Sunday, November 30, 2008

Dive in.

I'm working on the sweater front for my Dad's birthday/Christmas gift!

Woohoo!

-Sami

Friday, November 28, 2008

Bad blogger, no cookie.

So I'm a limenviolet addict, so what?

But seriously, bad blogger.  It's been, according to my computer, a month and ten days since I last blogged.  Oops.

I have been knitting, but I've been fairly spazzy lately, not feeling that great and all.  But, I did buy yarn.

Omg, Malabrigo.  It is soooo good.  I haven't knit with it yet, but for some time, it actually disappeared down my best friend's shirt.  =D

Well, I've cast on a bunch of things, hee.  And I think I've only finished one thing since I last posted, and that would be Sierra's Weekender Cap.  I also think that I don't actually have pictures... which is a little puzzling since I see her every day.

Maybe I'll post pictures later if my brain doesn't get mistaken from scrambled eggs (since that's what it feels like).

-Sami

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I Lost It.

Omg, I'm so bored right now.  I really hate to say it, because the Ocean Tides Shawl is coming along beautifully, but it's not what I'm really looking for right now.  Maybe because it isn't for me.

I can't find my knitting muse.  Have you seen it?

-Sami

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Just wanted to say.

I love knitting.  And I love knitters.  I love how whenever I knit, I can just be me.  There's no pressure to be something - whether I am that something or not.  I just pick up the needles and yarn, and I just know.

I am a knitter.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Drive-by Blog.



I finished Mom's Christmas present - a TARDIS plushie!  YAY!!

-Sami

Saturday, September 6, 2008

I hate high school.

I really do.  I've only had seven days, and I'm ready for the year to be over.  I'm not sure how last year's sophomores made it through the year with their sanity intact.  Last night, I fell asleep in my clothes, with the light one, and maybe the laptop on, around 9:30 P.M.  I woke up this morning at 10:30 A.M.

I really don't want to play catch-up every Friday night/Saturday morning.  But I was completely exhausted after four days of school.  What is going to happen when I have a full week of it?!

I had wanted to write on my story last night, too.  -sigh-  I'll have to work on that tonight, as I want somewhere from 3-4 pages ready before I go to Writer's Club again next Wednesday.

Well, since I last blogged, I:

Finished my Adipose Plushie:

Got most of the Weekender Cap done (have like 3 more seams):

Finished my Little Twisted Rib Cloth:

Started my mom's TARDIS plushie:

Started my cousin's Shake Your Pompoms Ski Hat:

Started my sister's Seafoam Shawl:

Got some Baruffa Cashwool:

Started a project for the OFA's Red Scarf Project, the Not Quite Straight Scarf:

Started my sister's Daisy Mitts and haven't worked on them since:

Started my first pair of socks (still on the ribbing on the first sock):

And dyed my hair blue:
   
And today, I'm winding this yarn for the Ski Hat:
   
Yeah, that's been my life.  Oh, and hours of hours of homework from my math class.

-Sami

Friday, August 1, 2008

What I've Been Up To

Of course, since I finished one project, I had to cast on two more.  I started the Little Twisted Rib Cloth last night, suddenly inspired.  I'm only eight rows into it, and this is what it looks like: .

Right next to me is the Weekender Cap, which has grown since I took this picture (about a half hour ago).    I'm really loving knitting the Knit Picks Wool of the Andes

The Adipose Plushie is coming along slowly.  Dpns are not my best friends >.>

No pictures of Kierstyn's Long Gloves, but I only have a few more inches to knit on the second one before I begin the thumb.  =]

And, finally, the Garter Stitch Scarf, that is my relaxation project.  And it is knit with pink mystery yarn I'm going to ask my aunt if she knows what it is. =D

Tonight, I'm going to the Breaking Dawn Midnight Release Party at B&N with Diana, and hopefully, Alex.  Then tomorrow, I go to the Tall Mouse sale (40% of your total purchase!!!)  And, Sierra comes home tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be able to see her then =].

-Sami

P.S.  I really, really love my Felted Tote =D.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Felted and finished!


Yay, I finally finished the Felted Tote.  Now I can cast on something else =D.

I actually do plan to cast on the Weekender Cap tomorrow, as it is the first day of August.  Can't wait!

-Sami

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Mamma Mia!

Yesterday, I found out that the yarn I ordered for Sierra's shawl was backordered.  I wasn't too happy about it, as it wouldn't be in stock until August 5th, and I had been planning on starting both shawls (Kierstyn's and Sierra's) in July.  That really failed.

Today, I got (most of) my Knit Picks order in the mail.  I hungrily opened the box, so happy that my yarn was finally here.  When I looked at my yarn, however, I was sorely disappointed.  It was exactly what I ordered (minus the backordered yarn).  But it was not what I saw on the monitor.  I bought four balls of Knit Picks Palette, in the color Masala.  On my monitor and on Sierra's monitor, it looked red, and was the closest match for fire.  In reality, it lives up to its name, which is a mixture of spices.  It looks like pumpkin, or burnt orange.  I was intending to use this yarn to knit Kierstyn's Mystic Light shawl, but I don't think I will now as the color isn't right.  

On a bright side, my mom took my sister and I to the movies today.  We saw Mamma Mia!  The movie was brilliant.  I have seen the musical twice, in two different theaters, and have the soundtrack.  I wasn't too sure about how well the movie would be when I saw the previews.  But it far exceeded my expectations.  I would even venture to say that is at least as good as the play when I saw it in Los Angeles (that was the larger budget production version).  Some songs from the play weren't in the movie, and some other ABBA songs were in the movie that weren't in the play.  But, it was absolutely amazing.  I was very impressed.

And on the down side, again, sitting that long in the movie theater aggravated my tail bone and it is still a bit sore (I got home from the movies two hours ago).

I did start the Adipose Plushie, though.  I started it after I received my Knit Picks package, as it had the needles I needed.  The yarn, Cascade Cash Vero, produces a lovely thick and squashy fabric on US size 5 needles.  By the way, the Knit Picks DPNs are very nice to work with.

That's all for now.
-Sami

P.S.  In my order was a book.  A Treasury of Magical Knitting by Cat Bordhi.  I'm way excited.  I've already looked through it a bit, and I can't wait until I have time to make something from it.  =]

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Waiting with the I-cord.



Right now, I'm sitting at my desk, willing the 23" of I-cord handles needed for the Felted Rose Tote to knit itself.  I have over 6" so far, but I have to knit TWO of the 23" I-cord handles.

I'm waiting for the next LnV episode to be released.  The teaser has been uploaded, and I really want the next one to come out.

-Sami

Sunday, July 20, 2008

It's done!



YAY!  I finally finished the Patchwork Trio Afghan.  Ashley seemed to really like it =D.  Now I just need to finish Kierstyn's gloves.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Summer Vibes

Right now, I am sitting in my grandparents' "cabin" on the shores of Lake Nacimiento in the central coastal region of California.  =]  Internet is a bit of a hit-or-miss thing, so I may not post again until after I get home (on the 18th).

I am working on the 16th square of the Patchwork Trio Afghan.  I'm so proud of myself =D.  I will definitely be able to finish knitting before I get home.  My aunt told me that she will help me sew the squares together on the 19th.  I'm sure I'll be glad for the help, but I also don't think that it will be that bad.

I need to finish the glove I'm working on before we head home as well.  I plan to start the second one on the ride home (about 3.5 to 4 hours) at the very latest.  I need to finish all the knitting parts for the gloves BEFORE my Knit Picks order arrives (I'll be ordering either the 18th or 19th).

That way, I can start the two shawls as soon as I get the yarn.  And I will have the rest of July to work just on them.  Well, not on those two exclusively, since I haven't finished the Felted Rose Tote yet (and technically it is minus the Rose part).

And now, for the interesting stuff: my vacation!!!

I wakeboarded... kind of.  I'm really not that good.  I got up a little bit.  But I'm sore now--OH!!!

Before I continue about the lake and the woods and the burrs and all that good stuff, I must tell you a little story.

Once upon a time, or rather, last week, our heroine and her friends went ice skating.  Her friends included her blood sister, her ex-boyfriend, her sister's ex-boyfriend, her sister's cousin, her close friend, her other friend, and the girls' platonic boyfriend.  Our heroine is not a good ice skater.  She is down right bad at it.  She only came because her sister begged, pleaded, and wheedled her into it.  Amazingly, she avoided falling (at the expense of being called chicken by her close friend, Alex[andra]).  Towards the end, Alex took a spill that resulted in a bruised tail bone.  Our heroine sympathized with her, but didn't really want to empathize with her.  The Fates, however, determined that she avoided too much pain on the ice rink, and wished for her to share the agony that her dear friend, Alex, was in.  As our lovely heroine climbed into the van, she slid across the seat and plopped down.  But, she plopped at the wrong spot.  Her tail bone landed right on the seat buckle.  (Aren't those things supposed to stop you from getting hurt?!)  And the purpose of this story is....

I have a possibly broken tail bone!!! 

For those who have experienced this, it is not a pleasant thing.  So, falling on the wakeboard?  Not fun.

Back to my summery vibes:
I took a hike in the woods right by the cabin and got some really cool photos (I haven't uploaded them yet, or I would put them in this post).  However, TONS of burrs stuck to me.  Not fun getting those off of me.

Summer, to me, always feels like new beginning.  And I've been having a 'bit' of a tough year, previously.  Maybe, I'll be able to sort out how I feel, and then do something about it.  I know, no one knows what I'm talking about, but perhaps that's a good thing.

Well, my knitting calls to me (so does the pasta....).  See ya!
-Sami

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Summer Cleaning.

I'm stopping Coachella for now.  I couldn't get gauge with the Knit Picks Comfy, which is the yarn I bought specifically for Coachella and I really wanted to use it.  Oh well.

I'm seeing my cousin on the 20th, so I have to finish the Patchwork Trio Afghan.  I'm on the 11th square (out of 20).

I'll be on vacation from the 11th to the 18th or 19th.  I'll head up to Lake Nacimiento for wakeboarding.  So excited.

I'm feeling a lot better than I have in a long time.  It's nice.

I'm also working on a garter stitch scarf, because I wanted some easy knitting =].

It's a bit smoky outside from all the fires in the northern half of the state, so I don't really wanna go outside to knit.  But I also do.  >.>

I'm going to go finish my watermelon now and start cleaning up the files on my laptop.  I don't need a lot of them now =D.

-Sami

Sunday, June 15, 2008

I need a ball winder.

This is what I'm doing right now:

-Sami

Monday, June 2, 2008

S.E.X. is good for your soul.

My aunt is AWESOME!!  Saturday night, she took my mom and me to The Tall Mouse, which is a store that is similar to Jo-Ann, but with a better selection.  I bought 6 skeins of yarn.  Hee hee.  Although 5 of them are for gift knitting (Kierstyn's birthday gift and Allyson's birthday gift) and the last ball is for making the Adipose plushie.  Yes, I am a huge Doctor Who geek, and so is my mom.  I thought about making the plushie for her, but it's way too cute to give away.

Today, the Mystic Meadows KAL officially started.  The chart is ZOMG! definitely NOT TV knitting.  But it looks so amazing.  I might cast on tonight, even though I shouldn't.  I have so much math homework it's not even funny.  And it's my fault too.  I didn't finish old assignments, and now they're catching up with me.  But most of them are graphing and YUCK!  I hate graphing.

My aunt (jumping around here) also gave me FOURTEEN skeins of Cascade 220.  I feel loved.

I'm happier when I'm with yarn.  It makes me feel better.  It's good for the soul.

-Sami

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Happiness came to me in a box.

I got my yarn!!  YAY!!!  Sierra may not get hers, its so soft and squishy and 100% Baby Alpaca.  I may just have to steal it from her.  Hee heee heee, my yarn came, my yarn came.... *trails off gleefully*

Um, I'm really not that crazy, but it is SO soft.  I'll put some piccies in too!

The yarn package:


The lace-weight I'll use for the Mystic Meadows KAL:


The yarn I'll use for my summer vacation project, Coachella:

And, the Fountain Hat fit Kierstyn!!  YAY!!  She took it home with her ^.^  More pictures(!):

Here is the detail for the hat (kinda):

Sierra is hiding behind Kierstyn's shoulder:


What you can't see here is
Sierra facing Kierstyn and flicking her hands in front of Kierstyn's face:

-Sami

Monday, May 26, 2008

Guess what I joined!

Woohoo, it's my first KAL!!!


So, the Fountain Hat is done (technically not bound off).  I'm giving the graduation afghan to my cousin in July.  And I'm using my KnitWars gold as a maximum that I can spend at the Fabulous Fiber Fest in Santa Monica (more info here).  I need some serious stash enhancement.  I'm going to Jo-Ann's tomorrow for some sock needles because I'm going to try to make socks!  (Scary...)  Night all, mum's telling me to get off the comp.

-Sami

Monday, May 19, 2008

Six Days. O.O

As I type this, I have less than 6 days to knit an afghan.  My cousin is graduating from college in 6 days, and I decided to make her a graduation present.  At least this afghan is knit in squares.  There has to be 20.  I'm on the fourth.  =D

However....  I learned cables!!!  YAY!!  This afghan is my first project with them, and it's way cool to think "Hey, I frikkin' made this!"

Haven't worked on my other projects, but I will after I finish the afghan.  Besides, it's a three hour drive from here to San Diego (my cousin goes to USD), and I'll need something to entertain me on the way back.

I think I'll be able to finish it in time.  I brought it to school today and worked on the square that I was knitting during lunch and chem class.  

It has been way too hot here lately.  Summer should NOT be here yet.  Somebody please take away Mother Nature's crack, mmk?

I've been trying to get more active lately.  I'll see if I can get up tomorrow and continue being active.  *snort*  I doubt I'll be able to.  Also.... homework.  I spent almost 4 hours today with Sierra (there was free food involved!), so no homework got done.

Oh gosh, I'm gonna fall asleep on the keyboard.
Night, all!
-Sami

P.S.  I bought YARN!!!!!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Pictures!

April's fingerless gloves (they're done!!!):

My On the Fringes Scarf, modeled by my best friend and sister, Sierra:

My Lotus Purse, which is still a WIP:


-Sami

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

YAY!!

Wooo, I finished the scarf!!  I'll get pictures up after school.  Speaking of school, I'm only there for 2 hours today.  Yay for STAR Testing.

Oh, I'm planning to buy hand painted yarns from Scout's Swag.  This means that I'll have to wait 'till next month to buy the things in my Knit Picks cart, but that's okay.  I want the Zephyr lace that Scout is selling.  I'm planning to use it for the Mystic Meadows KAL.  Wooo, I'm excited.

-Sami

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Whimper.

The entire purpose of this post is YARN PORN!  

Omigod, Miss Violet and Carin want me to be in pain apparently.  Episode 47.

Look here: Wollmeise.  And here, and here, and here.  OH MY GOD.  YARNGASM!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Brain go BOOM!

Wow.  My brain has officially gone splodey.  So has Sierra's brain.  Big boom.

And why has your brain gone splodey, you may ask.  Well, it's because of THIS:

I broke up with my boyfriend of 29.5 months.

I think it was time for it to end.  I felt like I was in the relationship because it was safe and comfortable.  And then I realized the night before that I wasn't in love with him anymore.  I love him, but I'm not in love with him.  My only regret is that I hurt him.


In my knitting life, I finally started on April's second glove.  I'm on my second repeat.  The Lotus Purse is looking pretty.  I still haven't worked on the Fountain Hat, but that's okay, because Kierstyn doesn't know that I'm making it for her.

I got booooks.  Three of them.  I love them.  I can't wait to have yarn so I can knit patterns from them.

Quick Knits: Cool Projects by Jeanne Stauffer

Knit Tricks! by Rebecca Wat

101 Designer One-Skein Wonders edited by Judith Durant

-Sami

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Don't Stop the Music

Diana's party was a lot of fun.  She actually managed to get Sierra and I to dance.  Diana decided to have a bit of a dance off.  Sierra and I partnered up (we are sisters).  As we watched the people dance, we realized that we really didn't want to dance in front of everyone because we had no clue what to do.  Plus, dancing would mean dancing in front of my boyfriend.  And he's never really seen me dance.  Sierra would have to dance in front of her crush, who happens to be her ex-boyfriend.  Dancing sounded scary.

Sierra and I ran outside and planned a very basic thing out.  We went inside and danced to "Don't Stop the Music" by Rhianna.  By the end of the song, a lot of people had gotten up and were dancing with us(thanks goodness.  I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't.)

After the party, I came home and danced in front of the mirror, realizing that I couldn't have looked totally idiotic at the party (to my greatest relief).  And it's a really fun workout.  =D


I realized, also, why I haven't been knitting that much.  It's not because I'm getting tired of it (though some may think that).  It was because it felt like I wasn't making anything for myself.  Yeah, the scarf is for me, but that's just something I work on if I've got nothing else to do.  And the other projects are for others, and I feel like I have a deadline, which I pointedly ignore.

But, last night, I cast on the Lotus Purse in One-Skein Wonders.  I LOVE that book.  Since my stash is pretty much a baby, I really only have single skeins of a type of yarn.  The Lotus Purse was the first thing I saw in the book and the one that I really wanted to make.  A few weeks ago, I got a skein of  Jo-Ann Debbie Mumm Souvenirs in a green color.  Last night it occurred to me that the yarn would look beautiful as a Lotus Purse.  So now I have a Just For Me & No Stress Project.  Yay.

-Sami

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Babies!

Wow.  My sister bought a hamster last Sunday after her previous hamster, Toffee, died.  When we first got Toffee, we didn't know that she was pregnant.  But she was.  Two weeks later, there were 6 pink things in her bedding.  Hamsters are born furless, deaf, and blind, but not mute.  All they can do is ask mommy to feed them.  Another two weeks, they're runnin' around the cage.  Looking very cute.

Anywhoos, this hamster, Winkie, is girl.  And sometime in the middle of the night, she gave birth to (we think) eight little hamster pups (that's what they're called).  So that's been this morning's excitement.

I'm also trying to clean my sterling silver ring using baking soda, hot water, salt, and aluminum foil.  It works, just not as fast as I'd like.

Last night was CVD, a local fair that happens once a year.  It was so much fun.  My boyfriend got kind of sick but he didn't throw up or anything.  But it was wayyy fun.

Knitting has been a bit slow recently.  I think I have a variation of Second Sock Syndrome.  I cannot seem to bring myself to cast on April's second glove.  Er, I have cast on, but I've yet to join in a round O:-).

My scarf is now 52" long.  Woo!!  Only 12 inches to go =].  And then the fringe.  And then I'll put up pictures!  Yay, pictures!

Later today is my friend's birthday party.  Diana turned 15 a week ago and today she's having a rave-type party, without all the illegal crap.  I made her some cute fingerless gloves.  I'll take a picture of them on her and put them up on Ravelry and on here.

I'm gonna go now.
-Sami

Edit:  Oh, I bought the Sahara pattern the other day.  Can't wait to make to it!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Damn, it's hot.

Bizarrely, it's really hot today.  According to our thermometer (trust it at your own risk) it got to 98 degrees Fahrenheit here.  It's APRIL, not July.  School shouldn't be in session if it's this hot.  This is summer weather.

Well, I've been downloading CDs to my uncle's iPod all day long.  Forty-eight CDs and something like seven hours.  >.<  Almost done.  Two CDs to go.

As a bribe, my aunt brought me an I-cord maker.  I've been having fun haha.  I've been thinking of what I'll make with the I-cord, and I thought of a pretty purse knit in seed stitch.  I just hope that there will be enough I-cord.  But I will be knitting it on size 19 needles =D.

Sierra, my bestest friend, has been designing knit tank tops in her head all day.  I've been listening to Cheryl Kemp's knitting podcast, and I suggested to Sierra that we make one.  I received an enthusiastic yes from her =].

I got a few more inches on my scarf done.  I worked on the Fountain Hat a bit last night, but haven't touched it today.  April's final glove hasn't moved since the stitches were cast on.

I need new yarn, but I won't have any money until May comes.  There are a lot of projects I want to do, but don't currently have the yarn for them.  Well, I'll figure something out.

Got to go (less than one CD left!!).
-Sami

P.S. My dad is going to take me to Starbucks later.  Cool!!