BOO! Happy Halloween!!

Although I was quite depressed that I didn't/couldn't dye up orange & black sockyarn, I decided to start my Gryffindor "Quidditch" sock while watching Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The best of all worlds:

We ate pumpkin icecream from Whiteys after my Botany labratory exam, and carved pumpkins!

Here's mine:

Joe's pumkpin is on the left:

I need your opinion! Mischief Managed!

Has anyone done the "Invisibility Shawl" yet?

Here's the deal-io. I'm using lace-weight in darker colors, because I like the idea of the shawl having the dark colorwork like in the movies.

I'm knitting on size 7 needles, as requested in the book. However, um, it looks too loose! I should just call it the "visibility shawl."

I've been stretching it this way, and that way, pretending to block it, but I really think the needles are too big to hold the integrity of the stockinette patches surrounding the Yo's.

What do YOU think?

Can blocking really salvage something this loose? Or should I just frog it and start on smaller needles? I'd rather it be a faster project...and not with smaller needles, but if it won't look good even after being blocked..it's frogito territory.

Pledge to take the "Waste Nothing" challenge

...and save our earth!
I'm taking a pledge to do my best at wasting as little as I can, to reduce my own ecological footprint!

-->If you would like to be a member, you know the drill. You can email be at: angelgirl_22@msn.com to post your own ideas on the "Waste Nothing" blog, or just simply give me a nickname to put on the member list.

Someone pinch me please.

Am I the only one that didn't know about this? Google.com is pretty fridgin' awesome!
So, ok... I like that series... but maybe as a knitter,THIS might interest you.
Here's a book I waited a while for, ordering it through the library. *sigh*
I think i'm going to have a little fun with this site.

The Quickie Plastic Bag Holder! (KUAS Original Pattern)

Designed by Anna Maliszewski
[RAVEL-IT!]

 

Here's a quick and easy project for those who have tons of plastic bags and pile up in their house or garage! You can really customize your bag to suit your needs. If you like storing a lot of bags, make it much longer than the photo.

DOWNLOAD PDF

Pumpkins. Crispy orange leaves. Chilly nights.

UPDATE!!! The "Fern" pattern is officially on a pdf document, and is waiting on Etsy.com, as well as the "All Twisted Up" designer bag. (See sidebar for links.) There will be more patterns for sale soon. All profit will be saved up to help pay for my wedding in '09. :) Thanks for looking & thanks for the sweet compliments everyone!! XOXO
I finished my "Fern" hat & fingerless gloves I started a few days ago. I absolutely adore the cables! I'll be writing up the official pattern on a pdf document within a few days, and will be selling it cheaply on Etsy. I'm also going to be writing up a couple additional patterns to for Etsy, so I can start working to save up some more $$ for my wedding. This hat requires bulky yarn, which enables a fast, gratifying knit for all of us impatient ones! Plus, it's incredibly warm for the chilly weather. I strive to be a sensible knitter, only knitting hats that cover the ears. So hopefully, my ears will always stay toasty warm during the winter.A view of the one of the fingerless gloves. You can knit a pair in under and hour. I originally created the fern being planted more toward each thumb, but I will also write an addition section for those who want their cables directly in the center of their hand instead. But, I kind of like that the off-centered look for the fern. It looks artsy. Whatever that means.
A ridiculously dorky, yet better view of the cables. Nope, I'm not feeling up the tree. Ha ha.

Other than that, I've been working some more on my research, and changed the width of this blog. Today, I found a really nice place to read during the Fall, which is awesome, because I'm a little sick of being cooped up inside. It's located in the courtyard in the middle of our business & religious studies buildings, with wooden benches and really old trees that give off that nice rustling sound in the wind. I'll grab a steaming-hot mug of apple cider, go outside and start flipping through some more pages of my books tomorrow. Life is too short to skip the small pleasures.

Fern.

Research project. Weekend. Total "Senioritis" basket-case.
Procrastination. Knitting. Sanity.

I'm not quite sure if it's just the laziness of the weekend, or if I really do have senioritis. My brain will not buckle down long enough to let me dig into my research readings. To keep myself sane, I started a quick new project, my "Fern" hat, to protect me against the chill of Fall.

Pattern: "Fern," my own design (on Etsy!)[RAVEL-IT!]

Needles: size 8 Dpns

Yarn: Cascade Yarns: Pastaza

Fiber: 50% llama & 50% wool

Yardage: 132 yards

I'll have to leave it at that. My body feels a little shaky... I think I drank a little too much caffeine to stay awake. I just don't feel well right now to do anything, even though I know I have to get back to my books & laptop. I guess that's what happens when you mix your period with a lot of caffeine & barely eat a decent meal today. Hopefully my canned broccoli soup will do the trick.

Please read the post below, I posted the WIP of my "Infinity Cardigan."

Turning. (with a knitting finale.)

I'm a pretty stagnant person, when it comes to likes and dislikes. I'll admit that. What's hard to admit is when you finally realize that something is different. Maybe even suspect. Ok, having a strong craving for meatloaf is one thing, everyone has one of those commercial white-castle urges once in a while, but felting?

.....OK, hand's up. You caught me. I hated felting.
(wait a second, did I just spot a past tense use of the word "hate?")

Don't get me wrong, the workmanship on certain items that are felted are wonderful, the colorways used are gorgeous, their stitching-impeccable. But the texture and the look of felted wool made my skin crawl. Wait, "made?" But now, I can't hide it anymore. It's almost like something's in the air,... and I'm not just talking about the wonderful drop in the temperature. I started growing an interest in the concept. Granted, we all know how that turned out. But this feeling I've had lately is different now... potent, even. Ideas have been storming around in my head during lectures. It has left my head buzzing, while I should be sleeping. What is this?
I've been day-dreaming of what I want my future house to looks like, the coziness of the couches, wood floors, soft sage colors, mosaic coffee table-top ideas, and even felted placeholders. comfy felted clogs. Clutches. Felted coasters. Stop me.

Joe and I went for a walk the other day. I think I love Maples the best in the Fall...the leaves are just so juicy!
Oh, wait a second, while we are on the subject of "botany," how did I do on the test?? Um, horrible, as expected! But since I did the second best (second-least-worst, really) in the class, I pulled of a B! Oh yeah! Thank the Lord for curves!

We also took the week off and lodged at this cozy cabin.
I knit during the day, and cuddled up by the fire with Joe at nightfall.
....I wish.

It's practically the "ancient ruins" of our campus. I once knew a guy that tried to make this "storage" cabin into a small student-runned coffee house. It's a shame noone listened to him.
However, it does make a great place to knit by.

Random note: I just finished Mary Kruger's second installment in her "knitting mystery" series, Knit Fast, Die Young. To be honest, I was a little disappointed. The setting was a little too stale, and only changed half-way through the book, and I knew who "dun-it" from the beginning. Either I'm getting a knack for being a detective, or it was a little too obvious. Unfortunately, I believe the latter is the correct one.

Oh, can I vent for a second?
How did I get stuck with the earliest day to present my research to my Seniors seminar?
I've got less than one month to research and create a ten minute (verbal & visual) presentation on my thesis (we also have to write a 12-ish page research paper), and the pile is still growing.
Some one please pinch me. Is this real?

Crap.
Bang head here.

...And I guess,the moment you have been waiting for...
Here's a quick snap of the beginning workings of my "Infinity Cardigan."

I'm in love with the cables. I love the symmetry of the snake cables around the edges, the tweediness, the color, and the i-cord on the edge, for the zipper. I picture myself wearing this around Halloween & Thanksgiving. Do you notice the sideways "8" look going on in the cables? Just checking.



Spending some quality time with the DF.


Happy Friday.

(This one doesn't count.)

EDIT: I just made an archive of all of the FO's that predate my blog!
Feast your eyes on this!!

First off, I just want to say thank-you to everyone who has cheered me on, and shared my depression on unfair exams! You gals are awesome, and I would do a group hug if I could!! :)
It stinks that bad (exams) happen to (good) people. ha ha.

On to knitterly things:
I am really sorry about the delay, oh wonderful craftsters. I know you all have been very patient for some more eye-candy that has not been sufficiently provided. Darn you academia and non-approved weather!! Anyways, if you live in the Midwest, you probably have empathy for my woes of sticky needles and sweltering rooms this past week. I'm sick of 90 degree weather...my room does not have air-conditioning. But, that's ok, it will start cooling off tomorrow, finally.
I am knitting up the cardigan, but 6'' of 1x1 ribbing goes a little slowly when you are working in the heat, and on 180-ish stitches with size 6 needles.
However, I am almost to the more exciting part (increasing), and will post pictures as soon as the cardigan starts to resemble a snippet of a garment.

I am also excited to announce that I have finally came up with the: suspect, a couple of awesome "big events" that happen in my plot, and some dynamics to my main characters in my "knitting mystery" book. I definitely don't want to wimp on the suspense & hair-raising moments (that some "cozy" books miss), so I came up with something good for now. However, I still don't have an outline on the plot, so this whole preliminary work will take time. Then, I have to figure out the "guidelines" of some mystery publishers. (Most people don't realize that the biggest reason that people get rejected is that they didn't think to get the official "guidelines" for certain sub-genres.) Mystery books have many genres, and you have to be ultra-careful while writing that you meet the criteria of whatever sub-genre you choose. Yikes.

The two skeins of lace and the Victorian Lace Today book was from a distant cousin in Seattle Washington, that just found out that I knit! The short story was that my dad visited Seattle on a business trip, somehow got on the topic about me, told her about me knitting, and she grabbed this pile out of her own house to give to me!! Wasn't that amazing?!? Thank-you Cindy! You're amazing!

On the left is a mystery skein of lace-weight in a almost light royal blue & dark brown. The other skeins is from Prism yarns, in the gorgeous colorway: Ginger.
I love awesome surprises like this! I've always drooled over this book at Borders.

This was from last Saturday, at Wilson's Apple Orchard.

The funny part (sad, really) was that we couldn't pick apples, because of the early frost. Ironic, really, since it's soo hot here.


This snap-shot was intriguing.
We did take a walk around the orchard.

This lovely gentlemen offered our huge group a ride! We rode for at least a half an hour around the orchard, and finally over a creek! Luckily there was enough room for our large group of 15. It was really nice to relax while the tractor did all the work. It was a lovely day. The air was a bit chilly and we had a picture-perfect sunset view above the orchard.



In the meantime, I will leave you with a paradox to answer:
Q: How is it that sometimes, you can feel soo comfy/lazy not leaving your house (ex: just feeling like watching tv) that the mear thought of going outside seems...."blah," yet feel so wonderful being outside that you don't want to come back, once you finally get that nudge to the "world" outside? Do you catch my drift?
This question was hard to formulate, since it's based off of those feelings you get, and I apologize now, because it might only sound clear in my head.


Ok, time to find air-conditioning somewhere in this residence to knit and play some more "catch-up" on my readings:
Luther, Botany & Christian Science.

Current pleasure reading:
Knit Fast, Die Young, by Mary Kruger
The Cairo Diary, by Maxim Chattham.

You've got to be kidding me!?!

I apologize to all of you right now. I really will try my darndest to filter my thoughts and words.
But it's hard. Oh-so-hard!

So, I just finished my Botany exam that I've been preparing for all week....
I skipped knitting.
I took "for fun" reading breaks and felt guilty, and then got back to the nose-in-your-notes grind again.
I ignored other assigned readings in my other classes to listen to the Botany lectures on cassette tape.
I studied until the apsolute last minute before the exam.
Basically, I studied my ass off....
I mean, I even studied through a TORNADO in my city, with a room full of people crammed in the basement and alarms going off.

So, what exactly was on this exam?
Hmm... an abundance of short answer questions, screw-you-over multiple choice that has multiple answers, short essay questions, plenty of cell structure charts that made you want to slit your wrists with the metal blades piled in bowls nearby. What a tease.

But who whould have thought a whole week's worth of studying reaps nothing. Nada. Zilch. Null. Zip??

Q: How do you clone a unicellular alga (that has no DNA, or any organelles)?
WHAT?

Q: give me an example of cells in 1.) primary tissue with primary walls, secondary tissue with extensive secondary walls, and 3.) primary tissue with extensive secondary walls.
OH LORD.

Q: Give the approximate size of these: membrane thickness, chloroplats, nucleus, etc. (choices: 1, 10, 15 angstroms, 1000 nanometers, 10 centimeters or 1 kilometers [obvsiouly a foux-choice], micronmeters, etc.
WHAT THE HECK?!?!?!


KNITTING UPDATE: I just started a new design of mine today that will knock your socks off! lol, I hope! My lips are sealed for now (who doesn't like supsense now and then?), but I will have pictures of the WIP in the next post...so stay tuned!

Thanks for all of the good-luck wishes on the exam, gals! I'm sure I did better than what I would have if I didn't study so much.