adventures in steeking

while I do have pictures of all my new yarn, I think I'll show you my first steeking project. Steeking, for those unfamiliar with the technequic, is knitting a sweater or vest as one piece and cutting (yes, cutting) out the arms and neck opening.


while I was knitting, I used some waste yarn (see the red?) to mark the places of cutting. Therefore, when I was finished, I just picked up stitches 2 vertical rows away from the red yarn.




then, I finished knitting the ribbing sleeve and cast off.



secure in the knowledge that the sleeve was not going to unravel or anything drastic, I cut and removed the red yarn.



see the little gap of stitches? That was the next thing to get cut. And ta-da! I repeated these steps on the other sleeve and neckband.



well, the cast-off rows are way too tight. But I did it! My first steeking project is done. I will defiantly be doing more.

Puppy

I miss my cat. Glad to know she has the people there well trained. See how she's managed to convince them to fill a little shot glass of water? She expects it on the bathroom sink everyday. With fresh water.





At least someone is being spoiled. Well, I want another walk. My person has only taken me on four today. I want six.

home

what is it about traveling 400 miles that so completely drains a person? Puppy is feeling it too. Even though she slept most of the day on her new travel blanket and pillow, she is already in bed for the night. I think the trip would have been better if I could have knit instead of drive. Santa should have brought me a driver. Or a yarn boy who could double as a driver. But no, nothing of the sort.

wow. I just noticed how much yarn I need to document. Tomorrow.

and if you are very lucky, I might throw in a project or two that I started for me.

last day

of my holiday with the family.

Puppy cannot wait to get back to her sofa. (She has her own blanket now. This does not mean I will get mine back.)

safe place

I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place.
I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place. I am in my safe place...on the bloody Titanic.

Children's Christmas Mass rocked. Great service. Family dinner that followed? Not so much. I'll let you fill in the details of Christmas Eve Dinner with the family.

so ready

for the holidays to be over already. But you hear that from everyone, with Christmas Eve so close at hand.

actually, I want to open presents under the tree. Are there many shinning presents under the tree at your house? All the big ones over here are not marked for me but for The Twins. I swear, if Christmas (as a commercialized entity) wasn't for the kids, I would be very jealous. Somehow I doubt wither Christ cares what day we celebrate his birth, just so long as the culture does actually remember the event and not use it as a way to pad the economy. All the comic strips over the past week or so have harped that "Merry Christmas" has been substituted by a more politically correct "Happy Winter Soloists." So, I vote next year we celebrate an even more pagan holiday than this one and everyone go to Church where we hear God loves us.

again, I am probably behind on that rant as well. Getting wrapped up in the holidays does that to a person.

and for the first time in 3(ish) years, I broke a self-imposed rule. No knitting Christmas after December 19. I've spent the past week furiously knitting (off and on) a unicorn for the Younger Twin half-sister. I never thought the blasted thing would get finished. Now, I can go back to knitting for me. And believe me, I am. I plan to finish a steeking vest for me next week as a way to destress everything.

I have to say, the unicorn is cute. At a distance.

Puppy

I miss being in college. I have a good thing going there. Get the person up at for a walk, breakfast of eggs and toast, and back to bed. Another walk before the person leaves for the day followed by a belly rub. Back to bed. A walk when my person gets home, a nice meal, another walk, more belly rubs, back to bed.

This does not happen when we are in Arkansas. Nope. No eggs and toast for breakfast. Fewer walks, though I do get more belly rubs if I look sad enough. Then there are these two little girls who think running around screaming is the best thing ever. Appearently my person does not walk them enough.

And because there is a tree in the living room, my person is knitting frantically. Normally, this is a very good thing. She knits and I sleep beside her. Every now and then, I can trick her into making food or going for walks. All I have to do is start helping her knit, then she is putty in my paws. Dogs of the world, take note! When your person is knitting too much, start eye-ing their yarn and smelling it. That should work. If not, gently place a paw on their needles. That always gets their attention. Trust me.

Well, it's been lovely chatting and all but it is time to back to bed.

not a habit

this lack of posts, I promise. Life just got crazed for a moment or two, trying to get things done so I could come to Memphis. But now, I am here and very happy to be on the internet again.

I made it in time for Sunday evening services. The preacher wasn't there, and much to my disappointment, the youth minister had the sermon. Not to talk out of church or anything, but if his interpretation of scripture is valid...I'd like to reserve an aisle seat to Hell, coach will be more than fine.

yesterday presents got wrapped in something other than newspaper. Why is it that I never remembered to pick up holiday gift wrap? I sent the East Coast family gifts in newspaper or it would never have been sent.

my doctors are very happy about the progress I've made. In fact, I might be seeing them once a year very soon. Yea! Meds are fine. I am getting better.

oh! grades came out today. I have a B, B+, A.

I'll take photos of knitting and have a knitting post tomorrow. You have been warned.

it's over. done.

my first semester of grad school. Oh wait. That's not right. My fifth semester as a grad student. Good stars, I've been in how long?

lets just say another semester is over. I thought about writing over the past two-ish weeks, honestly, I did. Then I would realize how much I still had to do and felt the urge to get more of it done. Unlike the English Department, there is not building up to a semester project in the School of Information Sciences (SIS). Which means all the final stuff is comprehensive essays rather than a presentation on a paper that a student has "worked on" all semester and a final draft of that paper (think 15-20 pages) due the day of exams. In some ways, the SIS is easier. Just sometimes it feels like a bunch of busy work. At least all the pre-recs are over, now to get into the interesting part of it.

shock of all shocks, I have not been into a proper yarn shop since Thanksgiving. Translation: I've been shopping in my own stash. I have no clue how many scarves I have made in the last fortnight, just to get rid of some of the yarn.

good news, all Christmas has been bought. Not all of the knitting is done, but the shopping part is. I even sent off a box of gifts to my family living on the east coast. I am a very happy person that it is done. Normally, I have it all done by Thanksgiving.

I went out with a friend last night, nothing special. Just dinner and drinks. Yes, it was a guy. No, it was not a date. But it was fun. There is a chocolate part tomorrow, not sure if I want to go. I'm worn out and have bad luck baking deserts. Who knows.