Trying to compensate for being a slacker...

So I'm taking this Intro to Aran class, and I'm diggin' the cables and all is going well and then... I messed up. I ripped out 16 rows and started over. Now I realize that 16 doesn't sound like a lot, but cables are TIME CONSUMING.

So, to cut to the point, I was unprepared for Wednesday's class. Lucky for me, I was not the only unprepared one, but still. As a lifetime brownnoser and overall goody-goody, it was stressful not to have my homework done. :)

So I worked really hard to make up for it and finished all the knitting for my bag today. Straps are done and attached and everything. All it requires now is washing and blocking (along with the washing of the lining). Phew. So that's a load off.

And here is a picture of the finished product. Actually, 2 pictures. One of the bag as a whole, and one close up of the cables. I'm not sure if I've mentioned before on here or not that I was also difficult in that I wanted to do a different cable in the middle of the bag. The original had diamonds in the center, but I have a fascination with braided/Celtic looking cables, so I found one that fit the chart and used that instead. I'm really happy with how it turned out, even though the bag turned out smaller than i anticipated and I have an entire skein of yarn left. Too bad I already wound it and therefore can't return it. Oh well, I'm pretty sure I'll find a use for it.

Now it's time to move on to new and interesting things. There's the charity hat knitting for the Mid Michigan Knitting Guild (of which I am a member and an officer...now how did that happen?) and these are the colors I got in my grab bags... the gray and camo goes together and the red/white/blue goes together. I'll have to try and come up with something creative to do with them.

I am also about to start knitting a blanket as a test for LynnH ( www.colorjoy.com/weblog/ ) once I go out tomorrow and get needles for it. I find it completely hard to believe that after 2 and a half years of knitting, working at a yarn shop for 10 months and acquiring more stuff than I can even think about, I still don't have size 9 needles. It's unfathomable to me. Anyway. It will be started tomorrow, mark my words.

Last but not least, at this past Tuesday's Guild meeting, we did a program in which we had a sort of mini- knitalong. We all knit little stars that will be strung together in a garland ( thank you thank you thank you Tamsyn for agreeing to crochet them on a chain) and given away in a drawing at our December meeting. I heard pretty positive things about the program, I think a lot of people left feeling excited about knitting more stars. And that makes me happy, I love seeing people excited. Here is the collection of stars we had by the end of the meeting, aren't they great? There are still a couple seams to sew and some ends to weave, but such a great variety, I can't wait to see it all put together!


Ok the for real last thing. My dad and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie today. It was the first one I didn't make it to on opening night, but last night I was at a party with my friend Jenny which was SO much fun! I loved the movie, obviously, and I'm sure I'll be seeing it again before too long... maybe IMAX next time? We'll see.

My promise to you

So I just made a quick decision that I'm going to try and go no more than 10 days without posting. I'd like to say it'll be more frequent than that, but I can't make any guarantees.

So phew, I'm getting in just under the wire.

I don't have new pictures to show just yet, but my bag for Sarah's Intro to Aran class is coming along, now that I decided to change the cable pattern in the middle about 5 rows after where I decided to start changing it. With Sarah's help and a lot of handholding I managed to get things to where they should be and I SHOULD be up to where I need to be for the next class (3 cheers for a 4 day weekend next week).

Tonight I'm going to the PwC holiday party with my friend Jenny as her date. An excuse to get all dressed up and go to a party sounds good to me. Especially with how disgusting it's been this week weather-wise.

Tomorrow I see Harry Potter with my dad! This is the first one I haven't made it to on opening night, but I'm working on being ok with that. Really, I'll be ok. It's not going to matter if I don't see it RIGHT when it comes out. Right? OK stop thinking about it.

Oh geez! I better get to work!

Quack attack!

daaaaa na

daaaaa na


daa na daa na daaa na


(ok that was my lame attempt at shark music. Just play along)

Attack!




No, silly, they're not really going to attack you...these are the baby booties I made for my friend Sarah whose baby shower Grace and I will be attending on Saturday. Aren't they so cute?


I believe this now makes the 3rd pair of these I've made...because seriously, can you think of a baby that DOESN'T deserve a pair of cute and adorable duck feet booties? Neither can I. So as long as people keep having babies, I'll keep making booties. Since I'm in approximately my mid-20's I figure I'll be pretty busy on the baby knitting front for about the next 5-7 years.

The pattern is called "Duck Feet" (very clever) and it's from the book 50 Baby Bootees (Booties? I'm not sure how they spelled it) to Knit. It can be found at your local yarn store. I should just buy the whole book. I love booties. Hint, hint, anyone out there looking for Christmas shopping ideas for me. ;) just kidding


(but you know, not really)

they say the first step is admitting you have an addiction...

Well, I've got one. A big one. For Target. It's like some sort of sickness. And I find that a lot of my activities these days take place in the Okemos/Haslett area, which is close to where I work. I live in South Lansing, so when I have activities after work, I tend to just try and kill time between work and said activity. The problem with this, of course, is the Target across from the Meridian Mall. It just sucks me in. For example, this past Tuesday I was wandering around Target because I needed to buy a couple birthday cards. CARDS. Well, after about 40 minutes I walked out with some hair products, some body wash, the cards I went in for, a gift, and these:

Yes, feeding my Target addiction has a nasty habit of feeding my movie addiction. I had to really cut myself off from buying more than just those three, too. I spend a good 3 minutes arguing with myself over whether or not to buy myself the complete Sex and the City dvd set. My checkbook won in the end, but I'm not sure how long I'll be able to hold out.

On the knitting front, progress is being made, sort of. Here's a picture of my bag for Intro to Aran class...although we'll call it the "after" picture. I was actually pretty far when I decided that I could use a little more practice (translation: I messed up and it was far more satisfying to rip it out than to spend the time trying to figure out where I messed up and how to fix it) so I'm starting the sides again. I like it a lot, I'm excited to have a finished bag soon! Of course I had to be a little bit of a problem child and change Sarah's pattern a little, but she didn't seem to mind and it makes me so much more excited to work on it!

Close up of the cables on the bottom:

And for now I'll leave you with this:

"I could think of things I never thought before. And then I'd sit and think some more..... if I only had a brain..."