Take a "breather."

There are a lot of things I regret in life. One of them is reading too fast through the "classics" in high school. I plan to reread The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Giver, and maybe one day read The Scarlett Letter (since our class read The Crucible instead).

I've been really stressed out lately, and found some rejuvenation from reading my own books. I started and finished For One More Day by Mitch Albom last night...which I recommend to anyone who needs a little reminder that you should appreciate (and show your appreciation to) your loved ones, because you won't be with them forever. This story is a tale of a man who gets one more day with his loved one, and how he makes the most of it.
I didn't get senioritis in high school. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to get out, because quite frankly...their heavily enforced hall bathroom and hall "passes" contradicts the whole "college preparation" and "you're an adult, so act like one" school mentality.

But now...6 weeks left. I'm on the final last-stretch. I'm excited. I'm scared (what am I really going to be?...quick, quick, decide! Here comes the loan bills!). I'm just so darn worn out. Even the smallest paper is a "waste of my time" now. I don't want to read their assignments. I don't want to study their courses. I don't want to sit in their class for 50-150 minutes. I don't want to take their exams. But I do it. All I want right now is to take a vacation-no school, no "real life" job searching (or not searching)-and grab a pile of "my books" and my knitting bag, and relax by a damn waterfall or something pleasant. Throw in a pina colada, will ya?

I started a new pattern using my wonderful alpaca silk yarn I just got. However, it croaked. It was going to have a seed stitch edge that buttons (inspired by Ysolda), and an "entwined leaf" pattern I created on whim on excel. But, I can't do larger than a size 6 without making the stockinette look icky. I felt like I needed to add another 14 more stitches to the body to give it a more noticeable width than the seed stitch. After it was out of the needles, I tried it on...and it wasn't as tight as I imagined. But, my intuition was right...I should make it more slouchy to enjoy it more. I just hope when I do it again, I don't run out of yarn. It was up to 130 stitches before...when it was tighter that I wished.

The happiness is overwhelming.

Update! I just got back from the brand-new LYS! Can you believe that it's only 3-4 blocks away!! Now, if that isn't dangerous...I don't know what is!

The "Blue Sky Apacas" Skein is actually turquois, and the fiber content is 50% alpaca & 50% silk, which in my book is 100% pure joy to knit with. It will turn into a light spring hat or beret. I even got a free pin and a coupon for a free cookie upon the completion of my WIP. Whoot Whoot.

Hufflepuff/hawkeye socks
Originally uploaded by Knittyknitter

Well, once in a while we learn to do something new. I fully completed one sock using a short-row heel method. That might have been on my resolutions list.

Pattern: mod's of my"LT Rib Socks"
Yarn: striping in black & gold
Neeldes: size 3 US (next time, just #2's)

I just also finished Albom's Five People you Meet in Heaven just a moment ago. The book was interesting...unique in idea and construction. It was "different" for me to read about his various birthdays as a "intermission" to some of the chapters. It's a short book, and you should read it sometime in the future if you haven't already. It was on my "must read before I die" list. The next book, For One More Day is also on the list...and I'm reading it next. I'm still trying to compile a worthy list of other books. Any suggestions?

Did you know that Lion brand is coming out with "Sock-ease" in the future? The Yarn Halot got some free samples, and it looks great! It's the standard wool & nylon blend, as well as a aloe vera finish. Sounds pretty sweet...and good for a budget like mine!

Spring cleaning.

So, I'd rather like to believe that it's truely Spring now...regardless of the new snow last night, and the chilly weather that likes to linger in the air still. You know what that means: Spring cleaning.
I decided to jump into the black hole that is my walk-in-closest (if you can really call it that), and take out all of my "school yarn," and only select those that could possibly be knit in 7 weeks, plus several extra for the looks and/or leeway for more choices. Some made the cut-off, some didn't. Some were taken home just for Spring Break and will return once more...(da-da-daaaaaa.....)
Here's after the weeding out:
Books, yarn, clothes, and what-nots are now missing. The shelf looks rather baren now... but it's definitly neat & skinny. Who really needs more sock yarn for only 7 weeks anyways?

I was a dummy, and realized only 2 days before the holiday that I had the perfect skein of greens & white for St. Patricks' Day. Oh well. Maybe I'll save it for Earth Day...

I've been exercising a lot lately, and am enjoying the luxury of going to the health club in my hometown, while I'm on Spring Break. I'll miss it greatly when I go back to Iowa. Their elipticals are amazing, as well as being able to swim without having to take a bus to the campus fieldhouse. It was a great graduation present. Now, I just have to "graduate." (hee-hee.)

The Harry Potter knit along on flickr is going great. Look what Squib-Stitcher whipped up in a couple of days? Look familiar? She knit up my "Simply Ginny" socks in honor of good 'ol MollyGinny Weasley!(yeah, I need to read the 7th book again...) Actually, she's been whipping up pairs of socks faster than lightening. She already finished 3 HP socks for the knit-along, while I only did one so far. (*sigh*) I have to start working on my Hufflepuff/Hawkeye socks soon, before they become Alumini socks.

Kudos to Squib-stitcher, Dreams in Fiber, Bobilicious, and all other HP knitters who are apparently doing more work than the dang hostess.

Oh, and by the way... I hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's day. Don't laugh, but I baked this cake, cut it out into a shamrock, and made a cream-cheese frosting with coconuts inside. The worst part is that my mom was poking fun of the "stem" of the leaf. You can only imagine what she said it looked like. *Oh dear. What am I going to do with her?*

Let's just say I had my fill of St. Patrick's day. I had it THREE days in a row. Yeah. Eh.
Yeah, I know. The cake does look like a peice of crap. It was hard though.

New craft #1 has almost been completed. Pictures are to come (later).

A fusion of color

The idea of creating a fun and spunky plate-mat has been storming my head for quite some time. I started one yesterday starting from the ends and decreasing to the center, but it was more like a tent than a perfect circle. So, I frogged it and went to bed. Today, I decided to try again, using EZ's "Pi" (Joe has issues with her terminology) technique. So, I guess I'm on a circle fad lately. I'm getting pretty excited about the idea of owning my own apartment with Joe in the near future. This would be a great table piece. I was thinking about a collection of 4 or 6 of them, as well as crocheted squares for bowls. That's still to be determined.

It's really hard to admit it (well, maybe not that hard), but I was really digging the whole crochet edge with this yarn. It actually made me want to create another mat solely out of single crochet stitching. I did only 4 rounds, and should have done 5, because it looked nice...but what are you going to do?

Pattern: my own

Needles: size 10.5 dpns

Fiber: Yarn Treehouse's "Daisy" 100% wool. It's chunky & wonderful

Yards: approx. 90 yds

Diameter: TBD after further felting

Felting this was fun. I was really worried about the middle, because it wouldn't flatten down for some reason. Luckily, water works magic, and gave me enough leeway to felt it flat with piping hot water in my sink. I will end of felting it just a bit more, to be a pinch smaller, and more evenly felted. Until now, it's chilling on my floor...and screaming for a partner.

Maybe tomorrow.
P.S-I also posted yesterday. Sorry about the once-a-week posting thing lately.

Gypsies & such.

Well, that's that. I just finished my "Gypsy" socks & finally caught up to the latest Lost show, which means I will have to patiently wait with you all until next Friday, or the next Friday after that for the next showing.

Stitch count: 64sts
Needles: size 2 dpns, Brittany needles
(a gentle reminder that the Midwest Fiber fair is coming up again in July)
Sock Method: top-down
Fiber: Celtic fingering weight yarn, my colorway: Gypsy
Yards: 300? I have quite a bit left
Skills: mindless knitting for hours

I am also excited to announce that I am getting into making stitch-markers to expand my Etsy shop! 

I am also pleased to announce that I have been working-out hardcore all week. This is the one resolution I am keeping. I can't wait until spring break, so I can go swimming, use their sweet elliptical walkers and steam room...and also start some new hobbies.

Oh, yes... there is a version 2

Valentine's day. Oh right. How did I forget to post about it?
I guess this whole post has a theme now, second versions.
You might recognize this pattern from the first "Candied Love" socks I made. It had purple, red & white stripes, and didn't have bobbles...and the lace didn't run all the way down...and it didn't have cables. Ok. Well, the pattern was REALLY modified, I guess. lol.

The bobbles remind me of that dot candy, that you peel off of wax paper? Am I dating myself (which is sad, because I'm still in my early twenties)?
Joe and I went to an irish pub, had rubens & alcohol, and came back to watch a movie. Nothing fancy, but it was quaint. As for the sweets, he even remembered my new love for those ferro rochers, and gave me a variety pack of them. Yum-o.

You know that old saying, "everything is better in pairs." Sometimes it's true, sometimes it's not. For example, exams, papers, classes and illnesses are not good in pairs. From a knitter's standpoint, socks, mittens, quick top-down raglans, and washcloths are indeed good in pairs...and I think applicable when it comes to a good interesting afghan.
Enter, "Ripples Reading afghan" Version two. I think I might just nickname it "quiet waters, because the purled ripples will not get wider than a couple of rounds.


I'm enjoying the quick nature of this new one, as well as my favorite colors (seagreen & teal) in the afghan. If I were to put this on top of the first one I'm knitting, you would see how many inches I'm going to save by using a more worsted weight yarn, and bigger needles. Ironically, this afghan will probably be twice the size as version one, and only 1/6 the price. (*sigh*)

V.1 is going slowly.
Very slowly.
But, there are several more inches of ripples on this kid. I picture this one being on the couch or reading chair, and the other one on my bed.

Anyways. Enough with the blankies.
I just finished two consecutive weeks of "hell," as of Thursday. If you really knew me, you would be right to place heavy bets on me veggie out with Lost and my knitting for 2 days straight. 2 days, and at about 1 season more down. I'm at the end of season 3 now. Seriously, I wasn't kidding about the therapy. Help!

My own little Africa

So, ok, I ordered some yarn last week. That doesn't make me a bad person. Heck, everyone deserves a treat once in a while. I just passed over hurdle #1 of my first week of "hell." I finished one heck of an awesome 14 page short story, a prehistory paper on Australopithecus afarensis, a small quiz in Earth Systems, a major quiz in Linguistics, and an exam in Earth Systems. Just in one week mind you, not to mention assigned readings and other such things to do to make you pull your hair out. But, what I didn't anticipate was Joe introducing me to another sweet evil of his last weekend, the show "Lost," that abc.com has loaded almost 4 full seasons...all for the taking. So, I watched a couple. And a few more. And a few more...just clicking away on my "Ripple Reading Afghan." WELL, I studied, wrote, studied wrote. Than I watched, watched, watched, and watched (while still knitting with bleeding eyes [ok, strike the bleeding eyes]). And I watched, watched, watched all week all until today, when I'm about several episodes into season 2. That's what, 29 or 30 episodes times 45 minutes. You don't think I need to seek a little E.A (episodes anonymous) meetings, do you? If my eyes aren't bleeding, than my fingers are probably going to. I'm up to, what, 576 stitches p.rd. on my afghan.

But this is my little Africa. My break. My new obsession(s).

I'll rondez-vous again with you all when I get back from the Safari in a few days. I've got 2 more exams to kill still.

A little twist of decor

So I've been spinning a little bit the past couple of nights because I've gotten back into the mood. The other night had been dedicated to my teal & silver blend, while this night has been focused on my new design idea bubbling in my head (instead of studying...). It's funny how creativity is switched on when things need to get done, academically speaking.
However, here is a snipit of the first color. I won't need a lot, so I'll probably be only spinning a little more of this color, with equal proportion to the silver. Teal will be the main color, and I'll need a lot more than this when the time comes. I thought at first that maybe I should order the yarn for this project, but I immediately dropped the notion when I realized that this project deserves rough yarn...and these rovings are just the fibers for the job. Plus, I have the perfect colors, and who knows if I'll find that deep teal & soft seagreen shade. If you don't know it already, seagreen is my ultime favorite color, with teal gaining up on the lead. My eyes are attracted like flies to garbage to these colors, whenever I pass by them. No joke.
I won't tell you right now what it will be, but I'll tell you that the three colors are here, above, and will be felted into something of sweet decor for my future wooden coffee table. By jove, I better get a wooden coffee table, because I have so many decoration ideas for it.
I'll keep you updated when I spin some more.

Do you now?

I'm so in love with these socks. They're just so long and festive! I can finally get my game on, come next qudditch match (ei- next movie)

Pattern: just stockinette

Method: top-down

Yarn Used: Knitting up a Storm Yarns, Colorway: Gryffindor

Needles used: size 2 dpns

Co: 64 stitches

Ribbing: 1x1 (lurve it!) for 1.5''

Leg length: total of 8''

Shoe size: 8

Cah! I even casted on for Sytherin already.

It's ready for me whenever I'm bored (if that's possible, lately).

I guess the game is on! It's always G-vs-S in the movies.

Gettin' back on the horse.

(Sorry Morrie, I'm not a gymnist. -Zoolander)

Hey All.
I wanna thank everyone who wished me well & gave me their awesome tips on how to feel better. :) You gals= greatness.
It's been a rough journey, I'll tell you that...with just about everything that a flu can give you, besides yaking (yeah, surprized me too). Monday, I even almost blackedout in the shower. Yowzers. But I'm finally at the point where I can walk around fine, without worrying...but my voice is still shattered (and my throat still hurts from hard coughs). I have skipped all classes so far this week, except for trying to make my Tuesday night class (mistake!), which my eyes and brain were going haywire. They were spazz-ing & shifty. Weird. So, when I'm finally well enough to go to classes today, I learned that they are cancelled, due to extreme wintery weather. Sweet? maybe. That means I only will have a Thurs. class (because I don't have Fri classes this semester). I'd like to say it was a vacation, but it wasn't! I played catchup on reading at home all day yesterday. Yuck.

I watched HP 1 last night, and got a good chunk of knitting done. Picture update real soon.

It's almost like dying, or something.

Uh.................. *Crash*

I find it amazing that one could feel completely fine one day, and than completely miserable and approaching the "deathbed" the next. And to think it only started with a couple coughs. I assumed it was from finally vacuuming my room. I was so wrong.

You may wonder why the heck I'm actually on the computer writing these rants to you all, in this condition, but honestly...I can't stand lying down for any more minutes. It stinks.
My head hurts. My body aches. My cough rips open my trechea, esophagus...chest...whatever technical. Next is the constant party in your throat that doesn't stick around long enough for you to get to the sink, to bring them a drink. What jerks. My eyes are plastered to a half-open look, and cannot be solved with a few decent minutes of sleep.

I'll say it. I made some bad choices this weekend...sleeping in on Friday (no class), partying at two bars; taking a "nice" and "lazy" saturday, while I catch up on stuff I need to do, knitwise: taking pictures of the finished product of my sockclub sock, fixing & pdf-ing the pattern, etc.

Now, I'm left with bad luck, and piles of reading assignments
(while being perfectly on schedule reading all last week)...with no braincells & energy to do it. C'est la vie, I guess. C'est la vie.

Quidditch Socks

So, the knitalong is on! I'm beginning to start trudging again through my second sock while watching HP and the Chamber of Secrets. I just turned the heel. It's way too late for more words, but if you want to participate, the info & place for you to post your WIPs & FOs will be under my title all month long. Have fun! :)

Getting hit on in a bar...while your Fionce is next to you

It was this crazy boy's birthday Saturday, so we hopped over to DC's and Jake's to celebrate.

However, that night prooved to be something of a surprize.

So, the fun began at DC's, where we ordered 3 dollar (gallon-sized) mugs of beer and 4 dollar fish bowls. Lo and behold (the funniest part being me not being into sports), Drew Tate, our (past) infamous quarterback for our university insists on buying me a drink. Really? Wow! How can I resist an offer like that?? Feeling quite flattered, I went back to our group with a fishbowl in tote and began the long passing minutes of nursing my drink and watching guys in tight outfits throwing eachother on the floor and making quite....curious.....moves there(a.k.a college wrestling). Toward the end of the night, a guy from our group (no one really knew who he was) walked up to me, started socializing in that friendly-guy-in-a-bar-that-really-wants-your-number sort of way...in front of Joe. Now, Joe was a great sport about Drew Tate, but this time, Joe had to set his foot down...or maybe just his hand on my thigh, that finally drove that guy away. Sorry, I'm already taken.
It took me an hour of nursing this bowl to get this far.
We played drunken card games. To my surprize, I did pretty well. However, I was yet again feeling quite awkward when another guy from the group (I've never seen him before) began to "whisper" loudly to my neighbor of whether or not I was single. "I" said no, revealing that he wasn't even close to being remotely subtle about it..and he asked her "well, then married?" What the frick. Does it matter... Hello?
If I were single, it would have been a very sucessful night.

Aye karumba.

Restocking some fibers

Shiver. Me. Timberrrrrrrs!
Wow! It's barely 5 degrees here, without the wind!
I just got back from class right now, barely making it home in the frosty storm. The sky is white, the snow like sand particles whipping across the pavement and spiraling up into the sky like a sand storm...
It. Is. Cold. With the wind, it's probably negative 10 or 15...or even negative 20.
My face is lobster red. My fingers finally thawing. I doubled up almost every layer...yet my body was still going numb. My new knit hat almost flew off my head along the way. That would have sucked. Big time.

But, anyways, her 'be some new fibers:
A Valentine's Day feature: "Sweet Hearts"
(Silk blend fingering weight yarn)

[2 in stock]

"Butterfly"
(Silk blend fingering weight yarn)

[2 in stock]

My absolute favorite...and I might snatch it first..." Japanese Blossoms" (almost named "courier")

(merino laceweight yarn)

[1 in stock]SOLD




Spring feature: "Spring Tulips"
(Silk blend fingering weight yarn)

[1 in stock]













A many thanks to those who sympathized with me about my lost phone. My mother and I share the same plan (and same looking phone), so she went to verizon in IL and turned off my phone. But, I will be using hers, with my same old number, while she enjoys her new free phone (with a rebate). She made a point to brag about it. It was a "blessing in disguise" she exclaimed.

Time to cram food & knowledge into my head before my 11:30 class. Adios.

Anna's "LT Rib" Cap (KUAS Original Pattern)

Note: This free pattern has been removed 10/17/12. It may or may not return, but if it does, it will be tweaked and pdf’ed and available for an inexpensive $1.99 price.

Yarns suggested: Cascade Yarns Pastaza

Yarn weight: Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)

Gauge: 6 stitches and 6 rows = 1 inch

Needle size: US 8 - 5.0 mm     US 10½ - 6.5 mm

Yardage: 200 yards (183 m)

Size: large

Pleading "temporary" insanity.

Lost cell phone, lost ID card, not watching traffic, (same) lost cell phone. This is certainly turning into a sick cycle. Unfortunately for me, I have to whip out some explanation for all of this chaos. I plead "temporary" insanity, because I'm too young to tag myself with Alzheimer's. So, please. PLEASE. If someone has seen my brain, please return it. It is probably with my cellphone, which I still cannot find.

For all of you sockclub peeps, the pattern should be done within a week. I received the yarn a few days ago, and am working diligently on it, as well as tweeking the pattern as I go. Your package will be sent before Valentine's Day, and I am hoping that everyone will just love my lovey-dovey pattern. And Liz's colorway. And the "unknown" item. For everyone else, I should have a finished picture up around or after Valentine's Day.

I'm quite pleased that my Intro to Prehistory book that I ordered through a third party on Amazon came today. I don't have time to mess with fraudulent sellers right now. I also spent the majority of today at Starbucks, knitting and reading the intro to the Friday Night Knitting club, which I spent my precious Borders gift card on (as well as two Nicholas Sparks books). I really do mean "precious." How easy is it to spend 40 bucks? I can't believe how much books cost now. I can buy movies cheaper at Walmart. This book says that it will tug at my heart-strings...so let's see. However, after reading The Notebook, A Bend in the Road, and At First Sight in a row, it has a little competition for my "tears." But we'll see, won't we?

Ah, Linguistics. It's useful, but retched. It shows me that I should have gotten "hooked on phonics" as a kid. I might just be bald by the end of this semester. It wasn't required for me, but I jumped onboard, hoping to learn a few things. I just hope I don't regret my decision. If it doesn't help my English, or diction for singing... it will at least work in conjunction with my Prehistory course. Or maybe I can leave the class happy to at least know that linguistics means "the study of languages."

The last minute survival hat

I had another ball of my bulky green Cascade yarn. So I knit up another hat. Do you have lots of spare sock yarn lying around? Well, a great way to destash is to combine them with other yarn in your projects. I thought the result with my hat was interesting, even though next time, I'll knit a more fitted one. For now, I don't care. When the weather is hanging around zero, you start to get less picky. This hat is sure to cover your ears.

There will be more yarn up in my shop really soon. I dyed them at the end of break, and they are waiting to be rewound. You'll see my "butterfly," "sweet hearts," "Japanese blossoms" lace, and a couple more colorways.

The Paci Profile

Name: Al Paci

Birthday: 07-20-06

Birthplace: Pepperidge Farm

Parents: Micheal & Winifred Paci

Likes: Snuggling in bed, reading, dark chocolate, and staring

Dislikes: being lonely, baths, shaving, and bugs

Achievements: being the first alpaca to jump over the moon, winner of the longest staring contest, winning second in the international "softest fur" contest (lost to a hamster), and keeping constant tabs on Joe (inside joke).

Thank the Lord

When you are thanking the Lord left and right in one day, you know you have someone looking over your shoulders.
Thank you Lord for....
1. My Life (and not getting run over by a bus. [my fault]).
2. A warm place to come home to (goodness gratious. I felt like a giant icecube from just walking from class to class all bundled up.).
3. Food in the belly ("Is there a deal on ID cards--buy 3, get 1 free? NO? Dang." [I finally found the card after skipping 2 meals]). I'm also grateful for hot chocolate. And coffee.... to warm the bones.
4. A couple classes easy enough to knit in the back rows. Hurrah!

The one foot pose.

It's that time again.... the ever speedy clock has tocked and the wallet is shocked.

Let my last semester begin.

On the way back to Iowa, I grabbed this WIP and starting trudging through the first sock. Amazingly, I finished. I didn't even plan on it. It wasn't that I had much left to do, but I was so busy worrying about packing that I didn't even obsess about how far I "should get" with a few hour car ride. It was kind of refreshing. I love not having deadlines.
Nature's thermostat is set back to winter again here. I don't like being cold, but there is something therapeutic about the way that the chimneys look smoking outside, while walking downtown in the crunchy snow. It's cold, but silent. I love that. Even the sky gives off a smokey grey-orange hue. It's time to snuggle up and hibernate again with a good book (Nicholas Spark's The Notebook) and some mocha. Maybe I'll even knit a little more of my "in between blahness" socks. To put it in other words, all of my stockinette socks will now be the socks I knit only when I have some spare time in between events. I don't have to worry about patterns, or dropping stitches while shoving it in my bag(it's just stockinette), or deadlines. It's just "me socks." It's just "brainless work" type of socks. And I'll have to admit...that's my favorite kind.

I'm starting to think I have a "one foot pose" thing going on. It's almost starting to be my thing as much as Rachel Ray's "EVOO." Here she be, guys. I think the pattern is cute and feminine. It will be a great Valentine's Day knit. Now, if I just write up the pattern, we can be on our way.
If you're wondering...the dress was from my senior prom dance. It's the most beautiful dress I've ever worn (and definitely the most expensive one I've ever bought). I'm glad to know that it served more than one purpose now.