Why Are We Fighting?

It’s a common enough question. But in this case, this question was ridiculous. I started on the last part of my current project using one pattern. And I had looked at this pattern and I wasn’t really feeling it but I really thought I was just meant to use this pattern with this yarn. So I started this pattern and I think I got less than a row in and realized that this just wasn’t for me. And then I thought ‘Why am I fighting with this?’ It is my project, really who is going to know if I don’t use a certain pattern, and knitting is supposed to make me smile not creep around the living room trying to hide from my knitting (which I was doing when I was contemplating the frustrating pattern). So here we are in a happier state of life:

I’m five little knit rows and one bind off away from completing this and then I am going to photograph the entire project to show you =)

But it is always nice to get a little reality check that I had better have a really good reason if I am fighting with my knitting =)

Cheers! =)

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Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Hello! I don’t know about you but it is quite warm here. I am probably one of the few people in the world who could have gone to the pool yesterday and today and not gotten one bit darker. But I took my knitting with me to the pool.

That is my new, current project which I am not going to tell you about yet because I am going to wait for it all to be done and show you. However, I did finish the yellow dishcloth.

This makes me really happy especially because the yarn was a gift from a friend and it is so bright and cheerful =)

And a tip to all you knitters and non-knitters out there: it is best to read your pattern and not anticipate it. I was this far along

and looking at it quite intently and thinking “This does not look right.” I almost did another row thinking that would somehow make it better (pure wishful thinking). However, I stopped and thought that maybe another look at the pattern would be worthwhile. As it turns out, I made up the pattern – twice. Reading the pattern thoroughly = always a good idea. So then I went back to this:

and I’m just making up for my own errors. Such is life =)

I hope your Memorial Day Weekend is wonderful =)

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Forgetful Knitting

So I really enjoy knitting fussy little things. I get a kick out of little things like socks or patterns that are a bit more complicated. However, I always seem to forget when I start these projects that I need something else to counter balance them. For instance, I have finished the first cuff of my hand socks!

I’m really liking the way it has started to come out =) I was able to finish the cuffs because I have been off setting it with a nice, easy project. When I think of a project I want to do that is semi mindless, I think of simply patterned dishcloths! So here is the first one I have done!

I really like how this pattern came out! The colors are all cool and crazy and the whole project made me smile the entire time. Then I started another one which is all bright and happy for summer.

I received this yarn as a gift in the fall and I absolutely love it! It is quite lovely =)

I hope you have an awesome day =)

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All Over the Place

Do you ever have that feeling of being just scattered hither and yon? In an effort to get rid of that feeling (and because it was in desperate need of it), I cleaned my closet last week. Then it was off to Erie for the wedding for Darci’s wedding! (Sometimes, she guest blogs – you should check it out on the right side under the ‘Guest Blogger’ link!)

This was the first time I was able to see her since being back and I was so excited to see her! I went up on Friday and helped set up and kept Darci occupied for the rest of the day. Saturday was the wedding and it went off without a hitch. She was a truly lovely and beautiful bride (That dress in the picture? Yup, she made it all by herself!), and the ceremony was incredible. We had a great time afterward and I am beyond thrilled for her and Mike =)

Today, I kick started the day by making scones.

Just a heads up for all you potential scone makers: when the recipe says to get the butter to a specific size, deciding that you think it is small enough probably means it isn’t and that you need to continue making it smaller. Some of my scones fell to the side but they still taste good even if they look a little funky =)

I worked on the cuff to my hand socks and it doesn’t look too much different that last time – just a bit longer.

I started looking up apartments for when I go to Maryland which is just a lot of wading through sites and trying to figure out what they are actually saying!

I am also trying to find a job for this summer to help make some money and perhaps give me some structure so I’m not quite all over the place! But until that happens, my plans include more knitting and perhaps organizing my school trunk (a task I am more than a little scared of!)

I hope your day in marvelous! =)

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Onwards and Upwards

It’s hard to feel sad in coming back to the United States because I have so much going on. To start with, I went to Senior Formal this past Thursday which is a dinner/dance on board the Gateway Clipper Fleet. I was able to see friends that I hadn’t seen in a while which was a really nice time. The night was beautiful and I was able to see my gorgeous city by night.

Then this past Sunday – I graduated!

It’s official – I made it through the ceremony despite the heat =) The ceremony was nice and it feels good to have gone through the ceremony because things have been done for a while but this just wrapped it up.

Despite having a lot going on, I started my next knitting project.

This is the beautiful yarn I picked up while I was in Galway, Ireland. I wanted to be able to start a project with it while I was in France but I knew I should probably wait until I got back and I found this lovely pattern. I just thought with the Celtic knot on it that it would be perfect for yarn I bought while I was in Ireland. So the other reason I could not start the project was because I didn’t have a cable needle. So here is what it looks like so far!

Right now it is just working back and worth on the cuff and starting with these pretty cables. I’m quite happy with how it is turning out.

I hope your day is bright and beautiful =)

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Have You Ever Thought About Your Feet?

Seriously now – have you ever given your feet the proper consideration they deserve? I know until this trip I had never really thought about my feet; they just went where they were supposed to. But think about it, your feet are incredible.

For instance, these feet

went to Ambialet, France.

Here, they hiked me all over the mountains, pushed the pedals on a bike after I hadn’t been on one for eight years, walked me over to pet dogs something I did not think I would be doing while I was in France, and then got me to Paris. There, they walked me to the Eiffel Tower, the Musee d’Orsay, the Louvre and a zillion and one other places.

And these feet did not stop there, not at all. These feet

took me to Barcelona, Spain!

Here they walked me up and down the main drag of Barcelona known as La Rambla where I was able to interact with really awesome street performers, found their way to the Picasso Museum and the Miro Museum, and took me to two very Spain-like things: to see Flamenco dancers and to eat tapas!

There was absolutely no reason to rest these feet so these feet

took me to Dublin, Ireland!

There these feet ran through Dublin to catch the bus to make it to the Irish National Stud, wandered all over the absolutely magnificent Cliffs of Moher, walked so far that they walked off the map, and ran through Dublin for a second time on St. Paddy’s night to get my luggage before the place that was holding it closed for the day!

You might think, ‘Well three countries – those feet did a fantastic job in four months!’ They did even better than that. These feet

took me to Edinburgh, Scotland!

Here, an extinct volcano known as Arthur’s Seat was scaled, thanks to these feet. They also traversed to Edinburgh Castle, Calton Park, and took me to eat haggis!

As long as these feet

were in that general region, they also went to London, England!

There they spent an entire day just wandering around different parks and streets and window shopping. Then they hopped on a bus to be toured around London and see Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and the like.

At this point, I was thinking, ‘You know? My feet really have done enough for me,’ but there was just one more place they had to go!

These tired little feet

went to Zurich, Switzerland!

There they ran from train to train, hiked the Alps, frolicked in a field, and perused all that Zurich had to offer.

I used my feet so much that I wore out three pairs of shoes that stayed in France.

Even after all this work, my feet took me back to the most important place – home.

So really – take a moment and think about your feet. They have taken you so amazing places and they are itching for their next adventure =)

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