Sock Challenge Failure

This is where I was at the deadline…my hand is absolutely KILLING me!!!

This is what the bed looked like yesterday, as I had all my resources out to help me figure out stitches and what the hell the pattern was telling me to do….

This is where it was when I started this morning…

This is where I knit/crochet (Nerd Wars shirt representing!) and one of my breaks after my shower, as the Hubs told me I stank yesterday!!! No shower yesterday while I knitted away..

Did I finish?  Hell no!  But it was fun to play along and now I have 2 sets of socks almost done! Well technically 3 sets, but not sure I’ll ever work on that first pair again….Tomorrow I need to get out of the house!!!

How’s That Sock Going?

I figured I’d take a break…my butt hurts, my lower back is cramping, my fingertips sting, my left elbow is cramped up and the soles of my feet are asleep (I crochet/knit on my bed)….I kept shifting my position to knit, but still my body is tired…

This is where it was when I started at 9:30 or so this morning

I’ve actually taken several breaks today…

I sat on the porch for awhile…it was nice and cool, waiting for it to rain..

Then headed back in after two hours, because ironically my feet were cold!

A couple hours ago I was here…

I am on the heel flap now….and needed another break to unstiffen the body…

It’s a little big in the leg and I made the smallest size…I’ll have to see how the foot goes….

I have made LOTS of mistakes and tinked back quite a bit.  I finally put point guards on because I kept dropping stiches….

But all in all, I love the look of this sock so far!

Am I Crazy?

See this yarn?

It’s going to become the Jaywalker socks by Grumperina…..in 4 days…yep..I joined a challenge on Ravelry…

The Couldn’t Foot It challenge.  The idea is those of us who could not attend Sock Summit are going to knit a pair of socks that the Yarn Harlot has previously knitted….

I cast on at about 1:30 and it took until 3:00 before I was going okay…I was all messed up because I tend to knit inside the 4 DPN’s instead of the outside…It took me awhile to figure it out and then I was doing 4K, 2P instead of 2K, 2P…I misread it…so another frog session…now I’m on track…let’s see if I can do this!

Will I make it?  I doubt it, but it’ll be fun to try…

WIP and Yarn Along

  I have finally started the 4th book of the Fire and Ice series…I needed a break after the last book, it took me forever to finish…I’ve been sticking with this series this summer, as I’d like to have it mostly finished by the time school starts, as I will have little time to read then…

My projects are the second sock of my first pair…and my Dipped Infinity scarf..which is actually my dissertation for Nerd Wars…I haven’t worked on it much, as I was a bit scared of it….

If you’d like to see some more WIP’s or book recommendations, please go to:

 

Can We Talk Sock Knitting Books?

I have bought sock knitting books before I had even made one sock..these books, in fact:

  I just looked at all the pretty pictures of socks, especially Cookie A’s and dreamed of the time when I’d be making some of those….

Well then I made one sock, emphasis on 1 sock and then I bought:

I read some great reviews on the Sock Knitting Master Class…I thought I had to get me some of that!  The other sock book as some very nice socks in it and it was on clearance (I forget where I got it)

Well then Borders announced it’s closing (moment of silence, I am so, so upset about this!!!)  Yes I know there is still B&N, and we do have a nook (ereader), but Borders had the best deals, especially for teachers…and I could just wander around in there for hours…and have spent many pleasurable afternoons turned into evenings there….so, of course I had to go scope out the crafts books….because ya’ know they usually only have 1, so if you want it….I came home with this:

  Now I have no idea if I will like Toes up construction, but I figured I better get them while they were on sale…yeah it wasn’t a big discount, but I’m a BORDERS PLUS member, so I got 10% added onto whatever the discount was….

Now I didn’t realize quite how many I had until I put them together to take pictures….any you would definitely recommend?

And I will say, I did read the books before making A sock, but it was gobbledy-gook to me…I had an A-H-A moment when actually making the sock and turning the heel and completing the foot….(even though I had help on an early, never finished sock) it didn’t CLICK until then…..

And in full disclosure, I also came home with a video (Dr. Who Christmas episode), 5 teacher resource books and 5 historical romances (ya’ know the Scottish bodice ripping kind)

What An Evening!

Last night I spent the evening with Barbara Streetsand, Robin Banks/Judy Garland, Chastity Singer/Cher, Ebony Pearl and Morgana De Luxe……I went to my first drag show at Chez Est.  It was so much fun!!!!!!

As you can see we were visited by Barbara….who we went to see….Her alternate personality is a friend from high school named Tony….He has invited me several times to a show.  So I was finally able to go and it was so much fun!!!!!  I met up with two other HS friends, Rhonda and Lisa…

Barbara Streetsand and Robin Banks

This was part of the opening number.  I did not videotape the whole thing…

 

 

(sorry pics are a bit crappy)

End of the night…..One of the other performers also was a year or two ahead of me in HS…I could not get a good picture of Robin Banks (say that outloud to get it!) But she’s in the first video…

And then Tony did a song in his own voice….(the show was mainly lip-synched)

Barbara Streetsand with Tony’s voice

It was just a fun evening!

Why?

It never makes sense to me….I just don’t understand why people feel they have the right to take other’s lives because of something that they feel or believe….

Norway holds a special place in my heart.  I have been “penpals” with Tone from Stavanger, Norway since about 1984.  We have never met in real life, but have been in contact all these years….We have had some dry spots, but we always reconnect…..and my first thought was for her, although Stavanger is far away from Oslo….my thoughts and prayers to Norway…

FO Friday

 

 

Nerd Wars projects…that’s it…a cowl for Osiris, a dagger for Ba’al, a raven from “Spirits,” and a tool belt for Kaylee..

It’s a bazillion degrees here and my computer is in an unairconditioned room, which is why I have NOT been posting…..(I don’t use my netbook to post, but my desktop, since all my pictures are on it.)

I went to Webs yesterday and the day before I did a mini-yarn crawl of some western NY shops…pretty, pretty yarn pictures later….I have to go do some running around, which is good, as the car is air conditioned…

What Other Material Have You Used?

For one of the challenges in Nerd Wars this month, it was “Alternate Yarnality.”  You had to use some kind of material that is not normally used in the craft….I chose Duct Tape..

I found some “Camo” duct tape and the little boxes reminded me of Replicators on Stargate…

So I cut it in two, folded it and cut it again…then rolled it into balls…

 

 

Then I crocheted with it.  It was difficult, as the glue kept gunking up the hook.  So I put lotion on the hook to help it slide better…

And I made a Replicator…

Winner

Julie of Twisted Strands won the magazine. 

I have slept the majority of the day.  The movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was very good and well worth it.  But I did not get home until 3:30 am.  The movie started late, technical difficulties.

Then I slept for a couple hours and woke to find out my younger brother had been admitted to the hospital.  It’s all good now and he is home, but he has had some issues with his heart.  There is heart disease on both sides of his family, so he needs to take care…

He is my younger half brother (12 years) and we have been in and out of contact, but I am trying to reestablish a more permanent relationship with him.  None of us, on this side, have done the right thing by him….plus I get the bonus of getting to know my two nephews A and E and a brand new niece, S….Plus his wife would like to learn how to knit….now I can teach her to crochet, but just learning the knitting myself…It’s funny, cuz J (the brother) and I have more interests in common than my other brother…

Then I came home from the hospital and went back to sleep for several hours.  And I’m ready to go back to bed….The Hubs came in and asked me when I’d be “back.”  I told him tomorrow…I don’t function well with lack of sleep…..

These are Phoenix (the redhead) and Stellaluna, my friend’s new puppy…Here she is draining her water dish, she just laid down and finished the entire bowl of water…

I’d never seen that before…

Because It Makes Me Smile

 
He is enjoying his own Bellagio Fountain!

Free Thing Thursday!

Before I get to the free stuff…guess where I’m going tonight?
This will be the first time I’ve gone to a midnight showing….I almost went for the last LOTR movie, but ended up not doing it.  The movie theater in the next town was sold out, so we have to go West Hartford…I can’t wait!  Now do I go to SnB first (I’ll be back about 9:30) and then take a nap or do I just hang out at home?  I will be watching movie #7 at some point today…

Free stuff…I did it again!  Again I have two copies of a magazine! 
Interweave Crochet: Spring 2011.  I forget that I have a subscription and buy it.  This has happened once before..I just realized last night when I was flipping through them on my nightstand that I had two copies…If more than one person wants it, I’ll randomly generate a number.  Just leave a comment on this post…Deadline..Friday 7/15 at 8 pm EST….

I still have this up for free too, if you are interested….had no one interested last week….so first come first served on this one….

WIP and Yarn Along Wednesday

 

Today I have many things to show you!

  I am on book 3 of the George RR Martin Fire and Ice series.  Included in the picture is book 4 and the recently released book 5.  Which I can read side by side.  They take place at the same time, but with different characters….I also just purchased the two magazines, so they are on my to-be-read list.  I love the Inside Crochet mag.  It is a British mag and quite expensive, but I enjoy reading it.  The Knitsimple is probably my favorite knit mag…it’s easy to understand and doesn’t just have patterns for clothing.  Plus they do other types of articles…

Now the projects from top left:  Nerd Wars:  Big Nerd Love project, the second sock (The Hubs was very impressed I had already started it,he didn’t think I would) The middle right project is the Dipped Infinity Scarf, my dissertation for Nerd Wars, bottom white, another Nerd Wars project and bottom left is again for Nerd Wars…The  last two are for the same challenge: It’s Good To Be Bad, not sure I’ll finish both…..

If you’d like to see some other projects, the pics on top should take you to the links….

Sock Knitta!

I am a sock knitter!  Notice one sock, but I will cast on for the other today….but woohoo I finished a sock!!!!!  The reason I am teaching myself to knit…so proud!

Hey and look at that!  I even watermarked the picture…first time for that too!  Now to see about that casting on….

Movie Day

I’ve been kinda in a funk since coming back from Woonsocket….Today I made myself go out to the Staples sale.  There is no money for supplies this year, so we have to buy all of our own supplies….Staples penny sale started today…

Then I stopped at Blockbuster….yes, I still rent movies from Blockbuster. It’s right down the street from me…

First up:

  Really good!  The little girl, Hailee Steinfeld was excellent!  I know I’ve seen the John Wayne version.  My stepdad, Bill, was a John Wayne fan, but I don’t remember it.

Next up:

Really bizarro, kinda misogynic.  Sure I get that it seemed to want to show how women can overcome their tormentors and get revenge, but it really was too much…and I’m not prudish at all….I will say I did get kinda bored with it, but I’m not one to turn movies off….I started it, I’ll watch it all the way through….

Next up is the latest in one of my favorite series

I’ve never seen or played the video game.  I am not a gamer, but I love the movies.  I know they are not the greatest movies out there, but sometimes you just roll with the punches and just enjoy something.  Let’s hope it’s not a big disappointment!

And it didn’t…..but again they left it open for another sequel…..

The Hubs went to get the tomato pizza and we will watch

tonight, as he is all about the comedies…..I’ll let ya’ know how it is….