Starting in again

Hello! I’ve missed you!

I’ve been knitting a crocheting a lot lately and I’ve been thinking about knitting and crocheting a lot lately. Like, why I select the projects I do, what I get out of the process as a whole, and how any of this is fulfilling to me. I’ve decided that, for me, there are basically four kinds of knitting/crochet and any given project falls into one or more of these categories.

• Pure Process. For me, this means mindless knitting but YMMV. I want to move my hands in the comforting way of pulling one loop through another with the help of an implement. Almost, but now always, this happens for me in the form of dishcloths. K1 forever. Okay, a YO once a row and some K2togs on the way back down. Watch a movie (or Misfits or Downton Abbey, lately), pull some loops without really thinking about it, and I end up with some dishcloths. Don’t really need the dishcloths, but then I’ve got them and I can send some to a friend at a moment’s notice.
  
  
• Utilitarian. I want thing. I can make thing. I do make thing. Maybe is an awesome experience and I have a blast *and* I get thing. Or, maybe does not get my creative juices flowing. Maybe is boring and tedious but not in a nice, mindless (see #1) way that comforts. Maybe is fiddly and difficult and not fun at all. But I want thing! Enough to put up with the crap. Oh thing, I hope I still love you when I am done.
  
  
• Knitting Class. Other than my Grandma Black teaching me to chain and perform a single and double crochet when I was about 6, I am a completely self-taught handcrafter. Most everything I’ve learned about crochet and knitting is from working other people’s patterns and seeing how things were done. Usually this is a great deal of fun. Sometimes it becomes Utilitarian crafting. But, sometimes Utilitarian crafting becomes a Knitting class. It almost always works out in the end. The most important thing about Knitting Class crafting is that it often ends up leading to the next category…
  
  
• Dripping With Creativity. Well, *dripping* may be a bit much. What I really wish for is that this was some sort of process that I just couldn’t help. As if I would just explode if I weren’t creating things from scratch and my own head and soul and my whole life was just about vomiting up some awesome. But it’s not like that. I’m sure it’s not like that, really, for *anyone* but there are some artsy types out there that make you believe that they’re actually that way. I’m really, really not. In fact, even when I do get creative and make things from scratch, I’m *very* systematic about it. And, usually I’m not doing it nearly so much because I will explode if I don’t, but because I had an idea and I want to be the one who does it and puts it out there. I don’t want to get scooped. I want it to be *me*. Me, me, ego, ego, blah blah blah. Sheesh, aren’t you bored of me yet, because I am.

I’m hoping to start talking about some of the projects I’ve been working on in terms of these categories. It will almost certainly be more interesting than straight-up show-and-tell and it just might start some conversations about why we do what we do as crafters. And maybe I’ll learn something about myself.

Oh self, I hope I still love you when I’m done.

When you procrastinate your ways to procrastinate, what does that make you?

Yes, it's true, sometimes I can't even procrastinate efficiently. Remember waaaaaaay back in, oh yes, March, when I told you about the fun little game I played on Facebook wherein I made gifts for five people by the end of the year?? Yeah, that one! Well, the last gift was received earlier this week! In February! So, either "end of the year" meant December 31st and I failed miserably, OR, "end of the year" meant twelve months from the day I joined the meme, in which case I made it with weeks to spare. I'm just going to put the blinders firmly on and say it's the latter. Even though I'm pretty sure it was originally worded in such a way that I don't really get that out.

I already showed you Byron's java jacket, but I'm going to re-show so it's a complete set. And, you're a rather captive audience, hmmmm? Hehehe. I also made small modifications in the same pattern for gifts for Julie and I'm Still Calling Her "New Friend" Veronica. I love these so much. I can't believe I haven't made myself one yet. The little cable is my favorite. :)

Quick and Basic Coffee Cozy by Andrea Piernock
Patons Soy Wool Stripes and Classic Wool
Size US6 dpns

I also showed you the beginning of Don's gift, but it went through a bit of transformation after it's last cameo... Don's a cool guy and a bit nerdy (which is why I love him so). I remembered him talking about a certain graphic novel many years ago when it first came out. And when the movie version of that graphic novel came out last year, I hoped that a commemorative hat would do the trick! Turns out I was right! I'm so glad he likes it. :)

Time Thief Watch Cap by Antoinette Buchanan
Unknown yellow acrylic blend with felt applique
Size US8 dpns

Speaking of nerd boys I love, Gator's best friend Wiggins was also on the list. Yes, we call lots of people by the last names around here. We're fun that way. Anyway, as a classic geek, I figured he could always use another place to stash some dice. And a dice bag shaped like a die was just too good to pass up.

D4-Shaped Dice Bag by Claire Nordlow
Red Heart Super Saver yarn
Size US8 straight needles

That's five! Whew! In the interest of full disclosure, it was the dice bag that did me in. I wanted to finish it before I started the last two gifts, but I was stymied. It was a little big fiddly to put together and get the numbers even. So I procrastinated it. I only finished it around New Year's. It turned out it wasn't so bad in the end. And I love the finished project. It was totally worth it, I think.

That's how one procrastinates the procrastination. You'd think it would take more talent than that, frankly.

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I'm gonna eat your head!

It's Sunday again, a wonderful time when I realize that all my high expectations of productivity for the weekend are going to fall considerably short again and so I just give up and have fun and rest and say screw it. So I'm going yarn shopping with V this afternoon and then we're going to watch the Marquette - Mizzou game, which I have bad, bad feelings about. But Gator is pulling for Mizzou (his MLS alma mater and current employer), so either way somebody in my marriage is going to be happy about the outcome, which I guess is something.

Gator is also quite happy with his more-than-a-month-late Valentine's present, which he received this week, just as it was getting too warm to warrant such an item. Of course. He really likes it, or at least he says very supportive things to me with great enthusiasm. Hee! I sometimes thing he's pulling my leg because I'm not sure any man can honestly be as freakin' awesome as he is. I wish I had pictures of him modeling it, but these shots are just going to have to do.

Yes, it's the wildly popular Fish Hat (Dead or Alive?) from the winter issue of Knitty! It's just Red Heart from stash, but since I had a bunch of purple and other manly colors, I think it came out quite well. Since Gator is a gamer from way back, I thought it apropos to make the stripes according to random rolls of a pair of six-sided dice. Fun, no? Here's the mini-gallery:

Fish Hat (Dead or Alive?) by Thelma Egberts
Red Heart Super Saver
Size US8 dpns

Now I'm off to burn another afternoon with fun rather than work. Sigh. I fear the day I'm no longer going to get away with this crap...

Oh, look! Shiny and wonderful ways to procrastinate!

So, I did something stupid. But fun! But something that captured my fancy and has the potential to derail my recent good job at staying focused on my research and spin me off into the lovely, comforting world of handwork, handwork, handwork! I played a game on Facebook where I promised to make handmade gifts for five people. And while the rules state that I can make a mix CD, or bake something, or glue together bits of whatever, I am and always will be two things: a) a handworker, and b) a perfectionist. So, you see how this could potentially tip the delicate balance of my life. But so fun! How could I refuse? I love making things for people, and I love an excuse to make something for someone I would not otherwise have a reason to shower with little bits of love. They will necessarily be small things, but still! Fun!

The first project is a hat, but it will be a silly, fun hat (the rules said the gifts could be weird) that I don't know if the recipient will actually wear, but I like to think that my bizarre sense of fun is contagious and will soon take over the world. So I don't worry about it too much. The basic hat is finished and I hope to embellish it and bring it to life this evening (even if I ought to work on a presentation tonight instead. ::sigh::):


It's a very basic hat pattern, but a very bright yellow. I hope the finished project is as awesome as it is in my head. Admittedly, things often aren't as cool in real life as they are in my head. But hope springs eternal and I soldier on. FO in a couple of days!

Last night, I knocked out this little coffee cozy. I had some Soy Wool Stripes left over from the bag I made last fall and this project was perfect for it. So simple, so basic, so completely useful! I love projects like this.


So, that's almost two projects down. I have the next one planned, but I may not start it right away. I do really have to put together that presentation and get a bunch of research done so I can make a poster for a conference next month. You know, little things like that...

Hope you had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! I didn't do much (except make the coffee cozy) but that was okay because I went to the Milwaukee St. Pat's parade on Saturday. It was a lot of fun and I felt like that was my St. Pat's celebration. Even if I did go to Mader's for a late lunch. Maybe not very Irish, but very Milwaukee! (Mader's is a German restaurant and a Milwaukee institution.)
Yesterday was a gorgeous day, however, so it was a wonderful holiday and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Off to do more of that research stuff! Ta!

Break? What break?

Today is a lull in the stream of recent days of real or imagined meaning -- Friday was Friday the 13th, Saturday was Pi Day, yesterday was the Ides of March, and tomorrow will be St. Patrick's Day. But today, as far as I know, is nothing special. Except that it's the first day back from Spring Break at Marquette. Of course, as a grad student, I didn't have a break per se, just a break from TAing so I could do another big overnight experiment which I've just about recovered from. Boy, those just wear me out.

I haven't done a whole lot of knitting lately, but I did finish a fun project that I can't quite show you yet. I'm sending it off to Gator today, so in the next few days I'll be able to post about it. Since it's his Valentine's present, you get the idea of just how behind I am.

There has been some other knitting going on -- but I'm not overly excited about it at the moment. I've plugged away at the Breast Cancer Awareness scarf:


I've finished one half and finished the first chart of the second half. When the second half is done, the two halves get grafted together. It's a cool pattern, but it's going to have to be aggressively blocked when it's done. We'll see how this yummy yarn blocks up.

Yesterday, after I finished Gator's gift, I immediately cast on a new hat. It's just a basic watch cap, but will have some fun embellishments when it's done. I'll leave that as a surprise.



I'm still tired and preoccupied, so I'm not very witty or bloggie these days. Hopefully I will get my mojo back soon.

Have a great day!

18

In keeping with the number titles, I give you the number of years I have been married as of today. Happy Anniversary to my Sweetie! It sucks being apart on special days like this (who am I kidding, it sucks to be apart every day!), but we are taking heart in the fact that this is the last time. I will be done with school this July and we will be together again, no matter where we end up. Anywhere. Just together. I'm psyched.

So, as a good wife, I finished Gator's anniversary socks and got them mailed off earlier this week. I'll save the picture of the FO for when he has received them. He knows they're socks, he knows they're blue and striped, he saw a pic of their beginnings earlier, but I want to save the final pic for after he's opened his present. :)

Finishing the socks left me with no knitting on the needles. (Yes, Sis, the tablecloth languishes. It's a problem. It's also crochet, not knitting, so my earlier statement is correct. ::grin::) I have going-away presents lined up for some of my professors and friends, so I leaped into a project that allows me to finally use some yummy clearance yarn I've been stroking longingly for over a year since I bought it. It's viscose, linen, and silk and it feels very posh. It's a little nubby, but still totally delicious. I'm using the Breast Cancer Awareness scarf pattern, but I admit it's just because I think it's pretty and not because I am trying to crusade with it. Not that I wouldn't do that, it's just not my goal with this particular item. So far, I am very pleased with the results.


I modded it a bit by leaving off the bobbles (not really a fan) and adding a repeat of the first part of the chart, which I think really adds something. I like.

So now I'm off for another day of discovery (or something) and preparations for another long weekend of staying up all night with my cells. The fun never stops around here.

But thinking about how lucky I am to have the most awesome, supportive, and interesting husband in the world sure helps.

___

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

First of all, I'd just like to point out that this is a real card that you can buy. Why did I not know this months ago??? (Click to embiggen)


It's been a nice and quiet Christmas Eve here in Beer Town. I mostly listened to the radio while I knit and crochet, made some more shortbread, had nice visits with a couple of people who live in my building, and surfed the innernets without guilt of any kind. Wonderful.

Now that the gift-related handwork is done for another year, I started right in on a couple of projects I'd been itching to get at. Gator gets a new pair of socks. I've started the heel flap:


I've also started another Seraphina shawl, this time made with Joann Sensations Rainbow Boucle in an awesome chocolate brown/robin egg's blue stripe. So squishy and yummy! I wish I'd found this yarn a long time ago!! I also wish this colorway was not apparently discontinued. I think I'd make about four dozen things with it!


Aside from the card I featured above, the other TOTALLY AWESOME thing I discovered today on the 'net was the Droidel. Oh yes, kids, your eyes do not deceive you -- that's "dreidle" spelled like "'droid". As in 'droids. As in R2D2. It's things like this that make me almost not hate George Lucas anymore. Almost. I had to print it, cut it out, and glue it together POST HASTE!!!


Then I had to spin him and scamper about my apartment singing,

"Droidel, Droidel, Droidel!
I made you out of paper!
And when I'm good and ready,
with Droidel I will caper!"

(apologies to the real dreidel song and anyone who thinks I'm making light of a significant tradition. I'm not, I swear. I genuinely think dreidels are cool. I just happen to think that just about anything can be improved by the addition of R2D2. And it makes me ridiculously happy. Happy's good, right?)

Another happy Web-related Christmas bonus: Amazon has a bunch of free MP3 downloads and right now that includes a bunch of really great Christmas music. Another thing I wish I'd know about a lot sooner. But better late than never!

Tomorrow I'm going to my friend Rachel's home for the day to eat, play Wii with her kids, eat, watch movies, eat, and possibly pass out in mid-crochet. And I'll probably call Gator every fifteen minutes or so. I love you and miss you, honey. Merry Christmas, my darling. :)

I wish you all a wonderful holiday full of peace, love and laughter. Merriest of Christmases.

_____

Recovery

I've mostly recovered from my sickness -- just a little bit of coughing and sniffling left. But much better!! I no longer have that hit-by-a-truck feeling! This is a vast improvement!

So, since Anne and Andy have gotten hitched (and Anne successfully defended her dissertation on Tuesday -- Yay, Dr. Anne!!!), I can show finished pictures of their wedding gift. I had showed some of the in-progress photos because I wasn't sure it was actually going to be their gift for a while there. Here is the funky fresh ripple afghan in all its glory:


I made it as long as my sofa so it would be nice and big for cuddling up under. I also tried to photograph it with an artful drape like they do in the pattern books, but I think I ended up with more of a "here's what it looks like wadded up on the couch" vibe:


I attended Anne and Andy's gift opening brunch, so I got to see them open it:


I hope they cuddle under it to many a rousing football game this winter!

Pattern: Easy Ripple Afghan by Susan B
Yarn: worsted weight stash acrylic of many types
Hook: size US H

I also started on a Christmas gift for my MIL, that I'm calling the Waterlilies Scarf. The Easy Dropped Stitch Scarf pattern looks really nice in the Monet colorway of Red Heart and really does remind me of his waterlilies paintings. If the sun ever shines here again, I'll get a nicer photo that shows off the color. But for now, this will have to do:



Much catching up to do in the lab -- hope you're all having a fun and productive week!

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Bad news football; good news baseball

So maybe I just shouldn't watch football this season.

I hadn't watched any Broncos games until today and they were undefeated until today. Maybe I'm bad mojo. This is, of course, ridiculous -- my presence or absence in front of a television screen has nothing to do with how the players perform miles away from me. But as far as sports superstitions go, it's completely reasonable. I will ponder this possibility and decide what to do before next week's game.

Since I have no television of my own, I had to go to the Union Sports Annex to watch the game -- they have Sunday Ticket -- and it just so happened that the screen showing the Brewers game was right next to the screen playing the Broncos game. It was maddening. It's bad enough watching two different football games at one time, but to watch two screens showing two games of altogether different sports, both of which I was heavily invested in, was really difficult. Plus, the football game was horrible, while the baseball game was terrific. An emotional roller coaster if ever I've been on one.

Anyway, the good news is that the Brewers won and the Mets lost, so the Brewers are going to the playoffs!! We're all very excited up here in Beer Town, to be sure. Go Brew Crew!!!

Oh, and I made one and a half dishcloths while watching all of this. True multi-tasking, I'm telling you. I had completely depleted my random dishcloth stash when I visited my family this summer, so I really needed to start stocking up again. I think I'm up to around four. Many more to go!

Okay, so I know I promised State Fair pictures a long time ago. But somehow this pressure has become too great and I've just not been blogging instead of doing all the photo manipulation required to present such a post. And, since Yarnthrower reminded me that I made a New Year's resolution to not feel guilty about my blog, I'm permanently throwing that to the back of the back burner for the sake of blogging in general. So there, guilt! Away with you! Ppbbfftt!!

On to a little progress report! The Maui Shrug is indeed finally finished (the one I tried to do for the Ravelympics and failed horribly) but I don't have pictures yet. It really needs to be modeled to be seen properly, and that will require enlisting the help of a second party to snap the pic and looking decent myself for the picture. This will require planning. So it may be a while. I can't help it. I'm vain yet lazy. It's a terrible burden, I assure you.

My friend Anne's bridal shower was a couple of weeks ago and I finished all her gifts in good time and went on to have a blast at the event itself. It was held at a wine bar and there was quite a spread. And I couldn't believe all the gifts she got -- what a haul!! And that was just the shower!!!

My addition to the haul included dishcloths,


potholders,


lid hats,


and a market bag.


I put it all together and made fiber content/washing instructions tags for everything.


She loved it! Here's Veronica, Anne, Me, and Rachel at the shower. It was great!


I have also finished the wedding gift for Anne and her finace, but finished pics will wait until after the giving. Just in case.

Tonight I started the Seraphina shawl. I've never felt the shawl love, but this pattern is calling to me for some reason. I've only got a tiny bit done, so I'll save pics for next time. But I'm really enjoying it so far. In fact, I think I'll get back to it right now!

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Thankfulness

I'm playing hooky from church to get some stuff done around the house before I go to the State Fair today. Even though I'm staying home this morning, I should still take a few moments to be thankful for all that I have. I will share this very incomplete list with you.

• My sweet, loving, supportive husband, who I love very much.
  
• My relatively good health.
  
• A wonderful bunch of friends in Milwaukee who are fun and caring and who keep me from becoming a hermit, which is something I tend to do.
  
• The ability and opportunity to do graduate studies in an exciting field that makes me happy and has obvious application in the "real world".
  
• An awesome family of really cool people who put up with my foibles and love me anyway.
  
• A great adviser and faculty in a graduate program that is close-knit and supportive.
  
• A fun neighbor who likes to show me around parts of the city I've never been before.
  
• The ability and opportunity to make pretty things for the people I love.

Taking the time to consciously give thanks is the most important part of going to church for me. And like I said, it's a really incomplete list. But those are the things in the front of my mind this morning.

With that last one particularly in mind, I have a couple of FO's to share. Even though they're both for me. Not that I don't love myself, it's just not what I meant... Oh, screw it. You know what I mean. Just look at the pretties, would you? ;)

I finished the Primavera socks and I like them very, very much! I think this is a pattern that will be used again! They're just lounging by the pool for a bit this morning...


Pattern: Primavera Socks by natalja.
Yarn: Berroco Comfort Sock in color 1811 (which I think is discontinued). Fingering weight; 50% nylon, 50% acrylic. This yarn is very soft, but a bit splitty. Overall I enjoyed working with it, but this pattern is more frustrating with splitty yarn. I managed pretty well once I got the hang of the "tricks" needed to overcome the problem.
Needles: Boye aluminum double points, size 2 (US).

I recently got new sunglasses and, as is the current style, the lenses are quite large. I love them and call them my Diva Shades. But I needed a case for them so they don't get scratched up in my purse. My other glasses cases were not big enough for the awesome largeness of my new shades. It also had to work up quickly because I wanted it now! I'm impatient like that. Enter a single skein that I got on clearance at my LYS last year and had never figure out what to do with:


Pattern: I made it up. Thinking of writing it up, even though it's really simple and you can probably tell what I did just by looking at it for 0.5 seconds. What do you all think?
Yarn: Lana Grossa Maxi in colorway 612 (also discontinued). Bulky weight; 100% virgin wool.
Hook: Size J (US).
I had the button lying around and it worked great. I like this very much. I hope I have enough yarn to make a little case for my digital camera, too.

Okay, must get ready to go to the Fair, where I will watch pigs race and eat many foods on sticks. It's going to be glorious! And people say that Americans have no culture. Bah!

I'm very thankful that you've visited my blog today. I'm thankful for those of you with whom I regularly communicate and for the lurkers I know are out there. I hope my blog does something for you. It does a great deal for me. Thank you!

_____

Have sock will travel

This will be short and sweet so I can go spend quality time with my sweet hubby on our last night together.

I have a sock:


It is the Primavera sock pattern by natalja executed in Berocco Comfort Sock in some kinda bluish shade and contains my first ever short row heel. Notice I'm showing you the good side. The other side is somewhat... lacier. Yes, I'm going to call it a lovely lace feature and leave it at that. I've started the second and hopefully will get to work on it some this week.

And I will travel. Tomorrow I leave MO and my boy (boo hoo!!!) and fly back to Beer Town. After a couple of hours with my gal pals, I go home, repack, print my conference packet, visit Benny, and go to sleep. Because, the shuttle to take me to the airport for my 7-hour, three flight jaunt to Santa Barbara for a week-long genetics conference comes to pick me up at 4 a.m. Argh.

So off with me. More cuddling must be done! G'night!

_____

Well, hello,there!

I know, I fell off the face of the planet. But, I did warn you a while back that this would happen. It's going to happen some more this year, I'm afraid. But today I'm here and I've got some things to show you.

Blame my appearance on Gator. I've been telling him about some things and he thought I ought to just blog about them so he could see them. That was the point of starting this blog, after all. What a novel idea to use it for its intended purpose!

I still feel like I disappeared only to pop back in just to show off stuff. Oh well. I am really kind of like that, after all. Be thankful most of you don't have to live with me. (Hi, sweetie! Thanks for wanting to live with me anyway!)

Part of my absence has been business, but not all of it. I've been in a funk (missing my sweet husband a lot, mostly -- and I'm not just saying that for Gator's benefit, it's really true), I've been sick (there has been some nasty stuff going around up here), and I've been in that place where I don't really know what to say so I just don't say nuthin'. We've all been there, I'm sure.

I'm supposed to be studying for qualifying exams which is a totally overwhelming prospect where I have to come up with two research proposals by the middle of May for my committee to judge, question me on, and then they pick one of them for me to write a 30 page grant proposal that I defend at the end of June. On any subject in molecular biology or genetics that isn't too close to the project I actually do. I haven't even really found a good topic yet. So I stress. And, sometimes, I escape into X-Files DVDs and do handwork. But I really need to stop that. And, no, there isn't sufficient molecular biology or genetics in handwork to officially fit that into my proposal. I've looked into it.

So, I finished the afghan I started for my labmate, who is due with a baby boy in July. The late afternoon sunlight makes the color come across more true than the picture in my last post. It's a mellow gold.






(Click to embiggen -- they look better!)

Lots of Love afghan from Kraemer Yarns made with Cotton Ease in Maize on size US10 circulars. My first knitted (as opposed to crocheted) afghan. It was pretty fun and I think it's very pretty. I just love working with Cotton Ease -- it's so soft and nice.

I came across this new dishcloth pattern -- the Squidge cloth. I've made a couple and sent one to my sister, Jane, for her birthday, but I haven't used one yet so I can't really report on their effectiveness as actual dishcloths. But they're great fun to make and I like the feel of it made up. And I lurve this giant ball of brown ombre Bernat cotton that I've been making dishcloths from. Neato.


My latest project was going to be a wedding present. But I don't think it's going to pass muster. My friend is getting married this fall and I want to make her an afghan. I am also poor and I also have a gigantic stash. So, I thought I would make a crazy ripple afghan, use up stash, be funky fresh, etc. But, really, I think it's probably just fugly. In retrospect, I should have tried the random stripe generator and I probably could have made it become cooler, but I didn't think about it until about two stripes ago. It's far, far too late. I, personally think it's kind of cool, but I don't really think it's wedding present caliber. Later this summer I'll rustle up the dough to get some yarn for a better design for them. They're huge Packers fans (and Anne's favorite color is green) -- I'll probably do a funky Packers ripple. This one will become mine!


So that's my life. Frantic reading and studying, making knockout strains of Tetrahymena, more frantic reading, sudden overpowering need to escape and ignore all responsibility, watch X-Files and crochet.

Now you know my every waking move. I'll wait til you stop shaking with excitement.

_____

I dreamed I got something right, but I was wrong

Last night, the weirdest thing happened. I had a blog-related dream. My first! Most of it is a little fuzzy now, but the most important part was that I went to visit Becky. She was at home and wasn't expecting me, but I knew she had people dropping by all the time and I wanted to meet her. So I went to her tree house, where she lived. Of course. When I got there, Buck was already visiting which could have made things crowded, but I knew he'd be staying in his RV so it wouldn't be a problem. They were watching football and we all sat around and tried to figure out who the players were and where they were from and what the league was because, as everyone knows, the Pro Bowl was last week so regular NFL football is over. Much to our dismay. Then Becky announced that she had to go to her other house in Minnesota and Buck and I would have to leave. I got mad at her because Minnesota is much closer to my home than her tree house and I could have saved a lot of travel time, had I known.

The end.

Perhaps I spend just a smidge too much time in the blogosphere. Ya' think?

Scawy.

In news of the more, oh, I don't know, sane, I finished the Baby Girl's First Christmas Stocking and it's all ready to be sent to my former professor and join the one I made for her baby boy in 2006.


I think these are pretty, especially for how quick they are to make. I think I may have to start making them for adults, too!

This project finished, I was itchin' to get started on the latest baby gift -- an afghan for my labmate who recently announced she's pregnant with her first child! I'm so happy for her! She is from China, and I had thought that I would find a way to incorporate something about the Year of the Rat, but I couldn't really figure out how to do that attractively. Then I read that, aside from have the 12-year animal cycle, the Chinese also observe a 4-year elemental cycle. Each year is a year of either water, air, earth, or fire. This year is an earth year, and the color for earth is yellow. Perfect! Subtle, appropriate, pretty, and non-restricting (from a knitting perspective)! I have never knit an afghan, I've always crocheted them, but I've been itching to knit something large from Cotton-Ease, one of my favorite yarns. I just love the way it feels. And it comes in a rich yellow called Maize, which I love. It just all fell into place!

I got the yarn, cast on Sunday morning, and this is how far I've gotten so far in my fun and pretty feather and fan pattern:


I really like it so far. (Click pic for biggie view.)

Then, yesterday, talk in the lab turned to the Chinese New Year (which was just last week) and the Chinese zodiac. I brought up the 4-year elemental cycle and my labmate said, yes, there was something like that, but no one paid attention to it. LOL! Foiled again! Oh well, at least it's just a color choice -- and a pretty one at that! I think it's hilarious.

Maybe someday I'll visit her in her tree house and tell her all about it.

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Well, lookie there!

If you take a gander over to the right there, you'll notice that my works in progress are startlingly complete! (Except for the experimental ballband afghan, which is just a "puttering" project, so I don't actually count it.) How in the world did this happen? No classes! I'm really enjoying this winter break -- I've been working hard on researching my new project, but when I come home at night I leave it (mostly) all behind and get down to the serious business of relaxing with some handwork!

Most importantly on the FO front is the completion of the Crazy Quilt Coverlet! Finally!! Seriously, I've been working on this thing for about three years. I'd pick it up, work on it for a bit, then relegate it to the corner for months. Then I'd have another fit of activity on it, then more nothing. I love this afghan. I love the patterns of the blocks, I love the colors, I love the way it goes together. But, for some bizarre, unknown reason, I did not enjoy making it. That's why it has taken me so long. But it's finally finished and will be mailed off to its intended recipient today. I hope she likes it.


Doesn't it look grand on my sofa?

My only disappointment with the finished project is the size. It is perfectly within gauge, but it just seems so small. I guess I didn't really think about the finished dimensions that much when I started it. I could have easily added squares and made it larger, but it took me so long just to get this many squares done that it didn't seem like a wise choice to force myself into making more. Here it is stretched out on my full size bed to give you more of an idea of the actual size:


Small, eh? Oh well, it will just have to be a "curled up with a good book/DVD" afghan. That works, no?

Info: Crazy Quilt Coverlet from Better Homes & Gardens' Simply Creative Crochet, 2004. Made with Lion Brand Wool Ease and a size J hook.

So, yay! Big, looming project all done! That means I freed myself up to guiltlessly start a project for no reason whatsoever! So I did! And I already finished it, too! I made a Last Minute "Purled" Beret for myself about a year ago and I wear it all the time (the blocking eased out some and it looks less Guinan-ish). I didn't block this one on a plate, I just shaped it with my hands while steaming it and it's not quite as big around. Here's the top:


And the bottom:


But you don't really get the effect unless it's on a head, so here's my fatigued-looking noggin modeling it:


I have a couple of ideas as to who this will end up with. I have enough yarn left from two colorways to make another, so I think I'll do that before I decide. The berets will tell me where they want to go.

Info: Last Minute "Purled" Beret by Wendy Bernard for The Garter Belt. Made with Linie 195, 1 1/2 balls, on size 9 double poined needles.

Next up is a big project for my delicious husband in honor of our upcoming wedding anniversary. Exciting! And now, much literature reviewing for my research project! Have a great, productive day!

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Year end loose ends

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday was fun-filled and safe and I hope you've settled into the post-holiday routine with a minimum of pain and suffering. ;)

I spent New Year's with my friends Veronica, Anne, Anne's fiance' Andy, and Anne's cousin Kelly. We had a nice, low-key evening hanging out, watching some retro music videos and playing games. Oh, and eating. A lot. Or maybe that was just me. It was a good time, anyway.

Since then I've been taking it easy and coming up with new ideas for my research project. After months of frustration with a project that just does not work, I've got a new direction and it's pretty exciting. I'm pretty happy about it. I'll talk more about it when the wheels are actually in motion.

I only have one new year's resolution. I will not apologize if I don't blog for awhile. It's a hobby and, let's face it, an ego trip (look at me and what I did! Cool, huh? Yeah!). So if I fail to be trippy, we'll all survive. I have plenty of real things to worry about, I'm not about to let myself feel bad for not posting to a blog. Why I let myself feel guilty about not posting in the first place, I prefer not to examine too closely.

That said, Hi! How are y'all? Wanna look at the cool stuff I made? Yeah? AWESOME.

I didn't get my last FO's of 2007 posted while it was still 2007, so I'll do it now.

Gator received his Christmas hat just a couple of days late and he claims it fits great and that he likes it. Yay! His request was a hat with cables and I had some really great clearance yarn that I was dying to work with. I first tried to make cables all around the crown, but it made the hat almost too small for me so I knew it wouldn't fit him. So I frogged and redesigned. There are three cables up the crown with stockinette in between.


It looks kind of funny when it's not on a head, but it's big enough that it looks ridiculous on me...


You can't really tell that there are multiple cables unless I turn around, so...


Info: Three Cable Hat of my own design. Rowan Big Wool Fusion (discontinued) - 1 1/2 balls. Double pointed needles, sizes 9 and 9.5.

Though the Fusion is discontinued, Rowan still makes Big Wool. If you ever get a chance to use it, jump. It's so great to knit with and the resulting hat is crazy warm. I loved every minute of making this hat! I wasn't even that sorry to have to frog it and reknit!

Last fall I found out that Sugar n' Cream started making a self-striping line. I had a little trouble finding some, but I was really psyched to find out how it would look to use it for a garterlac cloth. It pooled more than I had hoped, but it's an interesting result. It's pretty trippy, I must say:


I kind of like it -- it's got a folksy look to it.

So this concludes the 2007 FO parade. I also already have a 2008 FO, but I'm saving that for my next post. I'm super happy about it. I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat until I share it with you. Because I'm just that important. And I refuse to apologize for that fact.

Hee!

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