First week on the east coast and I encounter two natural disasters

NOTE: This paragraph was written before the Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene:
 So right now the whole East Coast is under a hurricane warning. Earlier this week there was an earthquake and now this. So far I don't really know what to do. I did go to Trader Joe's and picked up some non-perishables but really my NERT trainers would laugh at what I picked up.... If you ever hear of those old-timey expeditions where they bring 500 wigs, coo coo clocks and beads I got a small scale modern equivalent. The storm isn't supposed to hit until Saturday night/Sunday. Or at least that is the rumor.

Update Post:

So I survived the tropical storm. There were no power outages or floods in my neighborhood. Luckily the worst that happened to me was that I got antsy due to staying in all day.  
This is the first week of school. Well, I don't actually go to school until the end of the week but hey, that just means that I am no longer in vacation mode. So far I have a few articles to read but it's more exciting than stressful. I am nervous, excited and anxious about this new start. It is exciting but I really wonder what it is going to be like to go back to school. It has been five years since I was a full-time student. And this time around I am a graduate student. Now, unlike during undergraduate school, I know that I have to take responsibility for a lot of my actions in and out of the class. Don't get my wrong, I was a good kid, but now I understand how clueless 20 year old people are...or how clueless they can be..  

The other interesting thing about my program is that all of my classes are once a week. I don't even have things spreed out so I have to make sure that I don't just think of my days off campus as days off. That would be a really good way to fail my first year. I am ready to have something to do with my time. Although I enjoy my time getting lost in Boston I do find that without a place that  I have to go to at least twice a week.  Once school starts that is exactly what I am in for. It will also be exciting to start my internship. I am taking intro to archives. Part of that  course requires that I have an internship. This will be a real change form what I am used to doing on a day of work. CRAZY! 

I have been knitting. I started working on my winter cap. I think that finishing a winter hat will inspire me to finish my big projects...you know... like my shawl or my two sweaters! Ekk. Well I guess that I will eventually just have one post where I talk about nothing but knitting. The pattern that I am using is Pollen and Bubbles. I am using Mademinetosh Vintage yarn. It is really nice to work with and I really want to finish it. So this is what I am keeping with me at all times. It is a good distraction from making sleeves on my sweater (which I really should do now rather than when it gets cold). I will get to make pom poms for this hat wich I think is pretty fun. I still haven't mastered knitting with both hands but the results aren't that bad, just a little on the puffy side. I am still in love with the hat nonetheless.
 
I guess that like all of the choices that I have made in the last year everything may not be perfect but the results are generally good and I am happy with what I can do.

Changes

So I am currently house sitting..."Why?" you might ask. Well I am technically homeless. I have a home... but it is across the country. I think that at this point I should just say what is going on with me. I am moving from San Francisco to the Boston area. Yes, this west coast girl is moving to the east. I am moving because I will start graduate school for library science. I am pretty darn excited. The past year has been full of ups and downs and now I am finally taking a little time to stop and look around me. My things are being shipped out to my new home and with the kindness of knitters I am able to stay behind in my hometown and enjoy my time off. So far I have met up with friends and had some wonderful food. I will miss both (SF friends and food!).

During my two year program I will study cataloging and reference, as well at take courses like the history of the boot k and user services. I am going to be be a general MLS student. But my hope is that by the end I will graduate with a lot of classes in user services. I hope that with hard work that I will complete my program prepared for a new career path.

Although I will be on the opposite coast for a little while I will still knit. And well for a while I will have projects started on the west coast to complete. I am currently working on a great number of projects. Socks, hats and even a sweater. I really wish that I could finish at least one of them, but right now I am at that odd tedious point (ex: sleeves)  of most of my projects. One project that is a constant challenge is the Phostosynthesis shawl. The combination of lace and beading makes this a very involved project. I think that most of it is coming out nicely. I am excited to see what will happen in the end. I highly recommend this pattern. It looks great with AND without beads. I would love it if I could get just a bit further in this pattern before I leave. I guess that means  that I will have to hunker down and knit! Well so long till next time.

First Post of 2011

Why hello everyone! It has been a while since I have posted. I since my last post I have worked long hours, completed a couple of personal projects, moved and become a year older. So far 2011 has been a busy one.

One thing that I am very excited about taking a Dreamweaver course! So I hope that in a few months from now that I will try a few new trick on this blog. The class is very basic. But I plan on using this site for my final project. I don't really know how this whole thing would work. But it would be nice to show off what I am learning. The class starts off very basic. I learned where menu items were and how to save files. It sounds minor but it also seems that not knowing the basics can cause some really annoying or even major problems.

Craft-wise I was pretty busy at the end of the last year and the beginning of this year. Two of my cousins were pregnant at the same time! Since they were both due in January/February I felt that it would be a good time to work on something small as a gift. The result were two pairs of baby booties. One set for a girl and another for a boy. This was my first time making booties. I used the sock yarn from my diagonal lace socks and Charade. I used the magic slippers pattern. I was pretty close to not having enough yarn but lo-and behold, these bad boys barely use any yarn. These are done in on piece (first the sole and then stitched are picked up for the body of the booties). I am pretty sure that I could have done these two at a time. But I did not. They still worked fast.

This winter I also worked on a couple of hats. The first that I completed was a lace and cable number called the Ashley. I did this project using sport weight yarn. And although it came out pretty good it was also a little on the thin side for me. So of course I decided to work on another hat.


The Selbu Modern came out very nice. This was my first fair isle project. It went fast and it was the first time that I ever knitted while holding yarn in two hands. This hat fit perfectly and was comfortably warm. The sad part of this story is that I lost it! I tried to retrace my steps but I just couldn't find it. I do want to another one. But I feel like i should use a different color. BUT I also don't want to go around buying large skeins of sock yarn and not using it all for one project.Today I started a new Selbu. I am going to use the contract color as the man color for this one. I just hope that I have enough yarn. I forgot how hard it was to start this project. I think that I must knit really tight.

When not knitting, reading, or watching movies I have done a bit of canning. The first thing that I made was apple sauce. I used Macintosh and Honey Crisp for a nice sweet sauce. I spiced it up with cinnamon and brown sugar. This gave it a nice pink color. I think that next time I make applesauce I will add some raspberries. That would have to be good. My second attempt at canning were pears. So far so good. I made the pares last month and so far I have had three out of the five small jars (one pear per jar people). And well so far I have not gotten sick and the paers are still not brown. Yum! My favorite part of canning is hearing the pop made as the cans seal while cooling. That is pretty exciting.


I have a number of projects to finish: Alice lace top, socks, secret gift knit (the secret is what the gift is, not that it exist), a lace stole and well... I hope that is it. I guess my next post will be an "in progress" post. Hopefully THAT wont take me three months to write.

Feather and Fan and all the rest

So what have I been up to since my last post? Well, this past week I was sick (first a sinus infection, then a bad reaction to antibiotics), and I have been working on five projects... well I have five projects on needles (six if you want to count each sock that are on circular needles). Before I proceed to talking about knitting I will blog about something that more than just knitters will enjoy.

This weekend was a knitting group weekend. The thing about my knitting group is that we love doing activities that are fun and adventurous. We actually go out and do stuff. This weekend we went to St. George's Spirits in Alameda for a tasting.

We all crossed the bay and braved an unpaved road to get to the distillery. The weather was actually pretty nice. So I was able to take a number of pictures while on the ferry. It was nice to see San Francisco from the view of the Bay. It's not very often that i get to see the sights that so many tourist come to see.

St. George's is the maker of Hanger 1 vodka. They also make liqueurs, whiskey and absinthe.  The tasting menu was a bit lengthy but the host guided us through with humor and insight. This was my second time there. I just have to remember to start taking visitors. Sure, many people come to Northern California for wine tasting, but I think that St. George's Spirits offers a fun experience that most people don't get to have. I mean how many people knew that swirling vodka is a no no and that there is a specific way that you should breath while tasting.

Now, to the knitting. It is strange how I have become one of those people who sees a pattern and the says to themselves "You know what? I can knit that! I even that some yarn and the right needles (not always, let's just say the me and Addi are quickly becoming friends )!! That is what has happened this year. And the other strange thing about my knitting habits this year is that I have done way more lace projects this year than I have ever done in the total however-many-years I have been a knitter.

I find that I really like how lace looks, but I have a problem with sticking with one thing... the moment that charts get a little complicated and I start to loose count I get a bit frustrated. For example: My Alice top is currently on hold because I have to decrease while maintaining the pattern to shape the waist.... yeah, for me it is as complicated as it sounds. So I have distracted myself with projects that seem a little more doable.

Does this count as being half way through?

What does that mean? SOCKS! Socks that don't have a lace pattern or cables. I am working on the Charade sock pattern. I am doing two at a time using magic loop from the top down. I was worried about doing a slip stitch heel flap rather than a short row. But it seems to have worked out fine and I think that i might even prefer it. But these bad boys are knitting up at a good rate.

The knitting goal for the next few months is to actually organize my stash (i.e. get containers form Walgreens and store my skeins in my closet rather than stuff them randomly on my bookshelf), and to not start any new projects until I finish the ones that are currently on needles. Wish me luck people... wish me luck.

Finally Spring is in the Air

Well, I got my boot off and the weather became nice enough for me to wear my flip flops. After having the boot for so long I am ready to go out and do things. Last weekend I actually put air in the tires of my bicycle and I took a little ride around the neighborhood. This weekend I wanted to go camping. But as some one pointed out to me, EVERYONE will be camping this weekend because it is a three day weekend. Ah well. With all of the great parks around I will hopefully go for a hike. For some reason I have a real urge to be in nature.

On the knitting front I have not been very good with completing projects. I am still working on the Alice Top, and I am also still working on the Hanami Stole (which I am failing at). But! I really wanted to make a baby gift for my very pregnant co-worker. After days of searching for baby hats and booties and jackets and all that cute baby stuff I got realistic: I only had a week to knit a present! So I decided to stick with hats . I made the two pretty little caps listed below. I got the patterns from the Chronicle Books "Hats Mittens and Scarves". I have owned this box of patterns for a number of years an I don't think that I ever made anything form it. My co-worker is having a girl but I didn't want to make anything that was super pink. She really liked the aviator cap because of its ears. These two bad boys used less than a skein of yarn. Woot Woot. If I had a little more time (or if I was more skilled) I would have made matching booties or socks. Awe well. Next time I know someone is having a baby I will do more planning ahead.

I hope to distract myself with yet another knitting project. Because the Alice top is so slow for me to work with I felt that it was alright to work on something that should be a little easier.I did some searching and mistakenly downloaded a couple of sweaters that looked like they should be of the top-down variety but were really done in pieces. Then I found this snazy number called Rusted Root. It's pretty and has a little bit of lace but it shouldn't make me want to tare my eyes out and bite my fingers off.

I got off of the horse when it came to GRE studying. My plan to take it in June will not happen. I guess maybe I should say that I will take it in September. What I should do is just schedule the test so that I have no choice but to take it. Wish me luck I guess.

I am so good at self sabotage that I amaze myself!

So, some people who know me would say that I am accident prone. I would like to believe that not everyone thinks that I am, but if they do they are nice enough not to point it out. I would say that I am perfectly fine, but it seems that January/February of the past three years has resulted in me being incapacitated in some way: 2008, bike accident resulting in cracked elbow, 2009, pulled back muscle resulting in a few months of physical therapy, and now 2010 sudden fall in my apartment resulting in fractured metatarsal and boot for 4 - 6 weeks. So sad. So although I was hoping to start running this year I will have to put that on that back burner till this summer.

Some how the moth of April got a way from me. During the month of April I started to study for the GRE. Yes, I am interested in going to graduate school one day. My goal is to study for the GRE and take the exam this summer. That will be a big step towards applying. Yes it is true that some of the schools that I am interested in do not require GRE's but they are good to have when you are not sure about where you want to apply. I still like my job and my apartment so I wont be going anywhere soon but so far it looks like if I do get into graduate school I might be leaving San Francisco once again. If I am lucky I would get to move into a city otherwise I will have to finally learn how to drive. I think that it would be in everyone's best interest if I didn't have to learn how to drive. 

This month was also a big soup month but I forgot to take photos. This month I made a spicy pinto bean soup (from the Deborah Madison book that I mentioned in earlier posts) and a beef burgundy from Cooking Light Soup magazine. I forgot to take pictures So I will have to remember to do that next time that I make it.

Knitting has gone slow but well. There are not many projects that I have finished. I did finish my first pair of socks. I have also started a new sweater. It is a top down (not challenging) but it is a lace project (AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!). So this is taking a long time. I think that I might want to try to find a less challenging project but I should really finish these plus my other lace project.

Here is an update on my socks. It is taking me a long time to finish because of very minor mistakes. The first one made was my won fault. I thought that i was supposed to start in then heel after I knitted the sock an inch shorter than its desired length. But I guess that night only be true if I am doing a short row heel. So I found myself ripping out about two days of work because I was supposed to knit three inches short of the desired length.

The next problem occurred because the pattern was wrong... YES, THE PATTERN WAS WRONG!! So here is my correction for the heel flap of the diagonal lace sock designed by Wendy D. Johnson: That first row of the heel flap where is says knit 47 across? Knit 43. Now I don't know if I read the damn thing wrong and I wasn't supposed to do something, but knitting 47 across caused me massive head aches. But after doing some knitting math I figured out what worked for me. Ta-da! O now have something that looks like a foot can go in it. Woot Woot. I guess that after this I should really return to some of my old projects and complete some of those. Then I can start working on a sweater.



SO OKGo has a new music video. Like everything else on the internet I may be behind on this one. But I thought that I would share this... I think that it is time that I play Mouse Trap

First Magic Loop Socks

First Magic Loop Socks
Originally uploaded by oneroompalace
So I have begun to attempt to make socks by knitting two at a time using the Magic Loop Method. And although I do not think that I will finish the socks by the end of the Olympics(February 28) but I will have at least completed a good chunk of the socks.

At one point in time I thought that I was going sock crazy. and then I realized that i was just going crazy. Although I enjoyed starting socks I could not complete a pair to save my life. I would run out of yarn (and not want to spend a butt load of money on a new ball) or I would lose a needle and not want to buy a whole set just for one needle. So I would stop and move on to something else that i would not finish. My hope with doing two socks at at time is that I will either have two socks or no socks at all. There wont be any of that proud to finish one and not have the energy to do the other. YAY!!!

On another note. I was looking for some toe-up sock patterns and stumbled upon a site where the author claims that she has not worn store bought socks in years. I have heard this multiple times and for some reason I can't believe. I would love it if someone would fess up to this and tell me how they function. I mean, I know that there is all types of yarn that you can make socks out of (cotton, hemp, bamboo, soy) but are people really wearing hand made socks to the gym?!?!?! That is really my only question. I have been able to justify every other scenario and for the most part I can see why knitted socks might even be preferred. But I still can't wrap my head around the gym thing.

Hello! I have not given up blogging. I was on a bit of a hiatus due to working on my fiction writing for a class that I was taking. I know that it has been a while since I posted anything. But at usual I vow to post more often. Lets see if I can meet my goal of twice a month. I think that is a good number for a person who is not always the most busiest.

The Winter holidays were pretty fun. My family did Secret Santa for the first time. I think that, with the help of my family members, it went well and I hope that we will it again next year. I think that it will work better if I have everyone's email address. I got a wonderful gift certificate to YarnMarket.com. I feel like I should use the certificate wisely. I have hidden it from myself so that I don't buy sock yarn that I may never use. I would love it but I may never use it.

It was nice to see the City get all dolled up for Christmas. The Hyatt at the Embarcadero looked pretty good. Sure most of it were just some red and green lights but it still gave me warm fuzzies.




I also received a great knitting related gift from my boss. He bought me (i believe that he was advised by his knitting sister-in-law who apparently helped with the set up of Ravelry.com) great stitch markers from DragonLadyDesigns on Etsy they are really great looking. I am sort of afraid to use them because I worried that I might lose them. But they would look really nice on a work in progress.



During my winter break I finished a second Sunflower tam (forgot to take a picture) and worked on my 5th Avenue Infinity scarf (there is not much to take a picture of). I will do a WIP post sometime in the next few weeks.

Craft Fair and Craft Fatiuge

So, I have been lazy and I am not going to write about the Renegade Craft Fair. But I can say that I did have a lot of fun! There were a lot of cool vendors. Here is a list with links to their sites.

• Old Tom Foolery
• Urban Fauna
• Spincycle Yarns
• Feusty Elle
• Magnolia Photo Booth Co.

This weekend is the American Craft Council craft fair at Fort Mason. Tonight (August 14, 2009) they offer $5.00 after 5pm admission. So I think that I will attempt to get my lazy but over to Fort Mason. This should be a little more hardcore than the RCT. This seems to focus a lot on the rise of home crafts and innovative use of materials.

This month I am kind of out of it blogwise. There have been an number of changes around me that have distracted me. YARG!! Knitting has also suffered a little. I am almost done with the Victoria Yoke Pullover. I re-knitted the body of the sweater about five times and recently realized that I fudged up on one of the sleeves. i am at the point where I am pretty sure that I am just bored by the whole thing. I really want to finish it. I am afraid that it is going to be a little more snugg than I am comfortable with. Yep people I am committing a knitting sin: depending on blocking to solve all of my problems!!!!

There are now a number of other projects that I want to work on. Small yet challenging projects. Mittens, lace, slippers, hats. And well, I also have plans to make another sweater. I know that it is a bad idea to start one project before I start another, but sometimes you have to indulge in an urge. I would like to work on the Rosamund's Cardigan from Interweave Knits Fall 2009 issue. I think that it would be nice to work with some chunky/bulky weight yarn. I haven't done anything with chunky in a long time. Maybe I will make it in tweed? or a very light green? or blue? We will see.

One project that is going well are my socks. Well, one pair of my socks. I am at the cuff of my diagonal rib socks. I already have one completed and blocked. It took me a while to finish the short row heel. Although I am proud that I am making some pretty good progress, I am not sure if I am completely sold on the sock thing. I think that I might possibly like mittens more. Sure, mittens are just socks for the hands, but you get to use bigger needles (a lot of the time).

Corresponding Picture & Lots of Promises.

So I think that it was a little unfair for me to talk about knitting projects without showing you. I mean, are you really going to go around an search for all of that? No, I know that I wouldn't. So that basically makes my last entry lame.  Here are pictures corresponding knitting projects two of my successful pictures. I am not going to talk about my whimple nor take pictures until I have finished. If I am lucky then it is going to happen sometime in February:

My first completed sock! Woohoo, it even looks like a sock, kind of.  The reason that it looks a jumbled is because there is a cool ass ribbing pattern. Once I finish the other one I will take a decent picture... you know a finished sock with a foot in it.

This is what my hat looked like at the time that I wrote my last post. I finished it later that day. I think that I will eventually just write about my completed projects




I have to take a break from knitting for a little while. I am having some back problems so I am not really allowed so do work that requires that I look down too much. Which also means that I really should have my laptop a little higher than I do right now. But when I  get better I have high hopes. Did someone say sweater?

Knitttin' aint esay... just like pimpin'

Hey everyone! This winter is seems that I cannot finish a project to save my life. I am currently in the middle of three projects: socks, a hat and of course the wimple. Gosh that damn wimple. It was really silly of me to choose this project. Using lace weight yarn to do closed work knitting is just crazy to begin with, but trying to do something that will totally about 13 inches long and about 5 inches wide is really insane. Seriously insane. I lost the pattern a while ago. But I knew that I had to do like eight or six inches of the stocknet stitch. Yea, I have to do more than that. I have to do a total of 9 1/4 inches. WTF? That totally explains why most of the wimples on Revelry look a little smaller than the picture in the book. I have thought about just giving up and finishing it shorter than I am supposed to. Because really, at the rate that I am going I won't finish until the weather finally gets warm. But at least the other two projects are coming along.

Socks are like crack. Yea, I said it. I never thought than I would ever try to make socks let alone like making them. I also think that sock yarn is some of the best looking yarn in the world. I have always stayed away from patterned yarn patterned sock yarn just looks cool. I think that it is because the projects are small and not always seen. I can't really handle too many patterns. However, I am beginning to appreciate colorful undergarments. I finished my first sock I am using the William Street sock pattern from knitting daily. It is a toe up sock. I really like the pattern and using size US 3 dpn's rather than the recommended size US 2 really made things go fast. The part that really had me flubbed was the heel. I think that I spent two or three days trying to figure out how the hell I could make a heel. I did it, it's not pretty but it works. I think that the sock might be a little shorter than it's supposed to be but it seems perfect to me. Woohooo! I just hope that people don't think that my declaration means that I am so good at making socks that I will just whip up a pair whenever someone asks. But I would like to get good enough where I can make a pair for someone and think that they are decent.

My hat is coming along fast. That gives me hope. It remindes me why I started doing this whole crafty thing in the first place; I want to make functional things with my hands and see the final result. I am doing the Robin's Egg Blue hat by Rachel Iufer. This is great. I get to use the rest of my green casmerino wool to whip this thing up in a couple of days. I haven't experienced the joy of using chunky yarn and US10 needles in years. At least one of my winter projects will work out while it is still cold. The way that the weather has been in San Francisco, that might mean that I'll get to wear it for a month or just a couple of days.

Whew, at least something will get done!

Happy New Year

I was talking to a friend of mine yesterday and she asked me when do I stop saying Happy New Year. I told her that anytime after my birthday was too wish everyone HNY. I don't really know if I should do it longer but I think that if it is almost February, people are already on their way for having a good or cap new year.

Anyway. I have not made any resolutions. I generally don't or if I do then I make sure that I have a really vague resolution, such as exercise at some point, or take more risks. That way I feel like I have a whole year to go to the gym a couple more times than I usually would, or I finally try a different brand of underwear. This year I just want to finish things that I start. Last year I left a lot of things unfinished. Aside from knitting projects (wimple, slippers, sock, hat) I just want to get some things done a work and in my own life. That is a little more dramatic than I meant that to be. Basically, I have a tone of stuff to do at work and I want to get it out of the way so that I can have a clean desk and finally do some PDF forms that I have been itching to do. The only hitch (and its a big one at that) is the fact that right when we get back I will have another project that I really wish that I didn't have to do.

Another tradition that I have after new years is taking an inventory of everything that I did accomplish in the past year. I feel like this has been a pretty good year for me. I joined a book club, went to knitting more often (wait, I don't even think that I was in a knitting group last year), and when out a little more than I usually do. I did not go crazy, but I did enjoy being somewhat social. Last year I actually did go to the gym more often! Sure the only reason that I did it was because there was a fitness program going on at my job but I do think that I will try to keep it up a little while. As part of my hope to be more consistent I also hope to blog with some regularity and keep up the physical exercise and start knitting things that I usually stay away from (like lace, or another sweater, or crazy socks).

Speaking of socks, I have started knitting a pair the about a week ago. I am almost at the heel of my first sock. It's been a little frustrating and I am sure that I've made a number of mistakes but I know that it should be somewhat functional by the end.

Well this is post number one. It's not blogging gold but I think that it's a good start!

Super lazy post

I have a lot of posts that I need to put up here. To make sure that I don't just stay in the house all day blogging I have decided to just put up a large series of small entries. This is the first of several.

When I went to Portland, OR for my vacation I dragged my travel buddy to a yarn shop. I had a lot of fun at the Yarn Garden and even picked up a couple of buttons for my Gathered Cardi (which is very close to completion now). Here are a few pictures that I know knitters might find entertaining.

Here's a short update and some pictures from my vacation

OKay, So between me and my travel buddy (aka colleges roomie) we have about 200 pictures. I still don't have hers so basically I only have the pictures that I took before I lost track of my camera bag (later I found it in my knitting bag)... This also explains why there aren't any pictures of myself sweating it out in nature. Once I get those I will post them in a sideshow.



The trip was great. The highlight of the whole thing was our ride. Oh yea, two hot chicks driving a sexy read Kia Sedona. If you aren't familiar with the awesome Sedona check the 2008 specks here.

My trip started off in the Redwoods north of Eureka. There we saw lots of moose, two ponies in a shutdown Motel 6, Paul Bunyn and trees. The roads out there were crazy!! Basically all dirt roads that are really 1 1/2 lanes rather than two. This wasn't too bad unless some California hillbilly came speeding around a blind turn while your going in the opposite direction. All in all it was great! We spent the firs night in a regular campgrounds but the two nights afterwards we were on a beach sight. I think that form here on out I am going to try to find beach campsites. Sleeping on sand is way better than sleeping on rocks.

On both days of the trip we were able to take hikes through the forests were crazy! The trees are huge and you feel like a dinosaur can pop out at any minute. It was almost enough to forget that our hikes were about 4 miles long... but then I would remember once my heart would visibly start beating out of my chest. We also had time to go to a tied pool. That was nice just because there was hardly anyone there. The only other person that we saw at the beach other than the park ranger was some guy who was poking things with a stick. THAT was entertaining. While the ranger was standing next to him he seemed fine. You know, listening intently and all that. But once she left he had a stick in his hand and he was going to town. Now I don't know about you but I can poke sea anemones for only so long before I begin to feel like maybe I should stop. This guy looked like he was not leaving until he got every anemone on the beach. For all I know he's still there!!!

After three days in the redwoods Emmy and I drove up to Portland. I think that i took pitures there... I will post about that later...

During the tirp I was able to make a lot of progress on my sweater. It actually looks like a piece of clothing now! Pretty much every night I set a sight some time to work on it. Currently I am set back a little because of a minor bike accident. So sad.

Flipping Droped Stitch!!!!!

Sorry to say this, but I am not making an effort to clean up my language. In fact after discovering a huge knitting boo boo it may get worse for a couple of days. So all this weekend I was on a knitting marathon. I really wanted to get the yoke of my sweater done before I left for my trip. HA! not happening. Before I began to divide the yoke (i.e. separate the armholes from the body) I counted the number of stitches in each section. To my surprise I realized that I was about four stitches off in all but one section. That means that I somehow dropped about 16 stitches!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!! That is not good. I don't even think that I can fudge it by just making 16 in the last row. Damnit, so I guess that means that I will not start working on the body of my sweater this week... and I will do some major forgging tonight.

2008 Attempt at Orange sweater

Alright. There are a lot of people who remember the joy that I had at my first attempt to knit a sweater last year. And I am sure that there are plenty of people who remember how sad I was when I realized that it was not going to work out. I am pretty sure that I was angry, depressed and hated the yarn that I used for a solid six months. But it took me over a year to get up the c0urage to look at the darn thing. I knew that there was no way that I was going to re-due the sweater and fix it. The fact that the original orange sweater used four different stitches was enough to turn me off from that idea. I mean come on now, even re-duing a sleeve would be enough to make me waant to slit my wrists with a couple of US 1 dpns. So instead I am taring the whole thing apart to make a new (and way more simple) sweater.

So I started on the Gathered Cardi (pattern from Knit.1 magazine) on Tuesday and so far I think that I have made a great amount of progress. I finished the collar and I am working on the increase rows (I am already changing the pattern by adding two buttons rather than one. That way I will have one of them a litter higher than the original pattern suggest). Although I am getting a little bored with the project already I am curious to see how it will come out. The pattern suggests using cotton yarn. I am using merino wool (but I have felt to guilty about have $100+ of yearn sitting in a bag for a year) so I really have no idea it my completed project is even going to really shape the same way. Well. I am starting it now and I plan on taking my porject of my vacation. Yes! I will show pictures of yarn in many inappropriate places such as tents, moving vehicles, possibly brewpubs and definitely in a hotel room. Hopefully I will be able to make it out to a yarn shop while in Portland. I really want to take advantage of the fact that they don't have sales tax.

Possible Vacation... Possible Knitting Project

Alright now. I have begun to plan for a possible summer vacation in June. Yes, a whole week of staying in a car with my old college roommate. Traveling to campgrounds and hopefully making our way to Portland. My job is to actually plot out the Portland part of the trip and well.. figure out what to do while in the car. My old college rommie gets to plan out the campgrounds and plot out an actual driving route. Since I cannot drive at all I have to figure out a way to stay awake and entertained.

So that means that I will have the opportunity to do two things: Start a large knitting project and get a good selection of books on tape (CD I mean). I think that I might actually try to tackle sweaters again. I grabbed a copy of Knit.1
last month and saw a really cute sweater on the cover (the third one pictured here). When I opened the magazine I was delighted to see that it was all pretty much knitted in one piece . You start with the collar and then work your way down, leaving out the sleeves. I figure that most of my issues with knitting sweaters are that I don't like making swatches so working with multiple pieces really gets in the way. One of the girls at my knitting group also pointed out that I would be able to test out the size as I go along! Which I think us the best part! I don't think that I am going to have a green one... and I know that using cotton would be seasonal... but I get chilly... So either I am just going to have to use some sort of wool, or I an finally going to have to learn how to sew in a liner.

This project has also inspired me to buy new knitting tools. At first I was thinking about getting a nice knitting bag. But it was pointed out to me that many of the bags that I was interested in were purses that were being marketed to knitters. I have a problem with buying $60 purses... I mean I only bought my Timbuk2 bag because its water proof on the inside. And I really think that my freezer bag method really works well fir me. SO! I have decided that I am finally going to invest in a set if Knitpicks Interchangeable circular needles. Yes! I think that I am going to go all out and go for the wood set. I have never really been a fan of metel. That might change if I ever decide to knit socks or whatever else metal needles are better use for. Hahaaa! I think that I am just getting giddy from the thought of it all.

Now, for the books on CD. There are a couple of road trip staples that my old college roomie and I have. It started out with Harry Potter. Then we moved on to the ChickLit "Shopaholic" Series. Because of the time that has passed since we last were on the road with one another. So we will have to listen to the last book of each series. Woot Woot!!!! A lot of people think that books on CD are boring. But if get the right ones then its not too bad. Generally anything with a bad guy or a ditsy main character will do. Ahh, how I miss yelling at fictional characters. Although I think that Barba Walters "Audition" might be a good book to read on my own. It might cause some unwanted drowsyness on the road... Well, at least until you get to the Star Jones & Rosie O. chapters.

If all planns are able to go through and goes well I might actually have a fun summer!

Don't worry, this is not going to become a knitting blog...

I promise that this will not become one of those knitting blogs where all I do is talk about how knitting has taken over my life and how I seem to only attend knitting related events... or even worst how I make everything a knitting related event by bringing a bag of yarn to inappropriate places! There are lots of those out there. Instead I plan on keeping my posts the same as always but with a few additional posts about yarn, needles and kitting books that no one (other than other knitters) would actually care about.


List of Inappropriate places to knit (Part I)


-The bus
-2 Cafes (once while eating carrot cake, always while drinking a vanilla Italian soda)
-Walking back to work after my lunch break (there are advantages to keeping projects in large freezer bags)
-Sitting in my closet (it was the only thing that made me happy while I realized that I had a tone of crap to throw out)
-My cubical (what? it was an emergency!!!)
-While on a date. (Let me correct myself. I bought yarn just before the date and had to hide it in my purse. The four balls of yarn were so big that I had to take my wallet, cellphone and chap stick out so that I would avoid exposing my secret.)

With that said, let me tell you about the problems with knitting on the bus and in cafes. Sure I feel special when people ask me what am I knitting or when I make eye contact with a fellow knitter but the whole traveling knit thing can be expensive. I lost a whole set of stitch markers! I personally can't believe it! I just hope that I can find them one day.

Update on my Ravelry.com (i.e. Facebook for Knitters... but cooler) invite status

• You signed up on March 26, 2008
• You are #133011 on the list.
• 1422 people are ahead of you in line.
• 5021 people are behind you in line.
• 94% of the list has been invited so far