My Lips Are Sealed

Is my life a bad one, or am I just a terrible blogger?

2011-04-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I logged in to Blogger for the first time in four months. I logged in for the sole purpose of deleting the pencil blog. And then I suddenly felt like writing more. Because you know, people might actually read this blog, and if they do, I am doing them a great disservice.

Well, as for the pencil blog, I deleted it because someone I knew found out about it. It's really an embarrassment and I have since moved on. I know I shouldn't feel that way, but I died a little on the inside when I found that out. So therefore, I must hide all evidence that it even existed. It's been a good year since I've even touched it, anyways.

I've also said some things that I wish I never did say, like things about TGIL. I've moved on, and still don't like talking about it. I like different people now, and don't even get me started on who that might be, because that is a question I refuse to answer. That was then, and this is now. People need to stop living in the past, and so should I. I honestly felt like deleting this blog as well, because I've changed since then, and I don't want people to see that older version of me. Because they'll think I'm still like that.

But I kept this blog up because I've improvised knitting patterns in the past. I've been asked for written instructions for some of them. I need someplace to put them, as the PDF thing on my computer just doesn't function at all. So therefore, here it is.

I'll also try to update weekly with things that are going on. It may be difficult. Maybe my week won't be exciting enough to be blog worthy, or maybe too many things happen that I'm not really all that comfortable discussing. I guess I'm just bad at determining these things.

And also, if you have never feasted your eyes upon this blog in your entire life, please don't read anything before this.

Knitting. That is all.

2011-01-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've been knitting quite a lot lately. I also admit that this is only to host images for HPKCHC while Flickr is down.

Post Without An Awesome Title (PWAT for short...but that's not a good acronym...or is it????)

2010-10-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's Thursday again. Another week has gone by. A little too fast. I know certain people would envy me because to me, time flies, whatever happens and whenever it does. I think the only time it's dragged on and on was when I was in Europe. I couldn't wait for it to end. Sometimes I want to just live in the moment. But that is a dream and this is reality, so I shake myself awake. I'll be twice my age before I know it.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, The Day Before, Bob.

2010-10-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

Weekends. I seem to have a love/hate relationship with them. I mean, sometimes I can't wait for them. Normally, when I can't wait for them, the entire week just drags on. And then there's the weeks where...they just go by too fast. So fast, you can't even remember what happened when. Did that make sense? Didn't think so.

I've come to dread Fridays, which were once my favorite day of the week (probs because my dad used to take me to Disneyland on Fridays). I've always hated hellos and goodbyes, I guess. I don't like having to get used to things. I sometimes wish something meaningful would happen before the week was over. But when it is over, nothing really happens.

So, here's what happened:

Monday: 10/11---It's a big huge pit of nothing. But we do receive the confirmation that I get to go to Disneyland two months from that day, part of band. We skip school to go there for free, and don't come back till 8 pm. The catch is that we have to do a concert at Carnation Gardens, but that is no biggie.

I also sign up for NaNoWriMo. Since I'm not yet of age, I sign up for the youth program. I'd been meaning to do it last year, but forgot to sign up, let alone actually write.

Tuesday: 10/12---The band concert. Yes, we actually do a fall concert, because we're awesome like that. It was epic. Well, as epic as band concerts can get, anyways. I tell my parents specifically NOT to come, not because we suck, since we never have and never will, but rather because GWIL (Guy Who I Like, for those of you who don't remember, or read my blog for that matter) is in band and him seeing my parents embarrass me in front of the entire effing school (well, the band members anyways)=trouble. Also to save myself from humiliation, being last chair and all.

It's then that I figure out what I want my NNWM story to be about. It's about me, GWIL, Wannabe, and one of my friends, of course changing their names (well, their last names anyways). I may publish it here when I'm done, if it's even all that good. I decide that my parents can't know about this, because then they would force me to do it. But this is something I am doing on my own, not because anyone else told me to. I start planning it out, and am basically writing the book without, actually, writing the book. You don't get it, do you? Nope, didn't think so.

Friday: 10/15---We pick up Bethany for school, since her parents can't drop her off. We're late to school by a little. It's really cold out, and I'm saying that because this information will be useful to know later.

We take a test on cells in science. I get an extra point and a Jolly Rancher, being the winner of a review game. Not that I know what I got on the test though. It had been an agreement the teacher made with us.

In gym class, we run the mile. It is perfect mile-running weather, so I get my best ever time, which still isn't so great, but at least I know for sure that I passed. I followed Bethany, who always runs it faster than I do. This really makes my day.

Later that night in youth group, there is a guest speaker. His sermon, if you would call it that, was pretty good, though I was very uncomfortable when he brought up sex before marriage. Not because I don't think it's wrong, but rather because "sex" is on my list of Words One Must Never Say In Public. So my friends and I just refer to sex as It. Which is why "Let's do it" sounds sexual to us.

I end up making what could possibly be the biggest discovery of my life; where the youth ministry keeps all of the cup noodles. After being shown where the boiling water is, I eat some. It was really good, because it was cold out and I needed something to warm myself, and RAMEN NOODLES FTW. By far, it's my favorite thing about church.

Saturday: 10/16---There is a youth activity at my church. I don't go, because it's a study function and I don't really have homework (though I later find out that I do). I also discover Flair on Facebook, get addicted, and then lose all my credits (you know, the ones I'd been saving to buy more boards) getting flair buttons. I make some buttons. They all look bad because I'm new to Flair and don't know how to zoom in and out.

TODAY
I got up at 5 AM because my stomach had been hurting and I needed to go to the bathroom. Usually I go back to sleep after going this early, but I don't because I'm a kid on the inside and I knew we'd be going to church today. I get on Flair to go broke getting Glee buttons when all I need is 30 credits for a new board, delete the bad buttons I've made, and replace them with improved versions.

I eat breakfast an hour before the rest of the family does, because my stomach had been grumbling. So I eat, and then it's right back up to my room, where I just hang out for a while.

I'm totally sleep deprived, having gotten up two and a half hours before I normally do. I sleep on the way to church and on the way home. I even dose off for a while during the sermon.

At church today, I eat another thing of cup noodles, because I'd eaten breakfast three hours ago and had already been hungry. The lunch is actually edible. Not just edible, but pretty good. Well, not the part with the cooked lettuce. That looked like puke, so I avoided even going near it.

As soon as I get home, I realize that I have homework that's been left undone, that I totally forgot about. It's the evaluation for the band concert. I'd lost the notes I'd taken in band when we watched the video, so I had to improv. I knew what I'd written, so that's what I put down. I didn't have the exact wording for the questions, not having the original paper. I hope I don't get marked down for it.

And since I'd been using the good computer that can handle online games, I headed to FrontierVille, just to see how good it really was. It wasn't my favorite game, but it at least was addictive. I also played Tetris Friends on FB, since the TF site was down. It reminded me of old times.

10/10/10...a.k.a because it's the weekend and my brain is currently off

2010-10-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

So it's 10/10/10. EPIC. And what do I have to say? NOTHING.

So I guess since I have nothing to write about, I'll just treat this like a diary. Of course, removing the names of people whose names really shouldn't be mentioned. I'll go through each day that had some meaning to it. That is, if I can remember what happened.

9/27/10---Hottest day in the history of the Greater LA area. Around here, it was like 106 degrees? In LA it was 113. And I'm talking Fahrenheit, just in case you just got out of Zimbabwe. I made it out alive.

9/28/10---Not as hot, but I still felt like I was going to die (I was sweating in the morning). But I went to a friend's apartment complex, where we watched half of Ponyo and then went swimming.

9/29/10---Still in the middle of the heat wave. It's still scorching hot. We have to sit outside for two hours in the student of the month assembly. Having to perform as part of the band at the beginning made it worse, since we had to get out there early and set up. Kaila (because she needs a name since she'll come in later), who is one of my amazing friends who are slightly older than I am, actually had a Gatorade behind her back the whole time. I wonder why I didn't think of that, considering that my mom bought a big huge honkin' thing of Gatorades the weekend before.

I don't think I've ever mentioned any of the classes I'm in at school. One of them is Fashion Design, my other elective (unless you're failing you get two at my school, you probably wouldn't get exactly how it works unless you went to my school), and currently my favorite class. It's basically this home-ec class that they give a fancy name so more people would sign up. We don't do any designs, but we do get to do fashion sketches. So we watched a video that showed us how to do that. Later in the week we actually started working on sketches, and I designed a black dress. It's pretty, but I'll admit that I don't know how to draw noses.

9/30/10---Pretty typical day. Nothing really happened.

10/1/10---Carnival. EEEEP!!!! So a nearby town (I'm in the attendance area for the school district there) does this carnival every year where our band always plays. We were awesome, but then again, we always are, aren't we? But then after that it got kinda messy.

My mom had told me that when I was ready to go home I should borrow someone's phone (because I don't actually have one and I won't for another month) and give her a call. Or that's what I thought. So I hung out with Kaila and some of her other friends (whom I was kinda friends with before I met Kaila) and went on some rides. I had to lug around a musical instrument and hide it somewhere because my parents weren't there. I had the wildest time. I'd gone on two upside down rides (without dying, of course), and even bumped into GWIL (he is in band so that is inevitable)because he and the group I was with had similar tastes when it came to rides (which by the way, was as many twists, turns, and upside down parts as possible).

And then after we'd gone on a few rides and gone through a couple fun houses and I went to get my instrument, I run into my dad, who tells me that the cops are looking for me, and all due to bad communication skills . And so the party is over. And then I eat pizza. And then I ditch youth group on the day we're watching Wall-E. Not that I really like Wall-E either.

10/7/10---Bethany and I try out for the lip sync show with "SOS" (you know, the really corny Jonas Brothers song), even though I hate the Jonas Brothers. It's their only good song. We got in, because the audition is really only for the people running it to look at what was on your mind. Beth thought our audition sucked, but there were ones way worse than ours.

10/9/10---I get together with Bethany and we go swimming. She points out how much resemblance I bear to a mermaid, even though I never actually did have the desire to be one.

Lately I actually have been knitting, and wanting to do it. I haven't finished anything though.

I've also started actually using Facebook. Yeah, cuz I'm awesome like that.

And I've been posting YouTube videos lately, not very different from this one:

Life. Is. Tough.

2010-09-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

As I've said before, I've been going through a ton lately. But here's a few important things.

I got my new Wii set up today. I've had a Wii before, but the discs didn't work anymore. So we exchanged it and got it set up today. I have been playing like there's no tomorrow, but unfortunately it's been making my arm really hurt. I made a few awesome Miis though, that are everyone from friends to enemies to GWIL (Guy Who I Like...you may know his name if you're in the Teen group on Ravelry) to celebrities.

I have no idea what to say next. I would do a knitting list of my current WIPs, but the only pics are from my webcam and can't be saved. And I don't have a good camera.

That is all for now.

Speechless. Hopeless. Occasionally mindless. Not a very good post title, I know.

2010-09-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a while. That I know perfectly well. I haven't been living under a rock; I just felt like I couldn't post. Because what I'm going through involves mostly things I've been thinking about, have said and done, etc. that I only feel comfortable talking about with certain people, and I know that if I blogged, I'd be compelled to spill. Because who knows who might find this? It's what I link to on profile pages.

School started already. That's what caused my unwillingness to open up; my thoughts about things that don't concern you. I've been dealing with rumors, boy troubles, and stress. It's hard to act civil.

I have been knitting, though not as much. I've knit many things since I last posted; too much to contain in this one post. I feel like hiding. Alone. Things don't happen like they do in dreams. If they did, it wouldn't be a dream. That's the biggest thing.

Two Tone iPod/Smartphone Sock (free pattern)

2010-09-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

I've tried to design a knitting pattern a few times already, but all of those times I've failed miserably. But this time, I DIDN'T. Yes. I know. I've finally done it.

This pattern is for a basic multicolored electronic device sock. Mine is a bit small, but if you follow the given instructions, you will have a sock that will fit an iPhone. Here's how I did it:

Materials:
-Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in two different colorways. I used Dusty Purple and Little Boy Blue (this is a Baby colorway). Decide on which colors you will use as A and B.
-US size 7 (4.5mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge
-Tapestry needle

Gauge:
18 stitches to 4 inches on a size 7 needle

Instructions:
With A, CO 16 stitches. Work 5 rows in 2x2 ribbing (K2 P2 to end).

Still using A, work 10 rows in stockinette stitch.

Change to B, and work 14 rows in stockinette stitch.

Next row: Purl across. This is the turning ridge. Beg with a purl row, work 13 more rows in St st.

Change to A and work 8 rows in St st. Work 4 rows in 2x2 ribbing. BO in pattern.

Finishing:
Weave in ends, except for the cast on and bind off tails. Block if desired and seam the edges together using the tails. Enjoy!!!

Christmas Knitting...Phase One

2010-09-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got my Canada knitting done, just in time for school, when I'll have less time to knit. I've made many different things, and frogged one. That was a scarf for my grandpa. He won't need it, because we may not go to Canada, which sucks because they live near Toronto, where it snows. And everyone knows it doesn't snow in the OC. But they may be coming here. I may eventually knit something for Grandpa though, since it's no secret that he prefers girls. I'll knit some things that have been sitting in the queue, and things I need to knit (like that Anthropologie shrug). Maybe then I may come across something the gramps would like.

That said, here's what I made, and sort of a journal of what happened as I knit them. These are in the order of when I finished them. Be prepared to sit for a while though; it's gonna be long. It is also the first time I've written this way.

1. Pattern: Toe Up Sock Generator
Yarn: Bernat Sox in this variegated shade
Needles: Cheap metal size 3 DPNs (the gauge was obviously wrong; these dinosaurs fit me...I've worn them a couple times)
Made for: Derry
I've pretty much detailed my experience with the first sock in one of my previous posts where I'd shown it off. The second sock was cast on at night immediately after finishing the first. I took them with me to the grocery store to recycle water bottles (we paid for ice cream with the money) They were there on the yarn spree at Jo-Anns, because I thought we were going to the beach. Then when we did go to the beach, I left it in the car, not knowing the water would be too cold to bodysurf.

2. Pattern: Grandma's Favorite
Yarn: Good ol' Sugar and Cream
Needles: Knit Picks size 6 circular
For: Grandma
This was done entirely at home and all in one day.

3) Pattern: My Basic Socks by Kit Zerbe
Yarn: Cascade 220 in a lime green colorway
Needles: size 6 DPN's
For: Aunt Betty
I cast on and did most of the first sock at church. There was no given gauge, so I stepped right in. I grafted the toe later that night. The second sock was done while I hung out with Bethany. While we were watching crazy YouTube videos. While we had an unsuccessful lemonade stand. I finished at around midnight.

3. Pattern: Toasty by Leslie Friend
Yarn: Vanna's Choice in black
Needles: Size 7 DPNs
Again, I cast on at church. I took these to Bethany's that night for a sleepover, where I finished the first glove and started the second. I also left my tape measure there, and have yet to remember to take it back. When I got home, I realized that I didn't knit enough after the thumb. When I finished the second glove, I undid the bind-off on the first one, and now you can't really tell I screwed up. These gloves are slightly different lengths though.

4. Pattern: Kit Zerbe's Basic Socks
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Grey Heather
Needles: Size 6 DPNs
These took me forever to finish. I started immediately after finishing the first pair. The first sock ended up being way too small, and I couldn't graft the toe, because I forgot my tapestry needles and I was at Bethany's. That caused dropped stitches. So I frogged back to before the toe and knit away, after finishing the second sock, of course. It took me two weeks to finish.

There is one more, for all of them. That's the dishcloth at the top of the page. It took me two days.

[Insert Creative Title]

2010-08-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

Life lately has been hectic. With youth group and school and all of that, it's hard to manage.

My first youth group meeting was last Friday, with a cookout/bonfire. I had fun, but it was boring and cold, even though it was at the beach, none other than Surf City USA. Well, it was at night, I was wearing shorts, and I wasn't able to knit. After that we had a lock in, but I didn't go to that. That day I finished that blessed baby blanket. It took me 4 weeks, longest it ever took me to finish something. I also had to weave in the ends with my hands, due to losing my tapestry needle.

I went back yesterday for the second part of the festivities and ate at Ikea. I also bought a foldable bin, which I plan on using for stash storage, should it ever get there. I'm planning on going there to get stuff for my room.

After that we had a cookout. Bethany stayed for that.

How's it goin'?

2010-08-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ten days without a post from me. What a shocker. I've actually been trying to avoid posting until the Christmas knitting for Canada, so I could show you all at once, but you can wait, right? Am I right???? AM I RIGHT!!!!!????? Kay, I think you get the point now.

School starts 6 days and 12 hours from now, according to my little nerdy brainy thingy. I'm not really worried about how well I'll do in school but rather about other things, like dealing with people. I'm not really social. About who's going to be in my classes. About talking to that boy whose name has been removed for security purposes. About when I'll be able to knit in school. You know, that kind of stuff.

I'm going through some tough situations. Read about it on Ravelry if you like, because there is a chance of...well I really shouldn't tell, because of the potential risks.

Why Me???

2010-08-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems like every knitter falls into the sock craze at one point or another. Seems like it is my turn to fall. I've also snapped out of my fantasy of finishing one thing at a time---that blanket is just too boring.

So, to begin with, I made socks for the same baby as I'm doing that blanket for. I went down a needle size, because I didn't have size 7 DPN's (I got them today). They are littered with mistakes, but they look great.

This pattern is called Quick Baby Socks and they really are quick. I cast on one afternoon, and finished the second sock the following.

I have started my Christmas knitting, because it will be tough to manage once school starts. The first one is a pair of toe-up socks for Derry. The pattern is this handy sock generator where you enter your gauge, shoe size, and needle size, and you get a custom, generic, toe-up sock pattern. Since this is entirely modifiable, I plan on using this pattern for most of my sock knitting.

The yarn is Bernat sock yarn (yes, the acrylic kind) that was supposed to be for Father's Day socks, which I frogged, because I got stuck at the gusset. Well I don't like the color, having only gotten it for the sock pattern, which I now realize was a HUGE mistake.

I used a size 3 needle at 7 stitches to the inch...yes I know, I am a bad knitter. I didn't gauge, because I didn't have the next size up or down. No money to get more needles either. I finished the first sock last night. It was a drag, because I used stockinette stitch. But it was fun. I had trouble with the short rows, but I will not complain because this is my first time short-rowing.

I have begun to question the way I was raised. Growing up in a fundamentalist church is not easy. It isn't easy to absorb the crap they give you. Even now I'm having a tough time, to the point that sometimes I regret my choice of faith. You see, when I learn things about other religions, I'm afraid that I will become one of them (I have been baptized). And just when I feel like I need to get my mind off all this, I find this Satan impersonator on Ravelry. Since it's a sock puppet account, I reported it. Some of the people I added on Ravelry have friended the devil, probably due to the "random friending" thing. I like to look at a user's profile before friending, so I know who this is. Then I make the decision.

Yeah, I just went off topic right there, just need a place to vent. You see, what I'm saying is that my church doesn't let you believe what you want to believe. I hate that. I need to somehow get away from the church. Maybe marry a Catholic, since this place is mostly Catholic? I don't know, anything to get me outta here.

And what does this have to do with my socks? Because I thought about this while I was working on them.

Stash Storage...Finally!!!

2010-08-09T10:43:00.000-07:00

So, I've finally reorganized my stash, after several long months of thought. Many teens on Ravelry have said that they use plastic drawers. I had a set of those, with nothing but junk in it, such as paper scraps, which I've relocated into a cardboard box. The craft paper went into the nightstand with nothing in it, thus leaving space for everything yarn.

The first one is printouts of patterns that I'm saving, because I might need them again. Should I ever get any, my knitting books will belong there too.

In the second drawer, there are knitting needles and notions. I also have my interchangeable set in there, because it is extremely disorganized.

The third drawer is yarn, yarn, and nothing but YARN. This is the yarn I'd be most likely to pick up when starting something new. It does include Red Heart, shame on me.

And lastly, the yarn I don't want or need, but am stuck with.

Oops! I forgot my overpopulated scrap pile. Just odds and ends, too little to use.

This is my current WIP, a basketweave blanket.

This one is rather boring, but I can live with that. The knitting hasn't been going so well. I started out with three extra stitches on the needles, but didn't know that until when I was done with the garter stitch. And yesterday, as I was organizing my stash, I found that one of the circular tips I grabbed were the wrong size. It's not bad though.

I'm also helping out with the magazine Ravelry's teen group is helping to create. I'm designing and writing articles mostly. I hope it is a great success.

A Day of Totally Bizzarre Awesomeness

2010-08-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today was definitely a great day. It didn't start out that way. I started out scrambling for my size 9 needle tips, because I wanted to knit at McDonald's because Sam usually stays at the playground too long. So I went knitting-less, but we ordered it takeout because it was less than half an hour before my dad's dental appointment. But McDonald's was awesome either way.

This morning I finally bound off Aria's Fetchings. They are uneven because I didn't count rounds correctly when I did the first glove. I haven't woven in all the ends yet. There is peppermint all over it because I took it to lunch in my knitting bag and dropped my peppermint in there (they use that instead of fortune cookies), so there is red gunk all over these.

We went to TAP (acronym for That Awesome Pool) today with Bethany, since she is leaving for Sacramento tomorrow. She will be gone for a week.

In the teen group on Ravelry, there is a party in celebration of the fact that there are 1000 members, and there are prizes that are randomly drawn. I won a pair of gloves designed by Sarah, a.k.a Callalilly, which came in the mail today. I saw a picture on her projects page, but it is better in person. Now here are the gloves, modeled by none other than moi.

And as of now, I'm in my own little world, knitting, just finished a slice of pizza that was left over from tonight's dinner, and of course blogging from my headquarters that is my room. Perfect in every way.

Finally, a happy post!!!

2010-08-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This post may contain mild profanity. And yet another note: I started this post yesterday before my dad took away the computer.
So, my dad found out about my evil plan to use his computer. When he went to his computer, he found a Ravelry forum thread. And we all know I'm the only one who knows what Ravelry even is. So he gets mad at me and starts treating me like I'm some sort of robot which makes me burst into tears. And then we come to a realization that there was too much crap on this computer. And that there are two options for us; to return the thing to Best Buy and get a desktop or to uninstall all the crap. I liked the desktop idea better, but there was that one concern I wasn't allowed to express. I watch a ton of YouTube videos, and most of them aren't G-rated, but not inappropriate either. It's along the lines of profanity and mild cartoon violence (like, maybe Elmo Kills Barney). The problem is, the computer would be in the living room, where Sam constantly lurks. And he'll probably pick up the bad words, like once when Bethany and I watched a potty-mouthed video and then later said "fuck" at the dinner table. Yeah. Not pretty. But there are risks to fixing a computer, so I went with taking it back to Best Buy. It was a pretty tough sacrifice.

But my dad comes back from Best Buy, with the netbook, due to the 14 day return policy (we bought it before leaving for Europe). So we start bad-mouthing Best Buy with names such as "Worst Buy" and in my head, I thought out "Best Shit", as we get the baby dinosaur out and start to uninstall like crazy. Worse yet, some of the apps (even those that don't belong in the preloaded crap category) could not be uninstalled. But we got rid of more than half of it. And then there was the shocking discovery

The shocking discovery is that the preloaded crap is only there so that the manufacturers can make money out of the PC (which here stands for preloaded crap). And what's even more wackier, is that the CEO of Asus has the same name as my cousin Jerry, both of whom have interesting ways of making money.

So we've literally uninstalled half the crap, and it's better and faster without it. Ravelry only took a nanosecond to load. I think it works...at least for now.

And here to celebrate with me, is none other than Elmo, whom I finished right before all of this started. Time to Go to Work!!!

I cast on after writing the Rant a couple days ago, and finished yesterday while watching TV. It's for my mom to give Sam baths with, but we're not telling him that.

The Inaugural Blogger's Rant

2010-08-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ugh...this goes out to all the computers I've ever used in my entire life. I've used so many computers in my life, and all but two ended up dying. As for the two that didn't die, these are the computers, and why they didn't go for the kill:

An HP mini laptop my dad got from his work. As for what happened to that one, my dad gave it to his coworker who happens to be an old family friend (which, by the way, is what happens if you're one of my dad's friends and you work in the computer industry; you end up working for my dad). I may have mentioned her before, because she happens to be the pregnant one I was making those baby blankets for, and there's more knitting for her baby to come. But anyways, I miss this one.
The second one was my dad's work-at-home computer, the one I'm using now. As for why this one's not broken? Well, let's have a little look-see here, shall we? Well it did break, but well, it got fixed. Sure it's ridiculously out of date (I'm pretty sure there's no more tech support---nerd moment) but hey, it works. The rest of that, my friends (and enemies), is a mystery.
I forgot that there was a third one. That one vanished out of thin air and was never seen again.

As for why I'm posting this? Well, the netbook that was actually my first (officially) computer is infected with a fatal disease. So far this week it's crashed twice (that first time was...wait for it...yesterday). And it keeps making the weirdest noises. So yeah, I'm not cleanin' that up. Other computers I've used have crashed in the weirdest ways. For example, my mom's Macbook Pro. That one kept freezing. As for fixing it? Not a chance. We tried that, but it froze in the process. Oh yeah, there was also one from my dad's workplace that just shut down out of nowhere. I bet it's still lurking under my bed, decomposing.

And then there was the first one. The one with which I discovered that a computer was more than a device you used to play Math Arena (which was part of the elementary school curriculum) and send one-paragraph emails on. It was my dad's work computer, which he had retired, so it was mine to keep. It lasted two years under the usage of moi (that's a record) when it died of old age. We tried reformatting the dinosaur, but one day, it decided that it was over. My mom and I had just come back from Target when it happened. I cried.

I'm trying to get that off of my mind, but how, with so many computers being destroyed by my wrath? I just can't bear it. I'm trying not to cry. I'm trying to be strong. And that is why, dear electronic devices, you do not mess with me.

-------------------------------------------END OF RANT---------------------------------------------------------
Okay, now that The Rant is officially over, here's some fibery happiness.

Well, I've finished the Fetching gloves for Bethany.

I got a modeling gig. Here is me, with my cardigan. It's my new favorite sweater.

And better yet, I finally figured out how the Flickr importer on Ravelry works, so now I don't have to post every picture I want on Ravelry here first. No more WIP pics on this blog!!! Unless I want you to look at how I'm doing.

Now the question is what to knit next. There are so many things I want to make, as well as things I need to make. It's all in a jumble. So many people want me to make Fetching gloves for them. I myself need some Fetchings. I want to make that washcloth for Sam. That wrap skirt for me. The baby stuff. The sock yarn shawl. Oh where do I even begin?

A (somewhat) happy post!!!

2010-08-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, they left, and I'm suffering from withdrawal symptoms. We're going over to Canada during Thanksgiving break like we were last year, but last year, my passport expired on the day we were leaving, so my mom and I stayed back. I can't wait.

After we took them to the airport, we went to church, where I cast on for the Fetching gloves I was going to make for Bethany. Some of the kids were watching as I knit, and not only had they wanted to learn, they also wanted me to make Fetchings for them. I have so much knitting to be done, and so little time to do it. What am I going to do?

That night, we went to Walmart, where I got a swimsuit and some yarn. It is for an Elmo washcloth I want to make for Sam (mostly for my mom to give him baths with), as a 4.5 yr old birthday gift. The 4.5 yr old celebration is a family tradition...it means having to sleep in your own room, because we are late bloomers. Maybe Sam will actually want to take baths...if it were with Elmo. It is a lovely skein of Peaches and Creme.

This morning, I finally finished the seaming for the cardigan. The collar is an inch short, but I managed to stretch it out. This is a picture I snapped while I was seaming it; the actual sweater just went through some major blocking because it is too small.

I'm so glad the knitting (and the boring hours of seaming) is done. Hopefully I can wear it out soon.

Time Flies

2010-07-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

My life's in pieces now. Time is flying by, right before my eyes. So much is going on, and sometimes, when I'm having a great time, I just want to freeze time right here and just make it stop.

The Canadian folk were here this weekend, eh? So I've at least been trying to spend more time with them. Jerry's been acting kinda weird, doing things such as making out with my 4 year old brother (he calls them "love pecks"). Derry, his 7 year old brother, is now somewhat friends with me. We used to be arch-enemies, him teaching Sam (my brother) to insult me and all. I don't know how, but my life's turning upside down, within a single second. Tomorrow they are leaving, and I'll miss them dearly. Last time, I cried because I missed Jerry.

I've almost finished the cardigan. Now I'm halfway through the collar. I promised you pictures of the sweater when I bound off the body, but that was at a restaurant. It took me an hour to do the bind-off because the stitches keep unraveling.It's a little small, so some serious blocking is needed.

I'm writing a fashion article because this blog is supposed to be about fashion, yet I have never blogged about it. Look for that soon, as well as a picture of the finished cardigan.

Today we went to a pool party hosted by some people from our church. Bethany came along, because she wanted me to go to her house, though I couldn't for rather obvious reasons. There was an awesome pool (like a wave pool), and food that was even better than the pool. I loved it.

I've been trying to write a song for forever, but it's always failed. The meaning is usually too obvious. I want to write about how sometimes it hurts when time goes by. Sometimes it's just painful. Things you had loads of fun doing become nothing but a foggy memory. Like all that's ever happened to me.

OMG, a sweater!!!

2010-07-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

I have been pluggin' away at that cardigan. I cast on yesterday at church. Why I am knitting at church though, is a long story. You see, I'm not really old enough to be in the youth group, and there aren't enough people for the kids' Sunday school program, so they're just watching lame movies. So I use that to get more knitting time.

For once I got the right gauge for a project, thanks to my interchangeables. Well, I didn't on my first try, but eventually it happened.

I spent most of my day working on this, and finished the yoke while watching TV today. Why? Because the yoke is BORING, because there were enough stitches to go all the way around a 32" circular, which I'm glad I used to make this because of how there were so many stitches during the raglan increases. But by the time I couldn't take it anymore, it was time to split the sleeves. Exactly the experience a Ravelry user brought up in a thread about projects currently on the needles.

Knitting your first sweater is often a big deal, and to me, it's a HUGE deal. So I'm going to post a picture whenever I finish each part of the cardigan. Putting it here makes it easier to get the pictures on Ravelry too. Here's the yoke.

The body will probably take a few days to do.

New FO and some more yarn

2010-07-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day mostly because so many things have happened. Fortunately, this is mostly good stuff that is happening to me. Well, in recap (drum roll please)...

So, I finished that cabled headband I cast on yesterday and wore it out for the first time. I love it. Most of the work was done today because yesterday I fell asleep after the first couple pattern repeats. I finally USED some of the Cascade 220 I bought in Vegas and I must say, I love this yarn. I would use it more often, if it weren't so expensive (around here, it's $10 a hank). Enough blab, here's the headband. I would have modeled it, but my webcam software doesn't save the photos so modeling isn't so convenient. If you're wondering why there's soysauce in the picture, that is because this was taken at a Chinese restaurant (on my dad's old iPhone), and Picnik(photo editing software on Flickr) is down, so I can't crop it.

I went swimming today. In my tail. It was great, but is tiring when you do laps. But when I took a run in my tail, I was the star of the show. I did a lap in it and when I came back, some random dude asked me "So, how did it go?" I wasn't so sure how to answer. But the weird thing about this trip to the pool, is that I saw someone from school. That's normal, BUT we bump into her and her sister (who goes to school with my brother) ALL THE TIME. We were friends for a while, and she even came to my eleventh birthday party. The best part though, is that we went with some people who had the keys (we don't), and they gave us pizza. You heard me right. Pizza.

I went to Walmart today and scored major yarn (two wearables' worth). We were going to go to the Walmart by where we had lunch, but it is tiny, and doesn't have yarn (the crafts section is literally just two aisles of crap you're never going to use). So after dinner we went to the local Walmart (20 minutes away from here, because this is prestigious southern Orange County. You know, Laguna Beach?) where the craft section is HUGE. Half the yarn is Red Heart (not that I hate it or anything) but it sells most of what I normally use and need. Other times I just bug my mom for a trip to JoAnn's. I bought $20 worth of yarn, but it was a great score. You'll see why.

First off, some Vanna's Choice. It's for a wrap skirt in my Ravelry queue. I found out that Walmart is no longer carrying the 7oz skeins that contain twice as much yarn as the regular skeins and selling the regular skeins in fewer colorways. But the 7oz skeins are on clearance, so I bought some, while I can still get it. This is a nice baby blue. The baby band proves it.

This one is the same, but a shade of violet not in the baby line. I can imagine how the two would look together.

Next up, some Caron Simply soft for that cardigan. Some navy blue, the main color of this cardigan.

This off white makes a great contrast.

I wanted to get DPN's too, but apparently Walmart doesn't have any. But I got yarn, and that's what matters. I'll probably start swatching for the cardigan tomorrow (I just printed the pattern), since I'm really tired right now. I still have work to do on the log cabin I've started that I want to finish, too. And to think I still have to put this on Ravelry?

Knitting Up a Storm week

2010-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

I've given up on that scarf, even though I've frogged way too many things. The mistakes are noticeable to non-knitters. It was getting boring too. I burst into tears making it. So to take my mind off of that I knit five washcloths this week. And I've finished them all. So @$$(#*@)!#($)@)#! you, you scarf thingy!!!

First off, a swimsuit washcloth for Bethany. I'm planning on giving this to her for her birthday (which isn't till September, but I just want to be prepared), along with a pair of Fetching mitts which I'm saving my Red Heart for. It's very fitting for a birthday present, since we are spending some quality time at the pool for her party. Here it is:

While I was fixing up some breakfast the other day (my world famous tummy ache eggs), I decided that the kitchen was short on washcloths and sponges. So I made the classic Grandma's Favorite. I thought it would be the easiest project on the planet, but I screwed up the decreases, so I had to frog it back to before the decreases. This resulted in many dropped stitches which I fixed wrong. Mostly because I was too lazy to fix it correctly. But a non-knitter wouldn't notice, right? I also would have used variegated yarn, but between big projects I'm stuck using stash yarn and the only variegated yarn I have is some sock yarn.

My mom's fallen in love with the washcloths I make. So she asked me to make some for her coworkers. Here's the first one, and my favorite out of the three I made. It's a pretty rose:

My mom's first love was the purple teddy bear from my last post, so I had to make another one. It has birth defects on its ear because I followed the directions for row 32 on row 33 as well. But again, a non-knitter wouldn't know.

I never have mentioned my Ravelry username, have I? I am magicalmermaid, for those of you who don't know. But anyways, for the last washcloth I made, I used a pattern designed by Sarah, aka Callalilly, someone I've friended on Ravelry. Her patterns are great but they need more love. Again, this would look better with variegated yarn but this is all I have. Enough blabbing, maybe I should actually show you the cloth.

My mom paid me $10 for these. Half of that was for the yarn, because I paid for it originally not knowing what I'll do with it. The other half was for the teddy, because that was the only one you're allowed to sell stuff from. I made another $10 from helping my mom clean up the house. So I've made some big bucks. I'm planning on using this to buy yarn for my next big project; a cardigan. It would totally be my style, with some slight modifications.

I've just printed out a headband pattern. I plan on starting this as soon as I finish typing this and put the pictures on Ravelry. It's a great way to use up the Cascade 220 I bought in Vegas, as a "souvenir", because I couldn't leave the store empty handed.

Next Wednesday, my aunt will visit. It's been two years since I've seen her. I can't wait to see Jerry again. But what totally sucks though, is that they are only staying for two days.

I guess that's it for now.

VLP Part 2

2010-07-19T09:20:00.000-07:00

I had to start a new post because there was no more space in the old one and I have more projects to show off.

Knit Picks sent me this because I thought they didn't send me enough yarn when I actually lost the missing skein, so I came home to find this pleasant surprise (sorry, I couldn't find a way to post this at the bottom):

So, I started this washcloth the day before I left and finished the day I came back (I pulled an all nighter). It's very pretty.

The boutiques and street vendors in Italy have inspired my current WIP. It's my first original design; a scarf. I messed up the first eyelet row because apparentlythe YO hole doesn't show up unless you knit the YO stitch by itself. I didn't take it apart because my mom won't let me get yarn unless I show her a FO. The pattern notes will be coming as soon as I finish. After that I'll still need to add fringe because I lost my crochet hook.

A very long post...

2010-07-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a while since I've posted. I would've done this post earlier, but I didn't have access to a camera. So be prepared for a long one.

I just got back from Europe. I went on a 5 (small) country tour. Mostly it was just a tour of Italy though. We went to France, but we didn't even tour Paris. I didn't like it at all. The worst part was the first hotel we stayed in. We toured London by ourselves first, so we stayed in a hotel that was really just a haunted mansion. The phones were fake, the owners were evil, there were bugs in some of the rooms, and channel 4 on the TV was used to spy on people. It sucked.

Of course I knit on the trip, so before we left I got my mom to take me to Walmart to buy this:

A family friend is pregnant right now and the baby is due in September. So I bought some Pound of Love to make a blanket for him. First I tried theSunny Baby Blanket. I frogged it because I only did one row of garter stitch instead of five. I tried to unravel it but I went too far. So here it is, my failed attempt.

So then I started the Diagonal Baby Blanket from Lion Brand. I didn't like it at all.

Since I've got quite some yarn left over, I'm thinking about making an Owlie Sleep Sack for that baby. But I need size 8 DPNs. Luckily my mom's bringing me to JoAnn's this weekend, mainly to look into classes (I'm pretty sure Secret Mermaid Life's a no go), but it's the perfect opportunity to pick up some yarn for a striped cardigan I'm dying to make because I saw one exactly like it on TV and get me some DPNs which I seriously lack (I don't do circular knitting a lot).

I've bought quite a few things while in Europe too. No yarn though, which totally sucks because apparently, yarn stores and tourism don't mix. I did buy a tote bag in Milan though:

Now I'm using this as a knitting bag.

I also got three I <3 ____ t-shirts. They are Paris, Rome, and Italy in general. They were Jerry, my 16 year old cousin's idea. I really do miss Jerry. He's a great guy. He's really funny, yet his jokes are sometimes just not right. We laughed our butts off listening to his stand up routines. For example there's one where his dad goes into an India-operated McDonald's asking for chow mein. And his jokes always ended with his dad calling him a pig head and threatening to kick his ass. He also gave me some great advice about things like boys and popularity. He was like the big brother I never had. But no the brother I actually do have is four and the worst excuse ever for a sibling.

On the day we left for Europe, I finished that shrug. I slacked off on the end weaving, so there's an odd end sticking out of one of the sleeves. It also pilled a little. I should've used Jiffy instead of Homespun.

And here's the back.

FINALLY!!!

2010-06-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for like a month to start my ballet shrug, but I didn't have the yarn. Today my Knitpicks goodies FINALLY came!!! It was 6 skeins of Comfy Worsted, an interchangeable needle set, and a yarn cutter. Overall, things have been going pretty well.

My gauge was off by half a stitch, which seems to happen every time. Unfortunately it was half a stitch less, because my wrist circumference is only about six inches. I guess I should have bought 7 mm needles to go with the set because maybe I'd get the perfect gauge on those. But maybe an oversized warm-up is just what I need...when I get cold, it's really annoying.

I've been moving along quickly with this pattern, considering I memorized it even before I started. I love how it's really soft and feels like some sort of designer thing, but it's really made of humble yarn from Walmart and Knitpicks. However, what does get annoying is when the cables break. But usually I fix it without dropping stitches, which is good.

We couldn't start filming today, but we will on Wednesday. However, tomorrow I'm sleeping over at Bethany's where I will swim in my tail for the very first time. I can't wait!!!!! I've gotta go now...knitting to catch up on.

Vegas, baby!!!

2010-06-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I was in Vegas. I only spent one day there, the purpose of which was to check up on the investment property we own there. But it was fun. Well, most of it anyway.

I had my first experience with a real time yarn store there at Gail's Knits. It was awesome there, but I felt like a misfit because I was about one fifth of the age of the people just sitting and knitting. I couldn't get over the awkwardness, so I spent most of the time browsing the aisles in the back. They didn't really have what I was looking for, so I picked up a hank of Cascade 220. I usually add yarn to my stash with a specific project in mind, but this purchase was totally random, and I couldn't exactly leave empty handed. They wound it up for me, as shown here:

It's surprisingly soft for an all wool yarn. Who cares if they're different colors, it would look great with the Sugar and Cream I picked up the other day in some Ankle Warmers. Now all I need is some big DPNs to actually make them.

The long road trips did give birth to another FO, my Irish Hiking Scarf. I don't really know what I'll do with it, though since it's pretty short, and scarves aren't needed that much around here. The Cascade 220 really did come in handy because I didn't end up having enough Red Heart for the bind off. I thought the contrast edging looked cool, so I picked up stitches along the CO edge. I didn't really bother weaving in the ends, because I just wanted to get this one over with. I'm going to machine wash this anyway though, because a felted edge would really stand out.

I also went to the arcade at Circus Circus where I won 500 or so tickets, not to mention 20 that some random dude gave me. I spent 400 on a Dubble Bubble gumball dispenser. I'm the only one who gets to take out stuff from it for free. I blew 100 on a lame-o necklace, just to get rid of the tickets. The rest were spent on Jolly Ranchers, which I unfortunately didn't get to eat.

I finally found the video camera charger, so tomorrow we're probably going to start filming our show. The hardest part though, is going to be deciding what to wear. I want to wear something flattering, so I can't really let Polyvore do the work for me this time.