Old, Older, Oldest?

Pray tell, you ask--what is your oldest yarn?

Question 1 for this. Age wise? It's the stuff above this text (And directly below this). Or so I think so. It's from a knitting mill that closed earlier this year--unfortunately I had very little money (that is--i was getting paid just enough for gas, with anywhere from 50-100 dollars left over each month. And at $3 a pound, I couldn't resist. That, and the $1.75 skeins of turquoise blue wool yarn.

And the cone below, I think is just old. Just look at the fab color combo! Kinda like being in the Brady Bunch, I guess. I haven't yet figured out what i'll make with it. But I'll think of something.












Now, if you're thinking of old in terms of purchase date--it's probably this silk sari yarn below. i have 4 skeins. I know I've had it at least 3 years (purchased post-breakup with a crappy boyfriend, who is now an ex, and living very far away from me (good thing) instead of being 5 minutes away from me.

No, I'm not bitter. Really.

Anyway, I bought this GORGEOUS sari silk yarn, three skeins. But the person who owns Wool Peddler--there was some sort of problem with the shipping, and her entire shipment of yarn got lost in limbo, so she got another shipment to replace it. And thusly, she shipped me an extra skein for being patient, waiting for the yarn.











And I still can't figure out what scarf I want to make. I could make an ordinary boring 1x1 ribbing scarf, but that's boring. I'll think of something neat to make it a little more interesting...

Eventually.

And seriously--why the ex-boyfriend is so much better out of the picture?

He thought knitting was geeky.But not in a cool way. (That's not the only reason, but it's an important one. Love me, love my knitting.)

Now my current boyfriend likes knitting. So that is very cool. :) And he told me that if he gets this one job that he applied for, he may be able to make it down to SnB, which would be interesting...

Just a little less than 2 weeks till I am done with the semester...

Break from studying.

For my Knitter's Treat Pal, this is what my Bakelite necklace looks like! I think it's pretty neat, and people have noticed it (and those are people who I've always thought were unobservant).















I consider these a "stress-related" purchse, but a CUTE one. I don't know if you can tell, but the bows are actually "measuring tapes" (not real ones). These are incredibly comfortable. Alas, I scuffed up the heel on the left one already. Oh well. It's okay. I can live. Then when I wear these out, I can buy myself another pair of adorable shoes.













This is a GREAT motivation to get done with finals (and still be alive). Temptation! This is all from my secret pal, who not only bought me a skein of Noro yarn (sigh) and included a pattern for some pretty cute slippers (how'd you know that I love slippers?), but also some yummy Peruvian wool (the thick red stuff), a cute little notebook and matching pen (the sheep! How cute is that???) And do you see those Scharfen Berger chocolate bars? I am totally eating those during finals week (as I weep in a corner, wondering how come I can't remember things like, say...ANOVAs. Oh, and the books? That's totally motivation for "after finals." I will be reading those as soon as I am done taking tests (and grading my own exams...all 50 of them).













This is also something that people probably don't know I can do. Since we own a florist, I also have learned how to make corsages and boutonnieres for prom. So that's what I did on Friday. Very exciting. But I am pleased with some of the ones I made, although I probably wouldnt' have chosen the colors the girl did for the above pictured corsage. But hey, the customer's always right, I guess. At least the matching boutonniere is pretty nice, I think.












As far as the high school musical...can I just say...I am completely blown away! I've never seen Les Miserables, but I have to say--that's got to be a tough one for high schoolers to do, and they did it! I couldn't believe it. I didn't realize that the ENTIRE play is sung. Some of these kids are absolutely amazing. (The girl who played the grown-up cosette is going to major in voice in college) And even the one kid who was so-so at singing was a great actor, so he was able to pull off the so-so singing. Wow. I am so completely blown away by the whole production. It was hard for me to believe that these kids are only maybe 13-19 years old...and doing a very professional production, orchestra, stage crew, set design, etc., included. I can't wait to see what they do next year. I would totally love it if they do Wicked in the future.

And for a clip from the play (not the best sound quality, but here are the kids)

(The girl with the blue skirt is Cosette; first guy is Jean Valjean, the guy Cosette sings with is Marius..the guy in the red shirt is Enjolras)


(and yes, he leaped off the scaffolding on the stage).



All right. Now I do have to study.

Two more weeks!

Yes, two more weeks of school! Two more weeks of stress?

But there are some things that make it all better:

(1) New shoes (I tend to splurge a little more when I'm stressed out. I'm not exactly sure why). But they are cute. I did have to return one pair (exchanging it for a smaller size, so hopefully it will fit--should be here on Monday, I think). The pair that fits me perfectly is lavendar and has these cute leather bows that look like (are you ready for this?) Measuring tapes! So cute! The other pair (which dont' fit) are these kick-ass red shoes (since I threw out my other red shoes, cause they were too old--this is a nice replacement for those.

(2) The things I ordered for mother's day are in! Yay!

(3) I am officially done lecturing for the semester; however, I have final exams to give next week--and the next (see the comment about 2 weeks of stress). But I know I will manage. I thought about it, and I think if I manage my time well, I will be fine.

(4) I will see my old high school's musical! Les Miserables this year--which I've never seen. For those of you who've never seen the musicals at my high school, they are a sight to behold. Essentially, it's on the same level as an amateur production, complete with a gorgeous set, costumes, music, etc...very excited. i wait all year for the musicals. (I never was in them in high school, because i can't sing, and because I prefer watchign them to being behind the stage or sets.) So I'm selfish. ;)

(5) I opened the mailbox today, and in addition to the things I ordered for my mom, I also had a package from my SP10! Since I came home late, I didnt' take pictures--(I will take pictures when the light is good.). But...it is awesome! And there's chocolate (which I will need in two weeks!) and some books! Which I will also need in two weeks! I am so excited--and I will give the lowdown sometime this weekend (probably during a study break). So SP10, thank you so much! I am loving the gifts!

And check out this swap:Disposable Camera Swap. Interesting?

Procrastination

What does your drawing say about YOU?

I am sure if I used a real pen and paper, I could draw a better mountain. But this is kinda fun.

I am not yet sure if I will go to stitch n bitch tonight; it depends how much of my work I get done--can you believe I have about 2-3 weeks left of school? And tests and papers (nerve-wracking!) Today I am working on my paper. If I have time, I will do some reading.

I finished teaching on time this morning, and I decided to go hunt for yarn and gifts for my knitters' treat pal, so I went to Richfield and found some pretty sock yarn, then went to a store called Olivia Bloom, where I proceeded to spend about a hundred dollars (not all on my pal, of course--that would be excessive! I did find some yummy looking tea and lovely soap for her, and I found some cute necklaces for my friends' birthdays, and one bakelite necklace for me, which I think is incredibly cute.) So I am done spending money for a few weeks, at least--except on necessities!

Oh! And the yarn store I mentioned? They have BEAUTIFUL unspun wool in some of the most amazing colors. I've got to learn to spin well so I can try some of those beautiful colors! Apparently the owner of the shop used to own a sheep farm, but she got a divorce, and the sheep belong to her ex-husband. She's been spinning for over 20 years, and there's apparently another lady that works there, who is from Germany. Spinning classes there are private and are by appointment, and the lady who helped me (who was not the owner nor anyone from Germany) told me that if you buy a spinning wheel from them, the lessons come free. Of course, the spinning wheels are anywhere from 250-400 dollars. (I asked out of curiosity).

Maybe one day. But I am saving my money for a good 35 mm SLR camera, first.

All right. Back to my paper.

Favorite project! (So far)

So, I finally got around to it and am posting my favorite project, knitted from a pattern...maybe it's no surprise to know that I picked my red sweater (from Rebecca). It's my favorite because I spent three years knitting and frogging, and finally figuring out how to put it together. It makes me look a little bulky, but it IS warm. And it is RED. And it's got cute cables! This is not to say that it's perfect. It's not. There are some mistakes here and there, but unless you're looking for them, you won't see the mistakes.


Here it is:












Apparently, I also took a picture of my knee.
And here is a close-up of one of the cables...















So that is my favorite project in all its glory. I don't have least favorites, because I usually rip them apart or frog them, so there are no pictures in existence of any hated, reviled projects.

As far as job interview, I have NO idea what will happen in the future...I did my best, and we'll see. The person told me later (in a later email, in response to a different question) that they are not scheduling any second interviews till mid-May, and "if we decide we like you, I will contact you. Thanks! :)" (smiley face included in the email from her.) Luckily enough, I'm busy these next few weeks (wrapping up the semester here and wondering how I will give practical exams to 50 students during finals week!)

Last night, I saw Disturbia which was an interesting experience. For one, it was nice to see an old fashioned style thriller that was more psychological than bloody/gory (that is not to say that there isn't a little violence and a little blood along the way, but it's not excessive). My beef with the movie is that I wish the suspect (creepy neighbor dude) played the role a little more ambiguously, rather than playing "a bad dude" straight from the beginning, it would have been a little better if you (audience) weren't sure if he was honestly bad or if he was just creepy. (like the scary neighbor in Home Alone.) Second interesting thing is that I have not watched a movie with about 50,000 teenagers and about 2 moms. Interesting experience. I am so not the target audience for this movie!

I do wonder though, if these teens have ever heard of Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, which is the basis for this movie. I wasn't sure how they'd pull it off, because Hitchcock's movie is just so beautiful and you have no idea if the neighbor is a murderer or not. I wonder what these teens would say.

Oh! And Bob Saget on Thursday was AWESOME. I'm glad I knew he's one of the most vulgar comedians on the circuit, so I was prepared, but he was sooooo hilarious! The thing is, I'm not even big on the cussing thing or anything like that (same with my boyfriend) and we were both just cracking up at his jokes...and vulgarity...and he does it with a smile. If you're not easily offended (over 18, too, I guess...haha) here is a link to a song that he's sung, called "Danny Tanner is not Gay". DO not play it around bosses, small children with big ears, or parents.




Enjoy!

I also started a swap over at swap-bot, if you want to sign up. It's nothing to do with knitting, but is letter-writing. Here it is, if you're interested! If not, there are some interesting swaps, too!
When I grow up

Just a little advice...

First bit of advice: Sometimes it's a good idea to make sure springs don't break off inside your tires. Apparently that is what happened to me. A spring broke off, and according to the mechanic--ripped the entire inside of the tire to shreds.

Good thing it went flat in the driveway and not on the highway. Or at school. Or somewhere I could get seriously stuck. I mean, seriously. Because my parents are out of town. And if I needed to get somewhere quickly...well, I'm sure I could find someone to come get me...but still!

Second bit of advice...well, you have to see this to believe it. There's a great way to get to Paris, France. You do have to go through New York though, and it sounds reasonably inexpensive. Just go here. And read all the directions, because the cost-saving trip direction is right there. Let me know what you think.

As far as the favorite project--I'll probably take a picture of it tomorrow...and post either tomorrow or Friday. I think I've got a good idea of what it is. :) Stay tuned!

Monday (oh lordy)

I hate Mondays. (But don't most people?)

Today's been one of those wacky, weird days...where things go hilly...like...

1) This morning, I was going to pull out of the driveway, when I felt like my car went into a ditch, and I heard a weird boom kind of noise. So I thought maybe I drove off the side of the driveway onto the mulch or something, so I angled my car to get more into the driveway...and started backing out again.

Boom. Thunk. Boom. Thunk.

What the hell was that? I looked in my side window to see if some cracks appeared in our driveway. None. I open the driver's side, and the doorframe is about an inch off the driveway. Oh, great.

I look at my rear tire (that was the one that got flat last year). No, it's fine. So I peek at the front tire, and it's completely flat. It looks like one of those cartoon flat tires. How irritating.

I ended up borrowing my mom's car so I could get to school. I made it. Last week, I was 5 minutes late because I didn't wake up till a quarter till I had to be at school. This week, I was five minutes late, because I had a flat tire. What's going to happen next Monday? Will I be late because my hairdryer broke?

(knock wood)

2) Good things can also happen, despite flat tires. Case in point: last week (I didnt' mention on the blog because I didnt' want to jinx anything) I sent in a resume for a job I would LOVE to have. Now I have an interview with Human Resources this Wednesday! :)

3) Oh, I'm going to see the Daddy of vulgar. Well, not really. But he did play a daddy, and he's actually pretty vulgar in real life. I got tickets for $5. The joy of being a student and being able to get student tickets!

Oh, which daddy, you ask?

Remember Mr. Tanner from Full House? Yeah. Bob Saget. I can't wait. I'll probably faint dead away when it gets really dirty.

Maybe.

4) My mom asked me to go to work after I got out of class. Grr. I have class till 7 PM. So I didn't even get home till after 9 PM. Think about it. 8 AM class, office hours in the afternoon, then a long, torturous class on quantitative methods. Which I hate. And I'm always so exhausted to begin with, and it just deteriorates.

5) Oh, and I think I'm coming down with a cold.

6) Well, this really has nothing to do with my day, but I've also been thinking long and hard about what my favorite project, knit from a pattern is. Well, I'm still thinking about it.

So what is it?

Stay tuned...

stuff--of all kinds!

First of all, I'd like to comment that I think a girl hit on me yesterday. I am not absolutely sure. I went to buy a milkshake at the local Handel's here, and this is a girl I've seen a bit, when I order ice creams. Anyway, I ordered my milkshake, and she handed it to me, and said something that sounded like "You're very beautiful", leaning on the counter near the window.

My mind rephrased it as: "Today is very beautiful", because, of course, a girl couldn't say something like that to me...so I responded with something inane, like, yes, it is very beautiful today...(I dont' remember exactly what I said). But after I said that, she got kind of awkward, so I think I heard right the first time. I feel bad now. Well, we'll see if this happens again. Probably I'll get milkshakes once in a while if it's hot, and I have to walk across campus or something...very refreshing.


But in any case, today was a bad day for trying to do homework (just couldn't focus!) but at least I'm over halfway done with my stinky paper! It's due next Monday, and if I can summarize 5 articles tomorrow, and finish up Friday/Saturday, I'm golden. I just want to get all my work done by Saturday, so I can rest up on easter (oh, and cook).

But what made today better (especially since I skipped SnB to work on my paper):

I got several packages...one from Webs (which I ordered...didn't have quite enough yarn for a project), and then I got one from piddlyloops. So I spent about 30 seconds wondering what I ordered from piddlyloops, because the label said something like a sewing team (and I'm a lousy sewer)...but...it was a gift from my secret pal! Thank you!

So there is my first drop spindle, with some lovely, fluffy wool (it feels SOOOO nice...one is standard wool, one is this nice creamy white one from a blue faced leicester sheep, the brown is shetland. I can't wait to try this out. This will have to wait till my paper's done, though: I can see my self getting into a zone for hours, which would not be a very good thing.
















Included in the package were these awesome buttons (the background is a Times New York Crossword puzzle that has me stumped. See all the blank spaces?)

















And these very cute notecards and tags...which i know i will end up using when I finish those pirate mittens. So cute! Totally made the day sparkle (even when it was hailing outside).

Monday

I actually tried to post last night, but Blogger was not letting me sign on! So I gave up, and went to bed with a good book.

Yesterday was an interesting sort of day-- the first day back from Spring break...and I overslept!

Okay, let me back up. I teach at 8 AM.

I woke up at 7:45 AM. My alarm clock never went off. So basically all I did was throw on some clothes, run a brush through my hair, brush my teeth and wash my face. For breakfast, I ate a banana in my car. I felt greasy and not so clean, but at least I was at school at 8:05 to teach (and thank god that there were parking meters open right in front of the building (my parking space is a bit farther and it's a five minute walk from there to the building).

What kind of knitting needles are you?

You are interchangeable.Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every eventuality covered and every opportunity just has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and every day is a new beginning. You are good at so many things, it's amazing, but you can easily lose your place and forget to show up. They have row counters for people like you!
Take this quiz!








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I agree with the part about row counters. That's why it's my favorite knitting accessory. :)