Yeah, so...*ahem*

Hi there,
Yes. I know.

I know.

It's been over a half a year since I last said a word to you. It's sad and its shameful and i'm sorry. The truth is, I can make tons of excuses-I was busy with my last semester of school, I've been busy preparing for my sister's wedding that was a couple weeks ago, graduating, trying to find a job...etc. But the truth is, is that I've always said to people who say, "oh I'd love to learn to knit/crochet/play the ukulele/etc, but i just don't have enough time" that if you really want to do something, you make the time. So yes. I'll call bullshit on myself and say that I haven't really been inspired to get on here. Also, I got in a major rut where I wasn't in the mood to knit much for the past six months. I've got two scarves that are almost done, but have been in the same state for months. I've got 3/4s of a sock done. It's just been...i don't know. I haven't been in the mood to knit much.
However, I have been more in the mood to crochet, especially over the past month or so, and in reviewing the projects I've made since we last spoke, its mostly been crochet...so thats. interesting. I've done a bunch of very small projects over the past month, as well as finished up a really large project, which was a beautiful chevron shawl in a glittery yarn for my grandmother for my sister's wedding. I unfortunately do not have pictures of that, because I gave it to her before taking pictures-my bad. seriously. my bad. it was glorious.
Anyway, before I show you some pictures of some projects I've completed since I last posted, I wanted to let you know some big news that I alluded to up there. I got engaged! In march. So...not really new, but still exciting! Anyway, here are some pictures, i'll do them in time order, starting from last december to now.

1. Aryeh's Anniversary/Birthday Blanket (crochet)

This is a scrap blanket that I made using mainly blues, greens, greys, browns, and yellows. Its a reincarnation of my first scrap blanket that Aryeh loved, that you can see on my ravelry page. He's been using it a lot since I gave it to him, and it was the biggest project I ever gave to someone. 

2.  Turban Headbands (knit)

These were two quick projects I did. I haven't worn them out, but maybe I will in the fall.

3. Mosaic Hat (crochet)
Hmm...i can't seem to find pictures of it on my computer. See it on my ravelry page here. Yes, it looks cute, but it came out too small and looked awful with my hair. I got a really horrible haircut in December that I am still growing out, and this hat was able to highlight every awful bit of it.

4. Starburst Lap Blanket (crochet)
This was a blanket that I started years ago, and unearthed in my room this past winter. All i really needed to do was finish up a round and sew in the ends. I believe I wanted to do three more rounds in the purple color, but I decided that it was better done now, than never done.

5. Flower Pins (crochet)
These are awesome, and I love using them to add to my outfits. Planning on making more.

6. Peter Pan Collars (crochet- this week)
I'm addicted to these. I made three, all this week.

Okay, that's it for now! Sorry about the mega-long post. I'll finish it up with a picture of me (actually looking good for once in my life...it was when I came home from my sister's wedding-best makeup ever) and my fiance. Thanks!

It's about time, hat.

Hello again,
For the past few weeks I've been working on this hat.
Well, sort of. I did the seed stitch band of the hat, joined in the round, and realized that there wasn't a woman or man on the planet that it would fit.

Rip, rip, rip.

Then I did my fingerless mitts.

But here's the thing.
I went to A.C. Moore on my way home from work, when I'm tired, sleepy, exhausted, to buy yarn for a hat. So i decided: I'm making the friggin hat. I had the pattern picked out, and even chose a super cute purple button to put on it.

I make the hat!
:(
...button is gone.

I think I threw it out in the bag, thinking I'd taken everything out.
:(

WHO CARES I FINALLY MADE A KNIT HAT THAT SORT OF FITS!!!!!!!

...I know the button is like, brown. On a grey hat. Is that okay? I don't even understand the laws of neutrals.

Truth be told, its a bit big. And I can't decide if I look cute or like a dork in it.


PS: I'm so fucking done with the sweater. I need motivation. It's not happenin'.

New FOs, more adventures of a beginner

Hi again,
I apologize once again for the lack of posting. I'm afraid it'll be at this rate until the end of the semester, as I'm already dealing with finals.
I finished another turban headband back in October right after I completed the first, but never took pictures. So, without further ado, here are some awful pictures:

Yeah....I look super happy.

Next, I completed yet another pair (#3) of the easy fingerless mitts pattern. I've been wearing the blue-green pair I made almost every day, and they are super cozy and fun to wear. I wanted to do another pair in a different color scheme, and I found this caron simply soft paints yarn at A.C. Moore. It's thicker than regular simply soft without the sheen, so I quite like it. The colors are really pretty and the pictures don't do them justice:

Today I also took the time to learn how to do something I've been wanting to do for quite some time: learn how to do cables. So I did a simple swatch of a front-cross cable. I really think that the Stitch and Bitch book is the best resource to learn new techniques or to refresh yourself on one's you've learned before. It's what I use every time I need to learn something, and it's never failed me. 

Anywho, the sweater is still in progress, still on the 1st sleeve. I haven't worked on it at all in weeks, because I've been so exhausted. The idea of working on a project with dpns with about a bajillion pounds hanging off of it isn't so appealing.

That's all for now :)

Blahhhh

Hi again,
My sincerest apologies for the lack of posting lately. And to be honest, this one won't be much of an improvement. I've been super tired lately-when I come home from work, I can barely move let alone knit, which is pretty much the saddest thing ever. So I haven't worked on my sweater much in the past month. This past weekend I hunkered down and finished the body-it looks a little weird, but I'm going to deny this and try not to think about it. I also started working on a sleeve, and this is where my directions fail me. I've basically been winging it. For realz. I have no idea what I'm doing. And its uncomfortable in general working with dpns (for me) but working with dpns attached to a heavy piece of knitting it just not fun. I will finish this sweater though, I promise you that. It just may not be very pretty.

I don't have any pictures for this post, which once again I'm sorry for. The only reason why I have the energy to write this post is because I'm going into work late today (this is not exactly an awesome thing by any means, because I have to stay until 9 PM). Also, this doesn't mean I get to sleep in, because my body is so used to waking up at 7, that I couldn't stay asleep past 8. ALSO, this doesn't mean I'm not tired, I'm already pretty freaking exhausted. Sorry for complaining. Life's just not super fun at the moment.

FO, Sweater Update

Hello again,
My apologies for the lack of posting in the past few weeks. School has been really exhausting, and I'm so tired when I come home I barely have energy to knit. The sweater progress has been slower because of this, but I'm still working on it. I only have a few more inches to go to finish the body of the sweater, and then I'll start on the sleeves.
I made a video of how it looks this past Sunday which is pretty much how it looks now.



In other news, I finished a small project. It's the pattern "it's a cinch" headband, which is pretty much a turban style headband.
The yarn I used was given to me and I'm not sure if I ever knew the brand, although I have in the back of my head TLC. It's kind of ugly but soft, and I've used bits of it in various different projects. I have to say that this headband is pretty ugly. I think maybe on someone with lighter hair it would look better, I don't know. Or maybe its just that I don't look good in a turban headband. Either way, I'm making another because I needed a small project to bring to school.

Whenever I look at me in the last picture, I kind of laugh. I'm not really sure why. 

EK Podcast #2

Hello again,
Today I come bearing a second podcast. I am keeping this post simple because all the updates are in it!



Show notes:

Updated picture!

Questions:
1. When and how did you start knitting or crocheting?
2. Whats your most favorite finished object that you’ve made?
3. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever knitted or crocheted?
4. What was your most epic fail in knitting or crochet?
5. What size crochet hook or knitting needle do you use most often?
6. If you could only choose one color to knit with for the rest of your days, what color would that be?
7. If you could only knit or crochet one thing (category, scarves, hats, etc) for the rest of your days, what would that be?
8. Tell me about your ideal knitting situation-where are you? Who are you with? What are you doing? What are you wearing? Etc.

***Please let me know if you'd like to contribute to the podcast like I discussed at the end! If you would like to record a short piece for it, I can also add that as well.

Best lounge everrr...

Hello again,
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in school, and I go to school in new york city (you may be able to figure out where I go from the pictures in the post, that's cool with me). I have a four hour break between classes every wednesday, which sucks. For the past year, I've stuck with the same lounge on one of the floors of the student center. It's got lots of comfy sofa chairs, a tv that's always on CNN, and that's good enough for me. However, it does get really loud (so I can't hear the tv) and I always feel a little weird being by myself a lot of the time as people congregate around me with their friends, eating lunch.
Last week I decided to venture out, and in my boredom I was surfing around on foursquare. If you haven't heard of foursquare, basically its an app where you 'check in' to places and you can leave tips for other people (its a bit silly). I was checking out what people wrote for the student center, and someone suggested the 9th floor.
I went.
It's amazing. It's got even comfier chairs, its a smaller lounge, and its always quiet because people seem to generally just be on their computers doing work, not congregating with friends. Also, it happens to have an awesome view of the city:

My iphone camera really doesn't do it justice, but that's okay. Also, see the girl sitting in the chair facing the windows on the right? A few minutes after I took this picture, she left and I took her chair right up against the window. I felt more calm than I had all day, sitting up against that window, knitting peacefully and listening to music. 

That's a fuzzy picture because the lower part of the window had dots all over it (purposefully). That's a view of washington square park, you can see the arch pretty clearly.

PS: I discovered a knitting group! As I was leaving the building my classes are in, I spied yarn! Turns out, these two girls had just started a knitting group in my program! I was super excited, but I couldn't stay long because I had plans with a friend to go to lunch. But, I did get a chance to chat with them for a good 20 or so minutes about knitting, crocheting, and ravelry, and knit a couple rows on my sweater in the process. My first real live actual young knitter interaction!