Alaska's Great... Internet Connection is SLOW!

Christmas has passed, and here I am in cold Alaskee!! It is pretty nice. Teagan is cute (although she won't wear the swing coat cardi... little stinker!) and she remembered me right away. That is all and Auntie can hope for.

Knitting has been good. I have made tremendous progress on the long sleeve one skein wonder. So it will really be a four skein wonder. I am making it out of Lion Thick and Quick, so the knitting goes REALLY fast. I really like this stuff, it is pretty cheap, soft and such a fast knit! I am using a brown with red and green undertones. Very nice. Sorry no pictures until I am back in Cali, Not set up properly here in Alaska. But I am taking pictures (about 50 yesterday... mostly of Teagan)

I already scoped out one of the yarn stores here (went this morning) I didn't buy anything, but wanted to. They had this bulky alpaca...mmmmmmm! And some Cascade P- something or other. It was a lot softer then the 220, but about $2 more and I think less yards. And the Cascade Quatro. This also cost more then the 220 (I think a dollar) but was very pretty. They had a little baby sweater (hoodie with a kangaroo pocket) made out of it. CUTE!

So this was a pretty prolific Christmas knit-wise. I got money towards the knitpicks yarn I want for the cabled sweater... I think it was enough (Kyle's mom and my brother). Kyle got me a ball winder and swift (which I was technically supposed to get after X-Mas - but kind of guessed it was coming (he didn't have it yet) and so he told me about it) and a gift certificate to my local yarn store. And Kyle's grandma (Omi) got me a GC to the local yarn shop as well! Man... I am spoiled!! Thanks everyone.

Kyle called me yesterday and said he would like a pair of hand knit socks for fishing (wool). I had asked him a while ago and he was not interested at the time. I have never actually knit a pair but have thought about it often.

I guess I am going to go. I need to rework the ballet t for a smaller gauge and a bigger size and need to finish up on the long sleeve wonder!!

I've been busy, But...

Here is Handsome Hound. I spent Sunday evening watching the shows (Desperate Housewives and Greys Anatomy...my fave!) and working on sewing him up. Then I got back in bed yesterday morning after the gym and sewed, sewed, sewed. Then I began to stuff. And finally I came home from work, stuffed a little more and stitched up his bootie hole. Then the picture taking began. I love this guy... he is SO cute. And I want him back if Jessica (or Ian) ever doesn't love him anymore!! I know... pictures already:





























































He spent a lot of time jumping around the apartment last night. Poor Kyle was in bed with a temp of 103, and he had to suffer through my crazy picture taking tirade. I am kind of a photo crazed lady. I will be leaving for Alaska in less then a week, batteries will need to be charged and MANY photos will be taken. I can't get enough of that little niece of mine. If I had my camera all the time, it would be dangerous. Except that I feel odd taking pictures when other people are watching. Or taking pictures that someone wants to turn out really good. Or taking pictures of adults. I HATE taking pictures of adults. Kyle asked me to take pictures of his band a long time ago. But adults are all self conscious... and then so am I about telling them what to do. Oh well... babies and kids for me. Oh and knit/sewn items!

Okay and now some bag pictures, I worked on this one for most of the weekend...













Not entirely done. I need to throw a seam around the top edge to really secure the lining to the bag. I am not the best sewer, but will continue working at it!!

Several glasses of wine and three finals later...

I am DONE!! My final semester at city college done. It has been a long time, I have been there for YEARS!! And I have been home relaxing alone this evening because Kyle is at band practice. I spent the better part of an hour on the phone with Tara playing word games on yahoo. And I have had a few glasses of wine.

The knitting begins tomorrow. What should be my big no school project?? Something I already have everything for. Something I need a bunch more yarn for!! Or just finish off some WIP's. No fun, the WIPs will win (for now) but I will be moving on.

So while talking to Tara, I missed the amazing race finale. Not that I was watching it anyways, I was playing computer games. So I'll go for now, I am sleepy!! Wine or Tired, I don't know, but here I come, bed!!

One final down

Two to go!! Woo-Hoo, math final over.

What should I be doing right now? Preparing/Studying for tomorrows finals.

What am I doing? Wasting time on the internet. I have no shame. I made Kyle make me breakfast and tried to get him to make me a latte so I could study. I barely did. And it is going to show in my grade. I think I only did so-so on the math test. Oh Well... to keep my A in the class I only needed to obtain a 64% or so. Hopefully I pulled at least that much off!!

Knitting: I am working on this seed stitch scarf that I started on my last trip to Alaska, it ended up being too wide and I was not going to have enough yarn for a long enough scarf. So I am reknitting the whole thing at fewer sts cast on. Hopefully I will finish some projects up and get some good stuff going. ONLY ONE MORE DAY OF SCHOOL, then all my focus will be on crafty goodness. And maybe some baking!!

So off I go, just wanted to waste some more time.

The picture over on the right: That would be my notes for my history final and the swatch for the loop d loop cabled cardigan.

I am a terrible procrastinator!!

I am busy procrastinating right now. Finals tomorrow and Tuesday should have been keeping me busy for the past week or so, studying and preparing note cards and such. But here I am, not done a damn thing up to now and left with soooo much to do I am avoiding it. The final I am most concerned with is my history class. This test is 30% of the grade and I have not prepared at all. I didn't read the textbook. I swear to myself EVERY semester at the beginning... this is it, I WILL read the textbooks this year. And a month into class, I think it is not too late I can catch up on my reading. Next thing I know the semester is almost over I read maybe 5% of what I should have done. Maybe that is why I like math better,
I don't really have to read the textbook, I just do the homework all along the way.

So anyways, I am half way through preparing for the essays for my history final, but keep taking breaks to read Harry Potter (I am on the third book) and now get busy on the computer. It's a good thing Kyle went fishing today or I would find more excuses not to study. As it is, I have an ornament gift exchange party to go to tonight, so ideally I will be done by then.

Okay... back to work!!

Why is the yarn store a bad idea??

First of all, I spend money.

Second... I want to buy EVERYTHING!!!

Third, it makes me want to make many more projects then I will EVER be able to complete.

Why is it a good idea... I love it there!!

I went to the yarn store today. I put a couple of the hand dyed skeins and some pink bulky cascade in my bag that I needed to wind into balls. Off I went. I debated walk or ride my bike. Walking won because my ears don't get as cold so it seemed more appealing. So in I go, I wind all three skeins. All the while I am letting my eyes wander around the store. Meg (owner) had some BEAUTIFUL lopi in stock. Something I first used in Alaska and Loved, but was unable to buy here. So I kept eyeballing the goods. Then I wandered around and felt all the goods. Mmmmmm, There was more then a few things I wanted. So because I feel totally guilty when I go to the yarn store to use the winder for yarn I didn't buy there, I had to buy something. So I bought some laverder and grassy green yarn (one of each) with no project in mind. Other then ANOTHER bag. Do I really know another. Does anyone I need really need another. I have so much yarn in the closet designated for bags. And now I have a bunch of material in the closet designated for bags. I am bag crazed!! Oh Well. I need ideas for other small projects, but this stuff is too scratchy for things like a scarf, of which I also don't need!

On another note... Do most people eat the part of something they don't like first or last. As in...Chex Mix. When I eat chex mix, I eat the pretzels first. I don't like the pretzels very much, so I want to get them out of the way. Then I move on. But other people they save the bad stuff for the end. I also like to eat my veggies first, their just to healthy to end on.

Oh - I almost forgot, I replaced my accesories bag at the yarn store today as well. My other one lost it's zipper. Much better.

No new knitting news...

I have however been very busy re-reading Harry Potter (I'm half way through number two) and making a kimono style sweatshirt inspired by Martha Stewart and this blog (link to come later... I am logged in to Kyle's half of the computer and don't have my knitting blog bookmarks, so I don't know where it came from... sorry) I first saw it on. As you will see, it is still in progress, I used a bias tape to edge the side, I was going along GREAT, but must have lost my grove because it gets REALLY funky. I am going to rip it out tomorrow and try again. It is kind of late for me to be attempting new sewing things. As most sewing things are new to me and I am pretty bad at sewing in a straight line. Anyways, this is a pattern of my own design modeled after the MS one. I really liked hers but it was sized for 0-3 months and required photo copying and enlarging and cutting and pasting to complete. So I used a t-shirt I have for Teagan as an X-Mas gift and made my own measurements based on that. I am going for a long jacket/sweatshirt style that may even be cute as a top over pants when she grows up a little bit and it fits a bit more snug. Right now it will probably fit very large.

As for knitting I've done very little. I keep thinking about it and want to, but am crippled by project issues. I don't know what to knit, nothing I NEED to knit is sounding appealing and Everything I WANT to knit, I know I need to wait. I am thinking of using the hand dyed to make either Tubey or The Somewhat Cowl. Tubey is free, but would require some additional yarn. And the somewhat cowl costs money, but is something I have been dreaming of for awhile. So...choices, choices!! I will have to continue pondering.

I did ask for the wool of the andes in chocolate to make the cabled cardi in Loop d Loop. I hope I get enough!!

Is it too bathrobey??? (The kimono)

Warm feet, if only the rest of me would get in line...

So I love my slippers. I wear them ALL the time. It has finally gotten COLD in Fresno. We didn't think it would happen. Mid 70's into December is not entirely usual. But now it has hit, the Fresno cold has arrived. While the days are still not too bad, the evenings in my non heater running house are chilly. So I've taken to wearing my slippers all the time. Even in bed some. Okay, I'm lying, I do run the heater some. More then I have in previous years but I think I'm getting too old for these extreme temps anymore. I did not give these slippers their full love appreciation previously because it was 114 degrees outside. Now it is time for cozy feet.

The gym is kicking my ass. But I keep going. Actually I really like it. All except for the very sore legs two days later. That will be tomorrow, I went yesterday. Jessica and I are planning to go tomorrow morning, it should be good. I've been thinking, if you get sore the second day after working out, can you chase the sore's away by continuing to work out every other day? That is some motivation to keep going!!

Cutie Patootie Ian: