Tuesday, May 31, 2005

I had a great week last week. One of the things that I have always been hesitant about is doing research. It is something that I don't like, mainly because I don't know what the heck I am doing. And bad research is worse than no research. So being able to take a course that tells me what it is all about was great. Now it will help me to decide what to do with my life when I am done with my fellowship. And Amelia Island was great. I was at Amelia Island Plantation. What a great place. It is over 1300 acres, and wooded. There were lots of beautiful places. And I walked every where. The beach was great. And the weather couldn't have been better -- 70-80's and little humidity. Mom and my sis came for the weekend and we had a great time just hanging out. It was great to be away.

I was able to do some knitting while I was gone. I have given up for now on the socks that have given me such trouble. I am too frustrated with them. But I finished the tank! And wore it while I was in Florida. I will take a pic when I have some light. I also swatched and casted on for Scoop It! From the spring Knitter's Magazine. I have a great blue color. I hope it goes quickly. I am anxious to knit a cardi, so I want to find a good one.

I am bummed that I was late to sign up for SP5. I sent an email to Rox today and I'll be on the back-up list. There may still be a chance I will be a part of it, but we'll see. Hope all you all out there in blog land are well.

Friday, May 20, 2005

No catchy title today

Well, I am getting ready for a another trip. I'm kind of sick of packing! Tomorrow I leave for Amelia Island, FL for a week long research course. Hope that it is good. It is supposed to be excellent. I need to learn everything I can about research. Then my mom and sister are coming to the island for the weekend! It should be a fun girls weekend.

I just hope that I have time to knit while I am there. I hope to take my tank and finish it there. I got the neckband done. I hope that it flattens some in the blocking. It kind of curls forward. Now all I have to do is seam the sides and do the arm hole finishing. Maybe I will get it done before I leave tomorrow, but I doubt it. I am on call tonight and didn't bring it with me, and I have to go home at 8:00 tomorrow morning and pack, then leave the house by noon to get the airport. It will probably have to go with me.

I may be MIA for the week while I am gone. I will have internet access, but my colleagues may wonder why I am reading blogs instead of writing my research protocols. But to all of you, have a good week. I'll catch up next week. Can't believe it is already almost June!

Sunday, May 15, 2005

I'm tired of frogging these socks

I have decided that it is easier to take socks with me than sweaters when I am knitting at work. So I took my soft cotton sock yarn, and started knitting away the other night using the Sock Calculator pattern. This is how much I finished.
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It is almost big enough for both of my feet (I have small feet, and this may be an exaggeration, but they are too big). So I frogged these socks for the third time! I want to do a top down sock. But I don't think I have chosen a good pattern. So I better go in search of a better one. Any suggestions will be appreciated. But I am tired, so I think I will go to bed for now. I haven't yet picked up my neckband, I guess that will be my challenge for the week.

In the mean time, here are my boys.
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Thursday, May 12, 2005

Neck Band Woes

I hate picking up stitches. I am to the point of picking up stitches for the neckband, and arm holes. And I have to say that I have to HATE it. I never get the spacing right, and it always takes so long. I wish I had someone who could do it for me, but I guess I better get over it.

Not much other news. Work is frustrating me. I feel like I am never going to get this research thing finished. I wish that I knew what I was doing! Oh well. This is going to be a short post. Back to the neck band.

Monday, May 09, 2005

Thank you SP!

Today I came home to find my final secret pal gift! Two hanks of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud n s beautiful blue, a hank of dye your own sock yarn, all kinds of Kool-Aid to dye with, and a bottle of Eucalan to wash all my goodies with. It has all come from May! (I'll have to take some pictures when I have some light.) She has been the best Secret Pal I could ask for. She even e-mailed my sister to get some ideas. She has sent me lots of great stuff. And she has a great blog! I will really enjoy getting to know her now. Thanks a ton! And just so you know, Amanda was the recipient of my gifts! I had a great time buying stuff for her. This is such a great way to meet new friends!

The tank is almost finished. One more inch on the shoulders, then the seaming and the neck and arm bands, then it will be another FO. I need to block it, but I need to find a good place to do that. I don't have a board, which would probably be a good investment as I continue to knit more things.

Finally, my plea to all of you. Beth is donating her hair to Locks of Love. She is trying to collect enough money to pay for a wig to be made from it. She is just $90 from her goal, and her big day is this saturday. So go help her out. You can make your donation right from her blog. I did, it was really easy and you will be helping someone who will be forever grateful to get such a great head of hair.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

What a night!

Last night was one of those nights on call when it becomes greatly obvious to me why I love what I do. Many of you would think I am crazy, cause the events of last night were not good. I mean we had a lot of normal deliveries and healthy babies. And that is always nice. But last night, there were two women who bring to the forefront the reality that childbirth was the number one killer of women 100 years ago. Now, no one died last night, but these two women became very sick. I don't want every day to be like it was last night. But it makes me realize that all of the things I have given up to become who I am is really worth it. It also makes me realize how precious someone's life is and how I must approach my privilege to take care of them with great humility. I don't want to get on my soap box, so I think that is enough.

On to the knitting content. I did go to my LYS sale before I went to work. And I walked out with this.
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9 BALLS OF ROWAN CALMER! I couldn't resist. I have never knit with this and I think it will make a nice sweater. So now to find the perfect pattern. I am getting ever more close to finishing my tank. I'm going to try to finish it tonight. But that is a lofty goal.

I am watching Desperate Housewives and Bree, Marcia Cross's character, was just knitting! Wow, it is fun to see when knitting hits the main stream television. Well, I better get back to the sticks.

By the way, Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mothers.

Saturday, May 07, 2005

A bunch of nothing

Things are kind of slow in my world. I am in the middle of doing research, but the most crucial piece of equipment has not arrived. So I sit in my office everyday reading and working on some other things. But I have very little contact with anyone. Then I come home every night, and I love my cats, but there is no one to talk to there either. I am really getting run down. And then last night the folks that I work with went out, but they only invited certain people, and made it clear that no one else was invited. Are we still in high school? I thought as I became an adult, people would change, but I guess not. So I spent another Friday night alone with a glass of wine and my needles. Enough about my woes.

To the knitting content. I am almost finished with the shapely tank, and I will post some pictures when I'm finished. It is coming together well, I just have to finish up the back and seam it up. Probably a few hours work. I still haven't decided if I should seam the shoulders with the three needle bind off, or if I should bind off and then seam them up. I will figure it out when I get there. It is not too heavy, so I think the three needle will work.

I started to knit the retro rib sock with my new cotton sock yarn , but you can't really see the pattern because the yarn is so wavy. I think I will frog them, and just do a regular old non-patterned sock. My last sock was toe-up, so I found a pattern for a top down pattern that is changeable based on your foot size. I think I will try that one.

Lauren has given me some pointers on reading and knitting at the same time. I think I may give it a try, and try to get out from in front of the television for so long.

Well, I have to work today, but I wish I could be at the MS&W. I hope to get all the juicy details from all who are going. One of my attendings from residency goes every year. I know that she probably doesn't have a blog, but I think she is still knitting. She was kind of my inspiration to pick up my needles again. I think I better go, my LYS is having a sale and I want to go by there before I have to be at work.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

A FO!

Well, I was able to take a picture of my french market bag here at my house. And I have a picture of the pre-felted version at my mom's house. The pictures that are stuck on my mom's camera had a tennis ball in the picture to tell scale, but oh well. I used Paton's classic merino in Royal Purple and Dark Grey Mix. I didn't have enough grey to do the handles, so they are purple all the way. I used the pattern verbatim, except I made the body of the bag 10 inches instead of 8. If I were to do it again, I would make the handles a little longer. But I like it none-the-less.
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I also have a picture here of the beautiful sock yarn that I bought at Ewe Knit Kits, in Virginia Beach. It is made by Keltic Krafts, and called Stoca in color Shades of Jade. It is hand dyed right there in VB, and the lady who makes it works in the store. It is really soft, and stretchy, so I better find a good pattern.
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I am progressing somewhat on the back of the tank. I have about 3 inches. I am looking forward to finishing it. But since it is still pretty chilly here, I am not motivated to finish it.

Things have been hectic at work, and my research is not going as I thought it would. It has given me incentive to knit, to get my mind off it. But I am afraid that I am going to be pretty busy in the next few weeks, so I hope I can continue knitting at this pace. Well, I think I'll go search for a sock pattern for now.

Sunday, May 01, 2005

I have returned home

I had a good week on vacation. But all my pictures I took for my blog are stuck on my moms camera. And I couldn't get them off. But I finished my french market bag, and I need to take a picture of the sock yarn that I bought. The yarn shop that I went to have a big online business. Here it is for all who are interested. They really did have almost any imaginable Lorna's Lace and Koigu. Well, since I don't have much more knitting content to talk about, here is a little interesting thing about me. Since I'm here in the midwest, maybe I should start speaking like them. But don't know how to find about that.

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English
30% Dixie
20% Yankee
0% Midwestern
0% Upper Midwestern