Tales of the Nose-Pierced Knitter

MOVING DAY-- BLOG MOVED TO WORDPRESS

2007-08-09T18:32:00.000-04:00

ATTENTION!!!!!!!

Tales of the Nose-Pierced Knitter can now be found at:

www.chelseyknits.wordpress.com

please update your links/bookmarks!!!

This switch was made so that I could use multiple pages, and thus have pages for FOs and Book reviews and the like.

FO: Lizard Ridge Afghan

2007-08-08T15:21:00.000-04:00

Pattern from Knitty Fall 2006

Started: January 2007 Finished August 2007

Pattern Notes/Mods: I love this pattern, and the afghan is gorgeous! One thing I did differently, though, was lay the blocks out so that they flow down instead of across, because the afghan is larger that way. Also, i did a garter stitch edging with mitered corners to make the edge a bit more frame like. I sewed tbe blocks together with mattress stitch (Techniques with Thersea)

What I really love about this pattern is that each block is separate and thus each tells a story. There's one that I bought at my dad's in the spring. Three that Mom and I bought before she left me back at school. There's the one fro m my Secret Pal and the one I was knitting when my friends and I got coffee and knit.

On Ravelry, I have tons of blog entries devoted to this thing, because where ever I went a square went.

(complete yarn details here on Ravelry)

And now it's done. What's a girl to do with herself?

Swaps

2007-08-07T18:51:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Ravelry I'm now in two swaps that end before October. I'm excited, and while I know that my packages aren't the best-best, since I am poor college kid, i have fun with them.

The Ravelry summer camp swap will be awesome, and the Caffine addicts swap will be fun too. :) (and Bunkmate, probably my school address!)

I just got revealed for my LJ Secret Pal (yay!) and that was a great way to spend the summmer. Missed the deadline for Secret Pal 11, but I figure I'm too broke anyway.

Swaps are fun, because it's always a surpries, you know? And less guilt with the buying stuff too, because it's not for you!

Not much to report

2007-08-06T23:12:00.000-04:00

Not much to tell. I think there will be a bigger post with a large FO probably tomorrow, but today not much. I'm just trying to get through a couple projects before starting my Wicked.

Life's kind of boring before I head back to school in a week and a half :D

France

2007-08-01T22:06:00.000-04:00

So, there's probably less to say about France, just because the majority of the trip was spent speaking french with other 18-25 year olds, so naturally much of the time was spent philosophizing and drinking European beer (sooo much better than in the US, but still kind of icky).

But, let's see. Mom and I went to the Lovre:

(note Mom's hand blocking my shot!)

And then I was sent off on my own on a great adventure to Avignon! Where there is a Palais du Pape, and my sock yarn was used to put cornrows in the hair of an awesome Romanian guy.

(Billet du train)

I also learned that I can rhapsodize in French about an atrocious version of King Lear to which I paid about thirty minutes of full attention. Yay, theatre skills.

And, memorably for me, during an excursion to the Photo Exhibition in Arles I actually agreed to use a wheelchair, and didn't end up staying with the adults the whole time. As in, my friends didn't care, just as my mother had said for years.

This one's with the 3d glasses required for one of the exhibits. (two polish girls, our group leader who's French me and a turk :))

And this one, with Nesli, my best friend there.

Martyna, a polish girl who is one of the sweetest people ever.

I was sad to leave, even though our living conditions were less than ideal. We lived in an elementary school, which equals outdoor portable showers, and toilets which are also outdoors, though not portapotties thank God.

And then, back to Paris with Mom, a glass of champagne in celebration at the Hilton (she's getting better about the alcohol thing, and of course it was legal there) and back to the states.

I loved Europe, particularly London and Avignon. Paris wasn't for me. It made me sad to see the beautiful old buildings with flashy modern shops below, and the people reminded me of NYC. Not rude, just too busy to be bothered.

Tomorrow back to your regularly scheduled knitting blog, and I do have some things to share :D

Pack The Stash.... I'm Moving to London

2007-07-29T21:45:00.000-04:00

Well, eventually at any rate. I'm absolutely in love with London.

Hi, by the way, I'm back :) It's been a while, no? I got home last night, but needed to rest up a bit before I got the chance to let you all know the story of my adventures!

So let's see, we got into London at 9AM on the 11th. We had a very nice cabbie to our hotel in Canary Wharf. I wasn't such a fan of the hotel, as I'm not a huge lover of modern furnishings and design, but the people there were very nice. There was one concierge, a large black man with a deep laugh, who I could see being a manipulating business man of some type, but instead he was a concierge whose sister knits and knows how to use google. (he found the same yarn store list I did, incidentally)

We went straight from the hotel to the Tower of London, which was absolutely amazing of course. Mom was fascinated by the Crown Jewels, but I was more interested in the fact that people had been walking where we were for nearly a thousand years. People had died there, raised families there. It's just fascinating to me.

So then we were on a tour bus that took us 'round the city.

It was pretty crowded and touristy (hence the picture of my mom being touristy), but it was fun. Jet lag, unfortunately, set in though and I fell asleep on the bus, so we went back to the room early.

The next day was more touristy stuff. We went to the London Eye, and my camera batteries gave out after I got these two pictures.

The Eye:

And Yoda: (there's a Star Wars exhibit nearby):

I love the Eye, even though it's purely a tourist attraction. The view melds what I love of London: You can see the historical buildings and the new ones side-by-side. Generations of people, ghosts of ancestors, all within view.

We then went to Westminster, so I could pay hommage at the graves of the greats. Chaucer, Austen and all the other authors honoured there. It's inspiring and also eerie to do that. Not to mention that it's vaguely morbid to be walking on the graves of people as you watch children sucking on cokes in the cloisters. But, I suppose, it's our generations way of learning. Still, I wish we were more respectful....

We shopped then, in the stores underground Canary Wharf. I bought shoes and a book (that will be reviewed soon, it was great).

The next day was Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Day! I met up with my pen-pal Katy in front of Costa Coffee. We then began our gallivant. We hopped onto the tube and went to King's Cross:

Then we went to a little area of Victorian-looking shops, which was inspiration for Diagon Alley in the films.

It was adorable, and we sat in a cafe for a while and just chatted before going, quite randomly, to the Museum of Natural History. (Dinosaurs are SO BIG you guyz!!!) before meeting my mom to see the film (which I loved).
Katy and I before the film!

The next day was THE GLOBE. Shakespeare's Globe. It's like seeing's God's House to me. It's soooo gorgeous, and while we had our tour the musicians were practising, actors were rehearsing, the sky was blue and you could really see people crammed in there hundreds of years ago.

I had fun in the gift shop too *nods*

And then we went to Liberty. Gah. Gah. Gah. Stationary, notebooks and yarn all in one place. Heaven on Earth. I got some stationary, and some Rowan pattern books as well as sock yarn. The nice cashier called me "pet". The shop is so wonderful. When I live in London I shall frequent it often.

And then the next day it was bye to London.

But I'm in Love. The tube actually gets you places, as opposed to Atlanta public transport, and the people are nice. The old and new mix amazingly well and.... gah. Love. Love. Love.

Next up France

Ravelry and other things

2007-07-08T20:31:00.000-04:00

I've spent seriously the whole day on Ravelry, but I have all of my projects and stash up there. Go check out my page!

In uploading my projects, I reliaze how many of my blog posts mention Lizard Ridge. Before too long it'll be over. Except, I'm thinking of backing it, which will take a little while, but the tutorial here is really good.

Interestingly, The Yarn Harlot's books aren't in the Ravelry database yet, which amuses me.

I must be insane, by the way. I signed up for the Ravelry Summer Camp swap. The package goes out end of August, which is after my LJ swap is over. But still. I'm nuts.

Plane knitting will be two things from my LJ secret pal (in case of confiscation)

Either knitty's toe-up sock pattern in this:

Or a headband in this:

I've changed my mind on what yarn to use for Wicked, since the cashmerino is pretty warm. I'm thinking now that I'll use Malabrigo or Artyarns, even though they're not machine washable. they're just so pretty.

Anyway, packing and stuff must happen, so that's about it until I hop across the pond.

Love you all!!

YAY!!!

2007-07-08T04:10:00.000-04:00

Have Ravelry Invite!!!! Must sleep. Must resist temptation..... My username is Chelseyblair.

Lizard Ridge is seamed. Will pick up edging Monday once I get new needles, going to do mitered garter stitch.

Sleep.....

FO: Fingerless Mitts

2007-07-05T20:58:00.000-04:00

Alas Lizard Ridge is not quite an FO yet. Two large seams, edging and the final blocking need to be done. It's looking good though.

BUT! I did finish the Fingerless Mitts I started with the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I started in between LR squares ages ago. (better pictures in the daytime tomorrow)

They're self-designed, and I like them. The yarn is quite warm, but that will be nice in winter/my dorm room. If I could do it again, I'd do a thumb gusset instead of the Fetching-esque thumb, because that one skews the cables. I'd also look at doing a braided cable, and use a smaller gauge for that maybe.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied.

My mom really likes them, and she's been after me to make her a pair of fingerless for a while, but these ones are a little small for her.

The thing is.... she can knit. Could make herself a pair, but she's too wary of trying new techniques. It's not that she even uses the perfectly valid 'I don't have enough time' excuse. She just doesn't seem to be comfortable with new techniques. For me, this is what knitting is about. I love taking a project and learning how to do things in the pattern. It's part of the fun. And I like to teach myself, asking for help only when I've tried already.

I'm like this with pretty much everything. For instance, I just got a book I plan on using to re-teach myself how to swim. (my lessons were stalled, and thus I don't breathe or move right). I've taught myself about many historical periods and how to hypnotize, do magic tricks, and best of all, knit.

So, because I know she can do it but won't I'm hesitant to knit for her. Is this weird? Or is it the whole "give a man a fish, he eats once; teach a man to fish, he eats for the rest of his life" thing?

That's about it, knit-wise. Lizard Ridge is nearly done! Still not on Ravelry, which probably means I'll get the invite, like, the day I leave for Europe, but with my pictures on Flickr and my mom taking her laptop I can probably get set-up then anyway. :)

Lime and Violet

2007-07-03T13:06:00.001-04:00

Blog and bookswap was mentioned on L&V

*dies ded*

PS. have people received their books?

Let me know. I'll be in a corner seaming this afghan until I die

OFF THE NEEDLES!!!

2007-06-28T17:55:00.000-04:00

Lizard Ridge is off of the needles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not an FO yet, but off of my needles!!!!!!

See? Last three squares to prove it:

Anyone who can give me an idea for the dregs is welcome....

Off for a day or two of end weaving, and then blocking and sewing :D

EATEN BY YARN GUYZ!!!

2007-06-25T00:59:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow Mom and I are going to Tallahassee for the day and spending the night because she has a meeting (dinner with my best friend!). I'm the type of person who likes to have everything done so that all I have to do in the morning is make coffee, pull on my clothes, toss my toothbrush in my bag and style my bangs (give me a break, they're new) before going. Tonight this involved winding my LAST BALL OF KUREYON.

Usually I just keep it in the ball it comes in, but it was particularly loose and I could see it exploding all over the car. So, I decided to wind it.

It had to have more tangles than any Kureyon ball I've EVER seen (and considering it's the 23rd, and they're famous for tangles....) I seriously thought I would go crazy. I am not patient with tangles, and tend to make them worse. And it was eleven o'clock at night.

And did I mention I'm NOT patient with tangles?

But, I did it! With little loss of life!

Casualties of the tangle war:

Finished ball:

Book review, because hopefully my next post will be of finished blocks and such.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I've wanted to read this for a while, because of a mention in the fanfics of a great Harry Potter fic author, Sam (his works Stealing Harry and Lacoon's Children are amazing alternate universes) and the Liz Phair song H.W.C. (NOT WORK SAFE)

It's obviously Wilde's first novel. It also happens to be his only novel. The story is good, very original, and yet.... There is plenty of detail in the beginning, and when Dorian first finds out that his portrait ages and he does not, but his decent into darkness once he has eternal youth is sadly unfleshed out. At first I understand Wilde's intent, he wishes for this to seem shadowy, for readers to not know exactly what he knows about people or who he is, but all of this is such a sudden character change for the usually philanthropic man, and cannot all come from the influence of Henry.... I just have difficulty accepting it.

The little bits of vulnerability that are still visible even in the more devious Dorian are good, for instance his nervousness after the murder he commits.... and his naiveté early on is good, his youth well-portrayed. I think Wilde copped out a bit with the death of the man stalking Gray, but obviously he wanted Dorian's demise at his own hand.

Overall, a good read, dripping with classic Wilde satire, but more actual detail and perhaps a little less heavy philosophy would be good in a novel.

YARN! And an FO!

2007-06-21T21:08:00.000-04:00

Wow, sorry it's been a while... I was waiting for my shipment from Yarnmarket to come in and come in it has! My last three skeins of Noro for Lizard Ridge and my Debbie Bliss!

While I was waiting for that, I started a Calorimetry, but was nearly done when I realized it was too small and decided that I was too lazy to frog. Instead I did a headband that Mom found on Knitpicks

It's made from leftover Di Ve Teseo, from which I made my best friend a ribbed hat last Christmas. I really like it, and it's a great stash buster. There's not much else, knitting-wise. I plan to spend the next few days listening to podcasts and Ingrid Michaelson (wish I had money, I'd get her shirt :-( ) and finishing my afghan.

Book review time.

I finished this one last week, but didn't want to post a review without a real post. So next post will have another review.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

This book is almost purely satire, and yet still has the classic ending. Catherine is not, as Jane Austen points out, really anything special that would make her a heroine. True to this, nothing in the story that could lead to a great Gothic adventure becomes one. Naive, but well-read, Catherine expects a mystery around every corner when she goes with her new friend Eleanor Tilney to her Abbey (and not, as the back of the book suggests with Eleanor's brother, Henry who is just there with them). But, each time there could be a great mystery there is a mundane explanation.

Instead, the mystery comes when Catherine is suddenly sent away from the abbey by Eleanor and Henry's father.

Overall, I liked the book. I like Henry even more than Darcy (blasphemous, I know!) and the stereotype and satire were fantastic and even laughing-out-loud funny. However, I think Austen's point would have been made even if she had not pointed out that Catherine did not have this or that quality of an accomplished lady, as she so often does. Elizabeth Bennett cannot play the pianoforte; Catherine cannot draw.

I did like how adamant and accurate Austen was about Catherine's seventeen-year-old naiveté. There was significantly less plot than in Pride and Prejudice, but it made very a very good light novel.

OFFICIAL KNITTER'S BOOKSWAP SIGN-UPS CLOSED

2007-06-14T19:24:00.000-04:00

Assignment e-mails are going out as we speak. All comments/feedback/ideas for future swaps should be posted here!

Remember to have your books out by June 20th!!!!!

Stay tuned for another swap, if all goes well, in mid-September!!!

I Really DO Have a Camera and Other Things

2007-06-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

There's knitting in here, promise, but first of all, thanks to Google Analytics I found out that someone found my blog by searching "Can you swim with your nose pierced?". The answer is yes. You need to wait a few weeks after it's been done, and wash with antibiotic soap afterwards until it's healed (2-3 months) and after that you're fine. :D

Now then. I e-mailed Casey today, of Ravelry fame, to make sure I put my name on the list. I'm paranoid, okay? He said there are 2000 people ahead of me. TWO thousand. TWO THOUSAND! *Sigh*. That's what I get for listening to Cast On a week late.

The Official Knitter's Book Swap sign-ups end at 7:00 EDT tonight!

And guess what? I officially ordered the rest of my Kureyon from Yarnmarket. 102 and 207 are on their way! Debbie Bliss 300 is too, so that I can finish the fingerless mitts I started a few--

Actually, I lie. I literally had this revelation while writing this post: I actually need three more balls of Kureyon, not two. In addition to that, I accidentally ordered a skein I already had. Oops. So, I called Yarmarket's customer service, but they're closed. We'll see what they say tomorrow. Hopefully they can cancel that order and I'll send in a new one immediately. *crosses fingers*

Pictures of the Kureyon Squares I've done since last time I posted pictures!

Colorway 33, which reminds me of the Shrek Milkshake Lime and Violet were talking about

184:

215: 040:

183 (sent to me by my LJ Secret Pal:

I'm working on 194 now, have 180 in the stash and will hopefully have three more coming. Sigh. I thought I was so much closer to done :-/

Addiction

2007-06-13T21:46:00.000-04:00

TOMORROW IS THE LAST DAY TO SIGN UP FOR THE OFFICIAL KNITTER'S BOOKSWAP VOL I

Tell your friends!!!

I think I'm addicted to Lizard Ridge.

Seriously.

As in "knitting when my wrist hurts, binding one off casting on another two seconds later" addicted. But it's because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Four blocks from now I'll be done. As little as a week if I get the yarn. DONE. As in block and sew and have afghan and be able to knit other things and have a beautiful piece of knitting.

It's mind-boggling.

But, due to said 'Lizard Ridge only kniting' and 'wrist hurts' (just a little, from overuse) and my camera still not having batteries all I have for you is a book review:

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
I have two things to say before the actual review. First of all that cover is new. I liked the old one well enough, but particularly like this one as the girl's expression is very Ella-ish. She looks young, but then again Ella is only fifteen. Second, I don't recommend reading this book the first time you're exposed to it; I recommend listening to it. Audible link You should look at the book, to admire Carson Levine's great made-up languages and the glossary and extra scene in the paperback, but Eden Riegel's performance and the music in the audiobook is too good to miss. (And great for knitting to!)

I had only ever listened to the book, but had listened to it many times since middle school. I had it on cassette, and now on my iPod and it's been my comfort listen for ages and ages. I have often said that if I can write as wonderful a book one day I will be happy. Having read it in print now, I am more amazed by Carson Levine's made-up languages, but annoyed at her short paragraphs. In the audio that isn't a problem.

Before now, though, I just saw a delightful story of a willful girl, with a wonderful romance. It is all that, but in Ella Enchanted a wonderfully detailed world is set up, for a bit of an Austen-esque social commentary. Every one around Ella after her mother's death, save the fairy cook Mandy, is obssessed with society and money. Her merchant father sees her as a mere pocession, her stepsisters are obssessed, one with power and one with money (because she knows she should be), and her stepmother marries for money. Ella is not concerned with that, nor does she see her friendship with the prince as a way to gain power.

But, because of the curse upon her to be obediant Ella becomes what the society wants: an accomplished girl. This is where Carson Levine deviates from Austen. Austen's girls are pointedly not accomplished. Elizabeth Bennett is horrible at the piano and her mother never put much effort into her education. Catherine, of Northanger Abbey, cannot draw and Austen points this out. Ella can sing, dance and stitch. But she is obedient not docile. She is not society's puppet. She can write well, and has a nack for language. Her impertinence and spunk cause Char, a prince who cares for all his subjects (if he cares less for anyone it's the peerage), to fall in love with her.

Although the story is, at the core, a fleshed-out Cinderella, Ella Enchanted is so much more than that. It is a wonderfully detailed universe, a fairy-tale, a coming-of-age story and a wonderful social commentary. Definitely worth a read, or better yet a listen.

Yarn Haul, Knitty and Book Review

2007-06-11T19:05:00.000-04:00

So, Mom and I had to go to Niceville today; and thus stopped by Unwind. Before that, though, we had gone by Amy's (King's Sewing and Knitting) and I picked up three skeins of Kureyon. (40, 33 (which is gorgeous and I think discontinued) and 180 (which is prettier in person than it ever is online)). At Unwind I got 194 which is brilliantly gorgeous. So, that's two more to go that I want: 102 and I think 207 or 214. Probably going to order tonight if Mom'll let me.

33 has lots of greens and browns in it which reminds me of the Shrek milkshakes that L&V were talking about. I would put in pictures; but my camera is being ridiculous

The Summer Knitty is up, and after Fetching last summer I was very exited, but I've got to say that nothing in this issue really excites me. Chapeau Mariner is cute and I might make Wisp, but can't say that I'd wear it. There seem to be a lot of sock patterns. I like socks, but do we really need so many patterns in the summer issue? Ah well, I guess I'm not very into knitting summery things anyway, and it's not like i really need more on the to-knit list.

Book review then. Non-knitting related. Which is a perfect time to remind you all to sign up for the Official Knitter's Bookswap!

Review:

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov.

Lolita is one of those books that you hear about as a classic, but never read. I picked it up partially because of the Sting and the Police song ("Just like the old man in/the book by Nabakov) and the fact that the editor of the litmag at my school's computer wallpaper was a comic of two dinosaurs, who were portraying characters in Lolita. As bookish as I am, I found that I could not read this book for very long sittings at a time. Partially because the book has very long paragraphs and very small spacing; but also because you have to read carefully or you might miss something.

It is not what I was expecting. All I knew of Nabokov was that he was an old Russian guy. I was expecting something set in the nineteenth century à laCrime and Punishment. That's not what I got. I got a fascinating look at the contrast between pre-WWII Europe and post-WWII America; and the changes within. It's also a wonderful psychological study. It's not told by a third person narrator, but by the subject himself. Humbert, the man fascinated with the average teenage girl Dolores Haze ("Lolita") and thus you cannot trust the narrator. Although, it seems to be an unbiased account and he tries to see both sides, the simple fact is it is written as his defense in trial for murder and paedophilia. You forget, though, until the end how untrustworthy he may be.

Nabokov makes sure that the reader is not able to place all blame on Humbert; at least in old Hum's eyes. Lolita is now the term for a fairly sexual promiscuous young girl; and for good reason. You can imagine, though, the psychological effect on her that Humbert doesn't describe.

The literary elements and allusions within the novel are absolutely fantastic; particularly the running parallel to Poe's work: Annabel Lee. Lolita's a work I plan on rereading in the next five or ten years; after I've had more education in literature.

It's definitely worth the read; and don't let the subject turn you off. It's a brilliant novel.

Right now I'm reading Northanger Abbey)by Jane Austen and will review that as well as Ella Enchanted as I'm rereading it for a Livejournal book circle I'm a part of.

That's all. Pictures when my camera stops hating its batteries. Still no Ravelry invite.

A meme, some pictures and a request

2007-06-08T19:12:00.000-04:00

So, with the yarn I have right now, I only need five more balls of Kureyon to finish. That scares me and excites me all at the same time. I want to order the next five online as soon as I finish the ones I have, and i will be able to do so if my mother permits or if the credit card I applied for arrives soon. But with Europe in the works we have zero dollars.

I get that, I promise, but it's SO annoying! I want stuff! Like, I put a few cookbooks on my amazon wishlist today for next year, but can't get them now. Can't get yarn. Can't get theWaterproof Housing for iPod I want. Can barely get my book for the swap (but tis a necessity!). It's annoying. I'm used to us being fairly able to afford things minimally, every once in a while something, you know? This is vaguely ridiculous, but will be nice in Europe I suppose.

On another note, I'm nearly done with the rewrites on my novel, and I really need someone dependable who's a fairly quick reader to look at it. Would anyone be interested? Someone who'd be interested in working with me on this and maybe future things? It's a YA novel.... Comment me if you're interested!

Oh! I got my hair cut yesterday:

It's my first time having any kind of bangs, ever, and I reallyreally like it!

Yesterday I finished a LR square, in 215. i have 184 on the needles, own 183 and bought one yesterday.... I don't know the colorway, it's dark brown with some reds in it. Pretty. My square is prettiful too, but my camera is dead and I'm to lazy to go get batteries :D

Looking at other people's Lizard Ridges, I feel like I could just keep going forever, but I'm also excited about the prospect of having it DONE! I'm probably going to order from Yarnmarket, because they have good colorways for $8.35. I'm pretty sure it's going to be: 194, (because of this square), 40, 214, 164 and one other but I'm not on the computer that has my basket. I think it was 207. I really like the new Kureyon colorways. At the same time, I see all the gorgeous ones they have and go: "I could make another row.... or another blanket to donate to Afghans for Afghans as done here"

But then again, I'm ready to move on, and whilst I plan on donating to charity with my knitting through the club I want to form, it'll probably be baby hats. It's time to move on, and stop judging yarn stores by their Noro Kureyon stock....

Had Starbucks with my friend Seppy today. Was très excited that a lightly blended Javachip w/o whip is only three points on Weightwatchers I realized that my friends and I are starting to branch out, and won't be home all summer any more. I definitely don't want to be next year, although it is nice.

Anyway, a meme from Gabrielle and a reminder to sign-up for the Bookswap!

4 jobs I have had in my life:

1. Babysitting my mom's co-worker's kids. It was my first real babysitting job. Carl was eleven and severely ADHD, never shut up but we talked about Harry Potter. His sister was a strange duck, eight, too smart for her breaches (oh, I'm not southern. noooo) but over all a nice kid.

2. Receptionisting at my mom's work. Not official, I had nothing better to do because I had a broken knee.

3. Calling alums for money at the school Phone-a-thon

4. Haven't actually done it yet, but speaking at a few conferences about the whole disability. I mean, I've done break out sessions, but I'm the closing speaker at two this summer.

4 films I can watch again and again:

1. A Very Long Engagement
--I love it. I relate to the main character sooo much
2.A League of Their Own
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Widescreen Edition)
4. Rent

4 places I have lived:

1. Pensacola
2. Tallahassee from the ages of 5-7
3. Pensacola again
4. Atlanta

We moved house a lot the last time in Pensacola, and it was quite different from my first five years; promise.

4 TV series I watch:

1. Grey's Anatomy
2. House
3. Gilmore Girls
4. I guess.... Nothing, really
4 places I have been on holiday:

1. Orlando (many times)
2. Chicago (with my mom for a few days)
3. Willmington, Delaware (where my grandparents live)
4. New York City

4 things I do every time I am on the Net:

1. Check email
2. Read blogs
3. Go on Facebook
4. Read Livejournal

4 things I would NOT eat for anything in the world:

1. Bugs
2. Pasta that's not lo mien. Don't ask. Just picky.
3. Raw meet
4. anything that makes me gag

4 places I would love to be right now:

1. Back at school
2. Europe
3. With my friends
4. Somewhere exciting

4 people I tag, if they have not been tagged already:

eusebius
Erin
Jessica
wierdlings

okay, that's it. and let me know if anyone wants to do the read the manuscript thing

A Nice Day

2007-06-06T21:30:00.000-04:00

Spent some time today taking Jessica's advice and putting my FO and Stash pictures up on my Flickr account. I'd never used Flickr before, having always had a Photobucket account, but I like Flickr much more :D

Got up at nine this morning and went swimming, which was wonderful, and made headway on another Lizard Ridge Block. I want to attempt to knit through my stash of Kureyon before starting a different project, which should only take me a week or so; I have three balls including this one. May get more at Unwind when Mom goes to Fort Walton this week. Soon, though, I may be having to order purely online. Anyone know of a cheap Kureyon provider??

Oh, and I forgot to show you guys my new wallet that Mom bought me at Disney!:

Tink, of course! :D

Don't forget to sign up for the Official Knitter's Book Swap, and tell your friends!

FO: Hogwarts Hip Scarf

2007-06-05T17:55:00.000-04:00

The answer to the question What Was the Bag of Ends for is upon us!

The bag of ends was for the Hogwarts Hip Scarf from Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter! I finished knitting it the day after I got to my dad's but weaving in the ends was something else entirely! It took me a good three days. I spray blocked it Monday, but the wool kept twisting in a spiral when I wore it today. I'm either going to block it majorly with warm water or just let it be. Probably going to let it be.

The pattern is fantastic and easy, I'll probably make a couple more to wear as head scarves in different colors. I used Cascade 200 left over from my Gryffindor Scarf (Movies 1&2 style) that I made in my senior year and not the recommended Superwash. It didn't even take a full ball of the red, much less the yellow.

By all rights, I should have two FOs for you today, but my one skein of Debbie Bliss Cashmerion Aran wasn't enough for the cabled fingerless mitts I'm fashioning, so that'll have to wait until I can get some more. That is the FOUR ROWS AND A THUMB will have to wait. FOUR ROWS!!!

I'm going to cast on another Lizard Ridge square, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow morning i'm going to get up and swim, and I need to work on my novel and want to spend some time reading, but Lizard Ridge calls.

I think I hinted at my dad none-too-subtly enough that he may get me a Bookmate which would be awesome!

A few sign-ups received for the Official Knitter's Book Swap I assume some peopel are waiting until they know what they're sending. I knew as soon as I thought up the idea :D

Official Knitter's Book Swap Vol. I

2007-06-04T22:25:00.000-04:00

Here goes! The Official Knitter's Book Swap begins! I'm calling it Vol I, because I figure if it works okay we could do it perhaps quarterly, and maybe with themes (YA novel, Chicklit etc), but for this time here's the deal:

1. Pick your favorite book.

2. Email me at lildramatic4760[at]gmail[dot]com by 7:00 PM EDT Thursday, June 14th with the following information:

Name:

Email Address:

Actual Address:
Blog/Website URL:

Book Title and Genre (or at least genre):

Genres you absolutely won't read, even if tied down and with the book held in front of your face for two years):

Any Other Information:

3. Pimp this on your blog

4. Attain a copy of the book you're going to send. Make notes in it, draw pictures (not taking away from the text) and include a bookmark if you want (that part's optional.). Besure to prepare a note card and stick it in there identifying yourself so they can let you know they received it and you can chat about the book (not optional!!!)

5. Receive your book recipient by June 16th and be ready to mail your book by the 20th

6. Receive your new book. Alert your swap partner that you have received it so that they don't curse the USPS (or whatever Postal Service, this is international!) for no reason. Read book. Talk about book on blog and such.

Questions answered before you ask them:

Does it matter what kind of book I send?

No, although preferably not a book about knitting. This is a swap between knitters, but not necessarily about knitting. The Friday Night Knitting Club or The Knitting Circle: A Novel would be okay, but not-so-much Sensational Knitted Socks. (Although, eventually we should do a knitting book swap)

Do I reveal myself to my partner?

Not before they receive the book. Be sure to include a card (tucked inside the book) with your name or handle, email address and blog so they can let you know what they think of the book!

Will the person I send to send to me?

No. You will receive from someone and send to someone just like any other swap.

Where did this idea come from?

The myriad of swaps out there, particularly the Knitterly Letter Swap.

Why don't you have a pretty banner for the swap? I want a pretty banner!

So do I. I fail at banner making. Anyone want to take up the challenge, comment here.

Look, Erin at Literate Knits made us a pretty button for blogs!!! Yay!

So there we go! Comment with any questions and let other's know what we're doing over here. The more the merrier!!!!!!

Favorite Book Swap

2007-06-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

I posted about this over on the L&V messageboards and I was wondering if anyone would be interested in doing a Favorite Book Swap? Not knitting books necessarily, but sending a favorite book, maybe with notes in it, to another knitter so that they can share in the love and maybe discuss it with you. It'd be a way to get to know other knitters and read good books at the same time!

Interested?

Lizard Blocks and Bags of Ends (No Odds)

2007-06-03T12:24:00.000-04:00

Well, if the trip to my dad's was good for one thing, it was knitting. I already told you all about the yarn stores, but I also got a fair bit of knitting done.

For a bit of yarn pr0n, that's Debbie Bliss cashmerino DK and I'm planning on making socks with the blue as the heel and toes. Pretteh, no? I really like it. I also picked up a ball of Cashmerino Aran, because I'm plan on making my Wicked out of that, and I wanted to try it out.

As for FOs, this one's not completely finished yet, but this bag is all the ends I had to weave in for it. I ended up duplicate stitching them in thanks to Thersea's tutorial on Knitty and that seemed to work well. Pictures once it's blooked.

I got four Lizard Ridge blocks done in between the day before we left (last Friday) and yesterday. It would have been Friday-to-Friday, but it got too dark on the ride home. Here they are in all their glory. Clockwise it's: 147, 150, 209 and 175 aka Witch's Lake, Winter Store, Gelly Roll and Rose Garden. (Gelly Pen because that one reminds me of the gel pens I was obsessed with at thirteen)

That's about it. I plan to spend today working on editing the novel I wrote for last year's NaNoWriMo and working on my gloves. I'll also be listening to podcasts and waiting anxiously for my Ravelry invite still.... :D

Musing on Yarn Stores and Other Thoughts

2007-05-31T21:25:00.000-04:00

My titles sound a bit like titles of Panic! At the Disco songs....

So, I'm down in South FL visiting my dad. He's been working down here, so Mom and I brought Jacob (my brother) and Adam (my nephew) aka the two hyenas to visit. I wasn't wanting to come, but yarn crawls were promised, and crawl we did!

Details and pictures of the yarns later, but for now some musings on stores.

We went to three places, The Knit and Stitch in Cocoa, Stitchworm in St. Petersburg and Knit 'n' Knibble in Tampa.

Some had better stock than others; Stitchworm didn't have Noro which I was after, but they did have some nice pretty yarn.

One thing that struck me in all of them was something I've seen in all Florida yarn stores. Older proprietors and customers (in general, although some young employees), all of whom sit around at a table talking. Very nice, but people in browsing aren't brought into the conversation which could seem a little stand-off-ish. At the same time, I don't like it when a proprietor shoves yarn in my face. I know what I like, and I don't need you to tell me without me asking a question.

The locations of stores is also interesting to me. In Atlanta Why Knot Knit is in a little house smushed up between wearhouses, and Knitch is in a conberted firehouse. Both unique, charming and adding to the display of wonderful yarns. In Florida they're mostly in strip centers, even my LYS, which isn't bad, just more generic leading to a fairly generic feel inside.

Not all the stores can support the designer yarns, understood, although one yarn store in FL that I didn't go to, but saw online seemed to have mostly Lion Brand. Fiber snob I may be, but, seriously? Notsomuch.

Overall, though, most stores have basically the same thing, so it really is the display and the atmosphere that makes or breaks a store. Knit 'n' Knibble (which, unfortuately, I continually read as Knit 'n' Kibble) is really good as far as selection, lots of Cascade, Noro and so on. Their idea is good, coffee and such, but I wouldn't so much say that have a café as they serve coffee, similarly to Knitch. Not bad, though.

I think, though, my favorite store would have to be the Knit and Stitch, because while they are small they are very nice, entertained the hynenas while my mom and I were shopping and were just generally a good store.

A lot of Florida yarn stores don't have websites, which makes it difficult to decide which to visit. They seem to be the only Florida enterprise not aimed specifically at tourists....

I need to review A History of Hand Knitting, but before I do that; I read a fantastic book that my dad bought me at Barnes and Noble last night entitled When I Was a Soldier

It's a memoir of a girl, Valèrie Zenatti, who was born in France but lives in Israel from the age of thirteen and is thus drafted into the army. The book very expertly juxtaposes her pre-army life with her experiences in the service. I saw myself and my friends in her, and had to imagine what our pampered, in college selves would do were we forced into military service. Not fare well, I think.

The book is very well written, jumping between diary entries and narrative, but all first person. It is well-translated from the French. My one complaint is that the end comes fast, but overall it's a very well written book. Definitely worth the read and a good reminder that the American way isn't the only way people grow up.

Mkay, massive picture post when I get home!

Charms and Color!

2007-05-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting my first colorwork! It's a washcloth/display piece for my best friend's eighteenth birthday, knit in cable cotton and it needs to be blocked, but it's done!

I got the letters from the Knitter's Alphabet and I probably could have just as easily duplicate stitched it, but I felt the need to try stranded colorwork, and it went pretty well!

Next up will be the twelfth Lizard Ridge square.

Today, before my follow-up eye appointment my mom and I stopped by Books-A-Million, where I picked up a copy of Alison Hansel's Charmed Knits

I've wanted it for ages, and it was between that and The Yarn Harlot's Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off! I really wanted both, but since the Potter Premieres are in July, I decided that Charmed Knits was more time-sensitive.

I really like most of the patterns in it; and the Hip House Scarf is going directly on my To-Knit list, and will be knit after the Lizard Ridge block, as I have yarn left over from the Gryfindor scarf I knit last year. After that will eventually be Hermione's Magical Knitting Bag, Hermione's Cable and Bobble Hat, the Quidditch socks and the Invisability Shawl. Also, probably, the Snitch tree ornament and Errol for my friends for Christmas. Also, eventually and ambitiously the Clock Blanket.

Some of the projects are a little out there for me, like Molly's Amazing Technicolor Housecoat, and of course I haven't any kids to knit for (my brother and nephew live in Florida. Not so much on the sweaters, although maybe an elf-hat at some point), but I think that's what makes the book well rounded.

I also really like that the yarns are mostly common and affordable; some from Knitpicks and a lot of Cascade 220, which is readily available at my LYS.

Overall, I'm VERY impressed!!!!!

We're heading off to south Florida on Friday, and I'm really hoping to make a couple of yarn crawls with my mom, and shall update then, of course!

Eight Things

2007-05-21T16:01:00.000-04:00

I'm pretending like Purlesence tagged me cuz I wanna do it :D

1. I'm adopted. My parents used to take foster babies, and I was their forty-first. My mother says when she first saw me her thought was: how am I going to tell my husband that I want to keep this baby? A year later (a year and two months, actually) my adoption was finalized. I've always known that I was special and chosen. I always thought that when I was eighteen it would be a big deal to get my folder from Children's Home Society. I still haven't done it, even though I want to.

2. If a year can have a theme, I think the theme of my first year of college was: people and things are never going to be what you expect them to be. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's just true. First impressions are not to be built on, because you will undoubtedly think people are different from who they are and be disppointed. Also, even when you think you know someone well, you may not. Life's like that and people are like that.

3. I feel like I'm still waiting for things to happen. I'm fairly happy with where I am, but I want to know where my life is going. I want so much out of life, and i'm afraid to never get it. Afraid that I'm wasting time. I'm eighteen, already. When did that happen?

4. Knitting is one, if not the only, craft that I can do. I have horrible fine motor skills and had ages of occupational therapy.

5. My childhood was filled with work with disability rights because of my mom's job, and I claim that I don't want to have anything to do with that when I grow up. Except that I do the Youth Leadership forum nearly every summer, and in my novels someone always seems to have some sort of disability. While my best friend wants to be a poli-sci major I feel like I'm fighting the battle for awareness. from a different side.

6. I'm eighteen. I've never been kissed. That scares me.

7. I'm very close to my mom. I don't know where I'll be if I ever lose her. Maybe it comes from growing up needing someone more than most kids, but I really do rely on her and love her very much.

8. My disability is called Dermatosparaxis, it's a form Ehlers Danlos causing easy bruising and tearing of the skin, soft tissue infections and low vision. It's a part of me, like my blonde hair, but also how I define myself some times. I'm a writer, a student, a knitter and I have a disability.

How about that time when I FINISHED MY SOCKS!

2007-05-19T16:20:00.000-04:00

That's right, you heard me, the socks of forever are DONE! Ladies and Gentlemen I have knit my first socks for myself! (my first socks were actually for my best friend Carly).

See? Proof:

And more proof!

I'm seriously excited just to have done these and have them fit, but I do have some pattern notes.

Pattern: Knitty's Universal Toe-Up Sock Pattern

Yarn: Knitpicks Parade, Gumball (discontinued, I think) 334 yrds (2 balls)

Notes: I knit them too big. They fit, but the slide down on my legs and the heel on the left one sticks out of my shoe :-/. When the pattern says multiply by .9, multiply. The socks has been measured to your foot, it is not going to make it not fit. I promise. Also, my Socks on One String technique works well, but remember with a pattern like this knitting from the opposite side of the ball will cause it to reverse as seen in the top cuff of my right sock.

I also wasn't nuts about the yarn, it split easily, and in the end I somewhat dislike the colors and the gray bits.... but it is cheerful!

Aside from all of that, I am enamoured of sock knitting. I found a couple balls of sock yarn in my mom's stash and will probably steal one to make more that actully fit soon. And these will be bed socks. Yay bed socks!!!!!

Two Socks on One String

2007-05-17T18:43:00.000-04:00

Hi y'all.

Socks aren't done. Surgery took more out of me than I thought :-/. it was sucessful though, and I'm happy with it. My body's just like "Ha, you thought you could do things to me and then go on with your life, haha"

So I didn't get back to working on them until last night, and then I figured something out.

I'm on the cuffs, and I want them to be even, ish. So I rolled my yarn into a center-pull ball and put together Socks on One String!

It seems to be working well. I do a repeat or so on one and then even the other one up, so there shouldn't be too much of a cuff difference between them. I'm going to work on them and listen to The Sticks and Strings Podcast, Lime and Violet and Cast-On before the Grey's Anatomy Season Finale!

I leave you with: Sinister Ducks! and my teddy bear who has taken up knitting:

Weaving Tales

2007-05-14T18:50:00.000-04:00

Is it odd that I suddenly find myself encompassed with the desire to learn how to spin, dye and weave along with my knitting? Something about creating more things with fibers just appeals to me immensely. I think I may make that part of this summer's endeavors.

My socks are coming along, they should be done by Thursday. I'd say Wednesday, but I'm having minor eye surgery tomorrow and I may also have to frog the cuff of the left sock and kint it with larger needles.

My wonderful swap partner from the LJ Swap 4 sent me the pattern for Wicked so I've spent a lot of today browsing for yarn online. I'm thinking Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in the color Wine. Any thoughts?

Not much else for today; pictures when the socks-that-may-actually-be-wearable are done!

Summer Cleaning

2007-05-13T19:07:00.000-04:00

Finals are in spring. Cleaning doesn't happen. But today I took it upon myself to organize my stash.
With the aide of these:

This:

became this:

Fixed a lot of clutter, found some needles and found some yarn that I don't think I'm ever in my life going to use.

I also have some Lizard Ridge pics for you all! Nine blocks done!

Oh, and check this out. It's adorable! Don't Stop Believin'=best song ever.

Off to finish cleaning out my iTunes so I can dump a whole lot of music on it!

FINALS ARE OVER!!!!!

2007-05-08T23:35:00.000-04:00

Yes!!! I have the whole summer ahead of me to knit, to read, to do the LJ Secret Pal, and:

TO GO TO EUROPE! It's official!!!!! I got my passport today. I am headed to London, Paris and Avignon in July!

I'm so excited. Nervous, but excited all the same!

No FOs right now, but finallly a list of the Kureyon colorways I've used:

124
159
134
185
95
170
90
102
188
148
147

Yay! Tomorrow I'm having sushi with an old friend from High School. Right now I'm listening to the Beach Boys and being happy :D

I should have a finished LR block tomorrow :D

LOOK IT'S SPRING!

2007-04-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

See? That's my friend Sandhya up in a tree, and her boyfriend below her. It was hilarious, because she just grabbed a branch and climbed up, and then was like: how'd I get up here?

It was a very pretty day, and very college-y. I spent much of it outside writing sonnets ( I kid you not) for my medieval renaissance final. I plan to post a couple here when they're typed up. For now I can give you a poem that was published in the litmag; I'll post it at the bottom of the entry.

That's me, sitting with them while they read philosophy and I wrote sonnets.

You'll be proud to know that I started a new sock. Sock's demise did not turn me off knitting them forever. This one's toe-up using the Knitty pattern, and it looks like it actually might fit! We'll see when I get further into the cuff, but there's a lifeline after the heel!

I also received my letter from the Knitterly Letter Swap yesterday! She's like an older me, I swear! And I wish I had time to write back this second, but it may have to wait until the weekend because finals are eating me.

Yesterday Rie and I went to Why Knot Knit and I bought two skeins of Kureyon. I plan to do one Lizard Ridge Block in between Sock and his mate, although I'll cast on the mate first to avoid Second Sock Syndrome.

This may be my last entry for a couple days until finals stop eating me. I have a two page French paper due April 30th, Medieval Ren paper (the sonnets) due May 1st, Honors paper due May 3rd, Shakespeare Preformances May 3rd, French final May 3rd and then a final paper due whenever before May 10th. I'm probably heading home around the 7th and then SUMMER!

For those who didn't know, Shakespeare's birthday was yesterday and in honor of that, I bring you this. Watch. Laugh. Be happy. I'm seriously considering Shakespeare Scholar as a career choice.

And now, knitting poem:

Afghan

Unexpected child, unexpected change

Mother with pursed lips reluctant to lay blame,

Sit in the creaking chair with a ball of yarn.

Clicking needles, ticking clock

Fabric formed under shaky hands.

Baby grabs at moving wooden sticks

Siblings lay quiet on a braided rug

Mama’s singing hugging them tightly as

Papa bangs around the room. Wary eyes do peek

Staring down as stitches fly snow and leaves outside

Wrapped in wool; clock still turning

Children done with growing up

See only a quiet woman in a corner

Kittens crawling on the floor beat yarn about.

Smile up at Grandma, pull a sock off of your foot

The room is still, light is gone

The rocking chair stands still

All that remains is wool and memories

Of a girl, young and scared

Of an unexpected child, the unexpected change.

Lizard Ridge Update and other musings

2007-04-19T20:15:00.000-04:00

I was going to post last night about how I did a Lizard Ridge block in twenty-four hours. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

'Tis Greek Week, you see, and we had Sing last night. It was a lot of fun, and my sorority put A LOT of work into it. It was evident that ours was better than at least one of the others, and we got third, out of three sororities.

That would not have been so bad; we had fun, that's what matters, but then the Greek advisor said something particularly awful to our president. He made her cry. Needless to say I didn't feel like doing the final repeat on the block that I have decided to christen Motley (it's not so Crayola any more....)

Here it is:

I'm having a lot of fun with Lizard Ridge, and I've decided to focus on it a bit more. When I started I wanted to be done by June. Not sure that that will happen, but I want it done by the end of the summer. I'm up to nine squares (eight picture) which is three-eighths of the entire thing. Why Knot Knit's most recent newsletter mentioned something about a sale room, and I think my friends and I are gonna go check it out tomorrow, as I'm out of Kureyon in my stash.

Finals are fast approaching and I'm oddly unmotivated. Still, off to contemplate my Honors paper and watch Grey's Anatomy

The Saga of Scarf (Sock's Second Cousin)....(Once Removed)

2007-04-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you remember this yarn?

It's Trendsetter Tonalita. 50% wool. 50% acrylic. I thought it would be okay.... Oh, was I mistaken!

Scarf started out as just an idea, a garter stitch scarf, 200 yds of yarn. Simple, yes? But The Nose-Pierced Knitter thought that such a pretty yarn deserved ever so much more. So, it became a slanted rib. However, it was determined that two rows would look better between each slant. Thus, frogpond. However, the yarn decided to tangle, so angry was it at being taken down from a flag to mere yarn again:

But during this time of frogging this pattern was discovered, thanks to the help of the LJ Knitting community.

Gorgeous, yeah?

Unfortunately, after one repeat it became grossly apparent that Tonalita was just not going to work for this pattern. The drape is not so great. At all.

It looks pretty, but just doesn't feel good. The needles slant in a really cool way when it's being knit...

So.... here come the frogs!

Rip it....

Rip it...

"No!" cries Scarf, in agony, "Please! Save me!"

"Why should I?"

"I'm a pretty yarn! Maybe one day you can make something of me! I can't help that I'm half nasty, man-made fiber!"

Okay. Okay. The NPK decides. Maybe stitch holders are in order.

But for now, it's time for Lizard Ridge Square the Eight:

It's Noro Kureyon 95. I think I'll call it the crayola square.

I got an A on my last Medieval and Renaissance lit paper; it was a creative work parodying both The Miller's Tale, from Canterbury Tales and Sir Gaiwin and the Green Knight. (Do you know, I almost typed Green Knit?)

Today skipped a couple classes to go to get my passport then got sushi and went to Ben & Jerry's for free scoop day. AND the B&J was attached to a Starbucks. Hello, Heaven!

What to Knit?

2007-04-14T17:42:00.000-04:00

I was going to blog this all yesterday but.... well, by the time I got home I was about to go out again and y'all would not have wanted me to blog then anyway. A water bottle and some of mojito, and then three (mayhavebeenfour) jello shots, a bit of a screwdriver and half a rum and coke are not good influences to blog under. Not good influences for anything really.

However, since I'd cast off this afghan square no knitting was harmed in the pursuit of drunkenness.

I really like this one, I like the pale purples and greys and blues, and the hint of darker purple and green. It all works really well together, I think.

Now, what to knit next? I'm between a garter stitch scarf with the veregated yarn I posted about here and FuzzyFeet with the red brick Cascade 200 in that post too. Thoughts?

Why the complicated?

2007-04-12T18:40:00.000-04:00

Working on Afghan Block the Seventh....

So. I got the grant for the trip to France. BUT they want a copy of your passport for registration. A passport I don't have. Granted, I'm putting in my application Monday, expiditing it and will have it in about three weeks. It's good enough for the Consolate in Atlanta remains to be seen if this will be good enough for the French government.

I'm trying not to get to excited, just in case.

But if it works, Mom and I are going to fly into Manchester the week before, go to London, Stratford, Paris and then I'll go on to Avignon.

Anyone know any good yarn stores in those areas? xD

And having used an emoticon I give you this article

Of FOs, What are you knitting? and nose-rings

2007-04-10T19:12:00.000-04:00

What's up, y'all? First off, FO.

Spring-y scarf. I knit on it for both the drive home for Easter and the drive back. Didn't knit on it much whilst at home, for reasons to come later. It's Banderas Gerifil color 107 and Laines du Nord Kiddy Print color 600. Basically a mohair and a polyester fun yarn held together. My best friend made a similar blue scarf for her first project and I begged for one in pink and, well, ended up making my own a year later.

Rie and I are listening to Celtic music, and it's awesome. Oh, by the way, Rie's moved into my room for a bit. She's having parental trouble, and I have a spare bed. The administration knows of this not *shifty eyes*

Anywayz, went home for Easter. Saturday was awesome. I went to brunch with a friend and then he had to go to Tech work for the show that was up so I GOT TO SEE THE NEW AUDITORIUM! Twas amazing.

And I got to talk to my high school drama teacher and we argued about Shakespeare concepts. 'Twas awesome. We decided that I could teach Shakespeare in France and it'd work.

On Easter the best part was seeing my little brother open his basket. He got very excited over candy and Cars toys.

Oh, and my mom didn't know that you could blow up Peeps. So of course:

In other news, my grandmother noticed my nose-ring. She had been staring at my face for a while during Easter dinner, and when I went into the kitchen with Mama she said: "I think Nana's noticed your nose-ring".

When Nana went out to get a sweater everyone was laughing. My uncle said he'd only just noticed it, and my older, jerk face of a brother mimed pulling it out with a fork. Nothing was said until dessert when I called my sister strange.

"You're the strange one," Nana said.

"Why?" Mom asked.

"With that thing."

And that was all that was said. I'm waiting for her to call my mom and be all "Why'd you let her do such a thing?" but whatever.

On the ride there, though, I discovered a major knitting pet peeve of mine. Those who ask: "What are you knitting?" when it's a long strip of fabric. I want to say socks.

Or when a little girl at the baseball game I went to (my ride's boyfriend was playing and we stopped in on the way) was staring at the knitting and her mother says:

"She's knittin'; maybe she's making a sweater."

Um.... no?

Or my sister, who asked me if I'd "moved up to blankets yet?".

Driving came up at family dinner. Of course, everyone had an opinion. Don't wanna talk about it. *pouts*. But Daddy's signing me up for Driver's Ed this summer.

Know what'd be awesome? Easter baskets full of yarn instead of eggs and candy....

And this. It's pretty awesome.

PS. Mid-Summer presentation went very well, I think. I played the changeling boy, cuz I'm little like that, and the actual talking went pretty well. I liked my paper.

The King Doth Keep His Revels Here Tonight

2007-04-04T23:16:00.000-04:00

I love Shakespeare.

Seriously. How 'bout I just write papers on his plays for the rest of my life? Particularly Mid-Summer.

Sound good.

I mean, as a kid I think I just liked him because I was supposed to. I think I wondered even up to last week if I really liked Shakespeare, or I just thought I did. Mid-Summer was my favorite play because of King of Shadows by Susan Cooper more than for any real understanding of the show. It was the same with, say, Les Miserables and Notre-Dame de Paris (Links are to the books, both in English, me no speak French that good yet!). I liked them because of the musicals, or because I was supposed to. But when you really read them? There's so much there! It took my Drama teacher saying: "Like you need any help talking about Shakespeare!" to make me realize: she's right. I love it.

In Mid-Summer there's the fairies, their involvement in the human world, the father/daughter relationship, Titania's love for the boy versus Oberon, and then both of them being replaced by Bottom, as if she can only love one thing at once, one thing that is half-human. And their's Puck, who claims to only love the mischief, but it is he who at the end "will make amends".

So wonderful! Remind me of this at 1:30 tomorrow when I present.

Today I spent the whole day baby-sitting the printer for the lit mag, but instead of knitting (gasp! shock!) when I wasn't fighting with the machienery that hates me I looked at old yearbooks in the back of the publicaitons office. Fun! And amazing how much my school has changed. Entire buildings aren't here any more. The library was dorms for Pete's sake!

Then Rie and I went on a yarn crawl to The Purly Gates which is going out of business. Twenty-five percent off! I got these:

I only have twenty dollars in my account until next Friday, but whatever. I was hoping that they had Kureyon, but no such luck. That would be too easy.

Wow, I'm a nerd, my iTunes just shuffled to RENT in Dutch. Dutch, not that I speak it, sounds almost like English when you're not paying attention.

Anyway. Pretty yarns.

Speaking of Les Miserables, (look I was, a whole four paragraphs ago! PS. that link's to the musical!), check this out! Les Miserables, in peeps. Amazing. And since when did Borders and Amazon tie the knot? I didn't get to speak! I don't wanna forever hold my peace!

What I was saying earlier, about there being so much hidden in literature, that goes for music too. You hear a song every day, and then one day you suddenly listen to the music and BAM! amazingness! It's an amazing phenomenon.

Okay. Sleep now.

To sleep, perchance to dream.

Wait, wrong play.

"Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream."

It's Thundering

2007-04-03T19:19:00.000-04:00

First off: Amy, do you have a blog? It wouldn't let me view your profile, and I loved your comment!!

Funny.... When I was in high school I hated rain. And I don't like it, much, but I find that when I'm not involved in five minute class changes and getting in and out of Mommy's car I don't mind it so much, don't care so much about getting wet....

But I say this all from the safety of my room which I'm not leaving tonight.

Not so worried about my Shakespeare thing, because a bunch of people read their papers to the class instead of presenting an oral and handing in a paper to go with it. I can do better than that. But, since the worry is less I plan on spending the night writing to my Knitterly Swap Pen-pal, eating popcorn and watching House. I can do this in good conscience because

Yet Another Lizard Ridge Square Begun in Lieu of Sock is done!

Between Starbucks with Rie, at which I spilled her tea all over her..... and Knitting through Shakespeare class I got it done.

Speaking of Knitting through Class, I had the "OMB you knit in class?" with someone again today. Yes. I do. But only in the classes where if I did not my head would be on my desk and I would be bored out of my mind. In the classes where I don't have to take notes. I don't do things that require concentration. I answer questions. I am part of the discussion. If a professor asks me not to knit, I don't. I wait a good month of classes before I try, having staked-out which professors will be okay with it.

Power just flickered. Grr.

Anyway. Yes I knit in class. End of story.

Back to the Lizard Square. Through doing this I've learned a lot as to how to work with Noro. You have to choose your skeins carefully. The colors most obvious may not even end up in your square, you have to know when to break and pull out a strand of all one color, or else you have an entirely blue square. It's fun and challenging.

Rie knows a yarn store that's going out of business, so I think we're field-tripping there tomorrow! We're also gonna sit outside the cafeteria with some of my stuff to get people interested in our knitting club :D

Oh, and OMG guyz, check this out: Alison over at The Blue Blog is coming out with a book in May, with patterns inspired by Harry Potter. I am très excited! :D

That's all for today. Off to ponder: French homework before or after House?

Comfort Knitting

2007-04-02T22:06:00.000-04:00

So after the disappointing misadventures of Sock, on Saturday night I cast on a Calorimetry from the Winter Knitty I'd done one over Christmas Break (pictured), in Plymouth Boku Color 01 (Plymouth's version of Kureyon) with the 120 stitches, and another in February, using Boku Color 05 for my little sister in my sorority to give her on the night of Revelations. On that one I used 84 stitches, I think. Thus, I knew the pattern well. I did a little under half that night, some during Initiation and the rest Sunday night. Less than twenty-four hours, probably about two or three actually working on it. It was a comfort knit. Anyone else do that? My comfort knits are Fetching, Calorimetry and squares for my afghan, I think.

I only cast on 88 for this one, and the yarn is Debbie Bliss SoHo color 37507. That's me modeling it. I forgot the bruse on the bridge of my nose was still there. It's a funny story, involving the metal edge at the bottom of the bunk above me and my face. Anyway, I like the Calorimetry with my hair better than hats, because my hair is teh thick, and I wanted one for spring.

In other news, my Starbucks craving was finally appeased. Sonya, Rieddhi and I set off today for some much needed Starbucks and Knitting (the combination is amazing). I spent most of the day doing layout for the litmag, when not in class, and by the time we went I was DYING for caffiene. My only words were: "Starbucks, please Starbucks. Coffee? Coffee? Coffee?"

We decided to take pictures for the knitting club facebook group, and I like them. We're cute little knitters.
Ah caffeine. Note the grandeness.

Sonya pretending to
work on my afgahn square. She didn't have her knitting with her.

Rie, working on a blanket square for Sonya. (One of her friends is having a baby)

Me, working on my afghan block

I've gotten pretty quick on the Lizard Ridge blocks. I should have this one done by Thursday/Friday-ish, if not sooner. One of my friends is in town, and I'll probably see her tomorrow, and I need to do that whole preparing for class thing.

We're planning a field trip to Knitch next week, which is good because I'm knitting through my stash *gasp, shock*. After this afghan block. (And maybe a scarf....and another afghan block) I'm gonna try socks again. And actually gauge and calculate and stuff. *Mutters angrily about silly gaugeness* Because I want to wear pretty socks.

S0, that's it. Starbucks+Knitting= ultimate stress reliever. Rie and I are planning another exursion later this week.

Oh, and good news. I just found out that my high school just got it's auditorium rebuilt. It was killed in Hurricane Ivan my junior year, so I'm really excited for them, and I talked to my drama teacher for about half an hour and squeed over it.

Laters.

Tales from the Frog-Pond

2007-04-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

Meet sock.

(And his pals, Water and Bottle. Water is rolling on the table laughing at one of Bottle's witty jokes)

Sock thought he was a pretty cool guy. He chilled all over campus with his friends, the quadruplets Size 3 Needles and the Doodad who held the needles together.

What no one knew, not his friends, not the Nose-Pierced Knitter, no one but Sock himself, was that Sock had a terrible secret.

He hid it well, all through the time that he grew a cuff, and was dimly aware that eventually he'd have a heel, a foot and then a mate to call his own. He was very happy about this, and also did not want to disappoint the NPK, so he kept quiet.

Then a magical day came. The day Sock got a heel:

He was so excited! So excited that when the NPK decided to try him on, he forgot to hide his secret. It was that moment that led to all that was to come.

Sock, you see, didn't fit.

Oh, it wasn't his fault. The NPK simply hadn't cast on enough stitches, and he just couldn't stretch enough. Unfortunately, it didn't matter whose fault it was.... The truth was there.

Sock began to panic. And then he heard it. The sound that all knit objects on the needles fear.

Rip-it...

Rip-it....

Closer....

Dun-dun-dun:

That was it for Sock. He was unraveled. But not dead. Oh no. He lies in wait for the day that he will be cast on again, this time with more stitches. That day, however, will be several FOs in coming, due to the disappointment of Sock.

Tangles

2007-03-30T13:39:00.000-04:00

First off, this is hilarious. Oh the amazing things that you find when you click random page on Wikipedia.

So, last night went well. Amazing time with the other Campus Crusaders at Tech, GA State, Kennesaw and others. And lots of work on teh Sock. One thing to keep in mind: There are several things that should never be stored within a foot radius of knitting. Ipods with headphones and camera cases with straps. They all decide that they want to be close personal friends and they get very very tangled.

Today I was supposed to be doing volunteer work, but it was raining lots earlier so things got called off :( . More knitting time. Most of my friends are going camping this weekend, but that's not my thing. I'm going dancing at Agnes Scott instead, and there will be swing dancing! Yay!

Before I disappear for today, I'd like to sing the praises of these little babies. Lime and Violet talked about them in September and Mom and I ordered two sets after I got her addicted to the Cult of L&V at Christmas. They work fantastically to keep you from pulling out an entire needle's worth of stitches accidentally. I refer to them as my doodads, and when I've misplaced it you will often here me muttering: "Doodad, oh Doodad, where did you go???"

I'm going to go listen to L&V and knit. I am going to turn that heel today!!

2007-03-29T15:46:00.000-04:00

This morning I actually slept in. And by that I mean slept through the night until 8:30 when the landscaping outside decided that it hated me. Le sigh. But still, later than I've slept in a while even if was before my 8:42 alarm. Yay Tuesdays and Thursdays when I don't have class until 10:00 and my ride doesn't get here until 9:45.

Got batteries for the camera. I swear I have double As somewhere but they have been stolen by Robin Goodfellow and the other fairies in my room. Speaking of gentle Puck, I have notecards and a plan for my presentation, which means I feel better about posting when I should be working on, you know, schoolwork.

The more I read A Mid-Summer Night's Dream the more I love it. My initial reading of it (my first Shakespeare play) was due to this book which no one's ever read, and I love more than life. Now it's because I'm just a little bit fairy obsessed.

I mean, look at my purse:

But back to the topic of this post. Today Sonya, Rie and I got Chinese. It was meant to be a bit of an informal knitting club thing because we didn't meet yesterday, but only I had out my knitting, because Sonya had class. Still, the sock likes Chinese.

Here, I google text to find out the addy of the cheapest Chinese place we know of:

Sock + Chinese. And Rieddhi's hand....

Sonya eating yummy food

Sonya and juicebox! I've decided that college brings your food likes back to the age of ten....

And speaking of the sock; here's sock on the Knitting Chair:

Miss Violet, I must tell you that last fall when the Knitty with my darling Lizard Ridge came out I was scared silly. "Maybe some day, when I'm more experienced" I thought. And then I read the pattern. Short rows? I can do that.... maybe. And thus far my only problem has been yarn tangles, since I'm knitting with two ends alternately. Safety pins make my world.

Pictured are Under the Sea and The Secret Garden. Carnivale is in my bag in Sonya's car, so there shall be pics of him when he is retrieved.

Tonight is Real Life Metro over at Tech. I shall probably get odd looks for knitting, but whatever. People at Bible Study have stopped noticing. It helps me focus. I do not put knitting above God, and He knows it. We've talked about it.

I want Starbucks. I need a car like yesterday.....

Oh, and remind me that I never ever want to read the AOL message boards. This story was up there today and if I saw "Sew her up" or "Catch her and preform a full hysterectomy" one more time I was going to scream. Honestly people, this woman needs help. Be compassionate!!

I'm going to go answer my pen-pal letters and then knit before trekking up to dinner. *wishes she could knit self a car*

PS. You know you're a knitter when your first instinct upon finding out your phone has fallen between your desk and the wall is to attempt to fish it out with a needle. Only when that fails do you move on to a hanger....

First post

2007-03-28T16:56:00.000-04:00

Gotta love the first pirst, in which I pretty much talk to myself. As if I don't do enough of that anyway....

Hi! I'm Chelsey, I'm eighteen and a freshman in college in Atlanta. I have a passion for literature, French, French Literature and knitting. A lot of knitting. I'm attempting to start a knitting club with my friends up here.

Right now I'm working on a Lizard Ridge Afghan which will probably take me the next million years. No, actually I've six squares done right now and I've been working on it since March. I do a square in between projects.

I name my squares as well. Pictured above are Skyline, The Jungle Book, A Mid-Summer Night's Dream and the first bit of Carnivale. I also have The Secret Garden and Under The Sea that I'll post pictures of once I find camera batteries.

Right now the in-between is my first pair of socks for me, using the basic pattern from The Yarn Harlot's Book . I stole it from the Knitting Closet of Doom at home. My mother shall never miss it. Great book, I read most of it in a night and the rest on the ride up here.

I knit a pair of socks from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns for my best friend last year, but not myself. It's difficult to size them right for me because my leg swells up a lot so they have to be, like, ginormous. Sigh

Today, though, I got ditched by my friends (not really, but had time to myself), so I took a nap and then sat down to listen to Lime and Violet 30 and knit. It was really nice, and I love those girls.

I should be working on my presentation for Shakespeare in Preformance next Thursday, but since I think I just picked a new topic that I want to run by my professors I may go back to my knitting chair! I'm listening to Notre-Dame de Pariswhich makes me want to knit delicate shawls and dance barefoot somewhere in Europe....