finishing block 2 and beginning block 3

Day 4 - Knitted but didn't get a whole lot done.
I went snowboarding tonight what do you expect? & watched Conan when I got home.


Day 5 - Barely got anything done.
I went to hang with friends on Welch Ave.

Day 6 - Block 2 complete
Finished 18 garter ridges! This project is way more fun than people credit it with. Binding off after each block is a satisfying experience that usually only comes with finishing a project, and another thing that adds to the satisfaction is changing to a new color each block.

2 out of 10 complete! (It looks as if there are 12 blocks total but Block 9 and 10 use the Intarsia technique to knit with 2 colors at once to make less to seam!)


Here is a new progress photo starting with Day 1's progress on Sunday to Day 6's progress today (Saturday). It was super fun doing Block 2 probably because it will be the smallest block.

Now I will just turn the work clockwise and pick up 60 stitches in the lime green-ish color:

It may be difficult to get used to 60 stitches that I need to knit into for 36 garter ridges! Perseverance.

adding a new block

Day 3 - Adding a new colored block

Now I did a little research before I bound off the last square. I was wondering if I should keep the stitches live (on holders) or do the bind off and picking up stitches like the pattern says. After consulting the Ravelry forums, I decided that I would try it the bind off way because then all the blocks will have a distinct edge, and some Ravelers preferred the look. I don't have any problem with picking up stitches anyway.

So here we go, Block 2
Pick up 36 stitches along the right side (I did 1 in each "valley" between ridges).
Knit 18 garter ridges. All I got to tonight is picking up the stitches in yellow, and I just turned the block on its side to knit into the right side of it.

One thing I know is that Calculus homework really sucked tonight. Then I realized all of the answers were in the back of the book! Wondering if this is a trick. Maybe they want to see how many people get A's on homework but fail the tests? No idea. What a boring semester though. I hope knitting keeps my busy and makes it fly!

Well almost 2am better hit the pillow.

Droid blog

I finally downloaded a Blogger app for my phone!
Now I can update more often. Right now I am working on a pair of crocheted booties for a friend. They are orange, the yarn left over from another baby gift. So cute. The pattern is from Crochet Today! Magazine. Pic coming to Ravelry.
Last night I pulled out my Delphine lace knit top. Just started the main lace pattern. Have just about 3 inches done. Pattern is in Interweave Knits spring 2009 issue. It's also in the book French Girl Knits. Pic also in Ravelry.
Ugh I have such bad news...I think I am developing an allergy to wool! I wore a sweater the other day and after I took it off I had red hive bumps that are still there. And when I was knitting my Delphine (100% wool, Blue Sky Alpacas yarn) my hand started to get red bumps on it where I was touching it! All I know is I am not giving in! Wool and I are such good friends. Plus I want to learn to spin so this can't be. All my dreams of sheep and llamas running through fields are now beginning to make me itch with despair. I will do what I have to do to stay on good terms, even if it requires medication! Heck don't all of us knitters require medication at some point? Or at least all of the non-knitters in our lives might say so.
I have here now a couple of book reviews. Go get these from the public library (my new favorite place)!
[Grade: A+] I just finished the Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee...hilarious and I was laughing so hard at some parts. She tells stories about experiences with knitting blunders and creates a yarn world that us knitters can relate to.
[Grade: A] I also just finished reading The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. It's fiction and interesting if you like reading mini life stories about women from different worlds meeting together and knitting. The only bad part is that the main character lost her little daughter and it takes the whole book for her to deal with the grief. But its ok because it was still a good read, even though sad at times. But real-life.
Well my fingers are freaking sore from texting. Thanks for reading!

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new wordle

This is a great Wordle =) 

colorado calls

Well starting by looking at my last blog post, I sort of dropped that friendship...good thing, huh?

Anyways- this week is looking crazy. That's why I'm still awake, I have so much on my mind.

In the midst of school, work, and "finding a new church"...CFC is still my church though. I miss it :,( ...I am jumping in an ISU van at 4 AM this Saturday to leave for Colorado, for a group trip with the Ski & Snowboard Club. I have obviously spent some money on this trip which has me feeling a little guilty.  I'm trying to think how this will be a fun experience and not about the cost. I always pinch my wallet so there comes a time for my own sanity that it needs to be opened!

I am really nervous because I have never boarded in the real mountains.  I have heard that you can't see the top and that it takes hours just to get down the mountain. It sounds so scary. I am hoping I don't forget anything, hoping that I will be warm enough, hoping that the trip is worth it.

One good thing is taking a break from classes. And spending time knitting. I have to show you what I am working on! I am in an "intermediate knitting class" through a student organization called the Workspace in the MU on campus.  The teacher is a Chemistry grad student.  The pattern we are making is called Fiddlehead Mittens. We have had 2 classes and we have 2 more left. I am enjoying the fellowship with other knitters. Otherwise I am sad without a knitting group. (Shoutout to Gen, Michelle, and Jill...I miss you girls!!) I knit in class sometimes if it is a really boring lecture. Actually I knitted through all my classes today working on this mitten. It actually helps me pay attention.  So here it is, my Fiddlehead!

So having a small project with on the drive will really help the hours go by.

Well when I get back I will probably be sponsored by Burton to compete or something :P if only I would wake up from my daydreams :P ;) !

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! <3 <3

Suffering

I am so depressed right now. My friend said I was pushing my beliefs on him. I had to walk home, and it took me about an hour. I can't put up with that crap. You listen to your friends...and if you feel uncomfortable, you explain why and talk about it. You don't just blow up and act like a goon. That is not a good way to keep a friend.

I just wish my head would stop pounding, and that I would quit crying. I wish I could distract myself from all of the events that happened.

I wish my car wasn't in the shop at that time. And I wish Brandon didn't work 2nd shift. It is scary walking at night when guys drive up to you and ask, "Baby are you ok?"

I just hope I can make more friends, especially Christian ones, and forget about the ones who screwed me over.

my first finished sweater :D

Hey all you.  So I meant to post in April again but my computer was being slow so I forgot to finish it and I guess I didn't say anything too important in that post.  I just talked about how I wanted to see Kate get kicked off DWTS already and thank goodness that did happen since then!  Her complaining just annoys me. I was also trying to share pics of a month-by-month crocheted afghan I was working on.  But you can always visit me on Ravelry - sydOsyd is my username - to see my WIPs.

So anyways, I started watching the TV show 10 Things I Hate About You and I really like it.  Takes me back.  Except Heath Ledger was a way hotter Patrick Verona in the movie.  I like the episodes because they load so fast on Hulu.  I just watched episode 13 last night about Kat's first date with Patrick and Bianca's first date with Joey.  Cute show.

K so I know you are dying to hear about the title of this post.  Wrenna, the finished sweater that I knitted.  Well on my trip to Yarnover with the Knit Wits, we all started a sweater together, the Wrenna(rav pattern link), a pattern from the book French Girl Knits.  When I first saw the sweater, I didn't really care for it, I think because the neckline wasn't quite my style.  But the chunky yarn and the big needles intrigued me, that and the peer pressure of course.  So it is a good thing I did it because I am very happy with it. It was fun. Girls just wanna have fu-un.  Like the song I requested to be on our girls weekend playlist mix! And that's why it is named Girls Just Wanna Have Wrenna (Fun)! Here is the FO!

It was pretty easy! I started it Saturday April 17, that night I had to go buy cheap junk needles from Michael's by our hotel just to get it started, and the next day I bought awesome Addis at the Yarn Garage, then I returned the junky wooden needles at a Micheal's nearby.  I am just so smart.  I had it finished by the next Friday night, in 6 days, and I worked all week!  Ya I rule!

Yarn Garage in Rosemount, MN.

A really useful tool that we used to find yarn stores is the KnitMap.  Just type in your location and it gives ratings, and shows a nice map.

The yarn, Misti Alpaca Chunky, was found at the Yarnery in St. Paul.  I enjoyed that store.  The Knit Wits will tell you that I only liked that store because everything was 20% off that day.  That is not true.  I liked the store a LOT reGaRdLess because it was cute and homey and the yarn swift they had was the easiest to use.  Speaking of swifts: what is up with Twin Cities yarn shops not winding your purchased skeins into balls?  I mean do I have to ask?  Why can't you offer?  Bad customer service IMO.

Me and Gen using the swifts and ball winders in Depth of Field Yarn.

Man we had a blast up there though.  Stayed at the Sofitel, I highly recommend, of course, we got a deal through PricePoint, so that always helps.  We enjoyed other stores like the Depth of Field Yarn (aka: Field of Dreams LOL), Needlework Unlimited, NU Outlet, Borealis Yarns, 3 Kittens Needle Arts, and I super duper absolutley LoVeD the Knitter's Palette in Lakeville, MN.  That store was the most organized and the owner so helpful.  She was nice enough to wind 6 skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca 100% baby alpaca sportweight that I bought at the Yarnover market.  I only bought like a $8.00 Borocco pattern book so I didn't expect her to say yes but it was very nice of her to do that. Also, she was the only yarn shop we visited to have an electric ball winder.  So it didn't take her too long.

Knit wits! Michelle, Jill, Gen and me.

Wow I didn't want to go home.  But I came home a very happy camper.  The best (and totally impulsive) thing I came home with was a Namaste kntting bag.  I fell in love with it at first sight so what do you do.  It was out of my budget but hey I made up for it these past few weeks and hubby paid for a lot of my other stuff.  That's what hubbies are for. Hehe he was happy that I splurged on myself "for once" as he says.

Me with my loot in the hotel. =)

Yarnover 2010 was so much fun.  Next year we will be taking classes at the school it is held in instead of just the morning keynote speech and shopping.  The classes sounded so cool but I still think we had a great time.  And I learned a thing or two from the speaker, Cat Bordhi, including that I have it pretty good with my knitting.  One lady Cat Bordhi taught in a knitting class told Cat the story of how she learned to knit.  She had little money so she could only afford to buy one pair of needles and one skein of yarn (prob Red Heart x_x) so she knitted with that one skein of yarn until it was all used up and then she would unravel everything she made and reknit with the same yarn again and again.  One day she could afford a new skein of yarn and so she chose a different color.  She has come very far since then I guess but wow what a poor lady I would die using the same Red Heart over and over, and this story still makes me cry every time I think about it.

I have been getting so many new inspirations lately for things to knit and its hard to tug along on my on-goings like the purple February Lady Sweater, and my year-and-a-half socks (another inch of leg and I'll be ready to turn that heel LOL).  I love little things to start and complete, like last weekend, I made my lil sister Sierra a Webkinz dress.  Hope she likes it.

Speaking of family, I have a ton of those h.s. graduations to hit up. Including my sister Josie, who just got accepted as an ISU cheerleader (yay, Josie! as a freshman BTW!) and my hubby just graduated from college (yay, Brandon!), with an Associates in Criminal Justice and his ceremony is in June.  Yay now I get to go back to school !! Thinking Buena Vista and/or Waldorf in Forest City.

Well thanks for hanging in there, I know it was a long one!  God is doing great things right now and it is GOOD. =)