... and knitting... and knitting... and knitting......

Knitting... it's taken over the time for my reading....  Bah.  But I love it.  I'm still learning, and I'm teaching myself, but I think I have concocted some interesting and awesome knitted things.  Here's what I made in December 2011....  

DJ's USC Beanie

My first and so far only hat to date.  It was difficult to figure out.  This was also my real first attempt at knitting in the round.  I was using circular needles, and I couldn't get the stitches all the way towards the end, so I ended up gathering more stitches and making the top look kind like a balloon knot with the way it was all bunchy...  However... It fits and looks awesome... AND I got it done in time for the big game day family rivalry party.  I want to make more, but I need to purchase some double point needles first.  That is next on my wish list.

Monica's Christmas Scarf and Glovelets

My sister was the first one to tell me she wanted me to make her something for Christmas.  It  got the idea flowing and I ended up making both her and my mom something for the holiday.  My sister only said she wanted a green scarf.  I went and found this really soft and uneven yarn in a nice forresty green.  When I was about halfway through with the scarf, I decided I wanted to try and make her little finger-less gloves.  Wrist warmers my aunt in Arizona called them.  So I finished the scarf and figured out an easy way to do the glovelets and finished those.  She LOVED them.  I don't have any proof that she has been using them, and we do live in Southern Cali... but I like to think they will get their use in the coming months.

My Own Glovelets

I liked the way I made my sister's little gloves... I made some of my own.  I took a break and lived out my dream of being a selfish knitter.  I used the left overs from DJ's beanie (good thing I liked the color) and did some of my own.  I wear them all the time.  They fit in my purse and are there to keep my hands toasty.... except for my fingers.... but that is a sacrifice I will just have to make.

My Mom's Cable Scarf

It's a shame you can't see the detail... or the pretty blue color (stupid phone camera flash).  This is what my mom asked for for Christmas.  She wanted a thin scarf with just a single cable knit.  So, I learned how to knit a cable.  It's surprisingly simple.  I watched a few youtube videos that weren't much help.  Then I found a pattern online and went at it.  

Attempted Chainlink Scarf

This was my attempt at those trendy chainlink scarves.  I realized when I was already too far in that I needed the double pointed needles to really have them be smaller chains.  That or else knitting a rectangle and sewing the sides up.  But, as I said, I am kind of making it up as I go along, I decided to stick with my vision.  What I have is a boring scarf that doesn't quite look right and that I will probably never wear.  But I made it, so I give it distinction here.  I definitely want another try at this when I purchase those needles I mentioned earlier.  

I might need to make a stop at Micheal's tomorrow after work.  

New Year... New Me?

No probably not... but its nice to think so...

2012... its finally here. New Years is always a bust in my mind.  The whole resolutions thing is so annoying. I think the one resolution I ever kept was giving up Diet Coke. Although I feel like resolutions are more about lifestyle changes... lent is more about giving up a bad habit.  So what... I did give up the Diet Coke habit for years and years and have still only had it once or twice since then. It was a VERY bad habit.  Stupid caffeine addiction....

Anyway... in 2012, I decided to not stress about the resolutions.  I know I won't really follow through with it.  I can make promises to do things... exercise more...  get out of the house more... quit stressing so much about the little things... update my blog every once in awhile....  However at the same time.... I know I won't do anything of the sort.  What is the point of making empty promises, especially to yourself?  I will continue to sit around eating candy, watching netflix, knitting, and playing WoW.  I don't mind.  That is what I enjoy doing... and isn't that really what reservations are for in the long run?  Having fun in life and making yourself feel better... about yourself.

In the interest of new year new me... I have decided to take a leap.  I want to be ok with who I am.... and how I look... and the people around me.  First step is that I have decided to be ok in my own skin... and HAIR.  Thus the big decision... I am going to grow out my natural hair color.  Yikes!  It has been almost 12 years since I've seen my natural color...  I was always blondest blonde... and for the last 7 years or so I have been black.  Blackest black.  I stopped coloring it a few weeks back... so I have about an inch of natural growth coming out on the top of my head.... and A LOT of a kind of awesome silvery gray in patches. 

Due to my hair being so damn fine, I don't want to go through the chemical process of striping the color from my hair.  That would just destroy me.  So I'm going to let it grow out for a while longer... and then I might just chop my hair off.  Drastic change... but more then likely necessary.  So the real challenge will be not giving up on this resolution.  To ignore the skunk stripe that will be emerging on the top of my head.

In the interest of sharing the process... I will post a picture of myself once every Friday.  So here is my version of a picture a day.... but I don't like myself enough to do it every day.... once a week will be QUITE enough I think....

         
And here's to 2012.... counting down to the Apocalypse.....