...and for a moment this good time could never end

I love fireworks like a fat kid loves cake

2011-07-06T06:34:00.001-07:00

My husband doesn't love fireworks, so I drove three hours to my grandfather's house to go to fireworks with people that love them. That my friends is dedication.

Tour de erin Day 3 (July 4)
Goals: work on socks, read Fallen Angels

goals= met (Yeah, they were easy)

Tour de erin Day 4 (July 5)
- rest day!
Yes, I realize it is too early to have a rest day, but I was in the car and had other things that I had to do so I sure did take one. I think you get two, right?

Tour de erin Day 5 (July 6)
goals: finish foot on sock
get one pattern repeat done on The Triad Scarf
get one repeat done (one owl) on Owl Baby Blanket (I'm making this up as I go.)
Finish Fallen Angels
Also, I need to get laundry done, the kitchen cleaned, and meals planned. Yup, I'm adding this to my goals for today, too. That is why it is Tour de erin. I do what I want.

I'm the smoothie master

2011-07-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

After years of wishing I could make decent smoothies I finally found the right amount of "pour this and that in" to make it work.

This is embarrassing because I was once employed as a blender jockey. (I used to bartend at a Chi-Chi's- and that's pretty much what I did -- run blenders. Well, actually, I watched more VH1 than anything.)

Anyhow, I'm delighted that I finally get the idea of how to make a smoothie. I've had one daily for about a week now.

Tour de erin Day 2 goal:
- turn heel on flutterby sock
- rip out stupid ribbed baby blanket and instead cast on a cool baby blanket using the owl stitch pattern that is used on everything. Here's an example.

Tour de erin Day 1 goal:
- complete

I'm thinking that in order to really meet my summer goals I need to add reading in to the tour de erin. I supposed I could make reading goals on the week days, right? That way I won't have failed yet!

The Great Gatsby- Fitzgerald

It amazes me how many "classic" books there are that I never read in high school. This is one of them. I read it, for the first time 7 years ago, when I got my current teaching job. I had 2 days to read it before I started teaching. (That's a crazy story, but I think one that many teachers share.) I was also reading Great Expectations for the first time during this time period as well as rereading To Kill a Mockingbird. I had to teach all three of these books at the same time and it was fun, but stressful. Now that I have read them all I would be fine to do this, but then it was a lot of work. I didn't love Gatsby when I read it then-- imagine-- but in this second go 'round I really enjoyed it. I really like books where crazy, unexpected things happen. I also really like books where someone realizes the faults of everyone else, but doesn't feel the need to run it in their faces.

This book is basically about wealthy (or at least some that pretend to be wealthy) people that live their lives doing whatever the hell they want with little to no regard for anyone else. If that doesn't entice you to read it I don't know what will. Seriously, if I tell you any of the plot I feel like it ruins the book.

Tour de erin

2011-07-02T17:13:00.000-07:00

Of course, the first day of Tour de erin I have decided to change things. All the rules previously set still apply, but I am adding one more caveat. Each day I will set a new, separate goal for that day.

Day 1:
Knit the entire leg of the flutterby sock. This is a super quick knit sock. I did nine repeats on the top of the first sock, and I timed myself this morning when I cast on the second sock (see. I'm following the rules I set out yesterday) for one repeat and it takes 23 minutes. *
As a side note I used to think I was a fast knitter, but watching videopodcasts and listening to audio podcasts have assured me that I am not as speedy as I thought. So, with not much on the docket for today I think I can finish this goal. Right now I have 5 repeats finished and we just put Felloship of the Ring in so I feel good about finishing the leg and even moving on to the heel.

Tour de erin might just be a success!!!

Tour de... something

2011-07-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

If I was in to spinning I think I might get more excited about Tour de Fleece, but I don't spin. Last year I tried to make my own Tour de erin and I failed, completely. I'm going to try again this year for Tour de erin.

Tour de erin rules:
- Knit for two hours every day.
- Nothing can be cast on until something else is cast off.
- Second socks must be cast on the day that sock on is cast off.

I have a lot of things on the needles right now, and I have even MORE things that I want to knit so this makes a lot of sense to me!

The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier

I'm getting a new teaching load this upcoming fall and one of the things I am teaching is a remediation class. I am really excited about this class, and I am ever more excited because the previous teacher did a wonderful job of picking a great variety of books. This book is one of those. It is young adult fiction, but really related well to the students and has some "adult" things in it that I think they will enjoy reading about.

The Chocolate War is about a private school where the students are asked to sell chocolates to help the school raise money. (Yes, so far this sounds really lame and like a million other books, but it isn't.) There is a secret society in the school, mean teachers, students that really see what is going on, violence, talk of sex... it is an interesting read. If I told any more about the book I would give away what takes place so if you're interested in this sort of thing-- or have young adults that might be -- you should read it!

My love/hate relationship with summer

2011-06-29T07:35:00.000-07:00

I love my job as a teacher, and I spend the second semester counting down (along with the students) to how many days there are until summer break. I love sitting outside and reading, knitting, catching up with random TV shows that I didn't know that I wanted to watch and constantly trolling facebook and plurk in the summer. I also like to try to find someone to go out to lunch with me daily which is harder than you might think.

I love it for like two weeks.

Then, I get unmotivated and bored.

Yes, I still read, knit, and catch up on things, but my motivation starts to dwindle little by little.

At the beginning of the summer I put up a giant calendar of all the things I wanted to get done and a timeline of how I wanted to finish them. Pretty much the reading and knitting is getting done. The rest of it fell the the wayside after week one.

This is the table of knitting to work on. I'm usually a one or two project person. This is insane and freaks me out.

Last week, I woke up the the idea that if I put my plans on the internet I would feel like I *had* to do them. (Knowing it is on the internet is enough for me- no one even has to read it.) So, this is my new plan. I'm going to start a crazy, hodge-podge blog with knitting stuff, book reviews, and whatever else I feel like writing or talking about. I'm sort of hoping that writing every day will give me ideas for the "zombie-teacher" novel that I want to write. Currently, the novel consists of 6 pages of exposition. That I wrote in April. Of course I wrote it in April because I was so busy I couldn't see straight. Now that I have all the time in the world? Nothing.

The Help- by Kathryn Stockett

I read this about a month ago and I liked it. The story is about African American women during the times where everyone in the south had hired help. One white woman digs into their stories and realizes her own dreams. It was interesting and felt like it could be historically accurate, but something about it keeps me from calling it fantastic. Honestly, I think I'm a little taken aback by the fact that the author of the book is white and is trying to imagine what these women went through. I suppose an African American woman that would have written this would have had to do the same research. That might not make sense, but in my head it totally does. I will, however; be seeing the movie because it stars Emma Stone and I may have a tiny girl crush on her. I want to be friends with her and go out for lunch and cocktails. She seems super fun.

there was never even a wagon to fall off

2010-07-19T06:24:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

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"

2010-07-01T09:13:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-29T06:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-15T18:50:00.001-07:00

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!

2010-06-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-06-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

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

2010-06-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-06-04T04:54:00.001-07:00

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...

2010-05-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-05-24T06:04:00.001-07:00

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...

2010-05-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-05-21T11:25:00.001-07:00

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

2010-05-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-18T07:23:00.000-07:00

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..

2010-05-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-05-06T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-03T07:38:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-29T11:48:00.001-07:00

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

2010-04-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-26T17:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-23T14:45:00.001-07:00

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

2010-01-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

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.

sock yarn stash

2009-01-13T16:44:00.001-08:00

monkey,
originally uploaded by erincolleen27.

a new start

2009-01-02T07:20:00.000-08:00

I usually don't get all crazy about new years a resolutions, but this year I'm committed to having a fresh start. I want to be more organized, clean, and healthier. I want to be more productive, create more, and write more. So, I'm bringing life back to the blog for the 93rd time. Yesterday I cleaned and gutted the parts of the house that needed it the most. Today, I'm taking more of a "me" approach. I'm going to revamp and start over on my 1001 in 101 list. I love the idea behind it, but when I wrote it I didn't do the best job of making the goals. Hopefully, once I get my head cleared and ideas out on paper I can come back and really get going here. It is on today's list of things to do :)

list update

2008-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Started reading Atlas Shrugged today. I like it so far. Totally had to wickipedia John Galt to make sure that I wasn't supposed to know who he was already.

etsy?

2008-10-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

So, I want to start an etsy shop. I even have a good idea that I don't see anyone else doing on etsy. The problem? I HATE sewing and it involves sewing. I'm hoping to be able to bang out a couple prototypes and set this thing up, but I spent most of my day today doing a whole bunch of nothing. Can I pull myself out of this "do nothing" stage? I sure hope so!

oh, the list

2008-10-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

You know what? I have made progress on my list. I F'ed it up. Spent more than 100 dollars at the grocery today, but I claim this isn't my fault. My husband was there and when we shop together we get all crazy in the aisles thinking that we need sushi, ice cream, cookies, and other things I don't buy alone. I'm going to deny this foul up later when I celebrate finishing all 1001 things. Just so you know.

running equals relief? weird

2008-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

So, it has been a long time since I've gone out and run. When I was in high school and college when I was stressed out and freaked out I would go running and feel better. It had been about a year since I'd run anywhere and the last few days I've gone out just for a mile or so and I feel great.

Oh, and I registered to run a half marathon in Indianapolis is May; so, this running will continue.

I have an idea for an etsy shop and I REALLY want to get things started, but I made a list of things that I should complete first. Sadly, this has all made it so that I'm sitting at home on a Saturday to get caught up on things. (Actually, I'm completely stoked to be homebound on a Saturday-- I think I might do this more often.)

Haven't actually completed anything on my list... In fact, there are some things that I need to make sure don't slide...

plurk, crankiness, and not knitting

2008-10-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

It is Friday. Usually on Friday I'm happily sitting on one of my friend's couches hanging out. Tonight? Got home, laid in bed, put on pajamas, and have been sitting at the computer since. What's wrong with me? Who knows. What I do know is that everything here is messy, I have much grading to be done, much knitting that I'd like to complete, and much sleeping I'd like to do. For some reason though, I can't bring myself to do anything. So, here I sit. Actually, I did start a plurk account, but I don't know anyone else who uses it so it isn't really fun yet.

On the upside, I finished constructing my list of 101 in 1001. I'm very excited about it. I'm starting on Monday. Today I wrote a pretty hand written version to put on the back of our bedroom door. On that version I made little check mark spots for things you have to do more than once on --types of things. My lovely husband is also going to do this which I think is very fun. Just talking about all of that just kind of perked me up.

So, maybe know with a little lime and violet action in the background I can pull myself to the couch and finish the pink ribbon socks I'm knitting. (The socks that I told myself I'd have done by 10/9 to give to a friend. Oops.)

a new beginning

2008-10-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

After not blogging for a long time and never REALLY getting into blogging the first time I've decided to give it a second try. Part of the reason is I found the 101 in 1001 idea on someone else's blog and have decided to try it out. (Basically, you make a list of 101 things you like to do and you put it on a time line of 1001 days. Pretty sweet.)

While I've not been blogging I found the podcast limenviolet and it is my new favorite thing. I went to the first episode and I'm listening to each one of them. I'm on 50 out of 81 now and I simply love it.

I've knitted tons since I last posted, but I can't even start to make some sort of list. I'm erincolleen on ravelry if you want to check it out.

Ready for Florida!

2008-03-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

I'm heading to Florida for a week with my new BEACH BAG! I realized on Monday that I would have nothing to put my books and lotion in to take the the beach so I put together this quick and easy bag. I made a million mods because I hate following directions, but in the end it looks exactly like the picture. My only regret? I wish this was just one color. I don't know what I was thinking when I bought variegated yarn. I usually don't like it, but oh well. Have a great week!

at least I could post a pic...

2008-03-24T20:08:00.001-07:00

My slacker post was boring, so I decided to post a picture of my new favorite knitting endeavor(s).
Oh, and I found this that-- rav link-- I want to finish in time for my spring break (I'm leaving Sunday.) I don't have high hopes about having time to do it, but I think it looks AWESOME!

slacker!

2008-03-24T17:05:00.001-07:00

Yes, I've been a giant slacker. I guess sometimes life just gets in the way! I have also been slacking on the knitting that I want to complete, but here's a quick list of things I actually have done~

1. Broke a pair of interchangable needles that were passed down for my grandmother. They were really old, but very cool. I also dropped about 50 stitches from the slowly growing afghan in the process. I was not happy. I cursed as I picked up every stitch. My husband tried not to giggle.

2. Ordered replacement needles. Not as sentimental, but they knit.

3. Found a really cook dpn holder at www.knitzi.com and bought it. I can't wait for it to get here.

4. Oh, knitting? I did some. I've added to the afghan, not tons.

5. Finished one sock mentioned in the other blog. It was nice and easy, plus it fits. Haven't casted on for sock two.

6. Made really cool swiffer covers (2 apiece) for my sister and MIL. They were both thrilled.

7. Made some ball band dish cloths for my mom. She hasn't seen them yet, but I assume she'll also be thrilled.

8. Bought a pattern and really great yarn to make a teddy bear for my best friend's son's first birthday. Can't wait to knit it... Maybe I should work on the afghan and other sock first though???

ickiness brings socks

2008-03-01T14:08:00.000-08:00

I have the flu. Or something. I came home sick from work Wednesday, stayed home Thursday, went back Friday and Saturday morning was back to how I felt Wednesday. So, I've started my first pair of socks and I'm alternating between those and the afghan. I've finally caught on and really got going on the afghan, but its a slow process...

A new sweater and a blocking board!

2008-02-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

I finished my blue sweater and its blocking right now. On my lovely new blocking board :) It was a whopping ten bucks at JoAnn Fabrics and it folds up to be a quarter of this size. Its lovely.

And, I went back to In A Yarn Basket today to get more fun yarn. I love it in there. They even remembered me from last week; which was cool. I'm embarking on my first pair of socks soon. I bought cool purple yarn cascade yarn for this endeavor.

I also bought some Alpaca Suri Merino for a scarf. Expensive? Yes, but it feels so luxirious I needed it. Really.

Yay! I love this

2008-02-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

I finished my new swiffer cover. I think its the coolest thing ever; here's why.
1. I love how quick it is. Just an hour and you have something cool!
2. The finishing is minimal, and who cares if it looks a little shitty, you're mopping the floor with it.
3. Blocking? I think not.
4. No disposable swiffer covers.
5. A fun gift to send to a random friend.
6. Inexpensive yarn- fun colors- stash buster.

Am I too excited over this itty bitty project? Maybe. Is the picture too big. Maybe.

Now, on to finishing some other projects so that I can start knitting with the NEW YARN!!! Its so soft. I love it so much. Blue Sky Alpaca you rock. If only you weren't the most expensive thing I've ever purchased at a knitting shop.

better

2008-02-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

Surgery went well. Well enough that as we walked (yes, walked! no crutches!) all I could think of is going to the new LYS. So, we did! I loved it! Everyone in there was very nice, helpful, and seemed glad to be there. I only bought one skein of Blue Sky Alpaca and I'm completely in love with it. I just keep touching it.

I'm working to finish my blue sweater (pics below) I didn't like how one of the sleeved knitted up so I ripped it out and joined it at the shoulder and I'm knitting it that way. I hate finishing. Knitting directly to the sweater suits me better. I'm excited to finish this because it means I can start something new and go back to the yarn store!

I'm still working on my afghan but it is less exciting because its being knitted with boring acrylic yarn...

A quick update

2008-02-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

I really want this to be a knitting post for the most part, but sometimes life interrupts and I feel like I have to explain this whole ongoing surgery debacle so that at least one day I can look back and remember all of this...

Once upon a time there was a girl whose feet and legs always hurt. She thought that everyone had this problem. Even though she sometimes had stress fractures and often couldn't fall asleep from pain in her feet and legs she thought she was normal.

Then one day, she got out of bed, her ankles cracked and she fell to the ground. Then this happened again. And, as this continued she realized that walking around in the morning was painful and took getting to used too.

So, she decided to go see a doctor. He gave her some pills that made her violently ill. So, she went to a new doctor. The new doctor decided that insoles in her shoes were the key. She decided to call them nerdy shoes. Her friends called them special shoes. After three months of the nerdy shoes the pain was no better.

The doctor told her that the next step was to have a screw put in each ankle to realign the bones. Although the girl was not super excited about the plan she was super excited about less pain.

Just after Christmas the girl went to have surgery. She had never been in the hospital and was nervous about the unknown. As they wheeled her back to surgery she started to cry, and then she was asleep. She woke up with metal in her foot and very little pain. She decided that this wasn't so bad after all. Once she got used to walking with this new screw she loved it! It was the best piece of metal ever!

Four weeks later

The girl is back in the hospital to get the next screw put in. She is no longer scared and is happily chats with the very nice nursing staff. Jokes are made on the way to the operating room and everything is lovely. She wakes up from this surgery and heads home. Yay screws.

One week later

The girl is at a conference happily walking without crutches when all of a sudden she feels an awful burning sensation inside of her foot. It hurts but she decides that it must be normal. She goes to the doctor the next day and he tells her that her screw has been pushed out of place. Sometimes this happens (which is why you sign documentation that says you understand that this could happen and that it doesn't mean that it is anyone's fault.) She has to have surgery the following week to correct things.

One week later

Back to the hospital. Everyone is nice, things are jovial and surgery is done. More precautions are taken and the girl is on crutches a full week instead of a few days. At the post op appointment things look perfect on the X ray. Sadly, when the girl returns home from the appointment she carefully steps through the house and feels the screw go back out of place. She calls the doctor. He has her in a few days later and they discover that the screw won't stay in place. She has a loose ligament (who knew screws were promiscuous...) and it won't hold the screw in place. She has to have the screw taken out and let scar tissue form. Hopefully, in four months there will be enough scar tissue to hold a screw in place.

Tomorrow

The screw comes out. We start over. Boo. The girl surely needs new yarn to feel better.

Yay for Presidents!

2008-02-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

There are lots of reasons that I like teaching. I think its fulfilling, you get to help people, watch them grow... yada, yada, yada. But, one of my very favorite (and very shallow) things about teaching is the random days we get off. Okay, President's Day itself isn't random, but having it off is something random. This will give me time to finish my lovely sweater, reusable swiffer cover, and work on the afghan.

Finally, I did get past row 30 on my afghan and things have been much better.

ahh...

2008-02-10T13:10:00.000-08:00

I finished the second pair of Bird In Hand Mittens! I'm very glad to be done with them because I want to work on my sweater and afghan, but since these are for someone else I thought I should finish them out.

I have decided not to take any pain killers today so that I can figure out what I'm doing wrong with this afghan I'm making. I don't want to keep ripping it back, and I love what the finished product looks like so I'm going to work out the kinks until it works.

Tomorrow I'm allowed to drive so I can go pick up new size 7 dpns and cast on for my sweater sleeves! Hooray!

I'd love to have something fun and witty to say about something, but without the pain medicine I'm not very fun today.

back and forth

2008-02-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting steadily since I returned from my surgery yesterday. I have one mitten done, the body of my sweater (I need new size7 dpns for the sleeves and I can't drive until Monday) , and I'm three rows back on my afghan. I have steadily knitted an inch and have torn that inch back for the last few hours. Maybe I need to wait until I'm not on pain killers. There's a lot of counting involved in this afghan. I think I might have to go back to the mittens for awhile.

I watched "Jane Austen Book Club" today. Pretty good.

I finished reading Twilight last night. It was tremendous. I sent my husband out to buy the second one, but they didn't have it. Had I waited 30 more minutes to send him I could have sent him for needles too, but I'm trying not to make him too crazy...

last time

2008-02-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

So, my third surgery is complete. I am assuming that this one will take. Hopefully, I'll have some good FOs in the coming days!!

As a side note, I just finished watching the series Twin Peaks for the first time. My head is messed up for sure.

Using all of my maturity

2008-02-03T16:23:00.000-08:00

So, I could sit here and be cranky that I have to have surgery on Thursday and be upset about until then, and then be upset about it for the weeks after when I'm healing. Or, I could go on through the pain and crankiness and be a productive member to society. (Well, at least the knitting society.) I've decided on the second. Here is a list of things I'm working on to fill my time as I'm stuck on the couch.

1. This is going to be a Celtic Knot Afghan for friends that are getting married in October. It is full of cables and what not and I don't think I'll want to sit and knit only this. So, I'm working on it while I work on other projects. Oh, plus I think I need more regular gratification than watching it grow at the snail pace it seems I'm knitting it.

2. On the left you see the second coming of the Bird In Hand Mittens. I ended up giving the pair that didn't fit mom to my sister. She lives near my mom and was going to go pick them up. I still want a pair, but I want lime green and brown. I think that these mittens look HUGE, but the other ones were so small on her hands that I'm hoping we're close. I only went up one needle size (from 0-1) so, I can't imagine that they're THAT big.

3. Aahhh and for me... Is the Gathered Pullover from Interweave Knits Winter 2007-2008. The picture doesn't do it justice at all; it is a simple sweater but really cool. I'm not a fan of the rolled edge because its so rolled right now, but I like how it looks in the finished picture so I'm dealing with it.

I'm holding strong to my goal of having the mittens and sweater finished by the 22nd. That is the Oh So Special day where Bloomington gets a new LYS, and I want to go in to that store looking for yarn to start a brand new project... this... Oh, and the new store has like a million colors of Blue Sky Alpaca.

if you thought I was cranky yesterday...

2008-02-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

I just found out the the screw from my second surgery did not stay in place as one might have hoped. I've been scheduled for surgery three. Since I have no nice words to say I think I won't say anything.

icky

2008-02-01T16:43:00.001-08:00

I have nothing positive to say. Here are the negative things that I've come up with.
* My foot hurts a lot. I don't remember the other one hurting like this.

* Took the Bird In Hand mittens to mom. They're too small. So, they're mine and I have to start over on hers. Left them in another city with her because I'm stupid.

* I really don't want to start a new set of mittens.

I'm going to the couch to be pout like a small child.

A sigh of relief...

2008-01-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

I walked all day without crutches. It was slow and the high school kids are calling me tiny Tim, but no crutches. I'd do a dance, but I'm not QUITE that stable on two feet yet.

In even better news I am DONE with the Bird In Hand Mittens. They are gorgeous. Yes, I skipped some of the braids. Yes, My mom (who they are for) doesn't dig the piquot edging and made me leave the rolled edge. Yes, only one is blocked. I'm calling them done anyway. And, I'm going to block the second one tonight and give the to my mom tomorrow because I have a conference that will put us in the same city.

I'm so happy. Now, on to the sweater I'm knitting that I want to finish before our new LYS opens!

Ahh Tuesday

2008-01-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

First, I can walk like 10 steps without crutches. This makes me very happy. I love being able to get a glass of water all by myself.

Reading-- Twilight so good, but I have a million other things on my mind and I can't just sit and read it.

Watching-- My husband recently bought the Twin Peaks the series. He loved it when it was on and I've never seen it. We watched the first season when I was stuck on the couch. Not so bad.

The couch sitting will continue for awhile, because even when I can walk again I know that my ankle will swell up and I'll have to sit and ice each night. Not good for productivity or the Spring Break shape I'd like to be getting in. (Oh, yeah. Going on Spring Break for the first time in 8 years. Who am I going with? My parents. Yeah. They have the same break I do; Clay can't get off work. It is sit in Btown alone or go to sunny FLA. I'm going. Too bad they work out with personal trainers and I'm stuck on my ass on the couch post surgery. Its going to be great when my mom's skinnier than I am.)

In the world of knitting I've had lots of time on my hands. I, finally, casted on for the afghan I'm making because I know that it will be slow progress. It is pretty complex. When it is long enough to show the intricate details I'll photograph it. I'm also working on a sweater that I've put on a deadline. I want to finish this sweater before Bloomington's LYS opens. February 22. But, first on my list is to finish the other Bird in Hand mitten so I can't stop feeling like a fucking idiot. I knit the first one and it turned out to be the left, not the right mitten I had intended to knit. No big deal, I knit the thumb backward and it worked. So, this time as I finished the cuff and started the thumb gusset. I looked at it really hard to make sure I didn't mess up. I needed a RIGHT mitten. So, which pattern am I using? The left hand pattern. Why? Because it makes a right hand. I'm evidently not that smart... But, I've decided that rather than really try to figure out the problem behind this I'm going to just keep knitting. At the end I'll have a right and a left mitten and they'll look like the picture... Oh, except for the Estonian Braid. I only put one of three on each mitten. Those little buggers are the worst knitting invention ever! Okay, okay, they look beautiful, but they take me nine years. Maybe if I was knitting on bigger needles I could deal with it, but no more braids on size ones. Ever.

Ahhh... one down

2008-01-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

I love these mittens (well this mitten so far) but they are not the most fun to knit. Plus, I screwed something up somewhere and had to knit the thumb backward and all sorts of other things. But, I'm so glad that this one is finished and that it looks very nice. I just have to block and embroider the little bird on it. So, for the moment I'm casting of an afghan to get away from the size 1 dpns, and later tonight I'll go back for mitten two.

Three weeks later, same story

2008-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

It has been three weeks since my last post and I can happily report that my left foot is healed! I can't even feel the screw in it, and I walk like a normal person! The bad news? Yesterday, they (Yes, they, that's what I call people who shove metal into your foot. Yes, I know I need it, but I don't think that should keep me from being cranky) put a screw in my right foot. I have from today until Sunday to sit on the couch; then
it is back to teaching.

I had big plans for my blog and they petered out so I'm starting again. My goal (which needs to be made public so that I feel the need to stick to it even though I'm sure no one reads this) is to post twice a week. Let's say Tuesday and Friday. Maybe I'll get hyped and I'll post more. That would be awesome, but not I'm not promising shit.

I think on my twice weekly post I'll post about knitting, books, and movies. My husband and I subscribe to netflix which makes me a happy camper and allows us to inexpensively watch a million movies a month. And, since I teach high school English I try to read constantly. Oh, and an important note about what I read. It is a LOT of young adult literature. So, don't get all judgemental.

So, here are my "stuck on the couch" knitting projects. The scarf above is something that I have been asked to knit by a student's parent. She picked the color; I picked the design. It looks like a cable, but it isn't. It is a stick I found in a afghan sampler book from the 50s. If I put the pattern on the web but I give credit for the stick to the book do you think that's stealing?

This is the very beginning an awesome sweater from Interweave. Am I going to crutch over and find out what it is called? Hell no. Right now it is just knitting in the round for eight inches so I'm working on it in between other projects so I don't go crazy. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this yarn though. I think it is called Top of the Lamb.

To the left you see the pattern that is currently kicking my ass. It isn't hard per se, but the stitches are itty bitty and I have to constantly look at the chart. Oh, and the picture it is upside down. These are going to be mittens, the Bird in Hand mittens to be exact. I downloaded the pattern from ravelry. Oh, and I'm knitting the right hand chart, but the thumb is in position to be the left hand mitten... So, I'm trying to decide if I try to knit the right hand again and figure out where I messed up, or if I knit the left hand chart in hopes that I mess up in the same way and make it the right hand mitten. Thoughts?
It is supposed to have a really cute picot edging, but they're for my mom and as I went to hem the stitches to make the picot she asked me not to. She thinks that the rolled yard will keep her wrists warmer. I'm totally making myself a pair with the edging. It would look WAY better. But, she's the mom, and she can't knit to make her own mittens, so... what can I do?

reading: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. It is young adult lit, and it is about vampires, but it isn't hokey in the least. I can only put it down to knit. Two of the nurses in the hospital had read all of the series (Twilight is the first one) and loved them.

watching: Atonement. Go see it. Right now. And, then tell me that you don't kind of want to have sex with James McAvoy in a library.
Saw 4- I had to see it. Not as good as the first three, but bloody as fuck. Good stuff, because I enjoy that sort of thing.

can i walk yet?

2008-01-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

I can't sit on the couch anymore. I'll die of boredom. I just finished blocking this shirt... and I've sort of lost that want to knit. Well, I want to knit lots of things, but I don't have the yarn that I want to do it with, and I can't find it at any of the stores near me. I did order some online, but I wasn't paying attention and the lady who runs the online shop is gone until January 10. Woops.

Today I have been walking on my own a bit better. The screw in my ankle seems to be cooperating, and it is a darn good thing because I about killed myself yesterday. I caught the edge of my crutch on the Christmas tree skirt yesterday morning and took a tumble, and then we went to Red Lobster and after assuring my husband that I could crutch to the door I wiped out on some ice. Because of my pride I sat through dinner with a wet bum and painful knees and elbows. Luckily, both times I fell I did not hit my leg.

For now I should write thank you notes for Christmas and try my hand at driving. After I find some food.

bah

2007-12-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

So, I had surgery on my foot the 27th. It isn't very fun. I can't even sit at the computer for very long because it makes my foot hurt to not be elevated. (No, I'm not flexible enough to sit here with my foot on the desk.) On the brightside, I've gotten lots of knitting done and i even convinced my husband to let me "break the rules" and go out of the house to buy new yarn. I really don't have anything else to add. I might have FO pics later :)

I'm officially there...

2007-12-17T16:54:00.001-08:00

I hate Christmas. It happens every time at this year. It is a week before Christmas, I'm in the middle of grading the last big projects for my Freshmen English students, getting ready to give finals, spending half my time during the day reviewing with kids that have already told me that they aren't going to study, oh, and I'm supposed to be doing nine million other things...

So, in the true spirit of procrastination and and venting I'm going to list why I hate Christmas (also known as my to-do list.)

1. This year I started making really cute Christmas cards. So, I only made a few real cool ones nad the sub par variety are still sitting next to me mocking me.

2. I like making cookies. For one night. Not three. I also don't like that there isn't a good way to do this ahead of time.

3. I'm almost done Christmas shopping. Of course, the things I have left to buy are for the hard people to buy for and I have no idea what to get.

4. I want to be generous and give to all sorts of people in need, but I surely don't have the money.

5. I'd like to finish my Christmas knitting, but that is the last thing on the list since I could buy presents if I had to.

6. I HATE going to a bunch of different houses. But, you can't see part of the family and not the rest. I mean, that's what they tell me.

7. I'm pretty sure by the end of the season the dog and cat will have knocked over the Christmas tree (even though I keep warning them about it.) Oh, I love trees. It is the part of Christmas that I like.

8. The kids at school have all lost their marbles, very few of them care about the semester anymore, and its hard to keep them occupied at this point.

9. I eat too much crap and my tummy hurts.

10. I want to hang out and be merry, but I just sit and think of the things that still need to be done...

There are a million more, but my guilt has kicked in and I must get back to grading.

Boo.

booo

2007-12-13T15:53:00.000-08:00

All this end of the semester writing and giving finals thing is making me cranky and not giving me time to get my stuff done. Plus, I think its making me fat... Not really, but I did HAVE to order pizza this evening and I had a lot of cookies at school. Ugh, I feel sick and it is my own fault.

crankin' out the quickies

2007-12-09T19:15:00.001-08:00

You know, the quick knitting projects since its only three weeks until Christmas! Tonight's project was this sock monkey hat for my sister. It was quick, easy, and its actually pretty cute on. Plus, it only took a few hours! There was supposed to be a pon pom on top, but I left it off. I figure I'll just give my sis some red yard and if she wants to make a pon pom for it she can.

Next, on the nerdy quick knit list? A dishcloth with Homer Simpson on it. Yes, I'm really knitting that... But, the guy I'm making it for is sure to love it!

Woopsie

2007-12-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

I came home Friday night and started making my list of things to do for the weekend. Many of the items were things I needed to finish up for school (writing a final, making a review sheet...) and the rest were Christmas related (finish these nine small knitting projects, finish Christmas cards, and make some cookies. Well, its Sunday morning and I don't have much to say for myself.

I will officially be buying Christmas cards this afternoon because even though I love how the quilled ones look they take FOREVER! This whole quilling thing is something that should be done one card at a time. Not with a list of 50 sitting in front of you.

I'm putting off casting on this sock monkey hat for my sister because I'm scared of it. I don't know why -- the pattern isn't hard, its just freaking me out. I have casted on a scarf that has a really neat owl cable in it for my husband, but I can't knit it when he's around.

Ugh, sitting here thinking about my list is just making me cranky. I need some productive activity to start!

It seemed like a good idea...

2007-12-05T18:58:00.002-08:00

So, in the midst of preparing to give finals and review sheets, starting a new tutoring gig, dealing with Christmas shopping and knitting I decided that I needed to not only make my Christmas cards but learn a new craft in order to do so...

Here is what quilling a poinsettia looks like. I love how it looks and it is somewhat fun to do but takes a lot longer than I thought. So, I'm paring down my Christmas Card list and trying to make five a night and send them the next day; rather than making a marathon night of it and sending them all at once like I usually do. I think this might be one things that's easier once you have kids. It will look so much cooler just to have a picture of a cute baby or toddler than worry about making them memorable cards! The one good thing that this has brought is that it is keeping me out of the yarn store...

On another note, I have finished stockings for me and the husband. Now, I have a lot of smaller projects that are filling in for having to spend more money on other presents. So, I'll need to knock out my five cards a night quickly and then get back to knitting!

Here's my snowflake! I like these better, but the flowers are far quicker to make!

Christmas Knitting

2007-12-03T15:19:00.001-08:00

Time to knit the small things! Because there isn't time to knit the big! I'm in a great mood because A) I don't have to wait tables anymore
B) I get to tutor and still bring in extra money
C) For some reason I'm full of holiday spirit this year
D) I have lots of things to knit and I'm making progress.

My first try at making a stocking turned out ugly as sin. So I've started over. Here's a picture of the one that I have finished. It was a QUICK knit so I hope to finish the other one tonight.I'm still trying to figure out how to wrap text around pictures... Maybe next time.

I had never thought of knitting stuffed animals or animal toys, but since I have had ravelry (I'm erincolleen if you are a raveler) I saw a couple of really cute things. So, I'm making a few of these knit kittens and filling them with cat nip to use a stocking stuffers for those that have cats. I opted to leave off eyes and a mouth since I don't want anyone's cat to eat that stuff!

CHEATER!

2007-11-26T20:24:00.001-08:00

I feel like I'm cheating on my knitting. (My husband also might think that I'm cheating on him with knitting and ravelry...) I have NEVER worked on two projects at once, but right now I'm working on a GIANT stocking, and I have a 45 minute break at work where I can knit. ** This giant stocking is going to be felted and not be this giant later, but I still think its going to be much larger than I intended!
I've finally decided that instead of lugging my stocking back and forth I'll just start a smaller at work project. So, I'm going to start knitting goofy knitted cats as stocking stuffer for my mom and sister. I even bought cat nip to stuff them with.

Am I turning into a creepy cat lady that teaches English and knits constantly? I swear I'm only 25 and I'm not THAT lame or nerdy!

Unfair...

2007-11-26T03:43:00.000-08:00

I just has 5 days off frpm teaching, but somehow this morning I still managed to wake up tired with a rockin' headache. (Okay, the tiredness is my fault, I shouldn't have made a Wal-Mart run at 12:30 last night...)

FOUR MORE SHIFTS

2007-11-23T18:36:00.000-08:00

I'm so very happy that I only have to work four more shifts of my second job before I can be a girl with one job, have a social life, eat normal food, and catch up on knitting!!

HOORAY!

Baby sweater-- finished

2007-11-18T19:07:00.002-08:00

I am in love with this little baby sweater. I finished it this evening and I'm sad that the 6 month old boy I made it for was already asleep as I put the little buttons on... I can't wait until I can see him in it! The only downside is that it is a lot bulkier than I thought it would be, so it may not be something that a baby would wear for hours on end, but maybe as the weather cools down a baby could wear it in lieu of a jacket.

I've started now on felted Christmas stocking for my husband and me. I made the mistake of buying a couple of knitting magazines (Vogue knits, and knit simple) on my way home from work today though and now I want to make everything for everyone this Christmas.

Sadly, there is still a sweater for myself that just needs to be sewn together. I hate putting things together so much it might just sit bound off on my drying rack for a few more days. All I have left it to put the sleeves in place, but I HATE, HATE, HATE the sewing aspect of knitting. I hate it so much in fact I made a point to knit the sleeves on dpns so that I wouldn't have to sew them when finished. Oh well, I'll put the final sewing on my to do list and see how many days I move it to the next...

On the brightside I have Wednesday through Sunday off from teaching this week, and I'm under the two week mark of having to wait tables! Two Sundays from now I can watch football all day (and knit!) instead of catching plays in between tables!

cranky

2007-11-16T20:26:00.000-08:00

I can't help it. I'm cranky. I went to my "real" job- teaching and had a fine day. Then, I went to wait tables, the job I hate, but pays awesome, and it made me cranky. Maybe its the fact that I work with college kids who think I'm rich because I have two jobs, maybe its the fact that I have to wait on fraternity boys that hit on me, and sorority girls that giggle because they are better than me. I got a new second job today as a homebound teacher so I got to put my two weeks notice in. I have to admit that made me happy. I'll be happier though when my two weeks is up...

Ravelry!

2007-11-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

So, today I got my invitation to Ravelry and NOW I am ready to blog. I won't just blog about knitting, but I know that a lot of my blog will at least be about knitting. I just spent 15 minutes on ravelry and I have already realized that this is going to become an obsession. I'm so excited to look through the yarn that I no longer need and try to trade for it! Hooray!
Today I have taken the day off work (both jobs) and I have a whole list of things that I need to work on. The one that I feel is the most important is Kolcun's sweater. It is a beautiful cable knit baby sweater and I'd love to finish it by the end of the day. Sadly, I also need to clean the house, and maybe rake some leaves. Being invited to Ravelry today is certainly not going to help my productivity, but what can you do!
Well, because I'm a little anal about my to do list I have decided to take things in stride and like a small child I'm going to make myself complete some things on the list before I look any further into blogging or Ravelry.

But, hooray! I'm finally ready to start having knitting friends!

First try

2007-10-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

So, I've been that creeper that has read other people's blogs for the past few months. I saw a link through myspace and started looking at random blogs. I feel oddly less creepy now admitting it. As I looked at these blogs I realized that I think having one myself would be cool. So, I'm going to try it out. There are a million different things that I want to talk about, but I just can't formulate them all yet.