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I really wish my friends would get over their feelings of being "weirded out" by the fact that I knit. I do it, so get over it! It really is difficult to maintain two blogs and keep things separate. However, I have begun to make it much more widely known that I do knit. I went bowling today with some old friends, and in between rounds, I worked on a hand-knit kitchen towelette (dishcloth) for Mrs. Ramirez. I finished Gaby's scarf either yesterday or two days ago, and I have begun a new scarf, out of Lion Brand Wool-Ease in super chunky yarn. It's soft, and the colors remind me of green tea and cream. I'll post pictures when I can, and although I didn't take a snapshot of the dishcloth, I am going to make another one for my family out of the leftover cotton yarn (what else am I going to do with almost a full skein of cotton?). I hated knitting it, for it brought back not-so-fond memories of my Zeeby Bag, and the yarn's uncanny ability to suck the moisture out of my hands. Very uncomfortable. However, I do have other projects in my line-up, including 4 Hogwarts Scarves to be made by the time Christmas Break is over, and in other non-knitting projects, I must finish a few more of my favorite tote bags (5 in total, one for my sister), and do the transfer of our home videos to DVD. I do, however, need a new scanner, which will promote the new and fiendish scanning of old sewing/knitting/crochet books from the 1970's, so I have instructions and patterns at the ready (the latter are for altering, obviously, because the colors and styles of some things are absolutely horrendous). The new scanner will also serve to put baby pictures onto DVD with music in the background. Though that will be more of a challenge in and of itself. Goodnight, as I continue to procrastinate. I promise pictures in the morning.

Merry Christmas Eve!

To all those who celebrate, Merry Christmas Eve! As tomorrow morning draws ever-nearer, the pressure to finish gifts is on! Now that I know that the Ramirez family and us are not going to be exchanging gifts within the next three days, the pressure to finish Anna and Gaby's scarves has waned significantly. Now I can take a leisurely pace on Gaby's scarf, now that Anna is finishe.d. However, I promised my mom I'd stop knitting as much after Christmas was over. Like that's gonna happen, but I guess I need to mingle in other activities other than knitting so she doesn't feel like I'm getting obsessed. She even told me this morning that she thought I was obsessed. I don't mind being obsessed. In fact, it's very gratifying to be part of a movement that allows me to let loose my craftiness. I love making things, always have, always will. And this particular movement has kept me sane and enjoying life more than any other craft-project/obsession in the past. There's so much variety in knitting! Well, here are some pictures of my latest finished objects.

1. Knitted flower for my mom. I'm going to take a little "saftety-pin" thing made especially for brooches and sew it on, so she can wear it on her lapel. I used Paton's Grace in Ginger on size 3 DPNs. Not what the pattern called for, I know, but it works. I also learned several new techniques in that flower, such as k2tog, p2tog, double yo and making four stitches out of one!


2. Anna's Scarf. It's the drop-stitch scarf from SnB Nation. I used Caron's yarn, (can't remember what type) in a variegated blue theme. Reminds me of the ocean.


3. My sister's Ribbed-For-Her-Pleasure scarf. I figured out how to bind off in ribbing, so the edges are even and pretty. This should keep her nice and warm when she goes to Washington DC in January for Presidential Classroom. I used Brown Sheep Co's Lamb's Pride in a lovely gold color (I'm too lazy to look for the label).


Works in Progress:

1. Gaby's Scarf. I'm using Red Heart in a pastel variegated colorway. It's also drop-stitch, but I'm using 11's instead of 10's (which I used for Anna's scarf) .


2. The Booga Bag. It's been pushed to the side because holiday knitting got into motion. I had just added the second skein of Kureyon, and am on row 30 or so. Another 30 to go.



Alright. Now, Christmas Dinner calls me, for I must plan, purchase, and execute recipes for the yummy yummy dinner tomorrow. Merry Christmas to All!

Christmas is in the air....

And on the needles... and the computer... it's EVERYWHERE

Things:

1. I need to hurry up on the Christmas knitting. Paloma's scarf is done, Anna's is in the works, Gaby's still needs to be started, and I have yet to knit two little flowers to make brooches, one for my mom, the other for Mrs. Ramirez.

2. I need to unravel sweaters and steam the yarn straight, to wind into little balls, perfect for knitting.

3. Ocean's Twelve and Meet the Fockers are EXCELLENT movies... the former requires intellect, and the latter requires a little... *ahem* off-color sense of humor, shall we say.

4. I love Chocolate... and Cookies...

5. Gifts must be distributed Day after Tomorrow... (or rather, Tomorrow, considering the time it is now). Same with unmade Chocolate Cheesecake... Wow! Now it's sinking in!

6. I'm in pretty deep poo for realizing that my Christmas knitting should be done... TOMORROW! Not good, no siree!

7. Kevin's baby cousin is the cutest little thing on the planet... PRECIOUS!!!!

8. Pictures of all the Finished Objects lined up coming as soon as they're done!

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

[Feeling: pressured]
[Music: Big & Rich - Save A Horse, Ride a Cowboy]
[Knitting: Paloma's Christmas Scarf]
Yup, it is. We put our Christmas tree up today (decorate tomorrow), the house smells like pine, I'm thinking of making pumpkin pie empanadas (local treat, no recipe, sorry), and the knitting is getting kicked up a notch a la Emeril. I used this tutorial to unravel a cheneille sweater I had lying around that made me look like a large, pink... thing. So now all I have to do is get the kinks out of the yarn, which is going to be more difficult than I first thought. I took a nice, hot shower this morning, hanging a few of the hanks around the bathroom to receive a dose of steam... most barely even smoothed after 20 mins. I'm thinking I'll hang it inside the shower while letting the water run for a hot bath (we have a tub/shower combo) and let the steam get rid of the kinks. I'm thinking of going to thrift stores for my yarn now, as in, to buy sweaters that I can then unravel for yarn. For a little more than a dollar, I can get enough yarn to make... ahem.. a sweater, or use it in combination for other things. I'm not a girl to be governed by gauge or weight or yardage. I know I should be. I know the knitting gods will send their wrath upon me for disdaining the mathematics involved. I hate math. I don't do math. Hopefully they'll understand. Maybe when I become a *real* knitter I'll start to care about those things. Yea, like when I start making sweaters and stuff. However, with all wool sweaters all I need to do is give them a little Woolite bath, run them through the washing machine's final stage (the spin-dry or centrifuge, as my mom says) and hang to dry overnight. In the morning I rip, rip, rip, and get yarn yarn yarn! I saw a J. Crew handknit sweater in the second-hand shops, and I stopped myself from buying it, realizing that someone else could use the sweater and the yarn wasn't really my style, but also because of the work that went into it. To have someone undo what I put hours and hours into seems like a bit of a crime, really (which is why I won't undo my aunt's too-short, too-small mohair sweaters to make my own new ones). Indeed, on Monday, when every item is $1.25 instead of $2.50 I'm going to spend about 20 dollars on sweaters. That way, I don't spend double... even on thrift-store cheapness I'm still frugal/stingy/cheap. But hey, where else can you get cashmere, angora, and wool, all for less than five bucks, and double what you'd get at your LYS? May you all have a great Christmas and happy New Year. And to all you non-Christmas-ers, have a great Holiday!

Feeling Accomplished Makes One Tired, Too

Today certainly was interesting. I woke up around 10 this morning and began working on the enormously complicated project my mom wanted me to complete as her Christmas present: all our home videos put on DVD. To do this, she got me this lovely little thing:
Look at that! It's pretty, it does lovely things, and I get to use it all Winter Break (and maybe in Austin, though I don't know for what yet). I did some organization of clips this morning, added effects, put in background music and titles, and my mom absolutely loved it. I'm glad, because with something like 5 hours spent editing about 6 minutes of footage and stuff (not consecutive, but you get the jist), it had better be worth the time and energy I'm putting into it. I hope I have the energy for that tomorrow.

Around 4 today, Myra, Chantal, Vanessa and Anna all came over to do some studying for their history final tomorrow. (Myra is the one that drew me this picture: (It's my christmas present). She took a picture of me last year with my arms wrapped around a palm tree, and then decided to draw it for art class. So yup, those are my arms! She is INSANELY talented... her work is comparable to Salvador Dalí. Artistic, poetic, photographically adept... she's FANTASTIC!) Chantal and Vanessa are girls in my sister's grade who are friends of mine as well, and Anna, as you know, is my sister's best friend. I'm making Anna this for Christmas:. I like the variegated colors, and I'm going to make an identical one in pastel colors for her sister, Gaby. Anna's mom came over today to show me beautiful little "poncho-lets" (like capelets, only they don't tie/buckle in the front) that she crocheted this week. She's even going to make me one for Christmas if I chrochet her some flowers and butterflies (I'm planning on using the pattern from the Winter Vogue Knitting and Stitch N' Bitch Nation). Then I'll show her how to make 'em, because she's not a knitter, but rather a crocheter. We may even make some of the Midnight Knitter's Crocheted Caps. In other projects, the Booga Bag is getting accomplished, although in the previous post I claimed I had barely knit a single row since the last picture. The colors are a bit richer and not quite as... neon in real life, but you get the picture (har har har). I actually knitted about 16 rows in the 4 hours that transpired between the arrival of the girls and their departure, but I will admit that it wasn't four hours of continual knitting. I baked brownies, helped feed the girls and had some internet fun with them too. The sock is getting progress, as can be seen here: Although I didn't knit too many rows on it, knitting it is insanely gratifying. It goes so quickly!

Yesterday I went to Wal-Mart and Michael's to buy the yarn I needed to make Laura and Co. a bunch of Harry Potter scarves, but scarves that wouldn't be like Scotch-Brite scouring pads to their necks. So I settled on Caron's Simply Soft yarn, and with two skeins per scarf, I should have more than enough (hopefully). The colors are Dark Country Blue, Grey Heather, and Dark Sage. Here's a picture of my ever-increasing stash:
Before I only needed one of the Sterilite® Show-Off container things for my stash. Now TWO can't even hold it... however, much of that yarn will be gone in Christmas knitting, so I'll have to haul FO's around instead of skeins... and by the way, soft acryilic is nice and cheap, and won't make me feel like i'm giving someone a dish scrubber for christmas.

In other news, I continue to have a 4.0 GPA at the University of Texas at Austin. I calculated my grades night before last and discovered that in Geology I made a 92 overall. The division between A and B was somewhere in the mid-80's (they told us it would be curved) and it turns out I didn't even need the curve! I was a little disappointed in my score on the final exam (83.625/100) but my lab score apparently brought up the grade significantly. I'm very happy, and now all I have to do is wait for my Irish-American Literature professor to mail me back my final paper simply to confirm my A in the class. I'm very happy that I'm doing so well, and I hope next semester is just as easy, fun, and rewarding. Now, to bed!

I feel like the Yarn Harlot

Reason:
I have three knitting projects going on right now and more on the wait list to complete before Christmas. Plus, about an hour ago I stopped working on my mom's christmas gift: our baby videos put on DVD. I'd been working on them since about 10:30 this morning, so you do the math on the number of hours I spent. Hopefully, at about a tape a day, I can edit and muck around sufficiently to make it worthwile. However, the damn tapes suck away my memory like vampires on blood. It's scary. I had to free up about 40 gigs of space (from movies and pictures and stuff on the computer already) to make room for the videos, and I don't think I'm going to have space for all the videos. Oh well. For your time, here are the projects as they stand:

Booga Bag (you probably can't see any progress because there hasn't been much... a row or so.

Sock... much more progress... it looks nice and... sock-y already.

Anna's drop-stitch scarf: getting there, but it needs a few more hours invested in it.

What I need now is more time and less procrastination... like that's gonna happen!

*edit: because I felt like posting later today, I included the pictures I was going to include in this post on the later one. Plus, the later post is more activity-inclusive, so that's why I'm doing it.

a href="http://www.vogueknitting.com/vkm/vkm.html">Winter Vogue Knitting

Apparently, Nights are for Knitting

My mom recently told me that what she wanted for Christmas was all of our home videos and baby pictures on DVD (The way I calculate it, it'll be more like 3 DVD's). So she's been getting a little peeved with me that I haven't started the transfer of data/movies/pictures etc. to my computer. We got the hardware last night, mind you. So her idea is that I do all the computer stuff during the day, and all the knitting I have to do at night. Yet she still wants me to wake up early to do her stuff, and the way I'm knitting, I need to stay up until doomsday to finish the knitting projects I have lined up. I also have encountered some problems:

I cast on the drop-stitch scarf for my sister's friend Anna on my size 10 needles... I need the size 10 needles for my sister's ribby scarf as well as Anna's sister Gaby's drop-stitch scarf

I have yet to figure out what to get Anna and Gaby's mom (she's like an aunt to me, and they're like extended sisters to me)

I want to finish the socks and then the Booga Bag, but I don't know what sort of time I have to do that before December 24

However, there are quite a few good things that will happen. On Thursday I get to hang out with Kevin (my best friend) after helping Mr. Matthews (my former religion teacher and a man who IS Santa Clause in kindness, love, and looks) with the Christmas party for his wife's students (she works with mentally challenged children). I am going to begin curling up with my Birthday copies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy before Christmas Eve, when I will receive the boxed set of Extended DVD's. I have yarn and yarn and more yarn to make things, and so I am excited.

Pictures of the progress will go up soon, and I would like to know where I could find little percentage bars for the blog. Anyone know?

WIP Extravaganza... And Pictures, Too!

So I'm home now, with lots and lots of yarn on my hands. I'm very happy to be home with my family and eating non-canned food. I have also learned a few new knitting techniques:
1. Ribbing (but you knew that already)
2. Knitting in the round on DPNs
3. Having more than one project going at the same time
4. Dealing with knitting stress prior to the holidays

Here are some pictures of projects, finished objects, and stash acquisitions.


Here is the Zeeby bag from hell (because of the trouble it gave me) before being sewn up. Remember that gusset? When taking this picture it was deceptively long enough. Then I realized I had to knit another 8 inches.


This, dear readers, is the Zeeby Bag in its final finished stage. It needs blocking, and I made the pocket on the outside instead of in. However, I am going to go on a blocking spree when the Booga Bag gets done, that way they can all dry as one big, happy baggy family.


The makings of a Booga Bag. Pretty, pretty colors... though the camera sucks them all away. I'm using color 147 of Noro Kureyon.


The Ribby scarf at my computer in Austin. I finished it on the drive down.


Ribby Scarf COMPLETE! And tied in a purdy little bow.




My acquisitions from Hill Country Weavers on Friday. I figure that I needed to stock up a wee bit more on yarn before I come down to yarn-drought land for a month. See? Pretty mohair, Lamb's Pride for a ribby scarf for my sister (she doesn't read this blog, so she won't know), and the Kureyon for a beanie for my brother. Hopefully he'll not be ridiculous and he'll actually wear it.


Captain, I believe we have the makings of a sock on our hands! Beware the Second Sock Syndrome! Alert! Alert!

Have a great holiday season!

Done Done Done! (Till her daddy takes the needles away!)

Actually, I'm done with classes/finals/school till January, and I'm going to be knitting my little yarn-obsessed heart out throughout Christmas break. Happy Happy Joy Joy! I convinced my dad to let me stop by the wonderful world of LYS and purchase several things:

1. Brown Sheep Co. Lamb's Pride for a scarf for my darling sister.
2. Regia Self-Jaquard (I know it's not called that exactly) sock yarn so I can attempt my first pair of socks
3. Needles with which to do said socks
4. Yarn for Legwarmers :)
5. Yarn for a beanie for my brother (It'll be black, because he thinks black is the best color ever)

I may have to go on a Yarn Diet now!
Ok, and since I love lists, I'll make a list of the projects I plan this Christmas:

1. Ribby Scarf (for moi)
2. Ribby Scarf (for sis)
3. Beanie for Bro
4. Marsan Watchcap for moi
5. Booga Bag for moi
6. Tweed scarf for moi
7. Jaquard Socks for moi
8. Socks for sis
9. Black Acrylic shawl for moi (easy care, stylish, etc)
10. Ravenclaw Scarf for moi
11. 2 Ravenclaw scarves for Jen and Angela
12. 2 Slytherin scarves for Laura and Steph
13. Possible other scarves or another Watchcap
14. Legwarmers for moi (I may frog a sweater my aunt knit [which doesn't fit] and make 'em with that... it would save money)

Boy! Am I going to be busy or what?

Considering as how I forgot to say some stuff...

In the realm of knitting, and in the five days since I last posted, several things have transpired.
First, I went to Hill Country Weavers to buy yarn last Friday. I wound up spending 100 dollars on yarn! And 4 sets of needles, but I needed those. What I got:

3 skeins of Noro Kureyon in color # 147 for a Booga Bag
2 hanks of Garn Studio Silke-Tweed (from norway) one in a white-grey color (19) and a chartreuse hank (love love love the color) in color 14 for a stripey scarf or hat perhaps
4 skeins of Plymouth Encore DK for a Ravenclaw Scarf
2 each in color 130 (grey/oyster) and color 2946 (royal blue)
1 hank of Cascade 220 in a luscious cream color (8010)
US size 7- 16" circulars
US size 4- 16" circulars
US size 10 DPN
US size 6 DPN
All INOX brand

I'll post pictures later on, when I have time. Of all the yarn, the Garn Studio Silke-Tweed was the most expensive at $9.25 (and even then, it was on sale) per hank... but I couldn't resist the color and the possibility of knitting or crocheting a lovely airy scarf of some sort.

Zeeby in the Bag! (har har har)

Zeeby's bag is officially finished. Nevermind that I procrastinated like hell on my English paper. And nevermind that I couldn't concentrate on studying for Geology AT ALL because I had that damn bag on my mind. I finally finished all the little pieces, including the pocket out of different yarn, and when I sewed the gusset, I realized I made it something on the order of 8 inches too short. That really pissed me off, because I was hoping not to have to open up the third skein of cotton and get back 5 dollars (which could be used for other, prettier yarn). Nope. Had to use yarn to fill up those 8 inches of gusset, because I sure as hell wasn't going to rip the front and back, and I needed the straps thicker than called for anyway. So it's 1 AM when I realize this, and I pick up stitches and add on the inches. I sew again. Dammit! It's about 2.5 inches too short... again. So I pick up stitches on the other side and finally make it right. I now know to measure very very accurately and swatch like crazy before undertaking a helluva project like that. It's not that it was complicated, it's just that there were tons of pieces that needed to fit together just right. After sewing it all together, it actually looks pretty good. I mean, it definitely needs blocking, but it's alright. It could also do with a little embroidery with some of that Paton's Grace. So Carol (my roommate) and I stay up till 2:30 AM talking while I finish the damn bag. And today, I spent something on the order of 4 hours finishing my paper before going to see my professor for critique. She thinks my paper needs a few very minor corrections, and I should be fine! YAY!

To celebrate the fact that I don't need to study any more tonight, I cast on the "Ribbed for Her Pleasure" scarf from Stitch 'n Bitch. Once I realized that ribbing isn't complicated if you pass the yarn between the needles when switching from knit to purl, I have an inch of pretty, chunky, Aztec Turquoise wool/mohair goodness! Hopefully I can finish it tonight or latest tomorrow, and therefore can study on Geology. Once I have a project going, I can't stop. That's what Zeeby taught me. Fear me during the holidays, for I shall be fierce Knitting woman! Maybe that's what I can do after college... be a knitting superhero! Riiiight! My parents'll really go for that one. But once I discovered this place, I may not do anything academic after all. I could very well open a shop! Whee!

Pictures coming soon!

The weird thing is...

I feel like I repeat myself quite a bit if I post the same thing on my other blog and on this one. Because my life doesn't revolve entirely around knitting, I have other things to say, and I feel limited to discussing knitting on this one... and not much else. I may duplicate my entries, but just include stuff on knitting in this one. However, that means a lot of work... and as many know, I am exceedingly procrastinatory. And I love Oatmeal.

In recognition of World AIDS day yesterday, I put my red scarf in the symbol of the ribbon. Get the word out, people! It's deadly 100 percent of the time.

Finished Objects

What I'm Listening To: Brobdingnagian Bards - Lily the Pink
I'm Feeling: Procrastinatory and Hungry

My stash as of now. You can see my two crochet hooks, my pretty Lamb's Pride Wool, the remains of the Lion Brand Homespun, and you can see a lavender-scented soap I bought in Ireland this summer tucked in there as well. It keeps the knits smelling pretty and fresh and not like the plastic of the container.


The beginning of the Zeeby Bag. Side one, made out of Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton. Bad thing about cotton is that it sucks up all the moisture in your hands, so I have to constantly slather on lotion, then wipe my hands so that the residue doesn't get on the knitting.


Here is the pretty bag I made out of some of my mommy's beautiful fabric, using the pattern for the Stitch N' Bitch bag in the first book. I was very meticulous, I even lined it with scraps from an old curtain, I added some lace, and hand-sewed it before I machine sewed it, to secure it. I'm so proud of my work, b/c it looks so prettyful!


Progress and my stuff. First is the knitting progress on the Zeeby bag, my lovely knitting tote, the two other skeins of Lion Cotton in Sage, and a skein of Paton's Grace cotton in Ginger. It'll be for the pocket and embellishments. It was darned expensive, too. Soft as anything, though. I don't expect to pay 5 dollars for 90 yards of soft cotton. I'm sure it'll be enough, though.


The candy stripe scarf. It is nice and long, about 60 inches, made out of Lion Brand homespun. I have yet to sew it into a tube and weave in the ends, but once I'm done with the bag above, I'll do all the sewing I have to do at once.


Current progress on side 2 of the Zeeby Bag. The first pictures were taken on Sunday evening, when I had time, and although I've been knitting in the meantime, I haven't done much in the way of posting. As you can see, I'm about to run out of yarn for the second side, but that's where skein 2 comes into play. After that it'll be gusset and strap time. Then to sew it into something absolutely gorgeous. However, much as I want to finish it tonight, I have to study for my two final exams tomorrow.

I really want to just relax and knit. However, to reward myself and to ensure that I have enough projects to keep me entertained this Christmas, I'm going to Hill Country Weavers on either Monday or Tuesday (which are no-class dead days before final exams) and stock up. For that I'm going to need a list of materials (including needles and yarn I'll need to buy) and money. I've already decided to use all my birthday money from my grandmother on yarn. I'm thinking an angora scarf. :) Yummy!

Stripey Shawl

This is a picture of the shawl I started this summer, and finished sometime in September. It's pure Red Heart acrylic-y goodness, and that means, it was CHEAP! I made it using one skein each of the pale green (seafoam?) and the regular green on size 10 circular needles. I like it because when it gets absolutely frigid in my dorm room, it keeps me warm. Who would've thought?