Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Some Pictures










Here is what I have done so far on Chris' sweater. One sleeve = 22" long. One body = 19" long. One very long husband = check. Having a really handsome sweater for my construction worker/future farmer that actually fits him and didn't cost a hundred dollars = priceless. The second sleeve is casted on and about 1/4 done. I am SO ready for this sweater to be done. I am even skipping Stats class tonight in an effort to get most of the second sleeve done. Ok....and because I just can't do it tonight. Ok, Ok, I'll go. But I'll not be happy about it.


Look what Annie sent me!



Do you see this beautiful camel down? What about that hook?! Is it not so very awesome?


What about these stitch markers? She made them herself! What can I say? I have the BEST pal ever!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Incogknitters, Knitter You Are Beautiful, and I'm So OVER MySpace.

Incogknitters. They're everywhere. You know who they are. They keep looking at you when you kip. Not the often seen, "what a dork, doesn't she know that's for old people?" No. These are the envious looks of those who so recently held their beloved fiber in their hands and only put it down out of fear of the above mentioned looks. These are the ones who will casually ask, "What are you working on?" and then actually listen when you launch into the tale of the pattern, the yarn and the intended recipient. They hang on every word as if somehow listening to you and sitting near you will fufill their own need to knit. My heart aches for them. I long to hand them some needles and open my knitting bag with extra skeins and say," Go ahead and knit yourself something." (That is, afterall, my motto.) But I know that this would only be received with frightened looks and shaking heads. Poor souls. I never have been one of them. From my first dance with wool I was too in love to hide it. I didn't care if it launched another Hatfield-McCoy saga. I was a Knitter and I was proud.

Knitters, You ARE Beautiful. If you ever doubt that, read this again. Knitters are not your average kind. In fact there is NO average knitter. Knitters are young, older, and much older. Knitters are artistic types, crunchy granola types, academics, hip, and in need of hip-replacements. Knitters do not need to be defined by categories or boundaries as most people do. A knitter may want to knit with wool today and cotton tomorrow. A knitter (with very few exceptions) will stop what he/she is doing to help another knitter in need and when called upon rarely fails to step up to the plate. Knitters care little for political affilitation, religious preference, sexual preference, or geographic location. No, in our world we are just who we are and that is good enough. We share this common bond that is beyond description, though many have tried.
The saying, "It takes one to know one," has probably never fit so well. So I say it again, Knitters You ARE Beautiful.

My last comments are about how I am so OVER MySpace. I was really into it when it first came out but over the last year I've come to realize that very little is to be gained by keeping my account open. It really boils down to nothing more than a computerized, world-wide version of a popularity contest. Who has the most "Friends" and who get the most comments/hits. It's ridiculous. Okay, maybe it's not ridiculous to a lot of folks who have a lot of fun on MySpace. Those people are probably using it as it was intended, as a means of meeting and keeping in touch with others. In my area though, it's a way for my high school to keep dibs on each other and keep the social classes organized. So, just like High School, I'm tired of this crap and I'm outta here. I f I wanted to stay in High School I wouldn't have left.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

First of all a VERY Happy Birthday to my googliebear, Chris. He's a whopping 29 years old today! I finished my Trekking socks today. In a rather unconventional way too. You see, usually I reward myself AFTER knitting, but today knitting WAS my reward....for studying. During school terms I get so little knitting time and it's a constant battle for me to get my studies done. This quarter so far has been especially hard due to the BORING content of my classes. I'm sorry, I know there are folks out there who get really excited about Politics and Math and Philosophy, but I'm just not one of them. I'm passionate about my political views but I never discuss them with anyone other than my family and I have very little ability to read about politics for twenty to fourty pages at a time. So I read five pages, knit five row, read three pages, knit three rows, etc. It works out better if my project is bigger. Tonight I've definitely spent more time reading but later on and tomorrow I'll be working on Chris' Christmas Sweater so it'll be worth the reading time put it. I have so much to knit if I want to get my man into this marvelous sweater by V-Day.And thanks to his change in eating habits, he's gonna look even more studly wearing it. I think he finally learned that getting excited about my knitting (even if it's BS) is a good way to score! Well, tomorrow I'll get a lot of work done on the sweater b/c I'll be accompanying my hunny to his mothers house (rather begrudgingly I might add) for a family get together. Knitting has saved my sanity and my marriage on more than one of these occasions so sticks don't let me down! I really adore my STK pal, Annie. She sent me the most lovely stuff and I'm really having a ball spinning hers! Her package has been delayed until Friday d/t the need for package procurement of the non-baked kind (don't worry, I'll come through).

On a more wandering note (more wandering you say? but how can this be?) I've been thinking a lot lately about how I don't have anyone my age who really gets this whole "knitting thing" I get weird looks from all the "trendy" girls at church(who btw haven't changed at all since we were in high school together) when I pull out the needles. Look, I'm not shallow, or at least I try not to be, but I'm lonely for knitting pals. I've checked out my local knitting meetings and met some really great ladies that I'm so in love with, but I'm the youngest there by about twenty years in most cases. I just wish I could find some gals who'd like to join me on my adventures in the fiber world. I just know if they fell through this rabbithole with me they'd never want to leave our Woolly Wonderland. *sigh* Alas, I'm sure the day will come.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Annie

Can I just say that those of you who never made commo with your STK pals...you REALLY screwed the pooch. Annie sent me a package that is to DIE for. Two balls of merino/sari(pretty cool huh?) and some camel and merino/tencel to spin and some GORGEOUS stitch markers that she made herself and this absolutely beautiful hook that I have a few ideas about how to use but I asked Annie what her intended use for it was just so I don't screw it up! I have a package ready to go for her that she probably won't get nearly as excited about but just you wait until I'm done spinning her special stuff. She'll die. She'll absoulutely die! And my gifts ALWAYS come with chocolate and other goodies unless there is some slim chance that someone is allergic to chocolate ( a death sentence in my book) so I hope she has fun with it! Like I told Annie, I'm from the Midwest, we say thanks with baked goods!

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Tonight I Knit

Yes. Tonight I will knit. Having not knitted more than a row or two in the last week and a half is taking it's toll on me. I cannot lift heavy books to study tonight as Dr. Ratcliff dx me with Bicipital Tendonitis this afternoon and I'm on lifting restrictions for the next week. He said if I'm not better after a week of not lifting, sleeping on my back, and taking Mobic twice a day, I have to have a cortisone injection. Ouch! NO WAY! So I will knit. I'll take any excuse these days to knit. Since my time is limited I only get to spin a little and knit a little. No way I'm gonna finish Chris' sweater by Saturday. Maybe by the end of the month...... Oh well. Tonight I will finish the second sock in my pair of Trekking socks. I will wear them tomorrow as it is finally cold enough for me to have NO excuse NOT to wear LOTS and LOTS of wool!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

What do I look like?

I swear, if one more kid at this University calls me m'am I will hit him/her. Why is it that when I come to school I am so very often mistaken for a teacher? I am only 27. My husband has brought it to my attention that it may have something to do with the way I dress. My typical garb is my scrubs under a three-quarter length double-breasted black wool peacoat, leather gloves and black laptop briefcase, oh, and my black leather handbag. Ok, I can see how this is different than the ripped jeans and sweatshirt of my fellow classmates. Fine. You should see me at home though. Jeans, tshirts and cowboy boots. And a ponytail. And some sort of fiber in or at least near me. Boy would they be shocked! At least I got my computer. Yvonne say hi, *hello*. She's a beautiful Sony Vaio and she has two friends. Digi my digital camera and Polly, my iPod. All are happily playing with me on a regular basis and I couldn't be more thrilled. Now I get to introduce Ashley and Ben to them.!YaY!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Silence

Still no reply from my Spin-to-Knit exchange pal. I emailed her almost two weeks ago! Annie tells me she hasn't heard from hers either and even though she emailed the head dudes she still hasn't heard...from either one! How Rude! Oh well, I'm not sending her the yarn I've spent SO much time on until she at least acknowledges that she's received my email. I know it's kind of harsh, especially coming from someone who just wants to wrap the world in wool but...c'mon, we had the option to quit and obviously she confirmed. Denise...if you're out there......drop me a line! Oh, and I'll be posting some pictures from my October trip to Hilton Head and Savannah in a few days(really whenever I can.) There are dolphins involved and a GLORIOUS sunset that makes me SO glad I paid attention during composition class!

SPIN ON SISTERS!

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Schools In

So I started back to school today and boy will I be glad when this quarter is over! I have Political Science, Philosophy, and Statistics. The last three classes I needed to satisfy my general education requirements for my bachelors degree. I'm so bored already! At least I have a long break on Tuesday and Thursdays. I packed Benjamin in my backpack with some fiber to keep him company. I can take him out during the break and feed the monkey. People give me the strangest looks though....I can't figure out WHAT is so unusual about a girl spinning in the middle of a large university campus. I mean really, have they never seen it before?