Too Much Writing, Not Enough Knitting

So, I have two scarves on the needles currently, and another I need to make for a friend that I'm actually getting paid to do. But am I knitting? NO! I've been so obsessed with my book, that I've hardly touched my needles! That's just wrong.

I love both so much!!! But typing and knitting don't work well together...if only they had the technology to let me tell my computer what to type and hit send. (For you see, I have a co-writer who lives approximately five hours away when we're both on break from Christian College, so we collaborate over instant messaging. Good and bad points really. I think I might like when we're able to collaborate in person better.). Until such technology exists however, I must ration between between knitting and writing.

As for New Years, I'll be with friends from the home town that I never get to see anymore. I need to make cookies....but the magical glowing folding box that sits on my lap keeps me on the couch.

Resolution-wise, I'll be having the same one I always have: drop a few pants sizes. I intend to get into the gym and actually succeed this year. Instead of one giant over all goal, I'm working through the months.

Also, I want to learn to be more positive, more loving, less complain-y, and overall a better person. I plan to give all my problems to God and let Him handle them. I'm realistic. I know that I'll get upset, mad, stressed, and all those other negative things, but I want that to happen less. I've been awful for the past year or so, and I just want to be a more pleasant and loving person.

Hope 2010 is great!

Joyous Noises

"And oh the noise. The noise noise noise noise!" -Grinch

That's what invades my world at the moment. Noises of yelling, noises of crying children, noises of my father using a dremmel tool on something, noises of installing a garbage disposal.....There's loud noises everywhere and I'm tired of it...it's giving me a headache...All I want to do is watch Bridge to Terabithia and write my vampyre story. (Yes that's right, I write about vampyres...and no they don't sparkle). But I can't write with all the frenning noise!

On a Christmasy note-I was inundated with yarn for Christmas! It was in-freaking-credible! And most of it is 100% wool! I've already made a felted bowl! My first felted thing ever! It's soooooo neat!
http://www.heavydutydesign.com/alicethelma/2009/03/free-pattern-felted-nesting-bowls/

Here's the pattern I used. I've only made one though, the yellow sized one. Took me two days of rather lazy evenings, so it's a really quick knit!

Along with mass amouts of wool, I also got 3 sets of bamboo needles. Every size of dpn, circular, and regular needle! (Well all the typical ones. I think they go from like 0-10). It' so freaking cool! I used my new dpns on my bowl! I'm so excited!

I'm working on a rather lovely dropped-stitch scarf for a friend (it's a facinating concept..purposely dropping stitches to create a pattern). And my mother wants a thick black scarf to go with the wool coat she got for Christmas, so I'll be making her a scarf in a more simple pattern.

That's my ranting for today! Hope you all had a wonderful Christmahannukwanzakah! ^_^

Merry Christmas (Eve)!

So that my sister, her husband, and they're one-year-old can have Christmas morning together at home, we're having Christmas tonight/this afternoon! We opened a couple last night because we'd usually get to open one on Christmas Eve and I got an electric kettle! Tea kettle is awesome! So excited!

Anyways, I just want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! I hope it's as wonderful as you've always dreamed!
Santa Claus is watching! Be Good!

Piles of Presents and Actual Snow

I'm home again, and while my grades were good, my family life is still as insane as ever. I've been here for three days and I'm already exhausted and annoyed as all get out with my father. He's so rude and inconsiderate and just a jerk in general.

On a lighter note, our Christmas is going to be insanely awesome! There are so many presents that they branch out 3 feet from the tree. You can't even reach the tree from the front! It's awesome! I can't wait! I have such a childlike love of Christmas. I want to dive headfirst into the pile of presents and rip them open! But I'm also really excited about seeing how my family likes their presents. I really hope they like them! A few are knitted, but most aren't. No time.

Tomorrow I'm going to be knitting tons of little snowmen (I've posted the pattern somewhere on here) for my little sister's class (the special-ed class at my old high school). It's not going to be a big deal. They take about 10 minutes each, and I'll be making around 16 or so.

Speaking of snow, WE HAVE IT!!!! Up to now it was just little flurries, but now it's actually snowing! I'm so excited! I love the snow, and having a beaux from California, I appreciate even more! I really hope it's a white Christmas! Or at least getting a day where everything's white. Should be awesome!

Knew Knitting That's Strange and Fun

I'm working on a scarf. Yes....a scarf. I hate making them honestly.....it's long and boring. And I don't need anymore really...oh well. This one's not for me though, so it's not really my choice. A friend told me she had yarn and asked me to make her a scarf, so I said sure. What I really hate though is that it's 100% FELTABLE WOOL!!!!!! And I have to waste most of it on a scarf. So irksome. But I have a pattern from Creative Knitting Magazine Jan. 2010 that's challenging, so I won't lose interest as fast. It involves dropping stitches and letting them unravel on purpose(!). It's a nice looking pattern (if I wasn't messing up in a few places...but overall it will be okay). Very confusing though. I'm curious to see how it works out. You unravel certain stitches every 5th row, and I've done the first time, but I'm not sure how it's going to stop unraveling after five rows when I'm 10 rows in. Logically it sounds like it should just unravel all the way, but the pattern says "let it unravel for 5 rows". We'll see how it goes.

Speaking of Creative Knitting, I LOVE this magazine, and my wonderful beaux got me a two-year subscription for Christmas! I'm loving it! It is full of tons of patterns (seriously, like 3 ads, the rest patterns) that range from really easy to challenging, so it's giving me a kick in the pants to try harder stuff.

Desperate Attempts to Keep the Christmas Spirit

Ugh....I'm exhausted. Finals week started today. My hardest final was today, and I was studying all morning. Not sure how I did. Thinking I did pretty well, but last time I felt that way I ended up with a C. But it's over anyway. Which is good. My others seem like they'll be fairly easy.

I had Christmas with my friends last night, and that was a good time. I got a big bag of yarn (of course). Very exciting. It was fluffy and happy. And there are presents sitting on the shelf above my desk for my family. I'm really trying to focus on Christmas. It makes me happy. But I'm not excited about the long friggen drive this Friday....I was just there three weeks ago....and it makes me cringe just to think about it.

I've officially finished the two hats I was making for my sister and her husband! Well, I have to bind off his hat, but whatever. I don't know if I'm going to finish my niece's jacket. The back piece looks odd...you can't even see the shoulder shaping...it just looks square....I don't know. Maybe I'll keep going with it and see what happens. Can't decide. So that means I'm down to the snowman for Mom, but I don't have the yarn, and am broke. Flat broke. Oh wells.

I Believe in Santa Claus Like I Believe in Love

So, I'm a complete sucker for the old claymation Christmas movies. (Not the evil stupid sequels...it's like making a sequel to Cinderella....just freaking wrong.) I watch them every year no matter how often they're on, and my favorite of all of them has always been and will always be A Year Without a Santa Claus(in fact I'm watching it as I type). For you who don't know them by title, thing Heat Miser and Snow Miser. Yeah. That one. So much joy and win. My wonderful beaux bought it for me for Christmas!!!!!!! And the deluxe edition has Rudolph's Shiny New Year and Nester the Littlest Donkey. It's so awesome! Love it!

"Just like love I know he's there, waiting to be missed."


On the knitter's side, I've made progress! I finished my sister's hat, and making good progress on her husband's. For the jacket, I'm finally shaping the armholes for the back piece and about to bind off for that part! Oh progress. Wondrous. I washed my hat and my sister's hat with my normal laundry tonight, and it made them so soft!! Note: Red Heart Super Saver is sucky, until you wash it. Then it's made of win! I'm in love with my hat all over again!

Merry Christmas!

Moving Oh How I Loathe Thee

I had all of my wonderful Christmas decorations in my dorm and I loved how they looked, but I'm moving into a different dorm. I know I know, I'm moving out of a single (no one in the room, no one to share the bathroom) for a regular dorm with a roomie and suitmates, but it has a kitchen!!!!! I neeeeeeeed it! I had an apartment this summer, and I very much miss it. Especially cooking my own food in my own kitchen. That's totally worth it. Anyway, I've started packing, and I took down all my pretty Christmas things (except the lights that I can't reach....)! It's very sad, and I hate how bare the walls are....I'm not okay with it. But the official moving process starts tomorrow. Not sure how long until I actually get to live and sleep in there, but I'm sticking stuff in there anyway.

Christmas shopping for friends today! I'm soooooo excited! I LOVE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!! It brings me such joy. I just wish I hadn't spend 50 out of my 100 I had for friend shopping....oh well. I'm good at low-budget shopping. And I hope to knit them things. Hope to. Probably get that done/started during the Christmas break since I have 3 weeks. I also need to start wrapping. I've got something for my dad, and I need to wrap it up.

Hopefully the Christmas shopping will raise my slightly droopy spirits. School does that to one's existance...

Oh the Exhaustions How They Love Me

After the previously mentioned crappy day, this week has not been as bad, but has still been tiring. The biggest thing happened tonight, with my beau's announcement that he's contemplating the national guard. I'm scared to death of this. I know it's not like regular military and I know he won't be gone for long periods of time, but still. It's just scary. I don't really know why. But it is.

On a lighter note, I'm way behind on knitting. I have a baby block and a baby jacket I need to finish, and I've done 1 1/2 side of the block, and haven't finished the back piece of the jacket. I'm behind on my sister's hat, haven't started my brother-in-law's or Bonnie's, and haven't started my mom's snowman. Blarg. School gets in the way of my knitting. And no that's not in the wrong order. Graduation where art thou?

On an actual light note, my friends and I put up the 6-foot tree in their room! My first adult tree haha! (As opposed to those little 3-foot ones I had in my bedroom back home). I put the lights on it just like my mom, and we put ornaments and shiny things. Our tree topper is a big red and gold butterfly that clips to the tree. It brings me joy!

One of Those Days and the Feeling of Defeating It

Wow....so, Thanksgiving break was relaxing because of no responsibilities, but I definitely didn't catch up on sleep...

Getting back to school made me a wreck once again. Half my grade in a 400-level major class depended on a project I had started, but wasn't close to finishing. It was due yesterday, and I was up until 4:30 Tuesday night finishing it. I had to create a direct marketing plan for Knit-Wit, a company that doesn't exist, but that I want to make one day. I got it finished, had no confidence in it at all, and didn't even bother studying for the geology test that was happening in the class right before I had to present the plan.

I was an absolute wreck....it was insane. I'd forgotten about the test until about 10:00 Tuesday night, and I'm on the brink of getting a D in that class and bringing my GPA under 3.0 (which I have exactly, and which is required to keep the scholarship that's keeping me at very expensive Generic Christian College). All that to say I had to do well on this test and had no time to study for it.

Luckily the girl I sit next to is wonderful and needed my notes anyway, so she made a study guide for both of us and emailed it to me that night. I also got an email from my direct marketing teacher the next morning saying "I looked over your presentation and paper. WOW it looks GREAT! i can't wait to hear you present it."
I had to read it like 50 times for it to sink in. Made me feel much better, but I was still frazzled about presenting it that afternoon. I didn't even start studying until 1 hour before the test (in the class before it...). Scared to death. But as I was starting the test, I knew most of it!!!! I got through it and feel great about it! Next was the presentation. I got through it really well, and my teacher said I hit the nail on the head!

God does some wonderful things for us when we trust Him. I destroyed that day! It was awesome! Now just some things I have to make for a graphic arts class and we're all good!

Overeating Coupled With Exhaustion

Ah the wonderful day of Thanksgiving! It was good fun. Mom and I cooked dinner the night before and during the day, and there was none of the usual stress. No extended family was coming over, and my grandfather died this past May, so there was no worrying about getting done when we went to get him. Although it was really sad without him. Mom carved up the turkey and said prayer, both Pawpaw's usual jobs. But it was really fun learning to cook with Mom. I made chocolate meringue pie, my first time, and it was awesome! The family said it was as good as my grandma's. Huge compliment. I love cooking for people. It makes me happy.

Mom and I have been decorating like mad too. We've got two trees up, and a third starting now. All the stockings are up on the mantle, and random knicky-knacky things up around the house. We also have the icicle lights up! It's very exciting. I love Christmas soooooooo much. Everyone's getting knitted gifts this year (unless Mom helps me out with some stuff).

I go back to school Sunday, and we're going shopping tomorrow. We went to Wal-Mart today, but not during scary time. Later in the afternoon. There's nothing I want at 4 in the morning but more sleep. At Wal-Mart I got my first full-sized tree! Well sorta. 6 feet. But it's the biggest one I've ever had! I love it and I'm soooo excited. But since I'm still in a dorm, I'll only see it for a couple of weeks before I leave again to come home for Christmas break. But oh well! I have a tree and that's made of win!

I haven't knitted anything in awhile, but I intend to tonight or tomorrow!

The Story So Far...

Well, we're a few days into break now, and being at home is...much like it always is. Dad is an annoying, self-absorbed jerk, Mom loves having me home but still hates my boyfriend (go figure), my sister and brother-in-law are constantly fighting and cussing at each other in front of their 11 month old which really ticks me off, and in general it's nothing like Generic Christian College. But it's home. I love my family. I want to rescue my little niece though. My sister is a witch, her husband is a moron....bad combo...but they made a commitment. Hopefully they'll stick with it. I think they will. It's exhausting to watch though. Plus, my freak of a sister is a size ZERO (death to her!!! death!!!!!!!!), and is trying to gain weight and can't (boo hoo) while the rest of the family is trying to lose it. And they're all succeeding (to a degree anyway). I on the other hand am NOT. I gave up sugar this month (until I got here anyway) and it didn't do anything!!!! It's really annoying. I refuse outright to count calories for the rest of my life, but it seems like the only thing that works.

Sigh.

In other news, I HATE TWILIGHT!!!!!! HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!!!!!!!!! Did I mention that I hate it. I'm sick and tired of TV guide being the 24-7 Twilight channel, and loathe my twilighter facebook friends and their obsessive posts that won't stop, and I in general want to go back in time and stop Stephanie Meyer from ever writing the awful crap. Vampyres (note the spelling please) do not friggen sparkle in the sun. They DIE! Figure it out. Seriously.

Now that every twilighter that sees this hates me, and I've satisfied my desire to rant loudly, forgive me for the intese hatred of the crap you're obsessed with. And I know that vampyres aren't real. For goodness' sake I'm not an idiot, and I appreciate that she was taking a different view of vampyrism, but she went waaaaay too far! Sparkles? Seriously?! WHY?!?!?!!? I swear, Lestat's gonna jump out of the book and kill you all.

Wait, I thought my rant was over? Well I guess not. Now it is though. Really. But I still hate it.

I hope you all still like me...and you won't convince me otherwise.

I already miss my college place, but the break is good.

The Break of Thanksgiving and Other Fun

So, Thanksgiving break at Generic Christian College has begun! I'm going home to the family tomorrow! It's a nice 7-hour drive, but I'm used to it now. What's going to suck is having to sit in my broken driver's seat. That's right. It won't raise up to a comfortable position anymore. It's not lying flat, but it's leaning back just far enough to be uncomfortable. And of course this happened TODAY. Not when I get home, but the day before I have to sit in the broken seat for 7 hours. Friggen fail. Srsly.

As far as knitting goes, I'm in the middle of several projects. A hat for my sister, a toy block and a jacket for my niece. And those are the ones that I've started. I need to start a Jane Cobb hat for Bonnie, make a pygmy puff, start a loom-knit snowman, and make a hat for my brother-in-law in the colors of my old high school since he works there now. Yeesh. So many Christmas projects, and It's not even December!

Foolish People and Christmas Preparations

First things first---today I got an email from a one Katherine Poll. She wanted me to post a link to some screen capture software on my blog, and told me that if I agreed, to post the link and show it to her and she'd send me the free license. Clearly skeptical I googled the name, and lo and behold I found another blog that said she'd gotten the same one.

Turns out, the link to her "click here for more info" site (which is safe.I clicked it. it's the "link" you're supposed to put in the blog that's dangerous) is a website that only lasts 40 days and is gone. The other link is a virus that will beat the crap out of your computer.

All this to say, DO NOT CLICK LINKS FROM KATHERINE POLL. It's just not a good idea...

I emailed her back saying I hope God blessed her and that she turned to Jesus and away from computer destruction, then decided to report the spam email, and I don't intend to open it if she emails me back (which I doubt will happen anyway).

On a lighter note...I've started Christmas knitting! I made a stocking from the Oddball Knitting book. It was really simple, but I'd never done a sock shape before, and it got really confusing at the heel part....I succeeded though! I have a miniature stocking and I LOVE IT!!!! Also, I've knitted a little snowman ornament for my mom, because she collects them, and I've made a stuffed little Christmas tree ornament.

What I'm really excited about, is my friend Bonnie gave me all the yarn she had (a huge-mongous Cracker Barrel sack plus more) and in that loverly stash was a skein of 100% WOOL!!!!!! And it's the most perfect red Christmasy color!!! I can't find anything to do with it right now, but I will find something! Any suggestions?

And finally, I'm knitting a hooded baby jacket for my niece! It's going to be the first wearable knitted thing I've ever made (other than scarves and hats that is). I just hope I can finish it in time. I think I can if I'm diligent. I got the pattern from a Bernat Softee Baby yarn skein. And it's also online here:
http://www.bernat.com/pattern.php?PID=175&cps=21191

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/holsnowman2.htm
That's the link to the Snowman

http://www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/trees.shtml
That's the link to the tree.

And as I was getting the link for the tree, I found this, and thought it was awesome and amusing all at once:
http://wtnh.tv/blogs/index.php/anchors/2008/12/09/this-is-one-giant-knitted-christmas-tree

Laziness and Upcoming Patterns

Well, the Draco outfit was awesome! The temporary spray turned my hair bright blond, and it came out! With one wash! Hooray!

Scrooge was abso-friggen-lutely incredible! They have a free showing tomorrow (held over, unexpected, awesome) and so I'm totally going again. For the win. So excited.

The Adventures of Carmine and Lefty, a wonderful show about superheros and imagination that I'm in, has officially started. Readthrough #1 was Friday, and it was hilarious! I loved it! It doesn't premier until April, but that's not the point. It's still very exciting to be in a show again. I miss the theatre. I was in 2 shows a year in high school, and after being cast as a minor (and by minor I mean in one scene, in the dead center of the show, with a giant flower on my head, spinning around going "ooooooo") character in Generic Christian College show of the Wizard of Oz, I figured they'd only cast the same people over and over in any part worth having. And don't get me wrong, I love being ensemble, and have no problem with that, but I /do/ have a problem with being in ONE scene. It's not worth the effort and time that's put in really. Too much other stuff to do to work that hard to be a spinning flower.

We had a choir concert today, and it went well. I forgot my music, but I didn't need it really. I was just supposed to bring it. Oh well. The concert was great! Even if an obnoxious high school boy trying to get through was all rude with a very snobby sounding "Coming through". Rude high schoolers, at MY school, listening to MY performace, have no right talking to the host people that way. And by /my/ I mean Generic Christian College.

Overall, life is exhausting. As usual. I'm working on writing a pattern for a Harry Potter style Ipod/cell phone color. I have mine done, and I just need pictures so some of the instructions make more sense. I'll post it soon, hopefully.

Meeting Again

Well, meeting #3 is tonight. Hopefully more than one person will show up this time. I'm going to post some flyers around campus in a little while. Having no class until 2:30 (or skipping the 1:00 class so that the only one left is at 2:30) makes things easier to get done....if I'm not too lazy to actually go post them.

IT'S HALLOWEEN IN A FEW DAYS!!!! WOO!!!! I love Halloween. It's so much fun! And it conveniently falls on Homecoming at Southern-Nowhere-Arkansas College! So there's a football game (meh) on Saturday, and the boyfriend and I are going to go see the Homeocming musical, Scrooge. It's going to be awesome! I usually never pay to go to these shows, but after seeing the preview in chapel, I /had/ to go see it. It looks incredible! Plus, I've nearly finished my Draco costume, but ties are so friggen expensive! Plus they don't have one in green and silver stripes. Oh wells.

Still working on the Slytherin scarf. Instead of finishing it for this weekend, I'm going to stick the stiches on a holder or two and pin it on, then keep working on it until it's as long as the Hogwarts scarves in the Goblet of Fire. I can't find a good picture to show, but basically after wrapping the things around their necks twice, the scarves from the later movies still hang down to their ankles. It's madness, and I'm totally going to do it! Bwuahahahaa!!!!!!.....ahem....anywho, YAY HALLOWEEN!

Oh! And be sure to clicky on the links to other knitting! I add them on here because they're made of win!

Far Away Family is Still Worth the Visit

So, I went home to Southern Small-Town Illinois from Middle of Arkansas because my family was having a benefit hog-roast/silent auction for my uncle and his family. My cousin has been fighting cancer for several years, and last year my uncle/his dad has a major stroke. Both of them have proven over and over and over that they are miracle men. They told my uncle he wouldn't live, walk, or move anything on his left side again, and he walks with a cane and is doing therapy to get his left side working, and he's doing GREAT with it! The benefit was absolutely incredible. Small-Town Illinois really pulled together for this. We had a brand new ride mower raffle at $10 a ticket, a "Guess the number of golf balls in the bucket for a dollar and get them all if you're closest without going over" thing, over 200 items for auction, plus a freewill donation to come and eat. All in all we've estimated earning over TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!!!!!!
25-30,000!!!!!!!!! It's amazing!!!! I got some cool stuff, like a big ol' green purse worth 40 for 25, a t-shirt of a local pizza place for 5, and a "movie night" gift bucket with popcorn, Dr. Pepper (the lifegiver), twizzlers sweet & sour, and the first and second Spiderman. Everything was so great, and it really showed God's power. It's wonderful!

College Tends to Be Tiring

I'm officially tired of being in school....I'm ready to graduate, and do all those things that happen when you get a real job. Which of course is more exhausting...but still....school....

I'm being Draco Malfoy for Halloween this year! My wonderful friend Bonnie made me my Slytherin robes, and I already have a wand. Technically it's a pen, but it's shaped like a Potter wand. I need to buy a vest (which may be more complicated than I'm hoping...) and a white collared dress shirt, and I'm in the process of knitting a Slytherin scarf! This is the most complex outfit I've ever done for Halloween, and it's looking like it's actually going to come together! I love it!

Overall college life is good, I'm just done with it. Classes, papers, tests, none of it will matter in another year (when I graduate from college), and so I'm having trouble seeing the point of it now. And that causes more stress when I have to maintain a 3.0 (which I have exactly....) to keep a scholarship that allows me to even go to Church of Christ school, Arkansas. I'm mostly just exhausted. It's break time.

Here's the link to the Slytherin (or any house scarf...just change the colors):

http://www.ehow.com/how_4867479_make-slytherin-scarf.html

For the record, this is the earlier years of Hogwarts (the movie versions). The more recent movies have a long strip of dark with two small lines of light color.

General College Complaints

Says it all neh?

It's midterm week here at my college. Two tests today, one right after another, followed by a class that I (once again) forgot the paper I was supposed to write for this week. It doesn't help that he /never/ even acknowledges that we have an assignment, and that when I looked at the assignment sheet, it didn't say WHAT THE FRENNING PAPER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OVER!!!!!!!!! I would have done it in the small space of time between test 2 and 2 1/2 hour class in which paper was due....I wanted to die. Today has just generally sucked.
Hate hate hate hate fume rant rage.....yearg...

Knitting group meeting #2 is tomorrow, and that should be much more relaxing. Church tonight was very interesting too. They were having a congregational meeting, and that was very......frightening to say the least. But not a deterrent! I love it there! It's so much like my church back home, plus POTLUCK NEXT WEEK! Woo!

Fun Circles

The knitting group went great! Only a couple of people came, but that's probably because the signs I put up weren't very visible. I'll do better on the ones for next week. Yup, we're making this a weekly thing! We're even thinking about doing a "Great Yarn Exchange" where we bring all our yarn and trade around and stuff. I think it'll be fun. And we had some crochet people too. It was awesome. I'm really happy about all of this. It's going to be a great stress reliever and a good way to get to know some new friends.

Learning One's Age Can Be Painful

Last night was the Relay for Life here in my town, and it was more or less hosted by my school. The theme was the '90s, but my group was the "Creative Bible Study" group, and we decided that since they didn't specify the 1990's, we didn't have to be from the 1990's. We were Centuries of '90s. I was a vampyre in homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula in the 1890's. We had a Mozart (death in 1590 if I remember right), a Dorian Gray and Invisible Man also from the 1890's. A Beowulf from c. 690, and a cavewoman from 25,090 BC. It was a great time! And our group riased a lot of money. We sold knitting things (by me! And someone bought a baby hat!!!), a silent auction on pottery, sold candy, and the piece de resistance, caramel apples! They sold out really fast because we were the only ones who had them! It was awesome!

HOWEVER. I'm 20. So I'm not old, but staying up all night in 40 degree weather? I'm officially too old for that. It wasn't too horrible (well, the staying up part anyway...I didnt' have NEARLY enought warm snuggly bundle-up stuff to handle the cold). So why not go get more blankets/coats/hoodies/etc.? Well that's because I go to a Church of Christ school (and absolutely love it to death. It's wonderful), and we have curfew. That's right, I'm 20 with a curfew. So those of us that wanted to stay the night at Relay had to sign out of our dorms and sign in at 1 am (curfew on the weekends). Then they locked us in. Yup. Really. Now, if you weren't a student, or you lived off campus, you could come and go, but I'm not. So when it got really really cold, I was stuck. Fail.

All in all, it was a good night. Despite the cold. Seeing people's themes was fun, and raising money for cancer is always a good time. And as for curfew? It's not so bad. It's better for us anyways.

I'm still working on my curly purly pumpkin (see link below), and it's going fairly well. I'm excited about the knitting group Tuesday, and I still need help learning how to knit into the front and back of the stitch. Hopefully I'll learn Tuesday, or one of you can help me out!

Circles and Halloween

I'm starting up a knitting circle/group/club thing at my school! I know of a few people that are coming, and I'm curious to see how many show up juts because of the signs I posted. I'm not 100% on what to do, but I have a few ideas in mind. I'm really excited about this, and I hope it's something that will pick up and gain speed fairly quickly.

For Halloween, I'm trying to use the dreaded dpns! Dun dun duuuuuuuuun! I found an adorable little pumpkin pattern and figured I'd give it a shot. It isn't terribly hard, but dpns. They suck.
http://www.curlypurly.com/pumpkin.html The pattern is located here.

I also started and finished a dishcloth with a bat. It was really really easy to do (especially since I finally know how to knit and purl in the same row. It's amazing how much has opened up now that I know how to do that....) http://www.blackrayne.com/pages/batty.html The pattern for the bat dishcloth is here, except I did mine in black. It looks neat, but I recommend a lighter color (like the purple pictured) so you can see the image easier. I intend to use it as an actual dishcloth, at least this month. Why knit something functional and not use it?

HELP!

All of my wonderful knitting friends, I have a dilemma! HOW THE HECK DO YOU KNIT INTO THE FRONT AND BACK OF A STITCH!!!???!!?!? I want to make an entrelac scarf http://www.allisonknits.com/entrelacscarf.pdf <----shown beautifully here but I can't do it!!!! I've watched and searched all over google to try and understand, but I can't get it to work!

HELP!!!!!

Wonderful Days are Wonderful

Today really was pretty good. Simple classes, very few of them, and then lasagna dinner at a friend's house! Tiring, but fun!

I submitted my pillow pattern (see below) to Knitting Pattern Central! I'm excited about! And I already have a lot more pageviews than before! It's wonderful!

Oh, and I LOVE Creative Knitting Magazine! Which is weird because I've never been into magazines. But it's got 3 ads and the rest is beginner-intermediate(and there's only 2 of those) patterns! It's awesome! My boyfriend is buying me a 2-year subscription to it! It's available at Wal-Mart (or any place where you can find magazines really) for like 6 bucks. You should go pick it up!

Super Insanely Easy Pillow Pattern

I promised it and here it is (finally)! The insanely easy pattern for the pillow I posted earlier.

Materials: Size 15 needles
I used Lion Brand Homespun in whatever colors you like (amount depends on how big you want your pillow to be. Mine took about half a full skein). I used a dark purple and black, and then a silver/grey and black. This pillow is double-knit (hold two strands of yarn and work them as one).
Tapestry needle/large-eye needle for sewing.

Pattern:

Holding two strands of yarn together, cast on 30 sts.
Work in stockinette/stocking stitch (K one row, P one row) for 13 inches or double the desired length.
Bind off.
Blocking isn't necessary, but if you want to, do it now, BEFORE following the "finishing" instructions.

Finishing:
Cut a long strand of one color and sew up one edge, then repeat for the other edge. DO NOT sew up the top yet! Stuff with polyester fiberfill (or some form of fluffy stuffing) and stuff full. It's okay if sections bulge a bit, you can fluff them out/whack them until they're gone when you're done. Once the pillow is stuffed to your liking, cut another long strand and sew up the top. And voila! You now have a nice fluffy pillow for your back, your seat, or your head!

Finishing and Starting Again

Well, I finished my shawl! I really like it, even though it's sorta small. But it's wonderfully fluffy and soft and wonderful. I'm still working on my coat, and I've started a twisted wrap thing. It's knitted in the round with an intentional twist in it. Took my awhile to get that part down actually....

Life on campus has been very frustrating this week. A lot of misfortunes, plus the club I decided to pledge (after swearing off social clubs for 2 years!!!!) decided that I (and only one other person) were not good enough. I'm really really upset about this because I'm friends with over half the members.....there's like two people that don't like me....they were probably the choosers. It just friggen ticks me off. I know I know, trivial stuff that will make no difference after graduation next year....but still! I feel betrayed....

Well, that's my rant for the day. Enjoy.

So, in my Typeography class, my teacher knows I'm a knitting knut, and so he shared a joke with me today.

A woman is knitting while driving. A cop pulls up next to her and yells "Pull over!" and she yells back "No! Booties!"

*cricket noise*

Well I thought it was funny. Anyways, I've been forcing new techniques on myself lately, and am learning that I can figure them out! Hooray! First, my coat forced me to learn ribbing/knitting and purling in the same row. And last night I decided to learn I-cords by knitting myself a wedding ring! (No, I'm not married or engaged.)
http://knit-amigurumi.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-dont-really-i-dont.html

That's where I got the pattern for it. And I found that pattern through the Knitting Pattern Central website that I have a link to. It's not really very hard, but like the person who created it says, cheap yarns are not your friend for stuff like this. I made a second one with a blue "stone" for a friend's birthday, and it turned out much better than mine. My advice: READ AHEAD! Don't start doing something in the pattern until you've read the entire instruction. That's what killed me. I started over with this thing like three times. Enjoy!

New Knitting

I've started another large project. I call my shawl large because, well, it's a big shawl. This new one is the biggest I've ever started though. I'm knitting a jacket! Yes! Something wearable! I'm scared to death of it, but it looks easy for the most part. I found it in the Creative Knitting magazine, which I've fallen in love with and which my boyfriend is going to buy me a two year subscription! It's done with Lion Brand Homespun, which is a bit more expensive, but readily available at Wal-Mart, and very soft. I'm really excited about this coat, and it's going to force me to try some new techniques, and forced my to learn why I am no good at ribbing, until now! (Okay, so technically it's Seed Stitch, but it alternates knitting and purling, which I could never do right before) Hopefully I'll be done with my coat by late fall hahahaha.

More Things!

I really need to be more diligent with this. Oh well. I've been working on a few projects, and finishing a few as well. I finished a tie I was knitting for my boyfriend. I started and finished a baby bib for my little niece. I finished a scarf for a friend back home that I'm getting paid for! And I started and am still working on a shawl for me! Man, I've been doing a lot lately. Wow. All that, and college. How do I do it? No clue.

This is my shawl on my messy desk. It's shiny and soft and fluffy!

And here's my bib! The bottom is modeled by my Tuba Bear!

Long-Expected Pictures

So, I've been talking about projects, and have finished projects, and promised pictures. And here they are!

First, the fingerless gloves that I loom-knitted! There are a few better pictures, but they're on my friend's camera. Plus, CUPCAKES!

This wonderful pillow is the end product of something I started on a whim and didn't quite know what it was going to be until I finished. It's double-knit with homespun yarns on size 15(!) needles. Really really really fast and easy. It's soft and fluffy and actually works to sleep on!

And finally, this little number (as displayed by Josh Jr.) is something I started on circular needles as the beginning of a big ol' afgan, but decided to make a scarf out of instead. My favorite part of this whole thing is that since I basically just cast on a TON of stitches until the circulars were over-full, it's got this wavy-look to it. I'm not sure if it will last or not, but oh well.

I intend to post the pattern for the pillow (if you can really call it that, it's so simple...) later on. My first official self-made pattern! (Other than my cross, which I'll talk about later.)

Fluffiness!

So, the epic thing that I couldn't decide what to do with is now finished, and is now a fluffy comfy pillow. I LOVE it! I took pictures, and will upload them, eventually. Man I suck at this. Anyway, I'm still working on a scarf that I'm actually getting paid for, and without a printer, making my ads and posting them around the school is a bit difficult...

Oh! School! It started today. Harding University. It's win, but still...it's school. And curfew is not a fun thing. Especially when you've been in an apartment with your own rules all summer. *sigh*

Pictures eventually.

MOVING!!!! GRRR!

Man! I HATE moving. Too much stuff....it's exhausting...and it's not over yet. But I have wonderful friends that like to help me. They're silly that way, because they have their own un-packing to do.

I've started a project using homespun yarn and size 15 needles. I'm double knitting it too so it's extremely thick and soft and warm. I just have no idea what it's going to be at this point. None at all. I'm just knitting in stockinette/stocking stitch with 30 stitches, and stopping....eventually.

Problem with all these side-track items is I have a scarf to work on...and someone's paying for it. Oh well...she doesn't need it until winter, right? And friends from home don't mind right? Right.

Whew! So, I haven't been all that busy, but at the same time, I really have. I've got a bunch of packing to do yet, and can't move into the dorms until at least one. So I'm procrastinating until then! I used my biggest loom (yellow knifty knitter) and an entire skein of a happy teal-ish blue yarn combined with a lighter weight nightshade purple and just knitted until I ran out. I really don't know how to cast off with my looms (because I can't crochet...) so the top bit won't even stretch out....at all....I'm wanting to attach the whole thing to a tank-top, but i need my head to fit through it.

I'm terrible about posting pictures....but that's becaues I'm lazy....oh wells!

Party!

So, not only have I loom knitted a pair of fingerless gloves (pictures to follow!) and gotten my good friend addicted to loom knitting, but now we're having a JASON ISAACS PARTY!!!!!! For you poor unknowing souls, Jason Isaacs plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, and Will Tavington (evil colonel) in the Patriot (Mel Gibson version). Not only that, but we're also having a bit of a Heath Ledger party!! A Knights Tale and the Patriot. Such an awesome night!!! Hooray for pretty men!!!!!

Cooking and Cleaning

So, I'm really excited!!! My good friend Bonnie will be here in a few hours! I've been busy all day! I've got cupcakes done, brownies (with oreo cookies!) in the oven, and am planning on trying out a creamy pasta with bacon recipe my mom sent me! Sounds good to me, and the house smells like chocolate. It's wonderful. I'm the type that tends to fret about little details though. (Piles of knitting on the couch, a book on the table) so it's a good thing that I have someone to help my brain out. No time for knitting today probably. Man, I need to get that scarf done....oh well.

Productivity

Well, today was productive. I cleaned the bathroom, kitchen, and packed! Go Me! Still plenty to do though. Cooking, more packing, more cleaning. Sheesh....

I haven't done any knitting today either, but I'm about to! What I really should be doing is working on a scarf in the same pattern as the one I posted earlier, except black and orange striped, for one of my friends who's buying it from me, but I'm too lazy. So I'll probably just work on my blanket some more because there's absolutely no thinking involved! Yay lack of thought!

Well today was sorta back and forth. I decided not to go into work today, and try and get some packing/cleaning done, but when I found a MASSIVE SPIDER hiding under some of my clothes, that plan died miserably. I. don't. like. spiders.

But it's not bad otherwise. Just a day to chill out and watch some Winnie the Pooh on YouTube. Ah nostalgia. I've lived in it for awhile this summer. I found a whole bunch of Rugrats episodes on YouTube too! Yeah, the ones that showed when I was ONE!!!!

Oh! And I found a wonderful pattern for a simple shawl that I intend to eventually make for myself!

http://www.sheeptoshawl.com/charity/archives/2006/12/entry_230.html

This one in fact. I found it through the Knitting Pattern Central website! Man I love that site. It's got a toooooon of patterns! And I'm also in the process of making up a simple blanket/afgan pattern for myself. I just need to get it written down as a go along. I'll post some pictures when I'm a little further in.

Learning Time!

I've decided to take a hiatus from Facebook until Saturday, and I must say that after one day, it's been eye-opening. Facebook is my homepage after all. I'm on it ALL DAY. And with no cable, it's amazing how little I have to entertain me now. But it's all for the greater good. Hopefully I'll be a little less addicted by the time it's all over. And I can get back to reading! I love reading. I just...don't anymore. So my Year of Living Biblically book by A. J. Jacobs book might get a chunk through it now. It's not what it sounds like. This guy (the author) decides to take an entire year to live the Bible as literally as possible. He doesn't cut his hair, he doesn't wear clothes made of mixed fibers, etc. It's bound to be highly amusing, and I definitely recommend it!


Hmm...nothing about knitting....well that's not right. Next time then!

Too Adorable To Be Allowed

So, I played with the smallest Knifty Knitter Loom today. The blue one. It's for baby sized hats, and I wanted to make one for my little niece. It took me like, 30 minutes tops. And it's ADORABLE!!! I'm going crazy over this little hat! Problem is, it's waaaaaay to small for my niece. I think it's for newborns I think, and she's going to be 1 in December. I'll just sell it, but it's still too adorable.

Here's the hat. I can't even fit my thumb in it without stretching it a bit.

And this is how big it is next to a can of Dr. Pepper Cherry. Mmmmmm......

Anywho, I'm a few days behind on my blogging, but when all you do is DJ on a radio station all day, there's not too much to blog about. One of my best friends will be here on Saturday!! (Hi Bonnie!) I'm waaaaay excited, but I need to pack and clean and make the place look decent before she gets here. No time. Like always.

More Loom Knitting!

I made myself a hat that actually fits! And I finished them both in ONE DAY! That's totally unheard of....I'm not sure I've ever finished something in one day....weird. Same pattern, different sized loom. I'll post it eventually. (Honest I will!)

Oh Em Gee I'm loom knitting!

Yes, it's true! I've bought a set of round looms, and already finished a small hat! Go me! Problem is, I decided that what I thought the sizes for these hats was right, and what the book of instructions said was wrong. OOPS! So instead of making a hat for me, I made one for a young child. Oh well, it only took me about 3-4 hours and was incredibly simple. I'm actually rather proud of it. If only I could wear it! This is as far onto my head as I can get the thing. I'll try and post the pattern eventually.

This is my current work-in-progress. Just a scarf with some lacy edging. It's a very easy to work pattern, and could probably be done with any sport weight yarn, the one pictured is recommended so that the blocking instructions can be followed more easily. Enjoy!

I found the pattern here:

http://knittingczar.blogspot.com/2009/02/make-me-feel-pretty-quick-scarf.html

I'm not going to do the finishing of weaving a ribbon into it though.

A Little Bit of Introduction

Howdy-do! I'm Katie. aka Knitty Aunt-Did. So, the story behind the name. Well, I love to knit, and my little niece (first and only so far!) who isn't even one yet will eventually call me Aunt-Did. This was decided by my sister, who thinks "Katie" has too many syllables. The "Did" part comes from the fact that for a large part of my life I've been "Katie-Did" to my family.

Wow, long intro just about a name. Anyway, as I said, I love to knit! So I'm going to share with you some of my favorite patterns I've come across, and whenever I come up with one, I'll post it! Hope you enjoy!