Sockity sockerson sockityness!
I started a sock! I have almost 2 inches of sock! It has ribbing at the top, and then is smooth, and it's knit using 5 needles, which is blowing my mind.
It's possible I'm a bit overexcited about this sock. Maybe.
I've been reading the Yarn Harlot blog and books,and she writes a lot about knitting socks, and they just seem so awesome, and I love socks, always have, especially bright pretty colorful ones, so I got sock yarn and tiny tiny sock needles, and as soon as I learned how to purl more or less successfully I started one!
It is full of tiny tiny stitches on tiny tiny needles, and I'm knitting in the round, as they say, so now that I'm doing the flat part I just do knit stitches all the way around, and it makes stockinette all by itself!
I had to start it a few times, the first time I started it I was unable to count to 2 successfully, so my knit 2 purl 2 ribbing got all messed up, but as it turns out I had messed up the cast on anyway, so I ripped it back and started over.
AND! I dropped stitches twice, but I fixed them! I feel like a real knitter and all, it's awesome. I used a video on Knitting Help and picked up my dropped stitches, and one of them you can't tell at all! The other got a little fuzzy because I had messed up the row before a bit, but I think the yarn is going the right way, just sticking out a bit.
I had no idea what my gauge would turn out to be, so I pretty much just started it and figured it would fit someone. It looks like it will be too small for me, but will probably fit one of my sisters. If they're lucky it may even get a friend someday and be a pair!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Home again
So we're home again. I'll get some pics from my camera tonight so I can post them.
We flew on a plane and hung out in airports full of strange people, so of course we both caught a cold. Luckily we weren't sick up there, but we both woke up with stuffy noses and sore throats today. We might also just be allergic to Houston, it has some of the worst air quality I've ever seen.
And it's cold and rainy out, and I couldn't spend the day snuggled up in bed with the cat the way I'd prefer. Of course I'd always prefer snuggling with her to going to work, but you know. It doesn't pay as well.
There were people smoking inside at the party at my ex-best friend's house, and so our coats and the scarf I just made got all smelly, ick. The scarf is washable, luckily, and I ended up leaving my coat on my parents' porch to air out, figuring I wouldn't need it too much here, but of course now it's freezing here. Literally! The low on Friday will be 31 F! I can't take this kind of thing. I hate hate hate the cold, it makes me achy and sad and tired and grumpy. I need to live on the equator, or possibly the surface of the sun.
Our vacation was awesome though! We both really needed one. Thanksgiving was sooo good, my Aunt cooked and my Mom brought a bunch of sides, and they are both awesome cooks. Then we went to my cousin's ginormous house and B. beat him at pool, and only then told him he'd been up for 36 hours and hadn't played pool in about a year, which amused me :)
Saturday we went up to Lambertville and visited the park we'll get married in and the Inn the reception will be in, and went to the Church of the Missing Pastor to see if he was still alive. There was a lady there who claimed he'd "just stepped out," but had us leave him a note on what she said was his desk. Oddly she insisted we put it in a sealed envelope, which only makes sense if this "Pastor" is actually a spy and regularly receives secret communication from other spies posing as couples who want to be married. Even now he's probably busy decoding our message to try to find out where the documents are hidden. He's certainly not busy doing anything like, you know, calling us back.
We flew on a plane and hung out in airports full of strange people, so of course we both caught a cold. Luckily we weren't sick up there, but we both woke up with stuffy noses and sore throats today. We might also just be allergic to Houston, it has some of the worst air quality I've ever seen.
And it's cold and rainy out, and I couldn't spend the day snuggled up in bed with the cat the way I'd prefer. Of course I'd always prefer snuggling with her to going to work, but you know. It doesn't pay as well.
There were people smoking inside at the party at my ex-best friend's house, and so our coats and the scarf I just made got all smelly, ick. The scarf is washable, luckily, and I ended up leaving my coat on my parents' porch to air out, figuring I wouldn't need it too much here, but of course now it's freezing here. Literally! The low on Friday will be 31 F! I can't take this kind of thing. I hate hate hate the cold, it makes me achy and sad and tired and grumpy. I need to live on the equator, or possibly the surface of the sun.
Our vacation was awesome though! We both really needed one. Thanksgiving was sooo good, my Aunt cooked and my Mom brought a bunch of sides, and they are both awesome cooks. Then we went to my cousin's ginormous house and B. beat him at pool, and only then told him he'd been up for 36 hours and hadn't played pool in about a year, which amused me :)
Saturday we went up to Lambertville and visited the park we'll get married in and the Inn the reception will be in, and went to the Church of the Missing Pastor to see if he was still alive. There was a lady there who claimed he'd "just stepped out," but had us leave him a note on what she said was his desk. Oddly she insisted we put it in a sealed envelope, which only makes sense if this "Pastor" is actually a spy and regularly receives secret communication from other spies posing as couples who want to be married. Even now he's probably busy decoding our message to try to find out where the documents are hidden. He's certainly not busy doing anything like, you know, calling us back.
Friday, November 6, 2009
7 months and 20 days!
Til we get married! Tonight after work I'm going to pick up the dress I'm going to be wearing! It's in, it's bustled, it fits perfectly, I love it, and I cannot wait until he sees it. That won't be for the aforementioned 7 months and 20 days (and probably about 8 hours from now) when I am walking down the aisle, trying desperately not to trip and fall or forget how to walk, as I am capable of doing. I haven't had any more dreams about having to get married in jeans or a bathrobe since I ordered it, yay! Now I just have to figure out where to keep it for 7 months, and how and when to get it to New Jersey.
Most of the big wedding planning is done, the only big-ish thing left is the minor detail of someone to actually perform the ceremony. We had what seemed like a very nice pastor who was all set to do the ceremony, at least until he was kidnapped by dragons and held for ransom on the sun. Or whatever happened to him, I have no idea, because he hasn't returned emails or phone calls for 5 months. I sent my sister out to see if she could find him at his church, but no dice there either. So I need to see if his parents are ok with a non-denom person doing the ceremony. All else fails, I know one of my friends would get internet-certified for me, or since we're technically getting married in PA we can get a Quaker license and just need 2 witnesses for it.So we will be married, even if that pastor has accidentally traveled back in time and prevented his own birth!
Most of the big wedding planning is done, the only big-ish thing left is the minor detail of someone to actually perform the ceremony. We had what seemed like a very nice pastor who was all set to do the ceremony, at least until he was kidnapped by dragons and held for ransom on the sun. Or whatever happened to him, I have no idea, because he hasn't returned emails or phone calls for 5 months. I sent my sister out to see if she could find him at his church, but no dice there either. So I need to see if his parents are ok with a non-denom person doing the ceremony. All else fails, I know one of my friends would get internet-certified for me, or since we're technically getting married in PA we can get a Quaker license and just need 2 witnesses for it.So we will be married, even if that pastor has accidentally traveled back in time and prevented his own birth!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Now I know perl and purl!
My knitting instructor had to go Russia this week, so I am attempting to teach myself the second knitting stitch, the purl stitch. I got yarn in a color called Rose Camo, and it looks like a rose garden all mixed up. It is also the softest yarn they had, I love it!
I started with 26 stitches, and somehow ended up with a hole (bottom, to the right of center) and 27, but it's good practice!
Ben's scarf is coming along nicely! His is made using just knit stitch, but I like the wavy pattern it gets.
His is very soft and fuzzy too. I spent most of my time this weekend trying to figure out how to purl, so haven't gotten much further on his, but I'll do more of it this week.
The Kitten, keeping with her reputation as a strange cat, pretty much ignores the yarn but is fascinated with the knitting needles.
I started with 26 stitches, and somehow ended up with a hole (bottom, to the right of center) and 27, but it's good practice!
Ben's scarf is coming along nicely! His is made using just knit stitch, but I like the wavy pattern it gets.
His is very soft and fuzzy too. I spent most of my time this weekend trying to figure out how to purl, so haven't gotten much further on his, but I'll do more of it this week.
The Kitten, keeping with her reputation as a strange cat, pretty much ignores the yarn but is fascinated with the knitting needles.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Wedding Updates!
My dress is in! I had too many dreams where I was walking down the aisle wearing a bathrobe, or jeans, or my high school prom dress because I never picked out a wedding dress, so I ordered it possibly a bit early. But it's getting the bustle put in and I will get to take it home soon! Now I just have to figure out where to keep it in my apartment, and how and when to get it to Jersey.
My shoes are also in! They are incredibly awesome and I have to restrain myself from not wearing them all the time, I love them so much. I wore them when I tried on my dress and it is the perfect length with them on!
My brideswomen have picked out their dresses! I wanted them to be comfortable and feel attractive in their dresses, so I gave them a color and asked them to pick out whatever dress they liked. They ended up all liking the same dress, and it looks awesome on all of them!
We also (finally finally finally) have a wedding ceremony location! We will be married at the General Greene Pavilion in Washington Crossing Park, next to beautiful old trees and a green grassy field. Unless it rains, in which case we will be married in the Riverside Ballroom in the Inn at Lambertville Station, next to the rain falling on the Delaware. Unless something terrible happens to the Inn, in which case we will be married at the courthouse. Always have two backups, my father always says!
Because even if it rains and the food is terrible and the music sucks and my centerpieces are uninspiring and the cake falls off the table and people have to wait in line to use the bathroom, as long as we end up married at the end of the night, I will be happy. That is the goal, I have it written across the top of my wedding spreadsheets so I won't forget it.
My shoes are also in! They are incredibly awesome and I have to restrain myself from not wearing them all the time, I love them so much. I wore them when I tried on my dress and it is the perfect length with them on!
My brideswomen have picked out their dresses! I wanted them to be comfortable and feel attractive in their dresses, so I gave them a color and asked them to pick out whatever dress they liked. They ended up all liking the same dress, and it looks awesome on all of them!
We also (finally finally finally) have a wedding ceremony location! We will be married at the General Greene Pavilion in Washington Crossing Park, next to beautiful old trees and a green grassy field. Unless it rains, in which case we will be married in the Riverside Ballroom in the Inn at Lambertville Station, next to the rain falling on the Delaware. Unless something terrible happens to the Inn, in which case we will be married at the courthouse. Always have two backups, my father always says!
Because even if it rains and the food is terrible and the music sucks and my centerpieces are uninspiring and the cake falls off the table and people have to wait in line to use the bathroom, as long as we end up married at the end of the night, I will be happy. That is the goal, I have it written across the top of my wedding spreadsheets so I won't forget it.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The frost is on the pumpkins...
...if by "frost" you mean 91 degree heat and "pumpkins" you mean the complete LACK of any sort of pumpkins whatsoever. Or apples, or anything else generally evocative of Fall in any way.
I went to North Carolina last weekend, and it was a wonderful trip. We drank apple cider and incredible peach cider and got lost in a huge corn maze and got pumpkins, it was a very nice way to enter October, which generally means Fall in most places.
Not Texas, though. It's definitely not Fall here. No pumpkins, no leaves turning, not even any apple cider in the grocery stores. The 91 degree heat and the humidity which makes it feel like 101 degrees (seriously) mean it might as well be July here, and you'd never know it wasn't by looking around.
I miss Fall. I miss apple cider and cool, crisp days with the vivid blue skies you only see in October in the north, and leaves falling and crunching under your feet as you walk along in your jacket, hands in your pockets and nose getting cold as you breathe the cool air. I miss the inexplicable smell of leaves burning even though no one burns them anymore. I miss the spooky feeling of being outside at night in October, an electric feeling no other nights have. I miss the nights cool enough to need an electric blanket, and the cats attracted like magnets to the warmth. I miss needing flannel sheets on the bed and extra afghans which hold me safe as I sleep.
Stepping outside into the wet-sock weather of a humid Houston is just no replacement.
I went to North Carolina last weekend, and it was a wonderful trip. We drank apple cider and incredible peach cider and got lost in a huge corn maze and got pumpkins, it was a very nice way to enter October, which generally means Fall in most places.
Not Texas, though. It's definitely not Fall here. No pumpkins, no leaves turning, not even any apple cider in the grocery stores. The 91 degree heat and the humidity which makes it feel like 101 degrees (seriously) mean it might as well be July here, and you'd never know it wasn't by looking around.
I miss Fall. I miss apple cider and cool, crisp days with the vivid blue skies you only see in October in the north, and leaves falling and crunching under your feet as you walk along in your jacket, hands in your pockets and nose getting cold as you breathe the cool air. I miss the inexplicable smell of leaves burning even though no one burns them anymore. I miss the spooky feeling of being outside at night in October, an electric feeling no other nights have. I miss the nights cool enough to need an electric blanket, and the cats attracted like magnets to the warmth. I miss needing flannel sheets on the bed and extra afghans which hold me safe as I sleep.
Stepping outside into the wet-sock weather of a humid Houston is just no replacement.
Monday, July 27, 2009
We have a wedding posse!
We finally got to officially ask everyone we wanted to stand up with us at our wedding, and they all said yes!
My brideswomen (I don't like the "maids" in bridesmaids, all of mine are grown women and that sounds so undignified to me) are my sisters and B's sister. When we thought about our wedding party, my sisters sprang to mind immediately, they are my best friends. I'm very excited to be getting a new sister out of the deal, also, and I can't wait for them to all meet!
B's groomsmen are his best friend from high school, a very great guy, his best friend from college whom I'm excited to finally meet after hearing so much about, and my sister's husband! B said that he was so welcoming and accepting of him as a new member of our apparently somewhat intimidating-to-new-people family he would love for him to stand up with him when he becomes an official member. He's so sweet! That must be why I'm marrying him :)
Our ringbearer will be my nephew and our flower girl my niece. They will be both be so adorable no one will be able to stand it! And my mom is going to hand-make the flower girl dress! Isn't that awesome?
Altogether they are our wedding posse, and they rock!
My brideswomen (I don't like the "maids" in bridesmaids, all of mine are grown women and that sounds so undignified to me) are my sisters and B's sister. When we thought about our wedding party, my sisters sprang to mind immediately, they are my best friends. I'm very excited to be getting a new sister out of the deal, also, and I can't wait for them to all meet!
B's groomsmen are his best friend from high school, a very great guy, his best friend from college whom I'm excited to finally meet after hearing so much about, and my sister's husband! B said that he was so welcoming and accepting of him as a new member of our apparently somewhat intimidating-to-new-people family he would love for him to stand up with him when he becomes an official member. He's so sweet! That must be why I'm marrying him :)
Our ringbearer will be my nephew and our flower girl my niece. They will be both be so adorable no one will be able to stand it! And my mom is going to hand-make the flower girl dress! Isn't that awesome?
Altogether they are our wedding posse, and they rock!
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