chevy halibut”. Yes. I drive a white fish. Win.

Lesson 5: My dear kitty cat decided the top of my bathroom door was where he should be. He lept from the top of the bathroom counter…to the ONE INCH WIDE bathroom door. How he stuck that landing…I don’t know. But being the good cat-mommy I am…I ran for the camera.

Watch for a much more yarn-y update this weekend…and more pictures later today possibly. 🙂

Just Keep Spinning…

Just keep spinning, spinning, spinning…what do you do, you spin, SPIN, SPIN!

So I spun a lot.

Roving + Wheel = Yarn, YAY!!!

And I completed some stuff…

Laura's socks are FINALLY done!!!

And I WON some stuff!

I won Unplanned Peacock's Picture Contest!!! Winning = YARN!!!

And I earned some stuff!!!!

I started working for Unplanned Peacock. I skein yarn...and am paid in yarn.

That last picture is the newest colorway, Mermaid. It’s not up on the site yet, but email her and she will totally get you some!!! It’s probably my FAVORITE colorway she has.

I’ve spun around 205 yd of my Merino top that I got from Stony Mountain Fiber’s booth at the Montpelier Fiber Fest in Oct.

Speaking of Fiber Fests…anyone in the Pittsburgh area??? Who’s going to the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival in February?? I AM!!! Woot! I’m going with UPP (Unplanned Peacock) to work her booth!! COME SAY HI!!!!!

I’m super excited to be “working” for Natasha. I really want to learn more about dying and I’m thrilled to get to help out in her studio and travel with her! And did I mention I’m paid in YARN!?!?!?!

OH OH OH!! Also!?!? Totally sold another one of my necklaces at my LYS.

Knit One Purl Two Necklace. Available on Etsy!

I’m also going to be selling my KOPT necklaces and earrings in the UPP booth at Pittsburgh so YAY that!!!! SQUEE!!!

It’s been a few weeks of yarny goodness. ALSO!!! My best friend got me a gift certificate to The Loopy Ewe and I got MORE sock yarn!!! I got T-Boheme by Sweet Georgia. SQUEE!!! I mean HOW PRETTY IS THAT?!?!?!

Terribly exciting stuff. Plus my very best friend is coming in TOMORROW and we will be going on a small yarn crawl down to Greensboro NC! She’s not much of a knitter, but she loves me enough to follow me in to the yarny depths. I’ll bring her to the dark side yet…*evil grin*

Well that’s all I have for now…going to go download some patterns from Rav…and watch NBC’s Thursday Night lineup. Gotta love it!

Happy New Knits!

Ahhhhhhh. Freedom.

Are we all free from our Christmas Knitting?!?!

You are? That’s awesome!!! I hate you.

I still have 2, possibly 3 projects to go. But seriously, I completed 14 out of 16 projects by Christmas. I win, ok?

Here’s the final set of Completed Christmas Knitting…

So…from top left, across and so on we have…

1. Beth and Kelly both got purple waffle hats with some super yarn from my good friend Natasha at Unplanned Peacock.
2. Beth’s son got a simple gray hat in Cascade 220. He’s 1, so he doesn’t care much for fashion.
3. Laura’s fiancee, Henry got a nice warm Virginia Tech colored hat. Double stranded the yarn and killed my hands on that little gem.
4. Aunt Connie got a nice Rollin Beret, pattern from Woolly Wormhead, yarn was Malibrigo. She should feel special.
5. Next up we have a simple I-cord hat for my nephew, Miles. Yarn is cascade eco which I then hand dyed.
6. Following his hat is a wash cloth for grandma. Grandmothers have EVERYTHING and mine won’t wear hats, scarves, or anything else I could think of to knit…so she got practical gifts.
7. Carly’s Pink Scarf was my first attempt at cables and has literally been in the works since last year. FINALLY done with that monster. Made with Cascade Eco, one of my favorite yarns. It’s cheap and you get a metric TON!
8. Finishing out the second row we have a hat for my niece, Charlotte. This is the Jester Hat by Woolly Wormhead. The yarn is Cascade Eco which I dyed in my “Skittles” colorway.
9. Now we have my cousin Jamie holding up her new Skinny Scarf. Made with more Unplanned Peacock and Cascade 220.
10. Next is another washcloth for Grandma. Next year hopefully I can get her to wear a sweater I knit. We shall see.
11. Then…we have the bane of my existence. My dad wanted a cat sweater. Seriously? He is a grown, over 50 male and he wants me to knit his CAT a sweater. So I did. The cat was about as thrilled as I was.
12. Then Aunt Sarah, who thinks she’s allergic to wool *HA*, got some lovely hand knit socks which she modeled the rest of the day. Allergic, my ass.
13. Laura…got one of the un-finished projects. She got one sock for Christmas and will be getting the second sock for her birthday which is in January. 🙂 It worked out well for me.
14. Last we have Aunt Cynthia and her new Quick Cowl with, what’s that? More Unplanned Peacock!

So. That’s our Christmas Knit List. Unfinished are Mom’s Citron Shawl, Laura’s Second Sock, and a hat for Kim. Kim may get a different present, because I am all knit-out when it comes to other people.

Seriously, is anyone else sick of knitting for other people? I don’t want to have friends anymore, because I am so tired of knitting things that I don’t get to keep and enjoy!

According to Ravelry, I’ve knit around 40 projects. I currently own 4 items that I hand knit. 4 out of 40. I keep one tenth of what I knit. That’s sad. As a knitter, I have virtually NOTHING to show the world that yes, I knit all the damn time!

I have one hat, one scarf…oh wait…2 scarves. Whoops. Ok but still! One hat, 2 scarves, and 2 pair of socks! That’s it! I seriously need more knit-wear so I can prove that…I know how to do this! My friend Beth now has a scarf and hat for herself that I knit, and two hats for her son. She has almost as much of my knitted love and labor as I do! OH WAIT, she also has a baby blanket which she FELTED. She has waaay more hours of my time in her hands than I do.

What is WRONG with me? Why do I knit and knit and knit and knit…then just hand it off? Why do I give away all proof that I know how to knit? What kind of person spends 35 hours stitching away on a pair of socks that they will never wear?? I knit my first-EVER hand spun in to something (really dumb) for my ex. WHEN WE WERE ALREADY BROKEN UP!!!

Clearly….we knitters have problems.

So this year, I’ve decided to spend at least half my knitting-time making something for ME. It’s MY turn to have hand-knit gifts. It’s MY turn to show off my knitting skills. MINE. ME. MYSELF.

My yarn!

My handspun!

My hand dyed!

I’ve already made the list for Christmas 2011. Who am I kidding?

However I did make my first mitten. And it is mine.

One Mitten for ME!

So we shall see. Maybe I’ll get a few knitted items to keep for myself. Or at least I’ll get a second mitten.

I hope.

Happy New Knits!