there was never even a wagon to fall off

91 hours down- 9909 to go

Tour de erin was a good idea- in my head. It didn't even start to pan out though. I'm not even mad that it didn't pan out either. I wish I was closer to done on all my projects, but what can you do? If you aren't working on them they don't grow.

There are a lot of things I meant to get done this summer that I haven't. As summer draws to a close (I only have three weeks until I have to go back to work) I'm realizing that I need to get some stuff done. So, I think I'm going to have to cut out the taking of four hour naps and like do stuff. Today, I want to rearrange the cabinets in the kitchen, take down the heinous wallpaper off two kitchen walls, and an assortment of school/cross country paperwork. I'm only telling you this so that I then feel like I have to work on the stuff.

I'm already tired.

Tour de Fleece, ha ha ha

71 hours down- 9929 to go

I had plans to do tour de fleece, but day one (and two, and three) I didn't knit at all. So, that's kind of blown. Instead, I have a new plan.

Tour de erin:
-Knit on each of three projects (fish blanket, snuggie, cabled baby sweater (to be replaced with sock yarn blanket) each day from July 7-July 31.

- read SOME Jane Austen each day.

So, go me!

a whole bowl of pathetic

71 hours down- 9929 to go

For some reason today I was a bowl of pathetic. It was beautiful outside and there were things to be done, but instead I sat inside all day watching TV, listening to podcasts and knitting.

I also watched the saddest movie ever. Remember Me. I have a habit of watching movies without knowing what they are about, but this one took me by surprise even after reading the Netflix jacket. If you have an extra two hours and you love crying by all means watch it. Robert Pattinson is super hot in it and I really like Emily de Ravin, but the story still completely stunned me.

I cast on for the Lion Brand baby sweater today and with most baby things it is progressing quickly.

I think another reason that I really like knitting is because I have trouble just sitting and watching TV because I feel like I should be doing something more productive, but somehow I can sit and do nothing other than knit all day and still feel bad. Something to ponder.

Almost ready for "tour de fleece"

63 hours down- 9937 to go

I've been knitting a lot in the past few days. Just going back and forth between the snuggie and the fish blanket. You can't really see the progress since they are both huge projects, but I know that the time is making additions.

Later today I'm going to cast this on instead of the baby surprise jacket. I've made the lion brand sweater before and it is just too cute to pass up.

I feel like I'm 13 again...

60 hours down- 9940 to go

Eclipse comes out tonight and I'm really excited about it. Initially, I read Twilight because the high school girls (that I teach) begged me too. They told me it was so good. Then, for Christmas my high school aged cousins bought it for me. Then, I had surgery and I couldn't do much so I finally read it. I don't understand why I put it off so long, because I knew it wouldn't be a time consuming read. I think sometimes I have to shun the popular. (I swore never to read Harry Potter, but in college I had to read The Sorcerer's Stone for a young adult literature class and fell. in. love. Also, I think Harry Potter is far superior to the Twilight Saga, but they both fell into the "I don't want to read it because it is popular" theme.)

I don't think that the Twilight Saga is by any means great literature, but they are captivating and well-written books as far as I am concerned. As for the movies, well, I can't read a series and not see the coordinating movies, and what is more fun than lining up at midnight with all the fanatics?

Oh, and Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson are hot. I tried to touch Cedric Diggory's costume when I went to see the Harry Potter exhibit in Chicago (it was at the museum of science and industry-- but I think it is traveling) until my husband jokingly pushed me toward it and a guard gave us both the death stare. I know that Mr. Lautner is just barely 18, but anyone that works that hard on their body deserves a look and praise. Mr. Pattinson is a tad more age appropriate, and his mystery (both on and off screen) makes him a little hotter. I'm still sorry Voldermort killed his character during The Goblet of Fire though.

A rant and a plan

58.5 hours down- 9941.5 to go

First, a rant- feel free to skip :) -
* In February we started the process to refinance our house. We've only owned the house for four years, but the rates are so good and our payment would drop so much we were excited to do it. We thought we'd use the extra money (from the skipped month of mortgage) to pay for the Spring Break trip to Florida that we didn't really have the money to go on. It wasn't done by April when we needed the money. It is now the end of June and tomorrow they are coming to appraise our house again before they can sure up the loan. There have been some speedbumps in the process: the original guy we worked with got fired, we have an 80/20 loan and our current lender wouldn't sign off on the 80 if we didn't also move the 20, and I think that many of the people who work at this lending agency might be morons. I mean really almost 5 months is about 4 months longer than I've seen anyone wait to refinance.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel better.

On to more exciting things!

I've made a "tour de Fleece" plan. I'm not a spinner so I'm going with the Knitmore Girls' idea of handcycling. I'm such a poor judge of what a good goal is in terms of finishing things so I've come up with my own plan. Every day during "tour de Fleece" I'm going to work on EACH of these projects-- the fish blanket, the snuggie, and the to-be-cast-on baby surprise jacket each day. Hopefully, throughout the tour I'll finish something and in that case my third project will be replaced with the sock yarn blanket squares. I'm not going to join any "tour de Fleece" groups because my plan is so random, but I think I'll try to document each day via this blog. I also would like to kick off my Jane Austen summer during the tour as well. I really want to read all of her work, but I put it off continually. So, I think I might add that to my tour goals!

Vacation is a win, but yields no knitting

56.5 hours down- 9943.5 to go

I had a great time in Vegas, and we even came back with a little money to put back in the bank which makes it even a little better. There was time by the pool, time to gamble, delicious food, and of course some free drinks.

I didn't even knit on the plane. I took a new project to start (I think I'm going to start a baby surprise jacket) but I didn't cast it on.

Tonight, as I start getting things cleaned up from vacation I'll be knitting again though :) There's a time and a place for everything, and for me Vegas isn't a knitting city. There's not enough sitting around!!

Wow, this post is boring...

56.5 hours down- 9943.5 to go

Today, I got home from cross country practice (where the student I often run with and I ran 14 seconds faster than yesterday) and I sat down and worked on stuff for a solid 6 hours. I mean, I ate and whatnot, but all told I spent 6 hours knitting. Well, some of that time was spent putting fish together, and let me tell you putting the fish together eats my soul. I do so love how the fish look put together though so I'll keep doing it. The fish don't lay very flat and I think even if I block the crud out of it they still won't, but I'm pretending that makes it whimsical and fun.

... and then I felt guilty.

So, I went outside and cleaned limbs out of the yard-- I even had to cut a few branches that broke during the storms-- and mowed the lawn. Our yard is pretty small so mowing doesn't take long, but I was bored so I made up a new game.

Speed Mowing
Speed Mowing is played by seeing how quickly you can mow the lawn. I mapped out the quickest route, or what I thought was the quickest route, and then tried to mow as fast as I could. My thought is by the end of the summer I can mow even faster than I did today. I was totally jogging behind the mower sometimes, but then sometimes I just had to walk. Maybe by the end of the summer I can mow the yard in nothing flat and get a good workout in.

I also cleaned the kitchen, made "brinner", and got the rest of the stuff together for the "finance the Vegas trip" garage sale taking place this weekend. Sadly, I was able to do all of that in a very small time period, but at least I did something today.

The sky is falling

50.5 hours down, 9947.50 to go

The weather around here has been nasty. Green skies, crazy winds, and sideways rain have been the norm the past few evenings. I don't get freaked out by storms, but my 80 pound dog becomes a giant cry baby when thunder hits-- so I'm over the weather.

Nothing like having three big projects on the needles to make you want to cast on EVERYTHING, but I'm sticking true and trying to finish at least two of the things before I cast on anything new. I've been splitting my knitting time between the snuggie and the fish blanket. It will be a while until they are done, but at least I can see progress!

47 hours down- 9953 hours to go

Yesterday, my sister, husband, and I made lunch for my parents and grandparents. It was fun, a little hectic, but completely delicious.

Today, I did nothing. It was fabulous. I woke up too early, went back to sleep, and then proceeded to sit on the couch all. day. long. I've been knitting and reading on and off and we had good lunch and dinner.

That's really it, but I love days like today.

to nap or not to nap...

43 hours down- 9,957 to go

I'm frustrated with everything. So, I'm going to vent with a quick list and then go on.

1. I went to tutor a homebound student today and the teachers didn't give me everything I needed before they left for vacation. I hate looking stupid in front of a healing student who is busting her ass and wants to get done.

2. I don't like crocheting (I don't think it counts as crochet, but I'm using a crochet hook to sew the pieces so...) the fish together. I don't like sewing/crocheting anything together so this is not a surprise.

3. I didn't go to cross country practice this morning because of tutoring and they played ultimate frisbee and the other coach told me how much fun I missed.

4. We're making lunch tomorrow for my parents and grandparents in a "Top Chef" style -- so we're competing-- and my sister and husband have their menus planned out and I don't.

5. I want to take a nap, but I know if I do I'll be out for hours.

6. My house is WAY too messy for someone who isn't working right now.

7. There's nothing good on TV to pacify me while I try to fix #6.

Now, on to nicer things.


Things I'm not cranky about:

1. I like how the fish look once they are put together, and I've been smart enough to start putting them together now as to not be extra cranky at the end.

2. The snuggie I'm knitting is SO soft that I might make myself one.

3. There is an awesome trail I'm going to run later since I skipped practice.

4. There is NO laundry to be done; all my clothes are clean.

5. There are lots of podcasts to get me through since TV is crappy during the day.

6. I'm in love with the tea blend I made-- it is cherry limeade sun tea and it is THE BEST.

7. I found lots of things for my "fund the Vegas trip" garage sale next weekend.


Seven is a random number to stop on, but that's what I got. Since my brain didn't work enough to write a paragraph I think I AM going to take a nap.

Woo Hoo.

Fishies!

Fishies!,
originally uploaded by erincolleen27.

40 hours down- 9960 hours to go

I'm a lazy picture taker. I know this, but these are the first six fish (in all the colors) for the fish blanket. The fish seem to fly by even though they take longer than you would think. I realize that makes no sense, but in my head it makes sense.

Summer break is officially upon us and today was the first day I had to get up and go to cross country practice. I ran a very slow 3 miles, but I feel phenomenal now. It was really early, and I'm really out of shape, but I feel good now.

I have 7 different "themes" in my head for summer goals and each day I'm trying to accomplish one thing under each theme. So, today holds ripping out bushes, making laundry detergent, making an outline for the zombie novel I want to write, running (accomplished!), making fish and a sock blanket square, and planning the first week back to school, and pricing things for the "finance" my Vegas trip garage sale. (If we make $50 I will be delighted.) Last summer I think I wasted too much time and I was totally sluggish when I had to go back to school, so I think this year being busy and doing all the free home improvement stuff I can is the answer.

Sock yarn blanket- the more I think about this the more I realize that the real answer to making this cool is to put a quilt-ish back on it. My thought it I'll sew the backing on around the edges of the blanket and then make those little quilt tie- things (my quilt knowledge is amazing, no?) at the corner where 4 squares meet. This makes sense in my head-- does that come across and make sense to anyone else?

Fish and Squares

37 hours down- 9,963 to go

I finally found some time and my knitting mojo so I have square and a fish (yes, I bought the yarn- but I ended up getting 60 dollars worth of yarn for $10 because of gift cards and rewards-- so yay) finished. The fish aren't really cool on their own, but I think once they are together they will be cool. At least, I'm hoping this since I've knit one and I need about a gajillion more. The second square for the sock yarn blanket it really cool, but I'm sure you can't see all the little cabley-bits here.

The one great thing about the fish is they are kind of addicting. I sat down to just start one and all of a sudden I realized that instead of doing the cooking and cleaning I was supposed to be doing I had finished a whole fish. Oh well. Everything will get done eventually!

Wait, aren't I supposed to have some free time?

36 hours down - 9964 to go

It is the second day of summer break, and I'm up early and I have to be out the door and gone all day. Why, why do I do this to myself? Yesterday, my day was spent getting our one track girl prepared for the state meet that is this afternoon. (There were lots of track girls, but only one made it to state.) Today, I had originally planned lay low until 3 when I have to go to the meet, but then I agreed to do some other stuff so I'm up early and I need to be headed to the shower.

Hopefully, I can figure out a point in time today to hit my lys and buy yarn for the fish blanket. (Yes, I haven't knit in almost a week, but I NEED this yarn.)

I did sell some yarn on ravelry this week, so I feel like this is almost fair...

36 hours down- 9964 to go

I finished a blanket that I have picked up and put down many, many times. I think I'm going to give it to one of my students as a graduation present.

Really, that's all I have to say; I just wanted to get my three hours logged before I forget. Pictures shall be forthcoming, when it isn't so icky outside.

Oh, and tomorrow is the last day I have students. I'm SO excited, and I'm sure they are too.

Quiet Saturday

33 down- 9967 to go

Yes, I did ONE hour of knitting this week and it was gasp at school after some kids finished a final.

I spent at least 16 hours a day out of the house and at work this week so pretty much every night I came home and just sat.

But, that can change today! It is Saturday, I'm home alone until tomorrow afternoon, and other than trying to make my house less disgusting I plan on spending a lot of time knitting. My plan of attach is to make a list and between each part of cleaning I'll knit a few rows on something. I'd really like to sit outside and knit, but I'm working on a giant, heavy blanket so that idea is out.

My lys is closed today. I was ready to go out and buy yarn for the rainbow fish blanket I want to make, but Memorial Day weekend has other plans. So, I think I'm going to make myself finish the heavy blanket I'm working on and then buy yarn when it is finished. (I'm all about bribing myself, can you tell?)

Steeking...

32 hours down- 9968 to go

I might not have done much other than knit yesterday. Well, I did a boatload of laundry and reorganized some stuff, but it was only because I felt like I had to get my ass off the couch and do something instead of just knitting.

I decided, after being peer pressured via plurk, that I'm going to steek the armholes of the snuggie. This makes knitting the inital piece way easier, but also makes me completely nervous. It isn't like I'm using nice sticky, thick wool. The yarn I'm using is Knit Picks- Comfy Worsted. It is really soft and really slick. So, there will be some pretty serious reinforcing going on before I cut anything. Also, I won't be cutting anything for a long time because I'm approximately seven inches into this snuggie and it needs to be WAY longer.

This week is going to suck- there isn't a night that I can foresee getting home before 8 (even on Friday) and there are two nights that I don't think I'll get home until 11 or later. I'm sure I'll be full of joy, but on the upside it is finals week and if I can bust it early in the week I might score some down time during the actual school day toward the end of the week.

The series finale of Lost was last night, and I am not about to pour out any spoilers or bore those who don't care, but I have to say that I'm a little conflicted and confused.

one square done...

27 hours down... 9,973 to go

I finished the first square of my sock yarn baby blanket, and all I really want to do is go buy some superwash yarn to make this awesome blanket. Yes, I have a problem.

But, I feel like this problem is warranted because I want to make the fish blanket for a 3 year old that carries around a far too small blanket I made her. She needs one her size, right?

So far I'm holding off and NOT buying that yarn, but I have a gift certificate so I know I will. I'm just trying to decide how to justify it to myself. Currently, I'm trying out the justification that if I knit all the yarn I have (even if I've added to it) then I've still met my goal of getting rid of my stash... that's legitimate, isn't it?
There's not yarn in my stash that would really work for the blanket, and there's definitely not yarn to make the rainbow colored blanket outlined in black that I'm dreaming of...

For now, my plan is to inventory the yarn that I have and make plans for it-- then I can decide what to do about the awesome rainbow blanket.

So close to the weekend...

Everyone who has a Monday-Friday type job likes the weekend; I know I'm not special in this regard, but I am super stoked about THIS weekend! Why? There's nothing really planned.

There's a handyman coming over tomorrow and Sunday to fix something things that we have seriously neglected, but other than that there are no dates or times that have plans attached to them. There is a large list of things that need to get done, but I get to do them on my own time in the next 60 hours and that's enough to make me really, really happy. I like lists and more than lists I like crossing things OFF of lists and this weekend will give me a chance to do both things. Crossing things off is especially important because next week I have something after work EVERY DAY. Even Friday. The more I can get done this weekend the happier erin I will be.

This picture is the dog and the cat last night. My husband took it and sent it to me to show how tired the animals were and how they wanted me to come home so that we could all go to sleep. About 10 minutes after I was through the door last night I was asleep. It was glorious.

Sock yarn blanket

23 hours down- 9977 to go

I have a plan. It may be a plan I've blogged about before, but it is something that I think about every day. August 19-22 is Stitches Midwest. I've never been to any big fiber show, and especially not to stitches. I really want to go, but I decided that I need to accomplish something before I should be allowed to go. So, I've decided that I can go IF I knit through all of my stash. I don't have a giant stash, but there's enough to make it a real challenge. Plus, on top of all the yarn I already had I had to order yarn for my sister's snuggie. So, we'll see what happens.

In the stash down vein, I've decided to make a sock yarn blanket. I'm going to use this yarn. Now, I made baby leg warmers and head bands out of the white so there is none of that. I have enough orange for maybe two squares, and I used the the violet and purple, but I have new skeins. I realize this isn't probably enough for a blanket, but it is how I'm going to start.

The plan: I'm casting on 50 stitches and knitting until I have a square. I'm going to make some plain squares and some with different cabled patterns. (Whatever catches my eye in Vogue's cable stitchionary.) I realize that the blanket will be really thin, but I think it might be perfect for the couch in the summer. I'm going to use all of this yarn to make squares and then decide what my next plan is...

I really got started on the snuggie yesterday and so far it is REALLY soft and I like it.

That's not fair or I have jealousy issues

22 hours down- 9,978 left

My husband texted me. His boss can't go to his massage today, so my husband gets to take his place for free. Somewhere I'm really happy for him, but I can't find that place underneath my jealousy. On top of my general jealousy I got rear-ended last night and while my car and I are both fine I'm just a little sore and it is making me mad at karma that he's getting a massage and I'm not.

I'm working on three things right now:

- a thick cabled blanket that I think I'm giving my Teacher's Assistant for graduation

- a lacy scarf out of yarn that's supposed to hold meaning

- my sister's snuggie

I'm trying to work on all three each night so that I don't get bored and so that I can see progress on all of them. Do I have pictures? I don't.

I do have really poorly lit pictures of a baby sweater I just finished. It is beautiful orange with bits of other colors. It is Cables and Lace yarn (which is now sadly defunct) in the "orange room" colorway from the Poe Collection. http://http//www.ravelry.com/people/erincolleen/stash

My brain isn't working and I can't figure out how to make a better link than that...

About that..

I haven't knit at all. We even drove to and from Arkansas this weekend and I didn't knit a stitch. Just wasn't in to it.

Then, this morning I took a half day from work to get my poor little car and oil change and to apply for summer employment and where I could have found a good half hour to sit on the couch and knit I still didn't. I think everything that I have on the needles is at a weird point, and I don't want to work on it until I have a lot of time. So, that should work out well...

Hopefully, when I go to apply for said summer employment there will be someone for me to talk to there, because I don't have much time to go again.

I'm also hoping the rain stays away because there's a track meet tonight and I'd really like to just go ahead and have that- the rain dates do not work well with my schedule.

18 hours down; 9982 to go

Things are crazy busy right now because somehow every May I get over involved and leave no time for anything else. So, my thoughts are short and choppy and this will be short and choppy. I meant to start having pictures in each blog, but you can see that hasn't happened. (And, I'm sitting in the dark in my classroom while my students are at lunch because otherwise my head might explode.)

Things I'm knitting:
- the cutest baby sweater in BRIGHT orange. I have sleeves left.
- I cast on for my sister's snuggie. Haven't knit a row, but it is cast on.
- A very thick blanket that I'm trying to decide (between two people) who it should belong to.
- Sachets for mother's day, because I haven't gotten my mom anything yet, because I'm awesome.
- a very lacy scarf

I'm usually a pretty monogamous knitter, but recently that hasn't really worked.

I figured it out

16 hours down, 9,984 to go

Friday, I figured out why I love knitting. There's always progress when one is knitting (even when it doesn't feel like it,) and the knitter is always in charge. Being in charge and making progress might be the two things that I love the most, and so it now makes complete sense as to why I would be so happy as a knitter.

Stealing Time

12.5 hours down- 9987.5 hours to go

Isn't it amazing that sometimes you look at something that is going to take no time at all and you are COMPLETELY wrong? I hate that. Having said that, I love when you think something is going to take forever and it flies by. I cast on a baby sweater that I thought I would just fly through, but alas, it is taking longer than I would have guessed. I only cast it on last night, but I've had a solid two hours this afternoon and thought it would amount to more knitting that it has. (Nevermind the amount of tinking I've done due to my inability to count.)

... I think I hate it

10.5 hours down - 9989.5 left

So, I opened the Knit Picks Garden Kit and I think I hate it. I cast on 8 stitches and then took them off the needles though so I can't say that I tried really hard. I wasn't in the mood for "new things" so I went back to my old stuff. Surely, I'll pick this back up and love it since I needed it so badly.

Tomorrow, another teacher at school is taking kids on a field trip which leaves me with 3 kids each in my last two classes. Woo Hoo. I'm pretty sure we won't be doing anything. By pretty sure, I mean I told the kids we weren't doing anything and I think I'll be working on a baby sweater.

a knitted snuggie

8 hours down, 9,992 to go

About a month ago my sister asked me if I would knit her a snuggie. I checked ravelry, and although there were some patterns they were boring... So, after mulling this over for a month I have decided to write a knitted snuggie pattern.

Do I know anything about writing patterns? I do not.
Do I have yarn in the stash I'm trying to get rid of to knit said snuggie? Also, no.

So, I bought this yarn: http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Comfy_Bulky_Yarn__D5420180.html in Marlin (her choice) and I'm looking for a free (and cool) pattern writer to download... I want the snuggie to be full of cables and intricate like a nice afghan. Really, what's classier than a snuggie? (Can you even use the term snuggie, or is that a brand name?)

I guess I'll be learning lots in the next few weeks...

my black thumb

7 hours down; 9,993 hours to go

I bought four plants on Earth Day in hopes to have a mini-garden. Last year, I tried to plant a real garden-- some plants and some from seed, and it did not go well. So, this year I bought a jalapeno plant, a raspberry bush, some mint, and a hanging strawberry plant. The strawberry plant is a "from seed" thing, but it is like one of those tomato "topsy turvy" planters so I'm hoping it works. I transplanted these plants into bigger pots today. Maybe planters will work better for me?

I'm currently working on a lace scarf. I like some lace, but I'm not a giant lace knitter. I think that pattern is called the kernel scarf or something and it is variegated yarn another thing I'm not generally a fan of. So, craziness and ripping out may take place, or I might love it and want to wear it even though it will be too hot when I finish it.

Lazy Sunday

5 hours down- 9,995 hours to go.

I finished a very hurried baby blanket for a friend. Turns out Knit Picks Crayon might be the softest acrylic yarn ever. I totally loved it, and it is absolutely affordable. Did I take a picture? Of course not. I was way too excited to wrap it and be done with it. I'm still amazed that I was able to finish it as quickly as I did. I decided to knit it with less than a week until the shower, and it wasn't like I had a lot of free time.

I'm giving up on my plan to run the Indianapolis Mini Marathon. I "forgot" to train. I didn't really forget, but I didn't train... so no 13.1 for me this May.

I'm in love with this:
http://www.knitpicks.com/kits/Backyard_Garden_Kit__D40162.html
Even though I said I was trying to de-stash I might have purchased this... Later, I'm totally casting on for one of the butterflies.

10k project

Okay, so I was trying so hard not to get pulled into this "become an expert thing" that has recently come into my awareness. But, I can't stop thinking about it. I want to know just when I will have knit for 10,000 hours-- you know-- starting today. Really, I won't be changing any of my habits, because I would knit and try to become more efficient and try new things in the knitting world anyway. So, why not?

Oh, and I have convinced myself that if I can knit through my entire stash (which is giant, but will take time) that I can go to Stitches Midwest in August and start fresh. My stash stresses me out because I know that it is there and I have paid for it, so I feel like I should be using it. Of course, there's a lot of random stuff in it so I will need to become a little creative in order to accomplish this, but that's my other goal with the 10k project.

Yay for killing two birds with one stone.

Oh, and about blogging. I'm really going to do it this time. For sure. Totally. Starting.... now!

one more time

I'm going to try the blog resurrection again... I think it is the cool thing to do. Seriously, I think I want to try to do this seriously and I always get lazy too fast. erin 2010 doesn't believe in such nonsense.