Feb 29, 2012

Cake pops!

     My crochet blanket is nearly complete.  I simply have to wash it and block it.  I was working on the trim but I have run out of yarn.  Three skeins of yarn later and voila, a blanket.






     At some point you can see where the pattern just dissolved but I don't think a newborn is really going to critique me about it.  I need to wash it, stretch it out and then mail it to the expecting mother!  Since you may read this blog post I won't be mentioning your name but congratulations.

     As for the shawl I'm working on...  Well, I had to pull out about two hours of work today because I dropped a stitch eight lines ago.  Lame.  Very very lame.  I had 200 out of 201 stitches.  Le sigh.  This was the first time I had to pull out quite so many lines so I was quite honestly very reluctant to do so.  Took me four days to work up the gumption and involved picking up and finishing the aforementioned blanket and a book or two at the library but I did it.  Picked up my stitches and getting right back into the swing on knitting.

     When you make a baby blanket everyone needs to know if you are pregnant or if you have kids.  It's a weird way to bring up the topic after I just mentioned I was making a blanket for a friend.  Everyone at work asks.  After I say no, not pregnant nor do I have any children they want to know why?  Why don't I just pop a baby out without regards to its future or well-being?  Because we can't afford a dog right now, not to mention a child.  Children mean more to me than just some duty.  If I can't give a child a good life I don't want one right now.  Don't tell Tad that though, I've been nagging him like crazy just for fun.

     What else have I done?  Cake pops.  Tori and I went cake popping Monday and made adorable, creepy cake pop figurines.  Even though mine started as a cupcake, it is definitely a duck.  Definitely.




     As you can see, the cake pop class was also in a yarn cafe.  Too bad it was so inconvenient to get to.  I'd like to shop there.  Ahh!  I don't need any more yarn yet!  Bad hoarding habits! Bad!

     Back to work and Toastmastering.  Enjoying the only intercalary day in the Gregorian calender by being grumpy and crampy.  Jaa!

Feb 17, 2012

More knitting

     It seems I've developed a sliiiiggghhht obsession with tiny knitting/crochet patterns.  Went to the library yesterday and grabbed two books on amigurumi.  One is called Teeny-Tiny Mochimochi and the other is Yummi 'Gurumi.  So if I ever get a big box of yarn/scraps of yarn I will be making adorable tiny versions of things.  Like computers, gnomes, sushi boxes, or cakes!  I know you all want one.  I would too.

     I've ramped up my knitting habit and am jumping into the deep end with a shawl pattern.  I have already learned at least five major knitting skills with the pattern: reverse loop cast on, knitting front and back (kfb), knit two together (k2tog), casting on sideways, and make one stitch (m1).  Amazingly boring to the non-knitting crowd, as Tad will tell you.  You wanna see it? No?  Man I need to stop asking people and just do it.  Here it is, my shawl to be:

     Very large, I know.  I added a lot to even this tiny bit and am running at about 156?ish stitches in my row.  Looooonnnngggg time to finish anything.  Feeling lazy but I'm so proud of myself.  Maybe I'll do real work today.  Hah, yea, I laughed too.


Feb 15, 2012

February is the coolest month?

     What have I been doing?  Convalescence.  For nearly a month I have been holed up in my room like a crazy cat-lady shut in and doing nothing but watch Netflix and knit.  Also, I knit now.  And have picked up crocheting again.  Today I was supposed to make a Cthulhu but well, I bought a cupcake instead.  BAM.  Cupcake.  Would you like to see my last knitted project?  no?  Well BAM too bad.

     I made a scarf.


     Check out my Ravelry if you want the pattern.  It's cute, easy and most of all easy.  Nothing fancy to make a cute, fancy looking scarf.  My newest project is much more difficult.  My shawl is at 0% completion.  I'm kinda mad at it, honestly.  I may need a little more practice before I work on it.  Or maybe I need a different yarn... Yess, that's right.  I need tons of yarn that I can never use.  Yessssss...

     Why haven't I updated you may ask.  Kai, you have been sitting at home nearly every day for almost a month being lazy and at least coherent enough to type.  Right?  Right.  Well, I have made a few drafts.  They all look like this:

Draft 1:
     Why didn't I bring a scarf?!  My native Floridian blood keeps me from bringing extra clothing.  Umbrellas?  Nah, not if it's just this little sprinkle!  It'll end soon enough.  Scarf? My jacket has a collar and I can just hunch my shoulders.  Boots?  Hahaha, shoes dry.  On my way home from work last night I was worried.  The weather was running around 18 degrees and there was a wind blowing.  I had to walk 4 long blocks

Draft 2:
     While I love my sweet husband dearly I noticed as he wandered into the shower that his boxers are stretched out.  Why didn't he 

     As for my reading it seems the Kindle has in fact inspired me back into a reading frenzy.  Well, maybe not frenzy but still a reading storm.  Have you ever tiptoed your way through a novel because you want to savour it?  Whether it's because the storyline is intricate and you need to tease out every nuance or because the characters are so precious to you that you don't want to worry about how they are doing in the next (if there is a next) book.  The Last Unicorn was introduced to me years and years ago with the 1982 movie.  Maybe you remember it?

Draft 3:
     Yea I know I talked a bit about making New Year's Resolutions before but don't forget the Lunar New Years was just this week!  Err... no, Tad and I didn't go to the Chinatown Parade.  I think we both agree that being crushed would not be good for my throat.  My stitches are doing well and I see the doctor today for my post-op check up.  What?  I didn't mention an operation at all?!  Oh right, because I was panicking about it for the two weeks culminating in it.

     I had thyroid cancer.  It's still scary to say and think about.

     Err.. that's right, I still haven't mentioned this.  I had thyroid cancer.  Not quite so scary but that may be due to the fact that I already wrote it once.  Or twice or whatever.  Doing good these days.  Convalescence has given me all the strength back that I was missing.  That or the medicine has.  Go medicine.  I'm just getting back into communicating and all but I will start updating again.  Starting soon.  Maybe even tomorrow to talk about all the books (see draft 2) that I have been reading.  Promise. ::crosses fingers::