TAKING BACK [THE KNIT]

I am in an amazing mood. One of those post-excercise endorphin-caused good moods. And I must tell you, it's great. The frozen yogurt helped, too.

 I danced at a middle school this afternoon, and that was interesting. Middle schoolers + bagpipes = quite the combination! There were quite a few more "punk" or "rocker" kids than I expected. Kids with local band shirts, albeit crappy ones. I ever saw a girl with her septum pierced. Kind of weird for middle school, don'tcha think? There was also an amazing mariachi band. They played a cover of "Livin' La Vida Loca" and the Macarena. They were great! Definitely got a better response than we did, but that's no shock. I didn't take any pictures because I suck. At life.

I'm really happy that it's finally starting to really be spring 'round these parts. I can spend endless hours in the yard gardening and not be cold! I bought some new violas, and I'm stoked about them. They're so cute! I love little, petite flowers. Pansies just aren't as cute, to me.

Everything is blooming and growing! I've started a bunch of seeds, and there have been a few surprises. Let's just say come Halloween, I might be prepared.

I also did a little more dyeing. I found some neon and some black food coloring, and had to test them out. The black always came out brown, but the neons were perfect! Look:

I was planning on buying some dye your own sock yarn, but knitpicks only lets you pay with a credit card. no paypal! so none for me. (unless i'm mistaken, in which case feel free to set me straight.) I am envisioning blue and green striped socks.Something like this maybe, but just the blue and green.

Kind off off-topic, but I saw the Street Dogs last month and they were amazing. I definitely reccomend them if you're into that kind of thing. I was just listening to them, and I remembered.

Okay, in an effort to blog more often I am going to try to not put up massive posts. So here's where this ends! (I should have some real knitting content soon!)

Kool-Aid was 4/$1 at the grocery store, so I couldn't resist! (I think it's always 4/$1 but I don't often go to the grocery store.) Long story short, I've now got some lovely Kool-Aid dyed yarn.

I used grape, strawberry, black cherry, and lemonade plus some yellow McCormack food dye. There are some more pictures on flickr. I love all the colors, especially the grape. I just don't know yet what I am going to make with all this. Maybe a Calorimetry or Panta, with the grape. I'm just not sure yet, but I really can't wait to use it. And to dye some more! I wish I had a ball winder and a swift because things would be a lot easier, but I can get by the old-fashinoed way.

Now I've got the Misfits in my head! I apologize if you do too.

I ordered earrings from Pam a while ago, got them, and then was too lazy to take pictures of them. So with no further adieu:

 I love them. And I loved the flip-flop/beachy stationary, Pam! I was totally expecting something black or something subculture-ish in some way. I actually laughed when I saw it.

I was planning on going to the zoo this afternoon, and then I found out it costs $8.50! Too expensive for me right now, even as much as I love the zoo.

i am sitting at school using the computer. the girl to my left is posting on an anime board on a topic called "polygamy". the girl on my right is sitting in front of the computer reading. i'm sure the people waiting to get on the computer appreciate that great use of space.

 i finished the "Raiders" socks and they've already been worn by the boyfriend. he went fishing with his dad, and at the beginning he got teased with "Did your mommy make you socks?" and then he told everyone they were wool. jealousy ensued. his family has been really into me knitting and asking me to make them stuff. they've also been really appreciative of what i've made them.

FINISHED: "Raiders socks".

pattern: plain stockinette toe-up sock. short-row toe and heel. 1x1 ribbed leg/cuff.

yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Socks that Rock medium weight in Stormy Weather

I love them! If that had fit my feet I would have kept them. I must make myself some socks in this yarn. I wish I could afford it!

I also finished my knucks! they're awesome, and i'm actually wearing them as i type this. i have not taken them off much since i've finished them. and i realized my dad's birthday is coming up, so he's getting some camo knucks that say "DUCK HUNT"! (he's a hunter.) two nights of knitting and i'm already to the cuff of the first one. also, boyfriend picked out yarn for some of his own. i'm glad i like this pattern!

FINISHED!

pattern: Knucks from knitty.com

yarn: LB Lion Wool in Sage. a little thick but super warm. i love this color! the photo on the left is closer to the actual color. this yarn comes in some great colors. i am pining for the grey.

needles: US #3s

mods: i have man hands, and the fingers didn't fit in the ladies' size. so i did men' fingers and the ladies' thumb, i think.

I will get around to taking a picture that really does them justice. I've wanted to, but it would require makeup and styled hair which has been too much for me lately. Tonight I think I will have to do both, so I'll try to get some pictures done, too.

In other crafting news, I actually played with my knitting machine the other day. (oh MAN! i was just looking at the LB site, meaning to close it, and i found myself on the new Cotton Ease page. my god I love these colors! taupe and stone especially.) anyway, i actually got something done with the knitting machine. even if it is roughly a 4"x4" piece of cotton. i really dislike this thing. however, it occured to me that Clapotis would be perfect for knitting on the machine. so if i can ever really figure out how to work this thing, i'll get the clap too.

Meme time! like Pam said, if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged.  

Directions: If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.
7. Don’t skip songs.

My Movie:

1. Opening credits: Catharsis - All Bets Off
2. Waking up: Lover's Rock - the Clash
3. First day of school: Live the Lie - Blood For Blood
4. Fight song: Ramallah - Ramallah
5. Breaking up: Jailhouse Rock - the Cramps
6. Happiness: Brain Error - Nekromantix
7. Life’s okay: Hammer House - Folsom
8. Mental breakdown: Crowbar Massacre - Steel Trap (too accurate.)
9. Driving: Strength Through Oi! - Pressure Point
10. Flashback: Stay Gold - the Unseen
11. Getting back together: Rip Her To Shreds - Blondie
12. Wedding song: Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
13. Birth of first child: In Love With a Whore - Hoods
14. Final battle scene: Do Anything - Angelic Upstarts
15. Death scene: Lyin' Eyes - the Eagles
16. Funeral song: Fuck Hollywood - Anti-Heroes
17. End credits: Which Side Are You On? - Dropkick Murphys

it's time for me to be off to class!

I have had the craziest weekend. I got 5-ish hours of sleep last night, 3 of them in the car, because I took a spur of the moment trip to Hollywood yesterday. My friends' bands played at the Knitting Factory and I decided to go with them. I have wanted to see a show at that venue since I first heard the name, and now I finally got to! They had big murals of balls of yarn on some of the walls and their logo features a little old lady knitting. In a rocking chair, of course. There is a room called the "AlterKnit Lounge". Oh knitting puns! I can't get enough of them, anywhere I go. I'm pretty much running on fumes at this point since I never slept for more than an hour at a time. The six hour drive killed me. I'm a tall girl, and being stuffed in the car for that long is just bad. But I had a good time. I just wish I could have spent today in bed instead of at school. Did I forget to mention that it's finals week?

I have been so busy lately, even without day trips to the opposite end of the state. Holiday knitting is getting on my nerves. My dad and grandpa want hats and a TON of people have asked me for scarves. I've done a fair bit of crocheting, too. I have yet to really take any pictures yet. I'd like to photo everything before I give it away. I need to get my shit in gear! I also have two pairs of mittens/gloves to knit by Christmas. UGH!

In order to help me out with all this knitting I am going to need to do in the future, especially scarves, I've asked my mom for a knitting machine! I figure that way I can churn out simple stuff pretty quickly, and maybe make some money that way. I don't like doing miles of stockinette, so why not let a machine do it for me?

I had quite the weekend. Lots of drinking, partying, knitting, vomiting, and promoting my friends' new craft group. I had the hangover to prove it yesterday. (I don't normally even get hangovers, and it takes a lot of le booze for me to get one.) There are pictures to prove all of this, but none are online as of now. Check back with my flickr in a day or two.

 And speaking of flickr and new groups, I started a group for projects from the Stitch'n'Bitch books, because frankly I couldn't believe there wasn't already one. So if you've knitted/crocheted/sewn something from one of those books and it's on flickr post it there! Also, I started one for flowering maples, but I wouldn't really expect that many people to be able to contribute. But you might want to check it out, because there are some gorgeous pictures from amazing photographers.

I've been working like mad lately, and managed to finish two projects in the last week. Firstly, the "Fat Bottom Bag" from Stitch'n'Bitch Crochet.

yarn: LB Lion Cotton, in a teal color. I don't remember the name. Heck, it might even be "Teal"! I used less than one ball, which was nice.

hook: whatever the pattern called for. A G/6 maybe?

mods: none. I did the handle flaps a little differently, working into every other stitch instead of SCing across the row. It was easier, as I'm still not sure where exactly I'm supposed to be crocheting into when I do border-type stuff.

The handles are from JoAnn, and I love them.

This purse is going to my sister for Christmas, even though it is a really summer purse. I'm a little late or really early for that. This is the best purse I have made, without a doubt. Simple, and easy to customize.

I also finished my mittens. No FO pictures just yet, but here are some almost done in-progress pictures:

I didn't really want them to match, so I just started the second one where I ended the first without even thinking about where I was in the striping sequence. I am really liking mittens, and think a lot of people will be getting them for Christmas.

 I'm working on my first toe-up socks! They're just plain stockinette, worsted weight yarn on #3s. I love tightly knit stuff! I did a lot of work on them while drinking this weekend, and managed to not fuck them up! I don't usually knit under the influence, so I was proud of myself.  

 When I'm hungover I don't so much get the headaches or sensitivity to light, but my stomach does weird things. It's unsettled and I feel like I want to vomit yet really hungry at the same time. It sucks! Then when I do try to eat, it doesn't taste good and I am full quickly. It is pretty much the bane of my existence.

I have class in 20 minutes. And I am seriously considering not going in favor of knitting and blogging. I need to work on the shrug my mom is supposed to wear to a weddding on Saturday. Yeah, THIS Saturday. I think I'm about halfway done, but I'm not really sure. It's just kind of those 'keep knitting and we'll see how it looks' type of things. This is the swatch, blocking. It's one of those shrugs that's just a rectangle that will be sewn on the ends to make sleeves, and I will add a couple of inches of ribbing. The whole thing is in the drop stitch pattern which is (obviously) the lower portion of the swatch. The yarn is from JoAnn, and is THE softest 100% wool I have ever laid my hands on. It's like a fucking cloud. I am in love with it. I am thinking about getting one of the varigated colorways and making a Clapotis with it. (They don't have them online, but I'm pretty sure I saw them in the store.) My favorite yarn ever, so far. HANDS DOWN. It's even more of a dream after it's blocked.

I have a new obsession: taking pictures of flowers. I was out taking blog pictures and ended up taking some of stuff that was blooming around the yard. Now I am wanting to take a picture of every blossom. I started a flickr the other day, and my monthly upload bandwidth is gone. GONE! There is one knitting related picture. It's mostly flowers. I am glad I have photobucket AND yahoo photos as well. (I do have a system. I try to use photobucket for the stuff I am going to link, and yahoo photos for everything ever because there is no limit to what I can store. yeah) Anyway: here are a couple of my favorites:

I am going to try to take pictures of the paper beads I've made and maybe some more WIP pictures tonight.

I ordered the Betty kit from White Lies Designs last week, and got an email last night saying I should be getting it soon! The lady who runs lists her PO Box as being in my city, so it shouldn't take long to get to me. I'm so excited! I have wanted to knit this pattern since it was in the summer 2004 issue of knitty. I am especially excited because the kit has all the hardware and the little things like rosettes. It would be a bitch to have to find all that stuff on my own, especially the garter hardware. The only thing about this is, I don't know how I will model it once I have finished it. I definitely don't need n00dz! And I don't have a dummy to photograph it on ...

Speaking of photography, I plan on taking some pictures of the paper beads I made last week, and maybe make a few more. And I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with them. Maybe just string 'em up on some elastic and perhaps make some matching earrings. I used to have a crapload of jewelry-making supplies but not so much anymore. We will see.

I finished Sassy Sock part deux numero 1. I don't think I'm going to start #2 for a while in favor of getting other shit down. Like the shrug I promised my mom, which she needs to wear to a wedding on the 16th. Yeah. September 16th as in a couple of weeks from now. I am all swatched, so hopefully I will get that going tonight or tomorrow. It's going to be a rectangle in a dropped stitch pattern (from my new VK book!), with elbow-length ribbed sleeves. Fairly straight-forward. And it's in the softest wool I have EVER felt. I love it.

I have class in 12 minutes. I really don't want to go. I hate my French teacher! To the max!