Friday, December 24, 2004
Monday, December 13, 2004
Crazy story...
Last week was stressful. I almost didn’t make it out alive. On top of the last week of classes including a paper written overnight, an exam, and two hellacious homework assignments, I had the biggest event of my future career. On Friday I had an on-site interview at Merck for their vaccine process development department. Let me tell you that this is my DREAM JOB. And my first ever on-site interview at any company. No pressure, you know. So I was told to be at the Best Western in West Point PA by 7:00pm on Thursday night because they had dinner reservations for us at a super nice restaurant. So I rush around Thursday morning (after being awake until 3am the night before trying to finish homework that was never actually finished) filling out applications and petitioning some classes for my audit in Fenske. I get all my shit together and take all my stuff to the car to leave. At this point, it had started drizzling and I remember thinking, “Damn, can anything else go wrong today?? My suit is getting wet,” which, of course, was the all together WRONG thing to ask on such an important day. I hang up my suit carefully, throw my bags in the back seat, get in my car, and leave for West Point (which is 3.5 hrs away) at 2:15pm. So I turn on my windshield wipers.
Quick aside: my wipers were frozen stuck on Black Friday a couple weeks ago but I still tried to use them. “Don’t do that,” my mom said, “you’ll burn out the motor.” Sure enough when they unfroze later in the day something was not right with the driver’s side wiper. The wiper still worked, but it stopped 3 inches shy of the full extension it was getting before being frozen… Aside over, back to story.
So I turn on my windshield wipers… I notice that the wiper is now stopping 4 inches shy… 7 inches… only going up half… wait… flop flop flop… NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! So my windshield wiper motor was indeed burnt out and I was screwed. The rain was getting worse by the minute and I had 3.5 hours to drive to the most important event of my life. Holy shit. So I called Mike. He was no help. I called Valerie; she volunteered her car, but I can’t drive a stick. This whole time I am relatively calm, wracking my brain to see if I could come up with a solution. Nothing was coming to me. So I called my dad.
“My driver’s side windshield wiper is broke,” I explained.
“Mandy, I TOLD you to get that fixed when you were home. You’ve learned your lesson. You can’t put stuff that will potentially cripple you off until they fail. What were you planning on doing? Waiting until it stopped working??”
“NO! It worked fine for 3 weeks!!!”
“Well, you were wrong. Now what are you going to do??? Wait… Why are you crying?!?! That’s not going to HELP!”
At this point I am bawling because I have lost my chance at my dream job. My dad doesn’t realize that the interview is tomorrow. When I tell him he is more understanding.
He exclaims that I will have to learn how to drive stick shift and borrow Val’s car. “It’s not that hard Mandy, you just push in the clutch when you put it into first gear…”
I pulled into the parking lot of Beaver stadium because I can’t see through the rain on the windshield or my tears. Then my dad has a moment of genius.
“Wait, I have a brilliant idea!!! I know what you have to do!!! Get Val to take you to PepBoys and buy some Rain-X. That stuff is amazing… You won’t even need a windshield wiper!”
Yes… YES! I think that will work… I had seen the stuff in action but never used it myself. So I drove to PepBoys (slowly and carefully) because it wasn’t raining very hard at that point and bought some Rain-X wipes. Dude, that stuff is a lifesaver. I applied it and like magic!! No more rainy windshield. So I made it to West Point in time, survived the dinner and subsequent interview, and I think it even when pretty well!
So that is my story. Haha… That was pretty fun to write out. It wasn’t so fun when it was happening though. I was in a serious panic. I’ll have to tell you more about the interview when we visit. That’s a whole other story all together.
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
So, like ummm...
It's the last week of classes for the semester. Papers, exams, homework. You name it, I have to do it. Combine this with having to work at home last weekend and having a crucial interview at the end of the week, you get a crazy freaking week. I have knit a little bit. I am *so* close to finishing bro's gloves. I just have to weave in the ends of the one. I started my sister's bag. It's actually coming along well! And surprisingly quickly. I need to start Paul's hat soon...
Ok, I'm rambling. It really is time for bed. Oh, the life of a student. ♥
P.S. I'm getting a hankering to redesign the blog amidst all this craziness. I'm very good at procrastinating, but we will see what I come up with.
Monday, November 29, 2004
Being Green
matching hat for the gloves!
Sunday, November 28, 2004
Whirlwind...
I had some second thoughts about the brown yarn I used in the swatch for my sister's felted clutch. It didn't seem to felt at the same rate as the lighter yarn. So during Black Friday, I went to JoAnn's at 7:30 am (!) and picked up (among other things...) a ball of grey wool. I knit this swatch in a different pattern. It's a herringbone! I rather like it. But I'll leave the decision to Kaylee. Hi Kaylee. :) The grey yarn seems to felt more evenly with the cream so I think I'll stick with the cream and grey combo.
Below is a gratuitous picture of the completely finished poncho. I love how it turned out with the pompoms. I washed it and it fluffed up to be SO. SOFT. I was amazed. I wanted to keep it for myself. Maybe I'll pick up a more "grown-up" color of the boucle and knit myself one.
Some of the "other things" from JoAnn's include polar fleece remnants that I'm planning on knitting! I experimented with this bright pink fleece. I had to use US17 to get a loose enough fabric. I think the hat that I am planning will be super warm and soft. I have another thinner microfleece with a colorful pattern to make another hat with. It's fun to find different things to knit. That's the cool thing about knitting; it's so freaking customizable! Haha. Ugh. I'm such a knitting dork. Oh well. ♥
Monday, November 22, 2004
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Some knitting done.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Adventures in Fair Isle.
I'm also going to felt the bag, so in to the sink my swatch went. I really like how it turned out. I have a feeling it will be a cute bag and I'm sure I'll want to keep it for myself... Hmmm... Too bad my sister has an awesome coat that it will match perfectly. Maybe I'll just barrow the coat, too. Isn't that what sisters are for? :p
And finally, a pic of the glove progress. Two fingers down, three to go... on this glove atleast. I'm really having fun figuring this out as I go. You can see my Weimaraner puppy posters in the background. You can also see my Sophie bag and my Fiona bag(pdf) hanging up all pretty. They make nice wall decoration. Mike asked me this weekend, "Why don't you use these bags? Or sell them?" He doesn't understand that they make me just as happy to look at as when I use them. Fiona is a great summer bag, but Sophie is a bit scratchy. You win some, you lose some. They all get used in their own special way. Even if it's just decoration!
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
A start in the right direction
Monday, November 08, 2004
Fringe is fun!
On a brighter note, I finished my cousin's poncho. Well, 99% finished. I still want to make two pompoms to attach to the drawstring I added at the neckline. I just wanted an excuse to make pompoms. Elizabeth is only 6 and is much smaller than me, but I tried to model it anyway. I will definitely add pics of Elizabeth in the poncho, cause I'm sure she will be super cute. I love the FRINGE! I fringed this baby during the Steeler's awesome game. Wee!
So that project can be put in the "Finished Christmas Gifts" pile. Now to the other three. How many days till Christmas??? ♥
Sunday, October 31, 2004
What % Obsession
In other news, if I don't post for a week, it's because I have to fufill some military duties. I am in the PA Air National Guard and have been assigned to a decontamination inspection deployment. This means I have to miss a week of school, which is not a good thing. Hopefully, I will have some downtime between playing war and I will be able to squeeze in some knitting.
Oh! and Happy Halloween! ♥ ♥ ♥
Thursday, October 28, 2004
The goods.
I wanted to get some yarn for myself so badly, but I surprised myself with constraint. I found this gorgeous ultrasoft merino yarn in beautiful muted blues, but I resisted it's siren call. However, if those little beauties are still there when I next visit, those skeins will be mine. I did find perfect yarns for both Paul's hat (on the left) and Jason's gloves (on the right).
Woohoo! Lovely yarns.
Paul asked for a light olive green, but I could only find lime-y greens or dark olives, so I settled on tweedy brown silky wool. I LOVE THIS YARN. It's an awesome color and it is so soft! I can't wait to knit with it. My brother, Jason, asked for blue gloves. Well kid... I hope you like green cause you're getting green ones. Hehe. I couldn't find enough skeins in the blue, so I went for the equally nice green with brown flecks of fuzz mixed in. I want to start both projects right now. But I think I should finish something first... Or do homework... yeah. Homework. ♥
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
UnClapotis
I've worked abit on UnClapotis (thanks for the name Lisa!) and I turned the corner!!! I'm typing this pattern as I go. So it's a bit slower than if was just making up as I went along. But I think it will be a nifty scarf when it's done and I want to remember how to replicate it. The pattern seems a bit complicated because I don't know how to properly simplify them. I'll see what I can do with it.
And I wanted to share a picture of Valerie's fab poncho. This yarn is heaven to touch. Like I fluffy cloud of teal poofiness. I love it. Doesn't she look so cute! Yay Valerie!
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Time for a yarn trip.
~ Kaylee (sister) - felted houndstooth bag
~ Paul (sister's bf) - military style hat with brim
~ Jason (brother) - gloves... warm ones
~ Libby (chocolate lab) - pink sweater? (maybe if I finish everything else)
That list doesn't seem too overwhelming. It's mostly small items. Very do-able. I'll update tomorrow with the LYS goods and more knitting fun!
♥
Thursday, October 21, 2004
And now, a post about current knitting.
I have been knitting as much as school allows and here is the proof! I finished my sister’s skinny striped scarf. It was itchy itchy but I washed it and it softened up. I think it’s pretty cute. I used a 1x1 rib on size 5
I often knit this scarf while reading Biochemistry. Heh.
Fun skinny scarf. Pay no attention to the messy room behind me....
I also finished off a skein of Lion Brand Homespun in Baroque I had lying around in a seed stitch scarf. This was on huge 15US needles so it went really fast. Two nights of TV knitting and this baby was finito! I think that this may become a gift scarf. We will see.
I also started a Cotton Candy version of the Very Harlot Poncho for Mike’s little 6 year old cousin. She is a sweetie and I hope she likes it! Her mother was wishing she could give her a poncho for Christmas so I volunteered to knit one. I’ve wanted to use the Very Harlot Poncho pattern for awhile now.
It's so fluffy!
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
DEAD CAR BATTERY!!! NOOOOO.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
The evolution of Clapotis.
That last picture is a decent representation of the color. It's a bit more muted in real life. But hopefully this will turn out well. I'm swamped with school work, visiting friends (Hi Rach!), and interviews (eep!), so knitting (and this blog) gets pushed to the wayside. I wish I had all the time in the world to knit. But I have amino acids to memorize and extraction problems to solve. At least the leaves are gorgeous and the air is crip as I walk around campus! I ♥ fall!
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
My busy weekend.
Friday night, I went over to one of Mike's relative's house and ate a delicious dinner. Ethan (my nephew-to-be) is starting to walk! He's really getting the hang of it and he is SO CUTE!
The cutie is starting to walk!
On Sunday I went to an apple festival in Hickory. I don't have any pictures of apples, but there was a display of birds of prey. They were so regal looking; falcons and hawks. I also got to see a woman making bobbin lace! It was amazing! All the little bobbins and tiny thread... There were a million pins, but it was really pretty!
Birds of prey at the Apple Festival.
The neck wrap: another way to wear said scarf.
Unfortunately, I also caught a cold while I was at home. Now I'm sniffling and coughing and just generally icky. Hopefully it will go away soon! Happy knitting! ♥
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Random Picture
My favorite flower, the Gerber Daisy.
I want to start posting more random pictures. I take so many pictures that it would be fun to pick one every week to post. This picture is the result of a photo shoot with my absolute favorite flower: bright pink Gerber Daisies. I plan to use these as my wedding flowers, along with blue hydrangeas and white lilac. Oh the plans I have for my wedding. They are just dreams in my head right now, but someday they will all be real. And then I will be married to the boy I love. How exciting! ♥
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Wire knitting. Part 2!
Lovely job Valerie! It's so fun to knit with someone else. I taught Valerie how to knit last year and she has made some really awesome stuff! Right now she is working on a poncho out of the softest yarn ever! I forget what it is called. It feels like a puffy cloud. It just nice to share the crafty bug with someone who really loves to "create" too. Thanks for knitting with me Valerie! ♥
Monday, September 27, 2004
Wow! I actually finished it!
Easy Street from the back.
A couple of lessons I learned from knitting this sweater:
- I don't particularly enjoy seaming. It took awhile to seam-up because there was a 3 month pause between sleeves, but it's finished. Next time, I will not stop seaming after I start. If I seam it all in one go, it will much better.
- Next time, knit to fit!!! It's a little short in the torso and the arms. I hadn't quite grasped the concept of knitting to fit your body type when I knit these peices. I am quite tall and thus have longer than average measurements for arms and torso. Must remember this when knitting sweaters in the future.
- Order more than enough yarn for a sweater! Order an extra ball! I ran out of yarn at the neck line of this sweater. Much scrambling ensued, but it all worked out.
Overall, I am proud of my first sweater! I'm sure there will be many more to come! Yay for finishing! ♥
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Knitting with wire.
Thank goodness the bracelet isn't too big. Knitting with wire isn't exactly easy on the fingers. My figertips were a little sore afterwards, but it was quick and fun! I want to make more! I wish I could find black wire. I think that would look really awesome. Now Valerie is knitting a bracelet. We only bought one spool of wire so we have to take turns. :) I'll post a picture of hers when she finishes. ♥
Monday, September 20, 2004
Oh goodie!
Could it be?? It is! The scrap of envelope was found today, right where it belongs, in my knitting binder. :) I had looked everywhere but where it should be! Yay! So pattern writing will commence. Also keeping the pattern scribbles company in the pic above is a new WIP!! Ooops. That makes 4... 5... eh. Who's counting anyway? It's Clapotis! From the Fall Knitty. I like the pattern and would absolutely LOVE to make it using the Lion and Lamb it calls for, but it's a bit out of my price range right now. So I'm using a lil skein from my stash. TLC Cara Mia which is sooooo soft. It's acrylic with a dash of angora, so I'm afraid I may have an issue with curly edges. We will see. But the pattern is way fun, with the dropping of the stitches! And the diagonalness. I am making a much more narrow scarf than the original pattern gives, using only 2 repeats of the increase section (instead of 6). I think it will make a nice snuggly scarf. Perfect for fall in State College. Long live scarves!!! The instant gratification makes me happy! ♥
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Roll call!
First up is the Skinny Striped Scarf. Knit with Lion Brand Magic Stripes in the Jelly Bean colorway. It's a simple 1x1 rib. Unfortunately, I don't really like the reddish color in the mix, so I have been strategically eliminating most of it from the striping. This will lead to weaving in ends, which is what I was trying to avoid by using self-striping yarn, but oh well. This scarf was requested by my sister. I'm not sure how well it will live up to her request. She wanted something like this. I may have to search for softer yarn, as Magic Stripes is a bit scratchy for a scarf. Hmmm. Maybe a good washing will help. I still have fun with the stripes though.
Next up is my Cozy Alpaca Cable Hoodie. This little beauty is knit with Peruvian collection Sierra wool/alpaca blend from elann.com in an awesome heathery denim color. The pattern is from Patons Street Smart booklet. I ♥ all of the sweaters in this booklet as you will see in the following paragraphs. :) I'm almost up to the armhole decreases in the back of the hoodie. I started this sweater awhile ago, but it languished over the summer. Now she's back in the rotation.
Third up is Miss Limey Lacey Mobius Scarf. She is super cushy and soft in Peruvian collection Baby Silk a alpaca/silk blend from elann.com. Scrumptious! I got the pattern from elann as well. This mobius scarf thing is for my mom, who's birthday is coming up so I'm trying to finish before the big day (October 3rd). Miss Limey was born back in February, but being a slightly tedious project with tiny needles and tiny yarn, she has progressed slowly. I'm on the last skein so I think I'll definitely finish in time.
Now we move on to the Please Finish Me For Pete's Sake pile, which is small (phew!). My Easy Street Pullover has been one armed for a whole summer. It's getting cooler out (yay!) so it's high time I finished seaming the darn thing. Only one sleeve and side seam to go. This sweater is made from Patons Shetland Chunky from a pattern in the Street Smart booklet. I'm actually excited to seam it and be able to wear it now that I have pulled it out from the corner, so hopefully I'll have an FO to show soon.
And for a peek at coming attractions, the Urban Aran. Also, knit in Patons Shetland Chunky. Also, a pattern from the Street Smart booklet. :) The only other sweater in the book is the Must-Have Cardigan and I will eventually make that as well. The booklet was a good investment for sure!