And the winner is... Sadiekate. I've messaged you on Ravelry for shipping info.
In other random news, last Wednesday was my mother's birthday. She told me awhile back that her semi-boyfriend Bob (YES... my mother, the "I will never date again" woman, has a semi-boyfriend) is taking her to Jekyll Island Thursday. She mentioned she wished I could come but knew I had classes.
Ah, but Thursday I do NOT have classes this semester. So Alex got Wednesday night off work, we drove down Wednesday afternoon after my classes, and surprised her. Luckily she was waiting at home for the computer repair guy to show up.
Thursday Bob, my mom, Alex, and I went to Jekyll Island and rode bikes around and had lunch and fell asleep on the beach. If you live in the southern Georgia/northern Florida area, Jekyll Island is a must see. It's a state park, but not in the sense that most are. They've got bike trails all around the island and have historic "cottages" of all the rich cats from back in the day and ruins and a small cemetery from the early 1700s.
Unfortunately when I pulled out my camera the morning of, the batteries died. And I forgot to bring my charger up. So there are no pictures.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The knitting bug has left me... giveaway!
Ever since I sat alone for 3 1/2 hours waiting for someone -- ANYONE -- to show up to the first attempt at a knitting club meeting at a LAN center Alex frequents, I have no knitting mojo.
(And for the record, I shouldn't have been waiting in vain. Three people confirmed they were coming. I suppose I should've known better than to really expect people to show up when they say they're going to. When I'm offering free knitting lessons. That they requested.)
Anyway, end rant.
So to help jumpstart the knitting bug, I'm hosting a giveaway. Pictured below is some of my recycled yarn that I've dyed. This particular colorway is called Garden Sky and is a light blue base with muted red and purple striking through it.
Yardage: Each skein is 215 yards, for a total of 430 yards
Weight: I'd say it's fingering-ish. It's lighter than sport, but not quite lace.
Fiber: 100% wool. Whether this wool will felt or not is a mystery to me.
You can enter up to three times, in the following manner:
1. Comment on this post with what you're currently knitting and/or a project you're considering knitting the future.
2. Become a follower of the blog.
3. Post about this giveaway on YOUR blog and post another comment here linking to it.
Giveaway entries will end Saturday April 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. On Sunday I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner.
Also, take a look at Never Not Knitting's amazing giveaway of 12 skeins and a beautiful colorwork knitting book over at her blog.
(And for the record, I shouldn't have been waiting in vain. Three people confirmed they were coming. I suppose I should've known better than to really expect people to show up when they say they're going to. When I'm offering free knitting lessons. That they requested.)
Anyway, end rant.
So to help jumpstart the knitting bug, I'm hosting a giveaway. Pictured below is some of my recycled yarn that I've dyed. This particular colorway is called Garden Sky and is a light blue base with muted red and purple striking through it.
Yardage: Each skein is 215 yards, for a total of 430 yards
Weight: I'd say it's fingering-ish. It's lighter than sport, but not quite lace.
Fiber: 100% wool. Whether this wool will felt or not is a mystery to me.
You can enter up to three times, in the following manner:
1. Comment on this post with what you're currently knitting and/or a project you're considering knitting the future.
2. Become a follower of the blog.
3. Post about this giveaway on YOUR blog and post another comment here linking to it.
Giveaway entries will end Saturday April 24, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. On Sunday I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner.
Also, take a look at Never Not Knitting's amazing giveaway of 12 skeins and a beautiful colorwork knitting book over at her blog.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Pseudo-quilting
Precisely what I thought would happen. I am semi-addicted to cutting geometric fabric shapes and sewing them together. I call it pseudo-quilting because a) most online sources are pretty damn vague with no pictures, so I'm sure there's something I'm doing wrong with the piecing and b) I'm not doing any batting and bottom piecing, just pretty little top pieces that are not quilts but small projects.
Like this wall-hanging that will have to be sideways because blogger does not rotate pictures:
And this decidedly not-a-square that is my first piece ever.
And my kitchen counter currently looks like this:
Eventually I intend to make a real quilt, but for now I'd rather practice on small stuff than have a half-assed giant project.
On another note, as I was looking for a random online class to take this summer so I can finish school in a year and a half if need be (in case Alex gets stationed somewhere good that I want to move to. Like Hawaii. Or Italy. Or anywhere not on the continental United States).
Anywho, I found a theatre class called "Sex, Drugs, and the Rock and Roll Musical." And it's taught by a man named James Brown. You can bet I signed up for it right then and there.
Like this wall-hanging that will have to be sideways because blogger does not rotate pictures:
And this decidedly not-a-square that is my first piece ever.
And my kitchen counter currently looks like this:
Eventually I intend to make a real quilt, but for now I'd rather practice on small stuff than have a half-assed giant project.
On another note, as I was looking for a random online class to take this summer so I can finish school in a year and a half if need be (in case Alex gets stationed somewhere good that I want to move to. Like Hawaii. Or Italy. Or anywhere not on the continental United States).
Anywho, I found a theatre class called "Sex, Drugs, and the Rock and Roll Musical." And it's taught by a man named James Brown. You can bet I signed up for it right then and there.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Sewing!
After some perusing the internet and in stores, I've got my sewing machine.
This is my sewing corner in the bedroom. My records are on the floor leaning against the record player stand, and my knitting and sewing books are standing up right on those as a pseudo-bookshelf.
And this is my machine, a Singer Confidence 7463. On sale for 1/3 off, awesome.
This is my sewing corner in the bedroom. My records are on the floor leaning against the record player stand, and my knitting and sewing books are standing up right on those as a pseudo-bookshelf.
And this is my machine, a Singer Confidence 7463. On sale for 1/3 off, awesome.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Taking up sewing? More distractions from life...
Tomorrow (well... today in about 8 hours to be exact) will be my first time as a vendor at a craft show. Lots of yarn and baby hats and knick knacks of sorts. So I'm home for the weekend.
There's been a lot of changes in the past month. Alex has decided he's probably going to join the army this summer, as school and the working world isn't panning out in this economy. I've never been a military fan (don't get me wrong, I appreciate what they do... it's just not the lifestyle I want to partake in), so this has been especially rough on me to accept that. Which means that not only will he be away most of the time soon, but that there will be other lifestyle changes. Like whether or not we'll (I'll?) keep living in the same apartment or move, since it would be possible to step up a bit financially.
Currently our living room is tiny and serves both as a home to the GINORMOUS (and amazing) couch Alex's parents got us and pseudo-study/office for his desk and my yarn winding/knitting/etc. It's pretty crowded. It would be nice to even have a dining room area just to shove the desk in. Unfortunately, ours seems to be the only apartment that offers a front garden space. I don't know if I can give up my plants.
It'll be incredibly hard for me when he goes away. I'm already going through quite a round of depression, I can't force myself to go out and socialize like I used to. I sit at home a lot, and knitting has helped keep me busy. Though I'm not sure if it has in a good way or just as an enabler. I'm leaning toward the latter.
My mother mentioned awhile ago that she was debating getting me a sewing machine for Christmas. I haven't attempted sewing in a long time, since the beginning of high school when I made skirts and such for my Renaissance Faire outfits. It's something I've always wanted to dabble in but just never fully gotten into.
While I didn't get a sewing machine for Christmas -- we got a vacuum instead along with other items, and boy do I fricken love that vacuum especially now that we have Sakura -- my mother brought it up again this weekend. She wants to go shopping tomorrow to pick one out as my Easter gift.
And it's made me consider. Should I take up another hobby?
I'll either get sucked into it and love it, or try quilting or sewing simple garments and end up getting frustrated at how few patterns out there exist for my body shape and size.
And while I already do get frustrated at knitted patterns that don't fit my size, I'm experienced enough to be able to fix this with modifications. Sewing... well, I haven't worked with a machine in ages. And I'm kind of afraid to alter things because the construction of sewn garments is still a bit of a mystery to me. There is no frogging in sewing. There's just lots and lots of wasted fabric scraps sitting in a pile on the floor.
I suppose I'm going to give it a go. If nothing else, I can use the machine to fix the horrible holes that Alex gets in the seams of his shirts and I'm too lazy to hand-sew. And make quilted potholders and the like for craft shows. I have faith I can figure that much out.
It's a little late to ask for recommendations on machines since we're shopping either tomorrow (technically later today) or Sunday. But I've read some reviews and compared features on a lot of the cheaper machines and I really don't have a leaning yet. I know I want a Brother or Singer because of how long the companies have been operating and their cooperation in fixing and getting parts.
The budget I was told seems like a lot to me, but after looking at machines and realizing that the "basic" machines go all the way up to $500... geez. I thought "basic" meant it sewed a line. There you go, have at that straight seam. Basic machines these days make an automatic buttonhole and have 30 decorative stitches. How horridly primitive.
Still going to lean toward the lower end of the budget, may try to get a cheap rotary tool to go with it for some quilting experience. I think that's what always bothered me as a kid when I was trying to sew. All those horribly choppy scissory edges.
On another note... I feel like such a spoiled brat when I come home. Buying underwear and Styrofoam heads and not feeling bad about picking up a few things at the dollar store that weren't absolutely necessary is baffling to me after living so long wondering if I should buy groceries or wait another two weeks.
Sometimes I love being 19. Live the "adult" life when I'm away from home, but for now I can still always come home.
There's been a lot of changes in the past month. Alex has decided he's probably going to join the army this summer, as school and the working world isn't panning out in this economy. I've never been a military fan (don't get me wrong, I appreciate what they do... it's just not the lifestyle I want to partake in), so this has been especially rough on me to accept that. Which means that not only will he be away most of the time soon, but that there will be other lifestyle changes. Like whether or not we'll (I'll?) keep living in the same apartment or move, since it would be possible to step up a bit financially.
Currently our living room is tiny and serves both as a home to the GINORMOUS (and amazing) couch Alex's parents got us and pseudo-study/office for his desk and my yarn winding/knitting/etc. It's pretty crowded. It would be nice to even have a dining room area just to shove the desk in. Unfortunately, ours seems to be the only apartment that offers a front garden space. I don't know if I can give up my plants.
It'll be incredibly hard for me when he goes away. I'm already going through quite a round of depression, I can't force myself to go out and socialize like I used to. I sit at home a lot, and knitting has helped keep me busy. Though I'm not sure if it has in a good way or just as an enabler. I'm leaning toward the latter.
My mother mentioned awhile ago that she was debating getting me a sewing machine for Christmas. I haven't attempted sewing in a long time, since the beginning of high school when I made skirts and such for my Renaissance Faire outfits. It's something I've always wanted to dabble in but just never fully gotten into.
While I didn't get a sewing machine for Christmas -- we got a vacuum instead along with other items, and boy do I fricken love that vacuum especially now that we have Sakura -- my mother brought it up again this weekend. She wants to go shopping tomorrow to pick one out as my Easter gift.
And it's made me consider. Should I take up another hobby?
I'll either get sucked into it and love it, or try quilting or sewing simple garments and end up getting frustrated at how few patterns out there exist for my body shape and size.
And while I already do get frustrated at knitted patterns that don't fit my size, I'm experienced enough to be able to fix this with modifications. Sewing... well, I haven't worked with a machine in ages. And I'm kind of afraid to alter things because the construction of sewn garments is still a bit of a mystery to me. There is no frogging in sewing. There's just lots and lots of wasted fabric scraps sitting in a pile on the floor.
I suppose I'm going to give it a go. If nothing else, I can use the machine to fix the horrible holes that Alex gets in the seams of his shirts and I'm too lazy to hand-sew. And make quilted potholders and the like for craft shows. I have faith I can figure that much out.
It's a little late to ask for recommendations on machines since we're shopping either tomorrow (technically later today) or Sunday. But I've read some reviews and compared features on a lot of the cheaper machines and I really don't have a leaning yet. I know I want a Brother or Singer because of how long the companies have been operating and their cooperation in fixing and getting parts.
The budget I was told seems like a lot to me, but after looking at machines and realizing that the "basic" machines go all the way up to $500... geez. I thought "basic" meant it sewed a line. There you go, have at that straight seam. Basic machines these days make an automatic buttonhole and have 30 decorative stitches. How horridly primitive.
Still going to lean toward the lower end of the budget, may try to get a cheap rotary tool to go with it for some quilting experience. I think that's what always bothered me as a kid when I was trying to sew. All those horribly choppy scissory edges.
On another note... I feel like such a spoiled brat when I come home. Buying underwear and Styrofoam heads and not feeling bad about picking up a few things at the dollar store that weren't absolutely necessary is baffling to me after living so long wondering if I should buy groceries or wait another two weeks.
Sometimes I love being 19. Live the "adult" life when I'm away from home, but for now I can still always come home.
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