Thursday, November 29, 2007

Quiet Time

well i only have about 5 days left until my certification exam, so the blog is going to be quiet for a while. after it is over i have lots to post about. stay tuned! i promise i will be back!

Thursday, November 22, 2007

November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!!! (if i knew how to make this bigger and more exciting i would have made it that way! if anyone can help please leave a comment!)

on this Thanksgiving 2007 i leave you with Big Tom...



Big Tom is also known as the World's Largest Turkey and is located in Frazee City, Minnesota. Here is an excerpt from the Frazee City website:

The new statue is over 20 feet tall and bronze in color. (The origonal was 16 feet tall.) Including the tail, the width of the big turkey is 17 feet. Weighing in at over 5,000 pounds, 'Big Tom' has just over 1,000 pounds of steel reinforing its body. The legs were made a little shorter and stouter than a normal turkey to better handle the weight. There are an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 fiberglass feathers on 'Big Tom' which took D.W.O. Fiberglass Company over 2000 hours to complete.

Again Happy Thanksgiving you all! Thanks for reading!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Ok, finally a knitting post!

(prewarning: very picture heavy!)

i may not have given the blog the attention it deserves, but i want you all to know that i have been knitting! knitting and knitting! i have tons of FOs to share so let's not waste any time: (these are in no particular order!)


Just as the weather here in Middle Tennessee warms up AGAIN, i finally decide to keep one of my knitted scarves. i haven't had it out for a test run yet, but i think it is really pretty. i held two yarns together to make this. it is really softer than i had imagined! The two yarns are Yarn Bee Featherwisp (Hobby Lobby Brand) in Bluebells and Lion Brand Homespun in Windsor. I really like how it came out. i have plans on making myself a pink cabled scarf as well but i haven't mastered that skill yet! one day!


Next up is a REALLY UGLY SCARF!!! i was trying to use up some yarn that had been donated to the church. wow is it bright and UGLY!! it is made of 3 yucky yarns: Lion Brand Fun Fun in Bright Yellow, Red Heart Super Saver ( i know i know...remember...it was donated!) also in Bright Yellow, and Patons Ci Ci in Carnival. this will hopefully make some child very happy at a local charity!


This is a scarf was made from stash yarn! i am so proud! My church is donating a bunch of scarves to a local charity just as soon as i decide which charity it is going to be! ;) This scarf is two differnt yarns: Bernat Satin in the color Sterling and Bernat Boa in the color Ostrich. i held two strands of the satin and one of he boa. i really liked how it came out.


I am very proud of these and very frustrated with them at the same time. this is my second pair of the fiber trends felted clogs. i really think they are super cute but dang are they frustrating to make! i can't hardly watch tv and knit these. i took out the bottoms MULTIPLE times before i got it right. i thought it would go smoother being that it is my second pair but i was wrong! and to beat all they don't fit their intended wearer! i am working on another pair for him. ahhhh! the yarn is patons classic merino wool in burgandy and dark grey.


Up next is a crocheted cross that i made for church. we redecorated the main sunday school classroom and decided to do a cross wall on one of the walls. i made this in honor of my grandmother on my mom's side who was an avid crocheter in her time. she died when i was in high school but had been ill with Alzhiemer's Disease for many, many years. when i was very little she taught me how to chain but the lesson never progressed past this. i chained and chained, but it wasn't until years later that i taught myself to actually make a stitch! the ribbon is green because that was her favorite color. this cross will hang in her honor. it was done with crochet cotton, size 10 in white.


ok these are the first pair of fiber trends felted clogs that i made. these have the bumper on them which i actually think i like better (the red pair does not have the bumper!). thank goodness these fit the intended wearer! this is also Patons Classic Merino Wool.


this is one of my flannel blankets with a crocheted border that i like to do for baby gifts. this one is for anna who was born almost 2 weeks ago to a friend of mine from my Johnson City days. i did a whole pink and yellow themed basket. it was really cute:


so fun! she just loved it! and i got it to her BEFORE anna made her entrance into the world.


This is another scarf for the still unknown charity. It is made from Bernat Bling Bling in the color Cabaret Crimson and Bernat Super Stripes in the colorway black and pink.


this one i absolutley LOVE!!! it is a christmas present. it is the basic Booga Bag pattern which i altered a little. i made the base a bit bigger, but kept the same number of rows in height which gave me a a little squattier bag. i really like the size! the yarn is mostly cascade 220 in colors 9421, 9452, 2433, 9455, 7822, 8404. i also used 2 colors of Ultra Alpaca in colors 6205, 6294. i added the grommets just for something different this time. i really like how it all came out. there isn't a closure but i might add one if i make one again. there is enough yarn left over to make another one! i might make it for me this time - i am really into brown and blue these days!


yet another scarf for the unkown charity. it is like the unknown soldier but much less sad (i know! i know! that was really bad!)! this scarf is made from Glittallic by Patons in Maroon Shine as well as Bernat Boa in Flamingo. i held a strand of each together. it is very fun!


ok last but certainly not least is another scarf. this one is made from Patons Divine in Regal Red and Bernat Boa in Cardinal. all these scarves done in a drop stitch pattern. they are so quick and lots of fun. i really like the chance to use some random yarns.

on the needles now is a shawl for me and a prayer shawl. i am going to start another prayer shawl this week for a friend who is having a hard time right now. i have my curiosities up about knitting a cardigan for me. i have never knitted a sweater before and am very nervous about it but i think i might give it a try in EZ style. i'll post about it when i make a decision. i have the yarn already because i had been planning on making The Perfect Sweater, but i decided that i would really prefer something more on the cardigan route. we'll see where i land!

no news about the job. it is a waiting game! hopefully no news is good news.

Monday, November 05, 2007

E is for East Tennessee State University



East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is where i did my undergraduate studies. i absolutely LOVE this place. it is located in Johnson City, TN which for all you non-tennessee folks is in the eastern corner of tennessee, near virginia and north carolina. you can imagine how beautiful it is there especially this time of year! here is a pic from one of the local parks close to the campus:



let's take a trip down memory lane (in pictures):


This is Lamb Hall. It is the nursing building. all of the nursing labs were in this buliding along with multiple classrooms and computer rooms.


Here is the dorm i spent my first year in: Lucille Clement. I got a random roommate that year who i still talk to quite frequently! she is very fun! i was even in her wedding! it was the big talk of campus the third year i was there because they made this dorm "co-ed" and on the "girls'" side of campus and all!


This is the dorm i lived in the second and third years i was at ETSU. this was my favorite. these were like really small apartments complete with an oven and our own bathroom! i lived here with my first roommate for the second year, and the third year i had another roommate who was a very good friend of mine at the beginning of the year....but not at the end of that year! loooong story!


This is the library, where i really didn't spend all that much time! on the side of the building is a room they called "Late Night Study." in this room there were lots of tables, vending machines, and a copier. we spent a lot of time in there studying in big groups. it was open really late which was nice.


Here is the mini-dome which enclosed our football field and was where the basketball team played. i think it was my third year that they took away our football team. i have to say that never once during my time there did i attend a sports game. i just didn't get into it! but i did have my physicial education classes in there!


This is my favorite place on campus...the Wesley Foundation. i spent LOTS of time here as well as met wonderful friends as a result of my time there. i absolutely love this place and miss it like crazy! by the way this is the United Methodist on campus ministry! i could go on and on but i won't! i will controll myself.


Here i am at graduation! after 4 long years i made it! i am the third one from the left.

i could go on and on but i won't!

i have in mind a long post with knitting content i promise! i am still waiting to hear about a job and will keep everyone posted about that.