As this quarter comes to an end I am getting giddy with thoughts of all the free time I'll have again to knit and spin and run and read. Omg, I'm so excited. So far it looks like the ole GPA will see no detriment from this quarter although I will have to do a LOT of studying this weekend to make ready for the two tests on tuesday in Micro and Organic Chem and then the ridiculous Architecture class. But it will be so nice once it's all over and I have a nice pretty little GPA to show for it and acceptance into the College of Nursing and Health. Yay! "Alright, back to your knitting. This is going to be awkward enough without all you sots listening in." - a Weasley twin.

Soothing Stockinette

I have to knit a LOT of stockinette on the Stone sweater for Noah. Since it's only a size 8-10 it's not a whole lot of stockinette but it is. And i'm knitting and knitting and not stopping. It's so repetative that it's soothing. I don't know. Sometimes I get bored with it but mostly I just let my thoughts wander. I tend to work on stories in my mind while I'm knitting stockinette. Yet another stupid dream of mine I guess. Everbody's got to have one.
I've mentioned that I taught my crocheting mom how to knit and know she's a knitter who sometimes crochets. She started right out the gates knitting my dad a sweater. My mom has never been one to go gently into that good night. She is now wanting to knit socks b/c she's a big fan of the pairs I've made her. So we got her some pink and white heathered sock yarn, a couple of size 3 circs and we've made it to the first gusset decreases. She'll get this sock thing in no time.

Wild hairs are NOT to be left unattended to.

So last night I was washing the dishes (um, yeah, my dishwasher is my two hands), and I got this wild hair to start knitting Noah a sweater. I'd been planning on designing him one after working the sampler from The Sweater Workshop, but since I haven't had time to read it yet I decided that I could work on a design later and that designing one for Malachi would probably be a better idea seeing as he is smaller. So I remembered a sweater I'd seen in The Natural Knitter called the Stone Sweater and decided to start that one. I even liked the Wedgewood blue it was shown in and Noah had been asking that his next sweater be blue. So I put the next sink full in the hot, soapy water and set off for the only place open at ten o'clock on a Sunday night that carries good wool, Meijer. I bought four skeins of Patons Classic in New Denim. It looks very little like denim and very much like Wedgewood. In fact, it's the exact same shade as the one in the book. So I cast it on. I finished the dishes first though. I made it through the first five rows before realizing that I was eleven stitches short of the 128 I needed to make the 8-10 size. Now I already knit smaller than gauge, and I was counting on this b/c my kid is tall and skinny. I can always lengthen it but honestly, he swims in most stuff. His favorite accesory is belts, otherwise his pants would always be at his ankles. So I was counting on my usual tighter gauge to bring in the width a touch but eleven stitches equals a little over two inches too small and that would be a little too small. So, of course, I ripped it out and cast on again. It was one in the morning before I got back to the same place I'd been when I'd ripped. My hands hurt. My wrists hurt and my contacts were sticking to my eyeballs. I'd spent most of the day working on my Travelers socks (and realizing that the socks are Lime and Violet, how weird is that considering that I'd bought the yarn before I'd started listening to LnV?) Anyways, so now I'm working on the Stone Sweater and here's my current sweater cue in order of when to be knit:

• Noah
• Dad
• Sean
• Jayden
• Shawna
• Kate
• Chris
• Me

Yeah, I'm going to be making sweaters til Christmas, yeowch.

When I first was taught to spin, my spinning instructor, the almighty Arlene of Fiberworks, told me that it would be better for me to spin for just five or ten minutes every day than to spin for two hours once a week. I understood her logic and still do. The problem is that it's much easier for me to carve out an hour or two once a week than five to ten minutes every day. That is, until this semester is over. So tonight I'd had about all the separation from Ashley that I could stand and just had to spin. I pulled Ashley out, pulled out the Mardi Gras from Lisa Souza and set about continuing to fill my first bobbin with what is to be sock yarn. I've found that I have a knack for this spinning fine thang. Oh,wait, that's right, it's probably because I've been practicing. *duh* but in all seriousness, I love that when I test the twist it shows me an almost perfect sock yarn weight which means that it will untwist a little during plying and then fluff up a little during washing into perfect sock yarn! And then I've got lot's more fiber to spin. Some things I do need to remind myself though: when my back is practically spasming from the act of spinning it's time to take a break, walking away from the wheel is sometimes good for our working relationship and our friendship, and always remember to never fear what you have not yet attempted and never regret what you have already accomplished. Life is a journey so take the high road, it's not easy but you'll get where you need to go and the scenery is much better.

It's not the end of the tunnel, but I can see it from here.

The research paper of doom is now happily in the mailbox of my instructor. And I am NEVER going to take a course like this again. Only two more weeks and the whole quarter is over. Thank God!

Randomness

Well, tonight I will be working on the Research paper of doom and so right now I'm getting all the playing around done that I can. I've downloaded some more songs and played with my new myspace page a bit. It's been a relaxing, non-productive day and I'm okay with that. I'm only going to work on the paper a little b/c I have some spinning that I want to get done.
I posted on the LnV message boards about my new Different Kind of Yarn Diet. Instead of preventing myself from buying any more yarn, instead my plan is to reward my weight loss with yarn and projects. I'm making a list of the projects and yarns I want and as I reach specific goals I will purchase those yarns and projects. I plan to accomplish most of my loss over the course of the next year but I plan to squirrel away the money over the summer when my hours are at their highest and so I'll have a little extra to spare. My goal is not so much a certain amount of weight, although I do have an actual goal established, but more a specific body composition. Exercise is a big part of my plan. Well, off to the books.

Whining, and blubbering. Probably ought to turn away now.

Ever have those days when losing all sense of control and committing unspeakable acts of horror upon your co-workers seems like the swell thing to do? Me neither, just checking. But if I was to think about it today would be the day. I can't stand my office. I loathe my job and I despise my co-workers. Honestly if it weren't for the insane amount of loyalty shown to me by my boss, I would have left after the first week. I've been there two and a half years now. You'd think after two and a half years that the vipers I work with would have gotten tired of their insidious games. Nope, not these women. They are still at it. If I talk about school, I'm "pretentious and trying to sound smart/ make them sound stupid" ( like I'm physically forcing their vocal cords to spew out their ridiculousness), and if I mind my own business like I have been for the last month or so then I'm "pretentious, arrogant, and thinks she's too good to talk to us." My boss is so tired of their whining and she knows that it's pushing me to find another position sooner than we'd originally planned. She knows that once I start clinicals that I'll be working somewhere I can get on third shift or second shift. Probably back at one of the area hospitals, but this is making me re-evaluate my decision to wait to the end of summer.
What exactly is SO horrible about me that I can't seem to make friends with a majority of women? I have exactly 5 female friends that can truly be described as friends. I've asked them all and they have no clue. They think I'm an excellent friend. I've asked if I'm too bossy. The unanimous answer is no. Am I too smart? Again, no (but I do tend to use works they aren't accustomed to hearing on a regular basis). Am I ugly? Despite what my online pictures display, I'm actually not bad looking. OK then, what the hell is it? Too needy? Too distant? Too raunchy? Not raunchy enough? Too christian? Not christian enough? Too out-there? What!?!
Yeah, they couldn't help me. My husband says I'm just a "unique" personality. I know I'm stubborn, bull-headed, sarcastic, and some times I do boost my ego by using big words, but I'm also kind, patient, loving, always there to give hugs, and the kind of person who will stop what they're doing to come help you out of a jam. I frequently show my love with hand knitted items and baked goods. I cry all the time (especially around my cycle). I love every kind of creature there is and I try REALLY hard not to judge anyone, even after I get to know them. I adore people more creative than myself (hence my love/stalking of Lime and Violet) and I envy people who can just walk into a room light it up. I'm told that when I'm in a good mood I am super hilarious and I love to make people feel comfortable and welcome around me. I really are about my patients and I get really upset when my co-workers talk bad about them. I get irritated when people around me are judged by someone for the way they look or believe. I would never set myself apart from anyone because our views on politics or religion dissented. Overall I think I'm pretty decent. I know I can be bitchy and I'm sorry but for goodness sake, cut me some slack. I work two jobs and go to school full-time. I don't to see my kids, knit or spin even a tenth as much as I'd like too and all I want to do is my part to heal the wounded both physically and emotionally. Boy, it's a good thing nobody reads this blog because I'm seriously being a whiner. I know, I know, I'll suck it up.

Obligatorty Mindbabble by the Queen of Procrastination

So I skipped my architectural history class tonight in order to prepare for the research paper that I'll be writing over the next week. I was a good girl and went to the library and not the student union. And I got NOTHING done! I have, in true Lime and Violet fashion, named this paper the Research Paper of Dooooom. I have to write a ten page research paper,( not including cover page, pictures, footnotes or bibliography) about the history of Ohio's courthouses. That being said I think all will agree that my teacher is, in fact, one of the lesser demons of hell and out to destroy GPA. This is an ELECTIVE class! It's not required for ANY major! What the !@#$%. Ow, ow, ow, my head hurts.
Moving on, I finished my Jaywalkers in the Interlacements Tiny Toes Carbon Dioxide colorway and they are gorgeous! The pattern is nice but these would have rocked in a plain vanilla sock pattern. I love this yarn. I'll get pictures soon. I was a little dissappointed when I had a little bit of dye come out in the first wash (I did a gentle handwash with Kookaburra), but the color hasn't been too noticably affected. I'm now working on the Traveler's Stockings from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I'm using Jojoland in a pretty blue/green/purple colorway that I thought wasn't superwash but I found out that the Jojoland Melody colorways with a 'J' in front of the 'Y' of the color are actually superwashes. I'm still only going to handwash all my knitted socks but it's nice to know that if the husband accidentally gets ahold of them, they'll be okay. I've been doing a lot of spinning over the past few days after taking a brief hiatus d/t the folks being in town. I've been spinning the Mardis Gras Superfine/Superwash Merino from Lisa Souza and it's so pretty I can hardly wait to get it all spun and plied up. I'm spinning it pretty thin so it can be sock weight and I must say I'm impressing myself with how consistent it's spinning up, but then again when you start with a fantastic product you tend to get better results. Since I'm restricted from puchasing any new yarn or fiber until after school is out I'm lusting over quite a few now. As soon as I can I'm heading over to Happy Fuzzy Yarn and getting some of their BFL and then popping over to a great little spot called Kendig Cottage. I'm also going to try and score some Lime and Violet stuff if it's not sold out before my embargo is lifted. And as for yarn, Knitting Notions is my first stop. I met the owner at the Upper Valley Fiber Arts Festival two weeks ago and she is the sweetest gal. Catherine Harrison is her name and I would have purchased from her that day except she was the last booth I stopped by and, well, I was broke by then. But she had the PRETTIEST yarn! I asked about her dyeing technique and she gave me a tutorial on space dyeing right there and then! Now that's the kind of person I want to keep in buisness, someone who'd rather pass on the knowledge to keep the art alive rather that miser it away out of greed and fear of competition like some others I've asked about dyeing. So anyway that's about it. I'm doing a little reading now too. I bought the book America Knits awhile back and I'm reading through it one designer at a time. I also got the book The Natural Knitter about the same time and I'm slowly going through that as well. I've been told I should work as a knitting/spinning trendcaster because it seems to those around me in my fiber circles that I'm ahead of my time on picking up the books/yarns/projects that end up becoming popular. I told my mom this and she, of course, balked at the idea. "Medical school is where you're going, not Knitting school." I informed her that I was aware of this and in no way intending on discontinuing my medical studies to pursue a career in fibercasting, but that if I could make some money on the side to help pay for medical school, well, what would be the harm in that? She responded by picking up the sweater she's been knitting for dad and asked,"So, do you think this color was a good choice?"

Is there really anything better?

Every morning my little ones get up early and crawl into bed with me. They snuggle in close and we get to cuddle for about twenty minutes before I have to get up and get going. This is my favorite part of the day, yes I love it even more than knitting or spinning. I could live without my yarn, my needles, my fiber or even a handspindle, but without my babies life just isn't worth it. They really are what life is all about and those who do not hold them to the highest honors don't deserve them. Nuff said.

Brain is Mush, Send Yarn.

Ok.....took my first exam in History of Am.Architecture and now my brain is mush. Actually about halfway through the six short essay questions I had to answer, my brain started to cry and beg for mercy, by the end it was just a wimpering, quivering blob huddled in one corner of my head whispering things about Latrobe's biggest commission being the Capitol building and not "some church." I'm pretty sure it was also mumbling something about the Early Georgian and Federal styles being too similar and that it was a trick question. And now I'm trying to coax it into studying Organic Chemistry for my test tomorrow...... it just yelped and ran away. Damn! I've lost my mind now, now what am I going to do? Maybe a beer, or better yet, I've got Captain Morgans in the fridge. WooHoo! Good times. Oh...I made a mistake in the fiber content of the Rasberry Fudge from this weekend, it's angora not alpaca. I was filing away the receipt this morn and saw it. It's super fun anyways I can't wait to play with it. At the festival I was walking around with it in the booth before I bought it and, naturally, I was petting it. Some lady said I should make it my pet roving. Funny. I laughed so hard I didn't.

Testing

let's give it a try...holy mary it WORKED! I'm ecstatic! Wow, so we're back... at least for now right?
Cool, well for those that haven't made it over to As the Whorl Turns (and cue music) this weekend I went to the Upper Valley Fiber Arts Festival. I scored big. We're talking alpaca/silk/merino/polwarth blend in Rasberry Fudge, pure alpaca in wild colors, baby camel down/tussah silk that looks good enough to eat, and last but not least (since Monday of last week was my b-day and essentially the whole week sucked) an ounce of dove grey cashmere!!!!! .... And then I was promptly overcome with buyers remorse. OH, I also bought an additional bobbin for my Ashford Joy DT ( i only had the three that came with it and I want to try 3-plys) and a one ounce Ashford drop spindle to carry in my knitting bag. So now I'm not allowing myself to purchase any yarn or fiber (at least in very limited ) quantities until after school is out and I'm back to working forty hours b/c right now my budget is really tight and, well, you know what the Harlot says..... you can't eat cashmere!Along with the no-buying, i'm also limiting my knitting and spinning until I can get cought up with the schoolwork. I fell a little behind and now am cramming for two tests this week whilst trying to start churning out the draft on the ten page research paper on Courthouses in Ohio for my History of American Architecture class (I repeat Glenn Harper is a slave driver). And look at me, all excited and I've gone and spent too much time hear when I need to be studying the intricate differences btw Colonial/Georgian/Federal/Greek Revival/Egyptian Revival/Gothic/Victorian Gothic and Italianate Styles of architecture.(whatever)