2009

Not a bad year!

I'm up in New York again for the holidays (sorry for lack of posting!), and I can't wait to show off some swag once I get back. Plus, more time to knit ;)

Happy 2010

FO: Ma Cherie

<3 <3 <3 <3

DONE DONE DONE and DONE

Pattern: Cherie Amour

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica in colorway 115 (Flame)

Time: a little over a year (oy)

Why yes, it is very difficult and ridiculous to take pictures of yourself.

I am gaga over this thing. It is warm and soft and awesomely pretty.

Some specs! I made the body in the small size, but when I had knit both sleeves in small, even with blocking they were not nearly big enough to wrap around my arm, though my gauge was spot on. So measuring the armholes for accuracy, I reknit the sleeves in the large size, only to find they were much too long! I ripped them back a few repeats from the top before seaming.

Overall, this pattern is delightfully simple for a first sweater, and mighty cute too. I've gotten great compliments :D

Double the FO's: Stalking Socks and Oreo Mittens

Slipper socks in women's size 9 for my cousin for Christmas. The yarn is Jo-Ann Sensations Angel Hair, which is an absolute pain to knit with, but OMG SO SOFT. And they are the very neon-est of neon blue (which is why they're called Stalking Socks…fuzzy blue things instantly remind me of Monsters, Inc. :P )

Mittens for myself! I've been needing a pair. They look sort of large because, well, they are large. They're warm, but too thin to wear alone in Pittsburgh's windy winter, so the largeness leaves room for a pair of gloves to be worn underneath.

Both patterns were improvised, which makes me kind of proud, since I haven't designed a pattern in…let's not even count, ugh.

And speaking of accomplishments:

IT'S THE HOMESTRETCH, BABY.

Halvsies

Socks for my cousin

and mittens for me

Getting my winter knitting in gear with these projects, as well as my brainpower. Since these socks and these mittens, I haven't improvised a design in a loooooong time :P

FO: Delusional Shoes

Shoes made by a factory most likely in China, art made by me

Mo gave these to me forever ago, but I managed to finish them in time for her birthday this weekend (surprise!). Now that the cat is out of the bag, it's safe to post pictures of these up here :)

Left shoe



Right shoe



She absolutely insisted on a dinosaur somewhere in the design, so…

All in all, they took forever, but the recipient loves them. Mission accomplished

Meh

Since I am the most boring person in existence, have a list!

Things I Have Not Gotten Around to Reading Yet:
~The daVinci Code
~Life of Pi
~Three Cups of Tea
~Looking For Alaska
~Flush

Things I Really Want to Reread for the Possibly Billionth Time
~Fairest
~The Tale of Despereaux
~Chasing Vermeer
~The entire A Series of Unfortunate Events set
~All of the Harry Potter books
~Twilight (for mocking purposes only, I assure you)

I Really Need to Finish:
~Little Dorrit

That One Teen Romance Book My Cousin Recommended:
is getting pushed to the very, very back of the queue

Yes, most of these are kids books. I'm judging you too.
The problem with books is that they require a lot more time allowance than say, homework or checking email.
Thanksgiving break, meet paper cuts and decreasing vision!

Post Indian summer

Thank heavens for the good soul who invented the leaf-blower.





I harbor a healthy distaste for fall weather…but the skies sure are pretty these days.

Actually doing stuff

The very second I have a minute unoccupied with homework, music lessons, or obligatory comic creation, there will be some sleeve blocking, some seaming, and I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL FINISH THIS SUCKER.

Virtual pencil-pushing

Personal goal: write another play to submit by March.

I can do this.

I can!

So this time around, I want to give romance a try. Well not exactly romance, but some romantic interaction (if that just made any sense at all). I have a starting plot :D

This time around I'm going to try to keep tabs on the ol' blog. …If my writing sucks/stinks/makes you want to vomit, please alert me and I'll end your online suffering.

Have a summary then:
Hopeless romantic chess-champion Calvin Dunn is waiting for the perfect girl. Britney Carr may be charming and confident, but her grades are far from perfect. With militant teachers, chess tournaments, and the dreaded TRAUMA's (Test of Rational Analysis Underlying Mathematical Application) ahead, will Calvin ever get a chance to tell Britney how he feels?

This will be quite the project :P

FO: Monarch

Yarn: Malabrigo Lace in Glazed Carrot (such a yummy orange).
Pattern: Baktus


Sometimes, life is like a scarf. A good idea at first, and it starts out well. You have to work at it some, but a challenge is fun. But eventually you just get tired. Things are dragging on much longer than you thought they would. Mistakes are made all too easily, and they get harder and harder to fix. Nothing is turning out how you pictured.
It takes courage, confidence, and maybe even a little insanity to rip it to shreds and start over.

But it's all worth it in the end.


Look out, Fall. Here I come.