Quick Update

So work has left me with very little time for knitting, but I've got the following projects going:

A square knit on the bias for the Kansas tornado victims, A sock knit on my brand new bamboo needles and Sheila's Opal yarn, [which is knitting up very beautifully], and my Very First Sweater is still sulking in its bag.

I have lots of pictures, and I think I'll have them up sometime this weekend, as I am sick and you cannot serve people bagels and coffee if you continually cough. I think I may be sick for the rest of the summer, if you catch my drift.....

Meanwhile a friend made his own knitblog, which you can visit here.

Enjoy the long weekend!

I'm a Proud Knitter

I think its allergies, or perhaps the fire burning south of here that's got my nose running a marathon. I'm all congested and stuck doing loads of laundry that I neglected over the past week or two. I've been looking at my sweater, and thinking about knitting, but not actually doing much of anything. I start a job tomorrow, which means more money for yarn and knitting related things.

But the reason why I'm posting, its because while I was hand washing a skirt, I got to thinking. I started writing a poem in my head. I started off with, "I'm a proud knitter." I've had all day to sit around and think about the poem because I'm really only doing laundry and cleaning up my room, but you can't knit and do these things at the same time.

I sat down at my trusty computer, opened notebook and started writing. I think I've got close to a page of knitted related poetry, which got me thinking. Maybe, maybe, I have a problem.

Here's the first stanza (which I feel is the best stanza, and perhaps the only stanza I think I'll share with you):

I'm a proud knitter.
I am 21 and my friends make fun,
cause I'm a happy stitcher.
My dad calls me an old lady,
but I think he's crazy,
Cause I'm a proud knitter.



Hi, my name is Jersey and I'm addicted to yarn and knitting. It's very nice to meet you.

Counting My Blessings

The semester is finally over. I have actually allowed myself to look at My Very First Sweater, which is happily snuggled away in a bag. I haven't touched it yet. I'm just looking right now. My brand-y new bamboo double pointed needles showed up on Friday and I swear I almost peed my pants. They are so beautiful. I haven't used them yet, I also haven't had a chance to take pictures. I participated in my local Relay for Life and I must admit, I'm still tired and woozy from dancing and being all around goofy. I had every intention of knitting chemo caps while walking, and I got about 6 rows done (on double pointed needles of course!) when I had to become the Mom of our team and make sure everyone was getting along rather than knitting.

In other absolutely fantastic news, I have the privilege of traveling to Washington D.C. at the end of the month with my mom and sister. My sister is coming up for her birthday which is itself fabulous and even more so that we're basically going to be stuck together for about 3 days straight. This means I get time well spent with my sister, who is a resident of Florida, as well as potential souvenir yarn.

And while I'm on the subject of yarn, Sheila the blogger behind Knitting by Moonlight has offered to send me sock yarn. I am so thankful and grateful it makes me teary thinking about it.

Now, as if this wasn't enough, I received some paperwork today from a local university that I was awarded a very large scholarship. As of this semester I 'graduated' from my community college and have been looking for a good four-year college/university to transfer to. Today, I found out that the university I figured I had the least chance of being accepted to, not only accepted me, but has actually made attending something I can talk about (instead of dream). There is also a possibility that I could play lacrosse at this university as well.

I played lacrosse in high school and I am equally as passionate about it as I am knitting. How absolutely fantastic would it be to knit socks in my team's colors?!?!!

Despite the stress and lack of knitting over the past few months, it really feels as though things are working out. I don't like to talk about religion, so I will keep my comments brief: I am extremely blessed and I thank God for everything I have and everything I don't. I was blog-hopping when I came across this link about families in Greensburg, Kansas. I hope to have the button up by Monday as I've decided I'll be knitting squares for them.

If you're a mom/grandma, Happy Mother's Day.

Precious Illusions

I won an ebay auction for 5, 9" bamboo double pointed needles in sizes 1-11.

Now that I've said that out loud I realize exactly how many needles I'm going to be receiving and I think I may need to find a storage solution before they get here from California. The exciting part of all of this is that I'm going to try my first socks as soon as I get paid from my job. Funny thing is, I'm still job hunting.

Tomorrow is the end of the semester, thank all that is wooly and warm. I'll have pictures of the needles when they get here. I have fallen in love with double pointed needles, friends. I figure if I'm going to get a whole bunch, I prefer bamboo or wood. I own a pair of metal size 6's and I'm not that fond of them. Plus, I think I got my In The Mail Needles at a really good price, even paying shipping.

I've rediscovered Alanis Morissette. I used to love her in the late 90's, especially the Jagged Little Pill and Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Her more latest musical endeavors were lost on me at the time. I don't know what happened, but I love them now. I don't usually talk music on KnitBlog but when she came out with this parody it got me thinking.




A lot has been said about this video, and if you know anything about what Alanis has done in the past, this is a very "out of character" video for her. I found it interesting and I'm passing it along.

In other news, some lunatics tried to take over Fort Dix, and our governor has finally recovered from his horrendous car crash on the Garden State Parkway. Jim McGreevey, the former governor who publicly came out of the closet, to the world almost three years ago, has published a book, and very soon his ex-wife will be publishing her own book.

Sometimes I think New Jersey is about on par with California when it comes to ridiculous things making the news.

I'll have pictures next post of a whole bunch of bamboo DPNs....

Feliz Cinco De Mayo, Amigas!

Not that I drink or am Mexican, but Feliz de Cinco de Mayo amigas! [I say amigas because I doubt that too many dudes are checking out my knitblog] But just in time for a great drinking holiday, I made a beer cozy on size 6 double pointed needles.

I'm so excited about this because I haven't had a "product" to show in a long time. This particular cozy took me about two hours, and I've made two more. This cozy, the first one, is made from two strands of DK weight, hand painted, super wash merino I purchased in Rhinebeck Oct 2005. I had it left over from a hat I made.



The recipient is a the local beer pong champion among my friends, and he is very excited about his cozy. Since this one is a little wild, I've decided that I'm going to make a more "manly" version and cross stitch his initials on it. He's thrilled, which makes me thrilled because the last time I knit for anyone, I wanted to crawl into a cave and die.

Get a designated driver if you plan to enjoy some margaritas today :)

I Know What Your Thinking

"She's lost her mind."

Well not yet, entirely. But guess what I decided I was going to learn! Yes! Double pointed needles! I called my LYS (I wish I could convey to you the extreme pleasure I have in saying I HAVE A LOCAL YARN SHOP - that doesn't suck.) and asked about a sock knitting class they have, asked some general, noob questions, but the big one:

Can I take the class if I've never used DPNs before?

She didn't sound thrilled about it. At all. So I decided that since I plan to take the class at some point over the summer, I am going to walk in with at least some DPN experience. I basically knit a tube which was similar to what is shown at knittinghelp.com. I showed my mom, the boyfriend, my mom's boyfriend - no one was impressed. I got "what are you making out of that?"

ugh.

So here, here are the pictures fellow knitters. I am so extremely proud of myself. I didn't think it could be done. But during the last week of the semester, I did it. I knit on DPNs.

Pictures:

I'm not saying I knit the most beautiful thing ever, but I've never knit on DPNs before and I really just need to talk about it with people who are in the know.

Thank you, and goodnight.