Monday, October 30, 2006

Lemony Snicket is a genius

I love this quote and it works quite well today.

As I'm sure you know, a good night's sleep helps you perform well in school, and so if you are a student you should always get a good night's sleep unless you have come to the good part of your book, and then you should stay up all night and let your schoolwork fall by the wayside, a phrase which means "flunk." -Lemony Snicket
You can't break into a locked closet with a library card

I finished the extremely long single-spaced paper. It turned out to be 12 pages including the reference page. I think it is a B range paper. You could tell I just didn't care. Also didn't proofread it, oops. Right. All I have left to do is the one page summary of it due tomorrow (blah) and a 5-7 page one that I could now right in my sleep.

Speaking of sleep . . . Guess who woke up at 3.30 this morning and couldn't go back to bed? I was so tired last night that I went to sleep early intending to get up at 5.30 and work on the paper some more. Instead, I woke up at 3.30! Let me tell you, there isn't much going on at that hour. I just lay in bed listening to a book on tape and thinking about how nice and warm it was wrapped up in the comforter. I think it is going to be a long day today.

Probably because of the lack of sleep I forgot my work keys at home today. It isn't too big of a deal as long as someone else has them. The only problem is that one of my coworkers leaves for school at 1 and the other one went to lunch at 1. That means that I have no way of getting into the locked closet where we keep our stuff. I actually tried to pop the lock using a blank library card. (Didn't work, by the way). *sigh* Things are not working out well today.

Knitting news . . . nothing much. I made a cute pair of cat ears which I will have to take pictures of tomorrow. I haven't had time (or inclination) to work on the shawl Saturday or Sunday. I took a break from paperage on Friday and went to the knitting store where I knitted for an hour with the people there. I've reached a point at which I am bored with the thing. I think I would like it more if I was using the mohair or if the end was nearer.

I am going to start the arrrrglyes today at lunch (or take a nap). Makes sense for the last sock of October. I won't get very far by the 31st but at least they will be started.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

What a wonderful, windy day

OK, maybe not so wonderful. I had to work today and still have a paper to write. But, other than that, it is wonderful!

I have 6 full pages of the paper done so should definitely be able to finish it by Monday. (Can you believe assigning a 10 page single space papers? Can you imagine reading it?!) I have to work tomorrow too but I am sure I can get it done.

We are going to a Halloween party this evening at Pam's stable. Costumes are optional but there is a horse theme. Because I didn't have a costume, I knitted up some cat's ears this morning. I will be going as a barn cat :)

The most exciting news is that I am actually going to be selling wire knitted bracelets at the bookstore! Joann really liked the bracelets so she encouraged me to sell them. :) I can't wait until these papers are done so I can work on that project!

Recently, I have been working on a lace shawl. I am practicing with some stash yarn before I try to make it in mohair. I haven't been making any socks recently. I think I hit a sock slump. I haven't started on the arrrrglyes but those might be enough to push me out of the rut.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Second round of papers



I have this really big paper due on the 30th but what did I do yesterday? Knit. And listen to a few audio books. That is it. Nothing else. The computer didn't even get turned on. I didn't read any articles for the paper. Also didn't read any articles for the other class and other assignments. Oh, well.



On Friday, I cast on for another pair of socks. I didn't like the way they started out. When I took out the waste yarn that you use for an invisible cast-on, there were large holes. I am going to frog it and start with a new cast-on. Might be the time to try a Turkish cast-on.



What I was knitting yesterday was a felted purse. I'm doing it for the Lonesome Skein Knit-a-long. You are supposed to be using up the orphan skeins in your stash. Is it bad that I just keep adding to the stash for this KAL? I think it probably is. Today, all that I have left to do on the bag is bind off the handle and felt it. Talk about a quick project. The one I have done right now is just a testing of the pattern and seeing if I like the finished result. I'm thinking about making one as a thank you gift.



I also got the idea on Friday to make some knitted jewelry. I picked up some beading wire and beads and started right in on Friday night. Once I got used to working with the wire and beads, it went really fast. I knitted 2 bracelets and crocheted one necklace. I happened to meet Joann of the downtown bookstore while making my purchases and told her of my plan. She said that I should think of selling some in her shop! Never expected that. I left one of the completed bracelets down at the store yesterday for her. The woman running the store at the time said she really liked the finished product. I will have to decide if this is something that I could feasibly do. Interesting challenge anyway.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Ah, knitting

I just stumbled across the Knitting Pattern Central website. It is a collection of free patterns found all over the Internet. A number of them come from Knitty and Mag Knits as well as blogs and other websites. The directory is divided into different categories and some of those are divided into subcategories. I love it's organization, must be a librarian thing. If you crochet, they have another site called Crochet Pattern Central. It has the same type of organization.

Anyway, I found a felted purse pattern that I am going to make as a thank you gift for someone. I might just have to make one for myself, too! Also found a pattern for some jewelry that would make a great gift for someone else. Again, I might have to make some for myself.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Yarn! Yarn! Yarn!

DeStash is a very bad thing. Very. So that is why I check it every morning religously (I love Bloglines!). The beautiful green mohair blend arrived yesterday. I've decided to make the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shrug from I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can. It will be the first time I have tried making lace so we will see how it goes. I might try it first with some of the other yarn I have around the house. Just for practice.

I am still working on the yoga socks. Turns out I didn't have enough leftover yarn from the last pair of socks to make a full pair of yoga socks. So I've made the top of the sock out of that yarn and the foot part out of the lime green yarn from my green knee-highs from a while ago. The colors are ok together. I'll post a picture of them once both are done. Instead of doing them both at once, I started them one at a time.

I'll probably get a lot done in the car tonight on the way to school. Thank goodness Sarah is driving because something is going wrong with my car. Lovely. Whenever I press the brakes, there is a grinding sound and the car is sluggish to respond. Dad is getting it inspected for responding to his fire runs tonight so he is going to drive around a little to see what is wrong. We are probably going to take it in tomorrow. I think my car is protesting and telling me that it is tired. I mean, it was originally Dad's, then Mom drove it back and forth to Columbus, now I commute to work and school in it. It is feeling its 11 years. Poor car that must keep working until my schooling is over!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

One down, _____ to go



I finished my paper on Friday and got it turned in at 4:30 pm not 11:55 pm. You have no idea how impressive that is! I am the one who is usually finishing their conclusion 10 minutes before it is due. I probably could have gotten the paper done earlier if I hadn't been at work and hadn't been distracted by shiny objects.



Anyway, that is one paper down. Today is being spent reading all of the assigned articles for this week's online session and writing a 1-2 page (single spaced, of course) paper about the articles and the discussions about them. This one is due at noon on Wednesday. I have to finish reading one more article and write about it. So I am pretty happy about this.



I still need to do a follow-up response for my assigned article this week (ugh). I should do it next but I just don't want to settle on it.



I also need to post a discussion about the articles which are assigned for my Foundations class. We are going on a field trip to the archives of a state-wide paper. Because we are going on a field trip, we won't be discussing the readings so that is the reason for the posting to the online discussion board. Of course, this means that I actually have to do the reading.



I finished another pair of socks. I love the colors soooo much. Aren't they pretty? I think I might steal these for myself. I'll just have to make the person they are for something else.

I found a pattern for some yoga socks using the sock yarn leftovers. Yoga socks are socks which don't have toes or heels so you can still grip the mat. They keep your feet warmer than just bare feet. The pattern is written for a top-down sock and on DPN. I'll have to adjust it because I am not sure how much yarn I have left from these socks. I also want to make them on circulars. The pattern will get posted once I make them.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Umm, paper, right.

So that paper I was working on . . . Due today yet I am only on the 7th page and I work today. This ought to be a fun day. At least I still have more to say in the paper unlike some that I have written.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Oh. My. God.

I just discovered ">DeStash. This is going to be a very bad thing for my budget but probably a very good thing for my stash! I've already bought something from a woman who checks her e-mail as frequently as I do (and let me tell you that is a lot!). I can't wait to start on a project with it. It is a lovely color--bright green--and is a mohair blend. I just have to find a project for it now.

I can't wait until work is over so I can go work on my paper. I really need to get it done tonight. I couldn't work on it yesterday because there was severe weather including some tornadoes in the area. Didn't really want to fry the computer. So tonight is going to be productive-Anne time. Should be tons of fun. Right.
fall morning
fall morning,
originally uploaded by bookworm knitting.
Aren't they pretty in the morning? Too bad Lace is still attempting to make herself into a pinto.

I can't believe how much the weather changed today. Yesterday morning it was pleasant out, probably in the 60s. This morning, however, it was 34 F! Big change.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Three down . . .

Reached the third page! Cookie for me ;) I just hope that I have enough to keep writing about!
It is bad that I bore myself?

OK, I am only a page and a half into this 10 page paper and already I am boring myself. Is that a bad thing? I am sure it will thrill the teacher. Oh, well. I have to get it done by Friday (hmm, I wonder if there is a time deadline, too). My goal is to write 3 pages today, 3 tomorrow and three on Wednesday. Halfway there today. Must. Keep. Writing. Though I keep getting distracted by things like cleaning out the refrigerator. Hmmm. Not a good sign.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Wow, it's been a while

It feels like I have been doing a lot but not much seems to have gotten done. I finished two pairs of socks, both of which are Christmas presents. I really like the way the one pair turned out. I have a good amount of yarn left and I might make some ankle socks for myself. The other pair isn't as great but they will do. Socktoberfest is well on its way.


I have also discovered mini socks. I heart the mini sock. The idea came from the Socknitters yahoo group. I've made a two now and given one of them away. I think I might make some decorations of them. Possibly a Christmas tree decoration? Hmm, I will have to think about that.

The next project is to learn how to knit two socks in one. So far it is pretty easy. The most difficult part is the casting on. I bet once I get to the heel, I will have a different opinion.

I've started keeping track of the books I have read. Of course, I only started keeping track midway through the month of September. Eh, I'll have to keep better track. I've been counting the books on tape and CD that I listen to while in the car. Audiobooks are also lovely to listen to while knitting or cleaning your room.

The cat is adorable as usual. She puts up with so much from us, all of the adoring and praising! Poor kitty.

School is school. I can't believe it is almost time for the online class to be over! The end of this month it will be finished! I still have two papers to write, one for the online class and the other for the online workshop. I should be working on the workshop one because it is due on the 13th but am writing this post instead. Procrastination is a wonderful thing!

My friend, Carol, has been trying to sell her horse for a long time now. Bud is a nice horse but not the horse for her. His personality is a lot stronger than Carol's so they've never clicked. She called me yesterday and told me that Pam, the owner of the riding stable where Bud is kept, is going to be taking 4 horses to the high school riding team's show in two weekends. The problem is that Pam sold her trailer on eBay a few months ago. She has one two-horse trailer to use and would like to use our's. If I can get the weekend off, I think I will drive it up and take more pictures of Bud in action and some more video.
Eh, I think that is it for now. Off to procrastinate!