I finished something!!!


I couldn't take a picture of it on me, so you're gonna have to use your imagination. I used 3 skeins of a bulky verigated wool for the body and 2.5 skeins of a natural brown wool of the same weight. It comes to right below my bust, like the Spencers worn during the Empire period. It fits well, because I actually measured out my bust instead of knitting up the traditional circumference. At their widest points-> across my back is 19", but across my bust is 26", which makes sizing clothing IMPOSSIBLE. So, I knit the back for a 40" circumference sweater, and each cardi-front piece as for a 52" sweater. I think that's what I'm gonna do for my sweaters from now on, because it's just annoying to have to knit up a 50"-er, when it won't fit right. I'm a bit annoyed with the sleeves - they're a little tight at the wrists, but I *did* knit the edging as a 1x1 rib, which might not have been the best idea.

You may have guessed, but I am feeling better. I'm a bit cranky, which everyone is complaining about, but I don't care right now. I'm still tired, but at least I didn't have nightmares last night (I did have some extremely surreal dreams, but we're not going there). My winter knitting group is meeting tomorrow, so I can show off the two shrugs I knit up in the past two weeks :D

I haven't had a chance to finish up the twilight yarn. maybe tomorrow.

Unless you want to be thoroughly disturbed, don't read on. I mean it, this entry is rated "R".

I've been having truly horrendous nightmares for the past month. Violent and angsty. For the past week or two my nightmares read like horror movies, as in I was a spectator and not-even-in-them. I mentioned this to my doctor when she asked if there was "anything else" bothering me during my appt. on Tues., and my nightmares popped into my head. The whole spectator-nightmare-theme changed last night into something more traumatizing. I had a dream that I was being raped by a guy I know. Like, real-time and everything. I woke up at the point where I was actually at the local hospital being submitted to a rape test. How weird is that? I woke up in pain and ached all day. It was very disturbing. This bothers me more than I'd like because I WAS sexually assaulted several times by a (different) young man I thought was a friend, years ago. I'm wondering if this is a warning to avoid the guy in my dream, or if my subconscious is trying to rehash previously traumatic events.

I'm so afraid to go to sleep now that I'm actually finishing a sweater - something I'd normally avoid at all costs. I wish there WAS such a thing as a Dreamless Sleep Potion. I haven't felt rested in a long time.

Few of the people who read my blog know who I am; and those who do know how long I have battled my aversion to males because of past experiences. I'm finally at the point where I was considering dating again, and I have this nightmare. I wonder if deep down I'm not ready to date again?

Anyway, I really needed to get that out. I didn't feel up to telling anyone, in person. I guess writing something like this on a blog on the internet is easier to deal with in some respects. I got to work out what I think the problem is, I suppose - which was probably what I needed to do w/o involving anyone close to me. They've already had to deal with a lot of this crap over the years, and I really don't want to bring it up again, when I won't be able to dismiss it. Maybe it's a control issue, too. Maybe I should take some psych classes, or something.

Now, I wish I could go back into therapy. I usually go into my Uni's clinic whenever I'm having issues with this problem (they call it post-traumatic-stress syndrome), but they're closed for another week. And, anyway, what's the point? Most of the therapists in town are overbooked, too. I can't wait to see my knitting group on Sunday, they'll make me feel better, they always do.

I need to get back to setting this sleeve in. I'm so close to finishing this Spencer. I feel better for typing this entry up, maybe I'll be able to sleep in another hour or two.

(if this blog entry bothered you, that's your problem, as I posted a warning in advance)

Here's the ultra-fine merino I'm spinning up (19 microns!) for a 3-ply yarn. I'm thinking it'd make a great sweater for my (step)nephew Dylan. Mum thinks I should make a blanket for him - and I am! - but I only have 12 oz of this... I tried weaving him a blanket before with my handspun (alpaca, merino, and angora yarns) and I didn't like how the pieces came out, I still have the blocks somewhere.

I also have to make baby thingies for my upcoming niece(?)... Sooo much fun! I'm going up to Woodland Woolworks on the 21st with my Guild, so I can get all sorts of lovely supplies for this kinder-covering endeavor :D

I'll post more updates on that later. Oh! I still have to finish that last sleeve on my 2nd spencer shrug. Once I get that done, I'll post it. Hmm, other updates? I'm to chapter 30-something in Pride and Prejudice (for the millionth time), I still need to revamp my partner's purse, and classes start on Jan 9. I need to exchange some courses, and get my books. I'll be taking: Minoan Art History, Historiography: the Punic Wars, and Volcanology and Earthquakes (and I'll be sitting in on Costume History!).

My family caught Dr. Strangelove on TV this afternoon. I love this movie! I've seen it a million times, I know, esp. in the req'd "National, State, and Local Gov't Social Studies" classes I sat thru in high school.

If you've never seen it, I absolutely insist you go and rent it, RIGHT THIS MINUTE!! This is what the Neocons are working towards, guys! Seriously. Watch it! It's funnier than h3ll too :D

I started in on 12 oz of 19 micron ultra-fine merino, which I painted a while back, tonight. I've already got 4 oz spun. It's so fine, I'm gonna spin 3 bobbins of lace-weight singles and then finish it as a 3-ply. I'm thinking that it'll make a great child's sweater. I *think* 12 oz is enough for a 5-year-old's sweater, right?

I'll post pix later...

Here's one of my more bizarre skeins. My Guild regularly hosts dyeing workshops (which I get to help teach...) and we had to odds'n'ends colours left, so I threw them all onto 4 oz. of white ultra-fine Merino top, and got some extremely funky colour-mixes outta it. So, I finished spinning it up tonight, and here's what it looks like.

I kept thinking of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" while I was spinning it... cuz of all the different colours, etc, and the way that they blend into one another. Sadly, I wasn't listening to the symphony while painting or spinning the top - but I'll definitely have to when I knit it.



Speaking of knitting... I spun the yarn ultra fine - it's like baby-yarn weight, and it's super soft, should I use it for a baby sweater or something? Hmm, there's an idea.

Plying the yarn was suuuuuch a pain! I know this is a complete non sequitor, but it was!! (whine). It got all tangled on it self and *knotted* itself! How, I'll never know. But, it took me a good half hour to untangle the ball before I could ply it. Eugh. Next time, Navajo plying.

I'm thinking of making an iPod cozy at some point. I have a couple of gorgeous mini-skeins of baby-alpaca yarn that I was thinking I could felt it, with a should strap... or belt strap. Maybe the strap could be convertible. I've seen some really cute ones on Craftster.

that is soooo cute! chibi sheep!! ("chibi" means small or little, but can be used for cute, in Japanese - I just like the word... and yes, I know cute is actually "kawaii", but it's not as much fun to say, read, or type)

Well, I love my messenger bag, which is very similiar to your knitting dragon bag, for carrying books and stuff. It's very sturdy. But, then, I have too many knitting/ spinning bags as it is, and I can't bear to part with any of them. Maybe I should take a pic of my bag stash, hehe.

This is my knitting bag that I recently picked up from the Naked Sheep Knit Shop in Portland. I've delegated my knitting dragon to carrying books and other non-knitting items. I have to admit, I only got it because of the sheep. And I thought I was immune to cute things. 

And here you see my new Denise knitting needle set from Vonnie, the scarf I'm working on, some yarn I plan on using for gloves (the slate blue stuff above), and the yarn for my other sock (the lighter green hiding off to the right). 

Okay, I got bored, and didn't feel up to knitting another sleeve or finishing my socks - so I fiddled with my store on CafePress: the quacking fiber addict. I came up with some wacky things, I think, due to the influence of my friends and large amounts of caffeine. Here's my fav:

You walk the line of Creative Craziness.

My scarf is going *very* well. I love knitting with Cascade 220, and I might end up trying to find more projects to knit stuff up with it. I'm currently working on the third large stripe of green, and have two large stripes of the tweed. I love the scarf itself, it's coming out better than I thought.

View from above. 

Long view from side

He's here! He's here! Yay! He's cute as a button, too. My Shaun collection is (nigh) complete! I think I might need a keychain... hehehe. Here's a pic of Shaun in my living room... More updates on my knitting later - I still have a sleeve left, ugh. But, I've been knitting my weight in chemo and preemie baby caps.

aaaww, it's cute. tho, a bit too tall! wow, it DOES touch the ceiling! I don't envy y'all for cleaning it up after Christmas :)

Our goofy looking Christmas Tree. I just love it.  

Here is my latest ball of yarn. It is 19 micron superfine merino. I dyed it myself and spun it. I just think that it reminds me that spring is coming. I've decided to name it "Bunny Hop." 

I do. Was looking thru some photos, and (sigh) I want to go back...

Just'll have to wait.

This is it for today's update :D

I got my partner's purse today! I'm gonna start on it later, this afternoon. Ver' cool.

Here's the pic:

That's such a cool site. I followed up the site and found out that it was/ is part of a social program by the Swedish government aimed at 10 to 16-year-old girls. Here's the pic:

I found the original site, which is in Swedish, but kinda cool if you want to check it out: http://www.flicka.gov.se/html/index.htm

I wish OUR gov't would do this, so girls wouldn't turn to things like anorexia. Sheesh.

Link to a page that links to a flash page showing how a retouch to a modern magazine is usually done. Interesting.

Lemme see. I finished two more chemo caps, and have started another baby hat. I'm gonna try and spin some wool tonight. I sent off christmas presents today, hopefully they'll arrive on time and together... oy.

I've nearly decided, as have my parents, that it would be better that I take it a bit easier for the remainder of the year and get my GPA up enough, take part of a fifth year, and graduate w/ a senior thesis a couple of terms late. I think this'll be the best route. I really don't feel up to taking 4 classes a term anymore. 3 is enough to keep me busy, and then you add Guild to that... so exhausting.

Hmm. knitting and 24.

Wow! Complex pattern, and everything :D

Pretty!

My scarf as I begin the second large stripe of green. 

Yay. I feel loved. I went to my Guild's holiday meeting today and both Emily and Gail had presents for me! Em's was my b-day prezzie that arrived horribly late (she said she left negative feedback on e-bay), and Gail got both Em and me the Pattern-a-day Knitting Calendars! They're so cool - Em and Gail... and the prezzies, too! I love them both.

I have another Shaun piece for my collection. Em got me an official 1989 Shaun the Sheep mug:


And, here's a couple of pix of the Pattern-a-Day Calendar.





It's really nifty. There's all sorts of patterns in there... especially baby patterns. Which I'll explain my love of in my next post. Promise!

The scarf I'm currently working on. It's on row 31 of my 32 rows of this color, before I switch. Now I just need to figure out how to switch.

Okay, I promised I'd post a picture of my sock. Here it is, finally. In it's finished glory.

No idea about gauge. I didn't think it was too small, since there is 1 scene where you can make out the knit stitches on one of the Gryffindor scarves, and they seem decent sized to me. I don't know that we'll be able to see it again in the theater any time soon to make that out, though. You could very well be right, and I wasn't taking into account the fact that I was watching it on a large screen.

Good work :D

How many sts/ inch do you think they were knit up with? It looked like the gauge was *tiny* - maybe as high as 8 sts/ inch?

I still want to make a Weasley sweater, tho... But, a scarf would do in the meantime.

So, Vonnie and I think we have the new Harry Potter scarves figured out. Although, I admit, these are probably more due to Vonnie, but we both guestimated at the movie. Anyway, it appears the pattern goes something like 32 rows burgundy, 4 gold, 8 burgundy, 4 gold, and 32 burgundy. They are knit in stockinette, although I've read previous scarf patterns for HP were in the round. So, you could just knit it all in the round, and do without purling (but also need more yarn... and also getting a thicker, heavier scarf).

I was going to do something similar, but just do a garter stitch. Now I'm doing a garter stitch of: 32 green, 8 burgundy, 8 green, 32 burgundy. I hope it turns out well, I'll attempt to post photos. But I'm not as good at that as others. :)

Okay, so I don't knit in a "combined" style. I just screwed up how I did k2tog. Meh.

There's a Trunk Show at a local Bead and Jewelry supply story, Harlequin, today and tomorrow. I went early today with my mom (yes, we ARE addicts!), and look at what I GOT! The red cameos are glass and rhinestone, from 1930's Czechoslovakia (did I spell that right?). The triangular black and white ones are from 1920's Germany. The black and gold Spartans are German, and from the 30's/ 40's(?). The blue and Gold are from 1950/60's West Germany, and the black buttons range from Occupied Japan to West Germany and Kentucky even! It was sooo much fun going thru the boxes...

TSPR = "thrift store purse revamp"

I'm participating in an online Craftster swap. We're assigned partners, who we send our awful thrift purses to, then we make our partner's purse funky, and send it back. My partner was a bit perplexed as to what to do with my first "find." So, I went shopping for weird purses today. And I found this at St Vinny's for $1.79. What a bargain ;P

One sleeve down! Another to go, and then onto finishing. I'm out of yarn, so I have to spin some more. I'm sooo lazy sometimes. I have, like, 3 more oz of wool/silk to spin - which should be enough for a 1/2 sleeve...

I am soooo annoyed, by the way. I went to the Valley River (local mall) with my mom today (looking for atrocious purses, for the TSPR, and we found them, yuck); but, anyway, and I saw tooooons of Spencer-like garments. Most of them were horrid stretch denim or sheer poly, but still! Why is it that whenever I start to make something (that I think will be unique) pop culture does the same exact thing?!?

Lemme tell you, leisure is exhausting.

Mum and Dad took me to King Kong today... and it was slendiforous!! Of course, this is all due to Peter Jackson and Naomi Watts - who really carried the movie. I am so impressesd. It was a bit long, like the original, but infinitely better. I was a bit depressed that Adrian Brody didn't do more, cuz he's such an amazing actor. He was good tho, they ALL were! I insist that everyone see this movie in a theater!



It's meant for a big screen. ... You know what happened? My Mum actually cried when Kong died. I couldn't believe it. Ahwell. She grew up on the story. We just had a quarrel over whether King Kong (the original) was "the greatest movie ever."

NO! def'ly not. Faye Wray should have been eaten and the other idiots with her.

Anyway, after that, we went to the Olive Garden and ate some yummyyummy food. I am so full and sleepy right now. Gawd, I want to nap. Maybe I should.

As for OTHER updates:

I am 4" in on my alpaca shrug and I still MUST knit the 2 sleeves for my Regency Spencer. Maybe I'll take a nap, and do that...

Also, I am to Chapter 7 of Sense and Sensibility, which I am enjoying ever so much more than the last time I read it (when I was 13), and I'm just past Lizzy's rejection of Darcy, oh - Chapter 36? I've read it a zillion times. My Dad foolishly thought that by giving me a copy of Pride and Prejudice when I was 12 it would put me to sleep. Ha! I stayed up 'til 3 am, I think.

Still love it. Must be my favorite book EVER. I love the repartee.

Anyway, time to check my email and knit something...

slowly but surely, I try to get ready for grad school. I've sold 2 - 3(?) looms already. And just listed another, a structo artcraft table jack-loom. The last one I sold went for over $200, which was fabulous since I got it for $25. I hope this one does alright, because I'm going to use the money to help pay for my Navajo Country trip. My parents have agreed to help, and I paid the first installment of the tuition, using money from selling my last loom.

It's going to be great! (well, I hope). Me and 2 UO grad students and a UO staffer are going to road trip it!! We've already mapped out our trip route and have agreed to hit the Grand Canyon and some other points of interest. Oh! I hope it goes well. A week and a half in the Southwest. It sounds amazing.

This cheers me up a bit since my previous failure. But, I shall move forward. I'm signing up for Volcanology and Earthquakes instead of Chem next term. I hope so, anyway. I took the Fossil Record (aka dinosaurs and Neanderthals) from the same professor and really enjoyed it (and got a really good grade...).

Anyway, still need to knit up the two sleeves for my Regency Spencer Shrug (so close! so close!), and I've also started (since I'm crazy) another shrug (alpaca!!!) and another chemo cap (with "Splash"). I'll put pix up laters.

OH! Mum and Dad are taking me to King Kong tomorrow, to make me feel better. Thank g-d they didn't guilt trip me. Hell, Dad flunked out of community college... twice, I think. And then he ended up with a PhD from Harvard... I guess anything's possible. Just need to "keep moving forward" as my Dad says. And I think I shall.

I failed Chem.

Took it pass/ fail.

It might have had something to do with the fact that I only had 30 mins to study for the final, which was worth 30% of the grade. Or, maybe, because I hated the textbook and nearly fell asleep during *every, single* lecture because the professor has the most boring lecturing style in the *world*. Well, maybe not *the* most boring.

I dunno, I've alway done reallyreally well in Chem, and now I've failed my first Uni course ever.

Feel kinda sick right now. I think I'm going to just sit here quietly.

This really has f*cked up my year plans. I need to find a way to take more science courses to graduate on time. And, (laugh), now I also have to apply to grad school! What school will want someone who failed General Chem??

Fabulous.

I got another Chemo Cap done yesterday, while watchinf "Mississippi Burning" with my family. It's a child-sized tam - virgin wool with a i-cord topknot:

Truer words were never typed, I swear.

Eugh. My brother got me a gianormous candycane yesterday... I just tried to eat it. (shudder). It tastes like licorice, bubblegum, and corn syrup mixed together.

So, the moral of this story, is never try a candy cane that has no specified flavor.

Yep. Still working on it. I got the back done yesterday at my Guild's meeting! Just have 2 3/4-length sleeves left... and then finishing (OY).

Here's the pic:

Making progress! I'm casting on the back of the spencer tonight. I'll still need to block them, so they're a bit bumpy... Here's the finished front panels:

That's it.

My new faux title.

DOMIKNITRIX (giggling crazily)

Yep. I went. With my mum and brother.

The movie was beautiful... completely beautiful. I liked the books, but I think they can be a bit Victorian. I loved the movie. Though, I'll warn you, it's slow to build up like the book. But, it was AMAZING in the graphics area. The Fauns and Centaurs were unbelievably realistic!! I was sooo impressed by Mr. Tumnus.

I have to see it again. I love the Griffins and Minotaurs, too. Mm, and the Unicorn.

It was every child's fantasy on the screen, really.

Here's a great pic of Princes Peter and Edmund, and Princess Susan with her bow. It really was fantastic!!!

Definitely a must-see...

I got the right front of my spencer done today! and it actually looks like it'll fit :D I'm working on the left front now...

And, again, for info I'm using my handspun yarn - made from the Rose Louet merino/ silk blend top (80/20). Soft and yummy.

OH!!!! ((moaning))

I had the spencer R front nearly done(!), when I laid it across my chest to check the sizing. It's HUGE!! My knitting gauge **blossomed** (AGAIN!!!). (whimper. whine.)

I have to rip out the entire PIECE!! (sigh)

I agree w/ Nake-Id Knit's glossary of knitting terms on this:
Seppucu

Definition: Japanese for "I'm going to dig out my entrails with size 3s."

Rip out

Definition: English for "I'm going to dig out my entrails with size 3s."

Yep. That's it. Fabulous. Well, I get to try again. At least I have my boxset of Pride and Prejudice to console me... I'm at Elizabeth's refusal of Darcy right now...

This must be a sign of how bored I am... waiting for my final. Anyway, I made a group account on Frappr for my blog - in place of a guestbook. Looks cool.

SIGN IT! The link's right there ---> the uppermost box on my sidebar. Wow, I've actually mastered the basics of HTML.

It only takes, like, 2 minutes. I got into after signing "You Knit What??"'s frappr group.

Kinda cool.

DO IT! (please)

Toodles.

And not in a kind way.

I've managed to lock my keys, notes, and texts into my Guild's office - and I have a final in 2 hours. The Key Office doesn't have an emergency copy, and I can't get in for another couple of days. I really suck sometimes.

Also, I got a response from Archaeology magazine:
"Dear Sara: It sounds much too technical/academic for us. Suggest you read
our writer's guidelines on our website at www.archaeology.org, then perhaps
draft a proposal. Thanks for your interest. Peter Young, Editor-in-Chief"

Joy. Ohwell. I think I might resubmit. What do all y'all think? I'll definitely ask my 'rents and friends and such. Is it worth it?

Anyway. I have no idea what to do with myself, since I can't get into my office to study - hahaha. And, there's nothing pressing I have to do online or anywhere else. I suppose I could knit or something. Who knows?

I need a cookie or something.

Okay, I've been following Prof Bonds advise, and looking into publishing my paper.

This is terrifying! I feel really inadequate right now. I don't even know what half the terms on the submission guidelines pages mean! What the heck is "biomolecular archaeology, osteoarchaeology"?? Who even knew there were that many subdivisions of archaeology? I think they're making this all up. (Maybe)

Ohwell. If it's good enough, someone reputable will want it. I'm not too certain here.

Seems that I probably confused poor knitters at the guild last year. It seems, unknown to Vonnie or I, that I picked up her grandmother's way of knitting. However, I figured out how to knit and purl without twisting my stitches, whereas I seem to recall when I first learned that grandma's method produced twisted knit stitches.

As far as I can tell, I don't knit quite the same as continental style, but neither do I do combined style (and it's definitely not English). Whatever it is, it works. I'll have to post some photos up online, because I find this fascinating. Fascinating because most books only show English and Continental knitting methods, but they're not the only methods that work.

Anyway, for anyone still in the guild that I might have helped, but only confused, I offer my sincerest apologies.

I'm participating in a swap on Craftster - the "Thrift Store Purse Revamp" swap - here's the bag I bought to be "revamped" - it's a truly icky bag from Goodwill, which I got for $2.30. Hopefully, I'll get something TRULY funky in the end to carry my crafting supplies in...

I'm starting a new handspun project, a Regency Spencer shrug, and here's me winding my handspun into a ball (off my umbrella swift). I took silly for a bit, and thought it looked like a dancing lady and took some "in motion" pix.

My Shaun the Sheep rucksack arrived today! Which lightened my mood a little. Here's the pic of it holding some of my handspun (merino/ silk), my knitting/ spinning journal, and tools!

why hasn't this post shown?? weird...

MAJORLY.

I think I just failed my chem final in a less-than-fabulous way. (laughing at self). Not only did I not know the answers to half the questions, but ha!, I also managed to knock over the giant trash can when entering, knocked my calculator off my desk and it FLEW to the next row before me (and this was in a tiered lecture hall) - so I had to do the last page w/o it, so it didn't look like I was trying to cheat. MAGNIFICENT.

EUGH. This is all because I was very stupid and thought the final was on Thurs, but (LUCKILY!!!), checked my finals schedule again and realised in the middle of my lunch that my CHEM EXAM WAS IN A HALF-HOUR!!! "Panic" doesn't even describe it. So, delightfully, I got 30 mins to study for an exam worth 30% of my grade. JOY. At least I took it pass/ fail - so it won't RUIN my GPA.

(sigh). Onto better news, I got an A on my term paper in Costume History, and I think I got an A on the exam. Lucky, ducky me. Ohwell.

I'm starting a spencer shrug after all this lunacy is over. Updates later.

Aaaaand... horror of horrors - can you believe what I found at Goodwill???

Handwoven, and possibly handspun (shudders)

I went to Goodwill after our walk, and snagged some great stuff for my Guild/ students... like, 4 sets of DP's and a bunch of straights and this huge bag of yarn for $22!

Here's some more pix of of winter berries, etc...