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My boyfriend asked me to babysit his virtual kitty here. :)
You appear to be a Knitting Adventurer.
You are through those knitting growing pains and
feeling more adventurous. You can follow a
standard pattern if it's not too complicated
and know where to go to get help. Maybe you've
started to experiment with different fibers and
you might be eyeing a book with a cool
technique you've never tried. Perhaps you
prefer to stick to other people's patterns but
you are trying to challenge yourself more.
Regardless of your preference, you are
continually trying to grow as a knitter, and as
well you should since your non-knitting friends
are probably dropping some serious hints, these
days.
http://marniemaclean.com
What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
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| ZZzzzzzzzz.... |
| 07.29.04 (8:09 pm) [edit] |
I am SOOOO exhausted! I just spent the last ten plus hours (with the exception of a few breaks for food and Blue Collar TV) working on my room. On top of the who-knows-how-long I spent yesterday just trying to put my knitting supplies in order!
So now my yarn is nice and neat, though I had to take my food stash out and I'm fumigating the cabinet it was in with my nice strong Indian incense so I can put the extra skeins of Lion Brand Homespun (set aside for the taking-forever-and-a-day afghan) in there. It's in five stacking milk crates ($3 each at Value City!). I also got a drawer organizer so the tools are kinda organized.
The closet is also neat for now. I organized all my clothes, pulled some of my nicer jeans and shirts to the front for when I start at Hobby Lobby and neatly packed away the summery and wintery stuff I don't need right now, but in boxes that are LABELED sitting on the floor of the closet so I can get to them easy.
Of course the rest of my room.......I did bring out two very large bags of garbage, which is something. And the drawers on either side of the desk are almost all empty at the moment (I left my stationary supplies alone) so later I can move stuff into there. I've got some stuff set aside to move out. I need a better desk, really, but for now I'll make do. But this is an ongoing task. I had to neatly repile all the stuff I had on the bed onto the floor. But at least it's a neater, more compact pile so I can WALK and I can get into my pajama drawer for the first time in MONTHS! Of course I do have to do a little flexibility demonstration to get to my clothes, because I have a tall stack of boxes protruding from the desk. But that's temporary....going to do more work tomorrow after work and Sat after work and Sunday.
But Monday...no. That's for resting, relaxing, watching TV and working on my newest knitting project that I cast on during a break today -- the Summer Shell from one of my books...uh where is it.....aha. Knitting: 20 Simple & Stylish Wearables for Beginners by Catherine Ham. I'm doing it in a dark navy blue shade of Red Heart Super Saver. One inch done! Yay! :)
Anyway....only three more days at Eisenhower. :cry: I'm going to miss it there. But I am looking forward to starting at Hobby Lobby. It should be a fun change.
But for now.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....I'm exhausted! Time for bed!
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| Knitting as pain relief |
| 07.22.04 (7:54 pm) [edit] |
Without going into too much...I have a medical condition that, long story short, I sometimes spend a lot of time in the bathroom in pain. You don't wanna know. But lately I've been taking my Gryffindor scarf in and knitting while I'm in pain to keep my mind off of it. It actually helps, a lot! The pain is still there but it's not as noticable. Way better than sitting there crying.
Only 11 more days.....I'm really nervous about this new job. Looking forward to it, but still nervous. This is a big change for me!! Oh well....hey, 15% off of $2.17 is....$1.85. Not bad for 450 yards of Red Heart ;) ;)
Still OTN: Gryffindor scarf (5 more rounds and I start the first gold band!)
Now....back to reading up for my final.
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| DPN trials and errors |
| 07.21.04 (6:43 pm) [edit] |
Taking a brief break from struggling to make a knitted tube with double pointed needles. I got three needles worth of stitches knitted okay (kinda....) but then while I was only like 3 stitches from the end of the first round the needle I had just finished slid out and I lost my stitches. ARGH. So I'm taking a break before trying again. I'm determined to make a sock, damnit! ;)
Less than 2 weeks before the new job....I'm SO nervous. I'm really going to miss the library, too. It feels weird thinking that the sock books that just came in won't be due until I'm no longer there.... :cry: Everyone's sad that I'm leaving -- I've been there so long! Of course it's not like I won't be back there...often...for still tons more books ;)
Ah well time to finish scanning my email and have another go at the DPNs. They WILL behave!!!!!
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| Got the job! |
| 07.20.04 (1:15 pm) [edit] |
I got the job at Hobby Lobby! I start August 3. I'm excited, and nervous. My first full time job.
Now to get a car :D It's gonna take some getting used to, having an hour's worth of commute each day, but worth it ;)
Gotta go, I'm on my break and my food's ready :D
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| Unmotivated term paper |
| 07.17.04 (6:45 pm) [edit] |
I'm too lazy to retype so below is the message I just sent to the Academic-Knitters list I'm on.
~~
Call it a study break.....call it not wanting to write....:) I'm on a brief break from trying to write a term paper (argh it seems like as soon as I got my B.A. my writing went FLUSH and all my crafty pursuits like the scrapbooking and knitting and sewing went BOOM!)
I'm feeling that guilt right now. I WANT TO KNIT! I splurged this week on a skein of Magic Stripes and two sets of DPNs (one metal from Boye, the other plastic from Lion) and I keep telling myself, the Magic Stripes and the Baby Teri that was on clearance are sitting there waiting for you to play as soon as the fersluggener paper is DONE!
It's not helping. :)
I'm remembering why I was so GLAD to be done with the B.A. -- it's hard to write a research paper. And it's REALLY hard to keep motivated to not just check the sources out of the library but to actually READ them and then WRITE the paper!
Oh well I'm rambling and procrastinating. Back to that paper....so I can then relax with that sock knitting video and try and struggle my way through my first sock! :)
Mary Jo
~~
Now I really am going back to that paper! The Magic Stripes really are calling me! (yeah I'm rewarding myself for finishing a tough paper by choosing a form of knitting I've been scared to death to try as yet! I am that weird!)
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| Boards and ramblings |
| 07.14.04 (6:33 pm) [edit] |
Been too tired to knit....and I gotta get my paper done :( I'm too sleepy right now though.
Lessee.....first off, a plug, JOIN ELUCITY BOARDS!!! Link is at the left. The boards are getting quiet, we need more people! :)
I got a message on my machine from Hobby Lobby this morning, they want to set up an interview! Yay! I'm going to call in the morning to set it up. (crosses fingers) Here's hoping!
And of course, once I get past my paper, either Fri or Sat at work I gotta go grab the ol' HTML books cuz I'm WAY rusty and my boyfriend needs website help. He may need to be charged in yarn ;) ;)
For now though...I'm relaxing. I took a nap, now I'm watching Tom Skilling yak about the weather (he had a really cool piccy these people got that shows a nice clear classic anvil cloud, really coool!!!), and watching my Neopets auction price grow and grow! :)
I need it -- today was the day of the problem patron! It just seemed like everywhere we turned we had another sticky problem to deal with. We were ready to bail at 1 PM!
Anyway, I'm not making much sense....am I? I'm going to stop and go back to sleep so maybe tomorrow I'll be coherent enough to set up my interview and write my paper and gather together overdue books :oops: to bring back on Fri.
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| Hobby Lobby trip |
| 07.13.04 (7:39 pm) [edit] |
Yeah yeah I went back. Checked the odometre, it's 12 miles if I take the Mannheim Road detour to avoid Higgins because there's a narrowing to one lane for a ways. Yuk. 12 miles, 30 minutes (woulda been less but there was a crash on Touhy so rubbernecking)...not bad. Esp since the reason I went was to turn in a job application. They've got a posting for a full-time fabric dept. position.
And of course I couldn't go all that way and NOT shop. I broke down and got a skein of Magic Stripes in sea blue, for when I sit down and watch this sock knitting vid I had ordered in from out of state through the library. I also picked up one of those Clover threadcutting pendants, in pewter color, and a good thing too -- they only had three and the woman who checked me out said they were discontinued! (Plus it ended up being half off, woo!)
I also lucked into getting half off the circular point protectors and canvas tote bag I bought, yay! And then my teddy bear got another new outfit, a baseball one with pants that are actually long enough to go to his ankles while still having the waist sitting at the right point! He's got long legs so it's hard to find him PANTS instead of shorts!!!! :D (yes, piccys will be forthcoming, gotta get a couple rolls of film developed to CD anyway!)
Haven't done a lot of knitting, been too wiped. Between the surprise party and my mom not feeling too well I'm pooped, and so I haven't knit a stitch since early in Sunday's race (GO MIKEY! TOP TEN!!), before the car engine lullaby helped me conk out.
I am now around 10-12 rounds into my Gryffindor scarf (don't have it handy to look at my tick marks on the pattern). My first circular project so far is a wiggly tube! Stockinette can REALLLLY get on your nerves with its tendency to curl like the dickens.
Ah well, once I get my term paper done and the final next week....I can relax again and knit like crazy. :)
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| Started the POA Scarf! |
| 07.08.04 (9:46 pm) [edit] |
I have begun it! Two rounds down....a billion to go.
I went to Hobby Lobby today (and in the process drove a coworker who does not have a car there for craft program shopping and another coworker who's just into crafts like me so I had company which was awesome!). I picked up a shorter cable for the needle tips I bought before, so now I have technically a 20" but close enough, I couldn't wait til I could get to Michaels' and I cast on. Then cast on some more :) I actually added 30 stitches but oh well, I'll have a nice huge scarf. I have about 100 yds extra of the burgundy and more than twice the gold I need and it's a no-dye-lot yarn so I'm not worried. :D My first circular project!! Yay!!
Now if only I'd be allowed to bring it into Chicagoland Speedway tomorrow and knit while I watch qualifying (yeah yeah bring knitting to a race, yes I am that insane! Hey, knitting and racing can be soothing IMHO, I have actually took many a nap watching races on TV cuz the sound of the engines is quite calming!!)
I also picked up another two skeins of Red Heart Super Saver (it's cheap and nice and I don't care what the fiber content is, though I'm worried I'm allergic to wool cuz when I knit with the Fisherman's Wool or Wool-Ease I do get a bit ichy), in a nice deeeeep dark navy to make that Summer Shell with. Then it'll go with the navy Wool-Ease T&Q purse I'm making and one of my skirts.
And then I spotted this yarn, never heard of it before, it's called Fashion Knit from tma yarns, and it's treated with aloe, it "soothes your hands as you knit". So I thought, hey it's only $1.29, I'll try it. Don't know what I'll make but I'm willing to see if it's doable. 100% acrylic, machine wash/dry.
Hmm, maybe I'll finish off the film in my camera with knitting pics to post, so I can toss 1600 speed in for the racing :D
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| FOs and Wish lists |
| 07.07.04 (7:33 pm) [edit] |
Wooo wooo, I finished the slippers! :) Just in time. All the gifts for my boss were brought over this afternoon. I didn't get to talk very long with the person that went but she said the blanket was a hit. :) Hey, it was the least I could do for like the BEST boss I've ever had! She totally deserved that and more.
I used my little turquoise Wool Ease T&Q purse on Tuesday, everyone was shocked when they realize it was handmade and thought it was cool. Gotta load it lightly though, or it unbuttons itself (gotta fix that somehow...)
I've decided to put the sweater on hold for now. I'm going to frog it so I can use the circular, I've got a really cute shell picked out that I want to make, probably with a mix of these two Red Heart Super Saver ombres I bought. They are both mixes of blues and a little purple but one is lighter shades and the other is darker. I think they'll look great together.
I'm taking a break from knitting and class and everything else to browse through knitting books on Amazon. I'm adding them to my Wish list. There's a few new ones coming out that are kinda cool. (hey I'm SO asking for like nothing BUT knitting stuff for my birthday and Christmas, probably books and yarn and kits and maybe a knitting machine and a set of Denise Interchangables and maybe a few bags and storage items).
Also been browsing through the Knitty archives. I see quite a few patterns I want to try ;) ;)
Huh....news is on while I watch this. This is kinda cool, President Bush went and stopped at a little girl's lemonaide stand, had a glass, then stuck around and helped her (even to handing out cups). How cool is that?! I wish he'd come help me make some dough! :D
Well, time for a snack and a little knitting before bed (Zeeby bag maybe? I've got sooooo much in progress!)
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| Cute purses! |
| 07.05.04 (9:21 pm) [edit] |
I really need a digital camera, I gotta post some pictures!! I finished the super cute Wool Ease Thick & Quick purse for my mom last night (esp with the pretty flower button I put on it), and then zipped out a quick turquoise one for myself. Now to work on the slippers and get those done like NOW. :)
Pictures as soon as I can either finish off a roll of film and get it scanned/uploaded or I can swipe a digi ;)
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| More yarn! New project! |
| 07.03.04 (2:52 pm) [edit] |
Okay, dangerous trip today. I went to Hobby Lobby. :oops: Yeah, I'm addicted. That's a hard store for me to go to and come out with money. (Today I resisted 90% of the store and still spent nearly 3 times what I planned!)
Found out though, that they have a WAY better selection of my favorite yarns (lots of Wool Ease and Red Heart of all colours and more Lion yarns than Joanne and Michaels have), most of them (excepting Homespun) are cheaper, and much better colour variety.
I went there planning on getting yarn to make a Gryffindor scarf for the POA knit-a-long and the circular needle. Came out with three skeins of Red Heart Super Saver (2 claret and 1 gold, for the scarf), a skein each of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (on clearance for $3.50! Normally I pay $6!) and Red Heart Light & Lofty (see, I said I'd try it if I found it :D ), a couple gadgets (these ADORABLE little sweater shaped DPN holders but I'm gonna try them as circular point protectors and a thingy to keep multi colors from tangling when doing Fair Isle), my needle (they didn't have a lot of circulars so I got size 8 tips and a 16" cable from the Boye interchangeable needle system), a set of these beautiful Crystalites needles I've been eyeing (bright and pretty acrylic), and a little football uniform for my teddy bear (he was a good boy, he rode with me and sat patiently in the car while I tried to talk myself down from buying Magic Stripes and more Super Saver).
Phew! Yeah, I spent a lot ($52), but worth it. I just printed the POA scarf pattern and later I'll probably at least cast on. Maybe this'll be my movie knitting.
The Wool Ease Thick & Quick is for a little purse -- I am working on a free Lion pattern that uses one skein of T&Q and it turning out kinda cute. I've got about 8" of the 18" needed before the buttonhole done on one in a very pretty purple for my mom. The clearance T&Q at Hobby Lobby was turquoise so I got a skein and as soon as the purple purse is done I'm making a turquoise for me! :D
The Light & Lofty doesn't have a destination yet ;) but I'm going to play with it a bit. That and the skein of Renaissance Homespun are destined for a bit of fiddle-swatching to see how stitch patterns look. I've got a baby blanket pattern in the charity knitting book that I'd love to do in either yarn, they're SOOOO soft, but I don't know how the purled hearts will show.
Still working on all the other stuff. I'm past my midterm (89%, yay!), but I do have a term paper due in less than 2 weeks and the final the week after that (and 6 lessons plus still a couple of article critiques from earlier lessons to do), so I don't know how much I'll get done but....well hopefully SOMETHING! ;)
Still in progress:
-Homespun afghan (that last 7" on strip one is taking forever!)
-Finished Wool-Ease mitten 1, still haven't cast on #2
-Wool-Ease T&Q purple purse
-2 Zeeby's bags, one in Kool-Aid dyed Fisherman's wool, the other in Bernat Softee Chunky (really nice yarn, I'm enjoying it)
-Sweater for teddy bear (he's starting to get mad at me, I gotta get back to that!)
-My sweater is languishing while I get up the nerve to frog and restart because it's going to be too big
-Lots of other little projects, including a golf club cover that's been staring at me for about two months, and some swatch experiments
Plus there's stuff waiting to be started like the cute fringy purse with the cable from one of the Vogue Knitting on the go books that I bought the handles for but haven't chosen the yarn yet, and I've got a bunch of pocket tissues that were going to get simple knitted covers for Mother's Day but that never happened! I also have some kitchen cotton from Smiley's Yarns that is destined for dishcloths (or maybe those tissue covers).
And let's not get into all the yarn that's screaming "SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA MAKE ME INTO!?". They're getting annoying ;)
Ah well time for dinner, then back to sitting on the heating pad and well, since my back hurts and needs the heat I can't straighten so I guess I'll knit ;) ;)
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