Wow... I fail... epically

Well.  I have failed in my Picture a Week.  As I fail in most things... (I've started drinking Diet Coke again too, albeit sporadically... so there goes an 8 year resolution down the drain...)

I was going strong with it... but I just realized I don't like looking at myself that much... why would some complete stranger care.  My few followers MIGHT, but they are also actual friends and have access to my facebook and twitter, where they can see the pics that I post... and I post ALL pics.  Tons of pics on facebook especially...  And they are pics where I am not looking all weird... or pics where you can tell when I forgot to take a pic on Friday morning and scramble to take on somewhere at work where no one will walk by and think I'm freaking weird for snapping a pic of myself in the hallway.  Or in the bathroom (the light really was the best in there...)  Or the fact that I would take a TON of pics... each a little different to attempt to get the lighting right on my face... or to get the angle that doesn't make my nose look funky...  or the smile and eyes not creeped out by the process I have been doing for weeks.

So yea... I gave up....  if you really even cared what my hair looked like.....  I cut it... it still has some black.  I'm hoping that will be gone in the next 3 months... and I am LOVING my natural color.  Especially the splotch of silver in the bangs.

When it is all grown out and done...  THEN will I post a picture so that the random people who stumble upon my blog will know what it looks like.........

And I am sure they will give at LEAST two shits about it.

March 2012

I Had So Much to Do Today... But I Didn't...

Knitting is still going on... a lot.  It's a great time occupier!  Throw on some TV and knit away.  January and February brought some items that I am particularly proud of...

Silvery-Gray Cable Knit Cowl

I LOVE the way this turned out.  I had taught myself cable knit via youtube.com to make my mom's scarf for Christmas.  I took that pattern and figured out how to make THIS!
It's an alternated 6 stitch and 10 stitch cable pattern repeated to make this deliciously soft and warm cowl.  I wear it ALL that time!  It's a great winter addition to the majority of my wardrobe.

Ms. Smith's "S" Scarf

I created this scarf for an ex-co-worker of mine.  I had seen patterns where people has alternated between knit and purl stitches to create patterns in the knitting.  They patterns I had seen where from someone who had used the technique to make washcloths with Disney characters on them.  I thought I would start a little smaller then Eeyore and so I created the "S" pattern on this scarf.  The Ss looked awesome cause they were understated, but still visible as a texture on the scarf.  This was meant to be an experiment as well, but when I started, I like the way it looked so I gifted it.

Tracy's B-Day Scarf

This was just a simple scarf that I made for one of DJ's golfing friends.  She requested a scarf so I delivered!  Super soft and warm.

Mom's Dodger Blue Glovelets

I made these for my mom for her birthday.  I had some left over silver from my cowl and some left over blue from her Christmas scarf.  I love the way these ones turned out.  From color (which I didn't mean to coordinate with her favorite baseball team) to fit to length and all the in betweens.  They are made with super soft yarn and I made them a bit roomy.  Apparently she wears them "all the time!"

Experimental Hat for Ms Partma

I had been requested by a good friend for some glovelets.  So I went and got some pretty silver gray and made these.  I had so much yarn left over that I decided I would start to learn hats.  I had a pattern from online somewhere that looked to be a really cute oversized slouchy beret......  I followed the pattern to a T and what I got was..................

THIS...............................

It's not horrible... it's just nothing like the comfy slouchy beanie looked in the pattern pictures.  I was also unsure of how to use the Double Point Needles (DPNs from here on out in this blog) so I dropped a few stitches and didn't realize it so I kind of cheated and sewed them into the hat.  So... it's not perfect... but it was a start.  To make myself feel better... I added a pom pom......  

Selfish Knitting for ME!!!

I enjoy knitting for others, but I find that when I have too many gift projects I start pining to make something for ME!  So..... after finishing my mom's glovelets, I made these out of the left over yarn I had from three different projects.  My patchwork glovelets.  I love them.  I have worn them SO many times....  I don't want it to warm up because I don't want to have to put these away........

After the disaster with the previous hat.... I decided to try again.  I had bought this fuzzy "eyelash" yarn solely because I LOVED the red color, especially mixed with the black.  It was the first time I had bought yarn without a clear cut project in mind and I fought with myself over what to make with it for a long time.  I finally decided on a hat.  It's a bit big on my head, and with the yarn texture, I can't tell if I missed any stitches or messed it up some other way.  I'm ok with that.  I also don't know if it's something I'll ever wear.......  But I made a hat.  And I now know how to knit using DPNs..... so the possibilities are now endless!!!  

February 2012

Oh February is gone.... and with it Valentines Day and a very special Leap Day!  Life goes on......  And so does the hair....... 

I've still not dyed it.... My boss keeps bringing it up and so I know she isn't happy about it... but I am actually really excited to have a new 'do!  Even if new just means bringing back the old... or original.... or whatever.  

The second week of the month I went to visit my good friends and past co-workers at Salon DeLaCruz in Pasadena, CA.  I got a little cut.  Nothing crazy, just cut off about 5 inches of dead hair.  Now it's multi-colored but in a cute little bob. It feels so nice and healthy and I love it!!!

You can always tell when I forget to take my picture on Friday.... Like every week this month.  Randomly snapping a shot at work.....  But hey..... I gotta stay true to the resolution................

And there you have it... Me in February 2012.  The month itself wasn't too crazy.  Just working... and surviving... Working and surviving.  More to come in March.... Oooohhhh.... I can't wait!!!!!!

Obsession with the BBC

It took me a LONG time to hop on the BBC Bandwagon.  Doctor Who was something that was whispered to me from the distance by my nerdier friends...  However over the last few months I have caught myself up and grown a new obsession.  I have found that just having something going in the back ground helps my knitting.  So now, instead of sitting and watching TV with a snack... I sit watching TV while I knit.  I have rapidly ran out of things to watch... until I started in on the BBC shows available on Netflix Instant.  Boy have I been missing out!!!!

First I started Doctor Who.  Netflix didn't have the orignal serieses, so I've only seen the last three Doctors... but I so badly want to see a TARDIS appear in my front yard and some sexy man in a bow tie (and even a fez) to come and take me away to travel in time and space...  Who wouldn't want that offer!  Each Doctor is loved for their own reasons, and each companion is as well.  It's funny now watching regular movies I used to love I now find myself waiting for a TARDIS to pop up in the background.  A Sonic Screwdriver would have taken care of those pesky zombies in 28 Days Later in no time!  So here is to me waiting in anticipation of the upcoming series..........  Ever so patiently..............................

Next up and in due time I got through Torchwood.  For those who don't know, Captain Jack was a character originally from Doctor Who.  The whole story is that Torchwood was designed by the British government as a way to patrol and stop the Doctor.  Torchwood itself is a little more risque then the Doctor.  A lot more sex.  Even cursing!  It's always so funny as an American to watch television from England when they start dropping curse-bombs left and right....  it's just so freeing!  The Torchwood group helps to police the life forms coming to Earth through a rift in time and space.  Alien invasions and ghosts.  Super cool secret lab.  Creepy weevils from the sewers.  It was an entertaining show in itself,  but it did not develop a place of fondness and longing in my heart like the Doctor.

Oh Sherlock!  Benedict Cumberbatch (you have to be British with a name like that) is so yummy in this revamp of Sherlock Holmes that I couldn't help but immediately fall in love.  It's set in modern day London, Watson is just back from Afghanistan and Sherlock uses texts and emails to keep up to date with Scotland Yard.  Everything else is pure Doyle.  The show uses great cinematography to really show the world as Holmes sees it as he works on a case.  Cumberbatch (GOD! I love that name) is wonderful in the socially awkward shoes of the genius detective.

I had watched a few episodes of Merlin when NBC aired it in America during that annoying writers strike a few years back.  I plan on restarting it in the coming days and watching what I can.  I enjoyed watching it before and have no reason to think I won't enjoy it now.  Especially since now Merlin will always be remembered as playing Jethro Crane from the episode of Doctor Who on the creepy planet of Midnight.

And after that.... Robin Hood......
Oh BBC... you have stolen my heart with your campy characters, entertaining shows, and wonderfully yummy actors.........  keep it coming.... I'll be watching!!!

January 2012

Well... I decided that posting a picture once a week was too much for me.  I had very little to say. So... I'm changing my resolution... I'll TAKE a picture every Friday, but post them all at once at the end of the month... so here you have it.........  me in January 2012...

The hair is still black.  You can't really see in these pictures, but I have about 2 inches or so of natural color hair growth at the roots.  Looks kind of like a skunk stripe.  My boss is not too happy about it, but I have to say that I can't wait to not have to bother with coloring it.  

I am in the process of attempting to make an appointment to cut it all off...

... 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.