Still alive

Hello everyone! I know, I've been completely terrible at keeping this thing updated. I always feel like I should wait 'til I have pictures, and I almost never have pictures.

Look! I finished something! That almost never happens!


This is the Feather and Fan Baby Sweater from 101 Designer One Skein Wonders, made for baby Hayden. The yarn is Dreambaby DK Multi, which is incredibly soft and even softer after washing.

The pattern was fairly simple until I got to the shoulder seams, which gave me fits. I finally 3-needled it, saving myself from a serious ulcer. I forget about the 3-needle bo sometimes, but damn if it ain't handy.

Currently I'm working on the Scrunchable Scarf, using my Candy Ass yarn. I'm also nearly finished with the Double Cap from Knitscene, made from Malabrigo left over from my raglan cardigan (which I seriously need to block and sew some buttons on one of these days... hmm...). Pics coming soon, once my camera stops being a douche.

Life is mostly uneventful right now. I still don't have a job. Honestly, I have no idea how to get one. How do you call up a company with no posted job openings and convince them that you should work there? I'm stumped.

One of the local yarn stores, Twisted, is having a big fall sale this week, which I'm having to pretend I don't know about. We just spent over $800 on vet bills for Coke, and I'll probably spend some more tomorrow. He had some stomach issues last weekend, and while getting that checked out the vet discovered some kidney stones. So we're putting him on some special food and some antibiotics and hopefully that will fix things before they cause any problems. Coke's brother Jack passed away in 2003 after repeated urinary obstructions, and I'm really hoping to avoid a repeat of that with Cola. He's my best bud!

(doing what we do best)

Hey, do any of you guys know how to make a banner? This blog's looking a bit boring.

Miss all you lovely Florida people! Have fun with the Yarn Harlot!

I'm an Oregonian!

I have been a resident of the Land of the Naked People (or Portland, for the rest of you) for nearly three weeks now. I miss my Florida friends, but I have to say that this place is absolutely amazing. It's where I'm supposed to be.

Right now I'm sitting on my couch looking out our gigantic windows at the blue sky, old warehouses with faded signs, a skyscraper or two, and lush green trees. It's great. I love these windows. (Picture is pre-furniture, from our first few days here.)

Since we've gotten here, we've seen Eddie Izzard live, gone to the Portland International Beerfest in our front yard, and spent a few days in Las Vegas. The weather has been beautiful (here, not in Vegas, where it was 106 in the middle of the night) - highs around 75 or 80, lows in the 50s and 60s. Sunny every day. Gorgeous.

No knitting pictures this entry, basically because I haven't touched yarn or needles since we got here. My knitting time has been used for unpacking and exploring the neighborhood. Tonight we're seeing the Watson Twins in concert.

Matt starts work on Monday, which means it's time for me to start looking for a job of my own. Wish me luck!

Everybody's tagging at me, I don't hear a word they're sayin'

Kathe and Corrina tagged me. I guess that means I'm it. So now it's time for a meeeeeeeeeme.

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themself. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 or 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago??
Ten year ago I was finishing my sophomore year of high school. I may have been on or preparing for an EYO (Etowah Youth Orchestra) trip to NYC. I popped a lung on that trip running through the ATL airport with a cello strapped to my back. I didn't know that's what happened at the time, but I figured it out later. Also, I got food poisoning from the McDonalds by Madison Square Garden. We got to see Les Miserables, though. That was fun.

2. What are five things on my to do list for today?
Eh, my days aren't that exciting, so here's stuff I want to do this weekend -

1. Paint my toenails
2. Clean the bathroom and bedroom
3. Clean out the litter boxes
4. Go to the beach
5. Finish my baby gift for the Scuderis.

3. What are snacks I enjoy?

• Land o Lakes Co-jack cheese squares. Well, they're more like rectangles.
• Oreos
• Those little after dinner mints? I love those.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

• The obvious boring stuff like paying off student loans and credit card debt.
• Give boatloads of money to my favorite poor-assed Charleston-based musicians (Jump, Cary Ann Hearst, the Films). Get them all tour busses. Give the Bivins brothers lots of money to make beautiful things.
• Buy a marimba and xylophone and vibraphone and glockenspiel. Also a piano.
• Open a kickass music venue/record store/coffeshop/comic book store. Some combination of those, anyways.

5. Places I have lived:

• Gadsden, AL
• Glencoe, AL (a "suburb" of Gadsden)
• Tuscaloosa, AL
• Birmingham, AL (actually Vestavia Hills, but same difference)
• Jacksonville, FL

6. Jobs I have had:

• Second-worst candy store employee ever
• Cellist in a string quartet
• Music librarian
  
• Office assistant at an apartment complex
• Know-it-all Intern at a concert venue
• Data entry for a stroke study
• Front office at an OB/GYN office
• Queen of medical records
• Community Literacy Coordinator
• Oh and I worked at PetSmart for one day. Once.
  

7. Peeps I’d like to know more about:
Um, most of the people that read this have been tagged already. So if you haven't done it yet, I tag you. J'accuse! Or, um, you know. Not.

Long time no blog

So I've decided to resurrect the ole blogarooni. I was letting it die out because Ravelry was filling most of its duties, but now that I'm counting down the days until I leave for the other side of the world, I thought this would be helpful for keeping touch in the future. Since I won't be seeing most of you guys every week. I still mostly have my Livejournal, but most of you reading this don't have LJ accounts. Also, you might be scared, scarred, or bored by my LJ. Hard to say.

So. Stuff going on with me? Well, we found an apartment in Portland! It's a 2-story loft in the Pearl District. Two bathrooms (one with a whirlpool tub!). A gigantic (280 square feet!) balcony facing south overlooking the park. Less than half a mile from Powell's Books. Right on the streetcar line. It's perfect.

Only downside is that it could be pretty temporary. They're only doing month-to-month leases because one of these days they're going to kick everyone out and remodel the building. But we'll stay there as long as we can, and then when we need to find a new place it'll be easier because we'll already be there.

But. But! There are 3 yarn stores within half a mile. And there are at least 10 Thai restaurants within a mile. At least! Yarn and thai food are two of my favorite things to spend money on!

As for knittish things, I started my Mrs. Darcy Cardigan last week. I'm using Peace Fleece in Georgia Rose, a pretty tweeded pink.


So far it's going well, though I'm feeling iffy about my gauge. It comes and goes. And I'm feeling way too lazy to rip out and start over with a new needle, so it's onwards and upwards!

I'll try to keep up with the blog regularly now, I promise!

This one's picture heavy. You've been warned.

My Christmas week was great. Matt and I flew back to Alabama to visit with our families. We were spoiled with tons of gifts. I got a lot of clothes and knitting books and a Sonic Screwdriver. Matt got Guitar Hero. He got other stuff too, but that's the one he can be found playing basically any time he's not sleeping, eating, or working.

Here's a rare picture of my sisters and me together and standing (mostly) still. From L-R it's Shelby (12), Megan (15), and me (don't wanna talk about it).


Some pictures of my Christmas knitting -

A Ribs and Ruffles scarf for my sister-in-law Liz. Made from Misti Alpaca Chunky Handpainted in Mauvelous.

A manly hat of my own simple design for my manly husband Matt. Made from manly Royal Tweed.



A Snappy Hat in periwinkle for Shelby. Made with Misti Alpaca Chunky. I made this in 3 hours!

A Snappy Hat in sage for Megan. Made with Misti Alpaca Chunky.


Randomly, this is me modeling Megan's hat and Liz's scarf.

These are the beautiful socks that my friend Olivia made for me. What an awesome Christmas surprise! They're gorgeous, and super snuggly. Thanks, Olivia!



Knitting plans for 2008? Finish my raglan cardigan and my fake-isle hat. Next up, the Tilted Duster, I think. And some socks. And a hat for me. Hat-knitting rocks. And maybe some of the awesome stuff from Felt Forward. That book rules. So. My New Years Resolution? Knit cool shit. Who's with me?

*sweeps away the cobwebs*

Sorry I've let this thing collect dust, you guys. (BTW, if any of you reading this are on Livejournal and want to read about my tv-squeeing or random day-to-day crap, come friend me.)

I got my Harvest Sock Swap package in the mail! My secret pal was Jenn from D.C.

The (beautiful!) sock is a Synesthesia sock:


The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill in colorway Cabin Fever, and it's totally gorgeous. In this picture, the yarn is sitting on the pretty drawstring bag the project came in. It's gonna be great for carrying around sock projects!


Jenn also sent me these adorable stitch markers:

and this gorgeous tea cup and saucer:

Thanks, Jenn, for being such a fabulous secret pal!

Success!

The Harvest Sock Swap package is in the mail!! It should be at its destination by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Pictures and a longer update to come later. For now, I'm off to South Carolina for... a reunion, of sorts. I hope everyone has fun at the Halloween party tonight! I'll miss y'all!