Cat got your....yarn?

Does anybody else take pictures of food?

2009-04-25T14:24:00.003-06:00

I love to bake, when I have time. Unfortunately, that is not as often as I would like it to be. Sometimes, when I am done, the result is so beautiful that I take a picture. This might be a little weird. Maybe I shouldn't be sharing this. Oh dear...

Well, here are some things that I have captured lately.

My neighbors helped us catch our cats the other day, so I baked to say thank you! The cupcakes are just plain white cake mix with cream cheese frosting and of course, sprinkles!

Over the summer, we make a white cake with white frosting so that the strawberry flavor would stand out. The only problem with this one was that we didn't let it cool enough. As soon as we cut it the whole thing slide apart. Still tasted delightful though. :-)

So, today F is for FOOOOODDDD. mmmm...

Exam's made me do it...

2009-04-25T14:06:00.002-06:00

...So this is a post I wrote a LONG time ago, but I never got around to uploading the image. Here it final is for your reading pleasure...

Sitting here at my computer, I have tried to come up with a wordy post for you about the wonders of studying for exams. Words escape me, so I will show you a picture instead.

This is the view that I have been stuck with for days now it seems like. My computer is the center of attention. I take almost all my notes on the computer. The internet is an unlimited source of information (just be sure to find a credible source)! It is also a great distracter when you just can’t think anymore.

To the left, we have the ever essential source of caffeine and source of motivation. For caffeine I choose coke today, but it could be Mountain Dew or coffee or tea. The main idea is to provide a stimulant because my body’s favorite way to escape the torture of little sleep and endless reading and learning is to fall asleep. For motivation, I have my current knitting project. I have found it is useful to set little goals for myself and once they have been met I am allowed to knit for a predetermined amount of time. It works well. My current project is a plain hat with a seed stitch cuff, very good for the zoning/relaxing.

To the right, we see my fuzzy cell phone case I knit up. This is the way DH keeps track of me. Sometimes the studying keeps me away from him and “the zoo,” way too long but it is a necessary evil.

Under the computer are my shoes. They must be easily removable to facilitate the learning. Who can learn with shoes on? Hehe.You can also see my headphones sitting on the computer. Studying in a public place, even if it is the student lounge, I find it absolutely necessary to drowned out the noise, or silence, with music. It helps keep the part of my brain that wants to check facebook or ravelry or twitter busy so that I can get some work done.

Speaking of that… I do need to get some work done. So, yeah, E is for Exam… see ya!

D is for DH

2009-02-26T09:40:00.003-05:00

A long, long time ago in a land called “Undergradia,” I was heart broken and depressed. My long time high school sweet heart and I had just broken for the last time. I was pretty convinced that I would never be happy again and really, people around me were sick of hearing about it.

Sorceress Clara took pity on me and worked towards cheering me up. She concocted a miracle elixir, a love potion, if you will, and after drinking it all we stumbled off to the “Ball” (read: house party). While I didn’t have much experience with going to Balls, the miracle elixir did wonders for my confidence. I was able to meet and chat with quite a few potential suitors.

It was one prince in particular that caught my eye and the rest of the party faded away as I started chatting with him. The time flew by as the prince demonstrated his charm and great conversation skills and all too soon the clock was striking midnight (well, more like 3 in the morning, but we are sticking to the fairy tale theme here).

As I tried to give the handsome prince my (umm..) castle number, Sorceress Clara appeared again telling the prince there was no need- he would follow us back to the castle for the “After Ball.”

When we arrived back at the castle, we had some more miracle elixir. Laughing and chatting, we socialized until the wee hours of the morning. It was probably sometime around sunrise that I realized this was the prince for me… and we lived happily ever after.

I was going to try to come up with something more “original” for my “D,” but DH is such an important part of my life! It is also convenient that his name also starts with “D” and his birthday was the first day of the “D” window. I felt obligated. Plus, I have some very cute pictures of him! Hehe.

C is for Cone

2009-02-10T11:31:00.003-05:00

A little over a month ago my poor pup started showing signs of illness. I took him into school with me to be seen by one of the vets in the hospital and they couldn’t find anything obvious. Trying to save me money, they didn’t do a full work up and sent me home with medicines they thought would help.

A couple days went by and “Steve” wasn’t getting any better. I brought him in again. This time they thought maybe he had a crazy food allergy and that was the reason he was not eating or “tossing his cookies” every time he tried. He was really starting to pull at my heart strings. He would stand by his food bowl, staring longingly at this food. You could practically hear the internal doggie monologue.

Meanwhile, a whole week had gone by and my puppy was losing weight instead of gaining like normal. His ribs were starting to show and you could even see the bony prominences along his spine. Desperate for some solution, I rushed him off to school with me Monday morning. The worst part of the whole thing was that he was still his happy little self. He even stopped to greet my fellow student, tail wagging, as we entered the building.

Luckily, the physical exam that morning revealed his issue. Palpation of his abdomen (~belly) and rectal exam revealed a squeaking noise. Bummer. Steve had swallowed the squeaker from one of the dog toys and it was now obstructing his intestines. He couldn’t eat anything because he was all stopped up.

One, expensive surgery later and he is as good as new. And, super cute with his “cone” on.

My round-about B

2009-01-16T10:58:00.005-05:00

I've been sucked in.

Over the summer, my best friend's teenage sister told me about a movie that she couldn't wait to see. She told me that the new "in" reading for girls her age was vampire romance novels. And they had finally made her favorite book into a movie... Twlight. Oh goodness.

I was pretty convinced that I could resist this fad. What kind of interest did I have in reading books about vampires?

Then, my roommate, the movie theater manager, started talking about this movie he had screened that he really loved. It was about vampires... So. cool. He immediately started reading the series and has already finished the third book. But, really, do I need to start a new book series? My schedule is already full with scholastic reading right now... must resist.

Next, I started school for the quarter. My favorite colleague and study partner drives me to school everyday (because she is awesome). She mentioned needing to stop by the bookstore to pick up the second book in a series she has been reading. As she reached for the book, my heart skipped a beat as I was starting to recognize the extended hands holding an apple. She was already on the second book of the Twlight series... I'm starting to think this is a sign. I can't get away from this.

The last straw was when I started looking for my "B." My thought was that I could combine my need for a new knitting project and an entry for B. I decided to start looking through my ravelry favorites for a project that started with B. The first project that I came across that fit my current needs of "fun, quick, portable and starting with a B," was Bella. As I start to read the description of the pattern, I realize there is no avoiding the inevitable. The pattern was written after the writer saw the movie - TWLIGHT- and loved the main character's mittens so much.

I've given up. I have cast on the mittens and started reading the first book. Really, I'm not sure why I resisted so long. So far I am loving both.

(I wrote this a few days ago... I am now almost done with the first book and done with the first mitten!)

First post for ABC-along 2009

2009-01-07T23:15:00.006-05:00

A is for Alexa

It doesn’t seem like very long ago that I made this Daisy Hoody for my soon-to-be neice, Alexa. I was so excited to have an excuse to make baby clothes. Even if she never wore it, I had a blast making it!

Every time we see her, she has grown and learned new skills. It wasn’t long before she had started to crawl and had the bumps to prove it.

By this summer, she was already this little person. She had a great time at a family picnic on the same type of slide that I had as a child. It is funny how some simple toys have lasted when there are such technologically advanced toys available (leap frog anyone?).

She is 21 months old now and so much fun. At Christmas, she was able to hand out all the gifts (“This gift is for Uncle Butthead” – my husband, hehe) and open her own presents. She then played doctor with her new toys. I just can’t get over how smart she is.

…I am not a proud Aunt at all, just in case you were wondering. Hehe.

E is for Elephant

2008-03-15T00:02:00.007-05:00

I may have a motive behind bringing you here with a cute picture of a baby elephant....

Every year since high school, I have participated in the MS Walk. It is a cause I believe highly in. This is a disease that affects more than 2.5 million people all over the world. I need your help.

I just signed up for the MS walk today and so I am a little behind the ball on fund raising. Please sponsor me by going here. Or you can leave me a message here and I will let you know where to send the check!

Where does the elephant come in? Well, I have been in this city for a couple years now and they used to hold the walk at the soccer stadium near my apartment. Last year, my hubby and I pulled up in our car only to find no one had shown up. Did we have the date wrong? Was society completely forgetting that giving back is an important part of success as a community?

No. We hadn't bothered to notice that the venue had changed. They held the walk at the Zoo last year and we got to walk around adoring the beautiful animals! It was amazing as one of my favorite places is the zoo. I look forward to it this year too, but it would be even better with your help.

Even $5 helps! Thanks a bunch in advance.

Dead of winter

2008-03-08T00:07:00.002-05:00

I was attempting to keep my ABCAlong knitting-related but I guess I am going to have to break that. In trying to come up with a word for “D,” I kept coming back to one word… Death. That is not too fun to talk about, right? I think I have come up with an acceptable solution though.

I love winter. People tell me I am crazy because there are so many things wrong with winter. The roads are horrible. The weather sucks. The sun rarely comes out. Everything is dead. Well, I’m ok with all of those things because… I don’t drive. I am unfortunately always inside - I used to work in a radiology department. How many windows do you think they have around that place?! Hehe.

As for that last complaint, everything is dead. I think one of the most magical parts of winter is that it can even make the most dead of gardens look absolutely beautiful…

So, my D is a little late (what’s new?), but D is for The Dead of winter…

Finally a C

2008-02-20T17:32:00.005-05:00

C is for class knitting. Since school is my job right now, I spend entirely too much time in my chair in the Wexner Auditorium. To stay sane, I knit between classes, and sometimes during class as discussed before.

Most recently, I completed a project for a class-wide Secret Valentine program. I was lucky enough to be assigned to my desk mate (even though it was designed to get people to meet new people)! It was perfect because I knew just what to get her. Back in November, I had made a Sheldon for my little niece and she had oohhed and awwed over it then. I thought a pink and purple Sheldon would be the perfect gift. It was assembled as she watched but luckily for me, she never asked who the recipiant would be!

Boy was she surprised to receive the project. And he is in attendance everyday. He probably pays more attention than I do... hehe!

Blue Fingers

2008-02-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

I am a little late, but I had a lot of trouble picking my word for the letter B. I posted the picture on flickr a couple of days ago, but I thought I would post it here too.

Everyone in my family is very supportive of my ~~obsession~~ hobby and they help me build up my stash on a regular basis! For Christmas, my wonderful brother got me a couple beautiful skeins of yarn from a farmer's market in his city. It's amazing, except that the color was not set very well.

After knitting for a while on a cute pair of mittens, my fingers were very Blue! Does anybody have any hints on how to set the color? I would love to finish these mittens and give them away...

Some beautifully Blue fingers....

Now I have to think about what I want to do for C, I will stay on top of this, hehe.

A is for Afterthought

2008-01-18T20:40:00.000-05:00

I joined the ABC Along. This is exciting to me because I enjoy (amateur) photography, knitting, and blogging. These are all things that I like doing, but get pushed off if I don't "have to" do them. So I am hoping that with joining this group I will feel more obligated to do all three!

(Click for more information)

So on to A!

A is for Afterthought.

Interestingly enough, the best time in my day to knit is at school while I'm stuck in one chair for 8 hours or so every day. Class knitting is a fine art though. You want to pick a project that is fairly small so that you won't cause too much of a distraction. It needs to be a small project that isn't too fiddly. Ya know- if I bother to go to class (which I do every day), I can't spend too much time worrying about patterns.

Here's the problem, socks would fit perfect if they didn't have that fiddly heel. Knitting a flap and then picking up stitches, and then a gusset... Forget it! I would certainly not be paying attention to the professor's explanation of contraindications for urinary bladder contrast studies, or whatever they are blabbering about... hehe. So I thought socks were out...

I thought I was out of luck until I read Yarn Harlot's recent blog about Afterthought heels. So far I have knit one whole pair, and 3/4th of a second pair of socks. In the evening when I can devote more attention to what I am doing, I can go back and put in the heel. What genius!

B, Here we come. This is going to be fun!

Har har

2007-11-29T08:55:00.000-05:00

So, funny story.

I normally have to study away from home to keep the distractions down. One of my favorite places is Panera (this isn’t really a commercial, I swear). This is because it has a great amount of background noise, availability of food/drinks, and it has WIRELESS! For example, I had class from 8am-2pm yesterday, then went straight to Panera and stayed until they kicked me out at 8:30.

Even though the whole point is to have less distractions, I sometimes still manage to get off track, especially when it comes to the internet. So, yesterday I was perusing my normal list of knitting blogs, reading about what everybody was up to today. As I preceded down the list, I was denied access to not one, but TWO of the Knitting websites!! Are you kidding?! Apparently Panera’s filter felt that several of my “must reads” contain inappropriate material for public reading…haha.

Can you guess which two?!

Merry Christmas from Vegas last year. This is one of my favorite pictures ever.

On a happier note

2007-11-27T17:51:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving was truly wonderful. I spent the weekend with people I know and care for deeply, plus I got to go shopping, and knit. Can I be any more thankful?!

I finished Sheldon from knitty.com. I call mine Sheldine due to the girlie color combination and the fact that the finished product was to be a gift to my new niece, Alexa. She is growing up so fast already. (Every time I say one of the sentences that I promised myself I would never say when I was a kid, I feel even older... hehe.)

Please excuse the crap-o picture. Once I get a new camera, I will have much more perdy pictures again.

Well, I have an exciting/terrifying two weeks ahead of me. I will be finishing up the first quarter of my second year of vet school. This means that I have 9 days left until I am done for the quarter and 7 tests. Eek. Then I will be able to fit in a few quality days with my hubby and then it is off to NY to visit with the fam. I am beyond excited. That's it for now.

Wish me luck, I might not make it through to the end of exams!

2007-11-20T16:34:00.000-05:00

Just a quick tribute because I miss him so much.

Daddy, I think about you everyday and I hope that you are proud of me. I live every moment in the hopes that I will be half the amazing person that you are. I love you so much.

R.I.P. 11.20.2001

Cross your legs

2007-11-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Everyone I know has just gotten pregnant or joined the realm of parenthood. I find this, in a way, to be like those scenes in movies/cheesy sitcoms where the recently broken-up female looks around only to find happy couples in every view. RT and I are excited to start a family, probably me more than him, but now is not the right time. School takes up a huge chunk of my time, usually more than 12 hours everyday.

Enough about me though... Do you know what a lot of babies coming into my life means?! Baby knitting galore! I recently purchased Essential Baby by Debbie Bliss. This book is full of absolutely beautiful knits. The pictures are gorgeous and the patterns are a mix of simple and more advanced styles. Currently, I am making the Vest for the newest addition to my extended family. Unfortunately, since I didn't know exactly when to expect the little one, he has been around for almost 2 weeks without any knits to wear.

I would show you a picture, but my camera has gone MIA. This is very sad for me because I normally carry my camera everywhere. I guess I had been planning on purchasing a new camera anyway, we just have to push it up a little bit.

2007-11-04T16:52:00.001-05:00

Hi, I have a blog?! Oh, I have a blog. Yes, so a lil bit ago I was surprisingly tagged for a meme by The Crafty Snargle herself, Sarah. I say surprisingly because although I try to write on a fairly regular basis (not so much lately), I really didn't realize there was anyone out there. It really made my day to be part of the knitting blog community instead of the lurker I usually am.

Ok, so on to the...

Rules:Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. The farm I grew up on was called "Ophardt's Fruit & Feathers." The majority of our income came from growing and selling apples, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, nectarines and several other fruits. We supplemented our income with Ostriches. We had several that lived on the farm. We gave tours, sold the eggs and feathers, and hatched out some eggs to add to our clan.

2. Since I grew up on a farm, I was in tip-top shape most of my youth. I worked hard, and my diet consisted of mostly raw fruits and veggies and lean meats. This is something that I can't hardly wait to get back to because my figure is not nearly as desirable now that I eat poorly and sit through 8 or so hours of class everyday!

3. As a young girl, I was told frequently that I would "make a great veterinarian someday." This was probably due to the fact that people knew right where to find me... near the animals. We always had horses, dogs, cats, and there was a pond full of fish to keep me busy. I would usually respond that there was no way I would ever be a vet because "I like their outsides better than their insides."

4. Well, after I graduated with my BS last year, I started at OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine. What changed my mind? In high school, I started working at a local vet clinic. I needed another job besides working on the farm, and I fell in love with the profession.

5. On a completely different topic, I had my first child's name picked out since I was very little. I would have a daughter (I was sure when I was little that you get to pick these sorts of things), and her name would be Alexis. Much to my dismay, Alexa Clare was born in March of this year. She is my very first niece and I love her--- but they stole my daughter's name, hehe.

6. Deep down inside of me, there is a very organized person. Unfortunately, she rarely fights her way to the surface. I go into stores like The Container Store and drool over organizational things. I have many totes and file folders. Yet, my house it still littered with piles of things I need to sort through. I continue to tell myself that someday I will have more time, all I need is more time. I'm pretty sure though that I will never have more time, just maybe though I will use it more wisely...

7. Perhaps I never have enough time because I love to be busy. Since I was 16, I have had 2 jobs. I even started vet school last year with 2 jobs. Half-way through the year though, I quit one of my jobs to focus more on my studies. This year, I really have no idea how I did it. School is like a 60-hour a week job and I love it.

8. Lastly, while I have been very busy with school, I still try to make as much time for family and friends as possible. People that are close to me are very important and there is never enough time to talk on the phone, e-mail, myspace or whatever. I love to keep in touch.

Right, as far as tagging people... I don't know if there are 8 people that I can tag, but if you would like to, feel free to nominate yourself. Let me know if you do because I would love to come by and read your 8 things.

Some randomness

2007-10-06T13:09:00.000-06:00

I have really busy since school started, hence the absence! I thought you might a little update on what I have been up to...

1. My little baby has been "fixed" this past week. Due to her inability to leave her incision alone, she was fitted with a stylish "E-Collar." Boy does she look pathetic as she tries to walk around and gets it caught on anything and everything. Eating is also a challenge. Her breakfast is somewhere under there!

2. I was lucky enough to win a contest over at Valerie's blog. The yarn is absolutely beautiful. I have been thoroughly enjoying some yarn fondle-age while I try not to immediately cast on another pair of socks. I am absolutely certain that this will knit up like heaven. She also sent some beautiful ribbon in matching colors and the card she sent was even beautiful. Amazing!

3. I have been knitting the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet since seeing it on Brainy Lady's blog. The yarn is recycled from a sweater I picked up at a local thrift store. Although there hasn't been a lot of knitting time since school started, it has been very nice for the few minutes I have had. (Warning: very crappy, inside picture ahead!)

4. This week was a first string of important quizzes at school. They went ok, and I scored above the average on both of them! This makes me happy mostly because the average on the first was an A- and the second average was at B. My stupid class is full of smarties. They would make it a lot easier on me if they would just slack off... hehe.

5. Today I decided to take some time off from studying and go to the movies! This is very exciting for me. We are going to see Superbad. I will be taking my capelet...

I think that is it for now. Keep your fingers crossed and perhaps I will have some more finished objects to show you soon!

Fanatic

2007-09-14T17:43:00.000-06:00

According to the Webster dictionary fanatic is listed as "marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion."

Well, ever since I started reading knitting blogs I believe I could classify myself as a fanatic of Laurie over at Crazy Aunt Purl. She is very entertaining. Recently, in promoting her new book, a contest has been started. Kitties in sweaters is the game, and I'm participating. My poor cats, which have had precious few features on this blog since Izzie came into the picture, have always had to endure knitting torture. Not only are they asked not to play with the plethora of yarn stash, but they are asked to model certain knitterly creations.

I thought that it might be fun to post some of the many pictures of kitties with yarn.

This was the first incident. Liberace was the model for a sweater I made for a Jack Russel Terrier. He did the whole "I'm paralyzed," thing where he would just fall down when you let him go. I also have a (bad) picture of the intending recipient of the sweater. It was very had to catch her in the frame.

The next is more recent. KJ modeled a sweater that I made for a Yorkie. Unfortunately, it turned out way too big for the dog! KJ turned out to be quite the pin up though. Look at the way he stares over his shoulder....hehe.

Lastly, not to be left out, Izzie was acting pretty cute. This is her favorite spot in the house. Interestingly enough, this is the way she usually lays in this spot, too.

Last days...

2007-09-11T08:26:00.000-06:00

(This is one of my new favorite pictures)

Today is my last day at my job. I am taking a week off before I start my second year at The Ohio State College of Veterinary Medicine. Are you jealous?!

What will I do with my week off?! Well, I plan to finish up the mittens that I started for my co-worker. Also, the Fetchingly fingerless gloves for another co-worker. I also have a pair of socks to knit, some more weight to lose, and plenty of dog walks to keep my week busy.

Did I tell you I am trying to get fit? I have a goal for the time that school starts, and I really hope I make it. I have already promised myself that I get to have my hair cut and colored BY A PROFESSIONAL if I make the goal. That's a huge deal for me because I have only had a hair stylist cut my hair 3 times. When I was little, my mother cut my hair and I have been doing myself ever since I started living on my own. I decided that a hair cut and color would be a great way to celebrate my mission to becoming a better, less chunky me...

(Note that this above goal is not what I have to meet by next week...
I have broken it down into manageable pieces)

Right, so I'm pretty excited about the coming week. After that, I turn to Vet Student mode. This means being permanently attached to a book bag, not much knitting and little correspondence with family and friends, bummer. Supposedly, it is all worth it... good thing I love animals.

Oh, one last thing that I have to remember to do this week. Take pictures of fiber. Lots and lots of pictures and then I have to sent them out to my partners... remember?!

I am definitely disjointed today! Sorry about that, perhaps I'll clean this post up later. Basically, know that you will probably here a bunch from me in the coming days, and hopefully see lots of pictures of finished projects, and knitting, and yarn, and cats and dogs, and bears, oh my.

People just like to say Sal-sa

2007-08-21T10:59:00.000-06:00

So, the sneak peek was of my Habanero peppers that were planted back in...May? Anywho, added to some tomatoes and spices they made a VERY HOT salsa. So, they were then added to some more tomatoes and more spices. That made an edible salsa which was used at a work pot-luck! Much fun...

In knitting news, the modification on Fetching is still on the back burner. I have since finished a pair of mittens for another co-worker. Once I have an acceptible picture of the blocked product, I will post them. They are pretty cute and totally made-up. I have also started a pair of socks. They rib and Cable socks by Nancy Rush in the Fall 2005 edition of Interweave Knits. There are some pretty great versions of those on Ravelry. I looked them up before I started!

In outdoor news, this plant that I took a picture of so long ago must have gone to the lovely garden in the sky because it has been replaced. I do like the new one though....

In puppy news, I think that Izzie might not be in that category for much longer. She is still pretty cute though.

That's it for now. Hope your having a great day...

While I knit quietly

2007-08-15T11:45:00.001-06:00

Something fun....

I spy, with my blue eyes, something that starts with H...

Photography skillz

2007-08-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

...Apparently, I have none.

Anywho, I took pictures of my sockapalooza 4 haul! Wow, did my partner spoil me. I got beautiful socks. Seriously, thank you! Then comes the other goodies... Beautiful yarn, beautiful stitch markers, beautiful cards.... wow! Thank you Dani M. (I would link to you but your website doesn't seem to be working)!

Right, so, even though the picture doesn't truly convey the awesomeness that was my sockapalooza package, it was a great exchange. It was all I could do to keep from winding up and casting on that beautiful purple yarn. (Again, you might not be able to tell from the picture, but the yarn is all shades of purple, mm.) I did, however, resist because I probably have enough knitting projects in the works right now.

Just so that you don't think I've changed my irresponsible-knitting ways, I did "start a new project" in the sense that I totally signed up for an exchange on swap-bot. I signed up for the fiber art photography ATC swap. Photography is a hobby of mine and I try to take decent pictures. Unfortunately, I will have to work on my knitterly photography skillz. I'm eager to work on it!

I got distracted

2007-08-07T06:47:00.000-06:00

I've been unfocused lately.

I started a pair of Fetching mittens for a co-worker. They are to be modified to have half fingers in them. Not an impossible feat, as I have already seen it done...

Then, a 4th year student mentioned that she would like a pair of mittens. She mentioned paying me, but I said there was no way. We eventually settled on a trade. As a jewelry maker, she is going to trade me a beautiful new necklace for a pair of mittens. I'm excited. The problem is that I didn't even officially pick out a pattern yet.

What's my problem? I saw this pattern and had to have one. Luckily, it is a very fast knit. I went to Jo-Ann's on Sunday, picked up the yarn, practically cast on in the car ride home (not really, but I've seen other people multi-task while they drive...), and if I were to measure it, I am more than half way done with the knitting part (ah how I hate the finishing!), which is excellent!!

This was taken at work yesterday. I have about twice as much done now...

I think I need a Knitting ADD support group....

Just in the knick of time!

2007-08-01T13:20:00.001-06:00

My beautiful socks are done just in time to send to my secret partner for sockapalooza 4. I had a lot of fun making them and threatening to make RT a matching pair. Tonight I have to give them a bath and find some other goodies to stuff in the package with them! I'm so excited and I hope my pal likes them as much as I do.

I will just say, it's a good thing that I have joined the health-wise knitter's group on ravelry because I am certainly not flexible enough to take decent pictures of my own feet. I will probably be laughing for weeks now envisioning myself folding up like a pretzel to take pictures of my hand-knit, socked feet.

Who is going to believe me when I try to tell them I pulled my hamstrings knitting?! hehe.

All in a Days' work

2007-07-10T15:53:00.000-06:00

So, the Harry Potter scarves are done just in the knick of time. I am glad they are done and I think they turned out great!! (Both of them!)

Finishing up the scarves left me free to start on my Sockapalooza socks!! I'm so excited because they are turning out great! If you are on ravelry (omg...), my socks (PDF) can be compared to many other greats with this pattern. With any luck, they will be half as beautiful as the ones that others have already completed. I can only hope that my pal likes them just as much as I do. This was my progress from Monday at work. I didn't really get anymore done today (yet).

This is the scarf that never ends

2007-06-20T06:33:00.000-06:00

Yes, it goes on, and on my friends.

This is the part where I apologize for getting that song stuck in your head. I really am, very sorry.

I have officially been knitting Harry Potter scarves forever. While I do enjoy reading the books and watching the movies, I can only take these scarves for so long.

The first one took forever because last quarter was a bear. The scarf would go to school with me everyday and I would accomplish knitting across one needle, on a good day. -I am making it in the round, on double points.- With 27 rounds per stripe for 11 stripes (I don't believe this is perfect compared to the scarves from the movies but I just couldn't make anymore), that would take me 891 days to complete (27 rounds x 11 stripes x 3 needles per round).

So finally, I was finished with school and picked up the pace. I wasn't studying too much anymore, just working. Last week, I finished the first one. I immediately cast on the second one and have been working on it during slow times at work. Today I will start the 3rd stripe, but it just seems to be taking forever.

Next week, while I am off of work (I am going home to visit family/friends/old co-workers, so I don't count it as vacation really), I plan to do LOTS of knitting. My goal is to have the second scarf completed and all the ends tucked in by next Wednesday.

While this may be a little ambitious, I have to think about the fact that I still have sockapalooza socks to get cracking on! I am so excited to get to work on those babies, I just have to come up with some ideas! I think I have some yarn that will work, but my sock pal mentioned something about knee highs. That is going to take me for-ev-er. Good thing I like knitting.... ;-)

Summer is here!

2007-06-18T06:47:00.001-06:00

Summer is finally here and I am so glad. I'm not thinking in complete thoughts so I will just do some Random monday-ness.

1. The love of my life and I celebrated one year of marital bliss on Saturday. Holy crow did that go fast. He is amazing and I am lucky to have someone that will put up with me for that long. To celebrate, we went to dinner and a movie.

2. I saw Knocked Up this weekend. Overall, it was a good movie but I was a little saddened. You see, most of the time I take my knitting to the movies and work on some "mindless" knitting while I enjoy the flick. Unfortunately, I am currently working on the HP scarves and the mindless knitting makes click-clacking noises on the metallic needles. Grr, wish I had made these on bamboos...

3. The puppy is doing great. Isabelle, or Izzy, is super smart. She has been taught Sit, Down, Rollover, Paw, Crawl, Stay and the latest is Play Dead. Her favorite is roll over. She has a lot of energy, way more than I was planning on. She is so excited to go visit her Grandma and Auntie Grandma in New York next week!

4. Over a week ago now we got furniture from RT's parents. Most of it still sits in our ittie bittie living room waiting to be reorganized. Last night I decided I had had enough and attempted to do some reorganizing. Well, RT helped me move the sofa bed and next thing I know my little hand is being smooshed in the door frame. Ouch. I am sitting here with ice on my hand which makes it difficult to type.... :-(

5. I could have posted sooner this "yay, I'm done with school" post, but I have been addicted to ravelry.com lately. From reading other blogs, I am not the first one to give my praises to these two for designing the site, but it is AMAZING. It is a great way to organize my knitting, but also a great way to research knits I plan on doing in the future. If I'm not sure how I will like knitting a particular pattern, I can just look up how other people have done... their final products, their notes on it, what yarn they used. I am just thoroughly impressed.

6. Starting this week, I might be working on a very special project. Stay tuned, because I don't want to jinx myself, but I'll give it away soon enough.

I feel like there is a whole bunch more that I need to tell you guys right now but I am totally blocked. Hopefully, I'll be back later or tomorrow. Until then, Have a great Monday!

Holy lots to talk about

2007-05-19T19:49:00.000-06:00

1. I am enjoying making something that people can recognize. Currently, I do not have to deal with the scrunched-nose question, "What cha makin'?"

Do you recognize the knitting bag?!

2. School is insane right now. Everything at the end of the quarter always gets all behind and I have to work non-stop to make to the finish line. When I used to run, I would sprint the last little bit just to get it over with. Well, I feel like I've been sprinting for quite a while now, hopefully I make it to the end...

3. It is getting closer and closer to summer when I will be doing some exciting things! I will be going to New York for a long visit with family and friends and old co-workers! I will be visiting with my aunt and uncle from Louisville and I will be doing a lot of training....which leads me to the last exciting thing...

4. We got a puppy!!! This is has been my thought processes lately.... "Puppy, puppy, puppy, puppy...," so I finally talked RT into getting her as my early birthday present. We are having so much fun and she is so very smart. I'm hoping to train her and maybe start some agility classes once she gets big enough. I had forgotten how much I loved dogs...

She still doesn't have a name though, any suggestions?!

Can you help?

2007-04-18T13:50:00.000-06:00

I sent this email out to family and friends. E-mail me if you can help at kmophardt [at] yahoo [dot] com!

Hello Family, friends, and friends of friends,

This year has been a busy year for me! Regardless of how busy I am though, I love to participate in the MS Walk. It is again that time of year and I need your help.

With the participation of everyone last year, I blew past my goal of $300 to reach about $420 as my final donation. I have even higher hopes this year to reach $450. While this may be a high goal, I have faith in you guys.

Every donation is welcome and I’m making it pretty easy to give this year. You can send a check, made out to MSWalk. Just sent it to my address which I have included that at the bottom. Or, you could log on this website (just click that) and donate online. ( All you have to do is click the link and then click on the "Donate/Pledge" button. I am doing the Columbus, OH walk and you can search for me by typing in Kristen O p h a r d t (without the spaces)).

The last thing you could do to help is pass this letter on to all your magnanimous friends. I know with everyone’s help I can get to, if not by-pass, my goal for this year as well.

Thank you all for your time and thank you in advance for anything you can do! This cause is very important to me and I appreciate everyone’s patience as I attempt to make a difference! The MSWalk is here in Columbus on April 28th. Preferentially, I would like to have most of the money to take on the day of the walk, but the official deadline is June 1st.

With Love,
Kristen =-)

PS. I've been "hired" to make some Harry Potter scarves. I'm pretty excited!

So Excited

2007-04-13T17:48:00.000-06:00

Lots of great things happen in the land of Kristen.

Mostly, I am very excited to be participating (again) in the sockapalooooza. I have many ideas for sock patterns but I have to wait to get my sock pal's information. In the meantime, I have (gasp) no knitting on the needles.

While I wait, maybe I should make use of some gift yarn I got a while ago. I have to come up with something for 20 skeins (10 skeins each of 2 colors) of beautiful alpaca yarn from my Very Generous Aunt in Washington. There are so many things that I could do with it. I am hesitant though because it has to be great!

Alas, I have 3 tests next week. That means very little knitting time because I "should" be studying. Bummer dude...

Look what I've been up to

2007-04-10T20:40:00.000-06:00

The new quarter has started and along with school, I've been very busy clothing children.

Although with the sweater I made for Alexa Claire (who joined us the day OSU went to the Final Four as her uncle likes to remind everyone), I have made another sweater for Sydney and a very manly blue sweater for Cole Gregory.

It's baby town around here and I am loving it. So little and easy to knit for!!

The red sweater is the 5 Hour Baby Sweater. It is (very soft) acrylic yarn. I know, I know, but I had it around and RT is going to start throwing my yarn away if I don't start using it! Anyway, it turned out super cute. It's new home will be with Sydney and luckily it will be cold for a while longer.

Next is the Child's Placket-Neck Pullover in Last Minute Knitted Gifts. It is definitely something I will be making again. This knit kept me busy when I went to see 300 with RT. Although it was a beautiful movie, it was hard for me to watch all of the violence. I am really just a wussy- but, I had my knitting to keep my company. So when I needed a break from slicing people open, I focused on knitting this beautiful- I mean manly- sweater for Cole!

Top 5 Reasons to know I love you!

2007-03-20T11:27:00.000-06:00

5. I am willing to call you. While this may seem like a simple task to most, picking up the phone and dialing it is really quite difficult to me...

4. I allow you to stay at my house. I must be super confident that allowing you a sneak peak at how filthy I am won't scare you off- for long.

3. I spend some of my stash-enhancing money on you! The facts of life are, most of the time I would rather spend rare extra cash on yarn...sorry, hehe.

2. I take goofy pictures of myself with you. Pictures of me= never flattering.

1. I take a greyhound to come visit you. Although it is a cheap way to travel, it is always an interesting experience for me. I've had one gentleman (?) ofter to pleasure me (apparently he came highly recommended- the last girl he sat next to), a bus driver tell me I was wasting my time trying to become a vet (RN was the way to go- you can do anything as a RN) and several break downs (the last one was a 3 hour ordeal in -idontevenknowwhere- because 4 lug nuts had fallen off- we were about to lose the tire!!).

This weekend I had a great time with my bestest friend, Joli. We did lots of stuff, but mostly it was just great to be in the same state as Joli Sucy!! I really enjoyed the wildlife room because she introduced me to Jimmy the box turtle and this itty-bitty thing...

Snow, I don't wanna

2007-02-19T19:14:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of weeks it has been snowing cats and dogs in these parts. If I were still in high school, I would love it because they have had more time at home than at school lately. Unfortunately, regardless of the weather and school cancellations, I have been at school almost everyday since this quarter started. Every day...

I wanted to show you guys what it looks like here in Columbus.

This car looks like it got caught in the snow last night, er, I mean a freaken WEEK ago. I don't blame them. If they weren't fortunate enough to already own a snow shovel, there is not hopes of buying one anytime soon. RT and I visited 3 stores last Wednesday in search of snow moving devices- to no avail. These poor people better not have to go anywhere before May...

The parking lot where we have been stashing our car isn't much better. Can you tell that the snow pile is almost as tall as I am, and there is still almost too much snow to drive there?

Well anyway, long story short (or not), there is a lot of snow. I love snow and yet it just gets in the way when you live in the city. It is pretty though, take a look at how snowy our street still is one week later.

The pictures didn't turn out as well as I thought they did on second glance, you can't really tell in any of the pictures just how much snow is there, but trust me, it is more than Columbus usually sees in a year. These mild weathered winters have really spoiled me!!

Thoughts on life... hehe

2007-02-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

I thoroughly enjoyed making this sweater by miss Yarnharlot for my soon-to-be niece. Today was the baby shower and that was interesting too. There was a lot of rushing around, wrapping paper everywhere, and a lot of awkward introductions.

After today's party, I've decided that my knowledge base is indirectly proportional to my social skills. As I spend more time in the classroom, I lose the ability to carry on decent conversations with strangers. I'm not sure whether it just that I am out of practice, whether it makes me nervous to think I am talking dribble that other people don't understand, or that they are wondering "how the heck that nutball got in to vet school."

Maybe I should just stick to studying and knitting, and leave the partyin' to the party animals. hehe.

Speaking of party animals... Saturday night, since we were in Cleveland, we met up with our good friends Dave & Rachel. Instead of going out to the bar or some other rowdy activity, we all sat down to play they newest board game... The game of Life, the Pirates of the Caribbean version. It was so much fun, but I did lose at Life. Ugh, hopefully that is not a foreshadowing...

No wonder I like them so much!

2007-02-04T12:05:00.000-05:00

You Are A: Puppy!

Beloved by all, puppies are energetic, playful, and loving. Your friendly nature is part of what makes you a puppy. Known for their loyalty, puppies make great pets for young and old alike. And an innocent puppy face can melt anyone's heart!

You were almost a: Mouse or a Monkey
You are least like a: Groundhog or a Chipmunk What Cute Animal Are You?

Hey, it's been a while...

2007-02-03T22:43:00.000-05:00

Along with school, I have been busy making babies clothes. While I would love to let that be the excuse for my recent weight gain, the clothes are not for a baby I, personally, have cooking. Instead, this parasitic epidemic has hit many people close to me, and they will all need hand-knitted love when they break forth into the world.

My co-worker will be having a baby very soon. (My guess for the pool was 4:32 February 4th, but she isn't really due til the 10th). So, I had to get my act together and a sew the buttons on the sweater I finished the pieces for IN AUGUST! Well, I do think it turned out adorable.

Next, I will have a sweet baby niece in less than a month. Obviously, a cute sweater is in order so that she is sure to know that I love her. I chose the Daisy Sweater by Ms. Yarnharlot. It was quick, and fun. I also had fun thrifting for the buttons. I still need to put the daisies on, but hopefully I can get that accomplished in the next week in time for the baby shower!

Lastly, I spent all of today studying. I literally left my house at 9am and got home at 10pm. At about 5 this afternoon, we thought we couldn't study anymore, so we decided to go in search of a study break. Shopping sounded great, and look what I brought home.

Hehe, it's just K.J., but he had fun sniffing my great purchase from Old Navy. I had a gift certificate and managed to get two pairs of pants, 4 camies, and a sports bra for only $1.65 of my own money! Woot woot!

Being Productive

2007-01-21T09:39:00.000-05:00

This quarter, thus far, has been a lot more work than fall quarter. Luckily, I have been told it gets better from here...

With that said, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to be creative. I try to sneak in little crafts here and there, but it has been really touch and go. Last weekend I decided that I was going to use this tutorial to create some "quilted" cards.

This was a bit of an expensive endeavor considering I didn't have any of the supplies, including a sewing machine. I think the machine is going to come in handy though. Being 5'1", my pants are always too long. I'm usually too lazy to do anything about it, so they drag on the ground, but now I will be able to hem them. It has also sparked my sewing mojo as I used to sew a bit when I was little. Whenever my mom had the machine out, I would make shorts or pants or hair scrunchies... fun fun fun.

Oh, I have big plans for that machine. For right now though, I will stick to my cards. They are a fun project that can be completed in a couple of hours. My first attempt came out quite nicely if I do say so myself!

Things that make me happy

2007-01-10T20:36:00.000-05:00

Every now and again, I get down. Usually, this blip on the depression-o-meter is stress-induced. It is highly possible that my case of the blues can be completely contributed to the 6 14-hour days I've had already, with no end in site for this quarter...

To combat this feelin' and create a false sense of euphoria, I am making a list. We all know how I like lists! :-) And this time, all though it probably will be random, the random will not be on purpose. My list will be of things that make me smile. I wish I had a picture to show you right now, but I have a book... It is called my happy book. Now that I think of it, I have a whole shelf of happy books, my knitting books... but I digress. My happy book has quotes from fun times, little stories that I would love to remember, and sometimes I will just read through it and laugh and laugh. Sometimes, it is because I still think it is funny. Sometimes, it is because I can't believe that I once thought that was funny...

Anyway, things that make me go :-)

1. Knitting
2. Family time

3. E-mails with actual letters, to me specifically, in them...
4. Mail, in general
5. Puppy breath

6. Taking pictures, especially candid shots!
7. Liberace
8. K.J.
10. RT
11. Spending time helping others
12. Inside jokes
13. Outside jokes :-P
14. Animals, especially ones that don't spell like embalming fluid
15. Talking to my momma on the phone :o)
16. Baby clothes
17. Reading about knitting
18. Getting new books
19. Finding Nemo
20. "Remember that time..." stories
21. Snuggling
22. Giant M&M's.

I know there are more things, but this has really helped. I suppose this isn't very entertaining for The Masses, hahahahahahaha, but I figure you can go find someone else to keep you amused for today. At least there are pictures, right?!

Kick Arse

2007-01-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

First, I would like to say THANK YOU for all the wonderful New Year's wishes, it has worked thus far...

It is back to the grindstone for this little girly, but I did have an awesome break. Can you guess where I went?

My baby brother is stationed in California with the army. He was not able to go too far from base. So, poor us, we had to visit him out there. My family decided Las Vegas would be the perfect rendezvous point. I couldn't agree more!

We did so much while we were there! Gambled (RT won $100), went to the shark reef, visited the Base, went to a comedy club, met some really rude people (come on! It was Christmas people... :-( ) , met some really great people, saw the fountains at the Bellagio, gambled, saw the pirate show at Treasure Island, people watched, gambled, hung out, ate awesome food, gambled, and just generally had a blast.

I already miss my family terribly. I have to say that it stinks that I didn't get to see my hometown friends this year, but I had so much quality time with the fam, it was great. Hopefully, soon I will get to rectify the friend situation, but they all know I love them (hopefully). It was a true family vacation.

I got little knitting done as most of the time I was some form of intoxicated... whoops. I work so hard at school that I feel shunning responsibility every now and again is acceptable.

This quarter is going to be a doosey (spelling?) so, I'm glad I got my fun times in while I had a chance. Maybe someday I will be able to do something besides study again, although it is not looking promising.

Little Darlings

2006-12-23T18:10:00.000-05:00

As a little holiday treat, I thought I would share with you what my little darlings (aka Liberace and KJ) have been up to...

It appears as though last night, while we were out at a friend's holiday party, the boys got some wrapping done. I can't find the wrapped packages anywhere, but that is the only explanation that I can come up with for why there are TEETH MARKS in the roll of wrapping paper. Those lil devils... I just hope they didn't spend too much on me, I'll be embarrassed.

Merry Holidays out there, or have a safe winter break if you are not necessarily into the whole celebrating thing. Here's a picture from my tree showcases my favorite swirly snowman ornament. I love it....

Who you calling stupid?

2006-12-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

I enjoy looking at how people get to my blog. I realized I don't have a huge audience, but enough to make "stalking" my readers kinda fun. It is interesting how people find their way to my neck of the woods.

Ever since my last post, nearly 90 % of the readers have been looking for hints about weff riddles!! I tell you, it's like the Ring. Did you ever see that movie? You aren't safe unless you pass it on to someone else. I'm stuck on level 52 if you are wondering. I see what I need to do, but I just can't deliver.

Anyway, what was I talking about? Oh, yeah, Cat Got Your Yarn tourists. One google search in particular caught my eye in the last week. "Stupid homemade xmas ornaments." I'm confused. I understand searching for ideas on the internet. I'm not a stunningly creative person, if it weren't for the internets I would have no inspiration. However, why would you be searching for the stupid ornaments? Wouldn't you want to search for "the best" christmas ornaments, or "quick" christmas ornaments, because we all know that CHRISTMAS IS LIKE 86 HOURS AWAY (but whose counting?). Even, "cute" xmas ornaments would be some what understandable.

My second question is why they would search for "xmas" ornaments. If they were, in fact, looking for ornaments to make for the holidays, wouldn't they get a better result looking for "christmas" ornaments? I don't know.

I want to believe that they didn't find what they were looking for here. I don't do stupid... :-P

If I get a chance, I will post a few pictures of my recent stupid ornaments here. We'll see.

Addictive personality

2006-12-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it appears as though I am a liar. I said in my last post that I would post a progress picture of Alec's hat when I got home. Well, I kinda, um, forgot. So instead, you get a picture of the completed hat, and a mitten. The other has been started, but just barely.

On to the title of the post... I have been aware of my addictive personality for a long time. In some aspects of life, it sucks but it is manageable. Other times, it means I "just-one-more-row" myself to death. This is where the finished hat and finished mitten came from. It helps a lot when I'm working on school projects or work projects because it just gets done. I always have to do just.one.more.

Well, I bring this up because someone turned me onto weff riddles. (Seriously, click at your own risk). Last night was fine. Each riddle took me 10 minutes at most. I was flying through them. Life was great. Then I hit level 14. I got it, after a while, I thought... But what is the next step. I don't know. It's possible because there are plenty of people that are much further than I am but I just keep stumbling. AHHH!

I might need to start a WRA... weff riddles anonymous.

Lastly, we have a cute "baroo?" moment from KJ:

Whewf!

2006-12-10T09:40:00.000-05:00

I made it through the end of finals week, just barely.

I have come to the conclusion that people typically have one of three main reactions to my obsession with knitting.

1. How quaint...
This particular reaction irks me because I hold knitting in a high regard. They may not understand why I would want to spend hours throwing yarn around, but they don't have to belittle my passion. It used to be that people looked down on knitting as antiquated and out-dated. Luckily, with the new surge in popularity, this reaction is rare. Who knew I would be a trend-setter (yeah right)?

2. That looks so hard, do you think I could learn?
Well, I am hear to tell you that there are two basic techniques in knitting, the knit stitch and the purl stitch. With those, you can master anything. (I sound like some sappy after school special.) But the truth of the matter is that if I can coordinate myself enough to knit, anyone can. Some days, I am as clumsy as they come.

3. Can you make me/my dog/this girl I know down the street something? Yes, yes and yes. I have started knitting socks because no one can have too many pairs of knitted socks. Otherwise, I give my knitting away to homeless shelters, or anyone else that will take it. Knitting is a delicious hobby, but family members can only use so many scarves, mittens, fingerless gloves, ponchos, ect. As soon as I graduate to knitting beautifully hand crafted sweaters, I will not have this problem anymore because everyone needs a new sweater at Christmas.

Anyway, this whole topic came about because I usually like to knit or crochet gifts for Christmas. This year though, people have asked me to make things for them or for others they know. This is such a compliment to me. It is fun to think that people like my knitting so much that they would be willing to give it as a gift! I am also excited to be knitting with a purpose. This helps me stay dedicated to a project, otherwise I tend to get distracted and end up with a bazillion UFO's.

Here is what is on the docket so far for Christmas vacation:
1. Hat for Alec... He is trading me for a baked good of some sort.
2. Mittens for Taylor, commissioned by Aunt Shirley
3. Shawl for Great Grams, also commissioned by Aunt Shirley
4. Dog Jacket for Leigh's dog, which is smaller than a water bottle. (this should take all of 5 minutes).
5. Snowflake X-mas ornaments for people I don't know what else to get. :-)
6. Whatever else I feel like knitting.

I will keep you all informed, but right now I am working on the Hat for Alec. It is just a boring 2x2 ribbed hat, but I hope he will like it. Super soft and warm. The yarn is from Alaska! I'll post a progress picture once I get home (I'm at work right now).

There are so many things I'ld rather be doing

2006-12-04T18:16:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, exam time is now. This means that I am not capable of doing anything else but sitting with my nose in books. I'm being "bad" right now though and I just took this survey. I haven't decided what to think about this....

"To Do"

2006-11-15T19:28:00.000-05:00

I thought it might be fun to make a To Do list that I wouldn't lose before I got a chance to complete it. Also, you may be familiar with my adoration of lists in general, hehe.

1. Study for Cell Biology, hard core considering the test is on Tuesday.
~~2. Study for Histology, there is entirely too much information in that class...~~ I did some, but I will never be done- not until the exam. Ugh.
3. Do Ethics homework.
4. Go to Wallie world to pick up some supplies.
A New Alarm Clock, mine has recently decided to work when it feels like it
New scrubs, wearing the same ones all the time is getting old (and smelly)
Hangers for the Homemade Christmas Ornaments I should have sent out 2 days ago
More string to make more ornaments
Hand soap, RT is anything but dirty, I'm pretty sure we should have stock in Dial
White Out, I know this may come as a huge shock, but I am NOT perfect, bummer
Possibly a Cosmo and some Chocolate, need I say more?
~~5. Unpack/put away at least 3 boxes. We have been living there 3 months people. When will the insanity end?~~ I actually put away like 10 boxes. We are getting to close to "moved in," I can taste it!
~~6. Load up the dishwasher. I really don't want our guests on Friday to think we are complete shlubs, aka I don't want them to know the truth.~~
7. Knit on my mittens.
8. Get everything together for classes tomorrow.
~~9. Get everything ready so I can mail out those ornaments before class tomorrow.~~
~~10. Take dog sweater I made into school for my lab partner's Chihuahua.~~ She said that it probably woulndn't fit Lola because I made it just under cat-sized. Lola is more like just under water bottle-size. Oh goodness that is small.
~~11. Charge my cell phone. I might be adding Buy new cell phone to this list soon. My stupid battery can't hold a charge to save its life and it is scratched beyond recognition. It was a hand-me-down.~~ ETA: I understand this was an easy one, but I've gotta have a couple easy things to help me feel more accomplished!
12. Buy plane tickets for my Christmas Vacation.
13. Start on Christmas cards... at least purchase some, and decide what we are going to do for a "family photo."
14. Try not to freak out that I have less than 2 "weeks" of classes left before my first ever round of vet school finals. Eek.

As today was a crappy day filled with rain and darkness, I will leave you pictures of flowers. The picture is one that I took because I just love the color combinations. Those were flowers for a wedding held here at work, so beautiful.

I would much rather post

2006-11-13T19:57:00.000-05:00

School is keeping me so busy, but somehow I would much rather post and/or read blogs than do my homework, go figure. I don't have a whole lot of knitting news, but hopefully I will soon. In knitting news absence (say that 5 times, fast), I have decided to post about my possible trip for Christmas.

It has been a long time since I have been on vacation. While people might consider weeks here and there off of work to visit home "vacations," they are highly mistaken. I usually have about 17 thousand things to do each day when I am home because everyone wants to see me. I feel bad if I forget anyone, or just plain can't fit them in.

Well, my baby brother decided to go and fix that problem. He can't come to the East Coast for Thanksgiving or Christmas because he can't be some many miles from his place of employment...blah blah blah. Basically, he will be going overseas after Christmas which keeps him trapped on base and makes my mother desperate to get us all in one place for the holidays. It just so happens that his base is very close to Las Freaken Vegas. YEAH!

Merry Christmas, I'm going to gamble, and possibly drink copious amounts of alcohol....:-P

Thank you Todder! Isn't he cute with his dog Kitzu back in September when RT and I had the "Surprise We're Married" party.

*Before anyone gets upset, Kitzu enjoys laying like that. As a matter of fact, she has actually positioned herself like that in Todd's arms. Don't ask me why, she is just weird.

A Tale of Two Restaurants

2006-11-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

Saturday was "Date Night" at our house. After RT finished his 8-hour work day, at 2 in the afternoon, we packed up and headed to the Conservatory. I love the Conservatory. It can be equated to a Museum, for plants.

My friend, as it was a double date, enjoyed messing with the Sausage Plant. (I swear this is what it was labeled, but I can't find anything on the internet.) (And, yes, we both have the mentality of 12-year-old boys). We enjoyed seeing beautiful plants, artwork, and taking goofy couple photos. All of the pictures of RT and I came out craptastically.

There is even a koi pond to play near. One fish is particularly friendly and swims right up to get attention. He looks like he could lay off the fishy snacks, hehehe.

After the conservatory, we decided that we were hungry. My friends had heard of this place called Spagio's that wasn't too far away. It sounded great. They sat us quickly because there were maybe 5 other tables. We deliberated over the menus because they had just great choices, and then we waited, and waited, and... uh, waited some more. I would have been more patient if they had been busy, but in my humble opinion, they were just refusing to serve us. After ~30 minutes of neglect (we did receive water), we walked out. None of the wait staff was disappointed to see us leave (another indication to me that we had "done something" to deserve this treatment).

So, instead, we went to the Grandview Cafe. They had wonderful servers, great food!, cheap booze, and RT could watch the last two minutes of his precious Buckeye football. Above all else, they didn't even refuse to serve us when we did this:

Anywho. I think, I will leave you with a funny word... "gubernaculum." Just say it out loud. hahah.

Another swap

2006-11-05T17:15:00.000-05:00

I signed up for the Homemade Christmas Ornaments swap. I have never understood blocking until this project. It started as this lump of string. K.J. was very intrigued. Then I soaked it in a little glue water and I pinned it out. I plan to make a few more to send to each person. What do you guys think?

I haven't done any "researching," meaning I haven't googled it yet, but how do you stiffen things up? The glue water worked ok, but I just wish it was a little less flimsy. I'm pretty proud of how this one turned out, and I might even make a few for Christmas present toppers for people I think would enjoy them!

*Tomorrow I will blog about my Saturday. It was fun, but rather weird. Stay tuned.

I will leave you with this picture of Fishbowl, my friends' kitty. She is adorable, but she hates the flash, so all the pictures have her squinting! hehe.

More stuph.

2006-11-03T17:10:00.000-05:00

A while back, through Chris' list of contests, I guessed how many socks Ms. Sew Crafty would have to knit each day in order to get through her stash in the month of SOCKtober. Well, I guessed right, and consequently added four skeins of absolutely amazing yarn to my stash. The package came on Monday and it was completely Halloween themed.

There is two pairs-worth of sock yarn wrapped in Halloween tissue paper. A package of orange Hot chocolate is standing up in the back (I've never seen anything like it before, I love it!) and two packages of chocolates, one with coffee beans inside, the other with Cherries!!

When I opened up the tissue paper, I came across absolutely beautiful yarn. The green is brilliant, not that green is my favorite color or anything. The variegated matches the color name perfectly, New England Foliage. I am in love. I can't wait to finish up the socks that I am currently working on so that I can start Mitts for my next swap-bot exchange (oh man, I think I may be addicted.) My plan is to use the New England Foliage and to copy her, who got this brilliant idea from her. Yay for great ideas! I am a big fan of using a great stitch pattern to make several different projections and I just think they look amazing!

One more huge thank you for the wonderful package. And, it does help that I can now tell RT I have a lot of catching up to do if I want a respectable sock yarn stash... hehehehehe.

Anyway, I think I will leave you with a picture of Gus-gus. He loves the camera, so it is hard to get a picture of him that isn't just a wrinkly nose, or a panting tongue. hehe.

( I guess I will insert those pictures later, lamearse blogger isn't letting me...)

Remember Socktoberfest?

2006-10-29T15:21:00.000-05:00

Yeah, remember that?

Well, just before the wire I got started... Luckily, it is a "no-pressure" type of situation.

The beautiful yarn I got from my Hotsocks pal was put straight to use...

This shot was taken a while ago now and I have managed to do the heel flap, and start the gusset since then. While I am not going to complete a whole pair of socks during Socktoberfest, I feel like I did pretty well since I had other, more pressing projects (and problems... oy!). I'm loving how the striping is working out and I absolutely love the color choices. The blue just pops so well!

Well, I guess I am done slacking/procrastinating for today. I have two exams this week, so while I might be lurking around, I don't forsee a lot of posting in the coming week. Next weekend, though- we have already planned to spend some QT with RT at the Conservatory for the Chihuly exhibit. (I'm sooo excited). I can't wait to spend more than 5 minutes with him where one of us isn't sleeping...

Exciting things, and a funny Story

2006-10-24T22:37:00.000-05:00

More packages. My last package was from Lynn as I said. She dyed some absolutely beautiful yarn and made beautiful stitchmarkers. But, she didn't forget the chocolate. What a wonderful gift.

Secondly, I got a package from a pal for the Hot Socks! swap. She sent yummy yummy chocolate, lotion, yummy sock yarn, and a bunch of other odds and ends. It was such a great end to my week last week!

Next, I sent out a package to my Warm Hands, Warm Hearts recipient. I felt bad because it got in the mail just a tiny bit late, so I tried to make it great. I don't know if she reads this blog (I doubt it because I don't exactly have a huge following), but I am posting pictures of the two sets of mitts that I sent out to her. The other goodies in her box can stay a secret!

Oh, and I promised a funny story. K.J, the monster, has really been getting along with Liberace quite well lately. They have so much space to spread out in our new place that they hardly fight or anything. I was thinking about that recently when I happened to take a closer look at the King himself...

It's hard to tell from this picture but KJ has a huge chunk of black hair sticking to his nail... See it? Apparently, they had been playing a little too hard, yet again.

When detained for questioning, K.J. had "no comment." The tricky lil' bastard... I guess even if they have plenty of room, the boys are going to play a little too rough every now and again...

Listing makes me happy

2006-10-15T08:21:00.000-05:00

"Come on and get happy..."

We are finally getting closer to being unpacked.
This weekend has been amazing, despite a few bumps in the round.
Yesterday we went on a canoe trip. It was chilly, but everything was going great until RT had to take a pit stop. In an effort to get to the shore so that he could get out and micturate, we ended up tipping into the water. I'm sure I wouldn't have been so bummed if it wasn't OCTOBER. Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day, but dang that water was cold. The trip took us almost an extra hour because our friends had to wrangle the tipped canoe to shore and then I had to get back to "good-tempered Kristen" before I could crawl back in.
Monday is my first Anatomy Exam... I am nervous.
There may come a point, very soon actually, that I decide schooling from 8am-4pm and working 4:30pm-9:30pm is just a little too much. Boy have I been exhausted lately, and it took a nice leisurely Saturday to make that point abundantly clear.
On Friday, I received an waited package from Ms. Lynne, the Yarnivore. (THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.) There was absolutely BEAUTIFUL YARN inside, almost too-amazing-to-use stitch markers, and chocolate, sweet chocolate! There was also an Australian postcard which will be added to my collection as soon as I figure out which wall in my new apartment is going to be covered. (There will be pictures of the package as soon as I stop being a lazy arse and upload them.)
With that new yarn, I am going to actually start socktoberfest. Is it justifiable to drink a brew while I make these socks?
Tomorrow I have a dilemma, during my lunch hour, I can either go to a talk on Pain Management (which sounds really cool) or study for my anatomy exam, any thoughts?
Today is not going to feel like weekend :-( .... I am at work now, after work I have to go study, then I have some more work to do, then study group, then home. All in all, I will probably be gone from home again today from 9am-9pm. Boo!
I might* actually get my loan money tomorrow. This would make things like paying the bills and buying groceries possible. I have been waiting for this money for almost a month now, so hopefully it will magically appear in my account tomorrow. That would be sweet.
My simple mind really likes lists. My head jumps from one thing to the next several times a minute, perhaps that is why I am so good at multi-tasking.
I am coming down to the wire on my swaps. It shouldn't be too hard to finish up the packages and get them out on Wednesday. Getting my loan money would probably help this cause as well...
RT, being the amazing human being that he is, drove me to work this morning. I think someone was watching out for us though because there was a marathon this morning. If we had been just a couple minutes later, he would have gotten stuck in the traffic and had several choice words for me... oh goodness.

Just in the Knit of Time

2006-10-05T14:49:00.000-06:00

Corny title, I know.

Anyway, this week I had been busy feeling sorry for myself until Deb stepped it. If you so choose, you may cue the superhero music now...

In a week where I have been feeling down and pathetic (a mix of left over weekend feelings, and a wonderfully nasty head cold), I received a wonderfully put together Knitflix package.

Exhibit A:
:::there is supposed to be a picture here of my goods, but I realized a little late that someone's address is in full view, so I have taken it down until I can amend the picture:::

The package included, but was not limited to: V for Vendetta, Logan's Run, Planter's Peanuts, Hersey's Candy bar (size: Gigantic), two bags of popcorn, AMAZING yarn, Lavendar limb balm, a beautiful green bag, a set of Chibi needles (How did she know I have been craving those?), a retro-cute-alicious measuring tape, Stitch markers, safety scissors (also great to go in a traveling knitting bag that I will make someday), post-its (seriously, I use post-its like it is my job- Imagine my job title: Post-it user-upper), a delicious set of bamboo cable needles, and in front, a halographic DisneyLand Post card.

I'm not sure that you can understand my level of excitement, but I will just let you know that my partner absolutely made my day. Really. Conversations around my house have gone something like this for quite a while now:

Me: Are there any movies you want to see right now, I feel like there are movies that we need to rent or go see or something?
RT: Yeah, We have been meaning to go see V for Vendetta for a long time, is it out on video yet?
Me: I dont know, maybe I should check on that.

or

RT: Should I go rent a movie for us for tonight? A nice relaxing evening might be nice.
Me: Well, I would say you should go rent V for Vendetta, but I am too tired to stay awake that long after work. Maybe tomorrow?
RT: Ok, I guess.

Do you get yet that I am totally excited to be watching that movie? Luckily, I need to block off some time this weekend to make some mitts for my Warm Hands, Warm Hearts swap partner. Wow, all these swaps are hard to keep track of.

While I watch it, I might just eat these. They were in the picture above, but I just wanted you to get a better look. How stinking cute are they? Hopefully I will be able to even open the packaging, they might be too cute to ruin though. hehe.

Lastly, I'll leave you with the "aw" factor for today. Aunt Shirley, or "Auntie Grandma" if you are my kitties, has two adorable Pugs. Gus-gus is all black, and Ginger is fawn. They love to snuggle and they are very good at cheering you up. Gus-gus is also the current "Most kissiest pug" Champion from the Western New York Pug Spring Fling 2006 (it was the 6th annual). He lives up to his name.

Lastly, (I know, there are two lastlys today...) we learned about Orgasms being Positive Feedback today. I maybe be immature but this made me giggle.

It was a hard weekend

2006-10-02T17:24:00.000-06:00

So, in the absence of coherent thought, I present for your viewing pleasure...Filler.

I'm not sure whether to be pleased or insulted.

Unexpected trip

2006-09-26T18:21:00.000-06:00

Although my life has become amazingly busy, like I was told it would, I have to put it on hold this weekend to take an emergency trip home. Somedays I wonder if things could get any harder, and I fear that if I think that too loud, the Powers that Be will decide to show me that they can...

On a brighter note, I am thoroughly enjoying school. Lab has been great, and I am excited to be back into studying! I know, I am a dork. One of my classmates, as we spend our entire day learning with everyone in the Class of 2010, has already brought her knitting to class. I don't think I'm quite that brave, yet.

I have finished up my baby sweater (eta: sans buttons) for my friend. Hopefully I will get a chance to take photos later this week. Perhaps I should like, actually finish it first, as it still does need buttons. (I am such a liar).

I have decided that the up-side to my trip is that I will be able to take some knitting along. Is that still allowed on planes? I signed up for Socktoberfest because there is no pressure. I like that because who knows if I will be able to finish one sock, let alone a whole pair... gawd. Anyway, you can click on the cute little button below to learn a little more about it. If you would like to join, make sure to read how to properly add the button to your own blog. I have a bunch of sock yarn at home that I will be looking through to decide which to start with.

There are two finished mitts on my desk at home. They will be finding their way to a new home once I make another pair, and find some other goodies to stick in there with it. Swap-bot has been fun, and I might sign up for more once I've made it successfully through the three swaps that I signed up for initially.

I should totally be studying right now. If you can't tell, I'm a little stressed and my mind tends to wander. Hopefully you will be able to make sense of this post, although I have a feeling that I will be taking it down soon because quality control will eventually get the best of me...

Casualty

2006-09-18T18:32:00.000-06:00

There was one moving casualty that I found mildly amusing! As I moved all of my stuff into RT's apartment, I had to organize stuff, particularly in the front closet, so that we could still move around for the week that we had to live there.

Now, I will say that like many people I bet (although, if you are reluctant to admit it, I do understand), I tend to make a bigger mess before the whole organizing process is said and done. So, all the contents of the closet littered the floor of the living room before I was able to load everything back in. While unloading, I forgot that one of the many boxes in the closet housed a secret stash of cat nip that I had purchased to have at RT's in case of emergency. The stash, having yet to encounter "an emergency" was quite large. Well, let's just say that Liberace did not forget it was there.

Before I even remember it had been in the closet, Liberace had it out.

And in a flash, he had it opened, and sprinkled generously all over the floor and himself. Boy was that messy, but luckily my kitties were able to entertain themselves for the rest of the day. All you had to do was point out something shiny and KJ would contemplate that for a good couple of minutes. He spent most of the afternoon glancing at various aesthetically pleasing objects around the room. I think I even caught him once thinking "Dude, my paws, the look like sooo big." hehe. What funny kitties I have.

More pictures from vacation. It's hard to get all The Boys in the same room nowadays. They are so cute!

I got a new toy!

2006-09-16T19:11:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, after RT got off of work, we went out running errands. Being the terrific man that he is, the last errand was a stop to the Knitter's Mercantile. I picked up a ball winder. I had been wanting one for a long time. Of course, as soon as I got home, I did a little bit of playing while RT took a nap. This new work schedule is a little rough on him (T-Saturday 6AM-2).

Look how pretty:

Also, I have some pictures from vacation. I think I will probably share a bunch more as the posts go on, now that I can finally upload them. Look at how adorable my brother and my mother are. He came all the way from California to surprise me. It was such a great time!!!

Tim-tim is a "new daddy" and this is his daughter Taylor. It is so funny how we are all growing up!

Whirl wind

2006-09-14T11:03:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. I was doing so well, and then two whole weeks go by!

Well, last week was "vacation." I am just going to make a list, a day to day playlist if you will.

Sunday:
1. I worked
2. We finished cleaning out RT's old apartment (including breaking the vacuum).
3. Packed up the car.
4. Drove to Cleveland.
5. Slept on the pull-out couch at RT's parents house.

Monday:
1. Moved everything from RT's old car to his mother's car (we borrowed it for the week, score).
2. Went out to breakfast with the fam de RT.
3. Drove from Cleveland to Rochester.
4. Couldn't find anyone where we supposed to meet.
5. Drove to Grandpa's house in the next town over...
6. Family Dinner, friends come over to hang out.
7. Find out we have a hotel room, drive to hotel (another 20 minutes, hehe).
8. Take a jacuzzi (sp?) bath, mm.
9. Pass the f- out.

Tuesday:
1. Wake up earlier to get Continental breakfast.
2. Put RT down for his nap. hehe.
3. Walk over to Wal-mart to buy bubbles for jacuzzi!
4. Meet Mother for lunch (and Sarah :-) ). Mel joined in.
5. Go to Yarn store. I will show you loot later.
6. Pick up RT, fully rested.
7. Big family dinner at Grandpa's.
8. More friend hang-age.
9. Drive back to hotel, take bubble bath.
10. Pass the f- out.

Wednesday:
1. Wake up earlier for Continental breakfast.
2. Drive to Grandpa's house to meet mom.
3. Start on journey to Mother's friend's house to go horse back riding.
4. Be late.
5. Go horse back riding.
6. Drive to Mother's house.
7. Pick up supplies and dogs.
8. Drive back to Grandpa's (realize that Mother and Grandpa live about 2 hours apart).
9. Dinner, mm.
10. Have friends over for socializing even though by this point you are reduced to pile of tired goo that would rather rock quietly in the corner while talking to yourself. (Poor, Deanna, this is the only socializing she got with me...)
11. Drive back to hotel, collapse.

Thursday:
1. See previous number 1.'s.
2. Check out of sweetest hotel room eva... my family is great to me. You could take a jacuzzi bubble bath WHILE watching TV, I may have attempted to knit at the same time. It was a little overwhelming!
3. Do the car shuffle, getting all the dogs into Grandpa's truck.
4. Visit the vet hospital to see old boss, and get dogs' annual check up.
5. Go to Aunt Shirley's and Uncle Rick's to check e-mail, drop off bags and pet puppies.
6. Go to Grandpa's pick up kitties, drop them off at the vets.
7. Go back to Aunt Shirley's so RT can check his e-mail.
7a. Have lunch with Grams (how did I forget this?)
7b. Pick up the kitties from the vet, they have a clean bill of health :-).
8. Try to help make dinner... aka, sit exhausted at the table while Mom does all the work.
9. Big family dinner.
10. Go out to bar with family and friends that had line dancing... stare, amazed at the people who are a.) THAT coordinated and b.) Have enough energy to participate in more than half a song... would anyone really notice if I crawled into that corner over there? It looks pretty dark...
11. Get my brother kicked out because I bought him a shot, boy am I a bad influence. I'm sure glad he can shoot people for a living but can have a drink when he's out to the bar with his Mother and his Sister... things might get out of control.
12. Play ref between people...
13. Very late night trip to McDonald's with RT and my cuzo.
14. Arrive much to late (we are very rude guests), to find that the door that was supposed to be left open- was, but the screen door before it was locked, oh no.
15. Pass out after RT rambles about "Is the car ok parked there? Is it in the way? Maybe I should go move it?" No, dear, you are probably too inebriated to park yourself-in-a-chair, let alone the car, hehe.

Friday:
1. Stumble out of bed way too early.
2. Go dress shopping (that was way too much fun).
3. Meet with Aunt Ruth and Uncle Dave for lunch.
4. After lunch was a visit with the other Grandpa in the hospital, and Grandma. Boy was that hard.
5. Then it was back to Aunt Shirley's to get dressed for the wedding.
6. The wedding, wow am I jealous.
7. The reception were I, and RT of course ran into my ex-boyfriend's father. That was interesting. Gotta love small towns...
8. Drive back to Aunt Shirley's to watch TV before passing out.

Saturday:
1. This is where it should read "Got up early to go play with Deanna." Unfortunately, if I said that I would be a liar. I totally missed my chance to spend time with Dea, one of my dearest friends.
2. Woke up way too late, and headed over to Grandpa's house.
3. Helped with last minute cooking and cleaning for guests that were about to invade the house.
4. Greeted everyone that so graciously came to Grandpa's to see ME, and my family!
5. Ate a wonderful meal with VERY special people, sharing exciting news, and socializing.
6. Helped clean up.
7. Went out with Mom, TO, Nay, Eric, Mel, RT, Arthur, Tim-tim, Jamie, and I think that's about it, to the bar.
8. Watched OSU WIN BABY YEAH. Texas, it's what's for dinner.
9. Watched family members get drunk, took butt loads of pictures (why, then is this a pictureless post kristen--- good question).
10. Went home way too late again. (Aunt Shirley is never going to let us come back!)

Sunday:
1. Woke up way too early, hehe.
2. Packed the car.
3. Said goodbyes (this was the horrible part).
4. Five hour car ride.
5. Dinner with RT's parents.
6. Move stuff into RT's new (to him) car.
7. Drove 2 hours back to Columbus.
8. Unpacked car.
9. Realized vacation is over and house is still a mess from moving.
10. Collapsed, exhausted because Monday was a 12 hour work day!

So. That was my vacation. Boy am I tired.

Somebody stop me.

2006-08-31T17:29:00.000-06:00

Imagine Jim Carrey

I'm not sure if I am delirious from the stress of moving, going through knitting withdrawal because my yarn is too deep into one of the piles, or secretly picked up a new hobby- sniffing glue, but someone needs to have a serious sit down with me.

Cruising around the internets, I came across swap-bot on someone's blog. Wow, that looks like fun. I made my way over there and before long I was signing up for a FREE account. Normal people would then pick out one swap they were interested in, complete it, see how it turned out and then proceed with caution.

Yeah, you guessed it, I'm not normal. I went racing past one swap and signed up for THREE. That is three times the cautious one swap. They look like fun though, hopefully everything works out!

Hotsocks! was the first one I was sucked into. I like socks, I wear socks, I make socks.

Warm Hands, Warm Hearts is the second. Knitting fingerless mitts will be a breeze. Considering I have already completed Fetching twice. I love that pattern.

Last, but not least, I will be participating in Let's swap Beanies! . This is the swap that will actually happen first, but I listed them in the order that I signed up for them. There isn't much time between when you find out your partner and when you ship out the package, so we will see how this swap goes.

All three swaps are still open. Feel free to join in. This should be a lot of fun!

* I have a couple of pictures to post, but it won't be until I get home- This computer doesn't like me*

So Proud!

2006-08-29T09:05:00.000-06:00

RT is a graduate! I love this picture so much because every time I look at it, I can feel how happy he was. These last two quarters have been hard because he has been taking a FULL course load (18 credit hours each) plus working full time. He is a trooper though and deserves some vacation!

On a different topic, I gave the plastic bag purse con straps and a pocket to my friend. She loved it! So far today, she has stopped every person that has come into the office to show them the bag and make them guess what it is made out of. It absolutely tickles me pink to know that I made her day! Of course now everyone here thinks I should produce them to sell. There have also been ideas for different products to make using the bags. Don't worry; when I make my first million, I will be sure to remember the little people... :-P. (Pictures to come when I load them onto the computer!)

One giant leap....

2006-08-27T07:25:00.000-06:00

...Out of my old apartment.

I live at that place two whole years, which around campus area is a big deal. In that time I accumulated WAY too much stuff. It is now in RT's "storage facility" I mean apartment until Friday when we move again. This time we will have help and we will be moving into a much bigger place that will be OUR apartment.

Until then though, RT's apartment looks like this:

This is the kitchen where the bulk of my stuff is. Good thing none of us do serious amounts of cooking. If we take a closer look though....

See that orange topped box, at the bottom, in the corner? What was I thinking to put my knitting there? I might have to go to the Yarn Store to hold me over... hehe.

Then there is the living room. Mostly in here there is a small stack, my desk, and the sofa. I love that sofa!

Then there is the closet. It had mostly empty boxes of RT's roommates. I took everything out, and fit a WHOLE ton of stuff in there, plus what was in there to begin with. I rock.

Unfortunately, I forgot that I was storing a container full of cat nip in there until it was too late. Liberace did not forget. Punk.

(Pictures of a cat-nip-covered, stoned Liberace to come when Blogger isn't being such a butt)

There are some boxes in RT's bedroom, the mattress is in his roommate's room and there are a few boxes in the other closets... I told you I have way too much room.

Well, anyway, I've gotta go find a WIP that is tucked away some where. RT is graduating today! and I need something to keep my hands busy through the whole ceremony. Way too many people graduate from The Ohio State University.

Yes, I would like some cheese with my Whine

2006-08-23T16:06:00.000-06:00

I have been having fun creating lately as you can see by the pictures.

My friend at work admired my grocery bag purse (something similar here) so much that I decided to make her one. Hers is in the "almost done" phase. I just need to make a pocket and some straps, but I took a picture anyway when I was waiting for the bus the other day.

I have also finished all the pieces to the baby sweater! It is turning out so very cute. All that is left is seaming and finishing (I have to pick up about a gazillion stitches for the collar and button band). Several people have mentioned that I should embroider a "Block O" on the front in gray because we already have the Scarlet going on. I am seriously considering it, but I haven't made up my mind yet...

But it doesn't look like I will be able to fit much knitting time in for the next couple of weeks. This is my schedule for a while...

Today: Work 9-3, Work 4-9, go home and pack a couple boxes.
Thursday: Work 9-3, Work 4-9, go home and pack some more boxes, then celebration of RT's graduation (it might involve drinking).
Friday: Work 9-when I decide I absolutely have to leave, go home and finish moving out and cleaning my apartment, then attend party for friend I hardly ever see.
Saturday: Organize stuff in RT's apartment while he is at work (ah!) because his parents are coming for graduation on...
Sunday: RT's GRADU-Muther f'ing-ATION, hehe. It won't involve a lot of sitting around RT's place because there could quite possibly be no where to sit.
Monday: Work 9-3, Work 4-9, go home and help RT pack his stuff.
Tuesday: Work 9-3, Work 4-9, go home and help RT pack his stuff.
Wednesday: Work 9-3, Work 4-9, go home and help RT pack his stuff.
Thursday: Rinse, repeat.
Friday: Move RT's stuff and my stuff into OUR (first) apartment (aw!)
Saturday: Continue moving while RT works 8-8.
Sunday: Work 9-12, Finish up moving while RT works 8-8.
Monday: Get up early to leave for VACATION. I think I might need it by then, what do you think?

For anyone that is counting, that's about 70 hours of working, plus two moves, company and a graduation. There may be a partridge in a pear tree, but I haven't heard about that yet...

Please keep me in your thoughts for the next week and a half. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I make it...
I leave you with the kind, kold, knitter-buddy sheep I saw at the Ohio State Fair (boy did I have fun). Really, I crack myself up.

Guess what...

2006-08-21T06:10:00.000-06:00

I've been knitting (and crocheting!).

Puppy-sitting gave me some cash that was just burning a hole in my pocket. So I took that money up to the KM (link on right), and treated myself. I bought:

- Two patterns, both for baby sweaters
- Yarn enough for one baby sweater
- Needles needed to make said baby sweater
- Bamboo dpn's (Is it bad that instead of finishing a pair of socks, I just buy new needles to start the next project? Gromit has nothing on me... lol)
- I wanted to buy a ball winder, but they were out of stock, alas.

Anyway, the pups and I did a lot of sitting and watching tv. That means a lot of knitting time, woot woot! I have finished knitting the back of the sweater. I have also done the left front, half of the right front (then I realized I was doing it wrong and frogged), then the whole right front over, one sleeve and I have just the sleeve cap on the other side. Still to do is the left front over again- darn, and some edging, namely the collar and button bands (eek).

That project was put on hold to create a plastic bag purse for a friend. She just loves mine so much that I couldn't refuse her. I got the directions off the DIY network (if I can find them again, I will link later). It only took one day to do the main purse, but I will put on handles and a front pocket later. Pictures to come...

That's all now, I will leave you with puppy pictures for today's "Aw" factor. Have a great one!

Wow

2006-08-16T18:18:00.000-06:00

How does time go so fast between posts? I have a bunch of pictures to show but my camera/connection to the computer isn't working very well lately. I guess you will just have to settle for my rambling.

I did get to go to the fair. It was so great, I miss that about New York because here I don't have friends that will just walk around for hours at the fair with me.

We got there around 2 and had lunch with RT's parentals. It was BBQ chicken, and delicious.

Next was the dairy barn. Here, there was the Butter Sculpture. This year it was sponsored by the NFL so it was almost entertaining for RT and his father...Almost. Luckily, we were in the DAIRY barn, and who doesn't like that ice cream?

After that, we stood and watched a guy perform with his little Jack Russell. It was a cute performance that ended in the dog jumping over 6 crouching children, through a hoop. That's talent people. It was fun.

Next, we were on to the animal exhibits. This is what I like, but the boys don't much appreciate it. Luckily, the horse judging that was going on was rather entertaining and they could speculate about who was going to win the class. It was almost as entertaining for me to listen to their commentary, especially when the class riding English came out, posting as their horses trotted around the ring.... "What is wrong with them?!" lol.

More fair food was next on the agenda. While we all had vinegar covered French fries- something I only enjoy on an occasional basis- RT got a cheeseburger- hehe. Then it was time to say goodbye to the parents. They were headed back up to Amish country so that they could go shopping on Saturday.

Dave and I took a walk around the sheep barn, and I pointed out that he would have to one day buy me a wheel. I'm not sure whether I should be proud to say that the two pictures I managed to take at the fair are both of sheep- hehe.

Last on the agenda was the Purina Incredible Dog Show. (Can we tell yet that I love animals?) All the dogs featured in the show are rescues/adopted animals. They have all been trained to do Frisbee tricks and acrobatics. It was thoroughly entertaining and makes me wish I had a dog to train.

Anyway, that is all for now. Today was supposed to be The Day, but it didn't pan out. Unfortunately, I am disappointed, but it'll all work out in the end. Also- since I didn't let the cat out of the bag, no one knows what I am missing, and I can spring it on people later! (sorry, I'm not sure that made any sense, but I'm tired- I'll try harder next time).

Knitting content

2006-08-07T17:55:00.000-06:00

***For those not knitterly inclined, avert your eyes. ***

I am currently making the loverly Saturday Market Bag. I choose a yarn from stash! This particular yarn is a cotton/nylon/silk blend. Fun, but not super functional for any sort of garment. It was part of a lot at an auction (I love auctions!). Anyway, I started it on Saturday because I needed some time to rest after doing Habitat. If I don't find something to keep my hands busy, I won't sit down and watch a whole movie. For some reason lately, I feel so frantic that I absolutely need to get up and do something. On Sunday, I continued to work and finished the bag part. I modified the pattern to be one long rectangle instead of two squares that you sew together. This meant only seaming up the sides which is good for me because I do not pretend to be a seamstress. I picked up about a million stitches (I did a lot more than the pattern called for because my gauge was way different) and knit/purled the rings around the top that the pattern called for, but I felt that the opening was too big. To fix this, I did about a million feet of I-cord and strung it around the top. This creates a way to draw the bag closed, but if I don't want it completely closed it could look cute just as a bow. That was all I got to Sunday night and when I took it to work with me today, it looked like this:

What a mess, hehe. I do promise though, that is a bag when held up. I'm now working on the handle and thinking about all those messy ends I have to get sewn in. The pen is for scale.

Lastly, the aw factor for today. To Conan, I say your Evil Puppy has nothing on the Gato Diablo, hehe. The flash plays evil tricks on poor "Echo."

Holy Bananas

2006-08-06T09:09:00.000-06:00

Does anybody else have to think of that Gwen Stefani song in order to spell that word?

B-A-N-A-N-A-S... hehe

I have a lot going on right now, so I thought I would kick it bullet style:

-RT and I had a wonderful date night Friday. We went to BD's for dinner, and went to see Talladega Nights at the movie theater. I would recommend both.

-My landlord, starting today, is re-doing my entire bathroom. This means for three or so days I will have to shower at RT's place (ew). BTW-why couldn't he have done this last year, so that I could have enjoyed it-punk.

-I would say that my place is about half packed. I am so ready to move already.

-August 16th, here I come...

-I just took on another pet-sitting job. This one I will actually get paid for!

-Being so busy lends itself to wanting to do only one of two things: Sleep more or knit more. I don't have time for either.

-Disrespect is something that I feel I shouldn't have to tolerate, but I do on a daily basis.

-Yesterday was Habitat day. I met some AWESOME people, and we installed a garage door, dismantled temporary porch supports, installed roofing, and worked on a porch.

-Don't kill the f'ing messenger- I'm pretty close to going postal.

-K.J. and Liberace are cute, but they are getting everything SO hairy. Any suggestions on shaving cats? (I am totally just kidding).

-Would anybody like to go to the fair today? I really want to.

-I also need to do laundry, any takers?

-Last night was not very good in the sleeping department. This means I also need to take some sort of nap today. Boy do I have a full schedule.

-September is coming fast, and I have a WHOLE WEEK OF VACATION.

-Lately, I've had that disoriented feeling associated with having so many things to do that you can't decide what to do next, thus you get nothing done- ugh.

-Oh, I coveted the book shelf advertised on the Big Lots commercial for 4 whole days before I finally broke down and bought it. No one should be this excited about a plain piece of furniture, seriously.

-I was a good sam today. I got a dog back to its rightful owner after she had gotten out of her yard. Beautiful husky, mm.

That's it for now, but as you see I don't really have my shtuff together right now. Think organized thoughts for me, maybe it'll help.

Pet-sitting

2006-08-01T15:20:00.000-06:00

Animals in general are therapeutic to me. Spending time throwing a ball for a dog, or watching a turtle swim around calms me like nothing else (except knitting). It is with this in mind that I recently took on two no-pay pet sitting opportunities. I told both places that I "work for food." Meaning that I would be more than willing to care for their pet in their absence, as long as they don't mind my snackaholic ways.

The first job was July 23 and 24. I watched Nips and Chai (the dogs), and Andy and Charlie (the cats). Not only did I get to eat some great food, but Chai would cuddle, and Nips would play and I was just generally entertained!

The second job was Fender. He is an intimidating ~100 lb German Shepard. I have never been so impressed with an animal. He did not act up a single time while his owner was away. He got to go for several long walks, play with a friend's dogs and chill off leash in the lawn while we had a cookout. We also spent some wonderful time in the sun. I have never been around a dog that inspired so many people to "oo" and "ah." And yes, he does know just how handsome he is!

The best intentions

2006-07-31T15:26:00.000-06:00

I take pictures everyday. My camera goes with me every where. As I snap a shot (hehe), I always write the post in my head. Why then, you ask, is it that I only manage to post once a week or so? Apparently, I am amazingly lazy when it comes to actually uploading the pictures and composing the post.

Here is a great example:

Last Tuesday- see what I mean-, I missed the bus to work. This is not a big deal because catching the bus to work always makes me early and if I walk I only get there a few minutes late. It more to save energy (I have pretty long days) than to save time.

So I am walking along and I hear cars honking and sitting at a green light. Silly me, I assume that the hold up is an inattentive driver sitting at the front of the line. As I walk closer, and even past the hold up (remember, my short legs walk SLOW so this has been a good 5-10 minutes), I see what the problem is. This is probably the first and last time I will ever think "Man, is it good to be a walker." hehe

They were just chillin' like villains in the middle of the intersection.

On a side note: instead of arriving at 8:52 like I always do, I got to work at 9:06. The people in the office were searching for my cell number because they were worried something had happened to me! Boy, I think I'm a little too predictable!

Today's "Aw" factor: Three week old "Echo" was a kitten that was found by a friend's dog. She was hiding under a porch but has been adopted. Yay! But she is just so tiny and cute!

Arrr!

2006-07-25T15:28:00.000-06:00

I am feeling rather pirate-tous today. You see, I lost the last surviving member of the "Right Eye Contact lens" clan sometime yesterday afternoon. It wasn't bad until I had to drive home (!- I don't have a car, but I was borrowing one) in the dark. I was very safe, but yes- kids, don't try this at home. I spent most of today at work, working with my right eye shut. You see, it is the mixture of seeing with one eye and blurring with the other eye that makes one a little nauseous.

I know this one off-color pirate joke, but I don't think here is the time, nor the place, hehe. Maybe if you ask real nice...

Anyway, there is another thing that is making me feel pirate-tous lately. There is a clue in this picture. Something about it will be changing in the next few weeks, and craving this change makes me feel like a pirate. Can you tell I like to be secretive?

~It was bright outside~

A slightly better picture to prove I don't always look like butt.

Although I do look pretty tired in this one huh?

Oh- PS. I have been knitting, but it is slightly-boring-but-fast scarves for Claudia (I don't know if she has a web page, but she definitely has myspace). She is hoping to send 100 scarves to a local shelter by Christmas and you can "Send a message" to her to find out how to help.

Aw factor for today:

"I'm watching you!"

Many Hats

2006-07-15T01:34:00.000-06:00

I recently realized that since KJ has come into my life, bless his spastic heart, Liberace has been placed on the "back burner" so to speak. I don't talk about him as much, take his picture as much, or even give him as much attention (I think he may like all these things because he is not particularly social). I thought, however, that I would take this opportunity to share with you his versatile abilities and how he tried to earn some money at different jobs to pay for his cat nip habit. Bare with me here because it requires a lot of pictures:

After watching a special about The Art Of Motion Control, Liberace decided to try to act like a Ribbon dancer. Maybe this wasn't his finest moment because he got distracted and just wanted to "kill it." hehe.

Then he decided he would try for a position at FedEx. Since I have been commenting about he is a little "fluffy around the mid-section," he thought he would be best suited in the packing department. His job title would be Packing Material. This is a picture of him preparing for the interview.

That didn't work out so well, mostly because he had no qualms about eating perishable package contents. Then he saw an ad for an opening as a model. He practiced for that audition using one of my partially finished scarves, seen here. It would have worked out (he is very attractive), if he hadn't been so worried about nudity.

From one of the other models, he found out about an opportunity with the circus that came through. They needed another Lion to brandish chairs at and what not. He thought he would be great for the job, until he realized the physical activity involved in jumping through hoops of fire!

Finally, he heard from one of the clowns in the circus about a real acting opportunity. A production of the Wizard of Oz. With all the drama he creates, and his wicked tendencies, he was a shoe in for the Wicked Witch of the West. I have never seen him happier.

-I'm not sure why blogger wont let me load all of the pictures, hopefully it will later :-(

$24.25

2006-07-13T16:39:00.000-06:00

A while back, for "Administrative Assistant's" day I got a gift certificate to my favorite yarn store (Knitter's Mercantile- link in side bar). I had been saving it because I am moving in a little over a month and I just wasn't really sure what I wanted to get with my money.

Then, I saw that the new Knitty was out. A lot of the patterns are just wonderful. I have heard quite a bit of buzz about Fetching. It just so happens that I wanted to try that out myself! So, I took my gift certificate and marched right on down to the store. Well, if we want to be completely honest with each other, RT drove me down to the store- he is such a good sport. His first question when we got there was "What time does the store close?" hehe.

I bought some Debbie Bliss because that is what the pattern calls for, but then I also bought a wool/mohair/something-else-I-don't-remember blend that was on sale (40% off, sheeeet). I also bought a set of 5 #2 dpns and a set of 5 #6 dpns (the ones needed for said project).

I cast on in the car. Two days later I had these. I think they will be gifted because I just love to share my love of knitting with family and friends. Please don't let me in on the secret that they are not nearly as thrilled. :-P

ETA: I totally neglected to explain the title of this post! (Blond much?) I bought two skeins of nice! yarn and two sets of needles. Out of my $25 gift certificate, I spent $24.25. I am very proud of my estimating skillz, hehe because I was trying to get as close as possible without going over. The nice store clerk also just gave me the $0.75 back!

Today's "aw" factor:

"Mom, its day time, I'm trying to sleep."

A "look on the bright side"

2006-07-12T14:44:00.000-06:00

As you know, I will be moving in the end of August/beginning of September. I will have a 3 bedroom apartment with a full basement (equipped with a washer AND a dryer), a kitchen, a porch, and a little patch of lawn! My momma was going to come down to help me move, because I have so much stuff. Where did it all come from?! Well, to make a long story short, she will not be gracing me with her presence like planned. It was very sad, but I see that it is necessary that she stay where she is...

So, instead, she has proposed that RT and I rent a car and drive up to Rochester for a week in September. She has even suggested that they will pay for the car AND spring for a hotel room for him and I to have some much needed QT. I am very excited but the only thing is, it might be hard to fit that in with our already jam-packed schedule!

August 25th- I have to be out of my apartment

September 1st- We can move into our new place

September 8th- Kira's Wedding :-) in Ra-cha-cha, so The Week will have to be sometime around then

September 10th- RT has to be out of his apartment (I like the overlap here!)

September 16th- Andrew and Lindsay's Wedding

September 20th- I START SCHOOL!

Now, remember this is all around my 60 hours/week work schedule. I think I may end up taking some time off, just that I can breath.

Well- Now that I am done whining, would you like to see a picture of my goofy kitty? I don't know of any cats that are as bendy as King James. Look at how he is all stretched out!

You say Tomato

2006-06-30T14:33:00.001-06:00

I say holy cow. I took 15 pictures this morning trying to get a couple really good ones of all the new budding fruit I have on my three plants! I feel like a new mother- lol, showing off my babies. Mostly I am just proud that I didn't manage to kill all three plants. lol. I'm afraid to show you the pictures though because you might think I start each morning with more than a few sips of hard liquor. Of the 15 aforementioned pictures, these were the best of the bunch... oh lordy.

There is always so much to share!

2006-06-28T15:45:00.000-06:00

1. They get along. I cannot tell you what a relief it is that they have finally decided to be friends! Little did I know that friendship was so close to alliance... Boy am I in for some trouble now...

2. I finished this hat so long ago. I did put a pom on top but apparently it is even better to play with than the gazillion toys I have bought for The aforementioned Alliance. It has gone to the big yarn stash in the sky... Sorry about the funny face, hehe.

3. Flowers are the one redeeming factor of summer. I'm not very good with the names of the flowers, but this one looks like a lily to me, what do you think?

4. These have turned orange! They are almost there, I am so excited! Amazingly enough,there are also tons of flowers on all three plants now. I hope that means I will eventually be rolling to tomatoes! I see a lot of tomato dishes in my dinner-making future!

5. My friend at work just found out that she is expecting. This means that I can finally breakout baby patterns without making RT too nervous. I have already made the cute Bolero that I showed you a while ago, but I have recently started this. It is actually red, despite the picture. I must look so silly at work with my camera, taking close-ups of a heap of yarn!

6. KJ has recently decided to help me with my knitting. His first mission is to help me discover guage. I am bad in that I don't ever worry about it. For most of my knitting, namely hats and scarfs, the occasional mittens, guage isn't really important. I make it up as I go along. But now that I am in the big leagues making socks and baby sweaters, KJ says I need to get out the ruler and follow directions! He means business! (Does anybody else notice I keep catching him upside down?)

7. I have some news, but I don't think this is the place to share it quite yet. Hopefully, soon...

8. My monthly Saturday spent with Habitat for Humanity is coming up this weekend. I am exhausted now- I hope I get a chance to catch up on some sleep before then!

9. Todder shipped out to California almost 2 weeks ago now. I'm sure he is doing ok, but I still worry about him being so far away! I found this picture of him floating around the internets.

(He is the gansta, front left)

10. Work is getting increasingly annoying... 'nuff said.

11. I feel like I have a lot more to say.

12. We will be moving in the end of August, beginning of September. I have already begun to pack and clear out some of my stuff. I don't feel that it is unreasonable considering I work so much and do seem to have free time on the weekends either. I just really want to move now. I'm ready!

No Pictures

2006-06-21T15:01:00.000-06:00

That is almost like cursing around here, but it is true. The batteries on my camera done run outta juice. Regardless of the lack of pictures, a lot happened last week. I think I will recount my week for your reading enjoyment! I would like to just say now that my "vacation" was awesome, but I know understand why I usually keep myself a lot busier. I tend to get into a lot more trouble when I am left to my own vices.

Last Sunday I went shopping with one of my bestest Columbus buds. Sara and I had a great time trying on clothes and "ooo"ing and "ahhh"ing over sparkley things. After that we swore to each other that we were going on a diet because we just didn't look as hot as we wanted to in the different dresses. Then, we went to Applebee's. What is wrong with me really? hehe. We finished the evening by gathering up our boys and some brews and watching King Kong. I fell sleep- haha.

Monday, I worked in the morning, but then Dave and I got to spend the afternoon together. We ran errands and simply enjoyed each other's company. It is so rare that we get to just "hang out." He had to work the night shift Monday night, so Sara and I went for a walk after he left. I had no idea just how beautiful the bike path was along the river. We might have to make a tradition out of that!

Tuesday is Poker Night. For more than a year now, the boys (and a couple of us girls) get together on Tuesdays for a little betting. I don't usually get to play because they start the game before I get home. It was nice to be done working for the day by 3 because I was able to play poker. The game was huge and I came in 4th place. It was wonderful!

Wednesday we went to see Tom MutherF---ing Petty. I'm not even kidding when I say that is the most fun I've had in a while. There was great music, good company and some sitting outside, which is something I don't get to do very often. I was designated driver, so I can say that I didn't have as much fun as Dave, but it was great to see him so happy. Just remembering that night makes me smile!

Thursday morning came a little too early, but the good part was that I only had to work until 4:30pm. Woot woot. After work, there may have been an emotional breakdown. I pulled it together though and hung out with my kitties and Dave for a while. We watched crappy tv and snuggled on the couch. It was relaxing, good preparation for our big day on Friday.

The last day of the work week went by in a flash. I was by myself all day at the job for the first time and managed to keep the work load under control. I left a couple minutes early- clocking out at just under 33 hours for the week. Dave picked me up and we went to an appointment together. After the appointment, we left to drive up to Cleveland, stopping for Arbies on the way. That is a fast food that is absolutely wonderful, every once in a while. We got to visit with his parents for a while before we met up with his high school buddy. Shooting the breeze and drinking like fish, we were up until almost 4 am. I may be getting too old for this- but it was fun!

Saturday was The Big Day for another one of Dave's high school friends. Her wedding was beautiful. It made me think about what I will have, someday. There was lunch at Stamper's, a sports bar. And a great reception. The music wasn't that great though, so we spent the majority of the evening outside. By the end of the night I was definitely ready to call it quits.

Sunday was Father's Day. This is not something I remember to prepare for, for obvious reasons. This meant getting up early (ow, my head hurts) and running out to the store to pick up something for Dave's father. His mom came too so that she could help us find something great. She ending up paying for Dave's gift, and also buying a little somethin-somethin for Dave and I too. There was some bbq at Famous Dave's for lunch, gift exchange, playing cards with the fam, napping (thank the lord), and then there was a party at Dave's friend Dave's house (is anybody else's head spinning?). It ended up that I had to be the one to drive back to Columbus. I'm not a fan of highway driving, but I did it- and we are still alive, score.

So, that was my vacation week. I wouldn't change it for the world, but now it's back to the grindstone. I am ready to start school so that I can have some quiet study time... hehe.

Embrace Random

2006-06-09T14:14:00.000-06:00

1. Remember the plants from this post? Well, now my tomato plants are more like tomato BUSHES! And on closer inspection, I have two whole cherry tomatoes starting to grow on the biggest plant. Hopefully soon there will be more. My green thumb hasn't turned brown yet, wahoo!

2. My Aunt is so lovely. She sent me the cutest bunch of flowers to celebrate my admission into vet school (ya, class of 2010!). The only bad part was that she sent them to work on the one day that they are closed. They delivered them to my place the next day, but they had to call several times because my apartment is very hard to find!

3. I finished the Baby Bolero from One Skein. I would highly recommend this book to any knitter. I start so many projects that never get finished, but I have already knit several things out of this book because they 1. are very quick (so you can see them come together before your eyes) and 2. turn out beautiful. Example numero one;

This is pre-blocking of course

4. This week was my transition into a paid position at the vet hospital. While I don't get as much hands-on experience with the animals, I am getting PAID and I am learning a bunch of medical terminology. The down side is that it is another job where I sit at the computer all day, meaning I will have to find some sort of work out program to keep me from resembling a pear.

5. As I transitioned, my new boss asked me to add an hour onto the beginning of my day. Luckily starting a week from now summer hours kick in at my other job and I will be working 9am-3pm at the vet hospital and 4pm-9pm at the Center. If I was still working until 9:30 pm, wake up call coming an hour earlier would definitely be kicking me in the nads every morning.

6. My cats are insane. They spend ALL night playing. This includes using my (slightly more doughy than I would like it to be) stomach as a trampoline. Does anyone have any valium that I could slip in their dinners?

Why yes, I am as Evil as I look!

7. This week and last I have received several packages. My Aunt (told you she was lovely) got me a new pair of shoes. Mine have fallen apart, too much walking to work I guess. My mother sent me a huge box filled with yarn (wa hooo), pictures, a few books, some food, kitten toys (for the boys) and beef jerky (for The Boy). Like any toddler though, the boys were more interested in the actual box than any of its contents.

Ah, So Comfy!

8. Even though it is hotter than Hades outside, I am currently knitting a hat. It is from a vintage leaflet that was sent by one of my other Aunts a while ago. Some of the patterns she sent me were from as early as 1961. They were so very cool to look through. This hat is very cute and contains a small amount of cabling, a technique I don't have much practice with. It will be donated when I am finished with it, not because I don't like it but because I know there are so many people in need of hats around the world that someone could give it a good home.

Congrats...to me!

2006-06-02T16:48:00.000-06:00

Why Celebrate? Not just because the balloon says so, but I have to start at the beginning of the saga.

Yesterday was The Big Day. I was going to turn in all the paperwork so that I would be put on the payroll over at the vet hospital. For everyone that didn't know, I had been volunteering in the radiology department there since I graduated in December. While I love to give back to the community, I could no longer volunteer 25 hours a week, I needed a second summer job. Well, I filled out all the paper work; there was a whole packet full of worksheets. Handing the papers to the woman in the office, we were having a polite conversation where it came up that I was not currently a student.

"Well, when did you graduate."
"December"
"Oh, then we can't hire you."

Apparently, you have to be a student, or one quarter before or after student-dom. Well, that sucks. I did the only thing I could think of. I went home and cried. Well, this morning I went back in and told my boss that while I was very reluctant to leave, I couldn't stay anymore if I wasn't going to get paid. Since I didn't think I could get paid, it would be shortly that I would be leaving.

Lo and behold, my boss went down to the payroll office to "figure things out." After a while he comes running down the hall, dialing the phone and handing it to me. Ask for Greg, he has been waiting to talk to you.

"Hi, uh, is Greg there? This is Kristen ------- and he has been waiting to speak with me."
"Hi, Kristen! We have been trying to contact you about being admitted to vet school in the fall."
Holy...bleep (I even bleep myself in my head, hehe)

Since I am going to be a student in the fall now, I can get that job at the vet hospital. (Class of 2010 baby!)

So, in a matter of ~18 hours, I went from thinking I needed to leave the place I love to having a) a much needed second job for summer and b) a place in vet school. I was so sad yesterday and I am nearly bubbling over with excitement today!

Of course, I spent most of my first paid day in Radiology calling my mom, and Dave and emailing everyone I know to let them know about getting into vet school. When I got to work in the afternoon, my boss at the Newman Center had bought me that cute cute balloon and this delectable treat:

Go me!!!

Birthday

2006-05-31T18:09:00.000-06:00

I am so blessed to have family and friends that love me! At work, there was a pot luck that I like to say was held in my honor. Just because they did not fully know the importance of the date before they picked it, does not mean they were not trying to celebrate my birthday, right? My second job, I was given a beautiful card for my birthday, and extra hours, woot woot.

When I went home, Dave had my birthday presents lined up for me. He had wrapped them... in newspaper. He used the beloved sports section even, and one package was covered with a picture of my husband, Lebron James.

Upon opening my gifts, I can say "the pants done good." The people at the LYS are amazing people. Knitters' mercantile (see link in side bar), helped him pick out a bunch of stuff for me. I was given "Knitting Rules," which I have coveted for a long time! To date (since I started reading it the minute it was open), I have had to explain to 3 people that it is Knitting RULES!!!!!, not "the rules of knitting." Most people I meet lately are non-knitters, so they all look at my funny.

Anyway- He also got me a swift. I am SO happy because when I try to wind balls of yarn, the cats *help.* That lends itself to a lot more swearing than I typically like to do in one day!

He got me a ball of sock yarn in a patriotic colorway. I am excited to cast on, but I already have too many socks cast on right now. Or is it that I just don't have enough dpns?

Lastly, for the knitting stuff anyway, he got me One Skein. I did not know about this book until my most recent Knit Picks catalog came in the mail, but I am so glad he picked it up for me! I have already knit the baby bib and I am almost done with the Baby Bolero. This book is so me. Quick projects that look great!

This is the body and first sleeve of the baby bolero. Now I am already done with the first sleeve, and halfway up the second. Then, of course, the bane of my existence, finishing. hehe.

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special. I had great visitors, calls, emails, cards, presents, drinks, well wishes, warm thoughts. It means a lot to me to realize that everyone cares so much!

K.J.

2006-05-30T13:48:00.000-06:00

Do let him fool you, he isn't sleeping...

We named our new kitty. There were so many options that it was overwhelming. Kevin seemed like a good choice until someone asked "Did you name it after Kevin (our friend)?" One friend suggested Paco, "because it sounds like Taco." That was when I vetoed any names related to food. Just what I need while trying to diet, is a constant reminder, hehe. That meant that Whopper and Cheeseburger (thank heaven's) were no longer options. Gerard and Trevor and Bruiser were all options, but none of them seemed to fit.

Then, someone suggested Lebron. My husband, Lebron is an amazing basketball player. That's a silly name for a cat though (and Kevin isn't?- hehe) so the obvious next direction would be LBJ. I thought that might lead people to think we had named our kitty after a president. I AM a dork, but not that big of a dork. So, we went with K.J. Yes, it stands for King James, yet another nickname for that amazing man. I figured this way, when he grows up we can call him James. That sounds grown up and mature, right?

The silly things that I worry about...

Muah ha, the paw of death. Also, aren't those tats in my ears kinda silly?

Anyway, I was hoping to have more pictures of K.J., but I will have to edit them in later because I definitely forgot to bring the camera today. Last time I forgot to bring the cable. Just call me absent minded! ETA: pictures added. I remembered both necessary parts. But I forgot to bring extra batteries. Luckily, after several tries, I was able to keep the camera on long enough to copy several pictures to the desktop.

Hotlanta

2006-05-23T17:03:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was my brother's graduation from AIT with the army. On Wednesday, I left Columbus, Ohio at 10 am, and did not leave the Atlanta, GA airport until almost 8 pm. Gersh, that was a long day! Wednesday night was spent with my mother. She cracks me up. To me, she is a sign of strength, beauty and...comical relief. Honestly, I am hard pressed to think of someone I laugh so hard with on a consistent basis.

Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?

Thursday morning we left our hotel at the ungodly hour of 7 am (ok, I'm not a morning person). We had to go back to the airport, rent a car, and then make the drive down to Columbus, GA. This was rather confusing for someone that comes from Columbus, especially so early in the morning..... "Where are we going?", "Columbus", "But I just came from there!"

Thursday morning was a briefing, or de-briefing, or whatever. The sergeant reminded us that they were reLEASING the soldiers to their families. They want the boys back, they say. grr. The Turning Blue ceremony followed. I took approximately a million pictures. My brother looks so absolutely proud; it made me cry. The boys were released for several hours before they were asked to go back to base for one last night.

My mother, making my brother Turn Blue.

Friday morning was another early morning. There were demonstrations, speeches (which reminded me of Full Metal Jacket, made me giggle), and singing. If you have never experienced hundreds of boys, dressed in camo, singing, you have not lived. That was funnier than words. After the ceremony, we went shopping and saw M:I III (enough said there) and then hung out in the hotel. There was consumption of alcohol. It eased the loss of the Cavs. And then there was sleeping.

This is the demo. Todd is the one on the left with the big gun on his back.

A picture of half the soldiers that graduated on May 19th, 2006.Shopping for goofy hats. He did this voluntarily.
Saturday we woke up at 4:30. That's in the a.m. folks. "It does exsist." We had to drive back to Atlanta, drop off the rented car, and do all the fun check into the airport stuff. Even though I was not allowed to be co-pilot, I still had to stay up and keep my momma from not sleeping while driving. That was fun. There may have been some car dancing and poking of people while they were sleeping involved. We had breakfast at the airport and then mom and Todd left me. It wasn't so bad on Saturday because I was coming back to some guests here in Columbus.

Eating breakfast in the Atlanta airport.

Now I miss them terribly. Hopefully I will have that much fun again soon.

Random Thursday

2006-05-11T17:03:00.000-06:00

1. Tomorrow is when I get my new kitty I adopted from the vet hospital. Any suggestions for names? Several ideas have been thrown around, cheeseburger, whopper, trevor, kurt, jason, but I'm not sure what I like the best.

2. I have been hit by the green thumb this year. My project is trying to get at least one tomato out of these three plants. What do you think the odds are? hehe.

3. Next week is vacation! Atlanta here I come! My family is gathering for the graduation of my brother from boot camp. I am so proud of him, seriously. Talking about it makes me grin from ear to ear.

4. Is it wrong of me not to send my mother a card for the looming holiday? I don't "believe in" sending cards for anything but thank you's really. It is not the first year that I am not sending one, but I still feel sort of bad. I am, however, bringing my mother's gift for when I see her on Wednesday (hopefully it will be done by then).

5. A couple of weeks ago, I went to Goodwill and bought 4 knit sweaters. They are all now in pieces and I am going to use the yarn to make other things. One was white so it is being used to practice my dyeing skillz.

6. Egg decorating kits work well to dye small amounts of yarn!!!

7. I work as a receptionist at a church and right now they have the most gorgeous decorations on the altar. (Sorry to put up a religious picture, but beautiful is beautiful).

8. I like lists.

Life is good

2006-05-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

Friday, after a long week full of issues, I arrived at work to find a package. So excited, I could hardly wait until my boss gave me my instructions for the day. As soon as she left, I ripped into the envelope. Look at my booty:

Not only did my sock pal make beautiful socks for me (THANK YOU), but she sent a postcard, and a skein of beautiful sock yarn. The yarn is from her friend at All Things Heather. If only I had such cool friends...

I am so happy to have participated in this exchange.

I take beautiful pictures

2006-04-28T16:08:00.000-06:00

No...?

This is a picture of the teaching gardens that I walk by every day on my way to work. When flowers first started blooming, there were massive amounts of those cute miniature daffodils I saw everywhere this year. Now there are pansies and flowered trees and lots and lots of different kinds of hosta. Mm, spring.

Spring has not always been my favorite season. As a child, it marked the end of the school year. While most students rejoiced, I was aware that it meant working on the farm and seeing little-to-none of my friends. Yeah, I was one of those geeky kids that looked forward to school starting again in the fall. I don't understand why people do not like to learn. Learning is exploring; it is an opportunity to broaden ones knowledge base. I guess I was just always excited because that is my strength. I am not particularly good at sports, or social situations (mainly because I do not care enough to soak up the required pop culture trivia needed to sustain normal conversation). Anywho, back to the point. Lost myself for a minute there... hehe. Spring has not always been my favorite season. This year, however, I have conceded to enjoying spring. New leaves, new hope, beautiful surroundings; I'm loving it. This thought still lingers though... It means summer is just around the corner... Yuck.

Where have I knit?

2006-04-18T15:14:00.000-06:00

Contests make me a happy girl! I read about this over at Stumbling Over Chaos.

Like most knitters online, my knitting goes almost everywhere with me. For the most part, people are understanding of my hobby and even a little curious sometimes. I literally have at least one project on me at all times which usually lends itself to knitting in some very creative places. I am going to work on coming up with all the places/situation that have been interesting...but guess what that means? More lists!! I could list the reasons why I love lists so much, but I think that would be over doing it! hehe. But I digress, my list of places I have knit:

1.) We play trivia up at the bar, so I bring my knitting for during the "intermissions." This trick usually mortifies the pants, so I will only do it for a while before giving in. (Got to get his goat for a little while!)

2.) While waiting in the radiology department at the vet hospital. I even gave lessons to a fourth year vet student on clinics about how to make socks. She got to watch while I worked on sock pal creations.

3.) During UFC. While we were at a friend's house, it was the situation that was less knitting-condusive. Such a peaceful hobby to have people around you (hehe, and perhaps even myself) yelling things like "HIT HIM HARDER" and "DO THE ARM BAR" and other, less peaceful things.

4.) Poker nights are Tuesday and sometimes the group starts without me if I get out of work late. That is no problem... I just take over my knitting so I can work on my project between hands. (I am usually all time dealer once I arrive).

5.) Outside while I watched my city-slicker boyfriend take a horseback riding lesson at my mother's farm(trust me, it was even funnier than it sounds- what he wouldn't do for me!) Everyone got a big chuckle out of me knitting even as we walked to and from the arena. I am a superior multitasker!

That's all for now. I really enjoy reading everyone else's lists!

Lists, lists, give me more lists

2006-04-10T19:05:00.000-06:00

Random things for today:

1. April 22, 2006 Please sponsor me by clicking below ( and then the link that says "Sponsor me" on the right). I have a pretty high (for me goal), but anything helps! Thanks!

2. We got our apartment. We won't be moving until September 1st, but I can't wait!

3. I am working on Easter socks for my mother. I think she is going to LOVE them!

4. Spring has hit and it becomes harder on a daily basis to walk from the vet hospital to the church without straying. Having two "jobs" is blowing right now. But I don't want to quit either.

5. In two weeks I will be taking in another kitty. I haven't decided on a name yet, but Liberace will be getting a brother. If all goes according to plan, they can entertain each other instead of playing with/ruining all my things, oh goodness.

6. I like lists.

A Thing of Beauty

2006-04-05T17:48:00.000-06:00

My first attempt at a toe-up sock is going swimmingly. It was a little awkward getting started, but we are rolling now. This much was knit last night while the boys played poker or video games....

This video game. Let me tell you. There was nudity. A lot of nudity. I had a giggle when I saw that the game was rated "Mature." Doesn't that seem like a bit of an oxymoron? There was even a scene where you banged these prostitutes to gain "energy" points. If that isn't contradictory to every guy I know, I don't know what is...

My Favorite Things

2006-04-03T18:36:00.000-06:00

...My version of whiskers on kittens.... (sorry, movie reference)

Although some people thought this was a cable pattern, it wasn't. I cheated. This mock cable sock was inspired by a stitch pattern I saw in a book (I guess I will have to look that up). If anyone is interested in making a similar pair, let me know and I will get you the notes on how I made them.

My least favorite things though are weaving in ends. But that is all I have to do before this project is done. I will definitely be making a pair for myself in the near future. Maybe next week though, I will have a modeled shot where someone else takes the picture. My legs just aren't long enough to get a good shot. And my couch really needs to be washed!

My stash

2006-04-01T19:34:00.000-06:00

A. Random yarn that doesn't fit anywhere. That will soon be changed because RT's mom gave us a big tote that I will be able to better organize into. Sweet.

B. The white cupboard is filled to the brim with random yarn as well. There is a bunch of string in here too that I still haven't found what to do with.

C. My large stack of leaflets, books, magazines, and notebooks with online patterns I have printed off.

D. My (also larger) stack of vintage patterns. The ones on top are "the Workbasket." The oldest date is 1961, it has been very fun going through those, and there are even a few patterns I would consider making. There are, however, some real "gems" in here that I may have to share at a later date.

E. The box has a bunch of squares that I started for a blanket that I will someday give my friend John. It was started a long time ago though, so who knows. There are also some skeins of some pretty ugly stuff that I have yet to find a use for.

F. The basket, which is Liberace's scratching post, has about 7 skeins of a teal colored mohair blend yarn, plus some other acrylics. On top is my work in progress (well, at least the ones I will fess up to) pile. I have my sockapaloooza socks (the green), another pair of socks, some scarlet and grey wool for a to-be-felted purse, and some wool-ease that will eventually be a chemo cap.

(A close up of the wips)

G. The end table that now holds my microwave used to hold all of my yarn. The latch just needs to be lifted and the door swings open. After coming home to yarn wound around every piece of furniture I own several times, I realized that Liberace could open this container on his own making it a less than great place to store my precious yarn.

Copy Cat

2006-03-29T16:39:00.000-06:00

I've seen this all over blog land, so I thought I would give it a try.

RANDOM WEDNESDAY (thank goodness the week is half way over)

Mine is in list form:

1. Today was so busy at the vet hospital that I needed to thoroughly rehydrate once leaving, ew, gross.

2. Myspace has become a recent addiction. If you have not succumb to this yet, realize that it will severely compromise the time for activities you love like knitting, or surfing knitting blogs for a while after joining.

3. I feel like I am having a bad hair day because I was running late this morning and I didn't dry my hair.

4. This weekend I will be participating in Habitat for Humanities, looking at a townhouse I hope to move into, and participating in flash your stash (it just sounded too scandalous not to : -P).

5. Today my lunch break was non-existent. Good thing I am trying to diet anyway!

6. I have recently become aware that my mother said "Patience is a virtue" so many times to me as a child because I am totally lacking in that area. Hurry up already people.

7. Spring is in the air and I like it.

(From last year, but still beautiful)

8. One of the 4th year vet students asked me about knitting today. She wanted to see how I was knitting my sock and I was able to give her a quick lesson. I really enjoy being able to instruct people, perhaps I should keep this in mind. (On a side note-as if this whole post isn't a side note- my second sockapaloooza sock is finished with the gusset decreases and is rounding on the toe. I should be done in no time.)

9. Many people around me are experiencing romantic drama as of late. I am elated to not be in that category. He is my rock and I would love to keep him that way! hehe.

10. Tonight is poker and tomorrow is Evan's birthday. These two facts could lead to a few fun-filled days.... ifyouknowwhati'msaying.

11. I think I'm done now, but I feel I could go on and on and on. But before I go, one last random picture of some interestingly arranged stones here on campus.

I Love my job.

2006-03-17T09:35:00.000-06:00

Apparently these guys needed their heads examined. Literally, we did skull rads (<~~ notice fancy radiology abbreviations) on these guys. The baby was only about as tall as me at the back, maybe a little shorter. So. Cute. That's all for now.

ETA: Yes, these guys are camels. I think they came from a petting zoo somewhere outside Columbus.

Todder

2006-03-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

An affectionate nickname for my littler brother, Todd has recently joined the army. He felt this would be a good way to "do something with his life," since he was not the college type. It scares me to death though. I recently got a letter from him. He seems to really like it so far and told me all about the "really cool" things he learns on a daily basis. Even though I thought he would have a hard time getting yelled at, and the level of physical activity required, he seems to be thriving. I am seriously excited about visiting him when he graduates in May. The only problem is that means he will be shipped out that much sooner. He signed a deal to go straight overseas once he has completed training. How scary. Basically, this is a "I miss my bro" post.

PS. The cute dog is Gus, my aunt's black pug. He is a great kisser, hehe.

FINISHED

2006-03-03T14:01:00.000-05:00

With half. I have finished the first sock for my sock pal. It has been done for about a week now, but I have been very busy lately. Lucky for me, I have 11 hours of work in which to get things like blogging down. I really enjoy this first sock and I can't wait to cast on for the next one.

PS. They haven't said no yet, but they haven't said yes either.

Still waiting

2006-02-18T23:59:00.000-05:00

While I wait, I am managing to be productive.

This week I worked a little bit more on my socks (although I don't have a picture). I am closing in on the toe. Hopefully that will go as smoothly as the rest of the sock.

I have also started a scarf for my co-worker. One day when she commented on my sock progress I mentioned that I would have no trouble making her a scarf. The next day she handed me a bag full of beautiful blue yarn. She wasn't, however, as helpful in the idea department. "Whatever you think" is a dreaded response for me. I have picked the multidirectional diagonal scarf. I am doing two light blue panels to each dark blue. It is soft and amazing so far. I hope she likes it.

I finally took pictures of my finished socks. This pattern is wonderful. Next time I will make the smaller size. They would have felt even better on if they were just a little big snugger.

Lastly, I have been trying to find a home for my cute little friend. Living in an animal shelter must be horrible, but you wouldn't know it by her temperment. I think the pictures speak for themselves. And she is almost full grown....hehe.

While you continue to tire of this topic...

2006-02-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

...It consumes my life, my every breath.

Term: AUTUMN 06
Level: PROFESSIONAL.
Major: VETERINARY MEDICINE, COLLEGE OF.
Academic Program: VMCAS APPLICANT
College: COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE.
Campus: COLUMBUS.
Residency: NON-OHIO RESIDENT.
See Residency Guidelines
Received Date: OCTOBER 11, 2005.
Status: Your application has been referred to the program for admissions consideration.

Should I be jumping for joy they are even considering? No... I will wait, I'm getting darn good at that.

Preparing for my "exam"

2006-02-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

But first, an update on my socks:

I had completed about 3 inches of the sock when I realized the pattern was just not appealing. So today I ripped back to the ribbing and started again. I really like how it is turning out so far. Hopefully my sock pal will enjoy them!

This past week was a real rough week. Two nights I crawled into bed after 4 in the morning, and I worked some extra hours at work. Well, yesterday, my boss asked if I had any great plans for the weekend. She was surprised at how I just planned to rest and do a bunch of interview prep. "Sounds like you're preparing for an exam." Well, that is almost right on. It is just a "life exam." I really just hope to be myself so that they can see just how great a candidate for vet school I really am. (Any well wishers that would like to think positive thoughts Tuesday around 11 are more than thanked!)

In other news, my apartment got a little messy this week due to my lack of energy at the end of the day. Similarly, Liberace felt a little neglected. I swear that he did this himself, and I freed him immediately. My cat is weird. (For anyone that can't tell that is the handle to a plastic grocery bag.)

Sockapaloooza

2006-02-09T18:54:00.000-05:00

My first update (yay!). Yesterday, instead of working 10-3 and 4:30-9:30, I only worked 9-1 and 4:30-9:30. This left a much longer "lunch break" in which I could take the bus up to the Knitters' Merchantile. According to my giftee's preferences, I picked out some beautiful yarn. It was hard because there were so many great choices. I finished the pair of socks I had been knitting on (pics of those to come) and cast on again. I am designing the pattern, so we will see how it turns out. But for now, feast your eyes on this:

On a less knitting-related note, it becomes glaringly clear why I volunteer 5 hours a day M-F.

PUPPY BREATH. hehe, I think I have a problem. He was in the hospital with a case of severe cuteness.

We also saw a little black sheep today. He was only two months old, and he hadn't eaten in 3 or 4 days. The poor little guy. I try not to take pictures of everything, but you can imagine how cute and pitiful this poor little guy was.

My work space

2006-02-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

This is my desk. While I am sometimes busy answering phones, stuffing envelopes, or greeting visitors/"clients", I do have chances to slack off. In this picture I have out my knitting, my interview prep material and I am searching the web. Ah, it is nice to work as a secretary!

And, just to appease the masses, a kitty shot. This one is titled Express mail.

Poker

2006-02-01T02:13:00.000-05:00

Tuesday is Poker Night. Every Tuesday "the boys" gather to play a Texas Hold 'em tournament. Five dollars goes into the pot and everyone plays until they no longer have any chips. In the end, the second place winner gets his money back, and the champion gets what is left of the pot. While I would love to play, the "tournie" commences promptly at 7:30 pm, at which time I am still t-minus two hours away from getting off of work. This evening, I got off of work, went home, fed the cat, changed my clothes and arrived at the poker game to see this:

Heads up had already started. Well, I asked if I could be the permanent dealer, which was fine until the hand already in play Joey-on right- went all in, and lost. Piss....

What, you ask, does everyone else do once they are out of the tournament? Video games, of course: (excuse the excess of cords, and other "boy" stuff)

Once the tournie had finished, everyone decided to play a cash game. Enter Kristen....

This is usually where I count my change, $4 worth, and proceed to lose it all. My mother always said "Patience is a virtue," little did I know lacking this virtue would lead me to lose a lot of change in poker. Much to my surprise, however, tonight would be the exception. I rocked the house, doubling my change purse and then some. Woot, woot! I am very proud.

On a side note: I *almost* came home with a puppy today. Working at the vet hospital could be big trouble. I will have to continue to hussle people for their change to pay for dog food. Two month old dachund puppy- that is all I have to say.

A Balance

2006-01-28T20:57:00.000-05:00

Two exciting pieces of news:

1. The first jaywalker is complete. It is beautiful, and I can't wait to finish the second so I can wear them together. Please do not mind the incredibley white leg.... hehe.

2. I have been granted an interview with the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. On February 14th, at 11 am, I will be deciding my future. AH!

On the flip side, some bad news. At least there is only one:

My cell phone has been taken by a very gruff sounding urban man. He answered when my mother called and proptly told her I was "at the store." My poor mother.

Knitting update

2006-01-24T22:42:00.000-05:00

I've decided to be a follower. Last Saturday, the boy took me to the yarn store (aw). I bought two skeins of beautiful blue sock yarn and a pair of US 1 Clover bamboo needles (mm). The woman at the counter, after she had so wonderfully made my boy comfortable in the waiting area, asked if I was making socks. Why yes, I was preparing to attempt the Jaywalker socks that everyone seems to be so successful with lately.

As of Saturday evening, this was my progress....

I now have turned the heel and I am almost done with the heel gusset decreases. It is really going to be a beautiful sock!

In other news, I have been working everyday 10am-5pm at the vet hospital and 4:30-9:30 at the Newman Center. It is very exhausting, but I am loving every minute. I get to learn so much every day. I hear things at the vet hospital that I don't understand and I go home and research each evening. I have already learned about tplo surgeries, dcm, and several other things. It is also an excellent way to review my knowledge of medical termonolgy.

Oh, and in a strange turn of events, I have joined the sockapaloooza. Hopefully, I am capable of producing socks that the receipient will enjoy...

That is all for now, peace.