Sunday, February 26, 2006

Olympian!

Well, I didn't get a gold, but I did indeed participate, which still makes me an Olympian. I console myself with the fact that I am working on a great project, and I did actually get the amount of knitting in that I had planned on. Next time I will swatch better and get a better idea of sizing so I will know if the amount of knitting in the pattern is actually going to be enough or not. But it was supposed to be a learning and challenging experience and it was.

And I have a completely cleaned and packed apartment, and most of it is safely stored in a city 250 miles away, so I can't really say I was able to dedicate all my time to it. The packed, stored, and moved apartment is a far greater accomplishment, in my opinion. At least, the whole having a roof over your head thing is nicer than having a partially finished yarn fabric piece, no matter how pretty it is. On that note, however, the Lady is gonna get finished soon before I go nuts!

Also, I cannot wait to get working on Oliver! It's going to be absolutely crazy - 40 cast members, including 13 Young Performers (kids, aka YP's) and a dog! But it should be a lot of fun, too! Starting Tuesday!

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Silver or Bronze?

LOL...I'm sooo not going to get this done. I COULD, maybe, get all the knitting done by Sunday, but probably wouldn't have time to block and fringe it. I am going to go with just knitting until I run out of yarn. I'm wanting to actually use this thing, not just say that I made it. And I know the crochet edging is going to take me some time to figure out, as I've never crocheted in my life. Should be interesting! In all fairness, though, I am going to get the knitting the pattern calls for completed in time. I just feel that that particular amount of knitting isn't going to be enough, and unfortunately, didn't realize it before hand. Will have to train smarter for the next Olympics!

btw, I take comfort in the fact that other, far more experienced knitters, are having similar crunch-time issues. I'm petty like that, but it's all in good fun. We're all knitters, and that's what counts!

I am going to be happy to finally have a FO for this year, and I can get back to my Jaywalkers and maybe finally get those #@%@#^^&%#$ socks that project finished. Note: I do actually enjoy the pattern, and the socks, and the yarn, I just WANT THEM DONE! They are sitting there, packed up in their box like a good little project, MOCKING me because I haven't finished them YET! This must stop!

Oh, and I'm totally saving up for one of Amy Boogie's bags. I really love the collegiate one. I can so see myself toting around my prompt book, my spiral notebook, and my knitting project in one convenient bag! Gotta wait until probably April or May, though, until we get settled in financially. Maybe I'll get one as a birthday present to myself...

Monday, February 20, 2006

Dilemma

Okay, I'm slightly worried now - I just finished tier 28 and still have just over four skeins left. Do I go to the pattern limit of 37 tiers (35 pattern tiers plus the two base triangle rows) or do I go until I run out of yarn? I budgeted my time for the 37 rows. I could do a skein a day, but Steve might get a tad upset with me, although he knows of this dilemma. I'm a little worried that the 37 might not be big enough, but then, she is VERY stretchy right now, and I think could grow a lot during blocking. And I'm just boggled that Marji (see the Olympic Knitting Lady E KAL) has already finished 12 skeins and 52 rows!!! I feel so behind now! Hers is absolutely beautiful, though, go check it out!

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Enabling

Steve cracks me up. I didn't get much knitting done yesterday because we spent most of the day packing and cleaning and then playing games together. (We're on a game kick, too, I think it helps with the moving stress for both of us.) I had that one tier about half done, and Steve starts getting ready for bed. I start to put the knitting down, not saying ANYTHING, and he goes "You have to finish that row, still! You slacker, pick it back up! I'll just turn away from the light so you can keep knitting." So he's the only reason that the one tier got finished at all. And then this morning, this was the conversation:
Me:"How much more do we have to get done? I want to knit a lot today."
Him: "Yeah, you have to catch up, you're totally behind."
Me: "Well, it's your fault, you were distracting me yesterday!"
Him: "Me? I made you finish that row! You could have kept going, you know."
Me: "Yeah, but I finished that skein and didn't want to start a new one at midnight."
Him: "Wimp. Are you going to have enough to finish or do you have to buy more?"
Me: "I'm good. Go to class so I can knit."
Him: "Okay, you'd better be caught up by the time I get home!"

Day 5

Three things today:

1.) I am behind in my Olympic pace as of today. I got one tier done, instead of the ideal three, due to packing. Will probably catch up tomorrow, as most of the packing is now done. Don't get me started on how much I hate moving and packing. Particularly when we don't have an apartment to move TO yet and money is...well, it isn't, unfortunately. STRESS!

2.) I can't remember what #2 was supposed to be. I'm sure it was of great importance and would have changed people's lives, however. It was probably some smart-aleck comment anyway. Give me a break, it's 12:30 at night!

3.) My friend Alexis (non-knitter) has a far more interesting result for knitters who don't finish in time. According to her, the knitting police will come to your door, act all nice so you'll let them in, and then proceed to "knit you to your chair and take away all of your needles and yarn so you can Never Knit Again!" While I am completely happy with the current set of rules (particularly given my showing thus far), hers would indeed make things more dramatic.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Olympics

I've been slacking a little bit, but for good reasons. We have been apartment hunting and getting things packed and sorted and whatnot. But, I did get a good amount of knitting done on Saturday, so I am still on pace to get her finished if I don't slack too much more. Here's what I have as of noon Tuesday:


Off to knit some more! Check out some more Olympic Ladies at the Lady Eleanor Olympic KAL blog! They're gorgeous!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Warming Up and Cooling Down

The Warm-up:
Sixteen and a half hours until Olympic cast on! I really cannot wait to start working on the Lady! She's been flaunting her yarn at me for almost a month now! I'm going to do her on size 10 needles, since I only have ten skeins total. I'm planning on nine and a half (ish) skeins of body with the last half skein for fringe. The real challenge is that we have to go up to Hanford and Santa Maria again this weekend, and are planning on leaving around 2:00 tomorrow! I've already warned Steve that I will be knitting in the car again. The best part is that his parents have cable, and while the Olympics ARE on NBC, it comes in much better on their television than on ours. I really hope they don't want to go out for dinner Friday night...I didn't get to see Sydney, Salt Lake City OR Athens Opening Ceremonies, and I am bound and determined to watch this one! It's like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade for me - it's something Mom and I always did together and just because we live 1500 miles apart now doesn't mean diddly. If I ever have kids (god forbid - I have this fear of having a little girl - what if she turns out like me?) I hope that they grow to enjoy watching certain events with me, too.

The Cool-Down:
I'm going to have to drop out of the Jaywalker KAL. It sucks, and I really don't want to, but there is no way I am going to be able to finish this pair by Feb. 14. I'm about an inch away from the heels still, on toe ups, and the Olympics start tomorrow. I want to focus on that. The Socks That Rock prize is tempting - Lordy, but those colours are gorgeous! - but, honestly, I need more sock yarn like I need a hole in my head. I still haven't gotten around to that yummy Bearfoot I got back in Octoberish. And I can't really pay attention to it for long periods of time. It's just complicated enough that I still have to look at it on the even rows, so I can't really read or watch anything while working on them, but it's boring enough that I can't just sit and work on it with no distractions. So, while I am still bringing them with me this weekend, because they fit so well in my purse and they are a perfect waiting-around project, with great regret I am dropping out of this particular KAL. I do like the pattern, and the cool little things it's doing with my yarn. As much as I fear SSS, I think I might do one at a time next time. At least I'd get one sock done...

Oh, and the raglan is still coming along nicely. I decided that I lied and have indeed added the third colour (the dark green) to the bottom. I tried it on last night, and except for the length (of course), it fits fine. Still going to do the short sleeves, though. And must make sure to not wear my teal coloured bra underneath it...

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

I love cards like these!

Katie,
Thank you so much for the scarf you gave me for Christmas. I love it! I wear it all the time and it goes perfectly with my brown coat. I have something in the works for you, but it's taking a while to [get] my supplies and thoughts together. I know you will love it as soon as I can get it together! Let me know when you're going to be in town next. I miss you!

Love,
Amanda


Amanda seems to really love my knitting or at least does a very good job of sounding enthusiastic in her thank you notes. She was the recipient of the Winter Night afghan for her wedding, and the Rainy Day scarf for Christmas. I need to be as good about writing thank you cards as she is, particularly now that I know how good it makes me feel to get one!

Trying to pack up the apartment and get some knitting done at the same time. I'm afraid I might have to drop out of the Jaywalker KAL. I'd have to get them done by Friday in order to have any chance at all to get the Lady done during the Olympics. Maybe. We'll see. (Of course, we're going to be out of town apartment hunting and moving every weekend this month, so my chances of getting through the Olympics are slim at best. Oh well, still gonna try!) My goal for today is to get my desk and knitting/cross-stitch supplies sorted through and packed. Of course, I have to leave current projects out, but I have a lot of junk yarn that I'm pondering what to do with. I'm pretty close to done already, even though my Noro kinda got uncermoniously stuffed into my knitted yarn bag instead of laying comfortably in the box with the rest of my good yarns. I hope it doesn't take too much offense, I need to be on good terms with it if I'm going to be an Olympian! Speaking of which, I do need to take time to swatch today to make sure that I have the right needles out before they get packed up.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Dilemma!

I don't *think* said friend reads this blog, but he might, so I'll be vague. In short, I'm crunched for time for a gift I thought I had over a year more to make. I have a possible solution, but am still not sure if I will be able to get those done in time. Particularly with all of my already-scheduled projects. We'll see. I do have a backup in case this scheme doesn't work, though. Oh, I was thinking of using a chunkier yarn (I was thinking Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky or Thick-n-Quick in Natural/Fisherman - I don't know about any allergies and can't ask w/o giving it away, and, well, I know my friend, and it needs to be machine washable) on, say, size 10 needles, but am not confident that it will work well with cables. Any yarn/needle combination suggestions? If I do it in worsted or smaller, just the pieces I want to do for the wedding will take forever, even though they would show off the pattern the best.

TDRag is sprinting along all of a sudden. Only a couple more inches of body left! I'm only going to do two colours, and a rolled hem. I'm also probably only going to do short or three-quarter sleeves. For some reason, that's what it is saying that it wants, not the full length. Who am I to argue with a project? It probably knows what it's doing better than I do. Jaywalkers also got a bit of length added to them this weekend. I haven't tried them on for measuring yet, but I think they are almost ready for some heels. I am probably going to do a short row heel for them, instead of the heel flap and gusset, though. Danica is over three feet long now, but has been a bit neglected lately. Lady E is still going to be my Olympic project. (Yes, I know I have a wedding gift I should be doing. I don't care. I have plotted and planned for a month now to do this shawl in February, and damnit, I'm going to!)

Spent the weekend up north at Steve's old college (he's helping them build a set and I helped a little in the costume shop) and apartment hunting. We looked at one place, and found a couple others that interested us even more. We're trying to get info and appointments with them set up for next weekend, when we do the same thing. *sigh* I hate moving, but at least it's Out Of Los Angeles!

Friday, February 03, 2006

100 Things About Me

100 Things About Me

1. My birthday is May 11.
2. I have a knack for remembering people's birthdays.
3. I'm in the military - A1C, CA-ANG, 148th SOPS.
4. I hold a B.A. from Purdue University’s School of Liberal Arts. It’s in Technical Theater with an emphasis in Stage Management and a minor in Communications. . I originally went to Purdue to obtain a B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering before transferring to the SLA.
5. I'm working on a Masters of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a focus in Space Operations Management.
6. I work for an illusionist in my copious amounts of spare time.
7. I know what a MUD is and have played one since late 2001, although the player base is dwindling now.
8. In certain online circles, I’m also known as Losari or Khalyn.
9. I’m usually a loner in-game.
10. I grew up in a Christian home, and hold firmly to those beliefs, even though I don’t go to church much anymore.
11. I’m semi-superstitious and fairly open-minded about the paranormal.
12. I think it is arrogant of humans to think that they could be the only intelligence in the universe.
13. I believe that the mind or spirit or soul is bigger than the body, and that “there are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in our philosophies.”
14. I also believe that the mind is a powerful thing and sometimes imagination can make you see or feel things that aren’t there, and your eyes really can deceive you. Google “optical illusions” if you don’t believe me.
15. I also refuse to seek out or attempt to communicate with anything I don’t understand.
16. My dad got me interested in space and astronautics and star gazing.
17. I have been to Space Camp with my dad as a parent/child thing, and to Advanced Space Academy, both in Huntsville, AL.
18. I would go back and do the Adult Space Academy in a heartbeat, if I had the time and money.
19. I got the internship that brought me out to California the week of my senior finals. I had one week to take my finals and move from Illinois/Indiana to California. I’ve been here ever since (five years this May!).
20. I love both cats and dogs.
21. I love stage magic and illusions, even though I can’t do the sleight of hand stuff. I'm very proud of the fact that I am the only one trusted with the entirety of John's show.
22. My mom taught me to do needlepoint when I was about seven and cross-stitch when I was about ten.
23. My great-grandmother taught me enough about sewing to get the basics and make some doll clothes when I was about nine.
24. I am not as comfortable working with a sewing machine as working by hand, but I’d love to get a small cheap one to practice on.
25. I love fantasy stories. My favorite fantasy authors are David Eddings, J. K. Rowling, Michelle Sagara, and I’m starting to get into Jim Butcher.
26. I absolutely adore the Harry Potter books, and actually rather miss the anticipation of getting the next book.
27. I would have to say that my favorite author, based on number of books that I’ve enjoyed reading, is Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb. I love her trilogies and …in Death series. I love the character interactions and relationships.
28. My favorite colors are, in no particular order, purple, green and blue.
29. I really enjoy knitting socks for some reason.
30. I don’t really like felting things, since I don’t have a washer of my own.
31. I’m really bad about supporting my LYS. Even though the people there have always been nice, the selection isn’t very good unless you like Patons a lot.
32. I can be very lazy and procrastinitic (is that a word??), particularly when I’m bored.
33. I am a good swimmer, have taught swimming and been a lifeguard for years, but am terrified of the ocean. I like going to the beach and watching the waves and listening to them, but not going into the water when I can’t see what’s underneath!
34. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love decorating for it, wrapping presents, playing and singing carols and Christmas songs, baking, cooking, and just being around my family. I have to be in the right mood to go shopping, though.
35. I’m very shallow when it comes to movies. I like it when there is some witty repartee, decent action/special effects, and the good guys win at the end.
36. I really don’t like philosophical or biographical movies. I like stupid comedy even less.
37. I am a martial artist. I have a first-degree black belt and am working on my instructor jacket in Songham taekwondo. I’m also training in Haganah/FIGHT, an Israeli streetfighting martial arts style, and I recently started aikido as well. I don’t consider myself a fighter, although "my guys" say I am.
38. I love Chinese food and am a chocoholic.
39. I rarely drink soda anymore. It wasn’t a conscious decision; it just doesn’t really sound good very often anymore. I prefer water, juice, or milk. If I have a soda, it's Mountain Dew.
40. I keep the knitting patterns that I’ve printed out in a three-ring binder in sheet protectors. I have tons more saved as favorite websites or as files on my computer.
41. I can physically handle up to ten martial arts classes per week when my work schedule allows. My classmates, and occasionally my instructors, think I’m nuts, but I love it!
42. I have been officially engaged (I had a ring and everything, although no announcements were made) once, and unofficially once. (“When we get married…” kind of talk.) Neither worked out.
43. I love soft things. Clothes, blankets, stuffed animals, yarns, whatever.
44. I hate being cold and I don’t like snow unless I’m indoors and warm.
45. I love thunderstorms. Particularly daytime ones that I can watch and not be tired afterwards.
46. I’m terrified of earthquakes.
47. I could never be a vegetarian.
48. My two favorite quotes are "I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be." (Douglas Adams) and "Only those who attempt the absurd will achieve the impossible." (M. C. Escher).
49. My favorite Bible verses are Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” and Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
50. Zip-up hoodies are the best things ever invented. Fleece ones are ten times more so.
51. I think more people should go to stage productions than movies. At least you don’t have to worry about bad sequels.
52. I think Disney’s last good movies were The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. The Emperor’s New Groove was pretty good, too.
53. I love music. There is always music playing somewhere around me, when I have any say whatsoever in the matter. I'll listen to pretty much anything, too. I don't really collect it, though, and I prefer the radio or mixed CDs rather than listening to an artist's album.
54. I’ve actually stage managed more shows than I’ve assistant stage managed or crewed. Nothing like getting thrown into the deep end.
55. I have been known to turn jobs down because I got “bad vibes” during interviews, even when I had the job if I wanted it and needed it. I’ve also been known to stubbornly work through bad situations that should have been reported.
56. Most of the major decisions in my life have been based on gut instinct and going on what “felt right,” including going to Purdue, moving to California, moving to LA, working with PCPA and going it the military/going back to school.
57. I firmly believe that you can’t learn stage management from a book or a class, you have to go out and do it and learn it hands-on.
58. I think that trying to define a stage manager or what they do is kind of futile, because it changes from company to company and they can do a lot of different things, ranging from really really petty to really really important
59. I love just going outside on a clear night and watching the stars.
60. I’ve been knitting since 2004. An ME taught me during Hamlet.
61. I am the oldest grandchild on both sides of my family and was the only granddaughter on both sides for twenty years. I was and am spoiled rotten by my grandparents and aunts and uncles.
62. I believe that your attitude towards your situation is more important than your situation.
63. I prefer handmade to store-bought on most things. Furniture, knits, and jellies, particularly.
64. I think the fountains at Purdue made it the most beautiful campus ever.
65. I am too geeky for a lot of people because I enjoy being online and playing role-playing games, but I am usually not geeky enough for the gaming crowd because I’m not that interested in most games and tend to flit through them.
66. I have the basic skills to work in a scene or costume shop and produce something useful, but not enough to do anything really big unless I have someone supervising and advising me.
67. I would rather be too busy than bored.
68. I’m a card-carrying-white-picket-fence-happily-ever-after romantic.
69. I love mythology and legends, although I never got into Arthurian legends. Greek and Roman are my strong suits.
70. I love puzzle games and trivia games.
71. Jewels of the Oracle was probably my favorite PC game ever, but it doesn’t work on my computer anymore. I also like games such as Trivial Pursuit, Jeopardy!, and You Don’t Know Jack! Myst is also great, although I sometimes don’t have the patience to figure out all the clues.
72. I’m studying Spanish and hope to become fluent, or at least conversational.
73. I have a book of easy crossword puzzles by my bed so I can do them before I go to sleep.
74. I’m kind of a slob sometimes, but never too disgustingly dirty. I can’t deal with having dirty dishes around for more than about an hour.
75. I don’t consider myself to be artistic at all. I follow instructions or layouts that someone else has written.
76. I have never smoked anything in my life, and have no intentions of doing so.
77. I have been known to indulge in alcohol on occasion, but have only gotten sick once from it.
78. I’m surprised so many of my 100 things have changed in just two years.
79. I’m an expensive drunk and only drink beer with pizza after sparring.
80. I get shy about acting silly around other people.
81. I tend to be far more aware of reputation and control than a lot of other people I know. I’m always the “safe and solid” person who rarely acts too silly or does something too stupid.
82. I love Christmas carols. I start listening to them right after Halloween.
83. My first rule of socializing is to make friends with the bartender. At work, always make friends with the janitor.
84. I have a minor addiction to kiwi-strawberry flavored Propel water.
85. I have an nine-year-old cat named Teddie. He adopted me from the shelter and lets me live in his apartment now.
86. I love candles.
87. My favorite scents are lilac (real lilac flowers – they can’t replicate it properly for anything), citrus, and vanilla.
88. I occasionally drink coffee, but am definitely not addicted to caffeine anymore. (It dehydrates you, which is bad for class!)
89. I enjoy cooking and baking, and don’t get to do it often enough.
90. I really really love Orange Dream Machines from Jamba Juice and Orange Obsessions from California Fresh.
91. I really hate folding laundry and putting it away.
92. I believe people aren’t as classy as they used to be, and it’s becoming more and more acceptable to be rude, inconsiderate, and stupid.
93. I think the best way to get to know someone’s true colors is to travel with him/her.
94. I really hate the grammar and spelling one sees on the Internet and instant messages nowadays. I don’t mind such shortcuts on license plates, though, and applaud some of the more creative ones I’ve seen.
95. I really hate job hunting and having to sell myself to companies. They should just be able to see how awesome I am =)
96. Unnecessarily loud things really irritate me. I have very good hearing. I enjoy hearing things. I want to continue to enjoy hearing things as long as possible, not blow out my eardrums.
97. I also try to be considerate of the fact that you can turn your back on something visual, you can not touch or taste anything you don’t want to, but it’s very difficult and inconvenient to not smell or hear something unpleasant.
98. I have 500+ cable channels, and only watch four (Fox, USA, TNT, and SciFi) on any kind of regular basis. And haven't watched those in a couple months, either.
99. I can watch Law & Order, and any spin-off of it, all day.
100. I prefer talking through email than talking on the phone, in most cases.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Failure!

Okay, so not really. I didn't get a project done in time for a January FO, though, which was one of my New Year's knitting resolutions. If all goes well, I might get at least two done in February (Jaywalkers "due" Feb. 14 and Lady Eleanor "due" Feb. 26). Oh well. I did frog my Jaywalkers three times, and learned entrelac, and started my first ever sweater, so the month was definitely not wasted =)

Speaking of which, the sweater actually looks like a sweater now!

I'm working on the second body colour. I only have one skein of that particular colour (although it's a cheap no-dye-lot acrylic, so I'm not worried if I have to get more), so I have to make sure that I leave enough left over from the stripe to put a similar-width stripe on each sleeve.

This afternoon/evening is/was a Mummy and Jaywalker marathon. Size 1's are sooo slow!

Damn KnitPicks. I got their catalog today in the mail, and immediately fell madly in love with their Kimono Style sweater. It is so totally something I would wear. Unfortunately, I have neither the yarn nor the time to make it right now. Definitely added to my "Need To Make" list, though.