I feel like I should blog but all I can think about at this moment is the super huge pile of dishes waiting on my countertop at home and my psychotic tendencies toward them...and who wants to read about that?!
Not I said the fly.
So, I'm working away on my little sweater project and it's coming right along. I'm keeping the back portion on the needles until I get the two fronts worked up, make sure it fits me, finish up the neck shaping, and bind off whatever needs it. Pretty smart, eh? Yep, I'm a genius. We'll see if my genius idea was a good one or bad one a little further into this.
Can you believe it took this poor woman an entire year to make this sweater?
I bet that wasn't in the instructions "This pattern is absolutely beautiful and it will make you and those you live with miserable and take a year of your life to complete."
She did a lovely job and it is beautiful, but it's good to know these things... If I ever write a pattern I think I'll include the scale of life-sucking power it has...I'm thinking a little meter like in Princess Bride.
Some patterns don't have any mention of difficulty and let me tell you, when you still can't get past the 30th row and you have frogged it 10+ times, you wish the genius that composed the pattern would have put a warning at the top:
"DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU CANNOT COUNT OR CANNOT PERFORM MAGIC WITH YOUR MIND - EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AMOUNT OF LIFE SUCKED BY THIS PATTERN: 1 YEAR."
Just sayin.
My counting skills are present and accounted for as of late. But I'm not sure I'd take off on a project like the beautiful steeked sweater just yet. Let's get past the whole garment shaping thing first and then see where it goes from there. I may never make a full-sized human garment again for all I know. :) Probably not, cause I sorta like being challenged, but it's possible.
I also noticed that on Bellsknits blog she has a little project meter that is super cool...too bad I only have one project going at a time, but if I was a multi-project sort of a person, I'd be all over that. Maybe as I progress in my skills I'll find the capacity to have multiple projects going. I'm hoping so cause it sure does sound fun!
I digress.
I did not do a whole ton of knitting this weekend - it was a social weekend - game night Friday after work and a graduation party Sataurday afternoon/evening. Cleaning a bit (sans dishes) and mowing the yard on Sunday and before we knew it *poof!* it was Monday again. I knitted Sunday. After all the outside stuff.
I took my knitting with me to the graduation gathering but couldn't really muster the bravery to pull it out cause I really catch a crap ton of grief for knitting at gatherings. Like serious grief.
A former co-worker of mine, who is further along the timeline than I, once told me I had an 'old soul'. I didn't really consider it at the time, thinking either she was slightly immature for her age or that she found it odd that she might have so much in common with someone so much behind her on the timeline, but the more events in my life that I step back and observe I find that label very appropriate. 'Old soul'. It's deep. It's seeping wisdom. It's me knitting in the middle of my best friend's house at her mom's graduation party (she went back to school for her bachelor's-whoop!). Wait, that last one didn't happen except in my head. Digression.
Since I'm having a bit of an issue staying on topic here, I'm going to jet. I have to order pizza anyway so we don't add to the counter top dish monster and I can continue to knit and pretend it's not there.
Cause I'd rather be knitting anyway.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Liar Liar
Pants on fire. I did not so much blog last night as promised. Mostly due to me forgetting about Wednesday night volleyball. Funny story though. It rains so little here that if we get rain in the morning, it's sunny the rest of the day, volleyball courts get shut down. That's not really why - the courts are that red dirt crap and moisture + red dirt = no good. I was pretty glad that we were not playing in red soup, personally, and yet not so happy I had just driven back into town for nothing. So, my sister and I met up at TLU to play on their courts. TLU courts were locked so we played in the racketball courts :). It was good because we are not as in-shape or coordinated as we used to be and the small room assisted in not having to run as far to chase down wild balls.
I missed Zoey finding a bat in our fireplace hanging out on the screen closure taking a little nap while practicing at TLU. Add 'check fireplace flue' to our 'Things Needing Fixing' list for the house.
Moving on:
These are the beanies for the boys. Pretty fun, right?
Turns out we'll see them soo and I'll deliver them when we do.It's still like 100 degrees so I'm pretty sure they can live without them for awhile.
I was contemplating either doing dishes or knitting....dishes....knitting....dishes....knitting...so I'm blogging. :) If only we won the lottery and I could buy the fancy dishwasher I want. I would do the dishes and never complain if we had a dishwasher, but we're old fashion in this house and slow to keep up with the times so manual washing it is. Yuck.
Anyway, I have blogged about what I was going to blog about and I have dinner going all at the same time, so I've got to jet. Ya'll have a good evening. I'll be working on my knitting later :).
I missed Zoey finding a bat in our fireplace hanging out on the screen closure taking a little nap while practicing at TLU. Add 'check fireplace flue' to our 'Things Needing Fixing' list for the house.
Moving on:
Turns out we'll see them soo and I'll deliver them when we do.It's still like 100 degrees so I'm pretty sure they can live without them for awhile.
I was contemplating either doing dishes or knitting....dishes....knitting....dishes....knitting...so I'm blogging. :) If only we won the lottery and I could buy the fancy dishwasher I want. I would do the dishes and never complain if we had a dishwasher, but we're old fashion in this house and slow to keep up with the times so manual washing it is. Yuck.
Anyway, I have blogged about what I was going to blog about and I have dinner going all at the same time, so I've got to jet. Ya'll have a good evening. I'll be working on my knitting later :).
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Rain!!
We've been in a bit of a dry spell down here in south-central Texas... And that's slightly understated cause our dry spell is a drought.
This morning we were lucky enough to receive a bit of relief. Our rain guage read three inches and it was still raining when we left the house. Talking to everyone else in the office that's above average by far with most people only getting 1.5 inches. Jamie and I car pool into town since we have about the same hours and his work is on the way to mine. As I drove through town after dropping him off I noticed it was cloudy enough that all the street lights were bathing everything in a dewy yellowish color, fooled into thinking it was still nighttime. It made the normally sunny small downtown area of Seguin seem mysterious and different. Growing up in this part of Texas has been especially good for appreciating the rainy weather. I don't get the complaining after a couple of days of rain because it's grey and wet outside. I LOVE IT. It's like a Christmas present wrapped in green when all the other ones are covered in red. After so many days of nothing but sunshine sometimes all you want is a bit of cloudiness. The water part of it is my favorite because it's like the earth decided to clean up all the dust and pollen and wash it away. It's fasinating to watch rivers, ditches, stock tanks, driveways, buckets, and flower pots fill up with water from the sky. Purely refreshing. Urging me to go outside - I love running after a good rain so I can marvel at all the changes from such a small amount of rain.
Then I do and I regret it because it's so freaking humid I feel like I'm going to pass out. Since taking a job that requires I sit in a super cooled room with servers and work in front of computer all day, my tolerance for the humidity is at zero. So, I knit and crochet. :) Until the two months of winter and then I go work outside and run and Jamie and I sit on the deck in evenings. A little backwards I know, but such is the life in this part of the state.
Anyway, enough about weather. There is only so much one can say about that. I finished up beanies for my godsons and have been toting them around in the truck trying to remember to stop by the post office to mail them. I'll get around to it one day. Or maybe we'll see them soon. I took pictures and I will post a blog about the beanies tonight since I've finished setting up both Jamie and I's iphones.
I screwed up the damn sweater project (surprise! right?!). Very irritated at myself because I did not catch it until many rows after. It was a VERY obvious mistake - even Jamie said 'You're going to unravel it again, right?' When I tried to pick up my stitches post-frogging, I realized I wasn't quite sure how to pick up the slip stitches because this mistake was in the lace fagoting not in the stockinette stitches. So I got to take out the next row stitch-by-stitch to make sure I picked them up correctly and that I wasn't creating an unsightly mess once I got going forward (not backward like I was) again. I promised myself that I would finish this damn sweater even if it took all year. Although, I would be very sad if it took all year cause I have big plans for the list of stuff to make BEFORE Christmas. Before THIS Christmas.
I figured out the pattern sizing as it is written should fit me in the size I am making it. In response, since it didn't in fact fit the first time around, I am adding a RS row and a WS row before the increases hoping that might allow for more room in the armhole. It works in my head, so we'll see if it works in practice.I often have a hard time finding clothes that fit because I am inbetween a medium and large - mainly due to boobage and being an hourglass-ish shape (wide hourglass but nonetheless, an hourglass in measurements). Typically, it's either way tight in the boobs or way big everywhere. This is my first wearable/clothing type article I'm making for myself so I'm just going to wing it. Maybe I'll message a blogger I'm following who regularly edits patterns for herself and get some feedback on if what I'm thinking in my head will work in practice.
That's pretty out of my box though, so we'll see on that idea.
I have come to the conclusion in the madness that is this sweater project that I am not the type of knitter who can have multiple projects cast on and in progress. Surprising to those of you who know me in person? I think NOT! It overwhelms me to know I have all kinds of stuff going on that I cannot see the end to. As I type that, I'm thinking of casting on a pair of socks for myself just to feel like my knitting is going somewhere since the sweater project is moving backward more than progressing forward. :D Can't win for losing.
Okie dokie - I'm outa here. Especially since I have already promised another blog (two in one day is becoming a trend) and you all might get tired of hearing all the rambling that goes on in my brain.
Have a great day!
This morning we were lucky enough to receive a bit of relief. Our rain guage read three inches and it was still raining when we left the house. Talking to everyone else in the office that's above average by far with most people only getting 1.5 inches. Jamie and I car pool into town since we have about the same hours and his work is on the way to mine. As I drove through town after dropping him off I noticed it was cloudy enough that all the street lights were bathing everything in a dewy yellowish color, fooled into thinking it was still nighttime. It made the normally sunny small downtown area of Seguin seem mysterious and different. Growing up in this part of Texas has been especially good for appreciating the rainy weather. I don't get the complaining after a couple of days of rain because it's grey and wet outside. I LOVE IT. It's like a Christmas present wrapped in green when all the other ones are covered in red. After so many days of nothing but sunshine sometimes all you want is a bit of cloudiness. The water part of it is my favorite because it's like the earth decided to clean up all the dust and pollen and wash it away. It's fasinating to watch rivers, ditches, stock tanks, driveways, buckets, and flower pots fill up with water from the sky. Purely refreshing. Urging me to go outside - I love running after a good rain so I can marvel at all the changes from such a small amount of rain.
Then I do and I regret it because it's so freaking humid I feel like I'm going to pass out. Since taking a job that requires I sit in a super cooled room with servers and work in front of computer all day, my tolerance for the humidity is at zero. So, I knit and crochet. :) Until the two months of winter and then I go work outside and run and Jamie and I sit on the deck in evenings. A little backwards I know, but such is the life in this part of the state.
Anyway, enough about weather. There is only so much one can say about that. I finished up beanies for my godsons and have been toting them around in the truck trying to remember to stop by the post office to mail them. I'll get around to it one day. Or maybe we'll see them soon. I took pictures and I will post a blog about the beanies tonight since I've finished setting up both Jamie and I's iphones.
I screwed up the damn sweater project (surprise! right?!). Very irritated at myself because I did not catch it until many rows after. It was a VERY obvious mistake - even Jamie said 'You're going to unravel it again, right?' When I tried to pick up my stitches post-frogging, I realized I wasn't quite sure how to pick up the slip stitches because this mistake was in the lace fagoting not in the stockinette stitches. So I got to take out the next row stitch-by-stitch to make sure I picked them up correctly and that I wasn't creating an unsightly mess once I got going forward (not backward like I was) again. I promised myself that I would finish this damn sweater even if it took all year. Although, I would be very sad if it took all year cause I have big plans for the list of stuff to make BEFORE Christmas. Before THIS Christmas.
I figured out the pattern sizing as it is written should fit me in the size I am making it. In response, since it didn't in fact fit the first time around, I am adding a RS row and a WS row before the increases hoping that might allow for more room in the armhole. It works in my head, so we'll see if it works in practice.I often have a hard time finding clothes that fit because I am inbetween a medium and large - mainly due to boobage and being an hourglass-ish shape (wide hourglass but nonetheless, an hourglass in measurements). Typically, it's either way tight in the boobs or way big everywhere. This is my first wearable/clothing type article I'm making for myself so I'm just going to wing it. Maybe I'll message a blogger I'm following who regularly edits patterns for herself and get some feedback on if what I'm thinking in my head will work in practice.
That's pretty out of my box though, so we'll see on that idea.
I have come to the conclusion in the madness that is this sweater project that I am not the type of knitter who can have multiple projects cast on and in progress. Surprising to those of you who know me in person? I think NOT! It overwhelms me to know I have all kinds of stuff going on that I cannot see the end to. As I type that, I'm thinking of casting on a pair of socks for myself just to feel like my knitting is going somewhere since the sweater project is moving backward more than progressing forward. :D Can't win for losing.
Okie dokie - I'm outa here. Especially since I have already promised another blog (two in one day is becoming a trend) and you all might get tired of hearing all the rambling that goes on in my brain.
Have a great day!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Post #2
Not all that fond of posting more than once in a day, but I have pictures!!!
Progress so far on the sweater project after frogging.
I really wish I would've taken a photo of the messed up portions of this section before frogging cause the number one good thing about pulling this apart was I was able to fix those mistakes. Thank the lord!
Another close up of the lace.
More goodies that you might or might not care about.
Super delicious carrot cake from a couple of weekends ago!
I'm going to admit I typically have a HUGE problem with icing. Especially cream cheese icing - this time, not so much...why you might wonder....butter. Real butter.
You expert bakers probably know this, but me being a super super new baker only just discovered it. Best thing ever. Probably what made the cake. Look how pretty it is. :)
And I sing to all you: "Beautiful bread!" Seriously ya'll homemade bread is the bomb! I am one day going to be a 400lb woman due to bread. Lovely bread.
Heather, remind me to get your honey wheat bread recipe cause I still can't find a good one.
And last but not least, just cause they're cute, two of our ferocious doggies (Brisco is missing from the line up):
< Zoey - who is freaked out by a camera flash (and flickering light bulbs) because she thinks it's lightening. Luckily this time she didn't get herself so worked up she had to go hide in the bathtub.
Alrighty, folks, that's it for now. Goodnight.
More goodies that you might or might not care about.
You expert bakers probably know this, but me being a super super new baker only just discovered it. Best thing ever. Probably what made the cake. Look how pretty it is. :)
And I sing to all you: "Beautiful bread!" Seriously ya'll homemade bread is the bomb! I am one day going to be a 400lb woman due to bread. Lovely bread.
Heather, remind me to get your honey wheat bread recipe cause I still can't find a good one.
And last but not least, just cause they're cute, two of our ferocious doggies (Brisco is missing from the line up):
 |
| The newest addition - Copper |
< Zoey - who is freaked out by a camera flash (and flickering light bulbs) because she thinks it's lightening. Luckily this time she didn't get herself so worked up she had to go hide in the bathtub. Alrighty, folks, that's it for now. Goodnight.
Sell out
So, I ordered an iphone.
And yes, I feel like a sell out. But my coworker Shelly has introduced me firsthand to words with friends. And I'm hooked.
My sister has mentioned it and I was interested but I knew better than to check it out first hand, knowing my super scrabble dorkiness would get the better of me. I have been conquored. And I cannot believe that I am admitting that I am finally upgrading for a game.
I'm usually pretty good at hiding the fact that on the inside I am a total nerd. It's coming out in droves on this thing...weird how that works out. It's the blog that makes me dorky! I promise.
I am upgrading my cell phone because I like scrabble.
Yep, full force nerdiness. Love it.
I have been putting off a phone upgrade based on priciple of not wanting to pay a super high phone bill cause I just don't think it's right and I don't think it's necessary. Also, after taking a significant pay cut late last year because of my old job becoming a sales job, our household budget has taken some serious cuts. We had some major house projects planned/started (ie the master bedroom/bath) that are currently on hold until we get some stuff paid off or until I find significantly cheaper ways to do things. Or I get a big fat raise in October...yeah, right.
It is partially my fault (I did take the job I am currently in, but gas didn't cost a butt load then either), but I cannot change the situation I am in at the moment so I'm making the most of it. And being damn creative while I'm at it.
I didn't get to knit yesterday cause of volleyball, but I'm looking forward to it tonight. Odd considering it was 102 earlier and I'm daydreaming of knitting. My project is cotton thank goodness. Hopefully I can post pictures tonight of the re-progress on the sweater.
The bag has been laid to rest until I can get the sewing machine into the shop or until I can save up the money to buy a new one.
Have a good afternoon!
And yes, I feel like a sell out. But my coworker Shelly has introduced me firsthand to words with friends. And I'm hooked.
My sister has mentioned it and I was interested but I knew better than to check it out first hand, knowing my super scrabble dorkiness would get the better of me. I have been conquored. And I cannot believe that I am admitting that I am finally upgrading for a game.
I'm usually pretty good at hiding the fact that on the inside I am a total nerd. It's coming out in droves on this thing...weird how that works out. It's the blog that makes me dorky! I promise.
I am upgrading my cell phone because I like scrabble.
Yep, full force nerdiness. Love it.
I have been putting off a phone upgrade based on priciple of not wanting to pay a super high phone bill cause I just don't think it's right and I don't think it's necessary. Also, after taking a significant pay cut late last year because of my old job becoming a sales job, our household budget has taken some serious cuts. We had some major house projects planned/started (ie the master bedroom/bath) that are currently on hold until we get some stuff paid off or until I find significantly cheaper ways to do things. Or I get a big fat raise in October...yeah, right.
It is partially my fault (I did take the job I am currently in, but gas didn't cost a butt load then either), but I cannot change the situation I am in at the moment so I'm making the most of it. And being damn creative while I'm at it.
I didn't get to knit yesterday cause of volleyball, but I'm looking forward to it tonight. Odd considering it was 102 earlier and I'm daydreaming of knitting. My project is cotton thank goodness. Hopefully I can post pictures tonight of the re-progress on the sweater.
The bag has been laid to rest until I can get the sewing machine into the shop or until I can save up the money to buy a new one.
Have a good afternoon!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Up and Running
I'm knitting again!
While I was out of town last week, I finished one of the little beanies (crochet) and started the second one. I need to finish up that second one. I did not pick up the sweater project until this past weekend. Seems as though I just couldn't count before, but I can now so I'm back on it. I've gotten quite a bit done in my normal fashion of knitting a few rows when I have time. Coming right along.
I also scraped the ceiling in our master bath sink area. We're still throwing around ideas of if we want to texture paint it like we did in the closet or try something else, but Jamie has to replace a patch of sheetrock in the corner where we tore out a built in shelf type thing that took up lots of space and made it feel kinda cramped.
The side table I plan on converting into a sink base is still available thank goodness. I keep visiting it :). We have a bit of an issue with space in this little sink area and after deciding it wasn't a good idea to knock out the wall between the sink area and shower/toilet area I've had to be quite creative to find something that will work as a double sink. I combed over websites and wore Jamie out with visiting home improvement stores in search of something that was a) not super expensive and when I say super expensive I mean it needs to be cheap; b) is good quality; c) and allows for two sinks in a 60' space. So, I found this:
I'm envisioning two vessel sinks like this:
and the expensive part is the faucets for two vessel sinks. The particular sink above comes sink/faucet combo and that may be the way we have to go. I think I can get the entire piece for under $800. It is hard to find a comparable two sink option that looks a little higher end. I would love to create the whole thing for under $500, but we'll see. That's an idealistic number and may not even be realistically possible.
My goal is to redo the entire master bedroom and bathroom for under $2500. That's my goal...we'll see if I can actually do that. The tub and surround has the greatest potential to bust that number - I'm still on the hunt for those items.
Alrighty, I just went off on a huge home improvement tangent. Thanks for listening.
I've got to get back to my real world. Ya'll have a great day!
While I was out of town last week, I finished one of the little beanies (crochet) and started the second one. I need to finish up that second one. I did not pick up the sweater project until this past weekend. Seems as though I just couldn't count before, but I can now so I'm back on it. I've gotten quite a bit done in my normal fashion of knitting a few rows when I have time. Coming right along.
I also scraped the ceiling in our master bath sink area. We're still throwing around ideas of if we want to texture paint it like we did in the closet or try something else, but Jamie has to replace a patch of sheetrock in the corner where we tore out a built in shelf type thing that took up lots of space and made it feel kinda cramped.
The side table I plan on converting into a sink base is still available thank goodness. I keep visiting it :). We have a bit of an issue with space in this little sink area and after deciding it wasn't a good idea to knock out the wall between the sink area and shower/toilet area I've had to be quite creative to find something that will work as a double sink. I combed over websites and wore Jamie out with visiting home improvement stores in search of something that was a) not super expensive and when I say super expensive I mean it needs to be cheap; b) is good quality; c) and allows for two sinks in a 60' space. So, I found this:
I'm envisioning two vessel sinks like this:
and the expensive part is the faucets for two vessel sinks. The particular sink above comes sink/faucet combo and that may be the way we have to go. I think I can get the entire piece for under $800. It is hard to find a comparable two sink option that looks a little higher end. I would love to create the whole thing for under $500, but we'll see. That's an idealistic number and may not even be realistically possible.
My goal is to redo the entire master bedroom and bathroom for under $2500. That's my goal...we'll see if I can actually do that. The tub and surround has the greatest potential to bust that number - I'm still on the hunt for those items.
Alrighty, I just went off on a huge home improvement tangent. Thanks for listening.
I've got to get back to my real world. Ya'll have a great day!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Unfinished business
This weekend was fantastic thanks to a surprise visit from Kat! My sister called and said we're coming out and bringing fajitas. It always amazes me how quickly you can throw together a feast. And feast we did. Good times.
I was still sort of on my cleaning kick this weekend and not so much on a crafting kick. My sewing machine (which is older than I am) is officially not keeping tension. And that has killed my crafting drive. Couldn't sew the pieces of the liner together for my bag, couldn't get my sweater to behave properly, got a crocheted beanie mostly done for my godson but need to make another one, and I believe all the unfinished business is killing my mojo. I'm going to some training for a couple of days and I'll probably take the beanies and sweater with me. Although I know the co-worker I am going with is going to want to 'see the sights' after our training and wants me to go with him so I probably am only taking the projects with huge hopes that I'll get something done on them. I could probably finish the beanie in the car ride up there since I'm not driving.
I'm thinking it will be a while until I am actually productive enough to post something finished on here, but I'll do my best!
I was still sort of on my cleaning kick this weekend and not so much on a crafting kick. My sewing machine (which is older than I am) is officially not keeping tension. And that has killed my crafting drive. Couldn't sew the pieces of the liner together for my bag, couldn't get my sweater to behave properly, got a crocheted beanie mostly done for my godson but need to make another one, and I believe all the unfinished business is killing my mojo. I'm going to some training for a couple of days and I'll probably take the beanies and sweater with me. Although I know the co-worker I am going with is going to want to 'see the sights' after our training and wants me to go with him so I probably am only taking the projects with huge hopes that I'll get something done on them. I could probably finish the beanie in the car ride up there since I'm not driving.
I'm thinking it will be a while until I am actually productive enough to post something finished on here, but I'll do my best!
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