Tuesday, March 30, 2004
I've been so lazy about posting!  I just realized today that I didn't post over the weekend.  Sorry!  I finished up the poncho Monday morning.  Check it out:

I'll post a picture of me modelling it tomorrow.  I've been wearing it today and got a nice compliment from one of the psychology secretaries.  They are always so impressed with my stuff.  Then I wore it while teaching.  I have crochet class for the last time in a couple of hours.  I plan on wearing my poncho and showing off!  Look at the super cute pom-poms!

Friday, March 26, 2004
What a gorgeous day!!  I think Kevin and I are going to go play tennis in a couple of hours when he gets back from doing some work.  I plan on not doing any school work today and have completed the two "errands" I needed to do.  I took my car to the Lube Express for an oil change, which turned out to be much more expensive than I thought, but it is my own fault for not changing the oil like two months ago.  My poor car, I promise to take better car of it (if only to save money!!).  The one guy working there sort of creeped me out.  He called me "hon," complimented my on my nails, winked at me, and told me to have a very good day and be safe.  The compliment about my nails was really odd, because yes I get them done and they are long, but usually men don't notice or say anything.  And besides, I was on my way to the nail place next to get them redone.  The guy doing my nails told me that they were very old and that I should have them taken off and get new ones.  Since I wasn't in a rush, I agreed, even though I hate it when they rip them off (yes rip them off).  Ouch!!  But they look fantastic now and are quite a bit shorter (which will help when playing tennis!)

Here is a link to the poncho's instructions.  It is from Craft Yarn Council.  Because it is crocheted with thicker yarn and a much bigger hook, you see the holes down the front middle.  There will also be the holes down each arm and down the back middle.  Because I used a smaller hook, mine has more stitches cast on at the beginning, and thus more instances of the "decorative" holes.
 
 
 

Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Well, I haven't made much progress on mom's shawl and there probably won't be much tonight (I have to study for my statistics midterm, fun stuff!).  I had crochet class last night and I started a poncho:

Monday, March 22, 2004
Mom's shawl is growing and growing...

I'm not exactly sure how wide it is at the top.  It is differently wider than my circular needle (which I think is a 24 incher) because if I try to stretch it out it falls off the needles.  You can sort of see in the picture how it changes directions.  The pattern first slants / / / and then switches to \ \ \ for a look like
\ \ \ \ \
/ / / / /
I think it likes pretty cool (and yes I did it on purpose).  I basically changed the 2Ktog YO, to YO SSK.  Here's a close up...

Other good news... I finished my mega-list!  Well, the creation of the list and division into the more manageable chunks described on Saturday.  Now I just need to go back and input lots of details about the patterns (yarn type, needle size, gauge, season).  That will take a while, but at least all the patterns are in, including the patterns from the June 2004 Knit 'n Style I picked up Saturday.  There are lots of cute tank top patterns!!
 
 
 
 

Saturday, March 20, 2004
I made a little bit of progress last night on my mom's shawl.  It is getting wider, so it is going slower in getting length.  I'll post some pictures tomorrow when I get a little farther, right now it looks the same as the pictures below.

On the creation of the mega-list of patterns, it is coming along slowly but surely.  I have about 10  magazines left to input.  Then I am going to break apart the mega-list into the following categories:
    Around the House (pillows, blankets, etc.)
    Bags
    Hats, Gloves, Scarves
    Kids and Babies
    Men's Clothing
    Socks, Shawls, and Other Clothing
    Women's Clothing 1 (things I want to make)
    Women's Clothing 2 (things I might like to make)
    Women's Clothing 3 (things I don't want to make)
    Information (a list of informative articles)
It is a big project, but it is coming along nicely.  It is a nice distraction from doing real work.  I can turn up some music and sing along while typing.
 
 
 

Friday, March 19, 2004
Well, I haven't done any knitting today, but I've done a lot of website maintenance.
    1. Fixed up the sidebar.  Now there are links to all the magazines I read (someday I'll add links for the books).  I've added links to Knitty, MagKnits, and Bust's Girl Wide Web.
    2. I've added target links at the top to About Me, My Knitting Story, and Things I Enjoy (which will eventually contain stuff about music, books, and other non-knitting things).
    3. I made myself a little button!  It isn't the greatest, but I think it is a good first attempt.
    4. I figured out how to have comments!!

Ok, I'm going to add some stuff now to the Things I Enjoy section, and then pop in my favorite girly movies (since Kevin's out of town) and try to make some progress on my mom's shawl.

Enjoy this cute little guy... 
 

Thursday, March 18, 2004
Kevin was such a sweetie last night and went with me to AC Moore for yarn.  Well, he went to Borders and I went to AC Moore, but that's ok.  I picked up some more Lions Brand Homespun this time in a color called Rococo.  I couldn't find a good shawl pattern that I liked, so I just decided to wing it.  After several failed starts, this is what I have so far...

Rococo is a tan-ish color.  I had to put it on the red blanket for the picture because it was blending into our tan couch.  It is basically a pattern of YO K2tog all the way across and then purl all on the wrong side.  I increase 2 stitches at each end on the knit row with a yarn over after the first stitch and before the last.  Unfortunately, I have an odd number of stitches so on the left side it is increasing 2 stitches instead of one... the shawl will be slightly asymmetrical, but I'm hoping that it won't be overly noticeable.  It will make it interesting.  Well, back to knitting while watching The Two Towers yet again.
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, March 17, 2004
Some SPRINGBreak this is...

Those are pictures of the area outside my apartment.  Looks like I live in rural NJ, huh?  No, on the other side of the trees in picture one is the train tracks; commuter trains go by very frequently.

What did I do on this snowy, chilly day?  Well, I snuggled up in my big bulky pullover and headed out to do laundry!  Fun!  I washed the no-sweat pants.  They came out beautifully!!  I was so afraid that they would unravel or stretch or otherwise be ruined (I am mega-paranoid about washing anything I make, I figure I put so much time into it, if the washer/dryer kills it, I'll be so depressed!).  Washed them on the delicate cycle and dried them for 16 minutes on medium and they are still soft and cuddly!

After adventures in washing clothes, I has a fun 2 and 1/2 hour meeting with my advisor.  We organized and started analyzing the data on my Psychology of Humor study.  So far the data are somewhat disappointing, but I have much more playing to do with it.  Additionally, this was the first attempt at something like this, and a lot of experimentation is trial and error.

More knitting news... I've typed up about 1/3 of the patterns for my mega-patterns list.  As I go, I keep thinking of so many ways to organize it and things to add.  I have to keep reminding myself to slow down and just get the info into the computer first!  Finally, I still haven't gotten yarn for my mom's b-day shawl.  I had wanted to go this afternoon, but my meeting went much later than I expected.  Maybe I can get Kevin to go with me later tonight...
 
 

Tuesday, March 16, 2004
Back in the pants... stupid NJ weather, it is actually snowing right now.  Ugh!  When is spring!?!?!  Well, at least it gives me a good excuse for laying around the apartment in my no-sweat pants.  On the agenda for today is writing lectures and going over my students' grades from their exam last Thursday.  Fun stuff!  Actually, I will probably end up spending most of the day typing up and organizing my mega-list of patterns.  I have such grand plans about this list and making it easily searchable.  I hoping the hardest part will be the initial input of data, but then updating it will much easier as there will only be a couple of magazines at a time.  Eventually, I might had patterns from the books I have, but I think for simplicity right now, I'm sticking to just magazines.  Hopefully tomorrow I can make it out to the store to pick up some yarn for my mom's b-day shawl (pattern still unknown, I might just be winging it).  I also have a couple of skeins of Plymouth Encore DK from the schoolgirl charmer incident that I need to make into something so I can forget about the stupidity of the purchase (go look in the February archives about that one).  Off to mega-list of patterns creating... I mean lecture writing... oh who am I kidding, mega-list creating!
 
 

Sunday, March 14, 2004
I wore my pants practically all day yesterday (only took them off to shower and run out to the store).  They are super comfortable, warm, and soft.  They like to sag a bit around the waist, so I have to make sure they are tied tightly around my hips or else they'd fall off.  Otherwise they don't seem to be stretching too much.  I think I'm going to go put them on in a few minutes before sitting down and watching Bernie Mac, Malcolm, and Arrested Development.  I am definitely going to wear these a lot.  I'm doing laundry probably towards the middle/end of the week, so we'll see how they wash up.

I went home today for my mom's b-day.  (I'll be starting her b-day shawl soon).  I got a lot of compliments from my grandmom and aunts about my knitted bag.  My grandmom is so proud of my knitting and now crocheting.

As for some new knitting news, I decided to do something crazy.  I figured since I have about 30 knitting magazines and I needed to find a shawl pattern, wouldn't it be easier to find a pattern if I had a computerized list of all the patterns in the magazine?  So I decided that before I get any more magazines or books to make a list of all the patterns in them.  For now, they'll be divided based on type of pattern and whether or not I would ever make it.  This is a huge undertaking as it is, but once I get the list established, I plan to go back and add details about yarn required, gauge, etc.  I know I'm insane, but I figure once I get it on the computer and functional that it will be easy update as new magazines and books come in.  I'll definitely keep y'all posted on how it goes.

Now, time to slip into those pants....
 

Friday, March 12, 2004
Drumroll please.............................................

The No-Sweat Pants are complete!!!!  Check out my super cool pics:

As you can see the pants are long and baggy.  I didn't intend for them to be so baggy, I did knit them in the smallest size.  The waist is big enough for three of me to fit inside, so I have to pull the drawstring nice and tight.

I knitted them flat as per the instructions.  I did, however, follow what Alison at the Blue Blog suggested and knit the top front and back flat instead of in the round.  I think that definitely worked out much better.  I seamed the outside of both legs and then the inside.  Then I tried them on with the crotch open, which was quite funny looking, before finishing off the seaming.  When I was working on them in the lab, several participants were asking me what I was making and seemed intrigued.  If I ever make another pair, I think I would cast on fewer stitches (or use a smaller needle) to make them a little less baggy, and maybe add some shaping to the top area so it is less huge.
 
 

Friday, March 12, 2004
Super quickie update... holy crap the waist of these pants are starting to look like they'd fit at least three of me!!!!!  I have the outside of the legs seamed... onto the insides and crotch, pics later tonight! (I hope!)
 
 

Thursday, March 11, 2004
So close, so very close!  I've finished the fourth leg and through some "power" knitting tonight, I managed to finish all the knitting.  Taking the advice of Alison over at the Blue Blog, I didn't complete the top in the round, but rather continued knitting flat so that there will be side seams all the way up for stability.  Basically, I just have to seam it all together.  I'm a little afraid though that I should have made the top a little bit longer, but I figure that I'll put it all together, check it out, and crochet more of a waistband if it needs it.  Here are some pics...

I'm pretty sure I'll finish up tomorrow.  I'm planning on doing some shopping in the morning.  I need to get some yarn for the shawl I'm planning to knit for my mom, but I should also get her something to actually open on her birthday.  I also need to get a gift for my cousin who is turning 5.  Then I have to cover the afternoon hours in the lab for one of my research assistants who is sick, sounds like a good time for some seaming to me!
 
 

Wednesday, March 10, 2004
No new knitting to report.  I plan on casting on for the last half leg sometime very soon, but am debating whether to run to the liquor store for some Arbor Mist.  I definitely think they put something addictive in that stuff because I'm totally craving it!  Or maybe I've just been so busy the past couple of days that I need something to help me relax.  Knitting and drinking, what could be better!!  I guess I could just whip up some mixed drinks with some vodka or rum that's already here, but too many of those and who knows what that last half pant leg will look like!
 

Tuesday, March 9, 2004
1... 2... 3!!!!

3 pant leg halves finished!  They look all differently sized from this pic, but I swear (and hope) they are actually all the same size.  What is truly bizarre is that the left most leg seems to be knit with a different yarn than the other two.  The package says the same yarn, color, dye lot, but the leg just feels different.  It is less soft than the other two and the color seems slightly different.  It is probably something that is only really apparent to me, so I'll just keep going and see what happens since I'm starting a new ball for the last leg half anyway.

I had crochet class again tonight.  It is so much fun.  I can definitely see why now people enjoy knitting together.  I enjoy just listening to other people talking about what they are doing, what other crafty things they've done, etc.  Here's some pics of what I created...

These are essentially the same picture, just different lighting.  The teacher was quite impressed with my purposeful, decorative holes.  I'm such a teacher's pet!

Anyway, I think I'm going to crochet the drawstring tonight before bed since I have just enough yarn from the ball I was using.  My plan is to have the pants complete this weekend!
 

Sunday, March 7, 2004
I finished the right back leg.  Check it out:

Yesterday Kevin and I went to see Lord of the Rings again!  Such a great movie, although I could definitely do without the spider scenes.  Yuck!  More Viggo and Orlando wouldn't hurt either!!  Then today went to see the last Rutgers b-ball game with my family.

But in between all that fun (and sipping lots of Arbor Mist-- yummy and cheap), I cast on, knit, and finished off the left back leg!!  Look:

Next project is going to be a birthday shawl for my mom.  I told her today that I wanted to knit her something and that's what she requested.  There is no way to get it finished before her birthday (next Sunday), but she said that's ok.  Now I gotta find a good pattern and some yummy yarn.
 
 
 

Friday, March 5, 2004
I joined the Pant-Along!  Yeah!  You can click the above button and check out "the blue blog" for others in the Pant-Along.  I've completed three of the five increases on the pant leg half I'm currently working on.  I'm sure I'll finish it tonight and then I'll post a picture.  I was knitting today during a presentation by a former Rutgers Grad student about how to find an academic job after graduating.  Some of it made me feel very hopeful for when I finish here, and some of it was very depressing.  Oh well, that is still two years down the road.  Then it was laundry time!  So I knitted away while the laundry washed and dried at the laundry place.  The lady who works there complemented me on my knitting (I was also wearing rainbow scarf... see February archives... and she really liked that.)  Then I talked to some stranger about the Martha Stewart thingy.  Anyways, if you click around the site now, you'll notice that I've fixed the major problems with this new frames set-up.  The archives now open to this window and the links open up in a new window, so that should be much better. Back to knitting!!!
 
 

Thursday, March 4, 2004
I cast on for the No-Sweat Pants on Tuesday evening, knitted a little yesterday, and have been happily knitting this evening.  So far I have about 16 inches of the first piece.  Now I can start the thigh increases!

Unfortunately the picture doesn't do justice to the color!!!  This makes it look golden, but it is really so much more sunny and bright.  There's a mix of yellow, peach, and white that makes it so... yummy!  Here's a close up:

Again, not a quality picture, but you can see the stitches at least.  I totally love this yarn, so soft, and it hardly curls!!  I'm going to be knitting my way through tomorrow and Saturday.

Also, I just found out, rather randomly, that there's a knit-along for these pants.  I think it is being called a pants-along.  I'm gonna find out some more and hopefully join up.  I promise more info soon!
 
 
 

Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Well, after the early leap day excitement of getting Cap sleeve sewn, the rest of the day was spent in frustration and anger!  Every attempt I made to finish Cap sleeve (crocheting the edgings, affixing some sort of buttoning device) was a complete and total failure!!!!  The fabric was too flimsy to support heavier or many buttons, but heavy or a lot of buttons was necessary to stretch it to stay closed!  Argh!  To top it off, some how the left front blue section was about 1/2'' longer than the right front blue section!!  So Sunday night I threw down my knitting, cleaned up all the loose yarn and needles around the apartment and vowed to never knit again!

All day Monday I pondered how can I fix Cap sleeve because there was no way I was frogging it and as pissed as I was Sunday, I can't imagine giving up knitting.  Finally, Monday evening I figured it out.  I ripped out all the crocheted edging (except the bottom which was actually good).  I sewed the left and right fronts together because buttons would be impossible.  Then I folded down and temporarily sewed the longer left front to be even with the right front and also sewed down the back which wouldn't lay flat either.  I crocheted all the way around the top, permanently sewed down the left front and back, and VOILA!  Cap sleeve is finished and wearable!  Hooray!!!!!  Let's see the pics!

The straps you see there are from the tank top I was wearing underneath.  I actually wore Cap sleeve today and received several compliments.

I also had my second crochet class tonight.  I zipped along on my undefined project while the others continued working on the basics.  Here are some pics:

 

And finally, I snuck out to AC Moore this afternoon and bought yarn for the No-Sweat Pants in the Spring 04 Interweave.  I got Lion Brand Homespun in Sunshine State.  Why yellow?  I don't know, but the color just called out to me.  I also picked out a set of straight size 10 needles and a circular 10 both bamboo by Takumi.  I also noticed that since last time I was there (before Thanksgiving) they've upgraded some of their yarn and have some cooler, fancier stuff.  I'll definitely be going back (if I hit the lottery!).  (Also, I stopped by Borders, since it is right next door, and bought four knitting mags!)

I hope you enjoy the new site design.  I'll be working on making it better!!