Zimmer-minis

Adapted from:
Alison Hansel in Charmed Knits
Elizabeth Zimmermann in Knitting Without Tears

It started with a gift. One, simple gift, from my friend Blaire for Christmas. It wasn’t much, but the fact was, she had gone through the effort of making me a bag of granola, and I hadn’t done squat for her. So I picked up my copy of Charmed Knits, and proceeded to make her a mini-sweater.
Three hours later, I had finished, and I was very frustrated with all of the seaming, all the ends I had to weave in, and all the little pieces and complicated joining. I knew that, if I could make these little sweaters in a seamless fashion, they would be so much more fun. So I picked up my copy of Knitting Without Tears, had it open alongside Charmed Knits on my desk, and began to merge Elizabeth Zimmermann’s brilliant seamless sweater recipes with the proportions from Alison Hansel’s little sweaters. And I couldn’t stop making them for a week.
Be warned: while these sweaters take out the seaming aspects, they make the knitting itself much more complicated (there’s a bit of short rows and quite creative grafting involved). If you would rather keep the knitting itself plain and simple, and seam quite a bit, go with Alison Hansel’s pattern. But if you want to try your hand at some Elizabeth Zimmermann brilliance, dive right in. But beware! They’re highly addictive!

Needles: Whatever you use to knit on the round, US5/3.75mm if you’re using DK or worsted, US3/3.25mm if you’re using sport or fingering, or whatever size you’re comfortable with for your yarn.
Yarn: 25yd/m, 10g of whatever you have lying around :), 1yd/m of contrasting color for letter
Gauge: Does it really matter? They’re mini-sweaters.
Notions: Waste yarn, scissors, tapestry needle, stitch markers (locking or split ring if making hybrid)

Abbreviations: I use Knitty’s List of Standard Abbreviations

S2KP: sl2 as if to K2tog, K1, psso the two slipped sts over the K st together.

For all variations:
Body
CO 28sts. Join in a round, being careful not to twist.
K 14 rounds.
Put on waste yarn.

Sleeves (make 2)
CO 12sts.
Work 2x2 rib for 4 rounds.
K 10 rounds.
Put on waste yarn.

Joining
Starting at the beginning of the round for the body, K the first 12 sts of the body on to the needle. Put the next 2 sts on a short length of waste yarn. K 10 sts from one sleeve on to the needle. Place the last 2 sts on waste yarn. K the next 12sts from the body onto the needle; put the last 2 body sts on waste yarn. Put the first two sts of the second sleeve on waste yarn. K the last 10 sleeve sts on to the needle. 44 sts total.

Shoulders
Work desired shoulder choice (Yoke, Raglan, Saddle, Hybrid; see below)

Neck
K 3 rounds.
BO loosely.

Finishing
Graft together underarms (this is going to take a little fudging – use your instincts!).
Hybrid only: Graft together shirt yoke on the back.
Weave in ends.
Bottom and neck edges should curl. Sleeve cuffs should be folded over.
Duplicate stitch letter. I fit all my letters in to a 5st wide by 7st tall rectangle.

Shoulder Variations:
Yoke
K 4 rounds.
Round 5: *K3, K2tog* five times, K4, *K3, K2tog* three times
Round 6: *K2, K2tog* five times, K4, *K2, K2tog* three times
Round 7: *K1, K2tog* five times, K4, *K1, K2tog* three times
Neck Shaping: K15, w&t, P5, w&t, K6, w&t, P6, w&t, K11

Raglan
Round 1: *K12, PM, K10, PM* twice
Round 2: *K to 2 sts before marker, SSK, SM, K2tog* four times

Round 3: K
Repeat rounds 2 & 3 once more, then repeat round 2. After you finish the last round, w&t, P14, w&t, K14. K1 round, picking up and knitting the wraps as you go.


Saddle
Round 1: K
Round 2: K 11, K2tog, K8, SSK, K10, K2tog, K8, SSK (the last SSK is going to include the first st of the next round)
Round 3: *K10, SSK, K6, K2tog* twice
Round 4: *K10, SSK, K4, K2tog* twice
Round 5: *K10, SSK, K2, K2tog* twice
Round 6: *K10, SSK, K2tog* twice
First Saddle: K11, SSK, turn, P1, P2tog, turn
Second Saddle: K13, SSK, turn, P1, P2tog, turn, K2
Neck-back: K17, SSK, turn, P6, P2tog, turn, K to end of round.

Hybrid
Round 1: K
Round 2: K10, S2KP (placing marker in this st), *K8, S2KP (placing marker in st)* three times (last S2KP will use first st of next round)

Round 3: K
Round 4: *K to within 1 st of marked st, S2KP* four times (last S2Kp will use first st of next round)
First Saddle: K to second marked st, SSK, turn, sl1, P to marked st, P2tog, turn
Shirt yoke: BO4, K2, SSK, turn, sl1, P3, *K3, SSK, turn, sl1, P3* three times, BO4
Second Saddle: K to second marked st, SSK, turn, sl1, P to marked st, P2tog, turn, BO4, K4
Neck Set-up: K4, pick up 4 sts where first saddle is bound off, pick up 6 sts along neck yoke, K4 on second saddle.

Startitis

Friday night, I opted not to set an alarm for the morning, because it was the first time I got to sleep in since September. As a result, I woke up, like any good college student that went to bed at 3AM, at 2:30PM. Since the dining halls stop serving breakfast at 1 (which is perfectly reasonable), and I didn't want oatmeal, I made these:



Well, double these. At this point half were already eaten (mainly by me, but one by Jen). I used this recipe from the Splendid Table, which pretty closely resembles the one I use at home. I also learned how to cut shortening into flour using only your hands (!), very valuable skill, and way faster than the two-knife method (and the pastry cutter method, for that matter). I had to use a little bit of baking know-how, because it was rather humid on Saturday, and instead of slowly adding the milk like I should have, I just dumped the whole thing in, getting a way-too-sticky dough. So I added flour until the right consistency. These were a bit more delicate than the ones I make at home, and I attribute that to the higher moisture content. They were still yummy though (and I made my suite mates, and Robbie, very happy).

Later Saturday, I went grocery shopping with Jen and Robbie (we were initially just dropping Robbie off at his house, because he rode his bike to campus for a leisurely bike ride, when he got a flat tire, leaving him stranded, but then we invited him along to Publix, and he actually did need to pick up a few things, so he tagged along). I had intentions of getting shortening, flour, and peanut butter, and ended up with (in addition to the aforementioned items), honey vanilla chamomile tea, apple cider, and a pomegranate:

The pomegranate is especially exciting, because I haven't had one in two years. They're only in season for a month or two, and I missed them last year because I didn't have a knife to cut one open with. They're my annual treat, and I usually only manage one because they take so long to eat. But I love it (and I loved them before they were popular too! Just like Twilight).

Hourglass is going semi-well. I tried to have the pair done before today, but, well, it just wasn't going to happen. Instead, I'm about halfway through the leg on sock #1 (something tells me I'm not going to get my OWL this term, considering I have a month to make 5.5 socks, two of which are very similar to previous pairs that have taken me a month on their own). It's looking quite nice, and I can't wait to wear them!

And then I started another pair...

Just my standard vanilla sock (JMCO, short row heel, 1x1 rib cuff, invisible BO). I can do this without looking, and it keeps my hands busy when doing lots of reading for all my exams (Seriously, it's like finals, but worse, because during finals, the tests are the only thing you have to worry about. Now I have to worry about tests in all my classes, plus homework and lab write ups at the same time. GAH!). Love the color of the yarn (the yarn itself is meh, mainly because it's being irritating and not letting me get my normal gauge when I knit continental, with means I'll have pierced skin on my index finger if I knit to aggressively...). It's Silky Sock from the Great Adirondack Yarn Company, in Serengetti II.

Oh, and today I cast on some mittens. It's terrible. I have so many WIPs going, it's getting so confusing and clutter-tastic. Must kill pile of WIPs in basket. Getting tangled with all my needles....

Insanity, with a Head Cold

Tuesday night, I carved a pumpkin:

It's a fish, couldn't you tell? This is what happens when pumpkin carving is during Aquarium Club... Sadly, the pumpkin was already smelling today, and since I'm in a dorm, with no front porch to put it out on, I had to pitch it. Before Halloween. It was tragic.

Today marked the beginning of testing-insanity. I had a midterm in marine biology today (went eh... all I can say is, thank god for curves and bio majors taking the course thinking it would be an easy A), and then a test in geology lab right after (which went swimmingly, love that class). I have an exam in the geology lecture Monday, in religion Tuesday, and one in orgo Wednesday. So, it's going to get a little crazy around here.

And did I mention I have to finish the sock pair by Monday? And that I've only just started the heel flap on the first sock? Tomorrow would be knit-like-a-mad-woman, but, that's when we're doing our Halloween celebrations (Halloween being on a Sunday). So, that involves getting stuff for costume, making costume, and going to Rho Halloween Party.

To top it all of, I feel terrible. I have a cough (nothing major, but obnoxious), I feel my sinuses pressing out of my face, and my entire body just feels sore and weak. It doesn't help that I've been running on minimal sleep for the past week, well, really the past month, because I haven't had a day to sleep in since September. Which is actually the highlight of my weekend: sleeping in Saturday. Anyway, right now, since I'm done with exams for the day and don't really have anything going on tomorrow, I'm sleeping, and drinking some of this fabulous stuff before said nap:

Warm, of course, because that's how you're supposed to drink it when you're sick, and let me tell you, it works wonders (Old Michigan family medicinal, you know?). Oh, and I'm listening to some classical music. Very calming, and exactly what I need right now.

It would probably be in my best interest not to go to Rocky Horror tonight, but you know, it's Rocky Horror, and it only happens once a year. Let's do the Time Warp again!

His Holiness

Last night, I finished a pair of socks:



Pattern: Lace and Cable Socks, by Wendy D. Johnson (in Socks from the Toe Up)
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll, in Terrain Twist
Needles: US1.5/2.5mm 40" fixed Knit Picks Options

They're currently soaking with some eucalan (and boy did they need it - the water turned cloudy as soon as the socks hit it) - so should be ready for wear in a few days (I'm working on making sock blockers, but until then, I'm reduced to laying them flat, without a fan to speed up the process, and in the humidity of South Florida, drying takes a while...)

Today, I had the honor of attending a lecture by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Not only is this man the Dalai Lama, he's logical, wise, caring, compassionate, and hilarious. Man, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a lecture before (seriously, he made French jokes, in addition to a bunch of other things that are only really funny when he says it, the way he says it). And his laugh is amazing - it needs to be made into an app or something. Sorry, I have no pics (cameras weren't allowed in if they had a video record function), but it was pretty awesome, let me tell you.

Oh, and when I was waiting for the thing to start (they said get there 90 minutes ahead of time to allow for security, which took... 2 minutes -_-), I knit quite a bit on this sock:

It's Hourglass, in some more Stroll, and converted to toe-up. I've got to say I'm loving it quite a bit - very pretty, and not all that tricky. I'm basically following the charts, and using Wendy's Generic Slip Stitch Heel. A bunch of people have said that this pattern is really finicky, but clearly they've never made a pair of complex cable socks. A few minor cables and P2togtbls? No problem. Actually, the only real problem is that I need to get this pair done before Monday. And I have a gazillion exams. I don't really know if I'll be sleeping at all for the next week...

Monday

I like the Harlot's idea of Random Monday, and I've been meaning to post all weekend. So...

1) I made an Ishbel. I love it. The yarn is awesome - a perfect shawl yarn (don't you try to tell me it's really sock yarn, because it has too much drape to be sock yarn).

Pattern: Ishbel, by Ysolda Teague, made in the shawlette size

Yarn: The Unique Sheep Tinsel Toes, in Prince of the Wood Elves

Needles: US6/4.00mm Boye Interchangables, 32"

2) I have a Marine bio exam Thursday, a Geology Lab exam Thursday, a Geology exam the following Monday, a Religion exam the following Tuesday, and an Orgo exam the following Wednesday. So, basically, I have five tests in a week, and I'm here blogging.

3) I get to see the Dalai Lama tomorrow :D

4) I finished two pairs of socks. One is super secret. The other will have pics tomorrow or Wednesday.

5) I have 20 minutes left at work, and I still haven't written my marine bio abstract. I spend most of my shift messing with charting fonts and excel. So... I'm going to be up unnecessarily late tonight.

6) I should really get on that abstract. Kthxbye.

Mango

Today, there was a farmers market on campus. That in itself is awesome, but what's more awesome is that it's going to happen every Wednesday from now on! I'm talking fresh cheese, pasta, soaps, teas, baked goods, orchids, honey, little potted herbs, kettle corn, and, of course, Florida fruits and veggies. Which leads me to my purchase:

That would be five mangoes, a lemon, and a lime, which got made into this:

I've determined that mango pie is the tropical equivalent of peach pie; it smells almost the same, and it tastes really similar (no, I haven't actually eaten it yet, but I was using a 9" pie recipient and my pie pans are 8", so there was a little left over to make a sloppy turnover-thing, which I have eaten). I can't wait to try it.

In the process of making this pie, I've discovered how to have pretty crusts without a pastry cloth: plastic wrap. Yep, you use it just like a pastry cloth, and it works wonders. Wish I had had the insight to figure this out two weeks ago when I made that blueberry-strawberry pie (which was my first, ever, BTW, making this one my second ever). I've also become much better at the whole two-knives-as-a-pastry-cutter-replacement thing. So, this pie went a lot faster than the last one. I had my first mango-prep experience (those slippery little devils). The best part? I have a leftover mango :D

Speaking of making things, last night I dyed yarn:

About 13 yards of each color, Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool natural as a base. I used food coloring and vinegar to dye, with really concentrated dye, with microwave for heat. The colors are just the mixes you find on the back of the box - 20 drops green for the green, and 17 drops yellow plus 3 drops red for the orange (technically it's orange sunset, or something like that). I'm going to make white mittens, each with a little U on the back of the hand :D

I also finished this mini-laminaria shawl Monday, and it was done blocking yesterday:

I used Knit Picks Shadow, what was leftover from the aeolian; I split the plies to get cobweb weight, and then knit the setup, one star repeat, the transition, then the edging. The thing that took forever was splitting the plies, because the singles for this yarn are really delicate, so I had to split it like DNA - breaking the strand every yard or so to relieve twisting tension, then spit splice it back together. And then sometimes the yarn would pull apart while knitting because it was so delicate. But it was really worth it - it's for the Reducio Sock! swap, so I hope my spoilee likes it!

Gray Friday

She wakes up this morning feeling refreshed. She is confused, knowing that it is not her alarm that woke her, but just a feeling of wakefulness. She glances at the clock, eyes still with sleep, and sees that, indeed she has an hour or so yet to go before it is time to wake. The day is a glad one, for it is not often that one wakes to have discovered they have awakened too early.

This is a good thing, because it means that now her body will feel rested on a good amount of sleep. It came at the price of tiredness through the rest of the week, but it does not matter, because now is the important day, the day of the test. The terrible test, that has caused much anguish, but yet, when it is over, will cause much joy, because everything will move on, back to the joyous things that are much loved in that world.

So she sleeps for the extra time she has, and wakes even more refreshed than before. She dresses, she eats, she makes herself lunch. She starts her day, furiously typing about the earth, then spends hours giving direction to those who are lost or do not know what they want. She helps her boss in creation, and sees the joy on her face when it is a success, and feels happy.

She leaves to go to the test, and discovers that it was not worth the worry, and she was well prepared for the endeavor. She finishes early, and heads home. What a joyous day, to be done with the days trials so early, in the middle of the afternoon. She rejoices at the time and freedom she now has - committing to a book that has been bugging her incessantly to be read, but that she did not have time to read. So she reads.

After a time, she is done with reading, her craving for words satisfied, and still, the hour is early. But she did not emerge from her reading refreshed, as she usually does. She emerges somewhat saddened. The silence in the room is oppressive, and she feels she must not talk, for fear of disturbing something delicate, yet fearful. It saddens her. Her mind is empty. She does not know what to do with her time. The skies gray, and it starts to rain. She knows the sun will come out soon, but it does not help alleviate the sadness.

She feels trapped - her friends have all planned to cook that night, something that could potentially be great fun. But she was planning on something else. She was going to go out, and see friends who she has not seen in two weeks. But if she is to do that, she cannot be with her friends and the cooking. Which saddens her. If she stays, she cannot see the other friends. The cooking will make her miss her family, miles and miles away. It will make her miss the kitchen, and all the things she's used to having. She will want to add, and create, and make joy with her friends through food, but it will not happen. Such conflict in the soul.

What she really wants is to cook now instead of later, and then after to head out to see her other friends, the ones she has not seen in two weeks, with one of her cooking friends, who also knows these other friends. And be happy and joyous together. She wants her cooking friends to stop their work on this Friday, because Friday is the day of rest. Friday is the day to relax, and let the work rest aside. She cannot adapt her day of rest to be the same as their day of rest, because habit will not let her. She tried changing months before, but was unsuccessful.

For now, she can only hope for the best, because she felt like this the week before, and it all worked out well. And already the clouds are clearing.

Real Quick...

Shall I emulate the Harlot with Random Monday? I think I shall.

1 - I just switched to Google Chrome. About an hour ago. I love it.

2 - Started school about two weeks ago now. Life went from monotony to super-busy. No real time for an in-depth blog post.

3 - I should be doing my Marine Bio reading right now. I have a quiz tomorrow.

4 - And, after I get done with my not-being-done marine bio reading, I should be doing orgo. I have a test next week.

5 - There's lots of thunder and lightning outside right now. This could be why:

6 - I have lots of knit stuff to show you, so I made a movie for your viewing pleasure:

7 - I went on a dive this weekend:

Jealous?

Social, Lack-thereof

Today, in the shower, while I was listening to at least one of my suite mates getting ready to go out for a Friday night in Miami - with more of my friends, but to which I was not invited, nor really wanted to go to anyway - I came to a conclusion: I simply never learned the ways of a teenage social life.

Sure, I had play dates, went over friends houses, etc. when I was in elementary and middle school, but most of those were arranged by my mom or my friends' moms. I never really figured out how to approach the "let's hang out" bridge - it's always seemed awkward to me. Then I hit high school, and my life outside of academics dwindled down to a sparing school play or something similar. It didn't seem odd to me - after all, it wasn't like I never saw my friends, it was just always in an academic setting. We hung out at lunch, at the various club functions we were forced to go to if we wanted to retain membership, had fun in the classes we had together, made a comedy routine out of doing a big group project; we just, never "hung out." I didn't have time. Most of my friends never had time, either.

I thought this might be the root of the problem: while I was a tad socially awkward, well, so were my friends. My close friends anyway - we were all so busy that the art of socializing like a normal teenager never really developed. Like I said, this never seemed to be a problem, because we all saw each other and talked in school.

Then college came around, and this came back to bite me in the butt: more free time meant much more time to socialize like a normal teenager, something at which I was totally unskilled. I did accomplish some things, but felt left out of a lot of the fun (or at least events). Some of this I blamed on lack of texting. Some of this I blamed on my over-courteousness, never just barging into rooms, always waiting to be invited. I thought I was out of the loop because I wasn't in the middle of the party, if you will. So I decided to surround myself in it in a suite this year.

I don't know if it's working (though it's only day four). Well, it's working a little: I know when we're going to dinner, and have many more opportunities to talk with everyone and find out what's happening over the course of the week. But... I'm still out of the loop. Maybe this is on purpose: my friends know I won't enjoy staying sober and watching them all get wasted, but there's no way I'm getting wasted along with them, so no fun all around. Maybe they're doing me a favor. But there's still something, something that I'm missing. Maybe it's that the means of communication were just established, and not everyone has gotten around to adapting (I'm talking about you, JKL). It just feels weird, being one of the two people that initially met, causing the pre-nuclei of the group that formed (the true nucleus formed later, but I was part of that), and being so out of the loop.

It wasn't my friends in high school that caused me to be this way, it was me. Perhaps I just don't have that teenage social instinct: I fear that what I like to do isn't what everyone else wants to do. My tastes range in small child and middle-aged to old woman. My personality has a singularity right around my current age, causing extreme awkwardness. Maybe I would have broken some of that if I had slowly developed the social skills along with my peers in high school, but there's no way to ever know.

For now, I have to find a way to make me happy.

Monotony

So, I haven't been here in a while. I apologize. My life's been a little monotonous lately:
wake up, take a leisurely breakfast, lifeguard, come home, shower, bed

-OR-

wake up, lifeguard, come home, shower, hang with family, bed

All the while knitting.

And knitting.

And knitting.

Please enjoy a movie presentation of what I've been knitting since my last post (all available on my rav page)

Oh, and an Aeolian.

I'm really proud of it. I think the only reason I may go to my step-cousin's wedding in October is so I can wear it in all it's glory.

The End

1. Semester is over. Thank goodness. I survived.

2. Knee socks are done, they work wonderfully.

3. Gloves for Mother's Day done. Felted. Given to Mom. She loves them ridiculously.

4. Done test-knitting new Malabrigo sock yarn. Love it. A little splitty. A little slippery (wood needles are good for this stuff). We'll see how they wear...

5. Made a market bag. Love it. Best. Bag. Ever.

6. I made cookies. Welcome home.

Overwhelmed

So, I was minding my own business, happily going along with the semester, when, all of a sudden, the semester hit me.

It hit me hard.

It all started last Monday, which officially marked the "four weeks left of classes" mark. I went from happily trotting along to drowning (how I went from walking to being under water, we will not discuss). I thought last week was bad, but it turns out this week is worse. Here's the rest of this week's work (take note that it is Tuesday and I was up until 1AM doing work yesterday, having started at 2:30PM):



Not to mention all the other things I have to get done before the end of April.

I have to read these:



Library books, so I have to get them done because I can't take them home with me (only so many renewals my dear...). I have to play this:



OK, it isn't extremely vital that I play this before I go home, but my brother got the corresponding game, HeartGold, at the same time, and is already miles ahead of me. Normally I kick his butt at Pokemon games (and it's the one game I do; I used to own Mario Kart, but we're now even at that...).

Oh, and then there's these:



Socks need to get done before Sunday. I'm not going through another week of boot-rash. I'm about halfway through the calf increases on sock #2, so hopefully, with class-knitting and the LYS, I'll get it done. The other ball of yarn is for some felting stuff I need to get done.

My only compensation for all of this is that, 1) On Saturday I'm going on a coral restoration dive, and, 2) after I get all of this done (as in, everything for the semester), it will be summer, and I'll be home.

Wish me luck.

Voluntarily Bedridden

See the FOs! Revel in their glory! Because I haven't been able to upload pics until recently! For more detailed narratives of each project, see my Ravelry page.

On the note of knee socks, I've finished the first:




and am on the ankle part (pre-calf-increases) of the second part. Not particularly helpful because I really need the socks in the morning, but oh well - I'll have them for next week. Well, that is, if this week isn't as horrid as the last. I think I got a couple inches of knitting in, at most. It took me three days just to get through the cuff and BO of sock #1, I was so busy.

!!!EXCITING NEWS!!!
So, I went to my LYS yesterday, like I always do, every Friday, and while knitting away at above-mentioned knee socks, one of the owners asked if I would like to test knit something. I asked what, because I was under the impression it was a pattern, but it turned out to be yarn. Testing yarn. New, MALABRIGO sock yarn. That, if I decided to test, I would get for free.



Um, yeah. I took the yarn. And was giddy. And happy. And apologizing to the hanks of yarn I was planning on knitting into socks, because this hank immediately shot up to the top of the queue. Oh, and I have to rate it, give comments, feedback, etc. We'll see how it does.

So...

I've come to the conclusion that my roommate has voluntarily made herself bedridden. She lives in the bed. My evidence:

• I am surprised when I come back the room, and the door is locked, because it's never locked when she's in there.
• The huge pile of Special K bar wrappers in the little nook next to her bed. Clearly she can't be bothered to get up and go to the trash can, which brings us to
• the overflowing trash can, which she cannot be bothered to empty.
• The sitting in the room in the dark all day. (OK, I don't really know how this is evidence, but it's weird)
• Always asking me to turn off her light for her (I realize this contradicts my thesis, because she does have to get up to turn the light on, but she also has to get up to go to the bathroom, so maybe she does it then).
• The boxes of granola bars next to her bed, along with drinks, and the ability for her to reach across the small space separating the bed and my loft to reach into the fridge.
• The laptop that's always on the bed, her lap, or the little ledge next to the bed.
• Her towel never moves from the drying rack. Does she not shower?

I'm glad I'm only her roommate for another month. I'm starting to feel Josh's pain (but at least I'm not a gay guy living with a room-bound homophob).

The Kindness of the Internet

Sometimes, software and such doesn't work. It's not our fault. It just happens. And then we leave it, and move on. About a month ago, I had written up two posts that got eaten by the Internet, Picasa, blogger, whatever. I spent a great deal of time on them, and was upset that they disappeared. Well, today when I logged into blogger, there they were. Sitting there, as drafts. Where they've been for the past month, I do not know, but I've been avoiding posting because there was no way to post photos. I'll probably do a big catch-up post a little later.


A few things now (I'm copying the Harlot, if you couldn't tell):

1) I'm knitting a pair of knee socks. I need them done before I go to bed on Saturday. With my self imposed schedule, I should have been done with sock #1 yesterday. I'm an inch or two away from the ribbing, and will probably finish tomorrow or the next day. I guess I'm getting rubber boot rash for one more Sunday.

2) I'm a little worried about my roommate. All she seems to do is sleep, and sit in her bed with her laptop, either on facebook or skyping or talking on the phone. She never seems to change positions on her bed, or move from it at all. I mean, I guess she can move around when I'm not in the room, but it's a little worrying.

3) Speaking of stuck in a cycle, she never seems to do any homework either, and then (when she has a test) complains that she is in so much trouble because she hasn't taken the plastic wrap off the book. Well, that's your fault now, isn't it? Stop complaining.

4) One last thing about the roommate, which I don't quite understand. She likes to close the hurricane shutters and sit, on her bed with her laptop, in the dark.

????

Oh, and then, instead of opening the shutters, she turns on the light, which isn't as bright as the, you know, sun. I really don't get her thought process.

5) I got Pokemon SoulSilver on Sunday. Love it, almost to the first gym, but I have no time at all to play it. Busy week. In the meantime, my brother got HeartGold, and is on spring break, so it zooming ahead. Wish I had the time.

6) Going on a coral restoration dive on the 17th. Should be fun

Yep. Think that's it. Have a good week.

Random Strangers

Well, a week and a half ago, at work, I wrote up this wonderful post on all my Olympic endeavors. I detailed every project I had made during the Olympics: the yarn, pattern, how long they took, etc. I hit "Publish Post." And then the Internet decided to stop working, and eat all that work I had put into the post. Needless to say, I was devastated, but I was not going to write that thing again. I detailed everything in Do the FO Dance, except for these:



May I introduce to you Midnight Water? Made out of a hank of Malabirgo Sock in perisa, these are a glorious treat for the feet. I loooooooove them, and they made me discover the Universal Toe-Up Sock Formula, which is what I've been searching for for months. Yay! Excpet I use JMCO instead of short rows for the toe, but that's just because it's that fantastic.

Speaking of socks, I'm working on these:



The blue-ish ones are out of a hand of bare I dyed with food coloring and vinegar (because the must-desired blue kool-aid is avoiding me), and are the only ones actually in progress. I actually almost have the toe done on the second sock, but it wouldn't have looked very good in the picture, so I left it out. The red ones are actually hibernating. I'm going to pick them up again once I finish the blue ones, a pair of red ones of my own design (!), and a pair of knee socks. The fit well though, and I love them. Can't wait to have them done. Also dyed this yarn myself, with red and orange kool-aid.

I got a starghan finished for my grandma, and sent it off to Petoskey today. I know she'll love it, and it warms my heart to make something for her before... you know... she... I can't say it. She's old, has health problems, and time is limited.



Finished these a week ago:



They're my "outdoor gloves" because they're the warmest, even though they don't really cover my wrists.

Finished this on Saturday, and wore it out today:



Strangest thing today: it must be "random strangers talk to me" day. Seriously, I was in CVS, picking up some sunscreen for my trip up to Disney World for spring break on Friday, when some random guy walks past me in the aisle, stops, and said he liked my "handbag."

????????????

Sketchy all by itself (and the fact that he called it a handbag, but that might be what they call purses in Florida), my gay-dar wasn't even going off. So, random straight guy telling me he likes my purse and asking me where I bought it, then walking off, leaving me standing in the aisle annoyed that CVS doesn't carry NO-AD sunscreen.

Then, on the way back from Target on the metro (nope, Target doesn't carry NO-AD either...), some guy asks me what knitting technique I was using. This is more normal, because I was standing, waiting, and knitting a sock. I get questions about my knitting when I knit in public all the time (once had a very interesting conversation with a guy on the trolley who thought it was physically impossible to knit a cabled sweater). Anyway, I was confused by the question (did this guy really know enough about knitting to know that there are three different ways to knit on the round, and wanted to know which one I was using?). I asked for a clarification, and it turns out this poor, misinformed civilian was under the impression that crochet was a type of knitting. I quickly set him straight, but it was still odd that in a single day (within two hours actually), and was asked random, atypical questions by random strangers.