Unnamed Kitty

We got a kitten! He is a cute 10 week old white and brown striped cat. It is hard to get a decent shot of him because he moves so fast and is still exploring, but here he is:


He hasn't figured out that you cannot walk through the window screen we put up between our living room and kitchen (where we are keeping our little guy for a while). He loves to play with yarn. I cut a piece thinking I would play with him for a little while, but he took it away and played happily by himself for 10 minutes! We still don't have a name... nothing we have come up with seems to fit. Hopefully we'll think of something soon.

Knitting is going well. I have been so determined to finish those blankets I haven't worked on much else, but I'm on my last skein of yarn for Aubrey's and over half done with Nicholas'. I also got another few rounds done on Yolanda's fetchings. I hope to have those done in another week or two.

I bought Teach Yourself Visually Sock Knitting by Laura Chau today at A. C. Moore. Zach actually suggested I buy this a few weeks ago, but I stobbornly said I didn't think it looked that good. I thought it would be one of those generic knitting help books put out by people who didn't actually knit. Boy was I wrong. This book has instructions for every way you could want to knit socks (magic loop, dpns, 2 circs, flat, toe up, cuff down, etc) with GREAT pictures illustrating every move. I think this is just what I need to get going on socks. Another great part of this book is a kind of troubleshooting area in the back. It not only tells you all the common mistakes made in knitting, it has pictures to show you what it looks like AND tells you how to fix it. It is definately going to be close by the next few weeks.

I should probably stop my kitten from eating my kitchen chair...

Simplicity

Its a funny word really. Like one of those unattainable things that taunts those of us who are too busy for our own good. I thought that after school was out that things would get less hectic, but life hasn't slowed down a bit. It's always one thing or another eating away at our time. Making life more simple is something Zach and I have talked about a few times, but then it seems like we can never do anything to get there. Part of that is because Zach is a mover and a shaker. He likes to be always doing things. Not that he doesn't enjoy just vegging out to a movie with some good snacks, but he likes to be around people and doing things. I'm more of a homebody. I like to stay home, maybe clean or organize, read, knit, watch a movie, talk about things, etc. Not that I don't like to get out and do things with our friends, but I guess I'm just more reserved where Zach is more outgoing.

Now that I have rambled on without mentioning knitting once, I suppose I should give you an update. Still. working. on. baby. blankets. I have GOT to get those things done. Its just one more thing on my list of things to get done and I'm getting kind of sick of them, truth be told. Plugging along on Alex's scarf. I'm not too worried about this. Ok, not worried about it at all. It's a Christmas gift, and its mostly mindless knitting, so I figure especially once the baby blankets are done I can work on that during car rides, short waits in various places, or while watching a movie. I also started Yolanda's fetchings and those are moving along nicely. I"m really enjoying the pattern and want to make myself a pair after I'm done with hers. The only plave I see myself getting confused is the thumb, but I figure I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I got my knit picks order in today. I love that place. They have great stuff and its AFORDABLE. I had ordered 2 40" long circulars in sizes 2 and 3 for socks. I think I may try one more time before Zach leaves and I go to Barb (LYS owner) for a lesson. I have always pretty much figured stuff out on my own and its really bugging me that I can't get this. I also got Socks a la Carte, Knit So Fine, and Things I Learned From Knitting Whether I Wanted To Or Not. I've been working through Knitting Rules for a while now. Normally I tear through books because I'm a fast reader, but I have been making myself slow down for this book because I love it so much. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has such a great writing style and very real attitude toward knitting. Its a refreshing read and makes me want to write my own knitting book. Not likely, but still fun to think about.

New Starts

School is out completely now and I start my new job on Monday. I'm nervous, but its a good kind of nervous I think. It will be a nice change and I'm hoping I really like it there. I also started a new project... I broke down and bought some more size 6 dpns for knitting Yolanda's fetching. I left the first pair in Rochester, and I wont get those for at least another 2-3 weeks. I should be done with these by then, and I felt bad making her wait so long for them. I'm hoping they will work nice for when she is on her crutches more.

Still plugging along on those baby blankets. I would love to have those done by the twins' 3 month birthday (June 11th) but I don't know if that is going to happen. I should have just made hats. Jeesh. Anyway, I need to get those and my wedding thank yous out and done ASAP.

After those are done, I want to start looking at afghans. I want to make my in-laws a nice afghan for Christmas, and I really want to get going on it so I know I will finish. I brought home a few books from the library and I think I will have Zach help me pick out the final one I decide to make. I also am waiting until Zach is gone to set up knitting help with socks. The owner of a local knitting store offered to teach me how to know socks by appointment, which is really handy. I really want to be able to make socks for Zach while he is gone to send to him, but I figure it can wait until he has left for SOI. Leaves me something to look forward to, right?

Almost there

I finished both washcloths for mothers day, and they were both well received. After that rush of time crunched knitting, I feel like I don't have much to work on. I want to finish these baby blankets and get them out of my mind to focus on other things. I'm waiting to take a sock class until after Zach leaves. Its something to look forward to. I can't start Yolanda's fetchings until I get my needles from my cousin in Rochester where I left them last weekend. I don't know what to do.

Getting back to the title of this post, I am almost done with this semester. I have an exam tomorrow morning and Wednesday afternoon and then I'm done. I still have to think about what I am doing next semester and get a move on with it. I found 1-2 classes I could take at night at Fredonia, but I don't feel like doing that to myself. I think I'm going to apply at Empire State and see what happens. Ok, enough procrastinating. Back to studying for computer science.

Stress, Stress, Stress

I hate the last week of school. I never remember how bad it is until I get there and then I never remember how I make it through. I'm not going to sleep for the next 2 days. There is just too much going on outside of school right now. Life is happening at a very bad time! Knitting has been pretty much nonexistent except for 2 rows on my mom's washcloth for mother's day. Oh well.

Frustrations

I am thinking I may never learn to knit socks. I've tried dpns and 2 circulars, I've tried 2 different patterns, and its been at least 3 weeks. I'm thinking I may have to break down and find a class to take. Maybe The Woolgathering in Brocton (the yarn shop I have been going to the past few weeks) offers one. I'll have to ask next time I'm in.

I'm also frustrated because I cannot find my copy of a book that I am knitting the scarf for my cousin from. I get a lot of books out from the library, knitting and otherwise, and those usually are under the end table next to the couch or on the floor right in front of it. Sometimes my own get mixed in the piles, but if not they are usually in my office with the rest of my knitting stuff, except for my current wip's, which sit in a basket next to the couch. Granted, I only had about 4 minutes to look last night, but as I didn't see it in either place it frustrates me that it would even be anywhere else.

My friend is still in the hospital. It really bums me out that she's there and that they haven't released her yet. Some minor things went wrong, and they aren't letting her go until at least this afternoon, maybe tomorrow. I was planning on knitting some fingerless gloves for her anyway, but now I really wanted to get a move on so she could wear them when zooming around on her crutches. Maybe I could also make a huge sock to put over her cast once she can get fitted for a hard one. Anyway, off to do homework instead of knitting. Last full week of school with papers and exams at the end of the week.

Home again

We were in Rochester this weekend visiting my family. Always a good time. I ripped out my socks that I had started and got different yarn. I'm going to try again with teh new yarn (just because its new and I want to use it :) and try the 2 socks on two circular needles method. See if that goes any easier. Finished my MIL's mother's day gift. Just have to do my mom's now. Hopefully it gets done before Sunday! Also going to start something for Yolanda seeing as she is going to be laid up for a while.