I am sick enough that I don't want to knit... This sucks in so many ways. The good news is that I finished the STR Scottish Highland socks on the bus home the other night. and as soon as I kitchener the toe I will get pictures of them and get them up on Ravelry. For now I'm going to go and hack up my second lung and hope that I feel better enough to work on the Monk's Travel Satchel that I've started.
There weather here has been horrible for the last week and half and this week started out with temps below zero and snow predicted for tomorrow. I'm so ready for it to be warmer and not so depressing outside. On the upside Flying Sheep (one of my LYS's) was having a huge remodeling sale when I stopped in on Friday so I picked up some Brown Sheep Bulky for a Jayne hat, and two balls of elsebeth lavold Chunky AL (50% Alpaca 50% Wool 82 yds per 50g) one in a burnt orange called Maple Leaf and one in a brown with hints of orange called Bramble. I also picked up some e.l. Silky Wool for a hat that I'm making for a friend in a charcoal gray. I'll post pictures and other details when I wake up... right now, the one degree temps have sucked out my energy and I'm going to go curl up in my bed.
This week has been a return to a semi normal schedule. I was still working a little bit more than I really would have preferred but I am not really complaining because in today’s job market I am truly fortunate to have two jobs while there are those out there would be overjoyed with one. There may be an upcoming change on the job front but I’m not going to go into that right now (don’t want to jinx anything!).
I finished the first Highland sock the other night watching Project Runway. I don't think I'm going to get too stuck with second sock syndrome on these, because I love the STR that much. I've already cast on the second sock and I just started the heel flap. I don't have my camera with me but as soon as I can I will get pictures of the progress. I also had total startitis the other night. I cast on for Knitty's Eiffel with "Hemp Wool" that was in the stash. The pattern calls for 100% hemp but this is a 50/50 blend. I don't know who makes it because it isn't really well marked and I got it off of ebay. But it is a really pretty sage green color and I think this will make a really nice early summer tunic with a little cami under it. I'm about 4 inches in already as it is a really easy lace pattern. This will be my first sweater completely in the round which excites me because finishing is definitely not one of my fav things in the world. So between these two projects I'm pretty much being faithful right now. The kilt socks for DW are still in the queue because I have yet to procure yarn for them yet. I just got my Christmas present from my Grandma the other night and it was a gift certificate to Knitpicks.com so I'll be getting that yarn in the not too distant future.
Well, gotta go, my phone is ringing and I'm off to do stuff with people.
I got my first date night in a while tonight. I went and saw Malinky at The Ark in Ann Arbor. It was a really, really good show and I'm so glad that we got tickets. There were not as many people there as I thought there were going to be, which is both good and bad. It was good because we got really great seats and we got to chat for a bit with the band during the break without feeling like we were hogging all of their time. But it kind of sucked because I though that they were going to get a much bigger turnout than they did. All things considered though it was a great show, and it is their first tour in the States so I think that when they come back to the area the turnout will be much bigger. I already had all three of the band's albums so I got the solo album put out by Steve Byrne, one of the founding members of Malinky. I also got one of their bumper stickers that I had the whole band sign (because I wasn't about to buy a repeat CD just so that I could have them sign it). All in all it was a really good night!
In the land of knitting I got a fair bit done in the car to and from Wisconsin this past weekend. I finished the Palindrome scarf for my cousin's Christmas present. I am so glad that I am done with this freaking scarf. The pattern is really great and I'm going to use it again, but I made the mistake of using black yarn. It took so much concentration to make sure that I wasn't losing stitches that it was just a headache to knit. But I finally finished it and my cousin absolutely loved it. She's going to school at De Paul University in Chicago and so she needs all the warm knitted things she can get. After I recover from the scarf I'm going to knit her the matching hat, but she might not get that in time for this year's cold weather.
I also made some progress on a pair of socks for myself. It's a straight stockinette pair of socks made with Blue Moon STR medium weight in Scottish Highlands. Cast on 64 sts, 2x2 ribbed cuff, short leg heel flap & gusset. This is the first time I've used STR and I'm totally a convert. Next year for my birthday I'm going to to be hard pressed to choose between a Sock Club membership and paying for my car insurance.
My Great-aunt Gail was deeply loved and will be greatly missed.
Gail is survived by: 1 sister, Carol (Fredrick) Warnecke of Berlin; 2 brothers, James (Letitia) Mader of West Bend, Mark (Barbara) Mader of Gresham; 14 nieces and nephews; and numerous great nieces and great nephews. She is further survived by: special friends, Dolores Quast, Sister Mary Lu Slowey, and Ginny and Richard Kirschling.
Gail was preceded in death by: her parents; sister, Joan (Donald) Bowe; niece, Jill Koch; and great nephew, Mercer Bedwell.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00am on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at the St. Francis Solanus Catholic Church in Gresham with the Rev. David Barrett officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery in the spring. Family and friends may call at the church on Saturday after 10:00am until the time of the service. Swedberg Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements. Memorial funds have been established for the St. Anthony’s Emergency Fund & Food Pantry and the Gresham Dollars for Scholars.
I'm really excited that the new Knitty is up. I know, I know there are those of you out there who are saying "Wait a minute, we don't hear anything from her for over a month and all she can talk about is the new Knitty!" I'm sorry!! The holidays were a little busy around here... even the cat has taken to sleeping most of the day trying to recover (ok, not really a departure from normal but it sounds good). I had a really really great Christmas and got a couple of really great things that are going to make my life a much happier place to be. I'll totally go into that as soon as I sleep for about a month. But I totally found my first project for the new year! Aislinn L. Charlton-Dennis' Toirneach Kilt Hose. I'm not totally crazy about the lace pattern that she used for the cuff of them but it's something that I can totally change. I think they're going to be in Knit Pick's Swish Superwash in Marine Heather as it will coordinate with DW's Irvine kilt, which he's planning on wearing at the wedding. I'm hoping that I can have some faithfulness to these so that he can wear them for the wedding, because it would be really cool to have something that I made him be a part of his outfit for our wedding. Ok, I think I need to get off my butt and head to work now, TTYL!!
And it's all my kitten's fault.
Meet Edinburgh. She's cute, energetic, and gods help you if you get between her and her fish on a pole. She's also the vast majority of the reason that I haven't been updating here for a while because all of my spare moments have been spent fawning over her and telling her how cute she is.
My semester is started and my classes are going pretty well so far. I kind of wish that my Sociology class was run a little bit differently but it's mostly a difference with the professors style of teaching and not the class itself. Other than that, and a person in my World Lit class who I just want to knock unconscious for their own good, the semester is going well.
More later though, got to go work for a living!
I've been told that people actually read my blog in order to make sure that I am alive and therefore two month disappearances are not a encouraging sign. I am now working 2 jobs, I start classes on Tuesday, my kitchen floor project which should have taken 2 days has now been over 2 weeks, and I'm off to do some laundry..... I'll expand on all of that a little later because now I have to go to the land of no internet access and do laundry so that I have clean clothes for the next week... my mommy would be so proud :)
My good friend Leigh leave for Chile in 9 days! She's going to be there for a study abroad program and the next time she'll be back in the country is December. I hope that she has a great time and doesn't run into any problems! I didn't end up going to her going away party because I was absolutely exhausted, but I hear a good time was had by all. Off to get some more sleep as I adjust to my schedule with my new job, ttyl.