Notes from the Something

The internet.

Do you think people know that I'm being ironic and goofy when I say OMG? Or does it make me sound like a teenager? NeXt ThInG YoU kNow I'Ll bE tYpIn LiKe OnE.... and purrrrrposelyyyyy misspellinggggg thingssss like my little cousins do on Facebooook....,,,,,.... 

More Knitting Goodness!

I finally sat down at the right time of day to do a knitting photoshoot... when the sky is the gray and the grass is brown, my motivation to pull my camera out plummets to nearly zero. I need to figure out how to Photoshop February and March out of my life, seriously. So here's the latest on (and off) the needles! (If you're on Ravelry, find me here!)

Socks #2 for my mom -- Mermaidia by Christine Jeffery, Dream in Color Smooshy in Gray Tabby purchased from EatSleepKnit (<--- love them!)

These are my first toe up socks, and I like it! From a technique perspective, I like both ways equally, but you can't beat finishing the ball of yarn and not having to estimate and pray that you'll have enough, but not too much left. I think I'll go toe up from now on! I am doing them 2 at a time, as well, but that's old hat to me after all the longies I've made. I am so tickled by heel construction! Plus, I think Judy's Magic Cast-on actually IS magic.

I am a little disappointed in the yarn though.. It's beautiful, but a bit splitty and fuzzy - the way people talk about it you'd think it was heaven on earth. I'm not sure if I'd use it again -- there are an awful lot of sock yarns out there I'd like to try!

I am making these for my Defense Against the Dark Arts homework -- the assignment: Constant Vigilance! A project you really need to pay attention to, and they certainly qualify -- as well as for Sockdown March - lace socks. Having a goal in mind - especially one with yummy prizes! really helps me stay motivated to finish stuff up and not just cast it on and forget about it.

Next up on the Sock Agenda:

~Melanie's socks - I bought this yarn from a Raveler's stash because I was getting something else from her, but didn't love it in real life as much as the picture she had. Fortunately, it was perfect timing because we had a raffle to help a very dear friend in need -- it was a great team effort, many people donated prizes and helped out! -- and I donated a pair of custom socks knit from this yarn! It was quite the popular prize *own horn tooting*. I'll make them for April Sockdown, not sure what pattern yet. It's Gypsy Girls Fingering Weight in the Holly colorway. Not my style, but a beautiful yarn!

~Jenny's socks - she chose Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Seaside colorway, which I bought from the same Raveler as above... perhaps May Sockdown, perhaps not. I really want to make Leyburn socks so we'll see. Here's the yarn for that. I am always surprised by my friends' choices!! It's a beautiful color but I never would have pegged it as a Jenny color, I'm glad I let her pick her own.

Languishing on the needles is still my Invisibility Cloak... a beautiful laceweight circular shawl from Knit & Knag - Mystic Star. I love the first 3 parts but the 4th just doesn't speak to me (the outside ring on her page, with the Norwegian looking stars) so I want to do something different. It was supposed to be my second OWL for House Cup, but oh well, at least I got one done! I just hope I am motivated to finish it. 

And a new cast on I am loving at the moment... from the FABULOUS book Continuous Cables by Melissa Leapman. The cable designs in it are like nothing I've ever seen -- very fresh and exciting, especially to someone like me who is enthralled by knitting engineering LOL (It'll be the next big thing at MIT, I'm sure). A pillow cover I semi-designed, in the sense that I am using a stitch pattern from the book but I totally decided how many to cast on and where to put them (in other words, as little design as a person can possibly do and still sort of claim it as original). It's for "my" room at my dear friends' house - I live in their guest room sometimes, and it's been Dev's Room as long as it's existed, so I felt I should contribute a little bit of me to it. It's Cascade Eco+, also purchased secondhand from a Raveler - that trade/sell feature is downright dangerous!! 

And look at this super cute bag I got to hold my project in!! It's compact yet extremely roomy, certainly big enough for at least half of an adult sweater - I have an 8oz cake of Eco+ in it with room to spare in the photo! I bought it from Miss Fiber Fox on Etsy -- she's having a 20% off sale right now and her stuff is SO pretty! 

I have another FO that just needs a final touch before I can share it, but I am very excited about it!!

I also need to post my Sock Knitting Promises (so y'all can keep me honest), some sewing stuff (mostly about how I don't sew), and my April Resolutions  aka Fix, Finish, or FROG! If you are not a knitter, I am so sorry to bore you and I promise lots of non-crafty content as well!

Travel Bug

Reasons Why I Am Mildly Interesting #1: 

Two years ago, I decided to quit my job, pack up my life, cash in my savings, and travel for a while. No real plan or destination, I just figured I'd see some of the cool stuff in the world that I was going to miss if I stayed where I was ... I figured once I had tenure in my teaching job and bought myself a house, there was no way I'd ever leave. I had every intention of keeping a travel blog, but the best I did was emails home, a Flickr album, and the occasional post on Travels with Swatchy. I do want to share my travel stuff here, though, because it was the most amazing set of experiences!! I can't even tell you what was my favorite - a month of yoga in the Bahamas? Trekking in Thailand? River tubing in Vang Vieng, Laos?  6 weeks in Italy? Portland? Fiji? 5 Months in Australia?

But I WILL tell you about all of it, eventually. Bit by bit, most likely. But it's a start.

I have been home for periods on and off since then, and the itchy feet are calming down a bit, but not nearly as much as I thought - I walked past the travel book section at the library the other day and got weak in the knees. There are so many places I haven't been yet! Including England, where I am MOVING in just a few weeks!

So tell me, where have YOU always wanted to go?? Maybe it will be next on my list ;)

In England, they're called Polo.

When I was 4, I choked on a Life Saver (ironically) and almost died. Which is an odd segue into this: I saved The Meatball's life last night. Seriously! 

We went out to dinner for Heidi (Meatball's mama)'s b-day, some family members came down - there were 7 of us altogether (not counting babies). The Meatball was in the stroller between Heidi and me, and she was doing stuff with him and I was talking to someone across the table. So all of a sudden Heidi starts freaking out, Help, help, and she can't get him out of the stroller. He'd been coughing a second ago but he wasn't anymore, he wasn't breathing. So I get the strap off and yank him out of the stroller, and turn him upside down on my hand and hit his back, then I stick my finger in his mouth to sweep his throat - he coughed, and then he gagged and spit up a little, and he was fine. It was crazy!! Heidi was crying and hugging him, and everyone was like, Oh my god!!! 

I am not the kind of person that freaks out, EVER. I just don't worry about stuff... I am extremely calm in a crisis. I'm not trying to toot my own horn (though I often do it without trying ;) ), it's just a fact. Maybe the day will come when it will be necessary to worry more, but it hasn't happened yet.

So even though everyone was freaking out, I was totally calm and I knew, like I knew, like I KNEW, that  everything was going to be fine. It was like I went into autopilot! After, I apologized to Heidi for taking over, but I said I know parents sometimes get too worked up and I knew what to do. And she said, thank God you did because I just froze! Afterwards I felt the adrenalin rush, my heart racing like I'd just been in a car accident or something - weak kneed, the whole bit. Definitely one of the most intense experiences of my life! It was only after the fact that I realized what a scary situation it actually was.

Now, the FUNNY part, was that just as this all was happening, the waiter came out with Heidi's cake and lit candles and they were singing Happy Birthday. Everyone was like, "NO!" and they had to stand there holding the cake until everything was ok, then we sang. 

She said it was definitely a birthday to remember! Hopefully her 36th will be less eventful... ;)