Aftermath

This will be mostly pictures and little substance :)Got these on clearance at Michael's. A replacement for my flashy light up flip flops- they make me happy!

Also got some charms on clearance and wired them together to make bold pendants. I have a few more to work on- but these are good for now.


So this is my current stash of Shelby B's yarn. All but 2 were purchased last night (Charms and Snape). From Left to Right: Charms, Rita Skeeter, Fawkes, Department of Mysteries v2, Dumbledore, Snape. The 2 balls at the bottom are Dumbledore's Robes and Headmaster's office. I'll be weaving those together.


I'm reveling in fiber goodness and all the color is just fantastic. I plan on putting the Rita Skeeter with some Malabrigo I got from MS&W in pine colorway. I want to make a top down raglan with the varigated as the yoke and body solid. I've seen several of these made up at my LYS and they're simply lovely!

So that's it. More pictures as the yarn becomes other stuff :)

Concrete

It's about time for some solid plans I think. I've certainly been floating for long enough. Right now as of this moment I have a definite idea of what I'll be doing over the next year. First, I'm working through summer school with the teacher I was assigned to during the year, and whom I love. She's just a fantastic person and I've really enjoyed knowing her and learning from her. Second, I'm going back to school. It's really the last thing I want to do, but in 10 short months, I'll be certified to teach elementary and special education with an endorsement in early childhood education. Coupled with my masters from Gallaudet in Deaf Ed, I'll finally be qualified on paper and marketable! I'll also be starting in the Masters + 30 credits, which puts me in the highest scale without getting my doctorate. I can't see myself getting that without intending to teach at a university (which is in the plans far, Far in the future).

All the other things going on are knitting related. I finished the tank that I started last year, am making solid progress on the lace cardigan to match my other tank, made it through the second fair isle pattern on the second sock and getting ready to work the heel, and have cast on for 2 more tanks- one of which I'm designing myself. Very, very busy. But this is my last bit of vacation. The regular school year ended June 12, ESY starts July 7 and runs through August 7, then I go back to school August 10. So these weeks now are very precious since I don't know exactly what my schedule will be like when this program starts this fall.

I'm sad to think that there will be very little to post about over the next year. I mean I've done the school thing before, and it's not that exciting. My program will be a little different than the other people in my cohort, since I've already taken so many of the core courses. How that will play out, I'm not quite sure. I will be very surprised if I don't have to take psych 101 again though. When I was at Bloom, it was a mass lecture, MWF at 9am with 600 students and 3 teachers- one for each day of the week. Our grades were based on 4 multiple choice exams and it was a whole letter system, so my 78 was a C. The reason that sucks is under the "No Child Left Behind" law- I need at least a C+. I wish we had a +/- for that course. Oh well...

Tonight at my LYS, we're having a party with a local dyer, ShelbyB. Most of her colors are inspired by the Harry Potter series. I'm very much looking forward to it. I already have a skein of Snape and Charms. I plan on getting some Fawkes tonight, and probably at least one more. My sister owes me a skein anyways :P

Well, I should get going with the day, even though all I have on my to-do list is knitting :) and taking pictures of all my knitting!

Wow...

So it turns out that having a job keeps me from doing a lot of stuff that I had been filling my time with. For starters- I just do not have the desire to sit down and jot a few words about what I've been up to. There have even been days where I haven't wanted to knit! This is just not acceptable. I'm sure a lot of it is because I've been doing more than just "my job"- lots of substitute work- and that stretches me to my limit. I like growing, but it's been hard and fast lately.

Everyday I work, I sign. It's so wonderful to need to sign again. And I love my kids. I've only been with them 2 months, but I have let the little buggers get under my skin. I hate the idea of not being with them next year. This temporary position was nice, but now I'm in a bit of a state because I want to start planning the future, and it's very uncertain right now. I'm looking into a certification program that will only take me 10 months. It would start this August and finish next May. I like this idea a lot, it'd be another Masters degree too. That would automatically start me at another higher pay scale, which is never a bad thing.

I don't want to spend too much time writing out all the things that are in the works because I think it might jinx them. But in other news- I had a ton of hair chopped off yesterday. I looooove it! It's perfect for summer!
I've also been pretty busy knitting. I test-knit a pattern for a friend, it's almost done. All I have left is to finish working on a 46" I-cord- boring but needs to be done. I finished a tank for myself, haven't taken any pictures of it yet though. I'm starting a cardigan to match- but need to get the right size needles. I'm also in the process of designing some really fun socks. I can't post any of my pictures or directions yet since they will be a gift for my sweetheart, but I will be making them available on Ravelry soon.

That's about all for now. I wish I was constantly moving forward, but I feel like once again my future is so very uncertain. I'm very ready for a bit of stability- maybe soon...

Definitely a variable interval schedule...

I really want to get better about updating this silly thing. I think I wait too long between posts because somewhere in the back of my head I feel like I need to have things to write about. Anyways...

I've been feeling a bit off the past few days. I'm sure most of it is coming from waiting. I finally broke down and coughed up the money to get fingerprinted March 19th. Since then, I have been contacted about a position as a personal assistant for a child with a hearing loss. I'm very excited about it- but I can't start until I get this card from the county vouching that I have had my fingerprints done. The whole thing is a load of crap. I called the fingerprint office last Friday, and they swore that my card was mailed out Thursday (April 2nd). The office is less than a mile from my house- in the same zip code. Supposedly, I was to receive the card Saturday at the latest. I called yesterday since it's still not here. The worst part is that the office is closed for spring break. I wasn't aware that fingerprinting and investigations got spring break. Must be great to work for the school system. At this point I'm just praying that this silly card shows up before next Tuesday so I can work. *sigh* I know I'm all worked up about it. It really bothers me that I can't do anything about this because there's nobody to talk to and fix it. Oh well...

In fiber news- I'm working on a really wonderful shawl. It's lovely :) I gave up my other excursions into lace to work on this. This is much easier to work on. I've actually got about 10" finished. I think I'm going to see if I can't get my hunny to take me out to a nice dinner to celebrate finishing it.

Another week gone by...

So I suppose I should finally put up some pix of my dye project. I have actually started knitting with it, but I'm not sold on the pattern yet. I love the pattern itself, but my yarn is definitely not appropriate. I have a feeling these are going to wind up as plain socks, or maybe ribbed socks. The yarn is super squishy :)

So this first picture is of the first time I tried dying. I used 2 packets of orange Kool-aid, 2 of lemonade, and 4 of grape. I wanted the bulk of this yarn to be purple. Through this experience, I have learned that all the online guides lie. I cleaned the yarn and made sure it was sufficiently damp before painting the colors on and zapping it in the microwave. I have spots where the dye simply did not absorb, even after a second round of immersion over-dying. It's very odd to me.

This second photo I used the stove top method and just stuck the whole skein in a bath of strawberry Kool-aid. I was hoping for more of a fuschia color, but I wound up with red.

It's not terrible, I actually really like it. It's just so very far from what I had envisioned. I need some lessons on calculating stripes amongst other things.


So Large Marge's is my new happy place. I am just so very much in love with the atmosphere and attitiudes of everyone there. I have never been around such wonderful people. Everyone who works there (that I've met so far) has been down to earth and approachable. It's nice to be in a yarn shop where there doesn't seem to be any one with a "I'm better than you" complex. They have all been excited about yarn. There isn't even a bias towards knitting or crochet, spinning, weaving or dying. It's just a general love of fiber and making things. I love it. It is just a completely inspiring atmosphere. I know I dive in head first with anything crafty- I always have and probably always will- but this shop is going to be a fabulous resource just in the people I have met so far.

Other than the wonderful yarn shop, I don't have anything new to report. I'm trying to knit some lace and planning a really fun pair of socks for my hunny. I just need to chart out the pattern and get started. But for tonight it's time to finish my last little bit of wine and fall asleep with The Elf Queen of Shannara!

As good a time as any

I don't have much to say tonight. I find this odd since I'm usually so chatty that I'm sure people need a break from me.

Not much is going on either. I've made a few great new things: hats for Hopkins kids, socks out of my crazy bright yarn from Stormmoonknits, half of the pair of bamboo socks... I've also been making good progress on the sweater for my mom and my tank top that has been hibernating since September (though I haven't touched it in a couple weeks since I realized how close mom's birthday is!). I'll be sending the neck warmer and Ribbon of Hope socks to Denver tomorrow. My plan was to have them in the mail today, but I had myself completely frantic to find a few rather valuable gift certificates from Christmas that I want to use. One was for an hour full body massage- the idea of losing that was horrifying! I think I'm going to use that next week :)

I suppose I do have 2 new developments: my dye project is actually to a point I'm willing to leave it alone and I've started taking a yoga/pilates class. My initial dye job was very, VERY adorable, yet pathetic. I decided to attempt the Kool-aid method since it doesn't require separate equipment. However, this greatly limited my color options. I am incredibly grateful that warm weather is around the corner, because today I noticed that there are far more varieties of the drink mix on the shelf. I actually acquired some green, blue and yellow for the next skein I dye.

Back to the first skein. I used purple, orange and yellow. I wanted the bulk of the yarn to be purple, so I attempted to paint half of the looped skein purple, and divide the remaining half between the yellow and orange. I put the orange at the tip so that it would not flow into the purple. The end result was what looked like a tie-dye experiment gone wrong. The colors did not saturate uniformly, I had lots of bare spots where the dye hadn't reached at all... It was just sad. Today I took the whole skein and over-dyed it with what should have been fushia. It turned out more red. It's not unattractive, but not at all what I was going for. I have many other ideas for the blue, yellow, green project I'll be doing next. Pictures will be posted when all is dry and happy.

The yoga class was certainly an experience and will be the reason I cut this entry short. I was made painfully aware that my legs are uneven last time. I think I'm more aware of my body than most people (due to much medical drama and a refusal to go to a doctor unless I'm dying). The instructor said most people don't know their bodies very well- maybe that's true, but I know mine pretty well. I can safely say my hamstrings have not stretched back out yet and I have class again in the morning.

This is probably a good time to stop writing. I'm going to set my tv timer and fall asleep to the Golden Girls :)

My first pattern!!

I finally wrote out directions for the neckwarmer I made last week. I even made it all pretty with pictures and my loyal teddy bear modeling for me. I tried to take some with me modeling it, but between little sleep, little make up and terrible back-lighting this is the best one I came up with :P

This is also after creating the .PDF and realizing that I had mistakes in it. Oh well- it's all done :)

Very exciting for me. I doubt anyone will use it, but I figured I might as well put it out there. I always like free simple patterns.

I'm a bit distracted at the moment so this is going to be a really short post. I'll figure out where to put the PDF pattern later...


The text is as follows:

Gauge: 5-6 st per inch- not critical
Materials:
Less than 100 yards of worsted weight yarn (Patons Classic Merino)
3 buttons
US Size 7 needles
Pattern:
Row 1: k2 (p2 k2)* to end
Row 2: k4 (p2 k2)* to last 4 st, k4
Row 3: k2 (p2, sl 1, k1 yo, psso both k and yo)* to last 4 st, p2 k2
Row 4: k4 (p2 k2)* to last 4 st, k4
Row 5: k2 (p2 k2)* to end
Row 6: k4 (p2 k2)* to last 4 st, k4
Row 7: k2 (p2, sl 1, k1 yo, psso both k and yo)* to last 4 st, p2 k2
Row 8: k4 (p2 k2)* to last 4 st, k4
CO 34
Work in pattern for 20 inches.
Work Ribbing and buttonholes as follows:
4 rows k1 p1 ribbing
Buttonhole row 1: k p k p k p, BO 3, k p k p k p k, BO 3, k p k p k p k, BO 3, k p k p k
Buttonhole row 2: k p k p k p, CO 3, k p k p k p k, CO 3, k p k p k p k, CO 3, k p k p k
Work ribbing 2 more rows, BO in pattern
Sew buttons into place. Blocking is recommended.
Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
BO: Bind Off
Sl 1: Slip one stitch knit-wise
PSSO: pass slipped stitch over