New Knits!

For a blog that is supposed to be about knitting, crocheting, and other handcrafting, it has sure turned into a rant circus. This entry will focus mainly on some recently completed knits. First up: the Ribbed Lace Bolero.

The collar is slightly turned up in this picture. I actually prefer the collar unturned.


Getting a flattering "back" picture was nearly impossible. Especially since I wasn't the one taking it. :)

I knit this bolero with size 8 and 10.5 needles. The yarn - 2 skeins of Lion Brand Cotton Ease in "Violet." This yarn has great stitch definition, and it was very easy on the hands. My only complaint is that it stretches dramatically with wear. Because of this, I knit the lace portion shorter than called for in the pattern. Also, instead of seaming 3.25 inches on each side, I just seamed 3 inches. (I didn't feel like trying to seam the lace.)


The other project I'd like to showcase is the Spring Beret. The pattern is only available on Ravelry, so you'll have to search for it if you're interested. I knitted this hat with size 8 and 9 needles. I used 2 skeins of Sugar n' Cream in "Cream."


Blocking on a dinner plate.




An aerial "action" shot of the beret.


The beret as viewed from the back.

I like this beret, and I think I'll wear it often. I have one gripe, though. I think the ribbing around the brim is too loose. If I were to knit this again, I'd do the ribbing with a size 6 needle.

In other news, I celebrated my 24th birthday a couple of weeks ago. I mentioned a visit to Kai's parents' house in my last post, and I thought I'd elaborate here. We did all of the regular birthday stuff - dinner, cake, singing. I was presented with three very cool gifts. First - Fitted Knits by Stefanie Japel. I've already got my first project picked out, but I'm not going to mention it here until I actually cast on the stitches. I'm notorious for changing my mind.

Second - I got a beautiful rose plant. Here's a picture:


I'm trying my hardest not to kill it!

And last but not least - SNAIL EGGS!



Kai's little brother found the biggest land snail I've ever seen a couple of years ago and decided to keep "him" as a pet. He named the snail Gary, and one day Gary laid some man eggs. Those eggs hatched, and now Gary has about a million clones living with him. Anywho, Gary's been faithfully laying for a while now, and because of that I became the lucky recipient of one of Gary's man-clutches. I've been watching the jar like a hawk since I first got it, and so far there's been no signs of life. In fact, just today I noticed that the eggs are beginning to look shriveled. That can't be a good sign. I'm a bad snail mother! I hope Gary is having lots of fun with himself because it looks like I'll need another batch.

Murder Next Door

I bet it comes as no surprise that I am NOT happy with my current domicile. I could list all of the things I hate, but that would take hours, and it would probably make me very upset. (I don't like to stir up anger-inducing thoughts when it's not absolutely necessary.) Anyway, a proverbial cherry plopped onto my hate sundae a couple of Fridays ago - March 26th, 2010 to be exact. Kai and I had spent that evening at his parents' house celebrating my birthday. I got lots of cool stuff, which I'll save for another "happier" post. We ate dinner, had cake, and watched New Moon (don't waste your time - it so wasn't worth it). Upon returning home, we pulled into one of the parking lots at our complex at 10:27pm (I looked at the clock, so I remember!) to find about 15 police cars, 20 or so cops, and crime scene tape draped on the stairs to our apartment. Much to Kai's dismay, I freaked out. My dogs were in the apartment, and I was concerned for their safety! Kai made a u-turn and parked in the next parking lot. I rushed out of the car and saw that the crime scene tape extended to my neighbor's entrance, but not mine. I found my dogs safe and sound inside of my apartment. Whew!

I took Xerxes outside to pee, and I tried as hard as I could to figure out what was going on behind that tape without looking nosey. I suppose I could have walked over and asked, but I doubt anyone would have told me anything. I took Xerxes back inside and brought Darby out for her turn. Immediately she gave me that "I'm-not-going-past-the-door-there-are-people-and-scary-lights" look. I dragged her out anyway. When I made it to the grass, a girl approached me and asked me what had happened. I told her I didn't know, and she then informed me that she lived in the apartment that had garnered so much attention. (Is it a shock that I don't know what my neighbors look like?) She walked over to the police officers, and I overheard them interrogating her. They wanted to know who she was, where she was coming from, and everything she could possibly tell them about her roommate. I went back inside after about 5 minutes. I couldn't pretend that I was out there so that Darby could pee anymore. It was pretty obvious she wanted nothing more than to go back inside.

I spent about half an hour looking up news stories and searching police blotters via the internet. The sheer amount of police officers told me that something really bad had taken place. I found nothing on the internet, and nothing played on the news that night. I woke up the next morning desperate to know what had happened. A neighbor that I sometimes chat with was outside with her dog, so I walked out to see if she'd heard anything. She's always full of information, and I knew that if anyone could tell me anything, it would be her. Luckily, she knew exactly what happened. In fact, she'd heard it! She said that a girl had been shot in the head around 10:15pm, and that the assailant was on the loose. (Her description was a bit more detailed and gruesome, but I'll spare you the details.) Boy did I feel better. Not only was he on the loose, but he had run right through the area that I would have been standing with one of my dogs had I gotten home ten minutes earlier! At this point more witnesses showed up to join in on the conversation. They saw everything unfold - the assailant jumping from the shadows, the shooting, and the escape.

As we all went our separate ways, I saw that a crime scene cleaning crew had arrived. They stayed for most of the day, removing what was left of the poor girl. As night fell, it was like nothing had ever happened. I saw no flowers, no mourners, no nothing. I couldn't help but think about how strange it was that not a shred of evidence was left where a girl had lived and died not 24 hours ago.

I can't get out fast enough...

Pretentious Much?

Here and there I've seen people make comments about the importance of higher education. They say things like: "For goodness sakes! It's 2010, get an education!" or "When will people understand that education should take priority in their lives?" or (my favorite) "A Bachelor's degree is not enough. You need to go to graduate school." I mostly see these comments on Facebook, written by people who obviously didn't foot the bill for their education.

I think it's fair to say that most parents pay for their children's education. When I was in school, I knew of not one person other than myself who was paying for their tuition. Mommy and Daddy financed everything. Yes, there are people who get scholarships and grants, but those are few and far between. Coming from a white, middle class family, I got zip. I believe all financial aid should be income and merit based. I don't think race, sports ability, parents' education, etc. should be considered. And yes, they offered scholarships to people who lacked a college educated parent where I went to school. Imagine my disgust when I learned that one particular girl (who came from a foreign, well-off family) was getting a free ride because neither of her parents attended "college." To add insult to injury, she was taking remedial courses.

I think it's a shame that these kids of privilege haven't a clue how much a degree actually costs. They speak as though the masses can afford college-level education, and that people who don't go to college or graduate school are lazy and a drain on society.

One day, those who judge will find themselves in the real world.

Yarn, Yarn, and More Yarn!

I am cursed with a terrible affliction. This regrettable condition causes me to obsessively buy and store yarn. I feel this constant nagging deep in my soul. It speaks to me and says things like, "One day you may not be able to buy yarn," or "Later in life you'll only be able to afford acrylic." In all seriousness, though, I do like to stock up on yarn. I like to have options. I like being able to root through my tubs to find gems I had long since forgotten. I like knowing that I could retire comfortably just on the stash I have now. (Well, that's almost true. I might need 2 or 3 more tubs for retirement.) And most of all, I like buying sale yarn in bulk.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to organize my stash. I took 6 tubs and labeled them with index cards. I then filled (more like stuffed) the tubs with the appropriate skeins, and I stacked them in my closet neatly. I'm hardly ever neat, so the fact that I took this step is a big deal. I feel better now that everything is organized. I'm able to find things much more easily, and my yarn is no longer within Darby's reach. Here's a picture of my handiwork:


Along the side you can see the set of plastic drawers that Kai bought for me. I'm using them to store everything I can't fit in the tubs. Right now it's kind of bare, but I have a feeling I won't encounter any trouble filling it.

Today I received another shipment of yarn, so I ended up filling the two bottom drawers with my KnitPicks sock yarn. KnitPicks has had Stroll Kettle Dyed sock yarn on sale for a while now, so I bought a bunch of it. I also bought a bunch of regular Stroll sock yarn and some bare sock yarn since they didn't have any "white." I've been buying lots of sock yarn lately. It's my new "thing."


Clockwise from top left: Stroll in "Forest Heather," Stroll in "Ash," Stroll in "Merlot Heather," and Stroll in "Carbon Twist"
Middle: "Bare" sock yarn


Clockwise from top left: Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Jay" (2 balls), Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Spruce," Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Bordeaux," Felici in "Aquarium" (2 balls), Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Wine," and Stroll Kettle Dyed in "Soot"

In addition to all of the yarn, I also bought my first pattern books. Usually I use free patterns. Paying $7 for one pattern seems a little excessive - even to me. Anyway, I bought Knitting Vintage Socks and French Girl Knits.


I knew I'd be safe with Knitting Vintage Socks. My friend, Sara, owns the book, and she told me that it was worthwhile. I took a risk with French Girl Knits, though. I bought both books through Amazon, and both were decently priced. Knitting Vintage Socks was around $14 and French Girl Knits was around $16.

My main gripe is that Amazon does not post pictures of the finished objects that can be made using the patterns in the books. Such pictures would not make anyone less likely to buy the book. In fact, I think the absence of pictures is very detrimental to the sale of pattern books on the internet. I guess it really isn't my problem, but pattern books are so much cheaper on the internet than in a regular bookstore.

Well, I think this post is long enough. I should get back to knitting the baby sock I've been trying to finish for the past few days. It's high time I move on to some Etsy projects!

What? The Curtains?

I spend lots of time on Ravelry looking for projects that I can use to decorate my non-existent house. I dream of being able to outfit my home with lots of handmade heirloom items. Tablecloths and doilies are a given. Even tea cozies and runners can be made into great focal pieces.

But until a couple of days ago, I had never thought of curtains!

KnitPicks is offering this fantabulous pattern for free. I think the style is absolutely lovely. It's neither too dainty nor too drab, and I think such a curtain would look beautiful on a small kitchen window.

This curtain could easy be made from a cone or two of Peaches & Creme yarn. In fact, I think this may be one of those rare projects where making it yourself would cost less than buying it!

On Religion and Such

...and now for some thoughts completely unrelated to knitting, crocheting, and dogs:

In light of the "Healthcare Debate" that's currently taking place, I've got something I'd like to address.

Abortion. Everyone's fighting over whether it should or should not be covered by insurance. Here's my thought: it should. Why? Because fertility treatments are. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and as such, if you believe abortion is murder, don't get an abortion. However, I usually find that the same people who vehemently oppose abortion are completely supportive of fertility treatments. I see it this way - If you believe that every fertilized egg has a soul and is a gift from God, why would you artificially join an egg and a sperm and then place it into an already proven volatile uterus? When a woman goes in for IVF, many eggs are removed from her body so that they can be fertilized externally. Most, if not all, of those fertilized eggs will die. They'll either die in the dish, or they'll die when they're transferred. Apart from the fact that the participants are trying to achieve pregnancy through an artificial process (and not the one that their God intended), they are purposefully and willfully creating fertilized eggs (with souls!) to put in harm's way. It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. The same goes for other forms of fertility treatment. Each and every treatment has the potential to result in the death of a fertilized egg or embryo. Regardless of intentions, murder is murder.

I always laugh a little when I hear women who are pregnant with an absurd amount of babies say, "I could never do selective reduction (selectively aborting some of the fetuses so that the others have a better shot at survival). God gave me these babies." I'm sorry, but last time I checked, God gave you no babies. If God had wanted you to carry a child, you would not have had to go in for treatment. Now, because of your selfishness, you've put the lives of 5,6,7,8 children in jeopardy.


My second thought has nothing to do with abortion. It's about evolution. I am sick and tired of listening to people say that they don't believe in evolution because "man did not evolve from an ape/monkey/gorilla/etc." Please, if you're going to debate evolution, get your facts straight. No one said man evolved from an ape. If, in fact, man did evolve from an ape, there would be no apes in existence. Darwin said humans and apes share a common ancestor. That's quite a bit different. Once again, I believe everyone is entitled to their opinion. If you don't believe in evolution for whatever reason, that's perfectly fine with me. Using twisted facts to defend your view, is not.

Milestone

Today, March 5th, 2010, I hit a student loan milestone. In November of '09, my NJ Class student loans totaled somewhere in the area of $28,500. As of today, I only owe $16,157 and some change. I hope to continue this awesome progress during 2010. It is my goal to completely pay off my NJ Class loans somewhere in the middle of 2011, at which point I will have one Discover student loan at ~$2,500 and my Government Direct Loan at ~$19,000. My NJ Class loans carry a much higher interest rate, which is why I've been throwing loads of money at them. Once my NJ Class loans are paid off, my combined monthly loan payment will be a much more reasonable $172.13.