Monday, January 21, 2008

Cold, Cleaning, School, So Much to Knit so Little Time

Time for a new post. It's cold here today. I don't like cold, but I have to go out and run some errands. I have books that have to go back to the library. I need to go to the grocery store and get milk. I've got TONS of clothes that I need to take to the goodwill. I'm really trying to reduce the amount of 'stuff' I have in my house. My computer room is still a beast, but I know it will come along in time.

I hate my closet. I don't like keeping my clothes in drawers, because you can't see them and mess them up looking for what you want. My closet has bulb crate shelves in it, and they are tired. Right now my clothes are in the basement because I don't want to put them away. I got some underbed storage boxes for my summer/winter clothes, and they don't fit under our bed, it's a pretty low to the floor. I was thinking about getting some of those bed riser things, I just need a few inches, but I'm afraid they won't work or will be horribly ugly.

I'm in a quandary over knitting projects right now.
I have two pairs of socks in progress (one of which I need to finish 'now' since I gave them to my dad for Christmas and just need to rework the foot so it's a little longer). I want to make my mom some legwarmers for her birthday in Feb - but for some reason, I can't start them. I don't know why my mental block is.

It's too early to start my Feb Square of the Month, so I'm not. My other birthday present for my mom is a lace cowl type thing, but I'm still waiting for my ball winder to arrive so I can wind the 400 ish yards of laceweight yarn into a ball without dying of old age before I get to the end of it.

My ravelry queue has about 140 projects on it, including a Horde symbol pillow, that I may or may not felt (but I'm waiting for the yarn to arrive, it will get here when the ball winder does). Most of those projects don't have recipients.

I want to make myself a dressy scarf and head warmer thing, but the needles I would use are the same ones I need for both the legwarmers and the cowl, and I'm saving my needle buying money to get this interchangable set.

I started my Interpersonal Communication class this past Monday, have today off for the holiday. It's going to be interesting. I'm supposed to write two papers evaluating conversations I've had with someone, and explaining what could have been done better in those conversations. I don't get it. Maybe it will make more sense after we get into more than the syllabus.

I have 5 friend requests from people that have never commented in my journal and whose journals I haven't commented in. I have no intention of accepting them (that is what bookmarks are for people), but i feel badly deleting them.

Oh, I saw Julie Loyd play at the coffee shop where I knit on Tuesday nights. I really enjoyed watching her perform. I don't see live music often and forget just how captivating it is. I am amazed how she travels all over playing her music, just herself a few speakers, her guitar and her banjo. I'm impressed by her courage. Listen to Fate Says He's Sorry, and Normal. Well, listen to them all, but I like those two a lot.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Got my Swap, New Needles and a Gift Card to a Store I Don't Shop at

I got my SG gift swap in the mail this past week. I got a beautiful hand-knit scarf, awesome notions (stitch markers, tapestry needles, etc), and 2 skeins of recycled silk yarn. Once I finally get my ball winder I can start looking at what I want to make with it.

My KnitPicks Harmony needles arrived - I got sizes 1, 2 and 3 - and am knitting on the 2s right now. I love them! I wish there was a more convenient way to get them, and I can't afford to buy them all now, but I think I will work my way through them. I'm hoping to just get the interchangable set rather than all fixed. So, my plan is to save money, buy the fixed ones that don't come in the interchangables, and get the interchangables sometime. Maybe once my bank account is happier, I can use my grandparents Christmas money for part of it.

If only my MIL had purchased me a gift certificate to them instead of to Barnes and Noble. She meant well, but the nearest store isn't near me at all, and browsing online is hard to do. I almost bought Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty series - but I've heard mixed reviews and I'd rather buy them for less on Amazon. So now I have the SnB nation book in my bag, along with The Golden Compass (plus the other two in the series)

So, what do I purchase with the rest of the gift card? I want more pattern books, but my Ravelry queue is already out of control. I love to read, but really feel like I should just go to the library.

Oooh, I think I have it figured out. The new Vampire Huntress book comes out in February. I'm going to pre-order it - YAY!

Class starts on Monday. I'm taking Intro to Interpersonal Communication. Whee. I have to get this degree finished. I have to transfer last semester's credits. I forget how.

Things I want to do that are fun:
Finish reading my library book
Knit
Go Geocaching
Have several game nights
Play guitar hero/rock band
Play in the yard with my dogs
Read the Chronicles of Narnia with my husband
Level my Shaman
Get my Tattoo
Go bowling
Go out to dinner with my best man and his family

What I'm knitting now (and I'm too lazy to make links)
Two Alert Cat Socks (for my mom)
A gift
January Square of the Month
Thuja socks for Dad (I have to add some length to the foot and redo the toe)


What I've finished recently
Three gifts for three separate people

What I want to knit soon
Something entrelac using leftover yarns from the above projects
Baby knits for a number of babies I know (I'm so glad I have friends with children)

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Geocaching, Scarves, Squares and my Swift

My Swift arrived, my husband thinks I'm crazy having a special piece of equipment to wind yarn. Right now I'm using it as a sculpture in my living room, as the winder is still on back order. I'm very excited.

Some crazy part of me decided to make some late Christmas scarves for a few friends. One down, two to go! I started to make fetching, didn't like it in the yarn I had, and had converted from dps to both pieces on two circs, not paying attention to needing to have a certain amount of sts on each needle for the cable pattern. I'll do them again some other time.

Was supposed to go to my LYS for the January Celtic Square of the month, but was working on Decembers and decided that I'd pick my own order and do my own square each month. I feel guilty, but as of right now, I don't need to practice the sts for three hours before starting the square, and I can use that $10 to buy yarn.

This afternoon I went geocaching with my parents. If I can find a buddy and a GPS I would be in trouble. I love going on treasure hunts and short walks. I may find out if someone in my knitting circle or in the regional SG group is interested and do more with them. Solo-caching isn't for me, and I can't expect my parents to come visit every weekend.

What really makes it exciting is that the alien that I knitted is now a travel bug. I can't wait til my Mom emails me the pictures of where we started it's travels.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Help! I want to knit every pattern I see!

That pretty much sums it up.

Knitting Calendar, Harmony Needles, and a Swift

So, I got the 2008 Knitting with Desiree Scales and friends calendar - so far, I'm intrigued. Since I'm an obsessive collector, having patterns that interest me that I'll probably never do is fine - you can just peek at my ravelry queue and figure that out. Some of them are bound to be scary though, but I'm refraining from peeking ahead.

Over the weekend I made the Instant Gratification Scarf while watching Law and Order.

I've decided that I want to make some good friends some knitted Christmas presents - for this past Christmas. The scarf is for their 10 yr old son, and I'm making them each some fingerless mitts.

I'm on the leg of the 'toe' up Traveler (pedicure) socks and the recipient's visit keeps getting pushed back. I'm bummed. I miss her like crazy and living 10 to 12 hours away from each other sucks.

In other news my swift is in the mail - I can order my ball winder on Jan 9, and my sock-sized harmony needles should be shipping any day now.


My swap partner seemed to like her gift. I had a lot of fun and want to do more, but I think I will skip the priority mail the next time.

My grandmother got the felted bowl I made her, and thought it was a hat. oops. I don't have the heart to tell her.

Why am I typing - I have knitting to do!