TAKING BACK [THE KNIT]

That there would be the cami from Vintage Knits that I started a couple of days ago. It's blue Cotton Ease, that had been in yarn paralysis for months. I'm really not looking forward to seaming it, but I'm going to have to get used to seaming sooner or later. It seems to be going well so far, lots of easy knitting. It's great to just be able to be on auto-pilot. I really shouldn't be doing this at all, because I still have Christmas knitting to do. Lots of it. But by now you have probably figured out what a horrible procrastinator I am. While I was taking picture of this, my dog just stood at the sliding glass door and watched me, like "Can I be in the picture? I'd like some yarn." So I took a picture of him. I have to look at everyone's 'look at my kitty cat sitting on my yarn. oh how cute!' pictures, so I figured I would include my dog. He's a black lab who weighs over 100 pounds and slightly resembles a moose. I love him, and he for some reason loves me back. He's getting his big break and going hunting (pheasant, i think) with my dad on Saturday. He's basically a big dope who runs into things and doesn't realize quite how long his nose is. And he won't get into the pool without dipping his toes of first.

 

So that's about it right now. I still haven't taken pictures of that purse, or the aviator caps. I totally forgot about the damned purse until I had already done these and started to post. I will do that soon, along with the other ones I need to take.

So the other day when I was taking pictures, I totally forgot about a purse I made about a month or so ago! It turned out very well, even thought it was a pain in the ass. When I get a chance I will take pictures of that along with a couple of other things I didn't photograph in my last session.

 

I'm having one of those days where I am totally engrossed with knitting and such. I've looked through a bunch of books for things I'd like to knit. I've printed out a bunch of patterns and looked at a lot of stuff. I went through my knitting magazines and tore out patterns I wanted to keep and threw away the magazines I no longer want. I even broke out the crochet book that I checked out from the library last week and gave that a try! I really do thing I have a block with crochet, although I'm kind of getting a better understanding of how it works. I think that is my biggest problem: I don't understand the mechanics of it. With knitting, it's very simple. You're making a series of loops and putting more loops through those. Crochet just confuses me, but I think it's useful for somethings, so I'm going to keep trying.

 

Lately my hands have been hurting, even though I really haven't been knitting that much. I mean, not that much more than usual. The weather isn't that cold (in the 50s) and it's not that cold in my house (the thermostat is usually set on 66.) I don't know what it is but man! My hands have been horrible! I've started doing hand excercises more since I noticed it, and that's when I really notice how stiff and sore my joints are. I've been trying to sleep without my hands clenched/curled up, but I don't really know if that's helping or not. Geez I'm only 18, this shouldn't be happening yet! hahaha!

My computer is back, in better shape then it has ever been in! I've got Windows XP now, which means I also can finally put iTunes on here! Plus, everything runs faster and is just so much better than before. I never want to get off the computer!

 

In the time that I had no computer, I had a lot of free time. So needless to say, I did a lot of knitting. I made a second Amelia Earhart cap, but this one in black Paton's acrylic, and it will go to my sister for Christmas. I still need to take pictures of the first aviator cap, but today is not the day. I'm way too lazy to do my hair or put makeup on, and trust me I need at least on or the other. Okay, so here are some long over-due pictures!

    These are a couple of scaves that I made a while ago. They're both Red Heart acrylic in varigated colors, and the same pattern. (I make scarves like that all the time, and I went to Gap the other day, and they have scarves just like this! I think their cables might be 4x4 instead of 3x3, though.) The light colored scarf is probably my favorite of any scarf I've ever made, although I do like the camo one a lot too, so much so that I'm making it again. The first one was a gift and I'm going to sell the second one.

   That is the afghan I've been working on for months now! It's almost half done, even though I was going to give it to my mom for Christmas. I think it's going to be Christmas in April or something at the rate I'm going. The picture on the right is to show how the stupif garter edge flip up. I'm going to have to block the shit out of this thing once it's done. I'm not sure how the color will show up for you, but it's called "Chestnut Heather" and I think that's pretty accurate. It's Lion Brand wool ease worsted.

  This is the scarf I knit from some yarn I got free in the mail. There was some company that I guess was giving it away, and I can't remember if a blogger posted it, or if it was on craftster or what, but whoever posted it, thanks! I pretty much hate eyelash, and it is such a nightmare to knit with. I think I will give this to my mom. It really reminds me of Oscar the Grouch, plus some sparkles.

I have some other stuff, like a double-knit hat for my dad that I'm thinking about frogging, that I haven't taken pictures of but I might sometime in the near future.

I don't think many people wil agree with me, but I'm not a big fan of the new knitty. I just can't see myself ever knitting anything in it, unless it was for someone else. Nothing's really my style. But, there are some very cute things, like the Mrs. Beeton cuffs. That's a very cool idea, especially for someone with long arms like myself. Knecklace is also very interesting. It's probably the only thing in this knitty that I would actually make. Danica is neat looking, and I've never tried entrelac, but I don't like the back. I'm kind of into reversible scarves. I also really like Best Friend but it seems like a pain in the ass to attatch the purse to the handle, and I'm way too lazy for that.

I think I get my (FIXED and improved) computer back today, so hopefully I will be back to regular blogging! Right now I'm leaving some of you ladies some love, so I'm just going to leave it at this for now! I've been knitting like mad lately and will have a lot to update you all on!

... was not the regular tuesday night blog night because my computer is broken. like totally fucked beyond even using it at all. so we'll see what happens with that, but don't really expect much from me until that gets fixed. (i'm at school right now, and only have about 20 mins to post, so this will be a short one!)

geez, i was just looking at my actual blog before i started to post, and i realized how old all the pictures on the top right are! my friends are insane about taking pictures and i have about a million new ones that need to be put up there. perhaps i will phase out some of the older ones that i'm not a huge fan of.

 

i've been knitting like mad lately! i'm working on 2 scarves, a purse, and i'm going to start a hat after i finish the purse. plus, i realized i should finish the afghan that i'm making my mom before christmas, as that would be a great thing to give her. so i've got like 9 panels to do in a month or so. we'll see if that actually gets done, i'm sure it won't! i'm such a procrastinator! i never get anything done by the deadlines i set. (like i have to tell you guys that, i pretty much promise something in every entry and very rarely follow through.) it's just that i have too much going and it's hard to spend a lot of time on one thing. plus i have no attention span. anyway, everything EVERYTHING i am working on features cables. what a dumbass i am. you would think since i'm working on a huge blanket that is all cabled that i would lay off and do something like lace or just something simple otherwise. but no. i'm cabling my ass off. i definitely need to mix it up, and the next few things i do after this will definitely not involve cables. I'm thinking I need to make a return to illusion knitting, and maybe try my hand at a pair of socks or something like that. i could do with a little stockinette in the round at this point. maybe a little lace action, too, who knows.

I don't know what it is, but Tuesday nights always seem like a good time to blog! I'm just always in the mood to talk on Tuesdays or something. Hm.

I have had a lovely day today. I woke up and went and made breakfast with/for a couple of friends and hung out all morning. Then I came home and ate and took a nap. I really can't complain about today at all. I'm actually in a really good mood right now, which is kind of weird.

 

Great news guys: I'm going to be teaching someone how to knit! It seems like he (yes, he!) might already know, but I'm definitely teaching him how to cast on. I've never really taugh anyone how to knit that continued to do it. I've taught a couple of friends who crocheted to knit but they didn't really stick with it. Anyway, I'm excited.

 

For some reason, craftster has been driving me slightly crazy lately. People just ask the same questions over and over and pretty much post a bunch of the same ugly shit. Like fucking fingerless gloves. Unless you're homeless and rummaging through trash cans, you shouldn't be wearing fingerless gloves. I know they're a lot easier and give you a lot more dexterity than just wearing gloves but seriously, they're hideous. Anyway, there is ocasionally some useful/cool stuff but for the most part it seems like it has been pretty ehhhh lately. Maybe it's just me. =/

 

I just remembered I need to take picture of my freaking aviator cap, which has been done for like two months. Ugh. The next time my hair is done and I have make up on I will take them. It turned out well, I don't know why I keep forgetting to take pictures! I'll also try to get some WIP pictures of the bag I am making. Speaking of said bag, I think I'm going to have to line it, and possibly use something to keep the bottom flat. Ugh. I might just say forget it and leave it looking goofy. Who knows. I can't wait to be done with it, that's for sure.

 

I was watching the new Knitty Gritty last night, and it made me want to try double knitting with intarsia. (random bitching moment: I missed this show for two weeks because I wasn't home on Monday night, and apparently the one last week was about knitted lingirie. I'm sure it will be ugly, most of the patterns they show are, but I really want to check it out. Thank god for diynetwork.com!) Anyway, I have never done any intarsia and for some reason I really want to design a couple of scaves with something done in intarsia and double knit on top of that. Now I'm thinking I might actually do this ... Hrm. I'm off to go look at pictures I could use. Wouldn't you love a scarf with your own picture on it? That would be pretty badass ...

I just got back from voting for the first time! Aren't you guys proud of me?! I really can't see why people don't vote. It takes no time and really couldn't be easier. Plus, you can be a permanent absentee if it's really that hard for you to get to the polls! If you don't vote, YOU SHOULD! There really is no excuse ...

Yesterday, I went to San Francisco with three of my friends. It was awesome; I love the city. We did tourist-y stuff, for the fun of it. We went to Alcatraz, which was fun. I think we had all been there before, so it really was nothing new and we didn't spend very long there. I'd forgotten what a hike it is to get up there. I took a bunch of pictures. I like to take pictures of things and places a lot more than I like taking pictures of people, so this was a great time to do that. Although I have to say, when you have friends as crazy as mine, it is fun to take pictures of them. Take my friend Amanda, for example. In Alcatraz there are cells that are open that you can go into and take pictures or do whatever. Inside, there is a toilet and a sink. So to make it a little more realistic, Amanda decided to sit on the toilet with her pants down. After Alcatraz we were all starving and ready for a nap. We ate at this place on the embarcadero called Fog City Diner. Oh. My. Fucking. God. Best french fries I have EVER had. That in itself basically made my day; they were that good. If you're in San Francisco, eat there! After that, we drove out to the Cliff House. I hadn't been there in several years, and didn't know they re-did the whole restaurant that was there! I was kind of surprised. We walked around there for a while, and went into the cave that's there. I pretty much just about lost my mind in there and went back outside. It freaked me the fuck out, and I'm really not sure why. I didn't even take any pictures of it. But I did take a lot of pictures of the ruins and the ocean and all that. After it started to rain, we drove around for a while and went through Golden Gate Park, another of my favorite places in the city. We ended up having dinner at a sushi/teriyaki place that was really good. I was still stuffed from lunch, but I managed to eat.  Imagine that. Anyway, (I almost forgot!) while we were driving around before dinner, we stopped at Walgreen's to get some tylenol for Amanda's toothache. As we were getting ready to leave, a couple of cars in front of us a bicyclist ran into an opened car door. He laid in the middle of the street for a while, and the guy who had opened his door helped him up and stuff. He didn't see hurt and didn't even have any visible scrapes, and his clothes weren't torn. He's really lucky he didn't get run over. I know I'm going to hell for saying this (amongst other reasons), but it was pretty much hysterically funny. I wouldn't have laughed if he was hurt. He just laid there like he was dead, and then stood up and was fine. I'm guessing he's going to be a little more careful the next time he rides his bike so close to parked cars.

The thing about being in San Francisco is that it makes me want to knit. I'm not sure if it's the weather or the feel or what. But the whole way home in the car, I sat and wished I'd brought something to work on. I worked on my purse for a good while today, and hopefully it will be done soon. Cables are such a pain but I love them! Especially on stuff, moreso than clothes.

Thanks to Natasha, I found the AntiCraft, which I am in love with! I really like the "Snowball's chance in hell" armwarmers, even though I usually am not a fan of armwarmers. I looooove that skull -> snowflake pattern, and will use it on something, for sure.

I think this is it for today. I'm uploading pictures of SF right now, and I will put links, etc. in here as I go.

Today is Dia De Los Muertos and I didn't end up going to the cemetery! (Is that how it's spelled? Cemetary? Ever since I read that goddamned Stephen King book, I can never remember how it's really spelled!) Anyway, I hope everyone had a lovely Halloween weekend, full of partying and costumes and fun. Mine was pretty great. Friday night I went to a party at my friend Lynsey's house. The cops came and all kinds of crazy stuff happened but it was great! I was dressed as a dudebitch bitch/sceneslut. (If you don't get it you would if you saw pictures.) Then Saturday I went to a house show, dressed as a girl scout. Using my old uniforms! I had a great time, and it was such a fun night. Then, on the way home, Toni and I pretty much had a breakdown and both of us were crying. We are both going through tough times right now. It's hard to be 18 and in community college with no direction in your life. The more I think and bitch about this, the more depressed I get. And I don't really want to ruin my good mood right now. Sunday, I shopped and didn't but anything. Also, Toni and I went to the river and took cool pictures of some abandoned stuff. Definitely need to upload those. Then I sat and watched a bunch of Hitchcock movies on tv and knitted. Last night, Toni, Lynsey, and I had a little sleep over at Toni's because her boyfriend broke up with her. Today, I have pretty much spent the whole day asleep. I slept at Toni's. Then went over to Lynsey's and slept while she went to class. I came home, had lunch and then went back to bed! And I'm actually still tired. I'm thinking being a little depressed has a lot to do with it. Overall, I have had a wonderful week.

Okay, so the purse I'm knitting is a stash-busting thing. I have a bunch of burgundy Red Heart that I've been sick of loooking at, so I decided to make a purse. I'm using #6s and my god. Shitty acrylic + small, bamboo needles + cables = total nightmare. But I am liking how it's coming so far, so I'm just going to keep going and hope that it gets a little easier.

Guess who broke the 'menu' button on her iPod mini? Yeah that would be me. So I have an iPod shuffle now, hahahah! And I can't turn the backlight off, so I have no battery life either. Why does shit like this always happen to me? I pretty much only use shuffle anyway, so I'm not that upset. It's just the idea of the whole thing!

what kind of knitting needle I would be, here it is:

 

You are interchangeable. Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every
eventuality covered and every opportunity just
has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and
every day is a new beginning. You are good at
so many things, it's amazing, but you can
easily lose your place and forget to show up.
They have row counters for people like you!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

 

In other words, I'm a weirdo who chooses all kinds of crazy answers! hahah!

At school every week, I kill 3 hours on Tuesdays and 4 hours on Thursdays by spending my time on the computer. My schedule is totally fucked, and as a result I have a 9-950 class and then nothing until 1. Needless to say, a lot of my time is spent on myspace. Today I got here, and MYSPACE IS BLOCKED! AAAAHHHHHHHH I don't know what to do. Except post here and lurk all the message boards that I post on ... I will be back in a little bit to finish this but I just got distracted. =/

Okay, some more random thoughts. To those of you who are into hardcore, and whatnot: if you get the chance, check out the band Ramallah. They are amazing. I saw them a month or two ago and was blown away. The just came on my ipod and I though I would share that with you guys.

I'm sorry, I have NO attention span today!

Knitting news: I got sick of a shitload of burgundy Red Heart that I had lying around, so I'm making a purse out of it. I'm using the whole knit the bottom as a rectangle and then pick up stitches around the edges for the sides method. I'm using some garter stitch, and a couple of cable panels. (Which is somewhat surprising, as that's exactly what I'm doing with the afghan. You'd think I would be tired of doing the same thing, but I guess not.) The purse kind of came to me during the middle of the night or something. I can't remember when, but I pretty much dreamed it up whilst I was sleeping. And I just thought up a new idea for the cable panel, so I might be redesigning that. Hrm. It's going well so far, but I'm kind of worrying about how many stitches to pick up and where for the sides, because I know the cables are going to pull in, and I don't want the bottom to bugle out more than the sides. But we'll see how that goes.

PS if there are any of my favorite blogging ladies who have myspace and aren't my friends, feel free to add me. If I don't know you, feel free to lurk me.