Craftyminx

I've got nothing...

Or Grad school has now officially taken over my life and I probably won't have any FO's for a long long time. I'm shooting for Christmas, but friends and family may just get a pat on the back and a generic Christmas card.

I'm actually between projects while waiting for my stuff from knitpicks to get here so I can start Christmas knitting. I started the lombard street socks after frogging the mystery socks. I wasn't too excited about the pattern for those. Then I picked up some other yarn and just started playing, which led to me picking up my sock yarn that I made the monkey socks and bootees out of. Its so soft and colorful I decided to see how it would look in the multi directional scarf. It then got downsized into a headband. I think. It may get ripped. I'm very fickle right now. I just wanted something to work on in my free time (ha!) on campus.

I have a class this weekend. It was tonight from 6-8 and tomorrow from 8-5. Thankfully, the professor is really nice and has lots of fun things for us to do. It reminds me of centers in kindergarten, but with lots of geeky terms and database searching. We even took Newsweek's How geeky are you quiz as a fun way of separating us into groups. I got a 42. There were five in each group. Mine had the top "geeks" in the class with 50 being the highest score. We had fun. I'm glad I can enjoy this if its going to take over my life. ;)

The fun thing about library grad school is that instead of writing papers for big projects, you have big research projects that just require you to find research and write about how you went about finding what you needed, at least the two classes that I'm in are that way. I love that, because I always enjoy the research way more than the paper writing (see previous post). So my search project for this class (we have to trade so my partner will be looking this up for me) is about architecture and music. I get to search on the process of how one becomes pope for my partner. I am really excited to see what journal articles she finds me, because I will be so excited to read up on some fun music geek stuff.

Labels: grad school, knitting, life, WIP

The craftsmanship of a procrastinator...

While I may cause myself to lose a lot of sleep because I often make a conscious effort to wait until the last minute, I must say that I am good at procrastinating. I am most definitely a "works best under pressure" kind of gal. I've always been this way. I really really tried to keep myself from doing this in grad school, but it hasn't worked. I am still waiting until the last minute to do assignments, because I know my brain will not work until I am absolutely forced to concentrate on something. Its that "ooh shiny!" complex I seem to have obtained in my formidable years.

I say all of this because its almost 1 am and I just started reading/writing for an article review (due tomorrow) at about 10:30ish tonight. I'll have the final product ready to turn in after a coworker reads it over. I was kicking myself for waiting to do this until so late, but now I'm pleased. I mean, I know this is how I work and I know I'm not really able to change it. I also know that I do very quality work in a few hours that could take others weeks. Sometimes I just wish I could change for my health. Staying up late to do work the night before stuff is due isn't good for me. I really need my sleep. With that said, goodnight!

Labels: grad school, life

Its a freaking war zone around here!

My apartment building has decided to redo our parking areas. While this is greatly needed, it is also a big pain in the ass. If I don't come right home after work I risk not getting a parking spot and having to "make" one for myself. Seriously... When I left for work this morning, I walked outside to utter chaos. There were cars parked EVERYWHERE! Now they are doing our side of the lot so I can't even park anywhere near my building. >:(

Ok I'm done complaining. Here's the bff pic I promised from this weekend.

Sadly this is the only one we took. I didn't get camera happy this weekend for some reason. I didn't take any pictures of the wedding or of us playing in Holdenville ... nothing.

I finished stuff! The bootees have been done for awhile, but I finally uploaded the pics.

I don't know who is getting these yet. Probably my cousin. I love them though!

I loved them so much, I made myself a pair! :)

I'm finally getting used to my mac. I was really worried about moving on and kept everything on my pc for awhile. OMG what was I thinking? I got acclimated to OSX very quickly and am singing the praises of apple everywhere I go. One of my favorite parts is the dashboard. I'm definitely a widget whore... I've already changed some of it since tonight haha.

Labels: apple, baby stuff, life, mac, slippers

A wedding!

The wedding was great. Congrats Staci and Adam!!

Labels: wedding

Where my stitches at?

Go buy your beta-user-only ravelry t-shirts now! I just bought the gray and pink one. Its too cute! I love love love ravelry! If you haven't signed up on the waiting list, do it now. Its totally worth the wait.

This is wedding weekend for my friend Staci. I came home to bring John to see his grandma since we had the day to spend doing whatever. I'm soo glad my gypsy friend is here!!! We just have to be back to the country by 7 tonight for rehearsal. Its about and hour and a half away. I'm so tired today and should probably take a nap, but I know the minute I fall asleep he'll be knocking on my door and ready to go to the mall. Lafayette doesn't have an apple store. haha I'll be back on Sunday sporting pictures of my fun weekend with my bff. Everyone have a wonderful weekend. The weather is beautiful here I hope it is where ever you are as well!

Labels: life, ravelry

ah ha

I'm finally figuring out how to use iphoto to my advantage. Here are some more pics of my monkey socks. We made up just long enough for me to get some action shots last night.

The pics are still losing something in the translation between my computer and flickr, but they are better, not nearly as washed out as they have been. I learned a trick with my camera as well! If you cover the flash with a folded tissue or piece of paper it will diffuse the flash from glaring on your stuff, if you must use a flash. I get no sunlight in my apartment and the outside is not pretty here. If you ever wondered why so many of my pics are taken from my bedroom this is why. The above pic was taken with that method. The bottom one has a little glare.

Pattern: Monkey Socks by Cookie A.
Yarn: Knit Picks bare fingering superwash donegal tweed dyed by me
Needles: US #3, 2, 1.5 brittany dpns
Started: 7-30-07
Finished: 9-14-07

Labels: knitting, socks

Socks and a bootee!

Here are my monkey socks. At the current moment I am not happy with them because they won't stay up. I'm still getting used to the whole knitting socks thing. But they are pretty and I can be content to just look at them and pet them occasionally. Maybe I can wear them on my hands when it gets cold?

Since I had so much fun knitting baby stuff, I cast on a Saartje bootee last night. They are seriously the best baby bootee pattern that I know of.

They are super cute and seem like they will actually stay on a wee foot for longer than two seconds. I know I may be killed for saying this, but I could do without the babies, but I really like knitting for them. As long as they are never mine. haha. I guess I have to let it out now. I'm not a fan of kids, especially babies. I like to be able to have them talk back to me and listen to their young kid wisdom. They crack me up when they are well behaved and funny, but there are so many brats out there its hard for me to like them. I know I was one myself. I can't believe my parents didn't drown me. ;)

Labels: baby stuff, knitting, socks

yeah I try to procrastinate reading as long as I can...

Ask and you shall receive... "How do I transfer it?" you ask... Easy. I have found three different transfer pens. The Sulky pen does a thicker line, but its what I used. I got it at Michael's on the t-shirt supply aisle not on the embroidery aisle. My mom bought me the Dritz Iron-On transfer pencil, but I haven't used it yet. She got it at JoAnn's. Aunt Martha's also has transfer pencils you can get online. They are on sale right now. :)

Transfer it on some wool felt or other fabric and get to it!

Labels: embroidery

aw shucks...

Thanks for the great comments! Ok so I am going to put the templates up soon. It means turning on the beast of a PC and photo-shopping some stuff. They will probably be up tonight so check back!

I have tons of reading to do! Since I was too sick to think last week, I didn't do any of the readings for my class on Wednesday. So I have to catch up with that and I have to do the readings for this week as well. My second article review is due in two weeks. But the best friend known as Gypsy is coming home for the weekend (our good friend is getting married) so I will most likely be playing with him all weekend and won't be able to do it then. I should get started on that today as well.

I am feeling much better! I forced myself to get out of the house for a few hours yesterday to go to my southside stitchers meeting. I felt bad when I got back but I took some medicine and used the neti pot to clear out the nose, then I broke out the home made cough syrup. For those of you not raised by backwood folk - a shot of Crown with honey and lemon added. No my parents didn't give this to me as a child, that was a joke. But it really does do wonders if you don't have a can of coca cola lying around (it will do the same thing). They both eat all the gunk out of your throat. Its really a wonderful thing.

I'm still coughing today, but feeling much better. I'll probably have a cough for another week. It usually takes two and a half weeks for me to get completely over a sinus infection. Ugh. Ok I have to get back to reading... the days of lying around doing nothing are over. I'm so glad I get to go back to life on Monday!

Labels: embroidery, life

Pin up embroidery

Ask and you shall receive...
"How do I transfer it?" you ask... Easy. I have found three different transfer pens. The Sulky pen does a thicker line, but its what I used. I got it at Michael's on the t-shirt supply aisle not on the embroidery aisle. My mom bought me the Dritz Iron-On transfer pencil, but I haven't used it yet. She got it at JoAnn's. Aunt Martha's also has transfer pencils you can get online. They are on sale right now. :) Transfer it on some wool felt or other fabric and get to it!