Two posts at once!

Well, we'll see if it works. Wireless has been up and down my entire lunch hour. Makes me wonder just how great it is to have the most wired (or technically wireless) campus if you can't get a signal on the only side of the library where the electrical outlets are actually wired themselves.

Not a lot of knitting related accomplishments to regale. Though my buying yarn on Saturday was apparently the motivation I needed to get other knitting projects finished (probably has something to do with the potential 'can only buy yarn for one project once finish two projects' rule and the fact that I'm already 'in the hole' since I had the unexpected acquiring of yarn). In other words, I finally seamed that one shoulder seam and did the neckband of my vest. Still have another shoulder seam and then it's side seams (ick!) but I have made progress on a project that has sat at 90% complete for nearly two years. And I also have made enough progress on the travel sock that I'm nearly to the heel. Yay! As soon as I get those finished I'll have two projects finished and won't feel so guilty about yarn purchases on Saturday.

I also finally got that survey/meme thinger posted for SP5 (with a little helpful poking by my secret pal).

I had a great Memorial Day weekend. A friend travelled down to visit, and it was her birthday on Saturday. So we went to the winery and did a wine tasting. And then were thankful we had a DD, as we were just tipsy enough that we knew we shouldn't drive. There was supper at a cow palace, great big hunks of meat were consumed and margaritas were drunk. Sunday was a cookout, the THE - toss, hit and eat. Though actually the order was toss (lawn darts and horse shoes), eat (brats and salads and incredibly wonderful banana puddings) and hit (fizzball). Fizzball is an idea they pulled from a comic book years ago. Buy the cheapest, nastiest beer you can, someone pitches and someone else hits it with a baseball bat and sees who can get the best explosion. Very good times, though I now know from experience that Schlitz isn't fun to get in your eyes. Monday was hang out time before our friend headed back home, and then resting and working on the vest. So, in all a great time, though I was tired tired tired yesterday.

Well, lunch break is nearly over and I've got to head back to work. Hopefully I'll have some picture when I post next. Either of knitting stuff or maybe my new drop spindle I just won from eBay or of the weekend. :D

I've hit it

That mid-project itch where your eyes start straying to other things that would be more 'fun' to work on. I've started the right front of the bolero and am hoping to get to the point to start the raglan shaping before I turn in for the night. But pictures! And Y!M convo I must preserve for posterity:

Knitty Librarian: *gets conference invite but isn't at computer*
Evil Muse: you coming?
Knitty Librarian: sorry, was taking a picture of my sweater pieces. *is big dork*
Evil Muse:
Evil Muse: *agrees*
Knitty Librarian:




Bolero as of this evening. I've finished the back and started on the right front. The back is on a stitch holder to keep the stitches live, partially because I figure I can decide later if I want to go from live or pick up new for the finishing. And partially because when I was marking decreases down as I did them (except not, just trying to remember how many I did when on the bus and mark them down later - which obviously didn't work) I came up short when I got to the required 37 stitches. So I may have done the shoulder shaping wrong, but I want to wait and compare it to the pattern and the fronts before I decide to frog.

But, even with progress ahead shaping up quite well, I want to work on something else. And the fact that I have several projects on the needle isn't helping. Especially since what I really want to do is swatch up that clover lace without making mistakes and take it into the LYS on Saturday. I'm planning to make my usual Saturday morning Farmers Market run (am in such Focchia withdrawal it isn't funny) and the LYS is right there on the square. And I'm thinking that if it is too loopy with the yarn I currently have and want to use, maybe I could double strand it, so I'd need another ounce to see if that would work... (and if it doesn't all the more to make a cute summery scarf with !!!)

Despite my complaining about my class, I do like it. I just think it's a lot to be crammed into two weeks. Still, it is very well geared for my learning style - we're actually doing evaluation projects as opposed to having Dr. N. lecture to us about them. It's just that two collection evaluation projects (even if we're given the checklists to use) and a paper evaluating different evaluation methods are a bit much for 9 days of class.

Still, have been taking study breaks - did the shoulder seams of cropped cardigan last night when I needed to give my eyes a rest from the computer for about 20 minutes (yay for s00per fast three needle bind off). And put potato soup in the crockpot this morning. Will be going to Star Wars tonight and am contemplating the idea of not going to bed after (because, face it, I'll be to jazzed up to sleep), but just working straight through until class tomorrow. (I was pulling 48 hour days (40 working, 8 sleeping) while doing the thesis, I can do it now). That would enable me to go on a hike Sat morning (yay! exercise!). Depending on how much work I get done if I do pull an all nighter.

Knitting is keeping me sane with little snatches of time like on the bus, but not enough time to go into it too much. Quickly, though, despite doing gauge swatch and switching to smaller needles, my gauge on the bolero jacket back is at 20 st/4 in instead of the 23 st/4 in it should be (damn me for knitting loosely) or that I realized I'm doing the jacket in a large and am not sure I need 43 in at the bust even with the needed space for ease. Or that I've figured out a short row way of doing shoulder shaping for the cropped cardigan in Vogue Summer 2005 if anyone wants it so you can do three needle bind off. Or that I'm going to do long sleeves afterall, which may end up with me sending a check to the evil muse and making a puppy dog face so she can go and get me a fifth skein of yarn. Yarg.

epic, project, class, knitting, this means war, hiking, oh my!

Class and project is kicking my ass. My one consolation is that a week from today it will all be over (except for the final project due a week from Monday, but we'll ignore that for now). Have not managed to do readings for class for last two days, so there will be catch up readings to do tomorrow. Yarg.

The epic has unfortunately stalled, though not for lack of ideas. Well, okay, so not as many ideas pounding on me at once as before, but mainly class/work/RP responsibilities have hindered me from my previous 2,000+ words a day of before. *sigh* Hopefully after the class is over.

Made gauge on 'cropped cardigan' pattern after all. That teaches me for checking it in bad light. Of course, there is the question of if I'll have enough yarn, but I'm planning on short sleeves instead of long (an possibly doing those top down by picking up around the sleeve opening and doing them circular, though not sure if I'm that saavy). Also discovered that Elann.com credit is $50! More than enough for bolero jacket yarn. Just need to decide on rest of the $$. Was looking at yarn for boobholder, only am having hard justifying 5 skeins at $5/skein on good stuff with I've seen perfectly lovely boobholders made with Lion Brand and Caron yarn. But it's such a pretty shade of purple!!! *saves order for tomorrow*

There is a chipmunk living under my air conditioner. I really wouldn't mind, only I saw the little bugger sniffing at my plants and hell no. Yes, war was declared. Found a little sand bagger type thing in the yard next to my patio and kicked it over to cover his hole. He moved it out and I moved it back. He moved it again and I moved it back again and it's still there. We'll see in the morning as to who's winning. *rolls up sleeves*

Colored my hair this week. Am undecided on if I like the color, as I didn't use my usual color (Clairol Natural Instincts 13A Gingerbread Light Bronze Brown). Said usual color is very nearly my natural color (13B Spiced Cider Light Warm Brown), however I wanted to keep the red highlights and go lighter, so I went for a lighter reddish color. Well, my hair has more red, but it isn't much lighter (not that I was surprised since it is a washout dye and doesn't use peroxide). But I do kinda like it, I just need to be careful about the shades of red I wear with it. :))

Went hiking today with other grad students in the department. As I informed my partner on the class project when she asked yesterday where we were going 'Mc-something Creek State Park'. Complete with a cave that we went crawling through (and yes I banged my head once) and a waterfall that we ate our lunch by (complete with a water snake sighting that had several of us jumping up). Was a little pressed for time, however, as I got home at 12:10 and the bus left at 12:30. And I was covered in sunscreen, bug spray and dirt. Quickest shower in history of me and I ran to the bus with my hair still wet. Not that it mattered as while it was gorgeous out (though a tad humid) when I got on the bus, we were in the middle of a torrential downpour when I got off. The one day this week (as my class partner pointed out) that I didn't have my umbrella. Or a jacket. And was in a little sundress. *facepalm*

Also, I have a papercut on my cuticle. And the evil muse say she isn't going to be my roommate when we end up in the loony bin. *pouts*

Things I need to do:
*Pack to visit ebil muse
*Clean/dishes/laundry type things
*Reply to email from IN!guy
*Print off stuff on campus
*Find crockpot recipe for 6 lb ham (was on sale for $.98/lb Wheee!!!) and possibly also pineapple
*Talk with prof about independent study


Things I have done:
*Pack - mostly
*Finish not frozen potato soup leftovers for lunch. YUM.
*Frogged Birds Eye Shawl in Handpainted Lace Wool (similar, less burgundy and more orange/gold/green)
*Restarted above yarn to make a Meadow Flowers Shawl. Hopefully this is not going to be too intricate to be overwhelmed by the multi-colored yarn like the Birds Eye was. *crosses fingers*
*Decided to wait to talk to prof Tuesday before class.
*Ummm... thought about cleaning/dishes/laundry?