May 22, 2008
In no particular order….
1. Relax
2. Hang out with friends and family
3. Organize our apartment
4. Decorate the apartment better
5. Spend more time outdoors
6. Go camping at least once
7. Sort through old paperwork and get a working filing system going
8. Do lots of fun craft projects and learn new techniques
9. Write letters
10. Watch TV less
11. Make more fresh meals
12. Save money
13. Find a local knit/craft group and go regularly
March 9, 2007
I didn’t realize it had been so long since I posted till Tracy asked me what was up with the lack of posting. Oops.
I am SO tired of having so much to do. And being out of town two weekends in a row means all the stuff I normally do on the weekends has gotten smooshed into the rest of the week (mainly Monday night since Tues is Choir, Wed is Sociology, Thurs is Knit Group, and Friday is Date Night). So yeah. I’ve even been distracted at work since I’ve got so much on my mind (“Oh! Must print off this form for [insert school-related, scholarship-related, or bill/finance-related thing here]” “Got to call so and so for [insert school-related, scholarship-related, or bill/finance-related thing here]” “Must send email to [insert school-related, scholarship-related, or bill/finance-related person or entity here] ). You get the point.
On top of all that, I am behind in my homework (hello Sociology schoolbooks! Long time no see! Hello Work Experience paperwork! Nice to meet you!). Did I mention I have a sociology test next week? And a deadline Monday night for a bunch of Work Experience paperwork?
Can you tell I’m a little overwhelmed and overworked? Trying to work on scholarship stuff in between all this is really challenging too (ie: not really happening). But I NEED them! There should be a scholarship that just asks for your name, contact info and whether you are going from working fulltime, to being in school fulltime and then give you tons of money. That would be awesome. Instead, it’s like another fulltime job! And of course it all has to be done during the time I’m in school too.
So, due to all this, not much knitting has been happening. The only thing I’ve been working on is a 3×4.25″ cell phone case (my design). I started it last Saturday in San Diego and finished the body last knit at knit group. Now I just need to figure out how I want to do a pocket (for my bluetooth earpiece) and how I want to do the closure. For now, it is just a cell phone “sock”. At least it’s a little something!
(Oh yes, and it’d be nice if my co-worker would stop talking to me today. I am melancholic today and I really DON’T want to hear about random stuff right now….)
February 16, 2007
About the Audition
Hopefully, one week from now I will know whether I will be able to attend SF State in the Fall! We’re leaving for SF in only FOUR DAYS!!! Ack! I am both nervous and excited. I feel pretty well prepared (as prepared as I can be considering everything) and have a plan for finishing my preparations as best I can.
Preparations so far:
- Audition songs are chosen (Obstination by Fonteneilles & If music be the food of love by Purcell) and are nearly completely prepared.
- Repertoire has been put together
- “Please accept me” packet has been put together in a nice folder with a cover sheet (includes cover letter & reference letter – not requested by SF State- and repertoire, and transcripts which were requested).
- Started practicing scales on piano
- Bought a new top from Ross and picked out the rest of the outfit
- Got haircut
Preparations to be completed:
- Study like crazy for the Theory and Musicianship placement tests…this will be interesting (and a little scary)
- Practice scales on piano like crazy
- Finish memorizing audition pieces and polishing my techniques
- Practice “introducing” the pieces, including meaning/translation
- Find direct translation for Obstination (might need to go to UCSB library for this – blech)
- Get eyebrows waxed/shaped this weekend
- Pack!
I am SO FREAKING GLAD that I have Monday off. And while I wish Nathan had the day off for his sake, I am glad I have two days in a row to work on music and study at my own pace (I’ll need to take breaks here and there…I can’t practice music alone for more than two hours straight without getting glassy-eyed).
About Knitting
Knitting has been helping me relax and unwind when I start to feel stressed, and I love how well the sweater is coming along (not that I really got much done last night, ha!). I think it’s going to be a very comfy sweater. I’m hoping that for my next sweater endeavor (besides finished the lacey Rebecca sweater), I can learn some shaping techniques. I really need it for my body type I’m thinking… Tracy recommended the second Stitch N’ Bitch book for that, so I might have to convince Nathan that I need it, hehe. Or I can wait till next month to buy it (probably wouldn’t need it before then anyway…)
About Knit Group
Last night after knit group, I realized that this is the first time in my life that I’ve actually felt like I belonged in a group of female friends. I’ve always been a “one close friend at a time” kinda person and never really found a group that I felt like I truly connected to. I always felt like the odd one out for whatever reason (I was homeschooled and everyone else went to public school, or I was older and everyone else was younger, or I acted older and didn’t fit in with either the older people or the younger people, or I was a girl and they were boys, or I was more girly girl, or not as girly girl). Anyway, you get my point.
The part I hate is that I am getting so connected, yet my time is limited. I’m trying not to let that get in the way of developing deeper friendships with everyone, though. To rip off a cliche, I’d rather have had this connectedness and “lose” it, than never have had it at all.
I definitely know that nothing is ever going to be able to replace the SB Knitters Group, even if I do find another knit group in the Berkeley area.
February 8, 2007
Thursday: Managed to knit a few inches on sweater at knit group. Yay!
Friday: Thought about knitting. Spent time with hubby instead of knitting.
Saturday: Ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, wishing I could be knitting. I got a haircut, found a top for my audition, and had a voice lesson instead.
Sunday: Ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, wishing I could be knitting. The closest thing I did was walk into K&P after a stop at Kinko’s. It was the first meeting of the K&P knit group. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wished I’d had my knitting with me. I did paperwork, prepared our taxes, and managed to do a *little* bit of homework instead.
Monday: I don’t even remember what happened Monday. I think it was more running around, and more homework. Oh yeah! I went up to SBCC to practice singing, piano, etc.
Tuesday: Lugged knitting with me to school. Got on the wrong bus, ended up standing, and going past SBCC. Whoops. Managed to sneak in 2 rows before choir started! YAY!
Wednesday: Forgot to bring knitting with me to school. Got on the RIGHT bus (the one that’s not as full), and sat there bored, wanting to kick myself. Managed to slip some knitting into my class anyway. I used intarsia as a metaphor for identity, Ha! Go me!! I also knit one row when I got home. But then I was tired and went to bed.
I CAN’T WAIT FOR KNIT GROUP TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!
February 6, 2007
I haven’t knit a single stitch (other than at Knit Group on Thursday) for a week. I am having knitting withdrawals I think. I keep toting it around with me, in the hopes that I’ll catch a few moments to be able to knit.
I had to go to a meeting thing at SBCC in order to get a student loan, and I was SOOOOOO itching to pull out my knitting, but I refrained since it was a smaller group of people than I expected and I didn’t want to be distracting/rude to the people speaking. *sigh*
Tonight, I am determined to find a few minutes between class, prepping for the audition/placement tests, and sociology homework (which I am sorely behind on *double sigh*).
But I have some good news! We’re getting a sizeable tax refund and this loan will help us transfer some higher interest balances so we can pay off as much debt as possible before we move. Yay!!
Now if only I can get SFSU to cooperate with me!!
Announcement!
Knit & Pearl at 5 E Figueroa is now has a knit group that’s currently scheduled for Sunday afternoons from about 2-4:30pm. I’m gonna try to make it at least part of the time on Sundays (probably more after the dreaded audition), so I hope to see you there! One of the gals who was there is planning on joining the JS group too!
February 1, 2007
ACK!
Three weeks from this moment I will be at the beginning of my Theory Placement test for SFSU….the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a CRAZY day.
SO much to do, SO little time.
Thursdays look like they’re becoming my “safe” day of the week. Today I’m having lunch with Tracy and Chauntel may join us also, and then knit group tonight (which will be my only non-bus knitting for the week), though I’m probably going to be late.
Although now, my Thursdays are also marking the weeks prior to my audition. Darn butterflies!
January 25, 2007
January 19, 2007
I want to be home, snuggling with Nathan and/or knitting. I am so ready for the weekend right now.
In other news, I have successfully conquered DPNs! I am behind on picture-taking (sorry), but I was working away on them last night at knit group anyway, so you’ve all seen me in action. The hat is turning out to be really cute and I really enjoy using DPNs…and making stockinette in the round (no purling! yay!). Anyway, I think I like DPNs better than if I used circulars in the round cause I feel like I get a different sense of accomplishment since I work 1/4 of a round at a time. If I finish 3 rounds, it feels more like 12 to me and that keeps me motivated. So this has equaled a bunch of firsts…first knit hat, first use of DPNs, and first project in the round. Woot!
I’ve also working a couple more inches on the sweater and I think I’m about 1/3 of the way (maybe more) to starting the armhole shaping.
I’ve also increased my current works in progress as my mom asked for a scarf. I’ve decided to do alternating squares so it’s not boring and not too fancy for the yarn (it’s an annoying bulky-weight yarn…difficult to work with and too thick to do any ribbing).
So yeah, my hands are full, and a few things have been put on the backburner for now, but I’m plugging away and making progress, so I’m happy as things are for now.
January 3, 2007
First, I abandon my crochet hooks, and now my straight needles have been abandoned to my Knit Knook (as I now affectionately refer to it as). So they got angry.
Behold, Needles of Death!!
And, the Knit Knook:
(Yes, it’s a mess, and there is more yarn under the surface. And more in storage. But not nearly as much as Chauntel’s stash!)
Lastly, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the sweater so far. The lighting wasn’t great since I took it at night, so the color is a little off, but here ’tis:
I need to work on it more often. I was going to bring it to knit group, now that the pattern is pretty securely stuck in my brain, but alas, Thursday was the only night my littlest sister and her “Special Friend” could doubledate with Nathan and I. I am sad to miss knit group, but I don’t know SF super-well and besides, my Big Sister duties come first 🙂
Anyone up for coffee and knitting on Sunday mayhaps? I have some extra spending money (and might even have little more this weekend) so I’m thinking that a mini-yarn-shopping-spree at Knit & Pearl is in order!
December 28, 2006
But I least I figured it out in time!
Sooo, even after all that swatching I did, I realized as I was sitting down to start in on the pattern for the Rebecca sweater that I had done ALL of my wrong side rows BACKWARDS! Duh! *smacks head*. So instead of having twisted stitches neatly stacked on top of each other (K tbl on RS, P tbl on WS), they were offset because I wrote the WS stitch pattern out backwards, forgetting that knitting goes back and forth, NOT the same direction every time. HELLO MARIEKE!
I am SO glad I figured it out because even though the pattern still would have worked and not really looked all that bad, it looks a LOT better. (I’d take a comparison picture and upload it, but I don’t have time to do that…maybe later)
Oh, and once the light clicked on for that, I got one full repeat of the motif pattern done all the way across and I think I only made one mistake that I couldn’t fix! (or didn’t notice in time) Yippee!
I am so excited about knit group tonight! For one, I get to show off the beginnings of my first sweater and make every laugh at my silly mistakes, and best of all, we have a new gal coming who sounds delightful! I love Knit Group so!
 | Kelly on Quite the year… |
| Kelly on Quite the year… |
 | Christine on Lots of Knitting |
| Kelly on An unfortunate incident |
 | Kelly Lundeby on One whole year |
Work in Progress 