FO!!

First finished Object in sooo long! But it was definitely worth it =)

Seed Stitch Baby Blanket for Molly Madison:

2011 Knit Challenge: 10 I think, 50 to go!

I am so proud of this blanket! To date, it's the largest thing I've knitted! and I LOVE the texture!! Knitting the seed stitch was a pain, but it feels so nice!

(Free!!) Pattern from Lion Brand
Lion Brand Pound of Love in Lavender
Needles: US 10 1/2

Unfortunately, I just learned today that mom and baby returned home today... to St. Louis! I knew I was on a time crunch but thought I had a few more days. I really wanted to personally hand this to her, but I guess the US Post Office will do. 

Now I'm reaaally jonesing for some quick knit projects haha

Pattern Recognition

Like the Princess and the Pea... this cat is spoiled. She does look comfortable, though, doesn't she?

(Pattern Recognition also happens to be the book I'm currently reading)

Cover up

(here's to posting everyday, if even a photo :) this is a b&w of a Hawaiian sarong that is currently covering our front door window)

Fuzzy Navels FTW!

Fuzzy Navels are delicious. Ours have orange juice and peach schnapps, but you can also add vodka. Beth and I spent some good time drinking and watching reruns of Alias... and I knitted a few more inches to Molly Madison's blanket.

sorry it's sideways...

Oh boy! We are finally a rectangle!!! 25"x26" !! I have anxiously been waiting for this moment!!! If I had any sense in me, I would have measured how wide each stripe is, and then I'd know how many more stripes to knit to reach my goal length. As it is, each seed stitch section is one inch and stockinette sections are roughly one and a half inches.

Bunny wanted some face time

I also purchased the best pet hair remover:

via petmedstore.com

The Furminator just feels like a good brush, you know? As soon as Berny saw it in my hand, she knew what it was =) It's not that she especially likes being brushed (she bites the brush) but I think she likes the extra attention. This brush really helps get the dead hair out from under the rest and it's supposed to help reduce shedding up to 90%, which would be awesome.

I am still deciding what sort of journal I'd like to house my 30 day of Lists... I'm debating on making one, using a small Moleskin, or the empty pages in my Moleskin notebook-made-day planner.

Anyway, have a good night!

Inspiration

Call me crazy but there are a few new projects that are really piquing my interest (I say this because I still have SO many unfinished projects!)

One is 30 Days of Lists which is... writing lists for thirty days. But in a scrapbook-type way. Which I love. I used to share journals with a friend during school, and this challenge greatly reminds me of our journals. We clipped photos and doodled and colored, as well as gossiped and wrote notes back and forth to each other in it. I'm even considering starting a daily journal, along the lines of using it as an art journal. If I DO do this, I will probably wait until I'm not so stressed about school (read: when I graduate).

The second interest-peaker is actually a blog I've been following for awhile now. It's New Dress A Day ! I stopped sewing at the old apartment months ago, but after reading about the transformations Marissa has made, I am inspired anew. I even have clothes to chop up: a blue button-up polyester dress from Goodwill, a pink number that goes past my toes from YWCA, an actual silk purple blouse from a yard sale, and on and on. I've had these items for six months plus and finally have a good idea about where I want to take them =)

Update on baby afghan: not finished. As much as I want to finish it, it is really boring to knit, even with all that seed stitching. I have to hurry up though, because my deadline is early April. After that, I'll have to ship it to her. It is nearly a square, about 25"x22" but I want to make it about 25"x27" or 28." I think I mentioned that before.

It feels really nice to be blogging again. For the past few weeks I have felt like my head wasn't even screwed on right. But we are moved in to our cozy little house and it's just great =)

Happy Weekend friends!
also, big love to my friend Beth <3

We be moving Friday

Oh yeaaaah! (and thank goodness too...we've already packed up most everything and I couldn't live like this for much longer.. haha)



Also, I heard it's St. Patrick's Day....

Hope you all have a wonderful, Guinness filled day!

Potato-tentacles

Eeeeek! Look what we discovered while cleaning:

Never leave a bag of taters unattended. I learned that today.

Escaaape!!

What's taters, precious?
PO-TA-TOES! Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew! 



(I LOL everytime)

It is seriously a jungle.

Bella Rus

My birthday gift from Scott:

see my neat little digi library!

A Cruz Reader! I have to say he took a big risk in surprising me with an e-reader, since I've pretty much sworn them off! I'm a lit major... and an avid book reader since I can remember... I can't just abandon books.

But I love this! Once I figured out how to download a book, I couldn't stop. I have a number of readers on Bella Rus (why do I call it Bella Rus? besides the fact that Rus rhymes with Cruz, I have no good reason) but my favorite and most used is Aldiko. I've downloaded TONS and TONS of classics. I'm reading Alice and Wonderland on it now. It's a good one to read before bed because of all its silly nonsense. Makes for good dreams.

I also love the Kindle reader because it's so easy to buy a book... though I really have to monitor myself in the Amazon store. I purchased a Jane Austen bundle (all her books!) for $0.89 in one click.

And, there's a program that allows me to check out e-books from the Missoula Public Library! It has it's ups (lots of current books that you don't need to purchase) and downs (you can't return a book before the 14 day loan is up and it takes a long time to check out a book since many people already have holds on it, and you also can't renew a book). Right now I'm reading Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. It's one I've been meaning to read for awhile now and I'm really enjoying it.

There are a lot of other handy apps too. One is Pulse, which lists all the blogs I follow plus other sites I like to browse. Of course, there's Pandora, Facebook, and one for weather.

I think this is the handiest thing ever =)

for Molly Madison

The beginnings of an afghan:

see the two balls of yarn? it's extra thick and cozy!

This is the baby blanket I mentioned yesterday. The finished measurements should be around 28"x28" but I think I'm going to knit it longer, maybe 28"x36" ? I'm not sure yet. The pattern (a free one from Lion Brand) is a cinch, although I do get confused on the seed stitching sometimes.

I love love love the texture of the seed stitch

This is the first afghan I've knit. The needles are huge, size US 10 1/2 straights, and are 14.5" in length. That doesn't seem like a big deal right? Well, for one, when I'm knitting, the end of the needle reaches my elbow, so there's a lot of strain on my arm to hold it up. I think this blanket would be easier on circular needles because the weight would be more centralized. That said, this blanket knits up quickly because of the large needles and by holding two strands of yarn together.

close up

Yarn is Pound of Love in lavender. Also, I altered the pattern slightly. Instead of four alternating rows of knit and seed stitch, I decided to alternate eight knit and four seed stitch rows, because seed stitch takes more time.

(oh, next time I'll snap a photo of the other side. I guess you could say this is a reversible blanket, but really, the reverse side is just bumpy).

Just so my head's straight, which it never is, I have knit 9 things so far, and have 51 to go in order to reach my goal of 60 knit things by 2012 (! eek).

And I'm afraid reaching 10 knit things is going to be a major struggle (Major Struggle... have you seen that episode in How I Met Your Mother, when Robin and Ted salute anything major or general? We started doing it too, and now I can't stop). I'm working on a scarf (since February actually) and also a baby blanket. Unfortunately, both projects are very time consuming with not a lot to show. I do love the baby blanket and as soon as I finish a few more rows, I'll post pictures. And yes, it is for someone very special <3

Today, I have finally woken from hibernation: I went for a small jog with my new running shoes at the school gym. All I have to say is, boy. Was that ever a winter of indulgence. And now it's time for the spring of ....... I'm not sure what kind of spring it will be. On the bus I thought the "spring of lean" and then all I could think about was "Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean..." and then I thought of it no more. 

Wellllll....it's not going to be entirely a spring of lean, as I am enjoying a nice tall glass of HEAVY HORSE! from Big Sky Brewing. I filled two growlers. 

Oops. 

I hope everyone enjoyed the sun while it was out today =)

T minus 11 days until we move!!!

I turned five and three quarters years old

I am savoring birthday cheesecake while I write this post. It is the most delicious and best cheesecake I have eaten, and my mom made it ^-^

The crust is made from Vanilla Wafers, not graham crackers, and it has a slight taste of toffee. The topping is sour cherry.

Napkin-ring Chef also deeply enjoyed the cheesecake

I am so lucky and thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. My birthday was really just an excuse for all of us to have dinner and spend good time with one another, and I so enjoyed it.

The most special person in my life

Gram made my favorite dinner: scalloped potatoes and ham...yum.

and I just love this photo =)