The Past 24 Hours of Awesome

Time: 7:34 pm Friday June 12
Location: Saroj and Jessicas' House
Events: Laughing till I hurt, drinking, eating pizza, talking, playing the most random board games, falling asleep on their couch at 1am.
And despite Saroj's fierceness we did end up losing Scene It.

Time: 11:00am June 13th, 2009
Location: Jerico Beach
Events: Talking, making friends, eating thai, drinking coffee, taking photos, more talking, laughing, and possibly a little knitting
and possibly not applying enough sunscreen to my shoulders and back (my face is fine though so that's at least better than not).
Now I'm going to go eat tacos. Kisses!

um... yeah

I had such plans for my blog today. I was going to blog about my knitting, my fridge, the run I'm doing tomorrow, how it's a good thing so many people I love were born in May or else I would have written off the entire month and refused to ever do it again, and so on and so forth. And I even have a new camera!!!! And such drama to share!!!!

But it is 11 oclock and I have officially resigned as being an adult so I'm going to go curl up in bed with my jesus night light on and listen to the classical CBC channel.

Good night says Spike.

Happy Birthday Malcolm

Have I told you lately how much I love you?
How happy you make me?

How much I love your little fingers?
How I love how much you explore?
How much I love how happy you've made everyone?

How much I love being an Aunt?
How much I love how weird you are?
How much I love seeing everyone with you?
How much I love you even when you sleep?
How much I wish I could knit you everything?
How cute you are?
How happy I am to see my parents become Grandparents?
I love you Mr. Tightypants.

Happy first birthday!

I've got a List

I was tired last night and not sleeping so I decided to do a 30 by 30 list. I'm 27 now and starting to feel a teeeny bit grown up so I'll do a grown up thing and make a list of goals. They have their specs though:

1. Cannot be something that is controlled by outside forces
a) such as 'having my own classroom' because while I would give anything to have that I can't control it as such and if I don't have my own classroom by 30 believe me I'll be cranky enough that I don't need a list to remind me of the suck.
b) some things controllable by other people are okay if they involve me actively guilt tripping them or playing them in order to get my way

2. Items are subject to change with good reason
a) the reason being I say so
b) but I'll let you know why and put it in ETA and such

As of right now I think I only have around 17. Suggestions are appreciated as I'm out of ideas.

30 BY 30

1. Design and knit my perfect cardigan out of hand-spun hand-dyed yarn
2. Get a spinning wheel
3. Make a really awesome bookshelf (like these or something)
4. Crochet a bedspread with one of my Grandmother Hazel's crochet hooks and laceweight (use to be 'get a passport' but was opted out due to easy-ness and plain common-sense of just having a passport and because Yarn Piggy told me to)
   
5. Go on a real vacation
   
6. Bike around one of the islands
   
7. Get another tattoo (sorry Mom)
8. Pay off bank student loan
   
9. Visit my friends in Gimli
10. Get really good at the violin- like stellar
11. Publish one of my poems (and not self-published)
12. Become an Aunt again (see 1.b)
13. Keep my blog (or still have a blog- maybe a cooler design)
14. Pick up some kind of activity or sport thingie
15. Learn how to be awesome at chess and play a game with those really serious russians downtown
16. Be a bridesmaid again cause it is fun (again- 1.b)
    
17. Use my 5' by 7' canvas for a painting
18. (stolen from Annika):Get another family portrait with all the new people in our family (Dad will finally not be the only male in the picture)
19. (stolen from Annika)(again):Organize a serious charity knitting project
20. Get involved with a Feminist organization (prompted by my current reading- The Story of Jane Doe: A Book About Rape)
21. Go swimming in the Atlantic Ocean with my friends on the East coast (suggestion via Facebook from an East coast friend)
    
22. Participate in a charity marathon even if I just briskly stroll the whole thing (suggestion via facebook from Jubbers) DONE!!!! June 7th, 2009- Childrun for BC Childrens' Hospital fight against cancer. 205 dollars raised.
    
23. Do the European coastline trip with Julia (oddly enough- suggested by Julia! Something we wanted to do for a long time :)
    
24. Hike the West Coast Trail (Thanks Beentsy!)
25. Scuba or snorkel
26. Garden- no matter how small
27. Write and illustrate a picture book
28. Adopt another kitten
29. Make a life list
30. Design and sew a dress that is spectacular
    

Okay- help a girl out here- what's next? Oh, and are things like purchases cheating? I think that making things is good but are things like 'buy a wheel' and 'get passport' too easy?

Spike wants you to know how much he loves the laundry basket. Oh he loves it so.

Camera's Working Again

Woo! I nearly did buy a new one but I held off. Sometimes when I turn my camera on the screen is black and I just have to turn if off for a bit and try it again. That's good to know. It still takes fuzzy and unfocused pictures but hey... it's a camera. So yeah, knitting!

This is my bridesmaid shawl that I start about ten days ago. You may look at this picture and think... really? Firstly it's ugly and secondly it's not that much but I assure you...

Just wait till this one is blocked. It's not as lacey as I wanted but it's one of those things where once you make the decision to knit a shawl six weeks before a wedding when you have a part time and a full time job you have to stick with that decision.
It's Lilac Leaf (rav link) from Knitted Lace of Estonia in Dream in Colour Smooshy which technology cannot even express the loveliness of it (if you scroll down the DIC link it's the semisolids black pearl colour).
Oh and that garish orange is the conditional cast on yarn so I can pick those stitches back up after I decide on a border.


And the Mom socks are done! It's amazing! I started these only about.. um... I want to say late February? Beentsy help a girl out- when did we buy the hiyahiya needles? Anyhoo- regardless these are record breaker socks for me. I never finish socks under six months or something. It could be the needles, it could be the stupid amount of time I spend on buses... whatever. They are done.

So at first glance they look pretty similar, a little difference in length (just a tad) but upon further inspect one of these things is not like the other....
Sock 2: I decided to put a cute little cable going down the back of the socks that disappears into the heel... isn't it cute?
Sock 1: I left too much space on this cable and lo and behold- no cute cable... just stretched stitches (this was the first sock I did- it's very special).
Sock 2: On the first sock I made this really pretty decrease to compensate for the additional stitches on the top of the sock because of the braid. This one I tried to do from memory while on the bus because I didn't write down what I did to the first sock and didn't have it for reference. So does this hot mess look anything like...
Sock 1: This very pretty (vagina) decrease? I don't think so.
And the heels! Oh goodness the heels. Sock 1 to the right there has the most drastic heel ever because I forgot how to turn heels so once again, while on the bus, decided I could remember and make the decreases waaaay too often. Mom tried it on and it still fits. Sock 2 on the left is a proper nice heel.
So Mom they are in the mail! Well, they will be when I leave for the soccer game tonight. I won four free tickets to the Whitecaps game tonight and am very excited! Mini doughnuts!

I also had some photos on my camera from way back. Here is Spike preparing to mow down on the flowers Erica brought to Thursday night knitting group (I so did not plan on making that reference there!). I ended up putting one in my hair for school the next day and gave the rest away to people on transit. I had to put them in the closet for the evening before so Spike would not gorge himself.
Up next: the ugliest knitted DS case ever!

Huh

So I would have told you, as of five minutes ago, that one of the many perks of apartment living was that you wouldn't get bothered by, you know, pesky groups of people wanting to deliver you to Jesus so that they have a better chance of the limited seats in heaven, or what have you.

Turns out they just buzz your apartment and start preaching over the line. I will admit it's a lot easier to say 'I'm all good- but thanks!' to a phone than a person.

And a few weeks back Angela asked if she could reverse engineer my starsockers in which I say but of course! And here is the star pattern I made up as well. It's probably the same as another one out there but that's the thing about stars and curling- there's not much to say about them one way or another.

Hope your socks come along faster than mine!

My Camera is Broken

...which totally sucks because I have so much knitting to show! I finished my cable socks (seriously, that's a pair of socks in under two months- unheard of!) and am about ten inches into my bridesmaid shawl that I started a week ago today, AND I am 3/5 done my traveling bag which is on hold till I finish the shawl cause my friend's wedding is on the 16th of May. I even started working on my ancient knee high socks that I don't know if I like anymore but oh well. Been working on those since... well... 2005 I think. Maybe 2006. They were my first expensive yarn purchase project. When they are done I'll get your opinion.

I'm still alive. All is good. I just don't feel I can blog without photos. It's weird.

My straight hair is bloody amazing. I get so many compliments on it and I just love playing with it. Completely rejuvenated my relationship with my hair. I figure I've shaved my head, dyed it every colour under the sun- it was about time to straighten it!

And I cannot beat boss #4 on Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass for DS. CANNOT!!! Sucks.

Blogging Again Part I of II

Holy crap I have an apartment! I was very concerned it was winning: the laundry, the dust, the paper, the yarn, the books... augh. It was very overwhelming and the whole working like a crazy woman wasn't helping. Before my Mom came I spent many repeats of Rihanna on my 'walk-in closet' situation. You see, I couldn't walk in my walk-in closet anymore. It wasn't good. I ended up with a walk-in closet, many shirts I had forgotten I owned and am very pleased to have back, and two and a half bags destined for Big Brothers.

When Mom got here she helped me a lot with, well, everything and also helped me with my living room. It was actually nice because a good friend gave me two bookshelves so for once I actually had space for all my stuff. We also moved things around which is fun and exciting. Spike is exhausted from the day.

Here is the daybed moved up against the far wall (ignore the rumpled look- it's still in process) with my shoerack beside it and my new knitting on it (see Part II). On the wall is a Georgia O'Keefe and a Shaun Tan both from the Vancouver Art Gallery- remants of shows I've seen. Oh- and my frog calendar.
Here is the wall my table use to be against. We put the table there and put my PNG painting on the wall (my Renoir is also up there- my most favorite ever). Mom is eating an orange. A lot of yarn is on the bottom part of my shelf in those clear structured bedding bags- very helpful.
The flip side wall from the table. You can see the new bookshelf from Jess with the new TV stand- which I love! Do you love my way of storing the dpns?
Makes me very happy.

And not many pictures of my bedroom but I did want to show you my new yarn storage system (besides the yarn in my living room and on my daybed). Jenn bought me one of those spiffy things that hang down from your ceiling and I put very special yarn in it. My knitting needles and magazines went on one shelf, my knitting books on another, and more yarn on the top and other one there.

I am tired.

Blogging Again Part II of II

UFO MADNESS!!!! (ignore the craptastic photos- I have a hard time telling on my camera whether or not they're fuzzy until I upload them and by then I'm too lazy to go back and take more photos) (also writing in sentence fragments- don't care)

Criminal #1: Hey Teach.

Don't now what happened. I was doing well and have picked it up again. Need to just get started. Done 3/4 of the back. The yarn is so gorgeous you could eat it (but you can't).
Criminal #2: Rainbow Log Cabin Blanket

I'm actually not really thinking I'll finish this one any time soon. Super acrylic- super fun.

Criminal #3: The Beast (aka- Medallion bag from Noni)

I need a new bag so instead of purchasing the one I want from 150 bucks plus I just spent 60$ on yarn and am knitting the one that I want. I got it impulsively on Sunday and am knitting like a mad woman on it so I hope it won't be a UFO for long. It's cascade in a boootiful brown and blue. Spike included for scale.


Criminal #4: Starsockers.

This is one of the rare times I actually knit what I think up on my bus. It's halted right now because I'm worried about gauge. It's two skeins of noro sock yarn with fair isle stars. It's a lot cooler than it looks.
Criminal #5: Teeny Tiny Scarf

Another project I'm not thinking will be done soon. Those are 1.25 mm needles and that's silk thread there.
Criminal #6: Never-ending knee socks.

Seriously. Never ending!!! This is the second one. I have to finish the ball of yarn and then about four inches of ribbing in black. Started these socks years ago.
Criminal #7: Aaaahhhhh.

I love this scarf- I just keep forgetting and losing the pattern. It's cashmere laceweight and very lovely.
Criminal #8: Waves of Grain

Horrible colour here. It's a fawn purple.
Criminal #9: Teeny socks for Mom

Lorna's laces knit on hiya hiyas. That's a braided cable down the front which I love because it's the only cable that makes sense to me and I don't need to follow a pattern. This knit up fast but it's on hold over spring break. Knit this mostly on buses and wrote down the pattern during a staff meeting.
And to end on a good note.... A Finished Object!!!!

My dad's socks! Wooly bulky goodness just in time for a blistering Okanagan Summer! Wooo!

I'm going to go work on the bag.

StressBunny

I only ever blog about how crappy I feel so I don't blog because a) it's boring and b)I have a lot of good things in my life and then I just feel guilty about mopey-blogging but when I write about the good things when I'm down I just get overly emotional. SO I'm going to write an impromptu poem for you that rhymes.

B is for Blogging

back in the day
I started this on a lark
for a school project
in which I received a good mark

we just had a good run
where I wasn't as blue
but now report cards
have me feeling like poo

I want to blog about my nephew
or my awesome get together today
but I'm wallowing in self-pity
and I don't feel that okay

student loans can bite my ass
and mean bank guys do suck
but hey I've got two jobs
what awesome awesome luck

so what if my eyes stopped focusing
friday night at cash out
and my apartment looks like hell
I mean, this is what 27 is all about

seriously though I shouldn't whine
or pout or whimper or cry
my new shower curtain is blue and pretty
and precious sleeptime is nigh

let's hear it for friends
and family and both
for lattes and soy-silk
you get me through it all(th)



I tag Angela, Tammy, Hilary, and Jenn! And Erin too, can't not get a poem out of her. Heck- I tag you all! Impromptu poem please!

25 random but lame things cause I'm pretty tired and lack originality right now

1. I look at Icanhascheezburger every day. Sometimes they aren't funny at all and lame but when they are funny- it's SPECTACULARLY AWESOME!!! and I don't want to miss it. I know people disapprove of this but it makes me happy.
2. I find piercings more daunting than tattoos because I feel more prepared for tattoos and I find the pain of piercings very intense and intrusive. That being said I want to get my nose re-pierced and I want another tattoo/get a tattoo worked on.

3. I'm really messy and it bothers me. Doesn't seem to bother Spike.
4. My sister, brother-in-law, and nephew will be here in two hours and my place is a disaster. My sister is very very clean and I am genuinely concerned but I'm also exhausted.

5. I'm sick of people judging others based on their grammar. I mean, I get it when the grammar and spelling is really atrocious but it seems like an elitist bandwagon thing right now. It's like 'you misused a semi-colon? BURN!!!!!'.

6. I really miss my violin but I feel like it would be mean to my neighbours if I started playing again.

7. This is nothing new but teaching full time right now only reaffirms my position on the public school system. It is the most important thing in the world and I cannot be okay with any institution/social concept that would take learning away from a child be it based upon money or privilege.

8. I think I'm an okay photographer but would really like a nicer camera. I refuse to take lessons and would only take a course if it was part of an overall program.
9. Twenty seven is an interesting age. It is (for me) the year that changes things.

10. I have about 50 science note-taking assignments to mark and about 20 science labs to review and make comments on and two weeks of math to prep for and oh yeah, report cards to start up. HOT DAMN! (see- I told you I'm tired. I might as well start writing about how many pillows are on my day bed) (16)

11. I got a valentines today from a grade 6 student who I just met a few weeks ago and somehow he knew me well enough to draw a skull with heart eyes on it. How cool is he? I got a lot of valentines (and sugar) but really, that skull envelope is going in the scrap book.

12. I don't really 'scrap book' as much as glue (throw) things that make me happy into a big paper album. I tried to use spiffy paper but I just made a mess.

13. I enjoy Friday 13ths because they never let me down. This Friday I get my nephew delivered and who knows what will happen next month! Though-I do remember one day in elementary school I was working in the office during lunch with Laura and it was a Friday the 13th and it was insane! We had so many kids falling down, kids puking, and kids crying we ended up going to the staff for reinforcements. I blame self-fulfilling prophecy on the kids' part.

14. I had to frog my graduation socks because they were too small. I have the curse of the too small sock. I can't wait to start knitting with it again. I love that yarn.
15. I don't celebrate valentines day. I didn't when I was single and I'm not going to change that now.

16. I love my nintendo DS.

17. It's a good thing I don't have cable because I get so sucked into TV. I really enjoy TV and would love to have it and watch it in moderation but I know I cannot control myself.

18. There are two new blogs to check out from my good friends: Sheena who is in fancy pants film school and is making me want to enroll and Kat (I call her Kipper- you cannot call her Kipper- only I call her Kipper) (oh, and for my family it's Katherine) who is uber crafty and articulate and just a good person to know all around.

19. In high school my friend Sheena (see #18) would always make each other handmade presents (we still do but due to stress we exchanged squeal worthy gift certificates this year) and I still have the makeup box she made me probably ten years ago now. You can't see if for the stuff in it but it's proof that I need this more than anything.
20. I am a cat person. Seriously. No really- Seriously! Okay sorry. Um... my favorite colour is purple.

21. I am in love with this hat and have bought the yarn to make it. Spring be damned I will wear this hat all year!

22. I have watched Coraline (beyond cool), read the graphic novel (hardcore awesome), played and conquered the DS game (it was so-so), and now am reading the book. I am going to name my firstborn girl Coraline (and if we are doing themes I guess my firstborn boy will be Bod).

23. I miss my sister most dreadfully.

24. If I had my own classroom we would knit every Friday morning together and listen to Jesse Cook.

25. I love Vancouver. I think I may want to live here for a nice long time. I just wish it was closer to Vernon that's all.

Okay... my company is very close to arriving and um... I've got to run.

Well that didn't work

It's Sunday night. Blarg.

In other news- I started designing a sock thingie with a star motif and I did everything right. I swatched in the round and even washed it and then measured my gauge. I cast on, knit an inch of corrugated ribbing, and started my star motif. Now, when I did my swatch I just knit my star as I drew it- from the bottom up (guess where I'm going with this) sooooo I knit the majority of my socks from the cuff down (just guess) hence I finished my ribbing and started my star motif and on row 10 of 11 promptly realized I was knitting the stars upside down. Awesome.

In other news other than knitting- Bridges? Go. You will love it. Just don't wear a dress over jeans and a loose cardigan. Well, you won't get kicked out but when you see that basically everyone else is wearing their fanciest? You'll feel a little, ahem, out of place.