They have everything that you need to enjoy...
You can hang out with all the boys...
On my trip home to see my parents, part of the deal was bringing back or getting rid of more kid crap. There's some seriously funny stuff my folks found, though:
That's right, a lovely drawring of you know who. The caption on the right says, "Village People singing their latest hit song 'You Can't Stop the Music.'" Oh my. I certainly was an artiste.
I love blogs.
While in NC, my parents allowed me to drag them to yarn stores. Who can resist this?
It's like the Mother Ship calling me home.
The COOL thing about blogs is, if it weren't for blogs I might not have known where to go. But thanks to super awesome Barbara in her super informative entry, I knew right where to go. I might have even bought some yarn...
I love blogs.
Yes. But we love knitting.
I finished the back of NBaT and started the front. I am so so so happy about the finishing on the back. Let's discuss:
First, I didn't bind off the center stitches; I'm going to just knit the loops in place for the collar.
Second, I used this fabulous method to bind off the edges around the neck.
Third, I used Nona's help for Japanese Short rows and will use a three needle bind off for the shoulders.
Here's a look.
Please, click here for a close-up. Pretty please.
Have you ever seen anything as lovely as these short rows? As in, you can't see them at all! I am in love. I can't breathe. It's exhausting.
Please get that song out of my head.
Heeeeeeeeeere.....IIIIIIIII........AMMMMM...
The one that you love! Asking for another daaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy...
Here's the thing. My parents never owned an Air Supply album, and neither did I. And yet, miraculously, I can sing just about ALL the lyrics to their greatest hits. I'm talking verses as well as choruses. How wacky is that?
O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A!
Once again thanks to everyone for playing in the contest. And here's a special Sooner Shout-out to fellow OU grads Jenn and Leah! Go OU!
Shrug.
So, even after the latest shrug craze began, I felt mediocre about them. Pretty much, Carrie and I felt something like this:
Carrie is sporting a new Glampyre knit.
Bad jokes aside, I really like this Viennese Shrug now that I've finished it:
Some info about this project:
Yarn - Cotton Ease. US size 5, 4, and 3 needles. This pattern really brings out a lot of things for practice for knitters, and if you can make this you can make about any lace item. It involves:
-lace knitting over a variable number of stitches
-provisional cast on
-knitting in the round and flat
-following more than one chart
-shaping right and left sides
There is no seaming, and your gauge MUST BE SPOT ON. MUST BE. For those who want to make it please check this, because the width across the shoulders is solely determined by the number of rows.
Update: The pattern is from Interweave Knits Summer 2005.
I'm here with my folks in North Carolina, so more to update soon.
It's Over!!!!
[Jazzy snazzy 70's game show music]
Well hello again, and welcome to another exciting round of HEK!
Thanks to EVERYONE who played in this silly contest! I really appreciate it. You guys are so much fun, and I thank ALL of you for your nice comments. I am sorry I haven't been able to get back to each person individually.
Make with the answer.
So many of you guessed correctly. I did in fact attend University of Oklahoma! [Ding ding ding!] Me and the hubby, a LONG time ago. Really long. And look at us now!
Uh, What-EVER. So! The hubby is such a cool über-geek that he made a random number generator in Excel and that's how we picked the winners. Everyone got to play, and I wish I could give a door prize to everyone. Maybe next time.
WINNER NO. 1! She ain't Scarlett.
Sarah wins the Grand Prize of a copy of Knitting on the Edge! Sarah, you can thank my cool mother-in-law for this. She found it at a Thrift Store in excellent condition, and being my mother-in-law, knew it was a steal and snatched it up! And as I have a copy, I bequeath it to you.
NO. 2! She LOVES Alias.
But she's getting Koigu. Shell James has won herself some socky goodness. Yay!
NO. 3! ANOTHER cool Allison!
How many excellent knit bloggers named Allison can there be? We know not. But this one done won herself some Svale. I see a scarf in her future.*
And one for me.
And LOOKY LOOKY LOOKY! What I got today:
WHOA! I am Happy.
The ever-fabulous Cara coordinated having these t-shirts made, so GO GET ONE for yourself! It's for charity. Maybe for all you non-swatchers we should make one that says "Gauge schmauge." Discuss.
*I also ask this eight ball questions. So, ya know, grain of salt and all.
Gryffindor! and Contest!
You all KNOW I don't do this.
But I have to post this*:
| GRYFFINDOR! You scored 16% Slytherin, 28% Ravenclaw, 72% Gryffindor, and 16% Hufflepuff! You might belong in Gryffindor Gryffindors are known for their courage, |  |
Link: The Sorting Hat Test written by leeannslytherin on Ok Cupid
Alison posted this online quiz, and it was really fun to take. I usually don't take up an entry to do this, but it is funny how if you read the HP books, you know what House you'd be in, I think. Or maybe that's just the Gryffindor in me talking...
You owe us.
Well. Here's where the NBaT is up to:
And I thought you might be interested in my graphs that I made** to visualize the shoulder shaping. I'm going to do short rows and three-needle bind offs, and I have to see what I'm doing:
**I make a lot of graphs.
Ok, I did promise a contest, and HERE IT IS....
CONTEST CONTEST CONTEST!!!!!!
OK. So, in making my NBaT, I had to decide what to put on it, logo- or design-wise. Inspired by Kim's Rutgers shirt, I thought, "I'll put my college logo on it! Whoop-de-do!***"
SO. Given the colors of the yarn in the above picture, which are incidentally my college school colors, WHAT UNIVERSITY did my hubby and I attend for our undergraduate degrees?
- Some hints:
- It is in the U.S.A. (Well, duh.)
- It has generally had very good sports teams. (Ooh, ooh, I know!)
- It was established in the late 1800s. (Hmmm.)
- Lots of chants or songs played at sporting events involve spelling the name. (This might be a give-away.)
- Has the highest number of freshman National Merit Scholars per capita of any public university. (Ok, HEJ, that's just LAME. LOSER.)
BEFORE YOU ANSWER!!!! Do not answer in the comments. Do not, por favor. Instead, email me at nbatcontest@highenergyknits.net.
And here's the deal. I'm giving away stuff. Yarn, a book, maybe? Who can say? But goody goody stuff must go!!!! So all ya'll must try it.
And quite frankly, I don't care if anybody gets it right, we are CRAZY and GIVING AWAY STUFF ANYWAY!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So GO FOR IT. Lurkers - this means YOU TOO. More than one person will win something. Believe it.
* I changed the html for this table a bit. If you take the test, the outcome you post will be more spread out. You'll see.
***Lord knows, I didn't actually SAY that. Heavens-to-Betsy.
You didn't have to love me like you did but you did but you did...
And I thank you!*
Thanks you guys for the birthday wishes! I really appreciate it. We had a great time, but of course there's no place like home, and we will be on our way today. I miss my GA friends, and work buddies, and our animals. And my yarn.**
Stop withholding the knitting.
Here's an update on the Viennese Shrug from the Summer 2005 Interweave Knits. I am over halfway through here. Maybe have the whole thing done when back in GA. Depends how much I sleep on the plane. Here's the back:
And the front:
This is a great pattern. Really well written, and fun to do. I have to admit, I am not sure it looks right on me and I might end up giving it away or something. We'll see when it's done. Also, I think it would look better with certain dresses, etc. Hmmm.
An Epiphany.
So, it's really amazing how much knitting on a certain item I can get done when it's all I have to work on. ;-) Maybe I can be turn over a new leaf - be like all you sorts I admire so much who knit one thing at a time! Just think how much I could accomplish! The world could be my knitting oyster!
Or, I could go start something new. Or, maybe I have...
*A little ZZ Top for you. Aw yeah.
**Um, I know. But I do kinda miss it. There was a bit of yarn withdrawal. There aren't many craft/yarn stores on Oahu. ;-)
100th Post!
Aloha!
Welcome to the special or not so special 100th post of HEK. That's right, 100 times I have talked and talked and you nutty people have listened. We've laughed, we've cried, we've knitted. Oh, good times.
Oh, for Pete's Sake!
Ahem.
Here are a few pics from Hawaii, where we are having fun times. Well, except for me LEAVING my camera on the plane (it appears to be gone forever), getting really SUNBURNED despite my attempts not to, and FORGETTING my French Market Bag knitting (after all the preparation), that is...
Oh yeah, and I turned 33 today. Solidly in my 30s. There it is. Oh well.
For my birthday, my dear friend Alex gave me a beautiful needle case:
In back is the recent Vogue Knits in which they are pictured.
Here my favorite little kid and I are practicing swimming:
And at dinner. Yummy good dinner.
This is Kai. He is our dear friends' 15 month-old and he is SUPER CUTE. If only we could be so lucky. He knows the words "boat", "owl", "lizard", "mama", "dada", "thanks", and "belly button." He is a genius baby and we love him.
Here for the parent-types is one of the man and I:
See ya'll later!
We return to the mainland on Wednesday. I think the shrug might be done by then. Miss all my knitting buddies! See you all soon. Back to actual knitting content when I am reunited with my camera. Or a new camera. Harrumph.
High Energy Spins?
I got some roving.
Just kidding.
I'm not learning to spin. I will NOT be sucked in by those highly-suggestible types who have given in to the dark side. Yet, anyway. But if I start, I have enough dog hair to last a long long time.
Did I mention I HATE packing?
Can't stand packing. REALLY stresses me out. And since we are going to Hawai'i tomorrow today, I must pack. And it's 4:19 am and I just finished. Maybe.
Of course, most of the consternation, really, and let's just be frank and own up to it, is what knitting to pack. You knew it was coming. (People, I don't write the stuff, I just live it.)
Anyway, HEJ travel knitting must be:
So, initially I was going to take NBaT. But it violates #3 due to the intarsia and short row shoulders etc. and also isn't enough to prevent 4.
Got a bunch of new lace knitting, but it's all too complicated to do while chatting, thus violating #2.
Then I remembered my Second French Market Bag, for my friend Ivey:
Perfect.
And just to be safe, I'm going to bring this cool shrug I started too:
Maybe I can have it finished while I'm there. I am using the sadly discontinued Cotton Ease, which I like but couldn't possibly love as much as this person.
I might, or might not, have also packed some sock yarn. Just to be safe.
OK, kids, back in a week or so. As always, mahalo for stopping by HEK.
Oh, and thanks for all the well wishes about my finger. It's much better. ;-)
A Little Cheese with that Whine?
Or, Whinge, as some say?
What a crappy day at work. This time I can blog about it, because it's all me, being a stupid head.
[disclaimer: No patients were harmed or ignored or otherwise treated unprofessionally during this... situation.]
So, I was "helping" the nurses at work today. I drew up a medication, because their hands were busy. I don't usually do this, (there are reasons nurses should do this, ahem), but I was helping. As I did, a little bit leaked on my hand. (No worries, Mom and Dad, it isn't absorbed through the skin).
Anyway, this medicine was a sedative, and after we were finished, I jokingly said, "OH, HAHA, I got Versed on my hand. I feel I might fall out*."
I then proceeded to PRETEND to fall down.
OH LORD.
Which was of course followed by ACTUALLY. FALLING. DOWN. when I slipped on an unseen IV bag wrapper. In front of like forty staff members. Oh goody.
Which was of course followed by this:
Yes, I KNOW I have to point it out.
Ok, it doesn't look that bad but that third middle knuckle (or 4th PIP joint, if you prefer) hurts like a mother.**
And we care why?
I should think it would be obvious. Haven't tried to knit yet. Typing ain't so fun either. And my handwriting with a splint on: Not. So. Much.
And, the other issue is, in the knitting realm there is just TOO damn much going on.
We have startitis. We must knit everything. And if I show it all at once your eyes will glaze. But if I show it in bits some things will be done before the pics are up. What's a knitter to do??
Dive Right In.
First, I made another headband, this one for my friend Michelle. Please lower your goggles. She LOVES the bright yellow.
Holy Jaundice, Batman!
Next to show is progress on NBaT. Actually it's further now, but we'll pretend it ain't.
And the man brought that French knitting mag home
from his trip to Europe. Good man.
One, One Started Project, Ha Ha Ha.
And here we have a swatch for a new Sister Sweater - this time
Stripes Go Round from Interweave Knits. Yarn and pattern by Lanaknits.
Melissa, this is your turn to comment on the colors.
The only problem is, I keep picking sweaters for my sister in which the following screw-ups are made:
1) I can get stitch gauge, but only at the expense of row gauge.
2) Despite using the yarn called for.
3) And it matters cause it's a DAMN YOKE sweater again!!!!
Phooey. We'll just redo the math. She must know I love her, doesn't she??? ;-)
*"Fall Out": Southern parlance - to pass out, black out, hit the deck, etc.
** But not my Mother. Her birthday was the 1st, and she rocks. Happy BDAY Mom.