If You're Happy and You Know It, Clapotis! *clap, clap*

Yes friends, she is finished. With four virtually uninterrupted hours of knitting time waiting to see Robert Rodriguez give a lecture, it only follows that once I hit the decreases things would go quickly. And they did, though I did have to finish up the final rows as Mr. Rodriguez began the lecture. Both scarf and lecture were fun and satisfying, though a little repetitive. Once Clappy gets a few ends woven in, I'll post pics of her. Now, I have to go study for my test tomorrow morning. Yes, knitting for four hours certainly supersedes studying. ;-)

What City Do You Belong In?

You Belong in London A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well. What City Do You Belong in? Take This Quiz :-)

Found via Life and Such

Blue yarn, blue Clapotis, nothing but blue yarn, do I see

I really must stop with the song references, for the sake of your sanity, dear readers, but I am quite amused with the punning. Makes me happy.

(Look Ma! Dropped Stitches!)

And the reference to my current project isn't a bad thing. I love making Clapotis. I've finally got the pattern down pat, with only a glance down every so often. I'm just about halfway through the straight section, and if I keep at this rate, I might just have it finished for my trip home next weekend. Only thing I'm worried about: I've heard horror stories about blocking superwash merino. Read: Yarn Harlot's new book has a chapter all about it. Any suggestions for what I should do just in case my knitting expands to epic proportions? Or perhaps, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Once Clapotis is finished, though, I really must get into hardcore Harry Potter knitting. November 18 is fast approaching, and I don't need to reach extreme levels of stress... that's what Christmas is for ;)

Apologies

I have just received word that my sock pal socks have arrived.... at my house in Brownsville! I will be meeting my socks next weekend during my visit home, and will post pictures as soon as I possibly can afterwards. I am itching to see them and officially thank my sweet, lovely, and patient sock pal.

I greatly rue the day I decided to be so picky about my preferences. I think I put her under a lot more stress than anyone deserves! Especially over a pair of socks. I feel terrible and immature for being so particular and everything. It was quite sobering to read her blog and realize just how hard it must have been for her to stick with this exchange. This was supposed to be a fun exchange, not a stressful one. I think I've grown up a little, and in that vein, I know I should suck it up and say sorry. I apologize to my sock pal, and wish to say, "Thank you for your patience!" It is appreciated more than words can express.

Blue Deja-vu

About 6 months ago, I completed my first Clapotis and loved it. I made it out of Caron's Simply Soft in black, and have loved wearing it, both as a neck scarf and as a head wrap. When I brought mine home, my sister decided she wanted one for herself. So when we went a-yarn-shoppin' in Spain this summer, she picked out a lovely blue merino.

And last night, I cast on for that lovely french-wave scarf. I seriously doubt I'll have it ready for next weekend when I go home, and we celebrate her birthday (which was yesterday), but at least she'll see her present in progress.
The merino superwash is from Lanas Stop, and for 1.50 Euro a ball, I couldn't resist getting this for her Clapotis, and then an *ahem* other 20 balls for a pretty cardigan. I have seven in the light blue, and hopefully I'll have enough for a full Clappy, and perhaps a little left over for a small project or something.

I'm using size 6 needles instead of 8's. For some reason, I thought the pattern called for 7's. I guess that's becauseI used US 7's for my other Clapotis. I've just reached the straight section, and am *really* excited about getting to drop those stitches.

Is it so wrong to long for such excitement?

Jayne Hat

As other knit-bloggers have done before me, I have knitted a Jayne Cobb hat in tribute to Joss Whedon's show, Firefly. The show is awesome, and I give enormous thanks to my cousin Matt for introducing me to it. So, in anticipation of Serenity, which comes out a week from tomorrow, I knit my dear cousin a Jayne hat. It's already in the mail, winging its way towards Walla Walla, Washington (I'm not kidding, he goes to school there... cool town, btw). Since I loved his hat so incredibly much, I used the leftover yarn to make myself another one!

Based on various patterns on the web, I adapted mine for a wider circumference (I have a large head, or don't like tight hats or both). Some pictures of Jayne wearing his hat are here, here, and here. I was inspired by the lovely Sarah to use Lamb's Pride Bulky for my hat. I know the colors are a little brigher than those used in the series, but I used red I already had in my stash, and picked a yellow and orange that would complement it.

Here are the project specs:

Yarn: Brown Sheep Co. Lamb's Pride Bulky
Colors: M022 - Autumn Harvest
M155 - Lemon Drop
M180 - Ruby Red (For some reason I thought this was "Red Baron" when I got it... I like this shade better, though. It's richer.)
With this amount of yarn I was able to make two good-sized hats. The yellow is used the most, then orange, then red. I have a good bit of the red left, a bit of orange, and only about three or four yards of the yellow left. (That is, after all, having made two pom-poms as well).
Needles: Size US 10 DPN
Time taken to complete: A few hours. I finished mine in a day, my cousin's in 2.
Notes & Comments: The yarn sheds like a mofo. I had forgotten this about Lamb's Pride from my previous uses, but I think the mohair makes it look a little more "worn in" and such. I altered the pattern(s) slightly to compensate for my unusually large head (I didn't know this until I made this hat). Instead of the 64 or 56 stitches called for in the patterns, I cast on 80. It fits nicely, though is not super-snug or tight. A quick knit and very fun. The pom-pom was made by tracing a 4.5" diameter coaster and a 1" bottle cap. I like how big and floppy the pompom is, just like Jayne's! I recommend this hat for anyone who likes bright colors, even if they're not fans of Firefly.

November 18, here I come!

In preparation for the new Harry Potter movie that premieres on November 18 (for those of us not lucky enough to be in the UK or New York or Los Angeles), I've gotten down to business finishing HP scarves and beginning my Weasley sweater. I'll post pictures of it when it's more than simply a strip of green stockinette stitch. Instead of a letter, I'm planning to put this little baby on it. The colors are not indicative of those you should knit. The blue is the MC, and the red is for a black or dark outline (since counting little black squares might be well-nigh impossible), the gold and white are accurate. For my own Weasley, I won't be doing the lettering, but you can include it if you want.

In terms of the HP scarves, I only had four stripes to go on the first Ravenclaw scarf, and I finished two. Then I bound off. So now I have to go back and knit two more stripes. Oh well, c'est la vie.

Perhaps that's how I'll occupy my time while watching Firefly. Wow! That show is amazing! I don't think I've ever been so enthralled in a TV show before. And now, I can't wait for the premiere of Serenity. As a thank-you gift to my dear cousin Matt for introducing me to Firefly, I'm going to send him something secret and special having to do with the show for the premiere of the movie. Since I don't know if he reads this blog, I don't want to go spoiling the surprise. All I will say is that it requires a short trip to the yarn store this afternoon.

Enjoy yourselves, and let me know how the pattern looks!

Dragon Scale Gauntlet Pattern

Here is the pattern:
(12/07/2005--a few small errors have been corrected)

Dragon Scale Gauntlets

By: Annemarie Pearson
Inspired by: Wyvern Sock Pattern by Marnie MacLean

Yarn: 100 grams DK weight yarn

Needles: US 6/ 4mm needles or size needed to obtain
gauge.

Gauge: 24 sts in ribbing = 4” or 10cm
32 rows = 4” or 10 cm
1 chart repeat = 1.5 inches or 3.8 cm

Finished Measurements:
About a women’s Medium gauntlets
9” circumference at base (gauntlet edge sits by elbow)
8” circumference at top (gauntlet edge on hand)
Length: 13 inches

Techniques Required: Long tail cast on, ssk, k2tog, p2tog [Optional: pfb]

Left Gauntlet:
• Using long-tail cast-on method, CO 48, divided as follows
Needle 1 = 13 stitches
Needle 2 = 13 stitches
Needle 3 = 11 stitches
Needle 4 = 11 stitches


• Join for working in the round, being careful not to twist
• Place marker to indicate beginning of round, and work in k2p2 ribbing for 7 rounds, or 1 inch
• Row 1 and all odd-numbered rows:
Needles 1 & 2: stockinette stitch
Needles 3 & 4: p2k2 ribbing
• Row 2 and all even-numbered rows:
Needles 1 & 2: Work chart
Needles 3 & 4: p2k2 ribbing
• Work 3 pattern repeats
• On repeat #4 knit row 1, ending 2 sts before beginning of round, p2tog
• Work row 2 of chart, p2tog (2 sts decreased total)
• Continue chart, finishing row 7 two sts before beginning of row, k2tog
• Work row 8 of chart, k2tog (2 sts decreased)

At this time, the ribbing across the back two needles will be k2p2. Continue in this way until indicated.

• Knit 5th repeat of chart as usual
• On 6th repeat, knit row 1, ending 2 sts before beginning of round, k2tog
• Work row 2 of chart, k2 tog (2 sts decreased)
• Continue pattern, finishing row 7 two sts before beginning of row, p2tog
• Work row 8 of chart, p2tog

At this time, 6 chart repeats should be completed. Work 1 more chart repeat.

• After row 12, do not knit stockinette across the chart in the round (as for row 1 of the chart). Rather, turn the knitting around and knit back across the ribbing (working in pattern, of course) and then purl across needles 1 and 2 where the chart section is. Turn the needles around, and continue on row 2, etc., until you’ve finished row 12.
o This back-and-forth method allows for a spacious thumb hole, without having to add a buttonhole.
• Once row 12 is completed, once again join in the round. From here, there are two options:
A. Work 6 rows of chart, then begin k2p2 ribbing for 7 rounds or 1 inch.
B. Immediately work in k2p2 ribbing for 7 rounds, or 1 inch

This option allows you to vary the length of coverage on your hands. For example, I don’t like the gauntlet to extend past my knuckles. Others may prefer a longer gauntlet to extend coverage over more of the fingers. Knitter’s choice, really.
• Once desired length has been reached, bind off loosely in pattern.

Right Gauntlet:
• Work the same as for left gauntlet until 7th chart repeat is complete. For this, finish working the chart’s row 12, but do not continue in ribbing. Turn work around, purling back across chart stitches, and then continue across ribbing, ending before the chart pattern. Turn the work around and repeat, knitting across row 2, etc.
This places the thumb hole on the other side of the chart, making it so the dragon scale pattern is on top.
• Once row 12 is completed, join once again for working in the round, and continue as for left gauntlet.

Finishing:
Weave in all ends. Block lightly

Guidelines for Altering Pattern:
This pattern is very versatile. It can be adapted to quite a few any lengths or widths, and provides a snug, warm, lovely way to keep your arms toasty.

If you want shorter gauntlets, simply complete fewer chart repeats before the decreases and vice versa for longer ones.

If you want the gauntlets to have wrist shaping, but find decreasing 8 stitches makes it too snug on your hand, for the second set of decreases, you might want to purl in the front and back of loop [pfb] one stitch before the beginning of the round, and on the first stitch following the chart. This allows for wrist shaping, while still allowing dexterity. You would then do the same thing after row 7, thus increasing 2 more stitches (4 total).

The number of stitches in the ribbing may also be altered to achieve a wider or narrower fit. Just be sure the total number of stitches is divisible by 4.


Many many many many thanks to Marnie MacLean for creating such a great pattern as a springboard for a practical, comfortable design. Many many many many more thanks to her for allowing me to adapt her pattern.

Please let me know if you find any errata, or if any of the instructions are obscure. Happy Knitting!

Edit: Whoops! It seems I forgot to put the chart in this pattern! And note, I uploaded the image here, so I don't steal Marnie's Bandwidth. Do

Dragon Scale Armwarmers

Well, yesterday's post is about to be revealed:

After seeing my Wyvern Socks, my dear friend Laura suggested that I make some arm warmers with the Dragon Scale pattern. "Those'd be some wicked gauntlets," she said. I figured it would be quite simple: a tube with a thumbhole, patterned with ribbing and the dragon scales. Her requirements were that it be quite lengthy (elbow length or longer). So I set to work on a pattern. I decided to add a little bit of shaping around the wrist, since, more often than not, the part of the forearm closest to the elbow is a bit wider than the palm of one's hand. Instead of working a buttonhole for the thumb, I decided to merely work the tube straight rather than in the round for one repeat, then close it again. Ribbing at the top and bottom add snugness.

The reason I haven't posted a pattern yet is because *ahem* I've only finished one gauntlet. I want to do a lovely little photo shoot with both of them, but as you see there, that is number 1.

Many thanks to Marnie MacLean for providing the original pattern from which I derived this one. She's great, friendly, and wonderful for allowing me make my own variation on a gorgeous design.

Happy Knitting!

Soon to come: a .PDF file of the pattern!

Surprise, Surprise....

What's this?
Yes, it's Wyvern, but it's not a sock. Stay tuned to discover my first dabblings in knitwear design!

OMG ♥

-Begin Politics-

Barack Obama is the reason I might actually vote democratic for my very first election. Read about why here.

I don't do politics for the most part. However, especially since the last election (which I was unable to vote in by *2* measly weeks), things get quite heated, especially between my immediate family's more conservative stance and my extended family's quite liberal stance. For my part, I think our president isn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree. Not evil, though. I consider myself liberal on things like women's suffrage and women in the workforce, rights for the poor and the right to life. For every human being. However, I think there is a definite right and wrong, and I think the moral relativism present in our country is wrong. Again, my opinion.

And though I could delve into why Hurricane Katrina should not be politicized (since it's not like Bush prayed to God for the hurricane or anything), I will only say this: New Orleans is to blacks what Brownsville, Texas (my hometown) is to Mexicans. An ENORMOUS majority of the population is such. So to say that the disaster and relief efforts are plagued by racism is just crazy. Many people were able to evacuate the city in their private cars. And since the majority of the city is black, by logic we can deduce that many of the people who got out are black. And those who remained probably didn't have the means. And since the majority of the city is black, those who remained, we can deduce, were overwhelmingly black. That's like saying it's racism against movie stars when an earthquake hits California. With regards to Katrina, I do agree that (as Obama ♥ says) the poor were treated unfairly in terms of relief efforts.

That's about as political as I will get. Feel free to disagree with me on my politics. However, please do not hate mail me or flame me for my opinions. If you hate Bush, next election you may vote Democratic. It's your choice what your political convictions are. Don't hate me for mine.

-End Politics-

Trying Haloscan

Bear with me please, trying to get this to work.

Thanks to Krista for recommending Haloscan to me, and for bringing to my attention the spam that was running rampant in the comments. Thanks!

Green Grows my Stash-o!

Another lame reference to a song, this time, "Green Grow the Rushes-o." My dorky and punster heritage is shining forth these days I guess. (My dad and grandfather are prolific, and, if you're in the mood, quite amusing, punsters).

Last Thursday, I went with my good friend Laura to pick up some magazines I got from a Freecycler. On our way back, she said, "Hey, wanna go to the yarn store?" Never one to pass up an opportunity to spend money on glorious things, I assented. And guess what I left with? Six skeins of Cascade 220, two in the light green and four in the dark green to make the Sesame Sweater from Magknits. Necessity being the mother of invention, and the yarn shop only having two skeins of the light green in stock, I'm going to make thinner stripes of the light green and thicker dark green. That sweater is so gorgeous, classic, and versatile. I will be searching for the perfect buttons shortly. Of course, the needles are for that sweater. I can't believe I didn't have any US size 6's. Wait, that's a lie. I did have size 6's from Spain, but it didn't really register that they were 6's since they're measured in mm. Oh well. One never can have too many needles, especially bamboo.

Next I picked up two balls of the Misti Alpaca Laceweight. OH. MY. GOD. It's soft, light, and thin! I may make a smaller version of the Spiral Shawl from Meg Swansen's "A Gathering of Lace" to initiate myself into the worlf of lace knitting. I've dabbled a little bit in lace knitting before, and indeed, took a class on it last semester. Should be fun and exciting.

Oh the possibilities! (Not to mention the strain on my wallet, but nevermind that, ^_^)

Sockpal Socks are Finished!

Finally, after much toil and strife (well, not really), my Sock Pal socks are complete. I love them. I sincerely hope my sock pal does too!

(Click Here for a Close-up of Texture)

Project Specs:

Pattern: Marnie MacLean's Wyvern Woman's Sock Pattern
Yarn: Paton's "Grace" (100% Mercerized Cotton) in variegated purple, lilac, white and blue (Color 60903), Lot 207.
Needles: US 2/ 2.75 mm Double Pointed Needles
US 3/ 3.25 mm Double Pointed Needles
Amount: Approximately 2 1/4 balls used, 3 purchased total
Notes: I made the large size, casting on 68 stitches. I slightly modified the heel to make a shallower, and thus (in my opinion) better fitting sock. Instead of making 11 short rows for the heel, I did 9. This then gave a proper foot length, whereas the 11-row heel made it *waay* too long. Another alteration was only doing 4 pattern repeats after the heel, then switching to size 3 DPNS for the ribbing.
I will definitely repeat this pattern. It was fun, relatively easy, and I love the result.

Astrology and the Meaning of.... well, Me!

I'm not overly superstitious for the most part. On most occasions, I am highly amused by my horoscope. However, when something is scarily accurate, I re-evaluate what exactly my stance is on horoscopes/numerology/personality tests, etc. And thus begins a vicious cyle of superstition versus cold hard logic and reason.

I'm Catholic. My religion's history is fraught with superstition and the supernatural. I'm also American. My country's history is fraught with the eradication of superstition and the introduction of logical thinking and scientific reason.
And no, there is no balance between the two for me. Just shifting.

In that vein, let me share some of the uncannily accurate things I've found recently:

Based on my birthday: Impulsive? Demanding? Egoistic? Hmm..... why so accurate!?

Your birth tree is
Ash Tree, the Ambition
Uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with its fate, can be egoistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over heart, but takes partnership very serious.

Wow! Ok, so some of them boost the ego even though they might not be true.

But don't even get me started on my Life Path Number. Affectionate? In need of quiet time? Perfectionist? Not too social? This is scary....

A Life Path 7 person is a peaceful and affectionate soul, and by nature rather reserved and analytical. The overwhelming strength of the number 7 is reflected in the depth of thinking that is shown; you will garner knowledge from practically every source that you find. Intellectual, scientific and studious, you don't accept a premise until you have dissected the subject and arrived at you own independent conclusion. This is a very spiritual number and it often denotes a sort of spiritual wisdom that becomes apparent at a fairly early age. You need a good deal of quiet time to be with your own inner thoughts and dreams. You dislike crowds, noise and confusion. You are very thorough and complete in your work, the perfectionist who expects everyone else to be a meet a high standard of performance, too. You evaluate situations very quickly and with amazing accuracy. You rely heavily on your experiences and your intuition, rather than accepting advice from someone; your hunches usually prove to be very accurate, and knowing this, you are one who tends to follow the directions they seem to guide. It's easy for you to detect deception and recognize insincere people. You aren't one to have a wide circle of friends, but once you accept someone as a friend, it's for life. You really aren't a very social person, and your reserve is often taken to be aloofness. Actually, it's not that at all, but merely a cover up for your basic feeling of insecurity. You actually like being alone, away from the hustle and bustle of modern life. In many ways, you would have fit in better in much earlier times when the pace of life was less hectic.

In the most negative use of the 7 energies, you can become very pessimistic, lackadaisical, quarrelsome, and secretive. A Life Path 7 individual who is not living life fully and gaining through experiences, is a hard person to live with because of a serious lack of consideration and because there is such a negative attitude. The negative 7 is very selfish and spoiled. If you have any of the negative traits they are very difficult to get rid of because you tend to feel that the world really does owe you a living or in some way is not being fairly treated. Fortunately, the negative 7 is not the typical 7, at least not without some mitigating positive traits. This number is one that seems to have some major shifts from highs to lows. Stability in feelings may be elusive for you.

Found through Amelia Raitte.

2, 4, 6, 8! We are feeling really great!

And why is this? Because, officially, I have lost the Freshman 15 I gained last year. Over Christmas, I noticed my face had gotten quite a bit pudgier, much to my dismay. Plus, when I went shopping at the winter sales, my usual size 12 didn't fit. I had to move up a size! Now, after doing some marvelous post-summer-sale shopping, I'm back to a comfortable 12. That summer camp certainly helped me lose the weight. I'm hoping that with a little exercise (read: gym and bike, no buses!) I can lose another 15 pounds, and make it to a size 10.

I'm 18, and this is the time of my life when I should be at my most attractive, since there's not a grey hair to think about, gravity's cruel claim hasn't set in, and my skin is healthy and smooth without products. My goal is not to be a size 6 and stick thin. My goal is to be at a comfortable weight and dress size (so I can shop! shop! shop! at the stores I love) where I feel attractive and confident. My comfortable range of sizes is 8-12, and now I'm at the high-end of that range. I want to get to the middle. Because I know I feel fabulous now, and with just a little more effort, I can feel even more fabulous! When you look good and you know it, it shows, and other people can tell as well! For my part, I notice I have more energy and am not embarrassed to wear some clothes that only months ago I used to think twice about wearing. To have felt that way at ages 17 and 18 is quite sad. But now that I've fixed it, it's great. And at this point in my life, it's quite the time to enjoy it!

Just so you can compare, here are the before/after shots:

Before:

After:

What a change, if I do say so myself!

Falling for Fall Knitty

I must say that this issue of Knitty is absolutely splendid.

Arisaig is gorgeous, and I've been lusting to make a wrap-around sweater. It's either this, or Lucky from Stitch N Bitch Nation.

Samus. It's based on a killer videogame character, *and* has cables. Uh-huh. I'm in love. (Just as Ms. Singer noted on her blog, I got deja-vu too).

Blackberry is lovely, only I would make it in a thinner yarn.

Leaves in Relief. Another deja-vu experience, since I'd seen a Gondorian White Tree sweater elsewhere. It's based on Rogue, which I am lusting after as well, because, well, CABLES! There is nothing I love more than Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Princess Bride.

Ella is an interesitng shawl, and I like the lace, but it seemed to me that the designer was trying to model it as "the next Clapotis." Lovely as this new one is, the original still holds the key to my heart.

I have one word for Flora. YES!

Falling Leaves remind me of Wyvern, only a tad lacier. Do I really need another favorite sock pattern? Indeed I do.

Finally, Astrodome makes me happy. I don't know if it's the slightly tacky, uber vibrant design and colors, or if I just feel an affinity to it being from Texas.


Coming Soon: A trip to the yarn store provides me with yarn for a sweater and shawl.... oh the possibilities!

Speaking of Poster Boys

A few days ago, Beyond The Wall had a poster sale in Jester Dorm. And I happened to notice that they accept "Dine In Dollars" (Meal-plan money used only at specific university food locales). And I happened to find about 6 posters that I liked. So.... I went ahead and bought them.

(Clockwise, from top left: Aragorn, Ministry of Silly Walks, Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride)

This means I may have a little less money to spend on food for about a week or so, but no matter, since there's nothing better than looking at my wall and seeing Aragorn, Gandalf and John Cleese looking down at me. :)

Just a Typical Situation in These Typical Times...

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. Despite mega-tons of reading and a little confusion with one of my classes, I had a nice, relaxing weekend. I watched some movies and got my homework done. I also began working on sock number 2. I've already turned the heel! I'm thinking a few minutes between classes here and there should finish them up by this weekend.

One thing I *really* want to make is a Minisweater. I am not sure of the yarn yet, but I may go all out and order loads of yarn from Knitpicks. I want some Andean Silk to make the Modeknit Corset, and some sock yarn for my sister's birthday present. Looks like she wants Wyvern socks too! I was going to make "Poster Boy" from SNB Nation, but I bought Bulky Lamb's pride rather than worsted. That won't go too far. Perhaps I'll use that yarn for the Minisweater, but I think the color combination is too "Hot Topic" for me. However, If I get some pink or white, the contrast might not be so bad. Now my sister wants a pair of Wyvern's in blue, and some of that Knitpicks sock yarn looks perfect for the part. Oh, and that Almost Argyle Pattern too! Last but not least, I'm going to order some Knitpicks Merino to make myself a Ravenclaw Prisoner of Azkaban scarf. Not that I need any more stash enhancement after all the yarn I bought this summer, but I didn't bring most of that yarn with me anyway, since it takes up space, and dormitories don't exactly have loads of that.

Anyway, I must be off, since I have an essay to write, "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Andersen to read, plus other classical myth/history. Add to that that I need to pick up some magazines from another Freerecycler, and I'm one busy bee!

Startled by the Presence of a Finished Object

Well, it's 5 o' clock on a Saturday...the regular crowd shuffles in... *ahem* Sorry, the Billy Joel reference just slipped out. The date and time are true. What is also true is that I've been awake for eight hours, and I haven't done any of the reading I have to do for my classes next week. Another truth is that Monday is a holiday, but still I feel lazy. All I've been doing is finishing Wyvern Sock #1. And it's startling. Why? Because there's a beautiful, comfortable little sock lying next to me, without any form of knitting needle in it. That means it's a finished object. However, neither I nor my sock pal have one foot. This means there needs to be a second sock to make this a pair. Must...prevent...onset...of....Second....Sock....Syndrome...!

Not that that's a bad thing. I got lots of it completed last night whilst chillaxing with some buddies from high school. I just happened to finish the pattern repeats and cuff and bind off for most of this afternoon. It looks very pretty, and I hope my sock pal likes it. It's quite a fun pattern, and I would definitely do it again. It did, however, take 3 times to get the heel right. In fact, I think it looks and fits better now with fewer short rows.

Since I'm in the mood to finish things, I figure I might as well perform the finishing touches on my cotton candy scarf and my Hourglass sweater. All they need are a few ends woven in and a couple hems to be sewn.

(click on the sweater for a rather blurry photo of me modeling it)

After that, a good blocking for the sweater is in order. Unfortunately, i don't have pins, so I'll probably just have to lay it out on a sheet and let it dry.

Now, to watch the football game from my dorm window! Hook 'Em Horns!

Third Time's The Charm!

Well, day number 2 of classes is over. This semester is going to be quite a bit of work, with five humanities classes. (Read: booksbooksbooks) However, I think it's going to be quite fun. I'm taking a philosophy class which is an introduction to logic and arguments and how English sentences are arranged logically (how appropriate for an English major). I'm also taking two history classes: one, your standard United States History from 1492-1865, and then History of the Scientific Revolution of the 17th Century. Then, I'm taking the Selected Plays of Shakespeare, and a course on Hans Christian Andersen. All of them are interesting, the professors know what they're doing (apparently), and aside from the loads and loads of reading, it should be fun.

In knitting, however, the third time's the charm. I finally got my Wyvern Sock heel to look right. I had to reduce the number of short rows, but in the end, I think it'll fit my sock pal well. (After having ripped out and knit the heel twice!) Now, for the leg and cuff, and on to sock number 2 before September 15! Pictures tomorrow!