Works in Progress

I am enjoying knitting. I missed it. Here's the current works in progress that I can show you...

Branching Out

The neverending ribbed socks


I have to finish Branching Out before Thursday. I'm taking a class that I will need those needles for, so I have to finish it up pronto, or buy another set of needles. The class' pattern calls for a size 8 and these are size 9s, but I am usually such a tight knitter that I can stand to go up a size.

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...

I survived, barely. Here's the highlights:

1. I vacuumed two keys off my keyboard before the test while trying to clean it. Keep to the compressed air, friends. Josh let me borrow his wireless keyboard. The laptop is still functional, and I'll have my dad sort through his pile of broken laptops for keys that aren't broken.

2. The night I checked into the hotel, Josh came down with acute sudden-onset walking pneumonia. He passed out cold in the doorway of the bedroom. He came to and went to the doctor Tuesday morning. Sometime that night, Tick soiled his crate. Due to his unknown and abusive past, this panicked him. He demolished the plastic tray of his crate and then mangled the side of the crate to get out. All that panicked him more, liquifying his stomach contents. I am told the room was a river of....well you get the point. I called a friend from work to come help Josh. He was pretty incoherent at the moment and I wanted to make sure everything was okay. How do you pay someone back for cleaning up *that*?

3. The test itself was pretty bad. The topics that our instructors told us would not be tested, were of course, tested almost exclusively. I am taking heart in the fact everyone took the same preparatory class, so they probably are as panicked as I was when I realized I had focused on the wrong subtopics when studying. It's okay though.

4. I am going to enjoy this month. August is Scarf Month here. I have an enterlac class at Yarn Mart I'm taking. I am almost halfway through Branching Out. I have almost all the yarn rounded up for my Clementine Shawlette. I have some skeins together for a Chevron Scarf too. We'll see how many get done.

Thank you all for the well wishes. I was well lavendered at all points of the test, thanks to many fantastic knitters. I am so grateful for all of you.

Now the waiting begins. August 31st I find out if I do this all over again, or celebrate.

Snorting Lavender..

I've contemplated snorting lavender. If it would calm me down more, I would do it. But I won't. Instead I'll rejoice in this little bit of heaven that arrived Friday...

From my livejournal secret pal, an awesome pattern book for children's clothes using sock yarn. I already have plans to turn that gorgeous skein of Inca into a blanket. It's coincidental that there's a blanket pattern in that book using entrelac and I'm taking a class on that in August. I'm very excited. There's an adorable dog tape measure (I'm a dog rescuer so it's fitting), gummy bears (which are gone) and a bar exam survival kit. I still don't know who my swap pal is, except that she's from Kenya (at least, I think that's what the clue meant).

I have plans to drown myself in lavender. I've already packed the lavender away in my suitcase. I've been coating myself in lavender salve from my Hogwart's Swap package.

I am as cool as a Hindu cow. Having been to Nepal, which is a country predominated by that religion, I can tell you, they are cool. They lay down in the middle of busy roads. No one bothers them, they steer carefully around them. Children bring wreaths of flowers for their necks, and bring them gifts. Now that's calm!

Talk at you after the exam!

I found the camera..

I found the camera in the medicine basket by the sink. Makes total sense, right? I finally went for the ibuprofen yesterday when my head was too full of Criminal law and there it was. So here, in order of receipt are my final SP10 package and my Hogwart's Sock Swap package.


Oooh, spindle! You can also see the needle case, craft organizer, and the (now digested) fortune cookies. The sock yarn and neat holder was missing from the pictures for some odd reason.



Yes, those are my swap socks and no you can't have them! I hear it was quite an ordeal knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, knitting and ripping, and knitting and ripping and then finally knitting these suckers. I'm wearing them under jeans today. It seemed sensible. I'm constantly freezing. Aren't they gorgeous though? It inspired me to assign the solid red Lorna's Laces I got off of sockpr0n's ravelry stash to a Cookie A pattern. I'm thinking Twisted Flower or Gothic Spire.

Remember my yellow and pink obsession? Yes, my Hogwart's Swap pal dyed this up for me. The colorway name? ..............................afterthebarexam. It's too too perfect. I think my camera's a bit off though. Typical...
Sox stix. Look at those pearly stitch markers! And that homemade sock bag. Believe me, when Tika opens her store, I will let you know.


Ribbon and the extra yarn (my usually oblivious DH suggested making a i-cord for the socks and putting a pretty button on one end and a loop on the other to help hold up the socks when I wear these with boots to work in the winter. Brilliant, because the ribbons would not fly at my office. The lavender balm is a godsend. I love lavender, and somehow am attracting mosquitos INTO the house. Lavender dries things up before I have a chance to scratch myself into a scabby state. Pleasant, no?

Ok, back to Commercial Transactions... Thanks to such great pals! I'm overwhelmed and inspired to do great things by the likes of you!

A ton of stuff..

1. Bar exam: I'm studying for the bar. It's going. How is it going? I'll know August 31st. So staytuned for either a meltdown or a celebration. Either way, I am a studying fool.

2. Ravelry: I'm on Ravelry as earnknittoownit. If you're on, add me! If you aren't on, get on the waiting list! If you're on the waiting list: be patient, it's worth the wait, I promise.

Oh. I have an EXTRA INVITE to Ravelry. I accidentally signed up twice. I am not entirely sure that I can forward this invite, but it's worth a shot. First to comment that they want it get the invite, with me crossing my fingers this works. You have to promise to do the same when you get yours though. There are 17,000 people on the waiting list. That makes my head spin.

3. SP10: My SP10 revealed herself in style. What kind of style? I took pictures and promptly lost the digital camera. It's somewhere in this house, I just don't have time to find it. I am lucky that everyone in the house gets fed and I study for 12 hours a day. I am not even sure I'm wearing clean underwear right now. I just checked, I'm not..wearing any. That's honesty for you. Here's what was in the reveal package:

Interweave Knits Spring issue (I found my first sweater in there for after the bar.)
Another knitting magazine, a keychain from the Black Sheep festival
A spindle (!!!!) and various fibers in a beginners spinning kit
Scrapbook organizer
A yarn caddy with a skein of Plymouth sock yarn (a cotton blend..I had just been thinking why I hadn't looked into cotton blends as hot as it is here constantly)
A needle folio
Chocolate covered fortune cookies (these were SO good. )

I hope I remembered everything. The photographic evidence will emerge shortly. Teri is the best! Thanks for everything. The spindle is what almost caused me to pass out though. There was much screaming.

4. Other swaps - I am mailing my final LJSP4 package this week. I signed up for Hogwart's Sock Swap as a Second Year (which means my pal gets yarn, a sock pattern and a HP bookmark instead of the needles and stitch markers which go with the First Year package..all Years include socks), and am participating in Summer Camp on Ravelry, which is a one time swap, and Sock it to Me as well. That should do it.

Oh, and for Sock it to Me, there is a contest to post about how you learned to knit. How ironic! You are reading the blog of a person who just this week learned the knit stitch. I've knit two hats, two diaper covers, a pair of longies, a scarf, and two pairs of socks. Yet, I've been twisting every knit stitch. Every. Single. One. I figured this out in the middle of a cuff of socks, but refuse to frog. So when I cast on for the second one, guess what I'll be doing? You guessed it, twisting.

Back to the contest entry, because there's Socks that Rock yarn on the line... I learned to knit from the internet because my sister said someone had to learn how to knit because she was going to cloth diaper and her baby needed cute wool. As the best aunt ever, I obliged. I started with an alpaca hat with a seed stitch brim, knitted flat. It's one of my favorite patterns. On size 11 needles, it was an easy start. That was back in November, and I just now realized how interestingly I've been making things with my twisting.


This is probably my last post before the bar. All this law, so little time. :)

Hogwarts Sock Swap 2

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

Second Years

1. What Hogwarts House have I been sorted into? Gryffindor

2. What are my foot measurements? Size 9-9.5 shoe, 9" long, 8 inches at the ball, 11" at the calf
   

3. My three favorite sock yarns: Yarn Love, Duets, Etsy and indie sellers
   

4. Yarn I haven’t used but would like to try: Scout's Swag
   

5. Varigated or Solid Yarn? Right now, semisolids intrigue me.

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash?

   I'd like some darker shades of blue, purple, or green.
   

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle?

   I've only done plain rib so far. Really, I could go for anything. I'd like Cookie A's Rhiannon pattern specifically.
   

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.)

   None.

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them?

   Yes, or no. We have a ton of animals, but I can knit them and assemble the package at work if need be. If I knit them at home, then they will definitely be exposed.
   

10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
    

    Yes

I’ve graduated to the SECOND YEAR class.

We will be accepting FIRST YEAR applications through July 31st. It’s not too late! Come sign up!

Oops, and pictures

I forgot to measure my foot appropriately. Here's the actual measurements for those playing along at home: 9" long, 8" around at widest part, calf is 11" around at 8" above the heel.

And here's some random internet findings. Not really random in it's things that I am nuts about, but semi-random. Camille-random?







And yes, I'm stealing bandwidth with the linkage. But the whole purpose of this post was so you would buy these things for myself, yourself, or a loved one. And I doubt any of the above vendors would complain about that! :)

Sock it to Me Questionaire

1. What are your foot measurements? (Please give shoe size, length and circumference.) I am a size nine and a half, 9 inches long and almost 10 inches around.
   
2. How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.) I've been knitting since winter of 2006. I'd say I'm a beginner. I have mastered kitchener, but am just starting some lacework with some problems.
   
3. What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color? My favorite color lately has been greens. Really though I like all colors. I like bright tones.
   
4. Do you have a favorite fiber? What type? I'd go with wool, or cotton.
   
5. Do you have any allergies to certain fibers? No, not that I know of.
   
6. Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? (If so, provide the link.) I need to redo it.
   
7. What techniques, if any, would you like to learn? I'd like to do some colorwork.
   
8. Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks? Oh boy. Anything and everything. I love Hot Tamales and Swedish Fish the best though.
   
9. What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.) A husband, two dogs, two cats in a cute little house in the suburbs.
   
10. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Metal, plastic or wood? Circular, bamboo though I like metal because it helps my gauge be less tight.
    
11. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit? Dishcloths, washcloths, baby items, winter wear.
    
12. Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try? Monkey!
    
13. Do you like to read? What are you reading currently? Right now I'm reading bar exam review books. Typically I like "chick lit" type books, or knitting fiction (Debbie MacComber).
    
14. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.) Not really, I have an iPod, but I haven't put anything new on it in ages. I do like homemade CDs and mix tapes though. I like everything, and I am not kidding (even country, much to my husband's chagrin).
    
15. What kind of music do you listen to? Everything. I really like books on tape/CD too.
    
16. Is there anything you collect? Charming Tails figurines
    
17. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting? Scrapbooking, cooking.
    
18. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs? Hogwart's Sock Swap, SP10, LJSP4
    
19. Do you have a favorite scent? Vanilla, lavender.
    
20. When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.) June 22nd.
    

The (temporary) end of knitting

Knitting news:

I'm not knitting until I'm done with the bar exam. Perhaps a row or two during the evening news on my trusty socks, but no focused knitting. I spent last weekend knitting. I churned out the mate to my Hogwart's Sock and then realized I don't have my swap pal's address. So, hopefully she will email me back soon. Her blog looks two months abandoned. I hope I'm able to track her down, as these socks need their home!


I cast on for Branching Out last weekend as well. It looks a bit off and I can't figure out how. Pictures to come (maybe you can detect where I went wrong) perhaps soon, or not depending on how busy I get before Saturday.

Bar exam news:

So, starting Saturday begins 12+ hours a day of studying. I'm nervous, I'm scared, but I'm ready. I will be a lawyer when this is all over with. That's worth looking forward to, to say the least! I am expecting a major case of cabin fever being locked in the same room for that long every day, but I have some lovely breaks planned. One day, a trip to study at the dog park, and one day Josh and I will take a break to go see "Sicko".

Tomorrow we are going to Hot Springs to spend time with family.

Summertime news:

You know it's summer when I get made fun of for my skin tone. There are raw chickens with more color than me. I can't help it, I'm allergic to the sun. Yet every year I get made fun of. It doesn't make me feel great about myself.

Josh and I are doing Atkins (I know, I know.) starting next week. Results to come. I hate it, but it works. Then again, doesn't most anything work when you stick with it?