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Last Weekly Questions for SP12

2008-09-24T13:03:00.002-05:00

If you were told you could never again buy yarn, what would your last yarn purchase be?
probably a whole lot of wool so that i could felt my heart out! but i also might choose to get something i haven't had before like something from socks that rock or something silk or cashmere. that is a tough question...let's hope it never happens!

If you were told you could never knit again, what would be the last thing you'd knit??
i think i would either conquer the lace shawl i am dying to work on or a cardigan for me!

In a given year, how many times do you buy yarn? And what is your favorite place to buy yarn from? A festival? A shop? Online? Dish your favorite places!!
OMG, i don;t even want to think about how often i buy yarn. probably at least once a month. i like to get stuff from knitpicks as well as the local joanns. there are also a few yarn stores in the area that i frequent more than i should, specifically Bliss Yarns.

Lastly, with Fall in full swing in many areas, what is the one thing you look forward to most?
oh my i love fall! i love the cooler temps with the chance to curl up with a blanket and my knitting. i am looking forward to minimal sweating! (i have sweat so much this summer!) i am also looking forward to knitting with wool again. it just got too hot for wool knitting this summer! come on fall!

The Results are in...

2008-09-10T17:14:00.004-05:00

8 items entered into the fair and 8 ribbons won!

i am soooo excited! i won 8 ribbons at the tennessee state fair! 3 first (blue), 2 second (red), and 3 third (white). here is the what i took and what won what:

taking first place ribbons was a crocheted baby blanket that looks like ice cream to me. it is pink, cream, and white! yummmy!

next, another blue ribbon is a little crocheted baby hat in the shape of a hershey's kiss!

my last blue ribbon was for a knitted dishcloth that i had done. it was kinda neat with a little lacy pattern. it was part of the dishcloth-a-month group on yahoo.
taking second in this same picture is a pair of my clogs! these are a pair of the fiber trends felted clogs that i made during christmas last year.

the other second went to my first garment which was that little blue baby cardigan. the little purple one took third place.

another white ribbon was given to my little knitted baby hat with the daisy on top! ohh...so cute!

last but certainly not least one the the prayer shawls that my group worked on together took third place.

i was just so unsure how this was all going to happen, being my first time to enter, but it was an easy process and a lot of fun. the waiting was hard but it was so worth it! having said that there wasn't near as much hand work this year entered in the fair including quilts, crochet, and knitting! so next year i am going to push everyone that lives in this area to think about entering something! it will be fun.

in other news. two weekends ago was happening. the lutheran event that i take part in twice a year as the director. each time i try to make 4 prayer shawls for 4 special kids on staff. this time i made 2 and one of the lovely ladies at church made the other two. i made the 2 shawls in the middle!

that's about it for now! i have one more box to send out to my swap partner! which i hope to do maybe monday. more soon! i promise not to be such a stranger!

SP12 Question Catch Up!

2008-09-10T10:58:00.002-05:00

Question of the Week #10
What Olympic event would best describe you knitting/knitting style?
Any of the short races from swimming to track. i seem to accomplish more by doing shorter projects than long tedious things. usually i start a long, big project and it never gets done. i have lots of things started that i haven't finished but on the flip side i have tons of felted bags and baby items done! short and quick that seems to be est for me!

Question #11
What is the best thing you've ever received in the mail/post?
i think honestly the best box i ever recieved was when we first figured out about knitpicks. omg that was the best box! we ordered sparingly, not knowing what to expect but received a wonderful surprise! good quality wool at wonderful prices! i think by the next week i had put in another order!

Question #12
I’m sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting. A project or technique that you’ve tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??
well, i have a couple and both have happened within the last year. one was i finally broke down and made my first baby sweater and it turned out sooo cute! it was my first garment overall! so proud. the other was the fiber trends felted clogs. i am not sure what it was about those. the pattern just seemed daunting and then you had to make 2! whew!

And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can’t get right? What is that one project that you’ve never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?
i can't get cables right to save my life. i always have this huge ladder one one of the sides! there is this simple cable scarf that i have wanted to make for myself that i just can't get to work becuase it has a cable down the middle. i even have some beautiful misty alpaca for it and just can't seem to get it! i made myself some knitting goals for this year and conquering that scarf is one of them. so maybe i will get to it still!

To the Fair!

2008-08-09T09:21:00.003-05:00

This week. our question is about your knitting... In many communities, "the fair" is a great place to visit and spend time with your family. It's also where many have entered one product or another (jams, cakes, even knitting)...

Oh my! i love the fair! the fair that we have here in town in the Tennessee State Fair. i have special memories of going to the fair with my dad. we always had a great time looking at all the exhibits from the photography to the baking, to the huge pumpkins and watermelons. it is funny that this was one of the questions this year because i have decided to enter some stuff in the fair this year. i am entering some knitting and crochet pojects. i am a little hesitant about leaving my stuff there but i am trying not to worry about it. i think it will be fun. i have always, always wanted to enter somethng in the fair so i am really looking forward to it!

i am hoping for one of these to take home:

Here is the link to the Tennessee State Fair website that contains info about the fair! See you at the fair! September 5-14, 2008.

2008-08-05T08:39:00.006-05:00

Well I am back from a wonderful vacation! Before I tell you all about that let me do some catching up!

Before I left for the trip I received a wonderful box from my swap partner for my birthday.

It included whipped body cream in a dreamsickle scent, a body bar in grapefruit (which is one of my favorite scents), and a sample of the "naked" body cream. A big thanks goes out to my swap partner! What a lovely treat!

On the topic of birthday gifts I also received this haul from my friend, Learning from Chavah.

This gift totally included Colinette Jitterbug, an adorable bag that she makes, Kitty Knits, and some squeeze bottles for hand dying! What a wonderful gift! Her birthday is coming up (finally) and I can't wait to give her the gift I got for her. It is killing me not to blog about it but I will wait! Thanks girlie for the wonderful present!

Question #8: What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?
This is kind of a toughie. I have 2 really. Both are family recipes that we have perfected over time. One is my dad's fajitas which include his famous grilled chicken (preferably thighs), guacamole, cheese, and fresh pico de gallo! Yum! The second is fresh basil pesto. We started making this when we were growing a lot of basil in the garden but still love it even now! It has so much garlic in it that it is hot! That over orzo pasta with fresh sliced tomatoes on the side! Oh man my mouth is watering! Yum!

Ok so the trip! My friend Elizabeth and I left here last Monday morning and drove to Grayton Beach, FL. It took us about 8.5-9 hours which was a little longer than we had planned but we had a good time so it was not a big deal! The cottage we stayed in belongs to a friend of mine and was just adorable:

This is the living room. There was this room that attached to the kitchen. Then there were two bedrooms, and a bathroom that included a washer and dryer. So cute!

So once we got our stuff in and walked down to the pier for a few minutes we went grocery shopping for food for the week. This was a vacation on a budget and we did a great job! $130 for 3 people breakfast and lunch for 4 days and 2 dinners. We went out twice. Once we went into Panama City, shopped for a little while, and then met a good friend of mine, Anna, who recently moved to the area for dinner.

(Anna and I)

(Anna and her son, Jimmy)
It was so great to see her and her son while having a great seafood meal at Schooners! yumm-o

Each day we spent on the beach. The weather got progressively bad as the week went on to the point that we were not allowed in the water the last 2 days because it was so rough.

One of the state park officials told us that 2 people drowned in Panama City on Wednesday due to the waves and the undertow! Wow! We didn't risk it!

We all did a lot of reading while enjoying listening to the waves roll in. Friday we encountered a rain shower while we were on the beach but we got under our unbrella and waited it out!

here are Elizabeth and I waiting it out! it wasn't too bad! that evening we decided to get some dinner in Destin this time. we ate at Jimmy Buffet's Cheesburger in Paradise. it was ok. i would go back but i would get something different next time! in that same area were tons of outlet stores. i got a new watch at Fossil and i scored some silverware that i have been coveting for a couple of years now! i thought it had been discontinued but it was there! i was so excited!

Isn’t it pretty? I love it!

Here are the 3 vacationers: Leanna in the left chair, me in the right chair, and Elizabth behind us! Looks like we got a bit of color! Woohoo!

Saturday we got up, cleaned and headed out. Elizabeth dropped me off in Birmingham so that I could attend part of the staff training weekend for a youth camp that I am involved in (Happening). It was great to see everyone again! I hitched a ride back with some of the group that was coming this way! Whew!

and now it is Monday and it has not been a great start to the week. Got a speeding ticket on the way to work this morning, had to train someone on the electronic medical record while trying to see 6 patients this morning and doing all of their sports physicals! I am wiped out! not to mention that it is totally hot here and I HATE being HOT!!!! More soon! I hope to have a FO this week!

I am leaving you with a beautiful picture from the beach at sunset! Enjoy!

Questions 6 and 7

2008-07-25T17:51:00.002-05:00

i am so far behind in blogging and i am so sorry!

let me answer the questions that i am behind on:

Questions #6
What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation? well thanks to the fact that i just got out of grad school i haven't been on many vacations lately, BUT with that said i have a trip planned for next week and i have 2 shawls packed and a scarf. i think that will be more than adequate!

If you’d like to share a story…Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting. being stranded without knitting is a gret fear of mine, maybe we should call it a phobia! what phobia name will it have...perhaps it will be texeraphobic (texere is the latin word for "everything that is woven")

Question #7
What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit? my favorite place to knit is on the couch at the house on the left side (if you are on the couch) so that i can rest my non-dominant left hand on the arm rest while the right hand knits away! i have basically a hole defeloping in that spot! this spot is across the room from the TV for perfect viewing as i knit!

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting? well there must be a beverage of some sort. preferably a ice cold diet dr. pepper on ice. the remote control must be readily available as well as the cordless phone so that i don't have to get up if someone calls. i like to have my little notions bag handy as well. it has things in such as a tape measure, needle sizer with guage thingy, point protectors, stitch markers, scissors, and a row counter.

i am headed to the beach on sunday so the blog may be quiet for a while. i will be back on the following sunday. have a great week yall!

Apologies

2008-07-14T09:08:00.002-05:00

i am sorry i have been away for what seems like forever! i have been on a 7 day stretch off of work then before that i worked 6 out of 7 days! it has been nice to be off, but my home computer has been on the fritz so posting is a little harder than normal. oh well! i am here now!

i sent my SP12 pal's package out last week! i can't wait for her to get it!

Question of the week #5
1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday? well i really do love to travel so just about anywhere is an adventure. i loved traveling europe and wish to do that again. i also love vacations where there isn't so much going on. i love crusies and just time on the beach. i love love love the beach!
2) Where is one place you’d like to go? i am still dying to go to australia. i haven't been to the orient and i am beginning to think that i would like to go there. this sounds silly but there is an amtrak trip around the us that i would also like to do. check it out here.

more soon! i don't have any kntting to show! i will be working on that!

Fourth and Fifth of July

2008-07-07T11:00:00.003-05:00

I had a great fourth! Dad and I went fishing together to a local river here in middle Tennessee, The Elk River. We had so much fun despite getting up REALLY early! it was about a 1.5 hour drive, so when we got to the spot that he normally fishes at we saw that there were tons of people already fishing that area! so we drove on and eventally found another river access point, down the river a great spot and there wasn't anyone else fishing there. there were multiple people that were using it has a place to take out of for boating. we fished in that area the whole time. dad found this really great spot that was loaded with fish. i got probably 8 or 9 out of that little spot. we only kept 4 between us to eat then the rest were cantch and release! it was fun! i caught them on a fly rod too!

then when we got home it was time to pick our oak leave hygrangeas. mom has historically sold them to various stores in the area and some at her mall booths in town, and i always help pick. we have them in various spots around the yard so we picked one specific site first so that we could go to watch the fireworks. so we picked and picked. i basically got in one of the bushes trying to reach all of them and didn't think a thing of it...until the next day when i had so many bug bites on me i thought i was going to die. i have 38 bites on just my torso alone. that doesn't count the ones that cover my thighs! AHHH!!!! i am itching like crazy!

the nashville fireworks were really good again this year. we go to a spot near us where we can see them instead of trying to go downtown and fight the crowds! here is my lame attempt at taking a picture of a firework!

Then there is July 5th! i got my first package from my Secret Pal 12 partner! it is so awesome! thank you so much secret pal!

in it i received 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in a really pretty green. then there were some really pretty stitch markers. they are beautiful! also there was a funny wooden flamingo which i loved! and last was some euclan wool wash. i have never seen it here so i am stoked to get to try it as opposed to the Soak which i can get here. thanks so much swap partner! you did great!

SP 12, Question 4

2008-07-02T11:16:00.002-05:00

1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?
that could be a huge list if i let it but i can narrow it down to 4. first is blue moon sock yarn. i mean those are the most beautiful yarns i have seen. i think one thing that makes them seem even more wonderful is that they are elusive. no one here carries blue moon and i am dying to touch it! second is the handmaiden sea silk. i mean really...isn't that stuff just wonderful! again no one carries it around here either and i lusting after it! third is this sock yarn: watermelon self striping. omg is that not cute! and it is never available! Last is that Kauni. wow it is stunning. i love the rainbow colorway j

2) What yarn do you never want to be without? wow another hard question. instead of specific yarns i can think of categories i would always like to have around. yarn to make baby hats is a must. sock yarn would be in there for socks and baby stuff.

Two posts in one day???

2008-06-27T17:22:00.003-05:00

The Instructions:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

What is your first name? Lindsey
What is your favorite food? fetuccini alfredo
What high school did you go to? Hillsboro High
What is your favorite color? Blue
Who is your celebrity crush? Brad Pitt
Favorite drink? Diet Dr. Pepper
Dream vacation? Austrailia
Favorite dessert? white cake from a box with white icing
What do you want to be when you grow up? Midwife
What do you love most in life? Family (including kitty!)
One word to describe you? funny
Your flickr name? lindyhill719
The results:

1. .lindsey.lati yellow lumi., 2. Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo, 3. Photos at Hillsboro High School, 4. Blue Morpho, 5. Brad Pitt 1, 6. Diet Dr Pepper Can Promotional for Indiana Jones, 7. Opera House (Sidney-Sydney-Australia), 8. White Cake, 9. Midwife by Eucharius Roblin, 10. Cat Family, 11. Funny things going on in my garden..., 12. me and the HARLOT!!!

SP #12 Question of the Week, #3

2008-06-27T12:02:00.002-05:00

here is this week's question of the week:

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

wow that is a loaded question especially since i am suppose to be on a yarn diet. well i think my ideal stash would be contained in 2 of those standard size plastic tubs. these tubs would contain mostly yarn that i can't readily get (like nothing that i can get during an easy trip to jo-anns or walmart), sock yarn, stuff to make baby hats, other quick gift projects, and at least 2 WIPs such as a sweater or afghan. one must have stash yarn...what happens if the world collapses all around us and we need something to knit or we get 12 feet of snow and i can't get to the LYS?!?! scary! there must be stash! haha!

Finished Objects and a PARTY!!!

2008-06-24T15:54:00.003-05:00

Ok well first things first. i have a finished object! it is a prayer shawl made the long way creating the fringe as i go! i love these! this one is for my second college roommate who lost her mother to colon cancer last december. she and i got into a fight during my senior year there at ETSU and really have not spoken since then. then about january i got a letter from her randomly and we have been doing the snail mail thing since then. it was in her last letter that she told me about her mom. i got to work on the shawl immediately. it is pink because that was her favorite color in college and i hope it still is! i hope she likes it. i am glad it is done!

so the party you ask? well the prayer shawl ministry that i started in my home congregation has turned 2 years old! i can't believe it has been 2 years since i got that going. in that 2 years we have been on tv, featured in our united methodist district newsletter, and have bless and distributed well over 200 shawls. i lost count long ago but at that point we were either near or just slightly over 200! i am so proud of our little group. there are only about 5-6 of us who knit regularly so those numbers are quite an accomplishment! to commemmorate the event i had a cake decorated and we basically sat around talking with each other and the few congregational memebers who showed up to show us some support (and to eat cake!).

on this theme i am also pleased to make a big announcement for our group. we have invited the 2 co-founders of the prayer shawl ministry to come to our church and present their workshop and they have agreed to come! i am so excited! they also have a book coming out in september and will have a book signing at the event! about the only thing we have down on paper at this point is the date: october 18th!! those of you in the nashville area please consider coming to this event! it is going to be a lot of fun! i will post more details as they start to work themselves out!

it looks like the question of the week has not been posted yet, so i will be back later in the week!

This week's question and other things.

2008-06-19T10:50:00.003-05:00

this weeks question is: As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

as a younger kid i relished the time not at school and also the time i would get to spend with my mom. she worked at home so we would spend the whole summer together. i also looked forward to staying up late since i didn't have to go to school the next day! i also looked forward to playing with my friends and having sleepovers. as i grew up and was in high school the main thing i looked forward to was staying up late and sleeping late! i still love those two things! i guess not much has changed!

on another note. i lost a dear friend of mine last week. she was a type 1 diabetic. she had a low blood sugar and passed out. her brother found her and did cpr. he got her breahing but she never regained contiousness. that all happened two wednesdays ago. her kidneys failed on thurday, and my friday she had developed a staph infection. she died saturday, june 7th. as her pastor put it at the funeral, "Courtney was full of life." she was a bright, loving, wonderful person. i know i will dearly miss my friend. i'll always remember you court!

on the knitting front there just isn't that much to show. i am almost done with that pink shawl and hope to post finished pics this week or weekend!

SP12 Question of the Week

2008-06-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

In this round of Secret Pal the mistresses decided to do something fun and different. each week they will be sending us questions to post and answer on our blogs. it should be fun!

here is this weeks question: What is your favorite summertime drink?

alcoholic: hands down strawberry daiquiris

non alcoholic: diet dr. pepper with lots of ice! anytime, anywhere! i love lemonade and sweet tea but who needs all those calories wasted in a drink? i want to eat my calories! ;)

2008-06-10T17:51:00.002-05:00

ok so i have long been looking for a website to make these cool mosaics. isnt' it awesome. i was browsing the internet today and found this site: bighugelabs.com where you can make mosaics anyway you want! so great! you all get ready there will be plenty more mosaics on the way! what a great way to show you everything i am working on in one picture instead of a bunch of pictures! ok enough about that!!

the mosaic includes recently finished objects as well as works in progress. i will describe the pics from left to right, top to bottom.

picutre 1 on the top row is a baby hat i finished. it is my variation of the umbilical cord hat from one of the stitch n'bitch books. i love the stripy pink and brown. it is for a friend of mine from nursing school who is having her first baby this year, a girl, and is doing the room in pink and brown! i think she will love it! it is caron simply soft in the soft pink and bernat satin in mocha. there are tons left over of both for more baby hats!

middle and thrid pic, top row and first pic second row are tiny socks i made as a surprise for some friends of mine. more about that later when i get them completely finished!

in the very middle are my first pair of finished socks!!!! those are the colinette jitterbug socks i have been working on. they don't fit too well so they will become a present for my mom! she said she doesn't even want to walk in them because they are so pretty! oh mom!

last pic on the second row is one the many flannel blankets that i have with a crochet edge around it in brown. the crochet is done in a crochet cotton that i bought awhile ago when i seemed to be collecting these afghan! again for the friend having the baby girl!

last row: the first pic is the finished gift for the friend of mine. i found a great pink storage box for 5 bucks at TJ Maxx a few weeks back which works jsut great to hold everything. in it is the flannel baby blanket, the cute stripey hat, a brown bear, and a cute little book about baby girls. it turned out really cute and i am pleased.

the last 2 pics are WIPs. the pink one is a shawl for a friend of mine who lost her mother in december. she loves pink! i am about 2/3rds of the way done with it!
the yellow is a progress picture of the yellow scarf. i really like this project. i jsut need to work on it more and make some more headway on it! in time!

well that was so fun! more mosaics soon!

Secret Pal Questionnaire!

2008-06-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

Loves: Koigu, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, Cascade 220, Caron Simply Soft, Joanns Sensations Angel Hair (i am really not too picky as long as it is soft or feltable!!)
Hates: Red Heart Super Saver, Dishcloth cotton

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

well i have multiple sets of needles such as the Denise set as well as both knit picks sets which stay in their original cases but loose circulars i store in a plastic bin/drawer. straights i store in one of those artist brush roll up fabric thingy!

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

i have been knitting off and on since i was a senior in high school (8 years total). tht year in school one of the councelors started a knitting group that met during our club time. she was very popular and many people joined her group and began knitting in class. i had one of my classmates teach me and we knitted all through our senior year! it was awesome! that club still exists and now they knit things and auction the items to raise money for various charities.

i would consider my self an intermediate knitter with many things still to learn!

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

yes i do, find a link to the list on the right side of the blog -->

5. What's your favorite scent?

ocean smells and citrus and the smell of things baking in the oven

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

i am much more of a salty person (chips, crackers) but i do love those new Reeses Whips! yum! i also love fireballs, hot tamales, and gum!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

i am somewhat into scrapbooking, i don't do it as much as i would like mainly due to a lack of space. i dabble in some beading. i love to make earrings and stitch markers. i haven't gotten much past those two things yet!

i am interested in spinning and own a drop spindle. i haven't taken it out for a spin (haha) yet! i think i will love it but i just can't have another hobby right now! one day when i have more space i will get a wheel! give me time! ;)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

i love whatever is popular at the time. i listen to lots of pop, very little rap, love country (i live in nashville ;) ), some christian. i hate jazz and blues! yes, my computer can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

Favorites: blues, greens, purples, pinks, brown, greys

Hates: ORANGE!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

i am a single almost 25 y/o who is trying desperately to pay off her enormous student loans by living with my parents, using the money that i would use for rent towards my student loans! i do have one cat that i absolutley adore! her name is alley!

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

no to hats and ponchos. yes to scarves. i am planning a pair of those convertible type mittens this fall. i think i would love those! still functional and still cute!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

LOVE to make felted purses and other felted items! i also love to make prayer shawls. i also have a special love of making baby items even though i don't have one of my own!

13. What are you knitting right now?

on the needles right now is a prayer shawl, log cabin blanket, rib scarf, Koigu shawl

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

love handmade gifts! it is so special to receive something that someone has planned and made specifically for you!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

i prefer circulars hands down! occasionally i will want to work with straights but they must be the short ones! i love my denise set so i guess plastic but i also love my knit picks metal set. i love the pointy tips on both of those sets!

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

yes i have both! and both are well loved and used!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

well i have to admit 7 years old. i started a blanket not long after i taught myself to crochet. it is a single crochet solid color blanket and it is huge! what was i thinking???

18. What is your favorite holiday?

i love christmas because i absolutely love to give things to other people. i love planning christmas gifts, making christmas gifts, and giving christmas gifts! don't get me wrong recieving them is pretty great as well!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

things with butterflies or flamingos on them! i know it is odd but there are stories behind them both!

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

i am intrigued by the lace patterns of Sivia Harding. i love the diamond fantasy shawl and even recently bought the yarn! one day soon i am going to work on that sucker! i have been dying to get my hands on some cashmere and the handmaiden sea silk.

i do not have a subscription to any magazine.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

magic loop for socks, lace, double knitting, entralac, color work

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

i just recently completed my first sock class and i think i am hooked! what a great to go project!

my foot measurements:
- ankle bone to the floor (for the heel flap) - 3 in.
- around the ankle and it's narrowest (for the leg of the sock) 10 in.
- around the ball of the foot (usually about the same as around the ankle, for the foot part of the sock) 9.5 in.
- with the heel against a wall, the length of the foot using the tip of the longest toe as the end point (so you know how long to knit the foot of the sock) 9.5
- height from floor that the sock should go up the leg (this minus the heel flap is how long to knit the top of the sock) 6 in.

23. When is your birthday?

July 91th, yep it is during the swap time! yoohoo! i love my birthday! ;)

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

lindy719

The Middle Tennessee Sheep, Wool, and Fiber Festival

2008-05-27T12:18:00.006-05:00

let's just say...it is not the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. not even close! but it was fun! a friend of mine called last week to let me know that the cost of one of the classes we were both looking at had been reduced from $60 to $45 plus the materials fee. so we decided to do it! so saturday morning she, i, and another friend of mine took the Dyeing Varigated Yarns class with Gail White. we had done some dyeing before with koolaid and wilton's cake dyes but never with the acid dyes. this was a great class. we each dyed 6 skeins. one thing that i really liked was that you dye the yarn in the wound cakes instead of skeins. that was new to me. so you put the wet skien down in one color...

then when that has all been absorbed you flip it into another color.

she had a little dye leftover and an extra few minutes so we were allowed to dye some of our own yarn if we brought it. i had 2 skeins of knitpicks bare in a sock weight. i did one skein in a vat of blue dye. one of the girls said it looked like smurk sphegetti. fa la lalalala la lala la...
the other skein i dyed this vibrany pink! it is to pretty. so those are the two that you will see in the pciture that are not varigated.

aren't they pretty! here are some snap shots of us during the class:

this is Learning from Chavah. she overdyed one of the varigateds. gail says anytime you don't like something overdye it blue! it turned out kinda pretty.

here i am with the smurf spaghetti yarn!
\
this is my friend veronica who went with me. she is skeining yarn with a knitty knotty!

after the class we did a little shopping in the vendors' booths. we got in the most trouble at Gail's booth (whom we took the class from). learning from chavah fell deeply in love with a merino yarn that was in it's natural color. you can see here that it is talking to her telling her that it wants to go home with her which it did minus the 6 skeins that i bought!

veronica fell in love with another of Gail's undyed wool. this time a bulky weight in the natural shade of cream. it is really pretty. she couldnt' figure out what to do with it exactly so she just bought all of it. here they are counting:

i bought a few skeins of the one that learning from chavah loved so much and i also bought this:

this is a superwash wool, bamboo, nylon blend that i am just itching to make the Diamond Fantasty Shawl out of. it is a brilliantly wonderful blue color! for now i am resistin starting it. too much stuff to get done with first!

ok here are the three of us as we are leaving our fun day at the Dickson Fiber Fest 2008:

FO next time...promise!

New Knitting Novel

2008-05-21T17:18:00.003-05:00

(ok so i wrote this post earlier today and blogger erased it, so here it is again...the first one was better, though...sorry!)

last week while i was going through my junk email i found an email from one of our local bookstores, Davis Kidd. these are monthly emails that i almost never read, but this day i opened it. upon reading the email i saw that there was going to be a book signing by a new knitting novelist. there was to be a reading of the book followed by a book signing. sounds like fun! the new book is called The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society, by Beth Pattillo.

i called up a friend of mine and we decided to go. it turns out that she is a local pastor here in town who ironically knows my pastor as they were in a group together of female pastors! the book is roughly based on a group of knitters at a local church (the church i went to preschool at) and also roughly based on a little tennessee town. it is really neat to have a local knitting novelist! there is to be a sequel due out in january 2009! here is a pic of her signing my book:

it was a lovely evening!

Sock!

2008-05-17T17:14:00.003-05:00

only one exciting thing to report from the knitting front: one sock is complete!

but the bigger news is that it doesn't fit me. i mean it fits..i can get it on but it is stretched too much, but it fits mom! she loves it! who wouldn't? it is made from a beautiful skein of colinette jitterbug! yum! oh well. she will enjoy them although she said that she didn't think she wanted to walk on them! silly mom! i still have the other one to complete. i am decreasing on the gussett right now so i only have that, the foot, and the toe to complete. since the disappointment of the first one not fitting i am not in a huge hurry to finish that second one. this puts me in a bad place because i feel like i should be finishing that sock, so i feel gulity working on anything else. because of this i haven't worked on anything at all in 2 days. i have to finish that sock...it is making me nuts! hopefully next time...a finished PAIR of socks!

All Quiet on the Blogging Front

2008-05-13T17:31:00.003-05:00

...because, I GRADUATED!!! Friday was the official Vanderbilt graduation. This famed event only occurs once a year, which means that even though i finished (and recieved my diploma) in August of 2007 this was the first actual graudation ceremony. i really had not planned on going but mom graduated with me so she thought it would be fun for us to walk together. i have to say we had a good time. first thing that happens is the big, entire school ceremony in which they confer the degrees, then they send the graduate and doctoral schools off to their own hooding cermonies. ours was very nice and there was a reception afterwards. i cannot believe how few people came. out of 5 of us in my speciality there were only 2 of us there. it was fun, but i am so glad it is over! here are a few pics.

Mom and I before the cermony! aren't we cute in our little outfits!

at the big university-wide graduation

my master's hood! (look how curly my hair is!)

there has been some knitting but not much noticible progress. my aunt that is here for graduation is a knitter and working on her first baby sweater. she and i went to knit at the downtown library with a group yesterday then hit 2 of the LYS. we had a great time! i think we may hit one more store tomorrow. we'll see. i want to show you all her baby sweater progress pics next time! so fun!

On the Needles

2008-05-07T17:47:00.003-05:00

well i have startitis again! i have too many projects on the needles right now and the urge to start just one more shawl! somebody stop me! ok so here is the list:

first up are the Sock Class Socks which are coming along slower than i had hoped. our next class isn't until the 15th but i haven't even touched my second sock! why is it that the first part of the sock seemed to go so fast and this part has felt like forever?!? i don't understand!

next up is a yellow scarf. there is one of my happening kids that has been begging me for a yellow scarf so i finally started it. it is Mirasol Cotanani ( 60% Pima Cotton, 40% Merino Wool ) and feels wonderful! i am just doing a simple 3x3 rib. i really like how it is coming out!

this is a pink prayer shawl for a friend of mine from college. we were very close friends and roomed together for a year which was the downfall of our friendship. we had a falling out and stopped talking. she and i have been sending snail mail letters recently trying to piece back our friendship. in this process i found out that she lost her mother to colorectal cancer in december of 2007. they were very close so i know this is hard on her. i know how much she loves pink so i am making this for her. i can't begin to know what she has gone through these last few months.

last is another prayer shawl that i don't actaully have on the needles yet. all the yarn has been wound and is ready to go. this one i am doing with some friends. we will pass it amongst us and each knit on it a bit! lots of fun that way and i don't have to do the whole thing!

unfortunantely these are not the only things on the needles right now it is just my most recent additions. i also have 2 blankets and a shawl on the needles. urg! it kinda makes me mad at myself but i think i have knitting add because i love to switch between multiple projects! oh well! we'll see what i get finished first! i'll keep you all posted!

Life's To Do List

2008-05-03T10:37:00.002-05:00

ok so i totally copied this from this blog! it looked like fun. i love these things!

Basically, the idea is to put all the things that you have done in bold.
Life's To Do List
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula (OMG NEVER!)
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said ‘I love you’ and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg (seems like I should have done this in Alaska but I have no recollection of doing this)
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 10 provinces
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk (usually my role)
42. Had amazing friends (had? still have!)
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe (I had a backpack.. does that count?)
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers (NEVER!! Too scary for all involved!)
61. Gone scuba diving (does snorkeling count?)
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark (I kind of think I have done this…can’t confirm it)
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children. (do cats count?)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth (I have helped a human give birth, does that count?)
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach(um..no!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (do fish count?)
137. Skipped all your school reunions (I haven’t had one yet but I am planning on skipping them all!)
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone’s life

not much new on the knitting front. i finshed the chicken yellow prayer shawl and the socks are coming along. this weeks class was the gusset and the foot. i am just now finished with one gusset and am working on the foot. not much progess to show off. hopefully soon!

Beware: Knitting Content Ahead!!

2008-04-24T11:45:00.004-05:00

i know...finally, right? it is about time i had some knitting content to show off! before i get to that i must tell you of the Yarn Harlot's visit to Nashvegas! i can't tell you how excited i was to get a chance to see her...in person! she came a couple of years ago during a book tour but at that point i really wasn't reading her blog much and didn't make the effort to see her then. now i totally regret that but thank goodness the wonder publisist got us back on the tour for this year! yeah! so she came on a wednesday to Borders in Brentwood. i left work early and met Learning from Chavah at the McAlister's nest door for some dinner then we went over to Borders. we were there super early to make sure we got good/decent seats. the store cliamed they were expecting 200+ people! because of this they asked that we come early and buy the book and get a numbered ticket for the book signing. this ticket did not guarantee you a seat but it did guarantee that you would get your book signed. so i very sweetly asked dad to stop by early and get us the books and tickets. he very graciously did and we were tickets 31 and 32! so we sat and knitted as people gathered and chatted. then the big event...she was spotted coming it! we were all a twitter! she was in the building! right on time at 7:30 she came out! so exciting!

the podium as too high and she is much shorter than i had imagined!

she spoke for at least an hour. it was hilarious. i wish i had a great memory and could recall some of the funny things she said but i don't.

she signed all of the books of hers that i own! by the way they didn't even use the tickets! we were nearly the last people to have our books signed! arg! you will have to catch her in a city near you for yourself! so worth it! here is her recount of the event! look closely i made the blog!

The week after the Yarn Harlot's visit i started a sock class. the wonderful people of Threaded Bliss (a LYS) have agreed to host a beginning sock class just for me and 2 of the ladies from church! we have horrible schedules and they are working around our silly schedules! i am very grateful for this especially since normal classes are held on the weekends and i work every other! it is a four part class. this first class we worked on the cuff and the leg.

Leigh and Veronica at sock class!

i bought some wonderful Colinette Jitterbug in Jay. it is so pretty! we have another class on saturday and i am ready! i have 2 socks with the cuff and leg completed! ready to turn the heels, see:

i am still on my quest to destash but i am not doing a very good job of it at all! i did however make another baby cardigan out of some stash yarn! here it is:

Stats:

Pattern: Reynolds Utopia #82260, Ruffled Cardigan
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Brites, color: Rose Violet
Needles: US 8s, 13 inch straights
Made for: I don't know yet, just wanted to make it
Timeline: it hs been about a month but i am not sure of the exact dates.

i really did not like this project. i learned a lot though which was really the point. i learned ruffles, 3 needle bind off, and some serious seaming. i am not happy at all with how the seaming came out but i am just going to deal with it. i might at some point do a similar type sweater again and take it to one of the LYS and see if they can show me more effectively how to seam! i also was unhappy with this yarn. i usually like caron simply soft but this time it has a halo like effect that i don't like. not a big fan of the color either! haha it sounds like i really hated this project, but i am really glad i did it ... i just won't be doing it again!

my UFO list has been growing lately so i am taking some time to finish some projects up. the first was that sweater! check that one off! next was getting both socks to the point to where they need to be for class on satruday! check that one off! next is finishing that yellow prayer shawl. here is the progress:

i quit working on it for a little while but am picking it up again to finish! i can't wait for this one to be off my mind and to it's recipient! hopefully i will get it to her by the time she graduates from high school next month! shouldn't be a problem!

there are more things on the UFO list but those are the only ones i am currently working on! hopefully i will get around to finishing more of them soon! i'll keep you posted!

Ok Ok I am totally behind on my blogging!

2008-04-08T12:55:00.005-05:00

i hope that the very few readers i have will forgive me for my sporadic blogging. i really don't have any excuse either. just haven't gotten around to it. ok so that weekend was wonderful minus the carrie underwood concert. here is how it went down. a friend of mine got the tickets for us and the catch was we had to be with him (a current ETSU student) to get into the venue. so he called me at about 6:15 and said they were going to start letting people in and that we needed to get there. so we were there by 6:30 when they did start letting people in. so we found some seats on the front row of the balcony level. we waited and waited and waited. people were getting so bored that someone started the wave! it was hilarious! so then we waited some more and finally at 8:00 the opening band started. they were aawful! i don't even know their name but i remember that they were from Jackson, Tennessee. they played way more songs than were necessary. after they went off i thought ok they will fix the stage then she will come out...umm not until 9:00!!! i was so over it by this time. we didn't even stay to hear her whole set. she had a horrid outfit on (knee high boots and a tied shirt). at one point she started talking about how the tabliods are always discussing her love life and she said that she was going to tell us her one true love...HER DAMN DOG!! too boot she then sang a love song to her dog! that is when thought it was a good time to get out of there! there are no pictures becuase they said it was per the request of the artist. boo carrie. the only funny part of the evening was when one of my friend's (erin) lost her flip flop over the balcony! it was hilarious! then we couldn't get anyone's attention below to throw it up to us because this happened right as carrie came out. finally my other friend tried to go down there and get it but they thought she was just trying to get on the floor. at one point the fire marshall came by and saw the shoe on the ground, looked up, and realized that it was one of ours and threw it to us! so funny! afterwards we went and got pizza and crashed.

saturday morning i got up and ran to curves and stopped at walmart to pick up some supplies for our PINK FLAMINGO PARTY that was to be that night. see there are 4 of us good friends that a few years ago decided to throw a party for one of our members for her december graduation. we couldn't find any traditional graduation party supplies so we decided on flamingos! they have kind of become our little mascot for our group. we decided the throw a surprise flamingo party for one of the girls that just got engaged (christy). we started out at starbucks just to hang out for a while then moved the party to our favorite resturant: Cheddars for dinner. after we ate, erin and i sped back to the house to light candles and start the music before elizabeth and christy came back. elizabeth distracted christy with fake diarrhea. so funny! so here is our flamingo party in pics!

this was the table scape...it looks like someone vomited pepto bismal everywhere! so great!

this is floyd. he is our mascot. floyd has an attitude all his own but he likes being the center of attention when we have our parties. he lives with erin the rest of the time.

this is christy as she first sees the party and realizes that it is a surprise for her! so fun!

here is chirsty in all of her flamingo garb. pink shirt with i heart pink flamingos on the front and engaged on the back! very cute. she also had a tiara with a flamingo on it, a flamingo bag, and pink boa!

this was the pink strawberry cake we made. elizabeth tried to make a ring in white icing but well you can see it! we also made strawberry daqaris to go with our pink theme.

here is erin!

this is elizabeth and i! aren't we cute?

well it was a ton of fun as you can see! sunday i went to church at one of my favorite churches...cherokee united methodist! it was good to surprise everyone and see them all! i miss that church big time! i headed home after church and made it to knitting barely! more knitting next time. i have a couple of new ufos...i have had startitis lately!

So excited!

2008-03-27T11:47:00.003-05:00

i am so excited i almost can't stand it! it is so hard sitting here at work thinking about this weekend. tomorrow begins what i hope will be a wonderful weekend! friday morning i am going to run and work out early then a friend of mine from church is coming to get me to go to something called Threadfest. there is an article about it here. i can't wait to see what we will discover there. could be great could be nothing but it will be fun! then i am going to get out of town no later than noon and head to Johnson City to meet up with 2 of my most favorite people in the whole world (both blogless). almost immediately after getting into town we are going to a carrie underwood concert at my old college! cheap tickets and good friends will make for tons of fun! after that there will most likely be some food intake and probably some shopping. satrday morning i am going to get up and go work out then we are going to shop and prepare for a surprise party for another friend we are throwing that evening. it is one of our now famous flamingo parties! so fun! cake baking and decorating will commence. after everything is put together we are headed to starbucks to chill and take some time to catch up. dinner will be at our old standard: Cheddars for some spinach dip and other wonderful foods! yum! my mouth is watering just thinking about it! after dinner the surprise party will commence! who knows what all will go on...good times. sunday i will get up and go to my favorite church in the world then hit the road. my knitting group meets sunday at 5pm so i am hoping to make it back for that! it is going to be a great weekend! pictures to come when i get back!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T12:34:00.005-05:00

Oh how i have always loved Easter time: the spring time weather trying to sneak its way in, the beautiful blue skies, spring break, the easter egg hunts, a new dress or outfit, new shoes, and sometimes we even curled my hair for the holiday! what a fun time! i used to love my parents easter egg hunts because there was always money in the eggs instead of candy! i would get plenty of candy at the church egg hunt...the money was awesome! it was and still is such a special holiday at church. everyone is so excited and happy and sometimes you see people that you might not have seen in years! there is such a stir in the air because: HE IS RISEN! what glorious news!

there is also a funny side of easter found in comics and online in various places. i leave you with a few holiday funnies that i found today:

With Apologies to Blondes comes an Easter joke:

Three blondes died and are at the pearly gates of heaven. St. Peter tells them that they can enter the gates if they can answer one simple question. St. Peter asks the first blonde, "What is Easter?" The blonde replies, "Oh, that's easy! It's the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and are thankful and stuff..." "Wrong!," replies St. Peter, and proceeds to ask the second blonde the same question, "What is Easter?" The second blonde replies, "Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and drink eggnog." St. Peter looks at the second blonde, shakes his head in disgust, tells her she's wrong, and then peers over his glasses at the third blonde and asks, "What is Easter?" The third blonde smiles confidently and looks St. Peter in the eyes, "I know what Easter is." "Oh?" says St. Peter, incredulously. "Easter is the Christian holiday, that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper. Then the Romans took him to be crucified and he was stabbed in the side, made to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross with nails through his hands. He was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder." St. Peter smiles broadly with delight. Then the third blonde continues, "Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out...and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter."

Both of these funnies were found here. Happy Easter to you all!!!

i promise knittng content next time!

Happy Spring - Belated!

2008-03-21T15:26:00.003-05:00

Happy Spring everyone! i can't believe it is officially spring time! part of me is glad the warmer weather is kind of a welcome site but then that also means that the horrors of a tennessee summer is just around the corner. one thing that i have always dearly loved about spring time is the spring flowers that are bloming everywhere. Here the trees are bloming, the daffodils are blooming, and the Easter Lilies are in the stores! I love love love fresh flowers! so today, the day after the first day of spring, i leave you with daffodils (or buttercups) in bloom:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-17T12:49:00.004-05:00

Just taking a moment to wish you all a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Be careful out there tonight if you plan on spending the evening drinking green alcohlic beverages! more knitting/crafting news to come soon! stay tuned!

Picture of my FIRST sweater!

2008-03-09T20:11:00.003-05:00

ok just as i promised...my latest finished object:

Stats:

Pattern: Reynolds Utopia #82260, Yoked Cardigan
Yarn: Caron Simply Soft, color: Soft Blue
Needles: US 8s, 13 inch straights
Made for: I don't know yet, just wanted to make it
Timeline: February 21, 2008-March 8, 2008

FO but no pics...yet!

2008-03-08T14:56:00.004-06:00

i have exciting news! i finished my first garment this week! i can't believe it! it is a baby sweater and i used stash yarn! i know everyone is proud...haha! well, it lacks one button and that special button has not been chosen yet. i am hoping to make it over to jo-anns on my way home from work tonight to pick something out. i can't wait to show it off. i will take pics tomorrow! maybe there will be enough snow left over to get some cute ones in the snow.

so i only needed a little help with the sweater, and it makes me mad. i got the whole thing done...attached the sleeves, everythingand got to the yoke and just couldn't figure it out. i went to my closest local yarn shop to beg for help (begging because i didn't buy the yarn or the pattern there). one of the shop owners has been coming to the monthly knitting meeting at the library so she has gotten to know me and graciously said she would help me. she knew what was wrong before i even explained what was going on. you see, i guess i had never had to yo when going from a kint to a purl stitch. well when doing this you have to wrap the yarn twice. here is a better explaination from here:

Single Yarn Over Going from Knitting to Purling

When you're knitting along and come to a spot where a YO is to be inserted, and the next stitch is a purl, you bring the yarn to the front of the work between the needle points as before, then wrap it over the needle once more to make the hole. Sort of a combination technique.

i just couldn't figure this out on my own. i knew i was doing somethng wrong but i had no idea how to fix it. she said this was something they see in the store a lot. that made me feel a bit better. i really wanted to finish the sweater without any help just to prove that i could do it but oh well. at least i did it and i am itching to start another!

i promise to post pics tomorrow! it is so cute!

Catching Up!

2008-02-27T15:33:00.014-06:00

So I guess I should start off with where I really left off, prior to Alley’s bath…just in case you were wondering she will be getting another bath this Saturday! I will be sure to take more wet cat pics when we do that this weekend! Oh how I love wet cat pictures!

Ok so I really have been knitting. Not as much as I would like but some knitting is going on. First up is a blue and grey prayer shawl done for a friend of mine at church.

She is going to be really surprised! I can’t wait to give it to her, hopefully i will get to on Sunday. This shawl is done horizontally, changing yarns every row as to create the fringe as you go. I really like doing these, and because you have to get so many yarns there is almost always enough for 2 shawls with the leftovers. So that is really nice.

Next is a turquoise shawl made for one of the girls at Happening (a youth event that I am heavily involved in).

She loved it! I did a repeating pattern of nine rows of grater then a 2 row drop stitch pattern. It turned out really pretty. It is made from JoAnn’s Angel Hair Yarn. I freaking love that yarn. It makes the most wonderful soft fabric. It is a pleasure to work with.

Here are the kids that got prayer shawls at Happening.

I made two of them (the orange one and the turquoise one) and my speed knitter at my church made the red one and the blue, green, brown, an grey one! What a bunch of silly kids. They did just love them. I am not sure I saw them without them much! It is so nice when hand knitted items are appreciated.

So much for FOs. That is it so far. I have a couple of things on the needles though. I have another prayer shawl in the needles. It is yellow with an orangey pink ruffle border. I can’t wait for this one to be over! I don’t know why it is dragging me down so much. I feel like I need a challenge right now, so last night I started a baby cardigan. This will be my first garment! I am really excited about it! I hope I can do it! I will post progress pics when there is something more to look at!

During the time that I haven’t been posting, I have been on a road trip with Tara over at Learning from Chavah. She has been making sock knitting bags for a local yarn store whose owner just fell in love with them. The first 6 she made out of Amy Butler fabric which was beautiful but very expensive. This next 6, she wanted to do something different, something you can’t get in town. So a road trip was born! We hit the road about 8:30am and headed north

to Paducah, Kentucky, Home of Hancock’s of Paducah.

This is a famous fabric store mostly for its extensive selection. We spent 3 hours in there! And barely made it past the remnants table!

Since they do so much online selling they are constantly turning over fabric. It was so fun to go through those tables and tables of remnants. Tara picked out a bunch of fabric for her bags and at $4.98yd, she got quite a deal!

I found a couple of things.

I picked out 2 fabrics for sock bags that she is going to make for me, fabric for an apron for dad, and enough to make 2 pillowcases for Happening.

And here are the sock bags that she made for me!

Aren’t they great?!?! She did a great job! These very similar bags are on sale for $22 at Angel Hair Yarn Store. Go get one! Look they are theoretically reversible if you don’t mind the pockets on the outside. She even puts a specific place for your crochet hook! So clever! I already have my little sweater project in the larger one!

Well, whew! That was a long post and I wil leave you with pics from today and the tiny amount of snow we got last night:

I am afraid this may be our last go at some snow this season. I hate that. Maybe I will be wrong. I sure do love a snow day! I just wish I wasn’t at work on a snow day! Oh well!

Have a great day everyone! And thanks for stopping by!

I know I know!

2008-02-24T13:12:00.002-06:00

ok i know...it has been almost a month since my last post. i know i should be ashamed! and i am, but i have been super busy. i have a new job! i am working for a retail based clinic that is inside of a grocery store as a family nurse practitioner. it is not at all my ideal job, but i am going to make myself like it. we'll see how it goes, but i am VERY grateful for the opportunity and the job itself!

i have lots to post about, but not a whole lot of time. so more soon!

here is something fun i found on this blog:

This is the One Word Challenge - answer the questions using only one word. Okay, here goes -

1.Where is your cell phone? Drawer

2. Your significant other? none

3. Your hair? ponytail

4.Your mother? friend

5.Your father? friend

6. Favorite thing? knitting

7.Dream last night? nope

8.Favorite drink? pepper

9.Your dream/goal? midwife

10.Room you're in? office

11.Your ex? none

12.Your fear? Fire

13.Where do you want to be in 6 years? midwife

14. Where were you last night? bed

15.What you're not? skinny

16.Muffins? blueberry

17.One of your wish list items? koigu

18.Where you grew up? nashville

19. The last thing you did? charting

20. What are you wearing? professional

21.Your TV? bedroom

22.Your pet? Alley!

23.Your computer? laptop

24.Your life? Busy

25.Your mood? reflective

26.Missing someone? always

27.Your car? malibu

28.Something you're not wearing? Make-up

29.Favorite store? crafts

30.Your summer? working

31.Like someone? sure

32.Your favorite color? blue

33.When is the last time you laughed? morning

34.Who will/would repost this? noone

Saturday Bath

2008-01-26T22:54:00.000-06:00

i just can't resist posting about this! warning: this post will not contain any knitting content! tonight was saturday bath night here at the homestead...for the cat! her name is alley in case i have not mentioned that before. yes, i know...alley cat...haha! ok so alley has what is called miliary dermatitis. she has had this condition for a long time. most likely it is due to fleas which is weird because she doesn't go outside and we no longer have an inside/outside cat. it makes her feel really bad. she throws up a lot and just over all looks pathetic, but this week it just seemed to peak. i took her to her vet's office for her steroid shot and the vet suggested giving her a bath to rid her of the offending fleas. so tonight it was bath night! i love pics of wet kitties!

this is the before the bath picture. still dry here!

here we are getting our belly cleaned!

i turned the shower on so that i could get her good and rinsed off. she was really pissed by this point! look how wet! so cute!

this is right after i got her rinsed off. she is hanging on to my shoulder. now i am soaked as well! oh well!

all done! mom and i towel dried her then used the hair dryer to get her nice and fluffy! it didn't stop her from doing her own drying. in fact now, 2 hours later she is still licking to get all "dry"! she is so ocd!

this was actually really fun, but i am not sure she would agree! knitting content coming soon, i promise!

First FOs of 2008

2008-01-22T22:59:00.000-06:00

hi all! i am so sorry it has been so long since i last posted! there has been so much going on, but no time for that right now! i will fill you all in soon on everything...i promise! but for now you will have to settle for a couple of finished objects:

this is the trapezoid bag from felted frenzy. i love how it turned out! it is made from plymouth galway in dark brown. this is also my first needle felting project! i love how it came out! the button is from joann! it was just perfect!

this is a prayer shawl...i call it mango. it is a for a friend's brother. i think he will love it....he loves orange! it is huge and heavy!

that is all i have got for now! more soon!

Recipe Box

2008-01-04T00:51:00.000-06:00

Kay of Mason Dixon Knitting is currently running a Recipe Box contest. She has called for people to post pictures of their recipe boxes along with a recipe from said box, so here is my entry:

We don't have a box...we have a drawer! This drawer holds all the little pieces of paper from various places and decades with numerous family recipes. i love going through this drawer! it is a culmination of two families coming together! in the spirit of family i am choosing to share 2 recipes...one from each grandmother!

The first is from my mother's mother:

Mint Lemonade

2 cups sugar
2.5 cups water
1 cup fresh mint
6 oz frozen orange juice
6 tbsp lemon juice

place sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until sugar has dissolved. pour this mixture over the mint. add frozen orange juice and lemon juice. cover and let steep for 1 hour. strain into glass container. cover and keep in refigerator. allow 1/3 of a cup of lemonade to 2/3 cup of water.

this is a handwritten recipe and at the bottom it says, "good"! so funny! it really is good! try it!

This is my father's mother's pecan pie recipe:

Grandmom's Pecan Pie

2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp flour
1/2 stick melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups pecans
pie crust

mix everything but the pecans together well then add the pecans. our into pie crust (either made or bought) and place in 350 degree oven for one hour. makes one pie.

yum!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

here we are...it is 2008! this is going to be a great year and i am really looking forward to all the knitting!

2007 in review: well, as 2007 began i started the family nurse practitioner portion of my program which took me to a wonderful faith based clinic here in nashville and a small office in white house for clinicals. i finished the program in august and began a long (and still on-going) job hunt which has taken me to Missouri, Texas, Georgia, and Maryland. on the knitting front i was very prolific. here are the stats:

felted bags: 6
baby bib: 1
cotton flannel baby blanket with crochet edgings: 8
knitted baby hats: 6
prayer shawls: 6
felted bowl: 1
crochet baby hats: 2
dishcloths: 3
scarves: 19
felted clogs: 6
crochet cross: 1
pair of socks: 1/2
total completed projects: 59.5

isn't that incredible! 59.5 completed projects!

i have more about the new year to share but i forgot to take pics when it was pretty out side. you'll have to wait till tomorrow!

Finished Objects: Mostly Christmas Presents!

2007-12-27T19:32:00.000-06:00

Well, Christmas is over :(. I can't believe it. I did get most of my Christmas knitting done with a few acceptable exceptions. Let me fill you in on what I have finished since my last FO post!

First up is one of many pairs of Fiber Trends Felted Clogs. This pair is made from Patons Classic Wool in Deep Olive and Natural Mix. There is a Fun Fur trim on the top that is done holding 2 strands of the wool and one strand of the Fun Fur in Sandstone. I love the way these came out. They are suppose to be women's size 11 so i made the men's size 13. It looks like they are going to fit but I have not given these to there recipient yet! We'll see!

Next: pink and black! I love the colors on these, but I don't like the shape as well. These have not been gifted yet either. The pink yarn is elann Peruvian Highland wool in Carmine Pink (discontinued). The black is Patons Classic Wool. Just like the first pair, these have a Fun Fur trim which is Lion Brand Fun Fur in Rainbow. These are super fun! The size is women's 10.

Blue and brown! I love these! The wool is Patons again in Too Teal and Chestnut Brown. This time the fun around the top is not Fun Fur but Patons Allure in Mink. This is another pair that has not been gifted. These are going to be hard to give away. I really like them!

These are the second pair of maroon clogs that I had to make for my dad. These fit much better. Did i tell you all that i made the first 2 pairs on the wrong needle size? I couldn't believe it! I did them on size 11s and the pattern calls for 13s. This is why the first pair was a bit small! Oh well! At least I have corrected the problem now! I gave these to him for Christmas and he just loves them! He has harldy taken them off! I am so glad he likes them. Mom loves hers too (the blue and grey ones from a previous post)! She has already asked for another pair!

This is a pic of the bottom of the blue and brown pair. I added a silicone caluk to all the bottoms so they would be slip resistant. This turned out great! You have to use soapy water to move the caulk around, but I have to say it was a lot of fun! i got 5 pairs of clogs out of one regular size tube of caulking.

Ok this wasn't a Christmas present but it is a FO!! My prayer shawl ministry group knit this one together for one of our members. She has no idea we are doing it and has not recieved it yet! I just had to show it off because it is beautiful! It is made out of 14 different yarns! you just cast on the length (in this case 165 stitches) and knit across changing yarns every row. this makes the fringe as you are knitting. the colors are so rich - reds, oranges, browns, and one dark yellow. it is so heavy too! it will be great for the winter! It will be blessed and given to her in a couple of weeks! She will be so surprised!

This is another prayer shawl. It was done in a basketweave pattern. I am really pleased with how it came out. It is Jo-Ann's Sensations Rainbow Classic in the Bright Multi colorway. These are huge skeins (615yds) so it only took one skein! I added ribbon to the fringe for a little extra prettiness (is that a word?...it is now!).

As you can see I have been busy! I have plans for about 5 more prayer shawls that need to be done before mid February! WOW! I am going to need to enlist some help! Wish me luck!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2007-12-25T09:44:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!! i hope that this Christmas day finds you and your family in good spirits. please enjoy this beautiful day that God has gifted us with. here is another knitting carol for you:

Have Yourself A Very Knitted Christmas

Have yourself a very knitted Christmas.
Let your scarves be bright
From now on your AMEX
Should be out of sight.

Have yourself a very knitted Christmas,
Manos, Noro, Bliss.
Tell them all
You only want more yarn for gifts.

There you are on the Internet,
with your credit card in hand,
Buying yarn is equivalent
To the desert needing sand.

Through the years
your stash will keep on growing
and you’ll never stop -
Tell the IRS
you own your own yarn shop!
And have yourself
A very knitted Christmas now.

i did finally figure out where all the knitting carols came from: Knit and Plenty. here is the link: http://www.knitandplenty.typepad.com/

Silent Knit

2007-12-24T23:22:00.000-06:00

Silent Knit, Holy Knit,
All is Wool, All Will Fit
Round Yon Virgin
Wool and Cashmere
Holy Addis so Quick
and so Dear
Knit in Heavenly Peace!
Knit in Heavenly Peace!

It's Beginning to Knit a Lot Like Xmas

2007-12-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to knit a lot like Christmas
Ev'rywhere I go;
Take a look in the den and then, the pile of WIPs
And when - the hell am I ever going to SLEEP.
It's beginning to knit a lot like Christmas,
Projects in ev'ry room,
But the ugliest sight to see is the nightmare that will be
The new Christmas throw that’s going to be my doom.
A scarf with fringe - and a pair of socks
Are the wishes of mom and dad;
Rich woolen hats to ski Zermatt
Are the hopes of Bunny and Chad;
Luckily, Uncle Tim has brought the rum to the Egg Nog that he’ll add.

It's beginning to knit a lot like Christmas;
But when the day is through
They’ll be barely out the door and I’ll be casting on some more

photo thanks to: http://knitpurlknitpearl.blogspot.com

God Rest Ye Weary Knitters

2007-12-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

God rest ye weary knitters Let nothing you dismay
Remember all your projects Be done by Christmas day.
From God our heavenly Father A blessed Angel came.
She brought her wooden needles And luscious Cashmire skeins
We knitted and purled and left nary a one
They were underneath the tree
All wrapped in lovely colors
T’was wonderful to see
God rest ye weary knitters
And smile on Christmas Day
When bright faces wear your stitches
And you’ll feel proud to say
It’s made with love and angel’s yarn
And nights of tea and toil –
It brings tidings of comfort and joy
Comfort and joy, oh tidings of comfort and joy!

Santa Baby

2007-12-22T18:01:00.000-06:00

well as Christmas quickly approaches i DO have my knitting completed! i am so happy to report that! well...i have the knitting done that has to be done for tuesday! there is one more pair of Fiber Trends Felted Clogs to do but i won't see that person until later in January! that gives me a little time! last Christmas (pre-blog) i ran across someone who had posted all these fun knitting themed christmas carols. i couldn't resist. i saved them and will share them with you here! up first is one of my favorites...Santa Baby:

Santa Baby
Santa Baby,
Just slip some cashmere under the tree
For me
I’ve Been an knitting fool
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa baby, a skein or 2 of alpaca will do
Light blue
I'll wait up for you with needles in hand
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Think of all the knitting I will miss
Think of all the yarn sales I haven’t hit
Next year I will knit oh so good
If you'll check off my Christmas yarn list

Santa Baby, I really want some SoySilk yarn
knits like a charm
Been an knittin’ angel all year
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa honey, one little thing I really do need
stix with speed
platinum ones will do
Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight

Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with some sock yarn
I’ll darn
Don’t forget circulars, dear
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight

Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some knitted decorations from KPixie
I really would knit for you
Lets see if you would wear my naughty knits, too

Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing
Knit Kit
I don't mean from Joann Fabrics
Santa Baby, Knit & Plenty has em' for me
Hurry down the chimney tonight
Hurry...tonight

Attention: i am not taking any credit for these and if i could remember where i found them i would post that as well. if anyone know who wrote these or where they came from please let me know so i can give credit to where credit is due! thanks!

check back...i will be posting carols until christmas!

F is for FINISHED!!!

2007-12-10T00:16:00.000-06:00

i am sorry i haven't posted sooner, but just to let you all know...I PASSED MY EXAM!!! i am now a family nurse practitioner (FNP)!!! the absolute best part of it is that i am also COMPLETELY finished with school. this is the first time since i started school that could say that i am done! at this point in my life i can honestly say that i am not interested in going back anytime soon!

on wednesday (the day after my test) i just couldn't figure out what to do with myself. when you are so intensly studying like i have been doing for 2 weeks all you can think of is all the things that you wish you could be doing, but when i was finally done i didn't know where to start. there was (and still is) a lot of Christmas knitting to do, Christmas shopping to finsh, and cleaning to be done. i haven't even switched my summer and winter clothes out! i am starting to knock some of these things out now but i can't believe how stunned i was to be done earlier in the week! it is a great feeling!

thank you goes out to all who prayed for me and offered me words of encouragement. i have one friend that i called to tell i had passed my test and all she said was, "i know!" i wish i had had as much condifence in myself as she had in me! thank you all!

now the job hunt continues!...and the Christmas knitting!

Yarn Quiz!

2007-12-08T00:35:00.000-06:00

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Merino Wool.You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to keep you close because you are so softhearted. You love to be comfortable and warm from your head to your toes.
Take this quiz!

Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Go take it...it is fun! Please leave me a comment with what type of yarn you are!

Quiet Time

2007-11-29T00:58:00.000-06:00

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!

November 22, 2007

2007-11-22T09:45:00.000-06:00

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!

Ok, finally a knitting post!

2007-11-20T00:13:00.000-06:00

(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.

E is for East Tennessee State University

2007-11-05T23:01:00.000-06:00

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.

2007-10-25T11:18:00.000-05:00

I found this while purusing a few blogs today, specifically this one. i won't wait to be tagged. i think it is kind of fun! enjoy:

Open the book you're currently reading to page 161 and copy the fifth sentence on the page, then tag 5 bloggers.

"She wanted him to tell her he'd love her to the end of time, with or without a child."

from:

so now to the obstacle of tagging. if you are reading this and you have a blog, consider yourself tagged. if you do indeed do this please leave me a comment with a link to your blog so that i can enjoy as well!

Odds and Ends

2007-10-12T23:17:00.000-05:00

this post is going to be filled with the odds and ends things that have been going on. the first is the stitch marker exchange that i joined earlier in the summer. i signed up for 3 swap partners. i sen tmy markers nearly a month ago now, but i just recieved my first set today! they are so pretty! i am so sorry about the picture quality...i just can't seem to photograph stitch markers well at all. if anyone has any tips i could use them! these are from laura (i can't seem to find her blog link on the website!). laura if you are reading this...thank you! ok so the small little balls...i have an explaination. i promsie. here it is. on the stitch marker exchange someone made stitch markers out of small felted balls. check them out here. i think they are just super cute! i just had to make them! i also think that they would be super cute as earrings. i am thinking about making them tomorrow! i will show pics for sure if i get to that! there is a tutorial that i found about making them: here. i may have to make them smaller next time. they may be a bit big for earrings, but i am going to try!
below is a baby hat. the yarn is encore colorspun worsted. i can't believe how it knitted up with all that pooling. i kind of like it and i kind of don't. it is a little bigger than i would have liked it to have been, but babies grow right? i did the top like the umbilical cord hat from the stitch 'n bitch book by debbie stoller...so cute.

Finished Object!

2007-10-07T23:23:00.000-05:00

i love those words! This is the most fun project i think i have ever done. it is a prayer shawl. i loved all of it. i loved picking out all the pretty purple yarns espicially! so i cast on 175 stitches and changed yarns after knitting each row. this creates its own fringe! so cool. the idea came from a scarf in Sally Melville's book: The Knit Stitch. i already have a blue one planned!

this particular prayer shawl is for a sweet friend of mine: Susan who lost her father last week.

here is an upclose look at the shawl:

stay tuned: i am working on a fun felting project AND tomorrow is knitting at the library! lots of friends coming! very fun!

D is for Daisies (and Dogs)

2007-09-27T16:55:00.000-05:00

Daisies...i LOVE daisies! they are my favorite flower. so happy! don't get me wrong i love all flowers but this is the best and please do not dye them! so often you find them dyed random unnatural colors and they serve a purpose but the white ones are my by far my favorite!

Again a defination from Happening reguarding daisies:

DAISY: The daisy is the Happening flower. The daisy is a free growing wild flower. It doesn’t seem to be a formal flower like the rose or orchid – it seems to be a happy, frivolous flower, as if God created it just for fun. We think of it as joyful, not serious. We note that the daisy openly shows its joy and beauty without wearing any masks. We also note that when the flower dies it spreads its seeds to create new life and we are reminded of Christ’s death and resurrection to new life. The daisy reminds us of 3 things: First, when we see a field of daisies, we are reminded that the flowers bloom together just like we have bloomed together in sharing Christ’s love at Happening. Second, we look at the flower with petals radiating from the golden center and think of ourselves radiating from the center of God’s grace. Third, we note that the daisy grows wherever God scatters the seeds and we are taught to “Bloom and Grow.”

There is even a Happening song about the daisy (I have the chords if anyone is interested):

May all of your dreams
Bloom like daisies in the sun.
May you always have
Stars in your eyes.
May you not stop running
Until the race is won.
May you always have blue skies.
_______________________________________________

D is also for Dogs!

i love dogs. i have only had one dog in my life. her name was Kelly. she was a pure bred Irish Setter. she was beautiful! (sorry no digital pics). my parents got her before i was born. evidently kelly was a worrier. mom and dad tell the story that when i was very little i would cry back in my bedroom and before they had gotten up to see what i wanted/needed kelly had already gone back towards my room. the trouble was that we had hard wood floors and she would nearly slide all the way there then come back to them and look at them like, "aren't you going to do anything. the baby is crying!" so funny.

after kelly died we kind of made an unintentional switch to cats. i love cats too but sometimes i wish we still had a dog. i want an animal that will go places with you. cats just aren't really into that! i want a weiner dog! they are so cute and have no idea how small they are! it cracks me up! i can't wait until i get a job and an apartment/house so i can get a dog!

look how cute that is. how could you resist?

FO: Finished Object!

2007-09-24T22:58:00.000-05:00

I keep a running record of my finished objects and i was noticing as i was entering this one that it has been nearly 2 months since i had a finshed object! i can't believe that it has been that long. i keep thinking there is something i have forgotten. oh well. now about this fo. isn't it cute? this is a modfied booga bag. the base was about 40 stitches across and about 20 garter rows. then the sides did about 50 rows instead of the 64 the pattern called for. i bound off then went back and picked up the stitches for the flap. i knit the flap about 10 inches long, decreasing at the end. the yarn is bernat felting natural wool in the english rose colorway. i love the pink and brown! i found the button here. they have a great selection of buttons. i really like how this came out!

WIPs: Works in Progress

2007-09-18T21:02:00.000-05:00

I thought we needed a little knitting content here at the ol'blog! i have been knitting, just not very quickly. i thought i would get a bunch more done on my multiple airplane trips last week, but i didn't get as much done as i had hoped.

This is my Koigu shawl that i just dearly love. this is pre-trips. it is som what bigger now. i am not seeing as much change now that there are so many stitches on the needles! i wish i had measured then to compare to now to see exactly how much progress i have made! oh well.

this is yet another booga bag. i found this yarn in DE while there with my family. i love yarn shopping there because there is no tax! they don't pay sales tax! it sure beats tennessee's nearly 10%!!! ok this is a new yarn to me...bernat felting natural wool. the colorway is called english rose. i love it! it is pink and brown! so great. this is a bulky weight so i am not sure why i decided to double it, but i did. it is super super bulky now, and may even be too bulky. not sure how it is going to felt. i guess we'll see. i'll keep you posted!

i am looking to start another prayer shawl for a good friend of mine whose father and mother are both very ill. for her there would be no other options but purple! i have decided to work lenghtwise and change yarns after each row leaving yarn for abulit in fringe. i think it will be quite pretty. i can't wait to see what purple yarns i can find! i am always up for a yarn search!

Stitch Marker Exchange: SENT!!!

2007-09-18T20:12:00.000-05:00

This fall i decided to participate in the Stitch Marker Exchange. I took some time and really researched my partners, reading their blogs to figure out what colors and stuff they like. It was a lot of fun! Each one of them was so different, and one of them was from The Netherlands! so fun! I sent them on their way today, but i managed to take a few pics before i packed them this afternoon. I am convinced that stitch markers are just really hard to photograph. if anyone has any tips i would love to have them. here is what i sent:

these are lavender with small green beads. hanging is some little charms that say things like "peace" and "dream."

these are round red beads with black accent beads. hanging from these are crosses and charms that say "believe."

these are clay-like with balls of pink yarn with green needles, accented with pink and blue beads. these are super cute and my favorites of all that i did. this was so fun. i hope that these are well liked! i can't wait to get some myself! i will be doing this again!

C is for Caritas

2007-09-15T22:45:00.000-05:00

First i should define what caritas is:

CARITAS is the Latin word most directly translated as “charity” in English. “And now abideth faith, hope, CHARITY, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Caritas and charity can also be translated as LOVE. The kind of love that expresses itself in giving. In Happening, this loving gift may take the form of sacrifice, prayer, a letter expressing Christian love, of a gift given in Christ’s name.

Caritas has long been a big part of my life. it takes on physical and non-physical forms. At happening it comes in the form of small gifts and letters that are provided by the staff to each other and the happeners. after 9 years of being involved with happening i am guessing that i have made thousands of peices of caritas! it also comes in the form of the sacrifices we make for the weekend to go on, such as a lack of sleep, missing school/work, and lots of time spent working on related things. Prayer is also a form of caritas especially when praying for other people.

these are caritas bags full and ready to be distributed at happening!

Caritas is not just something that happens at happening. it happens all around us. Christ died on the cross to forgive us of our sins. this is the ultimate caritas. it also comes in the forms of phone calls during a time of need, friends, an unexpected email, the laughter shared among friends, the love of a family, and church. i like to think that i can pass along caritas everyday in all the little things that go on in day-to-day life. Just think of where you can pass on caritas to those that you meet everyday!

HAPPY CARITAS EVERYONE!!!

B is for Butterflies

2007-09-11T10:46:00.000-05:00

ok this is another one of my obsessions. it all started because of happening, which is a youth retreat weekend that i have been involved with for 9 years now and am now one of the directors. it is one of the symbols of Happening, and has long been a symbol of Christ’s coming forth from the tomb. i think of the butterfly awakening from his earth-bound cocoon to the freedom of flight. the butterfly suggest that stages of human growth….larva suggesting early childhood; Chrysalis - teenagers before they break out to the adult world. finally, the butterfly symbolizes our beauty and freedom as our spirits soar in the joy of Christ’s love. the beauty and grace of a butterfly is why i love to have them around me.

A is for abundance!

2007-09-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

a.k.a "The Stash"

Hi my name is Lindsey and I have a yarn problem. I love yarn. I love the way it feels, the way it smells. I adore staring at all the beautiful colors that it comes in. Thinking of all the potential projects. Yarn is a beautiful thing! Here are some pictures of my yarn abundance:

This is my abundance of Sugar n'Cream. This all started with the entrance of the Mason Dixon book into my life. Thanks Ann and Kay!

Above is the over abundance of caron simply soft. i still have plans on doing a log cabin blanket or ripple blanket with the brites in the picture to the left. one day. i love the fact that the yarns in the abundance have a purpose...for the most part!!

above is the abundance all spread out on the floor prior to going through it.

here it is again but this time it is all neatly put in its proper ziplock bag. where would the ziplock people be today without knitters?

p.s. A is also for airports which is where i started this post! more on that later!

A to Z of ME!!

2007-08-25T15:56:00.000-05:00

Ok I have made a command decision. I can't believe I am going to say this, but....I think it is finally too hot to knit. Day after day of 100+ heat is just too much for me. I can't even think of what it would be like to be working with wool right now, and that is exactly what I have on the needles. I am working on a beautiful Koigu shawl that I just dearly love but I can't bear myself to work on in this heat. So since the progress on that is going to be slow I have decided to do something kind of fun with the blog. I was browsing a friend's blog and noticed that she was going to be working on the "Encyclopedia of Me," and I loved the idea. It will be all about me and my knitting habit! I think it will be a lot of fun. I will post "A is for..." and so on. I hope this will really inspire my blogging. So come back soon and often and learn a little more about ME!

I am finally on RAVELRY!!!!!!!!

2007-08-17T01:05:00.000-05:00

I am just sooo excited to be a part of Ravelry!! It is so great! if you are on please add me as a friend. my username is lindy719. i can't wait to really get into it. maybe next week!

ok back to reality. the job hunt is going. i never dreamed how stressful it would be. so far i have never heard from the missouri job. no sweat...i really wasn't interested anyway. I am currently talking to practices in maryland, florida, and atlanta. location wise i am hoping for the atlanta job but we'll see. i go there on monday so we'll see! say a prayer that it goes well!

i have some finished objects to show off.

Yes, another scarf! i love working on them. i finally decided that i will be sending the completed scarves to Blue Monarch, which is a domestic violence shelter in Sewanee, Tennessee. i will be sending them once the weather cools off (we broke a temperature record today at 105!). so unitl then i will keep plugging along with them! This one is made out of JoAnn's Sensations Angel Hair in light green and Bernat Boa Yarn in Mocking Bird. it turned out really pretty. i might try this one again. i just love that angel hair! it is so soft!

next up is another baby hat. so cute, but i am tired of this yarn. it is Red Heart Baby Soft. i hate it. i am becoming more and more of a yarn snob. i really want this yummy cashmere at Angel Hair. one of the owners had it monday at knitting. i need to go over there and ask her what yarn it is. it was totally yummy and you can get about 2 hats out of one ball. it is probably out of my price range but i can at least go fondle it! haha!

this is a felted purse that will be going to the East Tennessee State University Welsey Foundation auction. it is made out of cascade 220 and some blue and gold sparkly fun fur. it is funny. i had the same amount of yarn that i always do AND i started with a base that i had already completed, yet i still ran out of yarn before i had planned. i was really concerned as i was finishing the project, but i think it turned out well! i really like the squatty size. it is really cute. i hope it brings big money! i'll update after the auction in september.

last up is another baby blanket with a crochet edge. this one is for a friend of my mom who just had her first grandbaby...a boy. i can't remember his name.

check out my friend's Diamond Fantasy Shawl! it is just beautiful! way to go girlie!

headed to chattanooga tomorrow and then on to atlanta on sunday. more to come!

Hershey Kiss

2007-07-28T00:57:00.000-05:00

I finally made this little baby hat. it has been on my list for a long time now, ever since i bought this book: Too Cute Crochet for Babies and Toddlers. If you haven't seen this book, get in your car now and head to your lys, the library, or the local bookstore and check it out immediately! it is full of freaking adorable crochet baby hats. This is my first one of many i plan to make. The only reason i waited to make this hat is that the yarn it calls for is more expensive than i was willing to pay. It is made from Lion Brand Glitterspun in silver. i couldn't justify spending $7.99 for that small amount of Lion Brand yarn! so i finally found it on clearance for $2.99 a ball! a much better price for Lion Brand!
I can't decide if i should write anything on the ribbon. I thought it would be cute to write "It's a Boy" or "It's a Girl." and pair it with some of these: Hershey Kisses. I think that would make an adorable baby gift! Then i thought about just writing "Hersheys," but i am pretty sure that is boring! ;) I don't know...i'll think of something. Any ideas?

I am thinking about trying to convert this pattern to a knitting pattern. i really like knitting baby hats better than crocheting them. If I figure it out i will post the pattern! Wish me luck!

I finished all three of those baby blankets tonight. i will take pictures tomorrow! plus i have already cast on another project! until tomorrow!

I really need to get better at posting more often...

2007-07-21T23:06:00.000-05:00

because there is just so much to cover when i wait so long between posts. well let's do this in chronological order since the last post. the week following the last post i finished my last clinical rotation!!!!! woo hoo!!! so technically i am finished for good but i do have some paper work kind of stuff to finish up. :( oh well it shouldn't be too bad. official finishing day is august 5th! i can't wait!

so i took that next weekend off in celebration of finishing. that brings us to this week. monday one of my closest friends and i took off for Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. i had a job interview there monday, tuesday, and wednesday of this week.

this is the bed and breakfast that they put us up in. it was super nice with a pool and hot tub. it was my first time at a bed and breakfast and i was completely pleased. we were the only ones there so it was even nicer especially at the pool!

this is the hospital that i would be working at. it is really small but then again so is the town. there is a population of only 5,000 in the town and 15,000 in the county that the hospital serves. there are only 12 physicians in this little town and only one OB whom i would be working with. she seems super nice. i think all went pretty well and am looking forward to hearing from them probably next week. wednesday afternoon i got done with meetings about noon and we drove up to st. louis. what a great city. i had only been there once driving through so it was a real treat to get to stop and look around. we headed straight to the arch.

my friend had been up before but i had not! it was so cool! those little cabins they put you in to take you up are horribly small. thankfully it is only a 4 minute trip up so there isn't too much time to get too freaked out! haha! we went ahead and drove back that night.

thursday was my birthday!!! i love my birthday. after breakfast and present opening mom and i took off to murfreesboro to the yarn shop there: The Knaughty Knitter. it was a great little shop! this is the only shop in town that carries spinning stuff. i am really interested in doing a little spinning so i bought a drop spindle, some beautiful roving, and a new book:

after the shop, we had lunch there on the town square which was just a great addition to a little girls day out. on the way home we stopped at the Oasis Butterfly House at Blooms Nursery. this little hideaway is very close to the house but we just never had stopped. it is a greenhouse that the owner has turned into a butterfly house! so awesome! i just LOVE butterflies. there are also tons of turtles, fish, and birds in this house. it is not too big but a great find! our next stop was one of our more local yarn stores: The Haus of Yarn, where they lived up to their snotty reputation as usual! i did score some Crystal Palace cotton chenille on sale for 50% off and a great lace pattern:

i got the cotton chenille to make the flower washcloth from Weekend Knitting by Melanie Falick. it was also in an old issue of interweave knits but i can't seem to figure out which issue. i think they will be super cute in these colors (especially for 50% off!). After this we went to the beadshop across the street...thank goodness i didn't find anything there that needed to come home with me! we went back home, ate cake, and made dinner. my grandmother's sausage pie. it is soooo good. you take a regular pie crust and cook it first in the oven while you are mixing up the ingredients. the other ingredients include: breakfast sausage, spinach, mozzerlla, montery jack, cottage cheese, and garlic. how can you go wrong?? so you mix all that stuff up and put it in the crust and pop it back in the oven for about 30 min. holy cow....that is good eating! we made a salad with it. dad had a ball game that night which we went to, but unfortunatly he lost. :( oh well. that was the last game for the season and they came in 3rd in the league.

mom and dad went crazy for my birthday! i got a huge stack of books and a pink i-pod nano! here is the stack of books:

it is a great selection! so excited! i have totally enjoyed going through them! now to find a place for them on the already over full shelf!

whew...that was a lot! hope all is well with everyone and everyone is staying cool!

Happy Fourth!

2007-07-04T14:35:00.000-05:00

I wish each of you a HAPPY FOURTH of JULY!!! Enjoy the barbque and the fireworks! We will be enjoying the fireworks downtown from a spot we found that doesn't require us to be in the midst of the downtown crowds! I can't wait! I just love fireworks! Have a safe holiday!

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

2007-07-01T16:06:00.001-05:00

Last night i had the chance to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in person and it was truely amazing! I am not a mormon but i completely enjoyed the experience. The tickets were free from a friend of mine and were pretty great seats. We were right behind the percussion section. This was actually really neat to watch these men play a number of different instruments. I have a couple of picture of my own but i can't make blogger post them. Maybe some other time, but for now enjoy one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.

The Mixing of Varigated and Solids

2007-06-29T22:09:00.000-05:00

During my searching and looking through the internet I have run upon many baby blankets and afghans pictured on varying sites and blogs, and there is something that I have learned. I have decided that I don't like knitted pieces that incorporate solids and varigated or ombre yarns in big items like an afghan or baby blanket. I really like it in something small and simple like a dishcloth:

How does everyone else out there feel about it? Do you like a mixture like this one:

(I am sorry to who ever this might beong to). I just don't like it. Am I alone here? Leave your thoughts in the coments!

More knittng soon!

FOs: Finished Objects

2007-06-23T10:35:00.000-05:00

Because it has been so long since i posted about knitting, you all are in luck! i have quite a few finished objects to show off. I have been on a kick of small quick projects. i don't have a huge project going right now, but am thinking of starting a shawl for myself soon. My fist completed project is, yes, another scarf. i am making these scarves for the Domestic Violence shelter. i think they are really pretty and girlie!

This is that Red Heart Rag Doll yarn that we got on clearance a while back at walmart. it has turned out so pretty. this picture just doesn't do it justice. Ok, another scarf:

This one is Lion Brand Jiffy Thick and Quick. It is really bright and fun. Again this photo doesn't do it justice. Another scarf:

There are now three of these scarves made out of this particular yarn. It is Landscapes by Lion Brand. A friend of mine gave this to me after she started a bolero out of it and hated the huge variations of color within the same dyelots. For her project it did look bad but for these scarves it really hasn't mattered too much. i can tell, but i hope it really isn't all that noticable. All of these have coordinating ribbons incorporated in the fringe.

Then i got an idea. There is a Medical Assistant student at the office i am doing this last clinical rotation who is pregnant. she is due in September and her last day is some time next week. i have got all that cotton flannel for baby blankets and bunches of stuff to make hats with. I made this hat first:

Then i decided that it was too Christmasy. What do you all think? Does it remind you of Christmas? I did not have any flannel that matched at all. Well it bothered me so i made a new one:

This one is much better for a baby boy, and i had a blanket that matched:

This blanket is super cute. it is a great light green color with blue stars and yellow moons and swirls. I crocheted a border that looks like star points. it is in that same light green as the blanket. I think it turned out really well. Here is the completed gift:

It is in a cute little basket with a book called, It's a Boy, which i found at walmart. i also included a cute little blue bear that i got at the dollar tree. i think it turned out really well and i don't have that much in it. only probably about 10 dollars in total, including the basket. i can't wait to give i to her. i jus love working on things for other people. i made another one of these baskets for a close friend of mine last fall and she has called me asking if i would make her some more of those cotton flannel blankes. more pics to follow about those.

For those of you keeping up with my job hunt, i have an interview for a CNM position in Missouri. There is only one OB in the little town, so it would be she and i. the interview is friday. i'll let you all know how it goes. i am super nervous....send good vibes my way next friday (the 29th) at about7:30 am. more later!

AHHH!!

2007-06-12T22:41:00.000-05:00

things came up....will post ASAP! the more time away, the more knitting projects!

Geez it has been a while!

2007-06-11T22:16:00.000-05:00

ok ok i know it has been a while since i last posted and the worst part is that i really don't have a good excuse! i have been working quite a bit but i have also had some days off. well i do have a great post in mind but it is too late to start that tonight so i will leave you with this and will get to posting hopefully tomorrow after work!

Seems like just about everyone who's blog I read has been doing this and even though i haven't officially been tagged i am going to do it anyway!

Rules:
Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

1. I have this really weird hate for things, espicially wood, with small holes in it. i can't really explain it except that maybe it is genetic...my mom has the same problem here is an example of what i am talking about:

BLAH!!! i think it is the idea of little bugs coming out of the holes...yuck!

2. i really like flamingos! a good friend of mine graduated from college a couple of decembers ago and we decided to throw her a party. it is really hard to find graduation decorations in december so we randomly picked flamingos as our theme. it was really cute! come to think of it...i am suprised that we found flamingo stuff in december! i have been in love ever since!

3. i have been to egypt. my parents took me to egypt when i was in the 6th grade. we went just to go. while we were at the pyramids we went down into one of them...the small one i think and discovered that it makes your legs weak going down. my mom termed this condition pyramid legs! 4. on the theme of egypt...i fell off of a camel! while we were at thye pyraimds my parents thought it would be so great to ride a camel around the pyramids. my aunt and i were to get on one camel and mom and dad on the other. mom and dad got on faster than we did so their trainer signaled the camel to get up and at the same time my camel decided to get up as well...with my leg half over his back...and off i went! haha! not too many people can say that they fell off of a camel while at the great pyramids of egypt!

maybe this is him!

5. i have over a thousand emails in my hotmail account! i just don't ever seem to get around to going through them. now that hotmail has made their accounts bigger it is easier and easier to just leave it that way. i think i am only using like 10% of the storage space!

6. i never met my mom's father. he died when she was 10.

7. i don't really like to go to the movies. i love movies but i prefer to watch them at home on y couch! plus 8 bucks for a movie is just ridiculous!

8. last but not least...i love sitcoms....espeically MASH and the Golden Girls! i own all the seasons of both! so great!

Now if you are reading this, you have a blog, and you have not done this yet, then consider yourself tagged!

lots of small finished objects! until tomorrow!

"A Wonderful End to the Day"

2007-05-29T22:18:00.000-05:00

Tonight i had the distinct opportunity to meet Ann Hood, author of The Kntting Circle at a local bookstore. It was a lovely evening, and as a friend of mine put it, "a wonderful end to the day." She shared with the intimate group her experiences with the loss of her child, only 5 years ago. During her time of grief she stumbled upon the wonderful world of kntting that so many of us have found. This knitting world is what inspired this novel. The character is kind of based on her and her expereinces. Mary, the main character, lost her daughter and she ends up joining a knitting circle. The book is comprised of the stories of the members of the knitting circle and how they interact with Mary. She did a reading of a section of the book that was just enthralling. I am just itching to start reading but i am still painfully trying to finish Knitting under the Influence. I will review this one at a later time! All in all it was a wonderful evening!

This week's FOs!

2007-05-26T14:33:00.000-05:00

From the pictures it looks like it has been a very productive knitting week but in reality these are just quick projects, which seems to be just exactly what i needed! This first scarf is the twin to the one that i did last week. there was enough yarn for two! it has a bit different ribbon fringe but other than that they are exactly the same. This second scarf is made out of the same yarn as the other two...just in a different color called Hop. I still can't believe that it is Red Heart! i really like it. i would totally work with it again! and i will be since there is enough yarn to do one more like the one below.
This is a bad picture of the dishcloth below. It is the Mid-May dishcloth from the Monthly Dishcloth Along. It was another sort of lacy project. I did it out of Sugar n'Cream white that i had in the stash! All of the latest dishcloths have been for mom as part of her Mother's Day present but she is now saying that they are too pretty to use! Geez mom! Oh well!
Below is the blurry close-up of the dishcloth pattern! I took these pics outside hoping the color would be a bit better but it really didn't help. Sorry they are so dark!
Now for all you lovely people who have found me based on midwifery. I want to see if i can answer some of your questions. I am a Certified Nurse Midwife. I just got my licensure in February of this year. i have not graduated from school yet because i decided to get a double master's degree (i am glutton for punishment i think!). i am currently working on a Family Nurse Practitioner degree as well. i decided to do this all at once because i feel pretty sure that i am not going to want to go back to school. Since i am here and in the midst of school i am glad i did it this way because let me tell you, i will not be interested in going back to school any time soon! I will be finished in August if all goes well! So I am not practicing right now and in the market for a job. i am planning/hoping to find a job as a midwife. i did the FNP thing for a couple of reasons: 1. i feel that many times a midwife can be seen as a primary care provider and i don't think we were prepared for this during midwifery training. i wanted to know more about the common things seen in primary care. 2. one day i know that i am not going to want to take call all the time or maybe at all. the FNP allows me the opportunity to simply work in an office setting one day when i am tired of call!

so i started my last clinical rotation this week! it is in a private practice about 45 min from my house (that part is a big bummer with gas as high as it is!). it has only been a week so we'll see how it really goes next week. more on that later.

A friend of mine and i split an order or new beads a few weeks ago. they finally showed up and i have been beading like crazy! i have made tons of new earrings and stitch markers! i will try to post some pics either today or tomorrow! there is some really great stuff! so fun.

i hope that answers some of you all's questions!

The Knit List

2007-05-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

I copied this knit list from http://hakucho.blogspot.com/.

Here are the directions: Bold for things you’ve done, italics for things you plan to do one day, and normal for things you’re not planning on doing. This is really a neat idea to see what you know how to do, what you want to work on, and what you know you are not going to do!

I am adding this to the list...a * is going to indicate that i don't know anything or much of anything about this item! i will always be learning about knitting!

My knit List:
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Bobbles
Button holes
Cable stitch patterns
Continental knitting
Domino knitting (modular knitting)*
Double Knitting
Drop stitch patterns
Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting*
Fulling/felting
Garter stitch
Garterlac
I-cord
Intarsia
Kitchener BO
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with DPNs
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting smocking
Knitting small tubular items on two circulars
Knitting a circular item using the Magic Loop
Lace patterns
Long Tail CO
Moebius band knitting*
Norwegian knitting*
Provisional CO
Short rows
Slip Stitch patterns
Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Swatching
Textured knitting*
Swiss Darning or duplicate stitch
Thrummed knitting*
Tubular CO
Twisted stitch patterns
Two end knitting*

Knitting with alpaca
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Knitting with beads
Knitting with camel yarn (i want to badly!)
Knitting with cashmere
Knitting with cotton
Knitting with dog/cat hair ( this is distrubing to me!)
Knitting with linen
Knitting with metal wire
Knitting with soy yarn
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Knitting with silk
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with wool

Afghan/Blanket
Baby items
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Gloves
Hat
Hair accessories
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, towels, tea cozies…)
Jewelry
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Pillows
Purses/bags
Rug
Shawl
Scarf
shrug/bolero/poncho
slippers
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Stuffed toys
Sweater
Toy/doll clothing

Charity knitting
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street) (way too strange!)
Knitting art
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting a gift
Holiday related knitting
Designing knitted garments
Dyeing yarn with plant colors (i have done fabrics but not yarn!)
Dyeing yarn with acid dyes
Dyeing yarn with kool-ade and other food colorings
Participating in a KAL
Publishing a knitting book
Knitting to make money
Knitting for a living
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Knitting on a loom
Machine knitting
Olympic knitting
Resizing patterns
Spinning on a drop spindle
Spinning with a spinning wheel
Teaching a male how to knit
Teaching knitting classes
Writing a pattern
Knitting in public

Whew! that was fun! Knit on!

Another Knitting Day!

2007-05-17T23:45:00.001-05:00

well it has been another knitting day. the day started at 4:30am because dad had to be at the hospital at 5:30am! this is too early! i am a firm believer that no one should be up and out of bed before the sun rises! it is just wrong. ok that is besides the point. dad's surgery went really well! he is a trooper and did great! he is sleepy and a little sore but is doing well. drive through gallbladder surgery...we were home by 1pm.

i got a bit of kntting done while at the hospital. i am going to be knitting a a felted knitting bag for myself and i finished the handles while there. i hate working on that much i-cord, which is why i always do it first! i would never finish a purse if i put it off to the end.

i started working on another scarf just like the one day scarf from a couple of days ago. i had enough of the yarn leftover to make a second! it is so pretty. pictures to come when i am further along.

i also started this month's second dishcloth. i started it off all wrong and had to frog day one! oh well...only 9 rows! pics soon!

here is another dishcloth that i made for my mom. it is out of 100% linen twine. it was a little rough to work with but the product is really beautiful. please do not look too closely as there are a couple of mistakes! it was my first real attempt at lace. i even blocked it! i know it is a dishcloth but i wanted to see it all flattened out.

i think it really turned out well! i can't wait to try some more lace!

this is a close up of the pattern! sorry it is a little blurry.

i have also been frantically making stitch markers like i need them! pics tomorrow, i promise!
i can only hope that tomorrow is a beautiful of a day as today was! only 72 degrees with a breeze and only those huge fluffy white clouds in the blue sky! i LOVE days like this!

A Knitting Day!

2007-05-14T23:10:00.000-05:00

Today was one of those knitting days that i just love! Since i still don't have a clinical placement, i was able to sleep in this morning. After a shower and some breakfast i headed out to the Downtown Nashville Library for the monthly knitting group with Ann Shayne of the Mason Dixon Knitting book and blog! It is always lots of fun to not only knit with Ann but to see what everyone else in the group is working on. There is always lot of variety from scarves and dishcloths to sweaters and socks! so neat!

Ann and I

Since i just finished that shawl i feel the need for some smaller projects...immediate gratification. i have learned that at the knitting group i can't work on anything that requires my attention since i tend to talk and socialize while there. One of the ladies at church had picked up some funky yarn during a walmart clearance that i thought would make a neat scarf so i gave it a go! i casted on 16 stitches and knitted the first row then did a drop stitch. It was just the quick project that i was in need of! I added multi colored ribbon to the fringe for a little kick. It turned out suprisingly well! Started and finished in one day! i love that!

The Specs:

Start Date: May 14, 2007
Finished Date: May 14, 2007
Yarn: (hold your breath!) Red Heart Rag Doll
Color: Jump
Number of Skeins: 2 and a little extra for the fringe
Pattern: I made it up! Knit one row, drop stitch
Size: 7" x 60" with fringe
Needle Size: 17 straights
Knit For: a teacher at a local elemetary school

I get to start a new project tomorrow! i will update what i chose tomorrow! Knit on!

My First Post!

2007-05-13T15:13:00.000-05:00

ok today is the day! i will finally begin posting on my blog. wow that is weird to say. i have been putting this off and putting this off...i am not entirely sure why! oh well. i set this page up months ago and just never began posting (sorry to anyone who has been here and found nothing!).

so for those of you who don't know me...you should! haha! ok, a little about ME! i 23 year old graduate nursing student. i graduated from college in 2005 with a BS in nursing and went straight into graduate school where i am working to complete my second master's degree. the first one was a Certified Nurse Midwife (which is done and you can call me CNM!) and i am currently working on a Family Nurse Practitioner degree. let's just say...it has been a long two years! i am suppose to graduate in August! then it is finally off into the real world!

what else do you need to know about me...

-i love cats and have one...Alley...i know...clever!

-this is important: I LOVE TO KNIT!!!

i learned to knit in high school. it was the cool thing to do...we knitted in class! even the guys knitted. it was loads of fun. there is still a kntting group there at the high school. they are very active and use their FOs to auction off and raise money for different causes. Read this about their auction last december. that is where this craziness began. i have always been facinated with yarn. when i was little i love to go and look in the yarn sections (my mom is a big crafter and we were always in a craft store). i absolutely love playing with the colors...it is just facinating.

-i taught myself to crochet!

-i found my first grey hair this week!

-i have a wonderful network of friends and family, spanning many states, from Delaware to Alabama to Texas and lots of places in between.

-i have recently taken up beading. i am in love with making earrings and stitch markers. you will see posts about this as well! i have been a busy bee this weekend! just wait...you'll see!

-i organized a prayer shawl ministry group at my hometown church. it is a fun group and we have been wonderfully productive.

ok enough about me. onto the knitting:
These are the latest FO!

This is a crocheted ripple prayer shawl for a friend of mine from church who recently decided to spend about 7 months in Germany with her husband because she can! You go girl! i hope to get it in the mail next week...it has to be blessed first!

this is a prayer shawl that started out as a baby blanket. i was not liking the colors i chose and knew i couldn't go on so i stopped it and did a light green crochet edge and am calling it a baby boy prayer shawl. we have had requests for them so hopefully this will come in handy!

i recently joined the Monthly Dishcloth Along and this was my first with this group. it was a little disappointing...it was suppose to be daffodils. hmmm...hopefully the mid month one will be better.

ok in the future i promsie the posts will not be this long. Happy Mother's Day to all those mothers out there (especially mine)!