I Blame College August 31, 2008

…for the fact that I have no time to post. The first week of classes was INSANE and the second week is looking like it’ll be about the same. After that I think I’ll be okay, but we’ll see. I’m just glad I decided to take a reduced schedule. This is the first semester where I’ll be taking all real classes instead of all theatre classes in over a year so that’ll be interesting. Oh well. I’ve got all kinds of important theatre stuff to do, so that’ll be exciting. However, in more interesting news I have been knitting!

Sadly I don’t have any pictures, but I can list all the projects I’m working on. Here we go:

-the fire socks are half done. They make good class knitting.

-I started some new Opal socks to work on at the yarn store. Good times. Oh, and I get payed to sit outside and knit and tell people to buy yarn. It’s awesome. I love fall and knitting. Glorious!

-The sock blanket. of course.

-Titania’s Revenge socks. I’m in love. With the socks and the character. I’m such a theatre dork…

-Vinnland socks. They’re beautiful. And pretty impressive.

-All the lace that I haven’t picked up in a while… I should get on that.

-Brandy’s socks. Also good class knitting.

-The Mrs. Weasley Blanket. Basically I’m knitting 8″ by 8″ squares in 1×1 ribbing using Berroco Ultra Alpaca held double. It’ll be beautiful. I’m excited about it. I’ll end up using other yarns too, but for now it’s all the Ultra Alpaca. The colors are so pretty! I’m done with 2 of the 5 colors I have sitting around, so that’s fun. Too bad a skein only makes 2 squares. I’ve got a lot of knitting to do. Yay!

Okay, time to get things together to hang out with the family. And maybe get some chemistry reading done while I have the time. Happy knitting!

Found!!! August 23, 2008

So, one year ago my dad lost or threw away a pair of socks I had knit for my WSM’s birthday. Or so we thought… Today, I got an email with this picture.

The lost socks!!! They were in his car the whole time. Talk about exciting things to find in your car!

In other knitting news, I have lots of socks on the needles, as well as some shawls. I also started my new job at a local yarn store. Yay for working in a yarn store! I started at the book store today, too. I move in tomorrow and start classes on monday. Gotta love starting senior year. Basically now the fun starts

oh, for craps sake… August 18, 2008

It’s official. The time of no-more-buying-yarn is here and I am only allowed to go stash diving. Fortunately the stash has grown enough that stash diving could be exciting! I like forgetting what I have and finding it all over again.  As for projects, the gray scarf is done and mailed. It looks beautiful but I was lazy and didn’t get a picture of the finished product. Oops. Oh well. As for the other projects in the last post, the red/gray socks have been ripped out. The colors were pooling and looked horrible so I’m going to start those later. The Vinnland socks are on a break as I’m trying to finish the Albion socks as soon as possible to free up the needles. They’re still pretty, but they’re a very late birthday present. Plus I have other socks that I really want to knit. Like these. I’m in love with them, and I love the character so they’re perfect theatre dork socks. hehe.

In other knitting news, the Yarn Harlot posted about a library in Canada that has cancelled the kids knitting group program because it’s not related to reading and they want their programs to be more literacy focused. I recommend checking out the Yarn Harlot and the article (she has a link to the article posted). Here’s what I posted in the comments:

I like that they made the point that if the knitting group were to have a reading related focus then they are welcome to use the space. I mean, it’s not that much to ask people to READ in a LIBRARY. Their books could even be knitting related, I’m sure you could find kids books about knitting or that have characters knitting in them (like, oh… Harry Potter?). A simple solution. I knit and read all the time. Heck, I was knitting when I read the post and the article! But the main point is that the library is in the right to say “we want all of our programs to focus on literacy”. As much as I love knitting, I do think that literacy is a slightly higher priority for young kids, but if they want to mix the two I say that’s a great idea.

The comment in the article about having video games does concern me. If they are reading related, then that’s great and fits with the libraries goals. If they are not, however, then the library may want to reconsider their point of canceling a knitting group (or other craft groups) that give little kids the opportunity to socialize and learn a valuable skills. I don’t think being able to drive a video car faster than the computer or blow up aliens will really help in the real world. Give the kid a crossword or maze. That’s better problem solving if you ask me.

To all of us who do knit, go knit somewhere fun and exercise your right to knit where you please!
and maybe take a good book with you, too.

Take a look at the other comments and see what you think, or join in if you like. It’s an interesting issue, though not the end of the world. Definitely something to keep in mind though.

Now I’m off to enjoy the pretty sunshine and read and knit to my hears content before I start school and don’t have time any more.

startitis? August 10, 2008

Yep. It’s one of the many times when I start to finish things and when I only have a (relative) few projects going at once and I start to cast on new stuff. So, now I have pictures of the socks and the scarf that I’ve started recently. Here we go.

These socks are gifts that may or may not relate to Christmas. I haven’t decided yet. They may just be random gifts. Though the idea of holding them hostage until then is appealing…

The red and gray yarn was purchased in England last fall and the purple yarn I got off Ebay while I was in high school and has been sitting in the stash ever since (I had a lot more of it when I bought it off Ebay. After this pair, I think I might have enough for one more pair). It’s the Brown Sheep Wildfoote sock yarn in Purple Splendor. I like it, though I’ve made so many socks out of it that the novelty has kind of worn off… oh well, it’ll be in the stash for desperate times in the future.

This project is a scarf for a friend.

I like it. It’s pretty. Made of Berroco Ultra Alpaca held double and knit on size 10.5 needles. I may have to make one of these for myself. It’s also given me a good idea for a blanket… Moving on!

I started these today:

and I’m in love!!!! They’re sooooo pretty! This pictures is pretty close to the true color, but here’s one where you can see the pattern.

A little blurry, but still pretty. I’m too lazy to link to the pattern, but it’s the Vinnland sock pattern on the Anti Craft and the yarn is UrbanGypz merino sock yarn in the Labradorite II colorway. It’s very pretty and I got it at my yarn store. Speaking of, I only work one more shift at the yarn store for the rest of the summer. SAD! I’m going to miss it, but I’ll come and visit when I’m in town. I’ve had lots of good times, and have a lot of great yarn to work though and remember it by.

pictureless August 7, 2008

So, I’m too lazy busy to take pictures of finished objects, but I have finished two pairs of socks this week! The first pair of Purl’s socks are now done, and I finally finished my Mom’s Mothers day socks. Now I just have the two other pairs of socks for Purl’s and my WSM’s birthday socks and all the half finished pairs will be done! Though knowing me, I’ll get side tracked and start some new pairs too. Oh well, as long as I’m entertained, right?

To make up for the fact that I finished two things this week, I may have bought a bunch of yarn at Purl’s the other day (it was my second to last day. I’m running out of time to build up the stash for school!). I got some dark blue lace weight that I’ve been looking at the whole time I’ve worked there, some sock yarn (duh) and some silk Garden to make the Entrelac stole from Scarf Style. I’m in love with the pattern and we had enough yarn in the store, and … well, you know. I couldn’t help myself! It was the wool fumes. You try sitting in a yarn store for 8 hours and then NOT buy anything (I almost did it once, but when I came to pick up my paycheck the box of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn had arrived… it was hopeless).

Okay, I think that’s all the exciting news, knit wise. Now I’m off to work on stuff for school. Woohoo!… I think. Happy knitting!

I’m too tired to write right now… August 2, 2008

… so here are some pictures of my new yarn. Do not, under any circumstances think about what it’s worth because it’s been acquired over a matter of time *coughtweekcough*. So, for your enjoyment, yarn.