SP 11 Contest Questions

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Answers to my contest questions!

1. What is the one knitting accessory you could not live without?
I love my little folding scissors. They are hard to undo, so I can sit on the couch and have them next to me and not worry if the kids run over and grab them.

2. If you're heading on vacation, do you take knitting with you? If
so, how much and what type of project?
Gee....I haven't been on a vacation in a long time...but yes I most certainly would. Orrrr I would buy stuff there. ;) But if I brought it there would probably be several things because I can't knit on just one thing usually, and there would be socks and lace involved.

3. Where have you travelled to that you'd consider your favorite spot?
I loved camping at Lake St. Catherine when I was little, and I've always wanted to go back.

4. What is your favorite knitting book at the moment? Do you own it?
Hmm, I have Stephanie Japel's newish book Fitted Knits, she's so awesome. I do own it. I want to make almost everything in it! My other favorite would be the Lace Style book, I have not bought it yet, but it's got gorgeous stuff in it!

5. Do you listen to podcasts? Which is your favorite(s)?
I wish, I can't download anything because my connection is dial up. The price you pay to live in the country!

I will post abut knitting later. :)

Seams easy...

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

So I've been putting off seaming Isabella, mostly because I suck at it. I usually just whip stitch them together and it looks messy. Last night I went a searching for a new way to seam, because I'm tired of knitting nice things and having them look crappy b/c of the seams. I found this page on invisible seaming. It took me a while to figure it out because there is only one picture, but once I tried it, oh man I'm in love. I will no longer be afraid of seaming! Here are some pictures to show you the difference. The new way is also faster as well, it reminds me of kitchener, but easier. I will be posting a how-to soon so that anyone else who has no idea can do it!
Before:After:See what I mean? Can you find the seam? Probably but it's pretty good right??? RIGHT? J/k!

I also finished my first spiralling sock, and cast on for the second right away. That always makes it easier to not forget to do the second. Here are pics. The second one shows the colors better.
Nothing new has been casted on yet, but I've been a busy bee with school. I'm really making it a priority again. I've slacked the last few terms and I need to get back on track. I've got some tough classes this term and next. So there will be less of me on here than usual. :)

And the horror begins

Friday, August 10, 2007

I started school this week. Every single term for the last two years has started on a Wed. THIS term, it started Monday. I didn't log in until Wed. Whatever...

Looking over my classes has me terrified. Ok mostly the one class. It's advanced actionscripting. It's not the actionscript I have trouble with, it's the fact that Flash is so damned touchy and you can follow the assignment's instructions E X A C T L Y and still it won't work. I had to take the beginning flash class twice, I failed the first time. Ugh. So we'll see how it goes this time around.

(By the way, for those of you who think I'm speaking greek, actionscript is like programming, for flash, to animate things and stuff.)

So remember that job I mentioned? The spa? Well I interviewed 2 weeks ago, today. 2 Weeks Ago. I called last week, on Friday, left a message with one of the girls who said I probably hadn't gotten a call that week, because the manager had been out sick. On Monday (this past Mon) I called again, and this time she was in but not in the office, so I got transfered to voice mail. Left a message. Yesterday I called again, after still not receiving a call. "Oh yes we filled the position, she didn't call you?"

Idiots.

So I'm on the hunt again. I didn't bother applying for anything else because everything was going so well and it would have been perfect hours and stuff. Now I get to search some more. Chad is apparently very anxious that I find a job because every time he gets online he searches for me. They are all full time day jobs, which I can't do. Now granted I live with his parents and she helps a ton watching them, I am not leaving them home all day, for her to raise. They are my kids. I will work evenings when at least he is home to help. Not only that, she's got medical stuff that makes it hard on her to have to watch two toddlers.

On the knitting front. I finished the front of Isabella, and blocked both pieces. Now I need to seam...ugh. But then I'll just have to finish the armhole edgings and it will be done!
I am working on a new pair of socks. For the sockmania knit-along, and they are great. Super easy.
I test crocheted a hat for Jan-Knit, but you all can't see it yet. I'll post pics when she has things all sorted and the pattern is available. It's super cute and I'm gonna make more of them.

Hmmm lets see...I plan on starting Orangina now that my size 3's are free of Isabella. I have been waiting to make that for months. I also have to decide whether or not to frog or finish my central park hoodie. I still really want to make it, but the yarn is really rough on my skin. But then again, it's a hoodie, and if I wear it, there will be things under it. So I'll probably just start working on it again.

I need to work on my Barmaid top more. It needs partial frogging and re-knitting. It's super cute and if I could just finish it I could design for the other sizes and get some test knitters...and offer it for sale!

That being said I've got a few jewelry designs I'm working on and I might even submit one to Interweave for their summer 08 issue. That would be a huge step, I haven't even gotten knitty to accept one yet. Aim high though right? It's pretty and I'm going to do a better sketch and swatch. Worst they can do is say no, and either way I'm going to design it.

I also haven't spun in forever. I really want to but there are just so many things going on. I've barely had time to knit as it is. I've been majorly cleaning the living room on our floor. It's like a storage area for way too much stuff, and needs to be organized. It doesn't help that I'm afraid to b/c of the spiders. They hide in fricken everything. Chad found another huge one today. Not as big as the last one, but still huge. It was in front of the couch, right where the kids were playing. Hobos are nasty. One bite causes a huge open sore, and the fact they could get bit by one scares me more than the spiders themselves.

Well I think that's a long enough post for now...jeez I just had a ton to say I guess. More later when I've got progress on something.

Secret Pal 11 Questionnaire

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Hello to my secret pal! Here's my info!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I'm allergic to alpaca, first of all. Very sad. I love anything soft. I'm newly addicted to sock yarns like socks that rock, cherry tree hill, seacoast handpainted...
Don't like acrylic much, or cotton.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a zip up case for both.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
Secretly I consider myself advanced, but I'm probably more an advanced intermediate. I can do some advanced things but not well yet. I learned to knit at first when I was young, but took to crochet more. I was 6 or so when I learned. I picked up the knitting again when I was pregnant with my son around 3-4 years ago. I taught myself!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Nope

5. What's your favorite scent?
vanilla, strawberry, cucumber melon

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Oh yes. It's bad. I loooove white chocolate, those Terri's chocolate oranges (my wally world stopped carrying them!), oh and hazelnut candy.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I do spin, I've got a drop spindle and a spindolyn. I am learning to sew also.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Lots of stuff, mostly alternative, Incubus, Third Eye Blind, Dashboard Confessional...

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
Love most colors, orange, yellow, and brown in small doses, or mixed in good combinations with other colors. Like orange/yellow/red, or brown/pink, etc.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Married, with a son(2-1/2) and daughter(14months). Outside pets. :)

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I love fingerless mitts, hats don't look good on me, no on the ponchos and yes for scarves.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Lace, socks, cute tops.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Lots of lace, a few tops, a pair of socks, and a pair of fingerless gloves...

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Totally!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo circs, and dpns.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Winder only.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
Less than a year.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
Not big on those really.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn!!! Oh and hummingbird stuff. Dragonflies. Jewelry. (hehe)

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Oh you had to ask...I have a subscription to Interweave Knits, the only magazine I really like. As for books there are several on my list to buy. They would be: Lace Style(Got it!), Victorian Lace Today, A Gathering of Lace ( Can you tell I like lace?), and Romantic Style.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Well I was gonna teach myself hairpin lace this month and realized my loom is too small for the pattern I was going to make... :(

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes, love socks. Umm measurements, my ankle is just under 8 inches around. My foot is 9 inches long...and my foot itself around is 8-9 inches.

23. When is your birthday?
December

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?
I am! It's Hattie.

My week off...

Friday, August 03, 2007

...has been full of laziness. I've been knitting of course, and cleaning (a little). Mostly though I am being lazy.

I'm currently on Clue 4 of the Mystery Stole. The theme was revealed today. Swan Lake! It's an asymmetrical design, and I'm waiting to see what the second half looks like. It's not that I don't want it asymmetrical, but I loved the first half, so I wouldn't mind it being the same. So we'll see.

I am working on the front of my Isabella top. I've been a good girl and trying to finish up some things I've had in the UFO pile. It's going pretty fast, and I should be done soon! I'm almost to the lace part and I know that will make it faster b/c it's MUCH more interesting than stockinette. :D I also started two new crochet projects. I miss crocheting sometimes, I don't do it much anymore. Anywho the first is my favorite afghan pattern. I'm doing it in simply soft, autumn red. Its darker than the pic. This is one of the bottom points before joining. And a pic of the afghan in the book. I love pineapples! This is such an easy pattern too.
I started this pattern as well. I bought is when stitch diva had their little sale there for charity a few days ago. It's the Shimmering Thread Necklaces pattern, and I'm really liking how simple it is! Once I got past the first part that is...it says to thread on your beads, crochet a certain number, and then slide up so many beads. Then it says to crochet however many more. That's where I got stuck. That would mean that there would be loops of beads. Anyway I soon (ok actually hours later...after studying the picture for a long time) realized that's how they were supposed to be. So on my way. I am doing my own thing with this which is cool and you can easily do with this pattern. I started with the green version and just did what I wanted. Here are the beaded strands by themselves. I am currently crocheting tiny beaded leaves and flowers to add to them. They will be white and grey and red and maybe one other color.
I can't wait to finish! We had some visitors the other day. I'm used to seeing the deer we feed a lot, but these guys were a surprise! Nicholas was soooo excited about them. Here they are chillin in the shade of the front yard where the sprinkler had been on and it was nice and cool. See all the little babies? They are so cute. Gobble gobble!