Thursday, June 30, 2011

100 Days, 100 Words - Day 1

Today I am going to start my 100 days, 100 words posting.  My list of 100 words can be found here.  The first word on my list is APPLE.  I love apples!  I love them raw, baked in an apple crisp, baked in a pie, done up as apple butter, applesauce, and this list can go on and on.  I really do enjoy apples and I mostly eat them raw for snacks.

There are so many varieties of apples too, but my favorite has to be a Gala apple!  My favorite way to buy them is fresh from an orchard. Every fall there is an orchard that brings apples to the place I work and people can go and buy apples from them.  For the past four falls we have bought a bushel each time.  The apples are so good! They are a nice, healthy, perfect little snack!!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

WIP-it Wednesday (June 29th 2011)


Here we are for another WIP-it Wednesday update!  I made some more squares (about thirty) for my ATW afghan but I didn't get too much done on this over the past week.

I have however made some progress on my I is for "I Shall Name them George" socks.  I have the first sock completed now and am ready to cast on for the second sock.  Here are the before and after pictures:

And I managed to finish my J is for "Julie's Soft Socks"  I made them with a DK weight yarn and the hubby is wearing them around the house as slippers - he likes them :) They don't quite match but I am not too concerned about that (and neither is the hubby)!  Here is a before and after picture of them:



To see more wonderful WIP-it posts head on over to Tami's Amis!!

And on the weight loss front - no change this week.  At least it's not a gain...

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

100 words


Over at Ravelry someone suggested this great idea for blogging.  It is called 100 Words, 100 Days.  The basic idea behind this meme is that you make a list of 100 words (quickly, without much, or no thought - sounds easy but is actually quite difficult!), then for the next 100 blog posts, whether it be daily, weekly, monthly or sporadically (I'll be doing my posts sporadically!) you take the next word from the list and write about it (e.g, pizza, write about your favourite flavour, best place to get it etc).

So here is my list!

1. apples
2. fruit
3. camping
4. ocean
5. tree
6. dog
7. cat
8. horse
9. squirrel
10. watch
11. work
12. food
13. yarn
14. lipsyl
15. earphones
16. pen
17. pencil
18. eraser
19. curtain
20. wind
21. snow
22. rain
23. poppy
24. q-tips
25. frame
26. pedometer
27. beads
28. exercise
29. scanner
30. computer
31. cards
32. letterbox
33. mail
34. calendar
35. jewelry
36. church
37. love
38. hate
39. lotion
40.backscratcher
41. vacation
42. sand
43. tent
44. afghan
45. letter opener
46. penpals
47. genelogy
48. family
49. clutter
50. coins
51. collections
52. fudge
53. chocolate
54. shopping
55. money
56. economics
57. health
58. teaching
59. writing
60. relaxing
61. sleep
62. spouse
63. maple leaf
64. BBQ
65. tv
66. movies
67. Christmas
68. sister
69. grandparents
70. farming
71. gardens
72. orchids
73. flowers
74. roses
75. blue
76. pink
77. purple
78. pillow
79. cedar chest
80. trunk
81. costumes
82. history
83. castle
84. colour
85. travel
86. Iceland
87. diet
88. tea 
89. flavor
90. rude
91. ignorance
92. shame
93. glasses
94. heat
95. cold
96. snow
97. earrings
98. tatoos
99. piercings
100. valentines

Monday, June 27, 2011

H is for "Hoarding"

So I thought I would spend my blog today talking about Hoarding.  Our place needs a serious tidy-up.  Hubby and I are packrats but while we don't quite fit into the hoarding category in general there are some areas where we might fit that category.  We tend to keep a lot of paper stuff and we have more stuff than space to keep everything...  I have all sorts of cards from people from over the years and wonder if I really need to keep them, but I don't really want to get rid of them.  Maybe a good project for me would be to scan all of them and keep them electronically.  We also keep admission ticket stubs from entrance to events and stuff like that. This all takes up too much space.  Maybe these are more things that can be scanned??  Hoarders we likely are not, but we do have too much stuff.  Time has come to pare down and decided what to do with things we just don't use or need.  Tough to do but it's getting time to do it anyway. 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

WIP-it Wednesday (June 22nd 2011)

So this past week I devoted the majority of my crafting time to the Around the World (ATW) quiltqhan I am making for a friend.  At the beginning of this past week I had 361 squares sewn together and 31 squares made and ready to sew on.  This is what it looked like last Wednesday: 
ATW progress as of Wednesday June 15th 2011 (before)
I crocheted a total of 139 squares (35 of those still need to be sewn on) and the total number of squares sewn together is now 514.  And this is what it looks like now:


And my weight loss - I am down a total of 4.4 pounds.  Slowly but steadily!

To see more WIP-it Wednesday blogs please check out Tami's Amis!!

Monday, June 20, 2011

G is for "Graduation Day with a Graduate Degree"

Well, it was not today, but I wanted to post about my graduation day and graduate degrees.   November 4th 2006 was a very proud day for me (and for my family).  This was the day that my Doctorate degree in Economics was conferred upon me :)  After six long years of study, my comprehensive exams sucessfully under my belt and my thesis successfully defended I earned my PhD in Economics.  Here are a few pictures of that day:
Here is a half decent picture of the hood - quite fancy!!
To see more alphabet posts check it out here or here!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Relax!

Good morning!  I slept in this morning and I have plans to do nothing much but crochet and sew squares together all day long!  Maybe watch some TV and a movie along the way.  I have been too busy this past while and am ready to have a quiet day!!  I am going to work on my Around the World quilt-ghan.  I have quite a few squares to sew onto the blanket and need to make a bunch more. Her is what I have lined up for today:

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Random

Today's post will be random photos...

Weird moth thing I found on our outside door this morning.  Not a clue what it is! It's pretty cool looking though!! It is not a leaf as I originally thought...

I like this shelf on my bookcase!  I need more sock books though :)

Blooms on my Pansy Orchid :)

Soon to be blooms on another of my orchids (I love my orchids!!)


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wip-it Wednesday (June 15th 2011)

Another WIP-it Wednesday report!  I made some serious progress this past week on the three pair of socks I was working on.  Check out where I was last week and see what progress was made!  I worked on nothing but them all week! 

First up are my I is for "I Shall Name Them George" socks.  I just turned the heel on the first sock last night and I am now working my way up the leg.  I am thinking I am not too fond of short row heels.  I like they way they feel on my foot but they are not easy for me to do...  Maybe more practice will help!

Next up are my J is for "Julie's Soft Socks".  I finished the first sock and am only a few rows away from starting the heel flap on the second sock!  This is in a heavier yarn so it moves along quicker.  Someone asked last week what yarn I used - it is something called Gala Spider - a polyester nylon mix made in Turkey.  I got a bunch of this stuff for $0.99 a skein!

Finally here is my progress on my K is for "Knitmore Girls Vanilla Socks"  I have turned the heel and am working my way down the gusset on the first sock. 

Over the next week I am going to focus on my Around the World quilt-ghan I am making for a friend.

And my weight loss - I am down a total of three pounds.  I lost the weight I gained while I was away and am back on track now!

To see more WIP-it Wednesday blogs please check out Tami's Amis!!

Monday, June 13, 2011

F is for "Finish it, Frog it, or Free it"

Welcome to my sixth post in the ABC meme.  To see more of these please visit here!!

Today's post for the ABC meme is based on another ABC blog I read and thought was a good idea (sorry for stealing your idea!)  I have to decide what to do with a project.  When I first saw the pattern for the Raspberry Dreams stole I absolutely loved it!! I also thought I had the perfect yarn for it!  This was my first attempt at knitting something in laceweight too.  Well this yarn is slightly fluffy - it has a slight halo on it and I found it nearly imposible to knit with... But I cast on (for the first time) on October 4th 2010.  And I was in trouble...  I used bamboo needles and found the tips too blunt to work with the yarn.

I tried a differnt set of needles - metal and sharper...  Still no success.  Then I tried some Addi Lace circulars - better but I was still having a bear of a time following the pattern. 

Maybe it is just me (several people report finishing this beauty without the heartache I am experiencing).  I dragged it out of it's hiding place a few weeks ago and gave it a go again.  At the end of my second row my stitch count was off again.  I didn't have the heart to frog it yet again (and this yarn is no fun to frog...)  I stuck it back into it's ziplock bag and stuck it away again (I have lost count of how many times I have done this...) 

After nearly nine months of working on this off and on I have decided the frustration is too much.  I knit for pleasure (not pain).  I shall set this yarn free!!

I think I will crochet something with it instead!  I have this pattern and I bet this yarn would look lovely in this stole!!  Some day I might conquer knitting with lace weight yarn.  Maybe some day I will try this stole again using a nice fingering wieght yarn.  But for now I am setting it and myself free!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

DIY Sock Blockers

Today I made myself some sock blockers.  The store bought ones are way too expensive and I am all about trying to economize when I can.  I followed this fabulous tutorial and here are some photos of my project:
I have all my supplies and instructions ready (the placemats are on the chair...)
Transferring the paper pattern onto cardboard (a cereal box) so it is easier to work with and I can test it for sizing

The sizing is good so now I have the pattern taped to the placemat (note: size ten feet require two placemats...)

All done!! They are really cool!!!
Now to finish another pair of socks so I can use them :)

Friday, June 10, 2011

A Year of Projects Blog-A-Long

 
I have decided to participate in a Year of Projects Blog-A-Long and am really excited about it!  I found it through Ravelry and it sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun!!

The plan is for everyone to choose a selection of patterns (some are working their way through entire books and others are making a list of projects) and work on them through the upcoming year.  Everyone will be posting about their progress each week (on Sunday or thereabouts) so we can see what everyone is doing and so we can cheer each other on!  It will involve a lot of knitting (or crochet) and a lot of blogging.

On July 1st (when the adventure officially begins), I will have a list of projects that I want to complete by June 30th, 2012. My plan is to use patterns I have in my queue, or that I already own, and use only yarn I already have in my stash.  Currently I have 18 patterns selected and I have matched the patterns with yarn I have in my stash.  It might be a stretch to complete this all in one year, but that is part of the challenge for me!  Some of the projects I have selected are small and easy to finish while others are not!  I am not yet certain if I will work on only one at a time or maybe have a few going at the same time. We shall see!  I also have not yet decided on the order in which I will tackle this list (although I do know which project is first- a quickie).

Now to patiently wait until July 1st so that I can start!! And hopefully I won't add to much to the list before then...

FO Friday June 10th 2011


Finally I have a new FO Friday report!!  I have completed my H is for Hug Me Socks.

Pattern: Hug me Socks
Started: April 21st 2011
Finished: June 7th 2011
Needles: 2.25mm circulars
Modifications: None intentional. 

To see more fabulous finishes please head on over to tami's amis!!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

WIP-it Wednesday (June 8th 2011)

Another WIP-it Wednesday day is upon us!!  I really don't have too much to report from the past week.  I did finish my H is for "Hug Me" socks (I'll post about that for FO Friday) and I did a little bit on my I is for "I Shall Name them George" socks.  I have also cast on my J is for "Julie's Soft Socks" and K is for "Knitmore Girls Vanilla Socks"

Here are a couple pictures:

I is for "I Shall Name them George"

J is for "Julie's Soft Socks"

K is for Knitmore Girls Vanilla Socks
And my weight loss - after being out of town for nearly a week I did not do so well on the body WIP - I gained two pounds...  But I got back on track yesterday!  Here's to a good number next Wednesday!!

To see more WIP-it Wednesday blogs please check out Tami's Amis!!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

A Day in the Life

SO the Blog Hub Group over at Ravelry is doing a look at a day in their life.  Everyone was planing to post their typical day blog on June 6th.  I was out of town from the 1st until the evening of the 6th so I didn't get my post done on time (although I should have been organized enough to do it in advance but no I am not that organized!)  So here I am a bit late...

My typical day begins when my alarm goes off at 5:30am.  I crawl out of bed (I am not a snooze button kind of girl) and putter around for awhile.  I will check out what's happened on facebook and Rav overnight and will see if I got any emails overnight.  I also check up on a few forums and blogs that I follow.  I have my shower (I am a morning shower person - not nighttime) and some breakfast.  My breakfast almost always consists of a fried egg with a slice of cheese on an english muffin or a bagel or a wrap. 


This is what I had for breakfast today!

This is the view from my kitchen window as I sit and eat my breakfast.  If you look closely you can see some blue above the fence through the trees - that is the river that runs right past our apartment.  In the summer our view is blocked by the trees but in the winter we have a nice view of the water (and the bridge that crosses the river right near us)
 I also take my vitamins and drink a bottle of water.  Then I am off to work.  I am usually out the door about 7am.  I am definitely a morning person!  Here are a couple pictures of my commute:
Blast off time 7:04am
This is the view of the river I cross each day (and our apartment looks out on this river)
The one and only traffic light I come across during my commute (notice it is red for me...)
Arrival time at work 7:08am.  It is a very short commute! I actually only live about 1.5 miles from my office.  I am lazy and really should walk more often...

I am an Economics professor and my typical routine changes somewhat depending on what time of the year it is.  During the academic year most of my days are spend divided between teaching classes (usually two per semester or six hours of lecture time), grading, prepping for classes, and research.  In the summer my time is entirely devotes to research and writing.  Part of the job for most faculty positions involves getting articles written and published in professional journals.  This involves a lot of reading, thinking, writing, and revising (and usually lots of rejection letters)  Most journals only accept about 5-10% of all the articles that are sent to them so rejection letters are common.  Here are a few pictures from work:
My office building (my office is in the back of the building on the second floor...)
My office - nice and sunny and bright (and hot in the summer without air conditioning) And also a bit messy - I always seem to have piles of papers all over.  In the academic part of the year the piles grow as I will also have stacks of grading on the desk too...
Two of my three full book shelves :)
I love my dual monitors!!!  This shows some of the typical stuff that is on my computer screen - an econometric program open doing some sort of data analysis and a Word document on the other monitor to write the paper.

My three wise owls!  They were graduation gifts to commemorate each of my graduations - Bachelors in 1999, Masters in 2000 and PhD in 2006.  Notice I seem to be getting wilder and woollier looking with each degree!!

I usually head home between 3 and 4pm.  The evening is spent relaxing.  Sometimes hubby and I go fishing in the river right by our apartment (catch and release only as there are too many pulp and paper mills in the area and the mercury levels are too high for my liking to eat anything caught there - and the fish are usually too darn small to make a meal anyway...), sometimes I watch some TV, and always I find time to knit or crochet for a little while each evening.  By 9pm I am almost ready to get to sleep.  5:30am was a long time ago!! 

E is for "Enjoyment"

Oops I am late in getting my post up...  In my defense I was out of town from the 1st until last night (the 6th) but that is probably no excuse as I could have had this ready early and then just posted...  Maybe one day I will get myself more organized :) 

So today I am writing about Enjoyment!  I like to focus on the positive and I like to get enjoyment out of as much of life as I can.  I love to do things that make me happy and I try to find the bright side of everything.  It doesn't help to mumble and complain about things and to me it seems to be a waste of time (mostly - there are exceptions when complaining is necessary and should be done, but not all the time as some people do...)  There are so many things in this world that can bring enjoyment!  A pretty flower, a sunrise, a sunset, laughter, rainbows, gentle rain, sitting in a sunbeam, sipping a nice cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, enjoying a good meal and conversation with friends, quiet, knitting, crocheting, and the list can go on forever! 

So how about it??  Try to look at things from a happy, positive viewpoint and ENJOY!!!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Wednesday June 1st 2011

Here is my WIP-it Wednesday report.  I am nearly done with sock number two for my H is for "Hug me" socks.  I am heading away on a road trip (ten hour drive with me doing about half the driving) so I should have plenty of time to knit socks!  I hope to complete my H is for Hug Me socks and also hope to get a good start on K and maybe a fair bit done on J as well.

And to report on my other WIP - I am down one pound from lasst Wednesday - nothing too much but a loss anyways!  I'll take it!  I'll also have to be a bit careful with what I am eating as I will mostly be eating out until next Tuesday morning when I get back home!!

To see more posts like this please go on over to tami's amis