Thursday, December 30, 2010

Winding Down

Well, it looks the like holiday madness is over. And by madness I mean loveliness. Lovely madness? Mad loveliness? Either way, as much as I love the holidays I am not afraid to admit they can be a little taxing. I feel like this year I swung right from "finals mode" into "Christmas mode".

(this is my Grammie's lovely all purple tree)

After studying my arse off and sweating over all those dreaded tests there was still shopping, wrapping, decorating, baking, and visiting to do before I could entirely relax. However, Christmas was simply sweet. Last year Andrew and I felt like two chickens running around with our heads cut off. We went from his house, to my house, to Grammie's house, then back to his house, out to dinner with his family, back to his house, and  all the way back in the direction of Grammie's to my Uncle's. This year we approached it in a much more calm and convenient way. We got a GPS! So no more going all the way back home as starting point. We got to do all the same things, in a much less stressful way. And I think it's safe to say I made out like a bandit. I got a stocking full of pamper-me luxuries from the Whole Body department of Whole Foods.  They are soo yummy and good-for-you too. Also, I got a Nook (e-reader) and the complete set of The Harmony Guides knitting stitch books.

(I love this old-fashioned Santa doll. You can pretend I cropped Andrew's hand out.)

In other news, the semester is at last over. No more of that horrid social work class. I know I didn't go much into it but the teacher was completely over-working us and not paying us any respect during our class discussions. Needless to say, I am more than glad to be done with that class.  My grades were all posted and I am very pleased. I made the Dean's List again and though I don't set my sights on it, its always nice to be rewarded for all that hard work throughout the semester.

 Also! We got a blizzard the day after Christmas! Oh just when you think Mother Nature has settled in for a Winter's nap She pulls out all the stops. Everything is covered in white now, and it is beautiful. Something about snow makes me feel so peaceful. Before our storm, though, I snapped a picture of Brattleboro that I would like to show you. The PBH has been a little more difficult to snap. When he isn't wearing it (and he won't let me take pictures of him) it's at his house and I am here. I will try to resolve this problem, mainly because I am rather proud of this hat, and I conceived the idea and wrote the (very simple) pattern all on my own.
In other yarn news, I am currently working on the most gorgeous project. I think I might be in love. It's so beautiful it deserves it's own post. (All in good time, my friends).


So, I love the hat. And hats in general. They are so quick and can be anything you want them to be. Fashionable, trendy, classic. This hat is all of those. Plus warm. Highly recommend. I found the ball band the other day, and its lost again. I promise I will give the farm from Maine where this yarn came form proper cred! As you can see, and its much less obvious in person, I am a terrible finisher. I don't like having to sew my knitting. Oh well. Great hat anyways. So, that new year of ours will be rolling in soon and I have got some resolutions stewing. But more on those later.
Until next time.
Peace&Love


Monday, December 6, 2010

Ladies and Gentleman, I Give You...

Kitty!

Otherwise known as Sugar. Since having gotten my new camera all I do is take picture of everything. Which is good, I think. Now I would really like to learn how to adjust the ISO and aperture (and stuff) with real purpose. Until then photo shoots with the my wittle baby will have to do.





I know, I know. Shes precious.
In the meantime, though, I have been knitting a little. Mainly the Brattleboro Hat and what I have coined the Painfully Boring Hat. However, the PBH is for my better half so that in itself gives me joy when knitting it.


Yes, that's about nine or ten inches of stockinette in the round. He likes his hats warm and plain. So we decided on stockinette I'm planning on folding a good four or five inches in and sewing it there, to act as extra warmth without disturbing the plainess he endears so much. The best laid schemes...



This is said Brattleboro Hat, from New England Knits. Or maybe you know it from Interweave Fall 2010? Anywho. I made some mods, as I have a tiny head and I knit it in this rough and tough wool from Maine that I am absolutely in love with. Well, that's about it over here. My first sophomore semester is wrapping up and I have been working quite a bit with the holiday season in full swing. But, boy, do I have plans for winter break.






Saturday, December 4, 2010

Letting in the Secret Thoughts


"Every human being on the face of the Earth has a steel plate in his head, but if you lay down now and then and get as still as you can , it will slide open like elevator doors, letting in all the secret thoughts that have been standing around so patiently, pushing a button for a ride to the top."
- Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Thursday, December 2, 2010

For Lack of a Better Title...

Well I did it. I got myself a digital SLR camera. I can't believe it! There was a great black friday sale on the Canon EOS Rebel XS, and I could ignore the urge no longer. Also, ironically, my ol' point and shoot died Thanksgiving morning. It was a big spend and I am still (kind of) in shock, but from what I have seen it do so far I know I will not regret this purchase. It's just matter of patience and time, and learning how to really use those bad boy. So as I was playing around with my new toy I realized I had two FO's I could show you!
So first is the Everyday Cardi by Robyn Chachula from Crochet Today Sept/Oct 2010. I used about twelve balls of Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Navy to complete this cardigan. This was gift for my mom on her birthday. She was apparently thumbing through my magazine and she liked this one so much she wrote "Mommy likes this one!" right on the page. She didn't know, but I got the hint.
She wanted me to get a picture of the "special stitching". My mom crochets a little. Towel toppers, granny squares mainly. So I liked crocheting a sweater for her because its a craft she can relate to. This is a top-down cardigan so it was relatively simple but still interesting. Having never crocheted a sweater before I found it intriguing, though it got very heavy towards the end. I made an odd size. My swatch was too on a J hook, but the size I was crocheting was 36" and she likes her clothes not too clingy. So I crocheted the yoke with the J and then used an I for the rest of the cardigan. I like how it worked out and she loves the fit. Here's a shot of the back and a better shot of the "special stitching".
I like this photo a lot. So that's Mom's cardi. She has already worn it about four times since I gave it to her on Tuesday night. I also attempted to take some better photos the Southbay Shawlette like I promised.
The second one more accurately portrays the color, but the first one was so pretty I couldn't help myself. Now, understand that it was perfectly mild all day and as soon as I went out to take photos it became so windy. Such is life. So there you have it. I've been thinking lately that the content on my blog might be a little boring/redundant so I am going to try to switch it up a little.  Shouldn't be too hard now that I have an amazing camera to inspire posts. I'd also like to learn how to edit HTML a little. Any suggestions? What you like to read about?