Knit One, Read One, Climb On

FO: Fall Foliage in Winter

2012-01-27T15:08:00.000-06:00

Something is finally happening outside...

It's not necessarily the first snow of the year (and hopefully won't be the last) but it's falling thick and heavy, catching on my eyelashes and on my tongue. I was out dancing in it for awhile, then remembered that I had a finished hat in need of pictures before I give it away at the perfect time!

Pattern: Foliage, by Emilee Mooney. Available for free at knitty.com.

Yarn: Squishy Malabrigo Merino in Worsted Weight- color is "Noviembre".

Needles: Knit on bamboo size 7.

Time: I don't actually remember when I started this (and didn't properly document it on Ravelry!) but I remember it was early January-January 25th, 2012.

Recipient: Fellow VE employee Valerie- dark hair and hazel eyes will compliment the colors in this hat well.

Modifications: None, though I wish I would have done one less repeat of the leaf pattern. I did that the first time when I made this hat eons ago, and I should have checked my notes to do it again this time.

Worst Part: It took much longer than it should have to make this- should have only been a few days at most, but moving and no time meant a longer time period to finish.

Best Part: Easily working with the Malabrigo- I love this particular combination of colors!

Off to go watch the snow fall and finish my cup of green tea- perfect for a day like this. Then off to climb before my night shift at the climbing gym... need to stretch my muscles at the end of a long week!

Settling In

2012-01-25T11:47:00.000-06:00

Sorry for such a long absence from writing! It's been crazy busy trying to find time to move everything from one apartment to the next between working 40 hours at the climbing gym and 8 hours at the dance studio a week, not to mention choreographing and training for climbing. I finally had a couple of full days off this weekend to really put the apartment in order, and I'm loving how it's looking so far!
While occasionally I'm not the neatest person on the planet in my bedroom (ask my Mom) I like common areas such as the kitchen, living room, and bathroom to be clean, and that wasn't the case in the last place. So having a place that's easy to keep clean with just two people is great- though we have a couple of new roommates that we've been getting used to the last week or so!
This is Albert- he's our little poof-ball that's about 11 weeks old and scared of his own shadow. He's needed a lot of love and petting to get used to people and spends a lot of time hiding under the couch, but when you get him purring it's loud and continuous and will go as long as you decide to pet him.
Maeby is our little "helper" kitten. She a little over 3 months old, though tinier than Albert. She doesn't hide ever, and loves to go between chasing a ping-pong ball around the apartment to jumping up and falling asleep in your lap when you're reading on the couch. She loves teasing and playing with Albert, and I often wake up to her cuddled right next to me purring away. A super cute little lady!
Other things that have been on the agenda- Scott's really gotten behind the idea of brewing his own beer, so for the last few weekends our apartment has stunk of hops and beer when he made his first couple of batches! He's planning on bottling the first batch of Honey-Wheat Ale in the next day or two here, then he has a batch of Fuggles IPA after that. Both batches are going to brew about 5 gallons of beer, so we're going to have a "Beer and Kitten Party" soon to introduce Duluth friends to Maeby (and maybe Albert if he comes out of hiding) and share some (hopefully) tasty brews.
Last news before I run off- I finally got to cast on for the cowl I'm making for my brother's girlfriend, Kendra. She's going to be making me an original painting to hang in my apartment, and I'm making her something soft and squishy to wear in the winter, spring, and fall. This is part of my "12 in 2012" series, and I'm hoping that some solid time today and tomorrow plus a car ride to the cities this weekend will help really move that project along.
The quilt blanket is moving along- I've cut out probably 2/3 of the squares for my college/high school blanket, and I'm thanking my lucky stars that I don't have 500 race Tshirts to add! ;) I did happen to find more climbing shirts, plus I'll be participating in UMD's competition in April, so it'll be good to finish one quilt before starting the next... :)
Until later!

Blanket Thoughts

2012-01-11T15:21:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I took time on my day off to pull out the gigantic tub of Tshirts for my Tshirt quilt and lay things out. After sorting them, I realized I had a lot more than I originally planned, and I'm pretty sure I'll have to make at the very least two quilts, if not three.
My first quilt was all the old Tshirts and sweatshirts from High School and College, including softball teams, high school plays, Mock Trial, and Attitudes Dance from college. I laid them all out on my living room floor and realized that my blanket will easily be four shirts by five shirts, and I'll probably add another row of five shirts for a total of 5x5 Tshirts, each measuring 14''x14''.

This quilt will be massive. I've never made a quilt before, and I'm mostly worried about putting on the back and stitching the quilt down front to back. I've been scouring the internet for instructions, and have a rough game plan for putting this all together (stay tuned for how it actually turns out).
I also have a ton of old Tshirts and sweatshirts from my closet as well as my parent's to make a separate quilt purely for vacation tshirts. I didn't even try to lay that one out, because I know there are a few lingering shirts at my parent's house that I have to find to add to it.

Last but not least, I realized that the number of climbing-related shirts I own is ridiculous- enough to easily make a quilt at least 4x3 shirts! I could easily make a smaller "climbing" quilt purely with Tshirts from climbing competitions I've been in or volunteered for, plus the odd "North Shore Climbers" shirt or two. Who knew? I suppose climbing has been a very large part of my life for the last 7 years or so. I just didn't realize it was so much that I could make a quilt out of it...
For now, I washed some of the old shirts for the high school/college quilt, and I'll be getting a piece of plexiglass today cut to 14'' by 14'' to lay on the shirt area for the quilt to cut around. Hopefully I'll find time this weekend to iron on interfacing and start sewing the strips together, then I'll worry about the backing...
Plus, working on the blanket is a great break from unpacking, rearranging, cleaning, and laundering. :)

Big Plans...

2012-01-07T12:24:00.000-06:00

I've pretty much got my craft list for 2012 in order. I was originally going to try to do "12 in 2012" concerning knits, but I realized that I have a few old dusty project in my sewing bin to drag forward, plus a few that I need to make for presents this year. Luckily the people that read this blog know most of the things that they're getting (I'm horrendous at keeping any secrets when it comes to crafting projects!) so I'm not really ruining anything here... :)

UFO Projects to finish:

1. Dad's Dale of Norway Sweater (Knitting)- this is by far the biggest UFO in my bin right now that has been around and needed finishing forever. It's actually pretty far for progress- I have most of the body knit up, and I'm almost halfway through the fair isle on the shoulders, plus most of the way up the first sleeve, so in reality this shouldn't be that hard to finish. It would be a huge sigh of relief if I could cross it off the list, not to mention stop getting crap from all my family since I "gave" it to my Dad for Christmas back in '08. Oops... Projected Finish Date: Hopefully by summer, so I can bring it down when I go to visit him in Florida. Otherwise even by fall would be fine.

2. Cheryl's Apron (Sewing)- I told Cheryl a long time ago that I would make her an apron when she first got married that had "Mrs. Read" embroidered on it, with coffee cups surrounding it and a big ribbon to tie in the back. I started it, then for some reason after I pinned the hem it got shoved down. I'm blaming starting Grad School for this one. Once I'm done moving stuff in, I'm pulling this one out and making a game plan. Projected Finish Date: As soon as frickin' possible...

3. My TShirt Quilt (Sewing)- I don't even remember when I last worked on this, though I've been steadily adding more and more Tshirts to the pile to go into the quilt (it's going to be massive when it's finally done)! I have quite a few with interfacing on them- I just need to figure out exactly what size I'm going to cut them to, and where in the quilt they will all occur. I feel like this one won't be too hard, it's just going to take awhile. Projected Finish Date: Ideally before Spring. Let's say March?

4. My Whisper Cardigan (Knitting)- My gauge was horrendously off on this cardigan, so I ripped it out and left it in the bottom of the bin to sit in time out for a long time. A very long time. I do indeed still want it, though if i find another use for the beautiful Malabrigo Lace I used, I might switch projects. I have other sweaters that I have on my mind currently, plus I'm a little more adverse to having a white cardigan floating around. Projected Finish Date: If I stick with the cardigan pattern, I want to have it finished by May. Otherwise it's pretty flexible.

5. My Poseidon Adventure Shawl (Knitting)- I'm about halfway through this beast, and I'm on the simple YO K2tog that occurs for 500 something stitches per round (plus adding beads), so this is going to become my go-to project to grab when I need something mindless that I can slug through. Plus it would be a great thing to throw over the back of the couch when it's done, or throw on my legs when it's chilly. I'm hoping to have it done by the spring. Projected Finish Date: Spring

Projects to Start and Finish:

6. A Dance Bag for Stacey (Sewing)- Last year I gave the director of the dance studio I work at a pair of Owl Mittens, and she loved them! I was having trouble searching around for a good knitting pattern this year, but I noticed one night at the studio that her dance bag- stuffed with tap shoes, ballet slippers, costume books, and goodness knows what else- was falling apart. Enter Amy Butler's book Style Stitches and a search for some appropriate dance fabric, and I'll hopefully have a pretty gift by the time the season is finished! Projected Finish Date: By the studio's recital in early June.

7. A Hat and Scarf for Reed (Knitting)- Reed is making me a website with all my resumes, papers on teaching, and even climbing pictures and videos of my dances for me to use in exchange for a cozy hat and mitten set. I'm doing a modified version of the Thorpe hat (my favorite standby) and Jared Flood's scarf pattern Pavement- both very guy-like and hopefully not terribly difficult. The Pavement pattern I can use for gift knits down the road (though I abhor knitting scarves- no patience for them), justifying getting it. Projected Finish Date: Hopefully early spring- this is one I'll need to crank out pretty fast.

8. Kim's Wedding Hat (Knitting)- One of my good friends Kim recently got engaged, and since then she and her fiance have decided on a winter wedding. Her sister will be knitting I believe mittens for her, and I'll be knitting a hat to keep the bride warm between the church and the reception! Projected Finish Date: I still have to talk to both Kim and her sister to figure out logistics, and this won't have to be done until her wedding (at least a year), but it's good to keep it in the mix. :)

9. 4 Pairs of Socks for Myself! (Knitting)- I realize this is 4 things, but it takes me awhile to make socks and the ones I have in mind for this project are a tad more elaborate and will probably take the whole year. I need to finish the Addiction socks, start and finish the Bridge of Roses socks (which I already have the pattern and yarn for), make the Hundred Acre Woods socks with my threeirishgirls yarn from yarn club (yes, I am that dork!), and challenge myself with some awesome Norwegian Stockings (which will take a million years). Projected Finish Date: January 1st, 2013!

10. Sweater for Myself (Knitting)- Since I finished the Vivian sweater, I've been looking for a great pattern to start for myself. While I have a lot of other big things to finish, I would love to have a pretty warm sweater ready to go for fall for myself. I have a few in mind and time to narrow it down- I'm thinking either the Coastal Hoodie, Jared Flood's Tinder pattern, or the beautiful Velvet Morning by one of my favorite designers, knittedbliss! Projected Finish Date: Fall 2012

11. Cowl for Kendra (Knitting)- My brother's long-time girlfriend is an amazing artist, and we have a bargain where she's going to paint me a Van Gogh-like painting for my new apartment and I'm going to make her something out of tasty luxury yarn! I'm thinking the Stockholm Scarf (again by knittedbliss), probably in the Fresco yarn by Classic Elite (soooo tasty!) since I loved that pattern so much the last time I made it! Projected Finish Date: As soon as possible?

12. Gift Knitting/Sewing- This last one is a lump of all the Christmas gift knitting and sewing I'll be doing that I have in mind but haven't started yet. It's a mildly big list. Surprise, surprise...

Uff da... big blog post, big plans, and a year to do it... I'm going to be busy...
(Oh, and I apologize for lack of photos in this post- I couldn't even find old pictures of some of my projects. Shows how long it's been since I've done anything with them... oops...)

Moving and FO: Geeky Linux Mittens

2012-01-03T13:19:00.000-06:00

I really wanted to start the new year with some great posts on my Christmas knitting (which will happen!) but my time has recently been otherwise occupied- I'm moving to a new place!

While this isn't the 'ideal' time of year (it's about 8 degrees outside right now), it's really the right time in my life for something like this. My old apartment had the lingering feel of a college dorm, mostly in part due to guy roommates that leave bacon pans out on the stove because they "use them every day". Silly boys! Instead, I'm moving in with a quiet and clean roommate in the upper level of a duplex, with a view of Lake Superior from my kitchen window, a big corner for my craft table, and within walking distance to the dance studio I teach at (and will be spending almost every night a week at now with all my extra students!).

The new place is in the "controlled chaos" stage of the move, with about 75% of the stuff from my old apartment moved over, and with a lot of work I'm hoping that I'll have a good portion of it unpacked and ready to go by the weekend!

Just to tide over the knitters, here's a recent FO as a Christmas present that the recipient was very excited to use the last few days- some super Geeky Linux Mittens!

Pattern: Geek Mittens by Gayla Oglesby

Yarn: 2 skeins of the tasty Ella Rae Lace Merino- one in jet black and the other bright green!

Needles: size 2 for the cuff, 1 for the rest of the mitten

Made For: Scott, certified linux nerd.

Timeline: November 21-December 27th, though I pumped out the second mitten in about a day to get them finished before I had my Christmas gift exchange with Scott!
Modifications: I wanted the cuffs to be more fitted, so I cast on with 56 stitches, K1P1 for 2 1/2 inches, then increased every 7th stitch before launching into the fair isle. I also changed the binary on both mittens to contain a special message written in binary- talk about nerdy!

Worst Part: Putting off the second mitten until I couldn't put it off any more, and having no choice but to crank it out.

Best Part: Knitting with this wool is always a treat, and seeing his face when he opened them was worth all the fair isle work!

I'm actually working on my "Knit List 2012"- my goal this year is to finish up a bunch of large UFOs floating around in my stash, including the big ghost of Christmas past, my Dad's Dale of Norway sweater. My goal is to "Knit 12 in 2012", which doesn't seem like a lot, but most of my projects are big ones. When I have the whole list nailed down I'll put it up.

Still putting together my new creative writing blog... stay tuned for that!

For now, off to lesson plan my classes for the new year and stay warm...

2011 in Hindsight

2011-12-29T11:41:00.000-06:00

I realized this morning over my coffee that while I had a great year, it was a pretty tumultuous one for me. Since I'm prone to being a ridiculous list-maker, I've got a big one for this year.

BIGGEST EVENTS:

1- I completed and received my Masters Degree in English Literature. For me, getting this advanced degree wasn't really a question. I love learning, and I know that in my future there is at least an MFA in Theater if not a PhD in English forthcoming. While I would enjoy teaching at a larger university, getting these advanced degrees is something that I do for myself; I love the process of learning, the excitement of finding answers to problems, and the ultimate feeling of relief, happiness, and excitement at finding a new project at the end of the journey. Getting my MA was a way for me to stay in academia, and be able to share my passion of reading and learning with others.

2- My trip to Yosemite opened my eyes to a whole new world of adventure, possibilities, and fears that I hadn't been able to dream of until now. Yosemite taught me to take calculated risks, and occasionally face my fears and challenge myself to do something I normally would not. The payoff was incredible, and I will never regret my time there. If anything, it only fueled the need for more trips down the road. Already in the works is a month-long jaunt to Wyoming this summer to climb Devil's Tower, the Wind River Range, backcountry backpack into Grand Teton National Park and climb the Grand Teton itself, which at 13,777 feet will be the highest elevation I've ever climbed. It'll be hard to pack it into a month, but after the last trip I doubt I could do less.

3- Teaching dance for three competition lines for the first time last year was eye-opening for me, and having my dances and my girls get high scores in all the competitions was fantastic. It's really forced me to become more diverse as a teacher, and use different approaches when teaching something like tap dancing, which can be very frustrating to learn if your body isn't cooperating. This year's season is half in, and I'm very excited to work with my girls again, as well as take on numerous soloists for competition and even help with some adult tap classes!

4- This year has also been very up and down for me for relationships. A very long one ended, leaving me pretty messed up for awhile, but I'm finally really doing all right and I'm happy with where I am now. Bright thoughts down the road in this category... ;)

5- I tried to begin to push my comfort boundaries this year. I started by signing up for a 5K race in September, and training for running for the first time this fall. I'm not a runner- I will climb thousands of feet in the air, do long complicated tap dances and modern dances and ballet, and bike 20 miles for a triathlon team, but running for long periods of time (aka more than a mile) was usually beyond my grasp. My cardio is less than steller, and to push myself I've been signing up for small races to keep it fun. Coming up in March for me is the Mustache March Run, all of 2.65 miles along Duluth's boardwalk, but it's a fun way to stay in shape over the holidays. Plus if I'm going to be hiking the Grand Tetons, I'll need the cardio workout. :)

Overall, 2011 has been a bit on the crazy side for me, but it looks like 2012 isn't going to be too much different. I'll do a knitting re-cap next post, since this year was pretty full of fuzzy goodness and big challenges, plus some thoughts and hopes for the year to come.

For now, off to refill my coffee and begin packing for another big thing- I'll be moving to a different address in Duluth in a few days to start off the new year! It's not terribly far from my old place, but it's nicer and it'll be fun to settle in somewhere new. For now, lots of boxes, packing tape, and discovering exactly how many books I have... eeep...

Old Blog New Blog

2011-12-27T12:32:00.000-06:00

So this past few months I've been trying a new style of writing on this blog. I've really enjoyed writing, but sometimes I miss updating just on climbing adventures or knitting updates. So, for 2012, I've decided to keep two separate blogs. I'll keep Knit One, Read One, Climb On for all regular life updates, pictures, knitting, etc. I will be starting a new blog for creative writing within the next couple of days here, and post a link to it when I get it up and running (and figure out a name for it). That way I have an outlet for writing and fiddling with different writing styles, but also keep a regular blog for family and friends to read (not to mention fellow knitters!).

Thanks for keeping with me as I figure this out over the last few months. I'll be doing Christmas knitting updates now that most of the presents have been distributed, and more daily updates alongside of the creative writing blog.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Deep blue waters

2011-12-19T12:07:00.000-06:00

You startled me as I fell deep into your hues.

Blues, blacks, purples, enough to pull me in and cover me and entice me to wrap it around my fingers and create and hope for it to grow big enough to cover me completely.
I think about how you got your name- Poseidon, god of the sea. Poseidon's Adventure- a route twisting up the side of the cliff, sharp granite cutting into my fingers when I ascend and grabbing hold of my knuckle bones as I fall, trapping me with growing pits of fear in my stomach replaced by determination and feet sliding on nothing and a desperate grab for the top. Even the beginning wasn't easy- moss-covered and wet, sliding shoes in the crack and tying in the wet end of the rope as droplets from Superior burst off the top of a wave and invite me into the depth.
Hidden rocks.
Hidden treasures.
Ensnare in the net.
I will be creating my own net next, adding purple grains of sand in to shine and entice and enchant as much as every adventure story, as much as the need to know what else is under the surface.
This is my song to the lake.
My ode to her beauty.
My connection to the years I've spent next to her shores.

No matter where I am, this will be my thread.
My reminder.
My own net, ensnaring me to keep going.

FO: prAna Thorpe

2011-12-13T10:27:00.006-06:00

I'm pretty excited that I'm at a point with my knitting that when I see something in a store or catalogue that I want, I can usually figure out how to make it cheaper (or at least more customized with much nicer yarn). Case in point when I saw this hat in the winter prAna catalogue:

I loved it- squishy and multi-colored with tassels and cables. I didn't like that it was made out of acrylic, and I really wanted the cables to go all the way down the earflaps. Therefore, using my hardcore knitting skills and the Thorpe hat as my base pattern, I took a few days to ponder and knit and came out with this:

My very own prAna Thorpe hat!

Pattern: a heavily modified version of the Thorpe hat, originally created by Kirsten Kapur

Yarn: Two skeins of the uber-squishy Baby Alpaca Grande from Plymouth Yarn- one in a pretty dark purple and the other in an ivory white with strands of sparkle through it.

Needles: Bamboo size 9

Made for: Myself! (Weird, with all the Christmas knitting to do...)

Timeline: Dec. 5-8, 2011

Modifications: Quite a few.

On increases, I worked the increases to eventually be (K6 P3) 8 times in a round (to the number of stitches required for Thorpe size Medium). Once I finished increasing for the crown, I began this cable pattern:

R1- (Put 3 stitches on cable needle, K3, K3 from the cable needle, P3) 8 times.
R2 through 5- K6 P3
Repeat and keep with pattern as you follow the Thorpe pattern. Instead of doing the Garter Stitch, I just kept with the cable pattern until the hat measured 8” from the top, then did the BO row for the Thorpe Hat.
At the bottom of the ear-flaps, I stranded through a bunch of extra strands of yarn and braided them and knotted them off to kind of look like the picture. :)

The only thing I differed than the picture on was the edging- It looked almost like a Latvian braid, and since I was impatient and didn't feel like figuring it out I did the Half-Double crochet that the pattern calls for in the contrasting color.

Best Part: I now have a hat that I love in yarn that feels like a cloud- and it only took a couple of days to knit up!

Worst Part: Figuring out the sizing for my head and number of increases.

I have my new favorite hat for the winter season. :)

Christmas Knitting Update, and how to make your cat hate you...

2011-12-05T10:24:00.006-06:00

The crazy Christmas season is upon us, and I have to admit I'm feeling pretty good about my share in the madness right now. I have all of two (2) knitted gifts left to make, which in the grand scheme of Christmas knitting is piddles compared to where I was last year!

(Granted, last year I started Christmas knitting at the end of October and ended up having a few [lots of] late nights with coffee and swearing sessions near the end of December, while this year I started in July during a road trip with excessive amounts of knitting time...)

(and let's honestly look over the fact that I'm still working on my Dad's Christmas sweater I made for him starting in 2008)

(I'm still working on it)

(it's at the section that requires lots of math and is not very portable so it's difficult to bring anywhere)

ANYWAY

For obvious reasons I'm not posting any pictures of knitted goods going to friends that are readers of this blog, which is why there has been such a dry stint of knitting posts lately.

In fact, the only knitting that I've completed in November that wasn't for a Christmas present was a bit of a fun, stupid knit for a couple of my best friends that have two cats.

In the spirit of being an awesome auntie to these cats, of course I had to knit something ridiculous and embarrassing for them to wear which at the same time would cause mirth and joy to the people around them.

Hence, the lovely Le Mieux beret!

Knit up with extra Cascade 220 I have laying around, mixed together for the ultimate horrendous color combination from Stacy Mar's pattern, these hats will cause cats of all shapes and sizes to loath you as you fix it on their head in various positions while you attempt to contain yourself as you view it!

Which, of course...

usually doesn't happen.

In this case, we snuck up on the lovely Bellatrix when she was sleeping, and I think her tired state was the only thing that allowed us to subject her to this without her getting extremely peeved.

Other than finishing Christmas knitting, I have been working on my Poseidon blanket (large shawl?) on movie nights for easy mindless knitting. Thanks to Thanksgiving, I'm past the lacy middle section and on to miles and miles of YO K2tog. Let's see... 580 stitches per round, and another 25 rounds to go?

Maybe I'll be done around June.

Off for more Christmas knitting. I'll have to show a project a day after all the gifts are delivered, but I'm really happy with the turnout this year.

And, hopefully, I won't be cursing over coffee on December 23rd at 2 in the morning.

Not that that's ever happened.

Right.

Cold

2011-12-02T13:35:00.004-06:00

i forgot my water bottle in my car last night.

i stumbled out to my car early this morning, balancing bag and keys while trying to keep my fingers curled around my warm coffee mug. the sun wasn't up yet, and won't be up for awhile. i slide into my car- the temperature gauge proclaims 9 degrees! as the car heats up, a light blue light, frosting over with my breath when my fingers grasp the steering wheel.

Next to me, the hard blue metal feels unnaturally heavy in my hands as i pick it up, realize what it is, realize that it was forgotten in the dark last night in the rush to get from heated space to heated space. Two weeks ago it would have been liquid- cold, but making pinging noises against the side of the container instead of a solid silence.

as my car growled then purred to life; as i hid fingertips inside coat pockets; as the steam curled and twisted from the hole in the coffee lid; as the crystals began to melt off the bottom of the windshield...

i knew.

winter is really here. :)

Hidden

2011-11-23T09:59:00.004-06:00

What do you take me for?

A fool?

Why do you tell me things that have no truth behind them, only spiderwebs and fluorescent lightbulbs burning my retinas?

and how do you expect me to trust you again, to let you near me and touch the bare skin on the small of my back?

i know that sometimes my understanding of reality is skewed. I grew up next to Anne of Green Gables and Sara Crewe, believing the best in everyone and all things turn out all right in the end and families are happy and sadness is overcome through sun and love and hugs. some childish thoughts must be realized as adolescence is left behind, but the vastness of the open night sky could either be a large emptiness of terrifying unknown or a sparkling place of wonder and i chose the latter. you might dwell on the unhappy pieces that you can't seem to work through, and you chose not to tell me exactly where that takes place. Now my eyes are opened, but more with dewdrops of sadness because you thought to shield me from this part of you.

do you think I won't accept you, all of you?

Can it hurt to try?

instead, you covered it, hiding behind planks with flowers painted fading orange ochre sage on a yellow background. did you think i would never find it, never notice?

and where to move from here?

what should I do now?

Apples

2011-11-12T09:33:00.001-06:00

i have an apple cinnamon candle saved up for the first day the snow flies this year. it's tucked in my cupboard, infusing its smell into extra paperclips, size .5 pencil lead, and envelopes and stamps. it's such a romantic thought- an envelope heading to a friend or family member, hiding not only written words with thoughts and greetings scribbled across the page, but the barest hint of the crossing time between fall and winter.

for those out of state, it's a hopeful reminder of home and love. i took out an envelope this morning. i had a letter waiting to go to a place far south of here, a place where sun is constant and the temperatures don't get colder than a temperate morning up in the north in fall. hopefully with this letter, i can send walking around my apartment in slippers, thermals, and a mug of coffee just to keep warm before the heaters clank on. i want to fold up opening the back door on my way to work; that first intake of cold outside air and nestling farther inside the knits surrounding my body.

i tuck the letter in, alongside mounting my old road bike and crunching through the last leaves of the year as i speed down Superior street. the bare branches beginning to shake in a breeze coming off the lake. the few tourists left for the year wear large parkas and walk briskly along the boardwalk, couples holding each other close to keep warm.

which of them use it to block the wind, which use it as an excuse to get closer to the one they love?

i drop the envelope in the blue box, large and open and swirling leaves collecting beneath its feet with the promise of fast fast fast travel and the comfort of receiving a small envelope in a few days.

an envelope smelling of apples, cinnamon,

and the coffee i accidentely dropped on it this morning.

accidentely...

Trapped

2011-11-10T11:58:00.003-06:00

How much am I really doing?

I thought that with academia behind me for now, things would be simpler. pressures would be less, the weight on my shoulders just a thicker coat to protect against wind and snow. Instead, Atlas and I look alike as I shift the weights of so many things around. my back hurts; the muscles knot up and don't release even in the blissful relaxation of dreaming. where did all this come from?

some are larger than others. mindless work day after day and i am anxious with the wait for something new, something better. I want more but my fingers are tangled deep and woven together and i can't move and now i can't breathe and the roof closes in so I can't see the snowflakes drifting outside.

how can I escape?

grasping

2011-11-03T12:21:00.003-05:00

we've turned a corner.

the ghosts and goblins and pumpkin-smashers came out of the darkness, scared and collected treats and got tucked into bed with mouths covered in chocolate. jack-o-lanters no longer protect the porches and front doors lining 1st avenue. instead, trees have been shedding all their leaves in the last few days.

I wheeled my bike out of the bike port yesterday, watching tendrils of my breathe curl in the early morning sunbeams. they lit up the trees like fire

then i noticed how scarce they looked

how bare, how sad, premonitions of the months ahead.

N O !

not yet. it barely felt like the colors were out before they left again. branches black and sharp against the sky. my lungs burned when i biked to the grocery store, ran in, added fall in my basket.

pumpkins

nutmeg

cinnamon

chocolate, both for drinking and eating

hurried home, burst in the kitchen, kicked out the remnants of leftover chinese, and began weaving a web of autumn on the fourth floor. no winter allowed.

batter on my hands, flour on my cheek, dishes steaming in hot water. the air in the apartment weighs down with brown flavors that warm and tingle and you can taste leaves and chill along with the oxygen.

i was putting chocolate on the last of the cookies as you came home. you took in the chaos and laughed, recognizing my motives. then we tasted my pumpkin cookies dipped in hot chocolate, still warm from the oven, licking milk chocolate drizzle from our fingers. Can we tell one more ghost story? walk on the hiking trail before it's lost under gleaming snow? can i tell you about the halloween blizzard of 1991, being pulled around on a sled by my dad, getting bags and bags of candy because no one else braved the storm? can we lay on the ground under the maple trees in the park? i get red leaves and yellow leaves caught in my long hair, and you pull them out and tell me i look like the wood nymph you almost caught last year.

for one more night, I'm going to wrap myself in a blanket, hide on the couch with Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree, and pretend that it's still the deep of fall. warm enough for a walk without a coat, layered in knitted scarves and handwarmers and hugs and the twilight of the sun, lighting up the trees littered with remnants of the season.

pumpkin time

2011-10-29T10:34:00.003-05:00

yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti yeti

and mustache!

doppelganger 2

2011-10-26T11:05:00.004-05:00

The sun creeps away sooner and sooner, giving way for butternut squash soup, garlic bread, and hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks. i accidentally dropped mine in my apple cider last night, then kept burning the tips of my already-tender fingers playing a fisherman. I sucked on the end of my right pointer finger, tasting cider, a piece of cinnamon, and a little bit of chalk from training on the wall earlier. it radiates heat, looks red and a little purple on the exact spot where my fingers kept sliding off the sloping hold.

it feels better fast, healed with the feeling of fall and the smell of the pumpkin bread my roommate has cooling on my cookie racks. tomorrow i'm going to roll out dough for almond cookies, cut like ghosts and causing smiles and content stomachs.

i squish down deeper into the couch, surrounded with blankets made by friends that gloriously don't match, a mix of bright blue and green with empty swimsuits dancing clashing with a crochet baby yellow and white wrapped around my feet. you put in 28 days later, continuing our horrorfest to celebrate my favorite holiday. i hide my eyes when the blood gushes, squirming but enjoying the feeling of contentment at sharing a night at home with friends. you reheat another cup of cider for me, ask me if I'll sleep at all tonight.

i'll be fine.

stop bugging me.

he doesn't know i'm leaving the christmas lights on to scare off any zombies.

this morning felt like the opening scene of the movie on my walk for coffee.

the streets were quiet.

deserted.

the gales of november screamed off the lake.

i thought i was alone.

then i passed the empty popcorn wagon and started.

she scared me.

i walked by again, and she drifted by. silent.

i walked closer, and i could see the napkin dispenser through her shoulder.

her red hat blurred off the shiny oven in back.

she looked like me, but she was an echo, an afterthought, a reflection.

or am i the reflection?

the wind wound around the wisps of my braid and i walked away, shivering, trying to keep away the moment of unknown i encountered in the window of the popcorn wagon.

but secretly hoarding the thrill in my torso.

it is, after all, almost Halloween.

doppelganger 1

2011-10-24T12:21:00.003-05:00

Saturday night was for Jenelle and Cheryl and me and Dracula, watching a ballerina as Lucy go from white and pure and flow and grace to red and black and sharp lines and quick movements. Girl's Night Out complete with cosmos, high heels, and laughing.

Sunday it changed. My whole body aged fifty years overnight and I creaked and moaned, and my eyelids could feel the heat radiating from my forehead. i'm bad at knowing how to stop, so i didn't try at first. lunch with out of town friends found me nearly asleep on the table between french toast and rubens, freezing with three shirts on under my black dance fleece. i'm lucky my eyes were still blue and my hair was still long and blonde otherwise they wouldn't have recognized me underneath the pale face resembling Lucy. I drifted home; floated up iron stairs and buried myself under mounds of blankets.

Luckily, I had a double that Cheryl made for me.

She covered for me on Sunday. While I wallowed and drank tea and slept hours and hours, shivering and overheating and shivering and overheating, she had on her purple rain boots and her yellow raincoat, dancing under the gloomy sky outside, being the sun when none appeared. not for me, not then, not when my head was too heavy for my neck muscles to support. She tap danced time steps in puddles and let her hair flow around her elbows.

it was nice that i could look at her and know that i could take a day to let my body fix itself. she holds her umbrella high and winks at me, and my pale cheeks flush with a smile and i wink back.

i'll dance with her soon.

maid

2011-10-19T10:24:00.005-05:00

The sink is full of dishes again.

three people in an apartment can be full sometimes, with roommates and girlfriends floating around and pizza boxes piling up in the recycling bin and beer bottles collecting on the living room table. a year ago I was more lenient. everything would be clean by the weekend, right? I'll clean the bathroom saturday if you clean the kitchen and you sweep the living room.

then people moved out and people moved in and now I'm living with two boys. Two Boys. Not quite grown up boys. They walk erect and have decent jobs and pay insurance on their cars regularly, but if asked even they would hesitate before attaching the label of Man onto themselves.

why?

it's been happening gradually. i trip on beer bottles as I come in the back door, cursing "merde" and "schiesse" when the sink is so full I can't even drain pasta. posters fill the walls for movies, and i yearn for frames and a clean stovetop and to not be the only one sweeping once a week in the hallway.

am I growing up?

Does this mean I want to be a Woman, not just a woman, stuck in between school and girlhood and i'm now searching for stability and matching plates and a routine i can come back to?

i know what caused this need; i know where the insistent rolling of my gut comes from. i didn't know that it needed you to pull the bottom out holding my pieces together and leave me to pick up the different bits to realize that maybe my puzzle was put together wrong in the first place. before i fell, I found what kind of worked. I used my fist to force pieces in that might fit but really didn't. when you dumped the box of my insides out on the floor, i couldn't do that anymore. they fell out and the only way to really put them back together right is to spend time fitting them together correctly. Grooves fitting together easily, not forced this time.

I'm beginning to realize what I want now.

realize what I lost.

I'm going to take my time reassembling. Because if you help me, I want it to work this time. I want it to be for good.

white

2011-10-17T11:17:00.004-05:00

you are so beautiful.

A vision in lace and white and satin and beads. Dress after dress, yards of fabric slipping over your body as you glow brighter than the whitest folds encompassing your body. You're calm, saying yes or no and that you like lace the best but no beads with sparkles even though your smile glows like the sunset. I knew you when we were younger and awkward and stumbling through college meeting and creating ourselves. Now you are growing up, taking steps that integrate you more towards adulthood with that ring on your finger.

You're patient as Dani and I prance around with excitement, stoic as each dress is carefully placed over your head, beautiful in your cheeks when they dimple with a smile.

I can't even breathe when a veil is put on your head.

You turn and look at me and through damp eyes I see a woman. I see a house and something cooking on a stove waiting for warm bellies on a chilly night. I see easy companionship and long weekends. I see love.

The white dresses fade away.

You are exquisite.

color

2011-10-11T10:44:00.004-05:00

I tried to run this morning. Tried- past tense, an attempt to accomplish. how can i possibly run forward with blinders pounding feet on the pavement when there is so much color around me?

I stole three leaves from outside. One leaf, two leaf, red leaf, gold leaf. pressed inside English Romanticism, crunchy next to Christabel. Coleridge won't mind. I want to save them for the middle of winter, when the world outside is white and black and 26 shades of gray. By then, the leaves will have been forgotten until they fall in your lap. Surprise! See the change? Pressed and crunchy like corn on the cob but still smell like breeze and chilly mornings and fresh honeycrisp apples and cookies with ghosts in them and handwarmers.

Still red. still yellow. still orange. still gold. still green.

still holding my run this morning, 7:35 am in cutoffs and my old climbing longsleeve.

Press the leaves to my face and remember.

FO: Vivian Sweater

2011-10-09T07:38:00.004-05:00

Another break to check off one of my happiest knitting accomplishments right now- the Vivian sweater! The lovely Duluth fall colors helped to show off the bright awesome coloring.

Pattern: Vivian by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: 7 skeins of Cascade 220 in Colorway 9455, Lot 0241- or as I call it, Caribbean blue turquoise!

Needles: Size 8 Denise interchangables

Size Made: 36 Bust (it's nice and snug- no baggy Tshirts under this!)

Made For: Myself!

Time Frame: May 7, 2010-October 9, 2011

Modifications: I added two mirroring cables in the seed stitch on the back, so it's got even more cables, and I increased the width and depth of the hood by increasing the seed stitch on rows 15, 17, 21, 25, 29, 35, 41, and 49. Instead of knitting only 50 total rows for the hood, I knit 71 rows, then worked row 51 on row 72, worked row 52 as written in the pattern, and rows 53-62 became rows 74-83, ending with row 63 as Row 84. I'm much happier with how it turned out with the bigger hood, so I highly recommend doing that.

Worst Part: Letting an entire winter go by and not working on it at all, when it easily could have been done just after Christmas. Knitting-wise, getting the very first row with all the cables established was definitely the worst. From there it wasn't bad at all.

Best Part: I love love LOVE the cabling on this thing- this only solidifies the fact that my favorite type of knitting is that with cables in it. I wore it out last night and got a lot of compliments already- most people can't believe that I knit it, and when they ask if it was hard I usually say as long as you know where you are in the pattern, it's fine. :)

I also loved doing this sweater as a KAL with Red, one of my knitting partners. It was excellent motivation when I heard she was done with the body or arms to really kick me in the butt to get going again. We're going to do a photo shoot with the two of us together in our Vivians sometime soon here, when our crazy schedules finally match up. :)

Until then, I'm happily warm in my bright sweater... maybe pondering what my next sweater will be... this? Or perhaps this?

A Peck

2011-10-05T12:08:00.004-05:00

You've been eating all my food.

The cupboard this morning had coffee, rice, Campbell's chicken noodle soup, and 13 packets of hot chocolate mix. No cereal, no oatmeal, nothing resembling food for when I'm yawning and wiping the guck out of my eyes trying to see. The fridge hums when I open it, i'm trying to keep my bare legs from the tentacles of cold leaking out the bottom. No milk- but there's 3 eggs and some cheese and taco sauce, so I have just enough to make an omelet and one hardboiled egg for lunch.

I love biking to the grocery store. My hands are warm in light green handwarmers knit by a friend, and I almost stray off the road as I look around me. The colors are more vivid than they were climbing on Sunday.

I loved seeing the leaves against the black rock against the baby blue sky. Their pigments blinded my eyes, screaming at me RED! ORANGE! YELLOW! The long blue rope matched the sky and I dug my fingers into a crack and balanced on purple shoes on footchips too small to see, but we'll pretend they're there because I can't fit my toe in the crack.

Inside the grocery store, my eyes are blinded again, this time by fluorescent bulbs and neon signs yelling "CHEF BOYARDEE 5 FOR $5!!". Orange pumpkins line the floor, guarding the fresh produce and hoping to soon guard a front door with a scary grin cut into his face. It's hard to pass them, but I'll be making my jack-o-lantern soon enough. Instead, I grab milk, eggs, cereal, and bread before heading to the check out. I pass another sign proclaiming "HOT EATS FOR COOL NIGHTS" and then I see it.

Bushels of apples. Bags of apples. Reds and yellows and greens mixed together shiny and tasty. Bushel and a peck of apples. I love you... a bushel and a pack... a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck...

I can't help it and one bushel finds a spot in my bag and I carefully pack my backpack so they won't jostle and bruise during my ride home. I lock my bike and sit on my front stoop with an open backpack, biting and tearing through apple skin while sticky juices roll down my fingers before I lick it off. Then more apples find their way in my bag for work, and I'm happy because it's the perfect snack, so tasty and fresh and October in every bite.

I leave you plenty, because I know how much you'll like them too. Just make sure to leave me a couple for tomorrow. :)

Making Up

2011-09-29T11:44:00.004-05:00

Time disappears. Rolling down the black hole of appointments and books and going from one job to another and of course I can help with that of course hours pass and well will you look at the time we still aren't done?

If only I were on friendlier terms with time, then maybe it would be easier to fit everything in or speed things up. Take advice from the Mad Hatter, since he told Alice "if you only kept on good terms with time, he'd do almost anything you liked with the clock." Time makes you cranky, unhappy with everything around you from stopping to get gas to seeing the dishes fill up in the sink with no clean ones filling the cupboards. Am I the only one refilling the butter in the butter dish?

After so much time spent worrying and buried in books and notes, I told Time this morning that we needed to talk about our relationship. It's not you, it's me.

We need a break.

then I took a walk in the rain.

The wind was blowing the cold drops on my cheeks, but I'm on a break and instead of getting upset I closed my eyes and let them fall on me. My jacket turns from fuzzy black to midnight black as it gladly takes in moisture. I soak up cold and wet and could be upset and frustrated but instead I decide I want to be elated, excited, and my smile gets bigger than it has been in awhile.

I walk over to drop letters in the big blue mailbox, and see more people out walking.

More people that saw the magic and happiness in a morning fall rainstorm and maybe couldn't resist it like me. I tell a girl on the way out of Caribou that I really like her purple raincoat, and she looks surprised but smiles and I see her white white teeth and my heart is warmer than my pumpkin coffee in my hands.

Before I walk back in to the quiet of inside I put my cup down, stretch my arms out, and stand with polka-dot rain boots in a puddle.

The rain is forgiving. Gentle.

I feel time glow at me. I think everything will be okay. We'll work it out today.

FO: French Press Slippers

2011-09-19T14:42:00.003-05:00

Going to take a break from my slightly free-style form of writing to update on my recent knitting finishes. The big one this week- the French Press Slippers for a friend living far up north and in need of something toasty for her toes!

Pattern: French Press Felted Slippers by French Press Knits

Yarn: 2 skeins of Patons Classic Wool in a fun pinkish shade!

Needles: size 15 on Denise circulars

Made for: Carly

Timeline: September 10-18th

Modifications: None, though next time I'll seam it a little differently. Instead of just doubling up the strands and seaming once, I'll seam it once with one strand of yarn, then seam it again with the second. Not that these had problems, but I could see where they might.

Worst Part: I had a lot of loose ends to weave in, and after felting it once and realizing it was too big for my size 8 feet (Carly's feet are size 6) in a panic I felted them again, luckily with good results. Moment of "oh shit" wasn't very pleasant.

Best Part: Despite the moments where the knit pieces looked like banana slugs, when they came together it was really cool to see how all the parts worked. And, of course, knowing that they'll keep a new teacher's feet nice and cozy in her new home far in the north!

Antsy

2011-09-17T16:39:00.004-05:00

One week. Two weekends. My test is coming up, and it's looming bigger and bigger in my head like the giant ball of stone chasing Indiana Jones out of the ancient temple that it doesn't seem like he can escape. i'm getting up earlier and earlier and and pacing the apartment on my second cup of coffee by the time you get up and see me wringing my hands in the living room. i tell you the colors of the sunrise and you tell me the colors of your dream; both with reds and yellows and dark blues. as your steady hands hold a warm cup of tea you watch me flip through Norton Anthologies and casting them off like orange rinds- british literature, american literature, romanticism, chaucer, poetry...

you make me stop.

put the books down.

breathe.

get in the car.

you play fleet foxes. the last time I heard them was in Yosemite, driving up to Tioga pass to get in the park every day before climbing. My hands relax in my lap. you begin to whistle along to "helplessness blues" and "sim sala bim" and my back releases tension. i begin to hum "bedouin dress" and my neck relaxes and my head rests on the car head rest, squishing my messy blond ponytail. i close my eyes and picture domes rising up as we round the corner and the pine trees open up like a christmas present.

i begin to breathe.

we get breakfast burritos, bursting with eggs and cheese and i ask for guacamole in my burrito and guacamole on the side and i eat all of it like i forgot to eat last week and why thank you this tastes amazing may i please have some more?

we go to another safe place, surrounded by books and the smell of text and glue bindings. I get a pumpkin white chocolate-filled coffee drink, able to focus with less and more distractions around me as you sit next to me reading magazines and novellas. once in awhile you look over and smile and wait. patient. willing my nerves to slow on their own just by observing your aura.

our field trip comes home, and now i'm taking study breaks to stretch and seam and remember that sometimes the most important thing isn't that i know everything and feel overprepared...

the most important thing

is that i

take

time

breathe.

Dance Week

2011-09-13T15:13:00.003-05:00

In high school, i didn't want to be a dancer.

I didn't know what dance really meant.

Back then, it was all about pink sparkly costumes and too much make up and snappy hard movements. All the girls that wore the right clothes and had the right boyfriends were dancers. i was onstage in a different way, reciting Shakespeare's lines and playing Holst's suites in F. I never understood how I could possibly comfortably move my body like that; it seemed unnatural, unyielding.

When I got to college, my musical theater major required that I learn how to dance. My first ballet class was in UMD sweatpants and cotton socks rolled up to the balls of my feet. I learned first and second position, trying to stay turned out as my arms swung through the air like machetes. French vocabulary felt awkward on my Scandinavian tongue- releve, pointe, tendu. It took over a year before I began to feel comfortable; over two years to feel like it was working.

Then I tried on tap shoes for the first time. Finally. THIS made sense. With years of musical instrument training behind me, I realized that the only difference was my instrument was now on my feet! Different noises come from the toe, the ball, the full heel, the inside of my foot, even knocking my toe behind my other leg hard against the ground. Snare drum, base drum, even cymbals rang every time I pranced across the floor.

Now I'm showing a new generation of dancers how to do it, how to count, how to get EXCITED for dance! See, all this work sounds effortless! LISTEN to the difference between them all!

Learning to watch and listen from dance goes into your everyday life. Waiting in line is when i practice 5th position tendus. Standing behind a cash register means I can do the time step.

In climbing, you see a sequence, a crux, a rest. I see one foot here and move your hips and drop your knee and your arm goes above your head in a beautifully choreographed movement up the wall. A good route feels like a great dance.

tonight is the first night of dance for the year, and I couldn't be more excited to begin.

Early Nervous

2011-09-09T18:26:00.003-05:00

i was up early enough to see the sun rise this morning.

the sky was dark, then the rim of the lake turned blue then red then orange then yellow as a ball of warmth burst over the horizon. my spoon full of honey-oh's was frozen in mid-air over my bowl as i watched the world wake up. good morning, Duluth! did you sleep well?

last night I did. i normally toss and turn between my side and my stomach, getting too hot and tearing my socks off then getting too cold and feeling around in the dark with blurry vision to find them and put them back on my feet. but last night i was exhausted, with a week of worry and test dates figured out behind me. i don't plan on sleeping well tonight. tomorrow I have to run.

i'm not a runner. my body is built for climbing and tap dancing and hugging and biking and ballet and lying in a hammock, but not running. honestly, i would rather climb and jug thousands of feet instead of run a 5K, but it doesn't really matter. my friend is running the entire event, and i'm running to support him and the soon-to-come Duluth Children's Museum. i figure I hiked miles and miles uphill in the high sierras for days in a row, so how hard will it be to do a 5K all at once?

plus there's a 1/4 children's fun run early, and i want to hold 2-year old Lucy's hand and see her smile and know that if she can do it and smile at the sun and the people and the love and support all around her, than of course I can too.

tonight i will toss and turn. i will probably wake up and watch the sun rise, nervous and jittery and jumping up and down while drinking milk and water but not too much food because apparently that's bad before a longer run.

then I will go run.

afterwards i'm going to wade in the shores of the lake and fly a kite.

and probably eat some ice cream.

ReGroup

2011-09-05T17:47:00.002-05:00

i went home this weekend to do a bit of regrouping and to celebrate my dad's release from a week in the hospital. my Mom was cooking for all of us- beef stroganoff, french bread from the oven burning my fingers, crab smothered in melted butter, asparagus dark green with seasoning and oil. I feel weighed down more and more after every meal, unable to stop filling my mouth with delicious rich foods normally absent from my northern diet. i try to go for a run, but my limbs are slow through the humid morning air.

what wakes me up and keeps me moving are the little tendrils of family that wrap around the entire house. Music fills the empty space between the tops of our heads and the ceiling. you and I grab our instruments, and we begin to play without paper in front of us, trusting only the memory of our fingers as we play faster and the rusty understanding of when to shift to a new section materializes without effort.

New musicians enter the house, bringing welcome music and inspiration as one song leads to the next leads to teaching leads to understanding.

I begin to remember being unconditionally happy. trusting without boundaries. singing loud and proud and laughing until i can't speak and salty tears roll into the sides of my mouth.

when it's finally time to leave, I hug hard and don't hold back saying "i love you" as many times as I want.

i remember, now, where i started.

Pancakes

2011-09-03T06:48:00.003-05:00

I've gotten better since I saw you last. Not much, but a little.

At first I was broken. I didn't know how to work well without you there, so I think I tried too hard to bike straight up and down, rigid and hurting every time I hit a deep pothole. The air went out of my tires and the vibration traveled up my arms and settled deep in my bones. I had to learn how to ride all over again- start slow, pushing off, setting my shaky feet on the peddles before getting any forward momentum. If I started to go too fast, I just fell over since it was easier and I only got more bruises on my old ones. My heart was beating so hard in my ears I couldn't see the straight yellow lines on the middle of the road, faded and shining after it rained.

But I'm not good at sad. My DNA maps out how well I am at being happy, loving sometimes too hard. This often means more hurt for me, but loving harder is exhilarating and the only way i know how to do it.

The last time I loved you so much that I felt overflowing was when we were making blueberry pancakes. We didn't use a recipe; just the box of mix I didn't use and ended up in your kitchen. A cup of mix and 1 and 1/2 cups of water. But you just put mix in a cup and kept adding water until it looked right. I washed the blueberries, bright and tempting me to put one in my mouth (you didn't mind- or notice- when i did). It was a two part process when you swirl the batter on the pan before I plop the blueberries on top of the pancake as it sizzled. The batter folded in on top of the berry, surrounding it the way my mouth did earlier. Your arm circles my waist and your hand rests on the fold of my flannel pants, your thumb comparing the contrast of skin and fabric.

I am overflowing with joy, giddy at your touch and smelling pancakes cooking with blueberries, especially for us.

But then you take your arm away. Fold them across your broad chest. Let me fall into another pothole without offering your hand. No more knight in shining armor.

No more mornings waking up next to you.

No more blueberry pancakes.

Cold Spell

2011-08-31T09:37:00.002-05:00

It's getting close to transition time.

Yesterday my hair was sticking to the back of my neck, heavy on my shoulder bones when I do anything more than sit still. Two small blond strands curl at my temples, disobeying the linear fall of the rest of my hair. All I could do was lay on the cool wood planks in the living room, sipping margaritas and dreaming of breezes and snow.

This morning, light barely peeked through misty clouds, and a cold breeze snuck in my wide open window trying to freeze me under polka-dotted cotton sheets. Hot coffee felt good instead of overheating me. My jeans were stiff when I tried to pull them up over my hips, unfamiliar and heavy on my calves. My feet feel trapped and stifled when I put on cotton socks for the first time in months. I drank my coffee by the open window, glad for the chill and the breeze that cooled the tip of my nose.

The sudden change instigates tendrils of urgency. Projects loom up that need to be done for fall, welcome and unwelcome. Fall means my exams- studying, stress, six hours of writing and an hour and a half of defense. Hopefully triumph and a celebration with wine and good food after.

Fall also means Fall birthday knitting and the start of Christmas knitting projects. Roommates roll their eyes as my pile of yarn gets higher on my craft table, and templates for sewing projects begin to be tacked to the wall. I bend over the design for a quilt made of old tshirts from high school band, college climbing competitions, and family vacations. I have to make sure I don't drip cream cheese dip from my apple slices on the knitting for a birthday present- white, sparkly, and so soft I want to fall asleep nestled next to it. You're going to like this one- the silver will highlight that happy love glow I see so often in your eyes.

Tomorrow is a new month, and I can't help but to be impatient for it.

Back and Forth

2011-08-29T14:25:00.006-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions.

On one side, I have my need for learning- the academic life. Degrees and honors and papers and books lined up like soldiers on my shelf, properly highlighted and notated and indexed. Late nights in a dark library, researching obscure subjects that only feed my hunger for knowledge more. My brain is like a sponge, soaking up all the information as it connects to more information. Then taking all that and translating it to students- THIS is why you should learn this! THIS is why this is important! The fire behind my desire to LEARN MORE is hotter than the jalapenos that you forgot to take out of my burrito last night. I put on thin heels and a blouse straight out of a Gilmore Girls episode to stand in front of a room and explain analysis. Keeping a supply of red pens on hand for correcting is important, lined up nicely next to a rainbow of post-its and color-coordinated folder system.

Then there's the other me.

Biking barefoot down to the lake because I can't miss the sunset in favor of shoes, then staying on the beach to talk to you and wait for the stars to come up. Days at the cliff turn into a week, then two, and I forget the passwords to my computer and replace them in my head with the names and ratings of the routes that I'm climbing. My sleeping bag is more comfortable than my bed, and it takes me a minute to remember how many days since my last shower. Carrying less than 30 pounds on my back feels odd, like I'm forgetting something. Dancing in the rain is my greatest form of happiness. We eat peanut butter straight out of the jar, and are confused by people in RVs watching their Direct TV instead of trying to spot colors in a campfire. I fall asleep at the close of a day more from sheer exhaustion than because it's dark out.

I hope that I can reconcile these two sides of me. Sometimes they don't get along. Brother and sister stuck in the car together for too long. That's the hardest- when I want to study, but the sun and rock beckon me outside. Or I'm training inside on a gross day and know I should be studying.

But they're both part of me, so for now they'll just have to compromise a little.

FO: Abrazo for a Cajun Bride

2011-08-26T19:01:00.004-05:00

I'm very excited to check a special project off my to-do list- a wedding gift for a very special Cajun lady who is getting married in November!

Pattern: Abrazo Shawl by Susanna IC

Yarn: Ella Rae Lace Merino in colorway 3- or Rainforest Fern Green, as I like to call it. :)

Needles: Size 8, on circulars

Modifications: None!

Timeframe: I started this somewhere in South Dakota on my way out to Yosemite in early July, finished August 22nd (plenty of time for her wedding- weird!)

Worst Part: When one row would take half an hour to complete... or when I accidentally knocked a whole jar of beads all over the passenger side of the car... or when I got one yarn-over wrong and it took me over 200 stitches to figure it out...

Best Part: Loving this pattern so much that I was always excited to work on it, despite the bad stuff! I'm hoping the real best part will be being able to present it to Aimee if I can get down to Louisiana for her wedding in November!

This is one of those patterns that despite the fiddly-ness of the lace, it was a great experience to (finally) do well on a lace pattern (for once- remember the spring shawl? Ugh. I do). Even when I spent so long on each row, it didn't seem to matter because I was so psyched to see the final product. This gives me great hope for attempting another lace shawl project.

I still have a lot of gift knitting to go with birthdays and especially Christmas looming on the horizon, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make a fancy lace shawl for myself with this one as practice.

Imminant

2011-08-23T18:22:00.003-05:00

It's been a really crazy weekend full of ups and downs. I got to see one of my old friends from high school get married in a truly beautiful ceremony at the Mill City Museum in Minneapolis,

have a great day relaxing with the girls before a bachelorette party that included lots of games, presents, and cookies shaped like penises, and an amazing show of Oklahoma! at the Bloomington Civic Theater, with my amazing lovely friend Larissa as one of the dancers. Though full, it was a lot of fun and did me good after working so much and family medical worries.

The fog was literally rolling in off the lake today, reflecting on my mood as the air filled with a damp chill and on and off rain. Despite the rain and the gloom, I managed to finish and block something I'm very excited about in my living room!

The Abrazo Shawl for my friend Aimee from Louisiana is finished and drying. I love how it looks, how it feels, and especially the colors. I'm really happy that I put the small purple beads on- they look so pretty surrounding the leaves!

Hopefully I'll be able to get out for a photo shoot soon with this- that means it'll have to dry up a little around here first. It'll be nice to see the sun again- even a little sun adds some cheer when things are gloomy.

FO: Stockholm Scarf

2011-08-20T09:51:00.003-05:00

Earlier this week I sat down with some sun and some coffee and finished up a present for one of the fall brides I'm knitting for.

The result is a beautiful, light, squishy cowl that I'm excited to give her today!

Pattern: Stockholm Scarf by knittedblissJC

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco in a beautiful dark red

Needles: size 10

Made For: Sarah- she's getting married Sept 24th, and I'm playing the violin music for the wedding!
Timeline: August 2nd through August 18th

Modifications: None, though next time I'll cast on 252 stitches instead of 256

Worst Part: Probably realizing after I got back from my trip that I had to crank this out... fast!

Best Part: Easily the yarn. SOOOOO squishy, so light, so soft and beautiful. Easily going to buy this again. I wish there was more yardage per skein (expensive) but it's so worth it.

I'm definitely going to use this yarn again, and I'm excited to give this to the bride!

Vivian- so close...

2011-08-15T15:04:00.003-05:00

I woke up this morning with the whole day ahead of me to get things done, and after a run, a breakfast burrito, and some cleaning, I sat down with the ghost of Christmas past to finally do the last knitting parts of a project that should have been done eons ago- the Vivian sweater!

I ended up having to leave for Yosemite before I could sew the top of the hood together, so today I grafted that, sewed the underarms together, and put it in a nice hot bath to soak:

before I set it out in the sun for some blocking!

I am ridiculously excited that this project is so close to being done- last touches are going to include a zipper and a ribbon on the inside before I can finally get some pictures and call this one good. It's been awhile, too- I started this thing last year at the beginning of May. I knit most of it before fall even arrived, but it kept getting put off for other things (birthday presents, Christmas presents, etc). I finally get to be a teeny bit selfish and finally finish up something just for me!

The rest of this afternoon, I'll be cleaning, organizing, purging lots and lots of stuff, and as a treat I plan on going to go see the new movie "The Help" with a friend. It's a good girl's night movie, and I've been racing through the book the last couple days in the hopes (dashed) that I'll finish it (won't) before the movie tonight. It'll still be a good time. :)

Now here's hoping I'll find a nice zipper to match that sweater as I sort through my craft stuff... hmmm...

Confident on Laceration

2011-08-13T15:06:00.004-05:00

A really nice day on Thursday meant one thing for me- heading up the shore to my old haunt Palisade Head for a beautiful day of climbing!

I felt really ambitious that day, and decided to lead one of my favorite climbs up the shore- a crack climb called Laceration Hand Jam. It's a great 5.10b that heads up a sharp granite crack- super bitey, but super solid. I was lucky enough to have for company a friend that's practicing professional climbing photography for a trip next summer willing to hang out and take pictures of my climb!

It was a great climb, and the hardest lead that I've done so far. Crack climbing is weird for grading difficulty, because often how hard it is depends on your hand and finger size. Some of my guy climbing partners can cruise up wide hand cracks that I have to chicken wing because my hands are small, while at the same time I cruise up thin hand crack that are wide fingers for them. Laceration is perfect for my hand size, and I got on it without really any worry of falling because I knew that I could do it.

It felt amazing to do so well on a climb that would have had my knees quaking before my Yosemite trip. But being on the really big stuff all day every day has increased my confidence tenfold, which boosts my ability level. It's amazing the change in my climbing when I learned how to breath, focus, relax, and let the moves flow while trusting my ability to climb sure and confident.

I might not look entirely happy in the pics (apparently I need to work on smiling while climbing!) but doing this climb on lead makes me more confident for the next climb down the road, as well as helping me relax and be more confident and in the moment for everyday, too!

Halfway

2011-08-10T10:22:00.003-05:00

It's always weird to come back from a big trip. My family did month-long vacations every single summer from when I could remember all the way through high school, with the shortest being three weeks in Europe every other summer when I was in high school. I'm used to being on long vacations- having no cell phones, limited or no access to a computer, and the only contact I have with the outside world being the postcards I send (though I tend to send a lot of those!). Coming back to the "real world" always feels mildly discombobulating- going from non-stop adventure to being cramped in a car for four days straight to a 60-hour work week made me mildly spaced out for a week. Over the weekend I had a little bit of time to finally completely unpack, get my stinky clothes in the laundry, go through my gear, and even clean out my closet (it really needed it). With that done, I can concentrate on studying for my final Master's exams- 6 hours of writing and an hour and a half of verbal defense of my answers- and looking for teaching jobs.

Oh, and planning my next climbing trip. ;)

When I left for Yosemite I had high aspirations for my knitting. I brought four- count them, four- large projects with, hoping I would finish at least three of them. Instead, I reached the halfway mark for all of them.

The Abrazo shawl is probably one of the most tedious and time-consuming knits I've ever done. I worked on this only on the drive, because I needed to have beads at the ready to put on every other row.

Despite every single row taking a full half hour to knit (with about 50 beads a row having to go on, plus keeping track of the lace in over 300 stitches), I loved working on it. I've been lovingly calling it the "Amoeba", as it has really no rhyme or reason yet- just a pile of pretty yarn and beads. It doesn't have the instant satisfaction of fair isle, but I'm so excited to see how it turns out that I couldn't put it down. With trading off, I would get 4-5 hours in on it in the car, and with over 300 stitches per row and 26 rows of beading a lace, I was happy to finish the entire lace portion before we pulled in to Duluth. All that's left is a bunch of stockinette short rows, so it should be a pretty easy finish (compared to the first half- uffda!).

I brought the Alice mittens in hopes of finishing them, but only was able to have the attention span to finish the first mitten.

Because there are a gift, I wanted to keep the white yarn nice and white, so I would only work on these in the car after washing my hands thoroughly (you have no idea how dirty climbers get...). I need to finish these by early September for my adviser, so I'm casting on for the second one soon.

My other two projects were the Autumn Leaves wrap and my Yosemite Fruit Loop socks. I'm literally 14 rows away from being at the halfway knitting mark for the Autumn Leaves wrap, and I'm already past the cuff on the Fruit Loop socks. I'm not worried about timing on these, as the shawl has to be finished by Christmas and the socks hopefully in the next month here (travel knitting!).

I figured getting half way on all my knitting projects is something to say. Right when I got back I checked the calender and realized that the wedding of a friend was coming up right away in September as well, and her shower was even closer, so I got working on the Stockholm Scarf for her.

It's also just about halfway done, and a few hardcore knitting shifts at work will (hopefully) get this puppy done.

I think I would have gotten more projects finished if I had brought less, but halfway is pretty good in my book when I have so many going. :) Plus making friends on the trip has added to my knitting list, mostly as "thank yous" for crashing in their house. :)

Today I'm FINALLY going to go see Harry Potter 7 Part II, before relaxing, climbing, and more studying. Tomorrow a trip climbing up the shore, then back to work.

And more planning for my next trip... ;)

Final Days in Yosemite

2011-08-02T10:02:00.007-05:00

My long silence on my adventures is due mostly in part to many days in the car on the long drive from the west coast back to Minnesota. I'm back in my home state, trying not to feel too discombobulated as I jump right back into work and sift through the stinky piles of synthetic clothes, camping and climbing gear.

The last few days in Yosemite were amazing. After Cathedral Peak, we decided to tackle the tallest dome in Tuolumne Meadows- Fairview Dome. We got up before the sun to be first in line on the Regular Route- a 12-pitch, 1000 ft. 5.9 that was one of the most popular routes in the Meadows. It was a full day of climbing, with hand cracks slippery with water running in them making it hard to get great jams for the first part of the morning.

It eased up as we got higher, and at the top we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the entire higher Sierra area, including all the domes we climbed so far on our trip. The next day, we planned on doing a link-up of a couple routes we really wanted to do- one in particular was On the Lamb, a 500 ft horizontal hand crack- but the creaking of our bodies reminded us that rest days were important too. :) Instead, we headed down to Yosemite Valley for one last hurrah on the beautiful granite.

We climbed Bishop's Terrace at Church Bowl, where I was excited to get in some "Extreme Knitting" before we finally said good bye and headed out of the park for the last time (THIS summer, at least!!).

The view before heading into the tunnel as we left the valley was beautiful, and made it easy to vow to be back soon to tackle more and harder routes, walls, and challenges next time!

I made sure to get a picture next to the entrance sign wearing the sweater my Mom bought there in 1990 for the Centennial Anniversary of the Park- they were there when I was 5 years old, and over 20 years later I was back with her same sweatshirt! :)

We stopped at the Mariposa Grove to take a look at some of the crazy and beautiful Sequoia trees growing there,

making sure to measure against them with our height and arm span. :)

We drove the rest of the way to the ocean, and spent a day with new and old friends at the Santa Cruz pier, watching sea lions and running in and out of the ocean. Made a couple quick stops at University of California Santa Cruz and Berkeley to check them out for potential school options before heading out.

The trip was everything I hoped for and wanted it to be- a chance to relax, a chance to be with friends and make new ones, and a chance to push myself in every way possible. And in the most basic way, a chance for me to relax and just spend a month being happy. Things rush by so quickly, and it's important to remember what truly makes you happy- and go out and do it! :)

You should see my climbing tick list for next year... uff-da... ;)

Next post- trip knitting status!

Cathedral Peak and Eichorn's Pinnacle

2011-07-22T16:12:00.004-05:00

One of the most prominent features in Tuolumne Valley is the beautiful Cathedral Peak, topping out at 10,911 ft. Right behind it is Eichorn's Peak- one of the scariest and most exposed 5.4 climbs I've ever done, with a beautiful finish. After racing back to Tuolumne the night after we summitted Matterhorn, we met up with a German climber named Matt we had met in Camp 4 the week before at 7:30 am and began the long hike up 2,000 ft to get to the base of the Southeast Buttress of Cathedral. From there, it was crack after beautiful crack of climbing up to the top.

Every single belay offered a spectacular view: and occasionally you had to take a pause from the climbing to hang off and look at the view around you.

The closer we got to the top, the windier it became until waiting at the belay meant huddling in a little ball until it was your turn up. Here's a picture of myself and Matt the German hunkering down, trying to stay out of the blasting wind:

It was so windy there were a lot of times where despite the ease of the climbing the exposure to the ground made it a little nervewracking! When we got to the top, we stayed in the sheltered belay area just to stay on the wall!

Despite the wind, we decided to climb out onto Eichorn's Pinnacle- a beautiful little stick of rock jutting out from the side of Cathedral:

The view is fantastic from up there, but the climbing is a mental game you have to play with yourself to get up! In order to reach it, you have to climb around the back side from what you see, where the rock drops off almost 1000 feet.

The climbing is technically not terribly difficult, but it's big cracks that drop off and the wind is grabbing and pushing you from all angles, so by the time you reach the top you're pretty frazzled. But reach the top we did!

It was sooo amazing, and despite the wind was so exhilarating to be up there that all I could do was just take in the view and feel how lucky it was to be in a place like that.

After getting down, beer and chili mac and cheese was shared all around toasting a successful day. Once Scott and I got back to our camp, we started gearing ourselves up for our final climb in Tuolumne, the Regular Route on Fairview Dome- the tallest dome up there...

Dharma Bumming on Matterhorn

2011-07-21T10:33:00.004-05:00

Sorry it's been so infrequent on the blog posts! Internet around the area isn't the easiest to access for free or the best, and I have more pictures I want to post than time to do it in!

After climbing hard in Yosemite Valley for a week, we took a day to do laundry and take showers before heading out towards one of the neighboring towns of Twin Lakes to do a hike straight from literature- Matterhorn Peak, the subject of "Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac. The peak tops out at 12,290 ft, and we started at 7,000 feet, so for all of Sunday was constant uphill. We were super psyched at first to be living a book:

and made sure to stop and think some deep thoughts at the boulder that Kerouac camped under, where he contemplated one of his famous quotes, "When you get to the top of the mountain, keep climbing!"

It got a little harder as the snow fields became the only terrain,

but we pressed on and made it to just below 11,000 ft before setting up camp for the night in a little inlet in the snow field, protected from the fierce wind blowing across the mountains. Notice how much snow there is!

The next day we hiked the last 1,200 ft pretty much up straight skree. I agreed with Kerouac's decisive note that when you try to hike up that crap it's "1 foot forward, 3 feet back" and it took about two hours to get up that last bit.

But get up we did!!

It felt like the wind at the top was trying to blow us off, but we took in the incredible panoramic view,

wrote some thoughts in the summit registry that were hopefully Kerouac-worthy, (I wrote something to the effect of "Sometimes all it takes to get to the top is a little positive reinforcement")

and headed back down the mountain feeling satisfied.

Pizza and White Russians that night at the base tasted amazing (we were quoting the movie "The Big Lebowski" the whole way up, so it seemed right) before waking up early to do another 700 feet of climbing on Cathedral Peak and Eichorn's Pinnacle. More on that later... :)

Yosemite Valley

2011-07-14T17:03:00.004-05:00

Just to get some pictures up of climbing in the Valley, I'm throwing one more blog post in here with what we've been up to this week. We've been staying at Camp 4, the traditional climber's campground and getting in as much climbing in Yosemite Valley as possible before the weather becomes too hot to bear.

So far we've hit up a bunch of multi-pitch on routes around the area, and highlights include the Nutcracker route on Manure Pile Dome (that's seriously the name) and The Grak- a beautiful splitter hands up the side of Glacier Point Apron.

See Scott bear-hugging part of the route?

See me bear-hugging a spicy traverse?

We had a "Minnesotans" barbacue last night in Camp 4 with friends,

and I was super psyched to check out the East Ledges on the side of El Capitan.

Everything here is so big and so amazing, and it seems like everywhere you turn there's something new and cool to look at.

I'm constantly dirty, always a little sore, and am having the time of my life.

Though he's currently napping (or snoozing) Scott agrees. :)

A "Trad-Venture" and some High Sierra Camping

2011-07-13T18:39:00.004-05:00

It's been a crazy week or so since I last wrote. The day after climbing at Low Profile Dome, we headed to Pywiak Dome for one of our last days of dome climbing before a backpacking trip. We decided on the route Zee Tree- a 700-ft 5.7, tightly bolted, probably one of the easier ones for a relaxing last day.

Well, things started off just fine. We were on (a) route, found the first bolts, clipped in, and set off again.

Scott led over far to the right, and after the first set of anchors we found ourselves in the middle of no-man's land. Scott wasn't too concerned:

and we just kept going farther and farther up, figuring that we had to end up on route at some point. I finally saw some anchors far to the left of where we were:

and eventually we got back on route for the last two pitches. After a long hike down the back of the dome, we contemplated the guidebook and figured out where we went wrong. We did the first three pitches and rappelled down in the rain and wind, calling it good.

For the weekend, we decided to take a break from climbing to rest our arms and give our legs a nice workout with some backcountry hiking and backpacking.

We started up the Rafferty Creek Trail, pretty psyched to be hiking in such beautiful areas with rivers and trees and... and...

and then it all turned to snow. It was still beautiful, but the trail disappeared under a few feet of solid snow with small snow cups all over the place. We did about 8 miles gaining 2000 feet of elevation, with over half of the time in snow balancing on slopes and mildly wishing we had either crampons or trekking poles. We had fun anyway, especially since Scott was sporting the rolled pants, pulled up socks, and a pair of my Dad's old ski sunglasses from either the 80's or 90's.

Pretty much awesome.

We found a beautiful little knoll at 10,500 feet to put base camp at, then after resting up took a day to hike up to a 11,500 ft. peak: (Scott on the summit)

Took in the incredible view of tons of mountains around the park: (me on the summit)

and had fun on the glissade back down the mountain. :)

We hiked around Evelyn Lake before enjoying the peace of the mountains with no one else up there. The hike down the next day was nice and quiet as well, and we were both pretty psyched to get back to civilization.

Next stop- a full rest day and being tourists in the gorgeous Yosemite Valley...

First Days Climbing in Yosemite

2011-07-06T15:47:00.005-05:00

We drove into a campground right outside of the park late on the 4th of July, woke up bright and early to a beautiful sunrise and headed straight into Yosemite! We didn't even make it more than 20 minutes into the park before we ran into Stately Pleasure Dome- completely empty and begging for some climbers.

I was psyched for some multi-pitch, and we jumped on the 4-pitch route "West Country"- 5.7 mellow, with a mildly gnarly layback finger crack for the second pitch. Scott had to scare a big fat marmot off the very top of the climb, and from the top you could barely see Half Dome in the background. It was a fantastic first climb of the trip!

After we came down, we celebrated by jumping into the lake across the road- which still had some glaciers floating in it. :) Super invigorating, and exactly what was needed. After that we headed to Lembert Dome, getting on the 2-pitch "Northwest Books"- just a 5.6. There was an awkward bit near the top of the second pitch, but it was still fun. :)

This morning saw us at Low Profile Dome, warming up on "Golfer's Route"- 2 pitches of 5.7 with fun knob climbing.

I lead the second pitch- there was a lot of run-out in between bolts, where I even had to place gear, but it was another beautiful view at the top!

We did have to climb with our sweatshirts and clif bars and hang them at the first bolt, because Marmots were scooting their fat bottoms all over the bottom of the climb, waiting for us to get off the ground so they could score some food. After Golfer's, we set up the top rope to work "Orange Man"- a 5.10c with lots of blank slab climbing. Scott (as you can see below) definitely enjoyed working the crimps!

Feeling good after that, I roped up for "Darth Vader's Revenge"- 5.10a, with both bolts and trad leading. It's my first trad at that grade, and there was some mildly sketchy pro, but I pulled through the hardest bits without falling! I had to take while trying to work the 5.10 knob section (my fingers were exploding) but we cleaned that climb no problem.

Besides that, lots of games of scrabble, some spaghetti, tons of coffee, and good times have been had thus far.

After only two days, it's already easy to tell that leaving is going to be hard... :)

Driving, Driving, and more driving...

2011-07-04T16:58:00.005-05:00

It's been a pretty crazy last couple of days. Lots and lots of driving across Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and now into Nevada before finally hitting California hopefully sometime tonight. After some time in Mound with my parents, S and I headed off across the plains, making the necessary stop at Wall Drug in South Dakota before stopping in Rapid City for the night. Along the way, we got to drive through some awesome prairie storms:

check out the lightning striking the ground next to S!

I had a little project to get in with my sock yarn for S's glass iodine bottle (used to purify water) so it would have a better chance of not breaking:

before working on my Yosemite Fruit Loop socks both in the car and at the campsite:

and we stopped off at Independence Rock in Wyoming for some fourth class scrambling in 90 degree heat (and in a sundress for me!)

while looking for Oregon Trail grave sites where people died of dysentery or broken arms or fording the river instead of floating on it... ;)

This morning we got IHOP Cinnatastic french toast outside of Salt Lake City (which I was extremely excited for, as you can see) before driving across all of Utah and into Nevada.

It's been a super long drive so far, but tonight we'll be pulling in to Yosemite National Park and hopefully start actually climbing TOMORROW!! I'm SUPER psyched, and especially can't wait after being cooped in a car for so long!

Off on an Adventure...

2011-07-02T06:57:00.001-05:00

After a couple of days of fixing my car and visiting my parents, I'm finally off on my adventure.

Today is a long drive (lots of knitting!) to Rapid City on our way to Yosemite.

I'm off. Be prepared for less frequent but probably more interesting updates. ;)

FO: Gus the Giraffe

2011-06-28T10:59:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I put the final touches- or pompoms, rather- on Gus the Giraffe, and he's ready to go with only a week before the baby is due!

Pattern: Giraffe from Susan B. Anderson's book Itty-Bitty Toys

Yarn: 2 skeins of Brown Sheep Nature in "Impasse Yellow" and one skein of Cascade 220 in a bright orange.

Needles: Everything was on size 5, but my favorite part was that almost the entire giraffe was knit on my Grandma's old needles. Something cool to pass down to the little one :)

Time Frame: June 2nd-June 27th, 2011

Modifications: After knitting two Elijah elephants from the patterns by Ysolda, I've loved the idea of picking up the stitches for the limbs straight from the body. It's a mild pain for the first couple of rows, and turns your project into a very large traveling project, but in the long run means the kid has to really work hard to rip off any limbs. Therefore instead of casting on the 8 stitches per needle for the legs and arms, I just picked up the stitches from the body. Really wish I could have done that for the head and body, too... next time. :)

I also took away row 16 on the arms for the decrease in the hoofs, because it made the hoof less pointy. :)

Worst Part: Probably the anticipation of all the details, especially the pompoms. My last experience with pompoms involved much swearing and explosions of yarn (leading to wine), so I wasn't looking forward to it. Luckily, after some searching on the web, I found a great way to easily make pompoms that worked for me. And a couple episodes of TrueBlood helped in making and attaching all the spots.

Best Part: Definitely his journey in becoming the awkward huge giraffe that he is. :) Notice his potbelly in the front? Love it. I didn't stuff him too full, so he's super super squishy and perfect for lots of hugs. I also didn't really anticipate how huge he was going to be- he'll probably be bigger than the baby for the first couple years of the baby's life! It might sound silly, but I loved the guesses from observers of what exactly I was knitting while making him. At first, I got a gourd and a pear, and it evolved to a bear, a monkey, or pretty much anything but a giraffe until the last couple of days. I also loved how he turned out- it was a pretty detail-oriented pattern with lots of clever ideas (LOVE the drinking-straws in the horns to make them stand up idea!).

I have a lot of other patterns in that book to get through for baby presents, but I'll definitely cycle around to this one again for the right baby!

Today is my last day of work at VE before a day of packing and setting off on my adventure- getting nervous, but getting SUPER excited!! Yosemite, here I come!!!

Now to just decide exactly what knitting to bring... 4000 miles of driving means a lot of knitting time... :)

Birthday Sail!

2011-06-26T10:12:00.004-05:00

My birthday was yesterday, and I turned the ripe old age of 26! I remember being younger and thinking that 26 was the best possible age to be, because you were still in your mid-20's and young, but still old enough to have all the cool adult things like your own apartment and job and all that. Now, as reach that age, I'm hoping that it's all my teenage self thought it was cracked up to be. :)

As a celebration, I got to go out on a sailboat ride from Duluth to Two Harbors yesterday! S's Dad owns a 42' sailboat, and swallowing my nervousness settled down for a relaxing afternoon on Lake Superior!

Gus the Giraffe- finished except for attaching his pom-pom mane- took a quick tour of the boat before I threw him back into the car. :)

One of my favorite parts was possibly leaving the Duluth harbor.

Because there was close to no wind as we left, we had to gas up the motor and wait for the Canal Park lift bridge to go up. I've seen it countless times from the shore, but going under the bridge was a whole new experience!

After we got out of the harbor, the sails were hoisted:

and we set our course!

While leisure time is in abundance on a calm day like yesterday, there's always something to do on the sailboat. When S's Dad found out I could sew, he immediately put me to work wrapping the ends of some new ropes:

as well as teaching me how to properly tie a few sailor knots I hadn't done in climbing yet. Don't worry, I did get some leisurely down time, enjoying the coast line and keeping my fingers busy:

quite busy, actually:

It was a relaxing and fantastic day!

I was almost sad as we pulled into the harbor at Two Harbors, and got dropped off by the lighthouse at the end of the pier. We made sure to wave goodbye a few times:

before watching the boat head off on its course north, up to Tofte.

It was a very cool way to spend my birthday, and I'm super grateful to S and his Dad for offering the opportunity to me! Afterwards was dinner, wine, and more relaxation time. All in all, a great birthday and chance to relax before more working and the craziness of a month-long vacation.

Little Things

2011-06-22T13:08:00.005-05:00

A lot of my recent posts mention how crappy the weather has been recently in Duluth. We had one or two days of 70 degrees back in early May, but since then it's been rain, drizzle, fog, cold, and wind every single day. It got to the point of pulling out my little space heater for my room, since the heat is turned off in my apartment building (controlled by the landlords) and it's been high forties for the last week or so.

The only "good" thing about all this gross weather is the increase in productivity for my crafting. I finished sewing a chalk bag for a friend, and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

The design was completely my own, and it was fun writing up the pattern for it. I cut out newspaper pattern pieces so I can continue to make more chalk bags, because it was a relatively fast and easy project. I made a chalk bag once before (it was more of a chalk pot), and had to scale down the design to a more normal size. I'm happy with the result, and plan on making more in the near future!

I finally got to give a long-standing project to my friend Mark over the weekend- meet Ben Fish!

When Mark and I first roomed together our sophomore year of college, we lived in a house that would only allow fish as pets. Mark named his new pet mouse "Ben Fish" in order to qualify him under the rule!

I started this project a loooong time ago as part of a swap, but never actually finished and he's been sitting on the shelf for a very long time. I pulled him out recently, realized he would be perfect for Mark, and quickly finished him!

Pattern: Mousie by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildefoote in light pink and gray

Time Frame: April 2009 to June 9, 2011 (oops... another one I've left off...)

Favorite Part: It's such a cute pattern, and super fast to knit up!

Worst Part: Leaving it for so long, because I had to figure out what my notes were for where I left off. All the increases and decreases were a mild pain because of the teeny needles and stitches, too. :)

Mark was pretty happy to get him, and I'm glad he enjoyed it so much!

Last night I put in a movie and made a quick mug cozy for Tyler with some leftover yarn, blocking it and setting it out in the "sun":

Unfortunately, the downpouring rain today and continuous damp is going to make fast drying hard. I'll probably have to set it in front of the heater to actually dry.

I can't believe I'm talking about my heater being on... June 22? Really?

Uff-da.

Grandma's Marathon Weekend

2011-06-21T11:19:00.005-05:00

Despite working a fair bit over this last weekend, I was still able to enjoy one of Duluth's biggest events- Grandma's Marathon!

The weather was pretty chilly for spectators, with on-and-off rain and drizzle with a mildly strong wind. Us Duluthians were used to it, but I saw a lot of people from all over the country cheering on loved ones that were wrapped in several layers of blankets, fleeces, even garbage bags to protect against the wind and rain.

As usual, there was plenty of silliness going on at the race site! This year, there was a "Bacon Station":

passing out pieces of bacon to the runners with tongs! They were set up a block down from my apartment, and all morning you could hear the sizzling of the grills. I got to hang out with a piece of rhubarb:

who was wandering around taking pictures with people (why? I have no idea!).

After watching the race, I spent much-needed quality time with two of my favorite people, Mark and Larissa! We had the necessary coffee and shared a caramel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (covered in white chocolate, peanut butter, and everything else that ladies like to share):

OM NOM! They also came down to the climbing gym at the end of one of my shifts, where I ended up cheering them on when they tried out climbing! It was just the sort of hang-out weekend that I needed with friends, and I'm hoping that I'll get at least a little more time with them before I head out to Yosemite in just over a week and a half!

I'm starting to make my lists as my trip approaches, and I'm getting almost a little nervous as the days count down. Today: cleaning out my room, running errands, working on my lists, and squeezing in a little climbing. It's another lovely Duluth summer day- 50 degrees, super windy, rain on and off- so outside stuff will have to wait. Good thing I have enough errands and chores that I can wait out these gross days. :)

Temperance and Gus

2011-06-16T20:33:00.003-05:00

A couple days off in a row meant the call for some form of an adventure, even if it was a little one. Therefore, I packed up my car to hopefully head up to the north shore for a couple of days of great climbing. Unfortunately, the weather up here decided not to cooperate, and my climbing partner S and I were forced to adapt our plans. Luckily, this wasn't too hard!

We were able to hang out at his Mom's gear store for a little bit, making sure that we were properly prepared for our Yosemite trip in a couple of weeks. I got a fantastic new pair of hiking shoes, and tried them out on part of the Superior Hiking Trail- up to Carlton Peak and down the Temperance River!

It wasn't the best weather- drizzly, overcast, mildly windy and temps in the fifties- but for hiking, it was really enjoyable. Not too warm, and the perfect conditions for giving my new shoes a good test.

Any of the hikes on the SHT next to the Temperance River are beautiful- the trail runs right next to the river, with great views of all the waterfalls for a huge stretch. You had to be careful next to parts of the trail, with 30-70 foot drops into chilly water and huge waterfalls. The mist was cool on the face and everything was crazy green around us!

We also got to check out the climbs at Carlton Peak- a little farther north than I normally go, and something I had never seen before. The climbs were beautiful- a kind of rock called anorthosite, a really strong but abrasive rock that had some really cool looking features and cracks. S and I ran around the bases like little kids on Christmas morning, excited about every new route we could identify.

Despite some bouts of carsickness on the way to and from, I got a ton done on Gus the Giraffe on my jaunt north.

He's got (almost) all of his major limbs, plus a tail. To be knit yet includes spots for his back, little horns, and about fifteen pompoms to attach for his mane. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to these last details. The pompoms especially are going to be a nightmare. Last time I tried to make pompoms, I ended up exploding a few of them all over the place. Yarn everywhere. I have a gut feeling it's going to be the same result this time around as well. Woohoo?

The weekend wasn't complete without abusing S's cat a little bit. Kitty (that's her real name) weighs almost as much as a baby killer whale, so we felt the teasing was warranted. We found a really large, old hex and saw what she would make of it.

Apparently it was too much effort to do anything.

She'd make a great crag cat...

Grad Parties and Dance Recitals

2011-06-12T22:01:00.004-05:00

This was my last really full weekend before I could officially declare it summer, with a Grad Party for my cousin on Friday night and the dance recital for the studio that I teach at last night.

My cousin Sam graduated from high school, and because of my work schedule it had to be an overnight trip to the cities with a 6 am departure on Saturday morning. Luckily, fun was had. A couple of my favorite guys were there, although they opted to sleep on the entire car ride home, leaving me to very quietly jam to the radio since my cassette deck has been on the fritz (yes, I use the cassette tape deck in the car). Despite the super short time down there, it was still great. My family takes having fun seriously:

and we jammed all night with a super cheesy band, 90 pounds of pulled pork, and my newly-graduated cousin at the end jumping off the 2nd floor balcony of the house onto the trampoline and launching himself into the ground due to a badly-aimed second bounce. Good times were had by all. :)

Last night was the final recital for my dance studio, and despite the length of the show it was still a really good time. I'm going to really miss teaching dance the rest of this summer, though I know have a lot of time to work hard on beginning my choreography and choosing my songs for next year's season!

I'm especially going to miss some of the other teachers- a lot of crazy talented ladies- including the lovely and talented Miss Jenelle.

I know I'll still see her, but I'll miss teaching in the same studio and being around her. She's a remarkable lady, and I hope that I can be as good a dance teacher as her!

Comparatively, today was fairly low-key with working at the climbing gym all day. I did manage to finish the body of Gus the Giraffe, which resembles more of a gourd or a pear than a giraffe.

I'll be starting on the head tonight during a movie, and will hopefully finish it soon since I leave for my trip in a few weeks- right about the time my cousin is due with unknown gender baby. So exciting! Good thing I have lots of baby-friendly books for all these pregnant friends... ;)

FO: Owl Mittens

2011-06-10T23:39:00.003-05:00

Although the actual mitten part was finished awhile ago, I finally worked on the embroidery for these mittens on the three hour car ride to the Twin Cities for my cousin's Grad Party today. They were finished and ready to model in my aunt's beautiful backyard, and just in time to be wrapped and given away tomorrow! Presenting the Owl Mittens:

Pattern: Owlings by Kerry James

Yarn: Peace Fleece in Worsted

Dates: May 18th - June 10th 2011 (only reason it took so long was finding a time for the embroidery!)

Needles: size 6

Modifications: Instead of the fingerless gloves the pattern calls for, I decided to knit a little further to close the top and make full mittens. You can find the notes I used for closing the top of the mittens on the project page for the mittens in my Ravelry- it was super simple, incorporating the knit-purl pattern already in place. I also embroidered two of the owls (one on the back of each hand) just to make sure everyone who sees them knows what they are. :)

Best Part: I really love how easy the owl cable pattern was, and how effective it is.

Worst Part: I would probably close the top of the mitten a few rows later- they're a teeny bit on the short side for me, but again it's a present and I really hope they fit the hands of the recipient! I also wasn't a huge fan of how long the embroidery takes. Over half the car ride from Duluth to the Twin Cities... uff da!

Overall I really enjoyed these mittens, and they're going to be a nice lead-in for when I make the owl sweater later on this year. I'm excited to give them away- they're a "thank you" present to the woman that runs the dance studio I teach at. Tomorrow night is our final recital for the year, and then I have the summer off from teaching dance until September. I'll hopefully get a class or two in here or there to a couple of other friends eager to tap, but this is the last time I'm going to work with and see these girls performing these dances. Bittersweet moment for me- more possibilities in the future, but sad to say goodbye to these dances. 'Tis the curse of teaching dance, though. :)

In Duluth, we have natural AC...

2011-06-08T23:08:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I gave my Mom a ring down in the Twin Cities. She was just getting home from work, telling me how incredibly hot it was and how summer was hitting them with a bang.
I was mildly confused, because though it was a little muggy up here in Duluth, I was more in the "comfortable" stage when biking outdoors and to and from dance rehearsal- not blisteringly hot as she was describing.
Later, when I saw the temps for the day, I saw why:
See the Twin Cities? They're in dark red- 102 degrees. See Duluth, at the tip of the nose of Lake Superior?
52 degrees for our high.
Even International Falls on the Canadian border got up to 64.
If there's one thing about living next to this gigantic cold lake, it sure acts as a great air conditioner.
Crossing my fingers that this weekend we get up to 60...

Big Wall 101

2011-06-07T09:37:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous day, finally getting above 60 degrees. I packed up my gear and my partner and went up to Palisade Head to start working on some Big Wall techniques. The wind off the lake kept it nice and cool in the sun, jumping straight on Danger High Voltage. I tried A Feathery Tong, an overhanging, crimpy 5.10d with a huge few reaches that I had never done before. It was fun, but really pushed the limits of my climbing as a lot of the holds were completely out of my reach, requiring some creative technique on my part.

After climbing, we set up Oz- a beautiful 175 foot overhanging 5.12b with powerful moves leading to a long finger crack. I've only worked the finger crack so far, but it would be the perfect route to begin working some big wall techniques. For this particular bit, Oz was plugged with trad gear such as cams and nuts every 5-6 feet. I then rapped to the bottom of the line, clipping the gear as I went simulating me following a leader up the wall. I set up my ascenders to start jugging the line and taking out gear as I went.

Can you see me in my blue helmet?

Here's a better view, where I'm taking a small break:

You can kind of see the red and yellow steps attached to the ascenders. I push the ascenders up and step up on the steps, using my legs and saving my arms. I've done it with one ascender before, but for big wall it's best to use two ascenders and two sets of steps, and takes a little bit of getting used to.

By the time I got to the top of the route, I had gotten more of a stride going but was getting a little worn out!

My harness was also weighed down with a ton of gear, making the last 20 feet even more difficult as I was jugging up my own weight, the weight of the rope, and almost ten pounds of gear. Good practice! :)

I'm a little sore and knicked up today, but working on that made me even more excited for my upcoming trip. :)

Projects, projects everywhere...

2011-06-05T08:27:00.004-05:00

In between working as many hours at VE as I can (the more I can save for Yosemite, the better!) I've been trying to put a nice big dent in the knitting queue, completing some projects before I head out.

Cheryl and I hung out on Thursday to get some collective knitting done:

where I continued to work on my Vivian sweater, probably 1/3 of the way done with the hood. Woohoo! Some time on Friday plus a mostly-quiet twelve hour shift at VE yesterday allowed me to get farther on my Alice in Wonderland mittens for my advisor!

I want to have those finished if possible before I head out. I've been noticing that they're becoming more of a pain and less fun to knit as I go. I'm not sure if that's because I just want the project to be done, or that the pattern is hard fair isle with tons of stitches sometimes between colors.

Either way, I worked on it until I was sick of it yesterday before switching over to the autumn leaves wrap. I'm really growing to love love LOVE that project- it's a really fast knit, pretty mindless, and really pretty.

Completely the opposite of the mittens, and exactly what I needed at the end of a long day.

I'm really discovering exactly what kind of projects (at least right now) I enjoy the most. Cables are by far my favorite, and right now lace is taking a close lead over fair isle for my second favorite. I think a lot of it has to do with how much actual thought goes into the knitting- I like being able to talk to people, or watch movies, or be in the car when I knit. Only devoting partial attention to it. By the way, did you see what the yarn for the wrap was being held in?

A beautiful little yarn bowl!

I was lucky enough at the end of my visit to the cities to see two of my absolute favorite people:

the lovely and talented Larissa

and the witty and dashing Mark!

The bowl was my Christmas present from them that never quite made it to me because I haven't seen them in so long! It was great to have coffee and hang out with them again, and now whenever I knit I have a little reminder of them. It's been working great so far, hanging out next to my bed for quick access to my knitting, keeping the skein untangled as it feeds yarn through the little hole in the side! :)

On to another full day of work today. We can play the "what knitting should Katie bring to work today?" game! I know what I should bring- the Alice mittens. I'm actually to the point where I'm closing the top, and getting the first mitten out of the way would be fantastic. What do I want to bring?

Right now, anything but that. I'm mildly fair-isled out right now.

Hmmm... maybe Gus the Giraffe... :)

FO: Catching Butterflies

2011-06-01T10:21:00.005-05:00

Quoting Pooh Bear, "It's a blustery day" up here in Duluth. June has rolled around quite sneakily, and it looks like we won't hit 60 degrees until (hopefully) tomorrow up here in the north. Until then, I feel no guilt as I blast onward with the hood for my Vivian sweater while starting and finishing other little projects on the side.

This weekend I was able to give one of my closest friends her birthday gift, the Catching Butterflies handwarmers!

I fell in love with this pattern a long time ago, and knew that it would be perfect for her. It took awhile to track it down, because it was printed in a magazine that we didn't get here in the US (and certainly didn't get here in northern MN) so I ended up having to order an online digital copy of the magazine, and I plan on printing out about five copies while I still know where on the internet it's stored.

Pattern: Catching Butterflies by tiny owl knits

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns Fresco for the main handwarmers in white (om nom!), leftover Mirasol Nanu in bright blue for the butterflies on the palm, and leftover Tahki Cotton Classic in light pink for the butterflies on the knuckle.

Time Frame: May 23- May 26 (when I really want to knit something, apparently I can crank it out...)

Needles: US sizes 1, 2, and 3

Modifications: Instead of stitching down completely the butterflies on the top of the handwarmers, I only attached them by the "body" of the butterflies- that way the wings could come up and "fly". Because the cotton yarn was a worsted weight, they actual stay up on their own really well! I also cast on only six stitches for the smaller butterflies on top, again due to the thicker worsted weight yarn. It worked well!

Best Part: It's a tie between the pattern and the yarn. The Classic Elite was soft and feathery and felt like butter to knit with, and it worked perfectly for what this project was. The pattern is simple and well-written, and the finished product is adorable. I plan on making at least a pair for myself, if not more for gift knitting if it will fit the personality of the person receiving it!

Worst Part: Probably tracking down the pattern. It's always frustrating when there's picture of it on Ravelry, it seems available, and then there's a lot of hoop-jumping to finally get the pattern. I don't like that I can only access my paid-for pattern now through a website- I would rather just have the PDF.

A big thank you to my Mom's flower garden for providing a pretty background for the pictures, and my Dad for learning the art of taking "knitting pictures"! :)

I'm still working my way through the Vivian, and it's my goal this month (besides training like crazy for Yosemite) to blog at least every other day before I leave (hopefully about all my finished projects I have planned). A friend actually made this website for me to keep track of when exactly I head out- check out the URL title! :) I have a lot to get done in the next few weeks- let's see how it goes.

Off to work soon, hopefully I don't get blown away trying to get there... ;)

Weekend in Mound

2011-05-29T16:49:00.003-05:00

It's been a really fun weekend at my parent's house! Besides hanging out, watching some movies, it's been fantastic to see my Dad while he's up from Florida! My parents found a house they really like in Florida, and hopefully their bid will be accepted in the next couple of months here so they can start setting themselves up down where they will be enjoy the warmth.

I was able to finish knitting the Owl Mittens for Stacey, and I'll be sewing the beads in for eyes when I get back to Duluth. I also finished the shoulders on the Vivian sweater, and have been scouring Ravelry for beta on making the hood bigger.

Looks like I'll be doing a few more rows of increases to make the hood deeper, as well as a lot of extra rows for the height. One person in particular mentioned that they added up to 30 extra rows to the hood in the pattern, and I really like how big it ended up on her sweater so I might do the same. I'm really excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this project- I promised myself I'm not casting on for any more sweaters until I finish this one since it's so ridiculously close!

Today my good friend Heather and I ventured to a local yarn store called Yarn Garage. It was really cool, with yarn spilling all over the place. I picked up two skeins of Sublime Merino organic yarn in pink and two in a pretty natural brownish- one color for myself for a cowl and the others for a possible present. Om nom!

My Mom and I going to start season one of Glee- I'm a little nervous I'm going to get completely hooked. Going to keep trucking on the Vivian hood- hopefully I'll finish it soon... too much to hope for to get it done by Monday... perhaps?? :)

Duluthian

2011-05-27T14:32:00.002-05:00

I'm in the cities this weekend to hang out with my whole family for the Memorial Day weekend, and this morning I filled up my coffee mug and drove from Duluth to the Twin Cities area early in the morning. When down at my parent's house, I helped out with a few chores and cleaned my car out a bit.

These brief experiences brought to light how much of a Duluthian I have become.

You know you're from Duluth (or even northern MN for that matter)...

... when you get two hours south and the first thing you say is, "Wow, all the trees have leaves down here!" at the end of May...

... you think about changing the "winter" windshield wipers off your car, but hesitate because you know there's the occasional May snowstorm (or even hesitate at all)...

... You have three mostly broken ice scrapers in the back of your car- one you keep because the brush handle works, one you keep because the ice scraper still works, and one that hasn't worked at all for two winters but is still there "just in case"...

... you leave the jumper cables and avalanche shovel in the trunk because it's too much work to take them out and store for the three months of summer we have...

... your parents are in pants and sweatshirts doing yardwork, and you're comfortable in chacos, a t-shirt and cutoffs to help out...

... you're more surprised when the forecast includes high 70's and low 80's than 50's and 60's...

... and you don't pack a single pair of shorts for a Memorial Day weekend visit to your parents house.

Gotta love Minnesota. :)

A Morning Cuppa

2011-05-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

Alongside my coffee this morning, I had a couple of other hot cups brewing.

This weekend is the birthday of a good friend, and I have a little project I'm finishing up to give to her (hopefully) on my trip down to the twin cities. This particular project is (in my humble opinion) really adorable, and I might have to knit myself some down the road!

After a nice bath, I did some pretty intense blocking.

Can you tell what they are? ;)

They're sitting in the sun, and will stay there today as I run off to my shift at the climbing gym. Hopefully when I get home tonight, they'll be ready to go! It's a little on the chilly side in my apartment since the heat has been turned off, but the sunny forecast more than makes up for it.

One nice thing about the weather is being able to bike to work again consistently. There's so much construction in downtown Duluth it's frustrating to drive around, and coupled with no parking and getting stuck when the Canal Park bridge is up... you can see why I'm excited it's not raining as much.

Off for now. Maybe I can get a little more knitting done at work... sneak it in... ;)

FO: British Novel Vest

2011-05-23T15:02:00.004-05:00

This particular project has actually been finished for a bit. I completed the knitting portion probably three weeks ago, then didn't get around to sewing on the single button until probably a week ago. It sat again for awhile to wait for a decent day to take pictures, which didn't happen until today due to Duluth's awesome streak of rainy weather.

Luckily, when I finally got outside in all of the green, it worked really well and was worth the wait. Presenting the British Novel Vest!

Pattern: The Grandfather Vest from Veronik Avery's book Knitting 24/7 (love this book!)

Yarn: Cascade 220, in a pretty light purple.

Needles: Size 7 (the pattern called for a change in size a couple of times, but I stayed with 7 the whole time)

Time Frame: December 11th, 2010-May 17th, 2011

Modifications: Due to staying on the same sized needles for the neck and arm bands, I made significant modifications for both, picking up a lot less stitches than the pattern called for. I also threw this project in the dryer at the end instead of just blocking it, in order to attempt a more "fitted" look with it. I only sewed on one button instead of two. Full details on the modifications are on my ravelry page for the project.

Best Part: It was a great knit for mindless knitting during movies, and it's going to be a nice addition to my "teacher" wardrobe. I'm a huge fan of the color! It'll be nice and warm for those chilly Minnesota winters.

Worst Part: I'm not terribly happy with how loose and big it ended up being. Part of that is being knit with worsted weight wool on big needles- next time I make a vest, I'm probably going to opt for a thinner yarn on smaller needles to achieve a better fitted look. You can also see where I switched from knitting in the round to knitting back and forth- I really need to address that problem one of these days.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the result- it's not one of my favorite knit pieces to date, but it's a good classic staple to have in my closet. Plus the light purple is likely to cheer me up any day. :)

FOs: Tapping Penguin and Grad Hat

2011-05-22T13:40:00.004-05:00

I had two knitting projects with ticking clocks on them for this last week. The first was a hat for a friend who was having a Grad Party on Friday night. He's a friend that climbs often at the gym, and has never asked once for a hat before. He's also a debonair type of guy, so I wanted to knit him a hat that wasn't just a simple beanie with stripes out of heathered yarn. I used a pattern that has worked before, and was able to knit it up in two days! Hence, the Grad Hat:

Pattern: Frequency by Donna Arney, available through Ravelry

Yarn: Cascade 220 Paints/Hand dyed, in a pretty dark blackish/purplish with flecks of brown in it. I've had this skein for awhile, waiting for the right project.

Time Frame: May 17-May 18

Needles: Size 9 (Pattern calls for 8, but Zach has a bigger head)

Best Part: I really do love this yarn- it's so pretty when it comes out, and it works really well with the cables.

Worst Part: This hat pattern still knits up a little on the short side. I added two rows before starting the cable pattern and I'm still worried it won't fit his Scandinavian head. No word yet on the fit...

Besides the Grad Hat, I had a present for my solo tap student I wanted to finish up. She danced the tap dance to the final song from the movie "Happy Feet", so naturally I had to knit a little stuffed penguin for her as a "Congrats" and "Thank you" for all the hard work she put in!

Pattern: Penguin by Susan B. Anderson, from her book Itty-Bitty Toys

Yarn: A complete mish-mash of randoms I had leftover from other projects, including lots of different Cascade 220's, and the Plymouth Worsted Merino for the wings and bow tie.

Needles: size 5

Time Frame: May 11-May 19, 2011

Best Part: I added little "taps" to the bottom of the feet, made with thumbtacks. I folded over the pin part of the tack and used pliers to blunt the end and make sure it wouldn't come off- a toe tap and a heel tap for each little penguin foot!

Worst Part: I'm not terribly happy with how the head turned out- it's a little boxier than I wanted.

She really liked him, and I'm really happy with how he turned out!

Next project with a deadline- some owl mittens I'm making for the owner of the dance studio, Stacey, before our June 11th recital. The way it's going, I should be okay with timing, though, and makes me feel comfortable to pull out the ol' Vivian sweater to finally finish up the last bits of it! I've been listening to the foghorn rolling across the Duluth harbor all morning, which makes this a perfect day to stay inside and get some crafty projects done... :)

Flurry

2011-05-19T12:58:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday, I walked happily across the stage for my Masters Degree in English at Graduation!

It was especially cool, because I got to have all the people there that mattered to me most, including fellow graduate and knitting pal Cheryl,

the always supportive BF,

and my Mom and my Brother, with my Dad there in spirit.

Afterwards, a trip to Green Mill for celebration was necessary, along with a cake only English Graduates would love and margaritas all around. :)

Since classes ended, I've been taking a bit of a break from the "real world", and have already ventured to one of my favorite places to slow down- back on the cliffs.

Ran up to Palisade yesterday for the first time this season, and was not disappointed. Got on some favorites, including Bluebells and Mack the Knife, and to top it off I flashed (translation- no falls) one of last summer's headaches, Hidden Treasure. Despite the wind, it was a great day, and the perfect way to test out my new climbing hat!

Pattern: Mary Jane's Pithy Hat from little turtle knits (Also called the "Elizabethtown Hat"- Ravelry Links)

Yarn: Leftover red Cascade 220 from the Ski Patrol hats for my brother and my Dad

Needles- size 5 for the brim, 7 for the pattern

Best Part: It stays on my head, even 80 feet up on a climb. Plus I love the Elizabethtown reference!

Worst Part: I'm not a huge fan of the length of the hat when it doesn't fall down in back- if I made another one (which I probably will, cause it knit up fast enough for a gift knit) I might make it 8'' instead of 10'' before closing the top. Maybe shorter if I made myself another one.

This hat wasn't the only thing I finished in the last few days. I've been a knitting fiend with all my gift projects, which I'll show more of later.

For now, it's been nice relaxing as the semester closes and summer settles in. I have a lot of climbing projects and knitting projects to work on, but it feels good to take a deep breath as my summer truly begins...

Graduation

2011-05-12T12:05:00.000-05:00

It's been a long few weeks, with a lot of deadlines and stress and late nights with white cheddar popcorn. I still have exams in the second week of September, but all the papers are turned in, all my finals are taken, and tonight, after all the craziness the last two years, all the worry, all the papers, and all the studying...

tonight, I will be walking for my Master's Degree.

That feels pretty darn nice. :)

Awesome Mom

2011-05-08T11:03:00.003-05:00

In the middle of all my crazy end-of-school things, I'm going to take a second and point out someone who's been there for me through everything, always trying to point me in the right direction while at the same time let me discover my own path.

My Mom is pretty much one of the coolest Moms around. She's always willing to try new adventures, always happy when I come home (her cooking especially makes me believe that), and is constantly supporting me. She came to countless performances of theater, dance, softball games, and even curling matches.

She'll be the one watching me walk this Thursday for my Master's Degree, cheering as she did when I graduated from high school and undergraduate. She's the one that only slightly begrudgingly accepted my decision to spend a month in Yosemite this summer, climbing thousands of feet in the air above the valley floor.

I know that no matter what I do, she's always there to support me and cheer me on. And for that, I'm incredibly grateful.

Thanks for everything, Mom. You're the epitome of awesomeness when it comes to being a Mom, and I wouldn't be who I am today without you! :)

Alive and Still Going

2011-05-02T11:05:00.003-05:00

This last week has been crazy for me. I had a paper due on Wednesday, lots more research and studying, plus a trip down to the cities for a dance competition for my tap girls. Our studio did superb- we got a lot of awards, including one for Best Precision, most prepared, and all of our dances did well! The rankings start at Bronze, then go Silver Star, Gold, High Gold, and Platinum (only given to a few of the dances from the almost 300 entered in the 2-day period). My youngest middle school tappers got "High Gold", my young high school tappers got "Gold", my tap soloist got "High Gold", and my oldest and most advanced line got "Platinum"! I'm ridiculously excited, and couldn't be prouder of the amazing dancing by my ladies.

Today it's back to the world of finals, research, papers, and stress as the last week of classes begins for me. At least it's gross outside so I don't feel too guilty about being inside all the time.

Minnesota is delivering a beautiful, snowy May thus far. Woohoo?

I haven't been able to get a lot accomplished knitting-wise. My pointe socks are slowly but surely coming along. I took a minute before ballet last week to model them.

I'm really enjoying the pattern- it's a little slow and finicky, but it looks really pretty. I think they'll fit my feet really well after a good block.

I was able to get through a few stripes as well on my Victorian Lit Legwarmers.

Until this weekend I was knitting them exclusively during my Victorian Literature class, more as a stashbusting project as well as mindless class knitting than anything (I already have lots of legwarmers- these will probably replace a pair or two of old ones). I'm almost to the top of the first one, and then onward to the second probably more as bus knitting than anything.

This is my last week of classes- next week I have a final on Monday, a paper and my ballet recreation final due on Wednesday, and finally Graduation on Thursday, where I will walk and receive my master's hood.

Right now I'm not thinking past Wednesday. Final push to get things done starts today- wish me luck!

Blocking and a Turkey

2011-04-23T14:52:00.005-05:00

Sorry about the long time lapses of silence- it's been crazy busy for me lately as I try to balance end-of-semester load with working. This weekend I was planning on working hard on my Victorian literature paper, so with family Easter tomorrow I packed up everything from Duluth....

and set up shop in the kitchen at my parent's house down in the Twin Cities! It's nice to be home for a bit, as it always is, though my Mom gets so excited for us to come home that she makes huge Minnesotan meals... for every meal. We just finished a stroganoff lunch- enough to keep me happy the whole day- and she informed us that we were having a big lasagna dinner, too. Uff da! So much food!

Last night I was really burnt out from the long week of staying up late working on papers and reading and writing assignments, so my Mom and I crashed on the couch when we got into town and watched "Chocolat", since it perfectly worked with Easter weekend. I was able to (finally!) get the time to finish my Brit Lit Vest! This morning it took a little bit of a bath...

And now it's lying in the porch, trying to catch some of the gloomy afternoon rays and dry out.

It's definitely got some bulk to it, but we'll see what it looks like once it's done blocking and has the buttons sewed on. Maybe I should have used a lighter weight yarn than the Cascade 220?

So even though it's the bunny holiday, we had a little bit of a surprise this morning when we looked out into our backyard...

we noticed a giant turkey lurking around! The best part about this is my parent's house is situated on an island with only two bridges to get over the channels, meaning that in order to get to my parent's house, this giant turkey had to at one point walk over a bridge, then walk up and down lots of hills in order to finally make its way to my parent's backyard. Ridiculous! My mom and brother and I got a kick out of it. :)

Back to the grind... now I only have one bigger project on the needles, and I need to get that finished before the summer comes. Maybe that'll be my May project... once school is done... and all these papers...

FO: Spring Shawl

2011-04-13T14:40:00.004-05:00

I took some time off from studying yesterday to break out the chacos for a walk outside, enjoy the beautiful 60 degree weather, and get some pictures of my first-ever shawl, just in time for the change in weather!

Pattern: Little Shells, from Holly and Ella Knits

Yarn: Mirasol Yarn Nuna, in a pretty turquoise-blue (Colorway 1025, Dye Lot 93514)

Needles: Size 8

Modifications: They weren't necessarily modifications, but my stitch count kept getting off and I kept...kind of... making things... up. Oops. I stuck as close to the pattern as possible, but I kept not getting the right amount of stitches in the end, which drove me crazy. I finally just went with it and figured things out as I went. There's a couple of places where you can tell I deviated from the pattern a little, but overall it's not bad.

Best Part: Really enjoying the flexibility of the yarn, and how light it feels when I wear it!

Worst Part: Not knowing if it was me doing so badly on the lace part or if I had an old version of the pattern with the wrong stitch count. Oops...

I really enjoy how the shawl looks just draped around my shoulders, and I'm pretty sure I'll start hunting around for another pattern soon. It'll be a good piece to add to my "teacher" wardrobe, and helps brighten up any outfit!

Plus, I have a project in mind that requires good practice with lace shawls, so I want to feel comfortable with lace shawl patterns before taking on an advanced pattern.

Studying

2011-04-12T09:07:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year here at my house- studying. The end of the semester approaches, along with paper deadlines, proposals, and a new one for me this year- job-hunting for a teaching position for next year. I'm spending a lot of time doing this:

just me and my little laptop and a large pile of books and articles and notes and outlines.

I was able to take a small study break to watch my UMD BULLDOGS win their very first NCAA National Championship! Having been brainwashed to be a hockey fan from birth, this was a really exciting event, resulting in much cheering and screaming and nail-biting. It was a close game the entire time, with UMD scoring the winning goal in overtime! I think I typed about three sentences on my paper during the game before setting my laptop aside to avoid it flying off my lap from excitement. :)

When my brain needs a shift, I transfer from one type of studying over to another:

I've never done big wall climbing before, and I'm reading up on all the techniques and tricks that I'll be practicing all through May (after graduation) and June before I leave for Yosemite for my big summer climbing trip. On top of that, I'm training in some way, shape or form everyday for climbing this summer.

The only difficult thing about all this studying I need to get done is how nice the weather has gotten in the last few days. It's been up to 60 degrees, sunny, light breeze... perfect outdoor climbing weather, or really outdoor-anything weather. I'm bike-commuting everywhere now- only my once-a-week trip to B&N warrant use of the car. It's helping with my grocery buying (harder to buy big boxes of processed stuff, easier to get a few fruits and veggies for a few days, keep things fresh) plus getting me back in cardio shape (yaaaay Duluth hills!). Unfortunately, it's not nearly enough time outside for me. I keep telling myself... after May 12th graduation, I can be outside as much as I want... :)

I finished the amoeba that was my spring shawl, and it's currently pinned and blocking on my living room floor!

I noticed right away where I got "creative" with the eyelet pattern, but overall I'm really happy with how it turned out. More pictures once it's done drying, but hopefully this is the first of numerous shawls!

Back to studying.

One more month... I graduate in one month... then I can live outside and on the cliffs for awhile...

BAAAAAAAH.....

Spring Madness

2011-04-07T13:11:00.004-05:00

As the spring semester has picked up speed, I'm barely keeping my head above water as I try to juggle everything at once. Two classes means two big papers, plus finishing my final thesis draft as I near graduation and studying for comprehensive exams, the big kahuna of the Master's Degree. I'll be graduating and walking in May, but because my thesis paper is taking awhile to finish I won't be taking my exams till the second week of September. Helps alleviate a little of the stress, but not a lot as papers and Ballet are taking up a lot of time.

To combat this, I have a lot of stress-knitting going on. I finished a pair of mittlets for a friend which really helped put me in the spring spirit!

Pattern: Cupcake Mittlets by shantha rose, available for free as a Ravelry download.

Yarn: Sidar Snuggly Baby Bamboo DK weight- 1 skein and a little bit into the 2nd.

Needles: Size 3, as suggested

Time: March 31-April 6, though truthfully I knit one mittlet per day and left the thumbs till the 6th, which I got done in about a half hour. Really fast, fun knit!

Modifications: I used Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off for the tops of the mitts and the thumbs, to make sure they were nice and stretchy. Worked beautifully with the bamboo yarn. Pretty sure that's my go-to bind off now for almost everything...

Best Part: Probably how fast they knit up, with really soft and light yarn. Put me in a spring mood!

Worst Part: There really was none. The yarn split occasionally on the purls, but that was it.

Other than those, I've been working on my pretty turquoise spring shawl, which looks less like a shawl and more like an amoeba right now.

I have to admit, I don't know if it's because this is my first shawl, or because it's a lace shawl and I have issues with lace, but I'm having a really rough time with the pattern. I do exactly what it asks, then end up with wrong stitch count all over the place. At first I tried to fix it every time, but I was literally knitting two rows and ripping one. Not great for the morale. I finally gave up, figuring if I stayed in the ballpark and kept the pattern where it was supposed to be, then it was fine. I'll worry more about exact stitch count when I get to having to do the border.

Right?

It's almost near the end, and I'm excited to get it off the needles and block it.

I'm going to use the excuse that it's my first lace shawl if it really looks bad...

Besides, I want this one to be a warm up for other pretty things.... :)

FO: (Non) Blizzard Mittens

2011-03-27T16:43:00.002-05:00

Only a few days after I started these fun Lovikka mittens, and they're already felted, embroidered, and keeping my hands warm and snug against the not-quite-spring winds!

I'm really happy with how they turned out, and now I finally have a pair to call my own after making a couple already for presents. I've worn them already, and I'm pretty sure they're going to be one of my new favorite winter pieces!

Pattern: Lovikka mittens from the book Folk Mittens by Marcia Lewandowski.

Yarn: Cascade 220 in a creamy off-white- 1 skein for both mittens. The embroidery is leftover red heathered and purple from other projects, both in Cascade 220.

Needles: 6- pattern called for 7

Made for: Myself! :)

Timeline: March 20-26th, one of my shortest ever for a pair of mittens

Modifications: Went down a needle size from what the pattern calls for, and when picking up 18 stitches for the thumb, I picked up one extra on each side so there wasn't a gaping hole, then after 2 rounds K2tog on those two extra stitches.

Worst Part: Not much- probably the wait to felt it, dry it, and embroider it.

Best Part: How quickly they knit up- the second mitten took about a day!

I also cast on for a spring shawl- and my first shawl ever. :) In bright turquoise, I'm excited with how fast it's knitting up!

Things have been pretty rough for me lately- I went from having the flu earlier this week to catching a cold and sore throat, then yesterday one of my eyes was all puffy and infected. Today both of my eyes are super puffy and infected, pointing to maybe pink eye. Going out in bright sunlight makes my eyes explode in pain, and I'm going in tomorrow to get it checked. So today, not only can I not breath from the cold or swallow well from the sore throat, I can't even see well. It's like my body wants to get all the sicknesses for the year over with in one big go- or at least that's my reasoning.

Off to do more homework, and maybe have a tiny nap.

Katie Knits

2011-03-25T15:57:00.004-05:00

I finished knitting the (non) Blizzard Mittens, and they're currently in the washer before going to the dryer to be felted. I've been still down and out as I recover from a particularly nasty bout of the flu, which means a little more down time (sort of) for knitting. These knit up so fast I'll hopefully still be able to wear them before it gets too cold out. :)

All right, I have to admit I need a little help from all of you readers out there. I found a great little website that lets you put your own personal emblem on a piece of ribbon, which I could then sew into anything that I make for a friend or as a barter. It's actually very reasonably priced, and one spool would last for awhile!

Since I can be fairly drawing-challenged, I enlisted the help of my awesome Mom to draw up a few ideas for "Katie Knits" or "Katie's Knits", and she sent me about 30-40 really cute choices. From them, these are a few of my favorites.

Choice # 1- I like the way this incorporates what could either be knitting needles or sewing pins...

Choice #2- This is one of my favorites- simple and cute, with little needles...

Choice #3- A fair amount of flow, still simple but still some fun swirls...
Choice #4- A little more decoration on each end, but still feels nice and simple...
Choice #5- A bit of decoration, but less then the last one...
Choice #5- I don't know why I like this one so much, but I do. Fun and cute!

It was hard enough to narrow it down to even these 5 (and I'm still debating a couple other designs), so let me know which one you like, or would smile if you saw on the inside of a hand-knit good from a friend...

Silly MN, Blizzards are for Kids

2011-03-23T12:31:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite things about living in Minnesota is that we're usually guaranteed a couple of blizzards every year. One or two of them usually occur in the springtime, after everyone is ready to see green grass and put away the thick winter jackets.

The last couple of days have been like this. The forecast has been ominous- 40 mph gusts of winds, blowing snow, white-out conditions- but the only thing that really seemed to happen was the crazy wind. In order to ensure that no snow days would occur, or crazy weather was to be had, I cast on for a pair of Lovikka mittens I've been meaning to make for myself for those windy, blizzardy days like those promised.

I figured if I cast on for those mittens, there was no way we would get the blizzard. After all, being prepared means it usually doesn't happen, right?

It held true all of yesterday. I was inside battling the flu most of the day, and every few hours would wake up, peek out my window, feel the wind shaking the building (they weren't kidding about that), and note that there really wasn't any snow on the ground.

I couldn't believe it- maybe I was helping avert the blizzard!
Maybe it wouldn't happen!!

Dragged myself to class this morning- still through crazy wind- but by now, the skies had held off long enough.

By the time I got home- and nearly to the top of the first mitten...

the snow has started to fall.

Darn it. And here I thought I was helping jinx this silly blizzard nonsense (or un-jinx it, depending on how you look at it).

Guess I better make sure my avalanche shovel is in the trunk of my car to dig myself out...

Progress!

2011-03-20T17:17:00.005-05:00

It's amazing how fast this week has gone by! Luckily, I feel that I made the most of it, by relaxing, doing homework, and crafting as much as I could. I've got major progress on quite a few of my projects, and I'm even in the home stretch for some of the big ones.

First off are the chalk bags! I've been trying to perfect my pattern for making chalkbags, and I'm making the two of these side by side- one as a donation for a local high school climbing club, and one for my ballet friend (as incentive to come climbing more!). I'm finally happy with the sizes that they're turning out to be, but I'm still learning things along the way (for instance, double check how to put a grommet in before you actually punch holes in fabric!).

I have to make a quick run to Michael's in the next couple of days to get a drawstring before I can go any further, but thus far I'm very excited with how good they're turning out! Of course, saying this means that the sewing gods are going to strike a big bolt out of the sky right down on my head, so expect unhappy posts soon about these...

Next, the first of the Alice mittens is really taking shape! I'm almost to the top of the thumb, which should make them go considerably faster once I put those stitches on the holder. This particular pattern is a little more difficult for fair isle, as the yarn has to sometimes run quite a ways between colors, but I'm still really satisfied with how it's turning out. It's exciting to see it take shape (which is one of my favorite things about fair isle)!

I'm about two rows away from being finished with the back of my Thursday Next Vest, and I'll be starting soon on the front to finish it up- woohoo! This one was an impulse make, and even though I usually don't wear vests I'm excited to see how this one turns out. If I wear it a lot and I enjoy it, I have one or two other vests/vest-like things already in mind that I'd like to cast on for...

Last but not least is the big beauty in my pack, the Vivian sweater. I'm finally up to the yolk of the shoulders, and I'm really excited to finally get this thing finished so I can wear it with pride! If I hadn't let it just sit forever because I would get stuck on one little stitch here or there, it would have been finished months ago. Ah well... next time I do a sweater, I'll do better, I know! ;)

I'm especially happy with how pretty the cabling on the back is... I added two cables in the center seed stitch section that go up the back, and I think it'll add to the overall effect a lot. This is going to be one of the more difficult sweaters I've ever knit, and I love it! Cabling sweaters are definitely for me. :)

With so many projects close to the finish line, I'm trying to just get the big ones done and out of the way before I start anything else. The only problem is just that- they're big, bulky, and not very friendly for bus knitting or sticking-in-my-purse knitting (the Alice mittens are just too fiddly to do that). So I guess I'll be forced to cast on for something to knit for the bus ride to school... question is, exactly what might that be?

Hmmm...

Spring Break Fun!

2011-03-19T13:02:00.004-05:00

Despite the homework load I've had this break, I've managed to put a little bit of random fun into the days I have off. I found a fantastic cookie recipe online for chocolate chip cookies, and for the first time in awhile was able to bake successfully!

Super easy recipe:

- 2 cups flour

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

- 1 cup packed brown sugar

- 1/2 cup white sugar

- 1 Tblsp vanilla extract

- 1 egg

- 1 egg yolk

- 2 cups chocolate chips (I used Nestle Milk Chocolate chips- sooo good!)

~ Preheat oven to 325

~ Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

~ Cream butter and sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla and eggs until light and creamy. Mix in with the sifted stuff until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

~ Drop dough in about 1/4 cup at a time, about 3 inches apart.

~ Bake 10-15 minutes, until edges lightly toasted.

~ Cool on baking sheets before transferring to wire rack.

Makes a little less than two dozen cookies. Let's just say that between giving them away and how tasty they were, they didn't last long. :)

I also have been doing a lot of ballet barre and center, getting ready for my final two recreations in my ballet class.

For one, we'll be given a female variation on pointe from the ballet La Bayadere. I'm not sure which variation it will be yet- we'll be learning it in a week or so. We get to choose the other, and I found this video that I really enjoy and have started to work on. It's a little slower, but in reality it makes it more controlled and a little more difficult. Hopefully I can get the whole thing figured out and practiced by the time finals week rolls around!

My shoes are starting to show the wear and tear of months of daily practice, and late last week I was beginning to feel the satin on the bottom of the box really deteriorate, making it more painful to be up on pointe.

Solution?

Pointe shoes. Brand new, beautiful, Bloch Serenade, and on sale. :)

Knitting and other crafts update tomorrow...

FO: Electric Kool-Aid Socks

2011-03-14T14:01:00.005-05:00

A long time ago, in a yarn store far, far away, I found a beautiful skein of Jitterbug yarn. It was a creamy white, interrupted by bands of beautiful and crazy bright colors that screamed "FUN!". It's hard enough to resist Jitterbug yarn, but tie-dye crazy in the middle of a gray spring is impossible.

I got the yarn and realized I had no idea what to make with it. It hung out in my stash until about mid-summer, when I decided a nice lace scarf was exactly what to do.

I got about half-way through that project before I realized I really didn't like the way it looked, and frogged it back. I spent a good few months waiting for the right pattern to emerge. It had to be simple, since the colors would take away from any lace or cabling, but it had to be interesting enough to keep me entertained.

I finally found a great pattern online, called "A Nice Ribbed Sock", (Ravelry link), which would help keep the sock on my banana ballet-girl feet and still be fun and easy to knit during class time.

I decided to call my socks the "Electric Kool-Aid Socks", since the crazy bright colors are going to be a nice lift for me on these gross spring days before the colors start to really show!

Yarn: the yarn is the Colinette Jitterbug, in white/tie-dye variation.

Needles: size 1

Best Part: Probably the colors. I enjoyed watching them evolve as the sock progressed!

Worst Part: The heel was a problem for me due to my tight knit, so I had to knit a bit more than the pattern originally called for in order to get the 18 stitches necessary to do the gusset. In the future, I might modify the pattern to just have a short row heel. In relation to the yarn, another worst part was figuring out what pattern to use!

The fit is pretty good- a little on the loose side for my taste, so I might give them a good hot bath and see if I can block them nice and snug.

Overall, a fun pattern and a warm and bright pair of socks to keep my feetsies warm!

Today I've been spring cleaning my apartment like mad. I already have three bags of crap to bring to the donation center, and next on my list is to completely gut and clean out my room. I have the time to do it today, and it would feel amazing to have a clean, organized workplace when school really begins to pick up at the end of the semester.

I've been working on my Pointe Socks during down time, and I'm loving the pattern so far.

It's such a pretty yarn to work with, too! I'm a little nervous that they're going to be a little loose as well- is there any way that I can fix this after the fact? A good round in the wash? Suggestions?

Off to tackle the living room... and maybe go through my books for a book exchange while I'm at it! :)

FO: Midterm Cowl

2011-03-12T12:23:00.003-06:00

Springtime in Duluth is usually fairly crummy. Case in point- yesterday, the dusting of snow turned into a rain/snow mix by the time I was biking home from work, and this morning I'm enjoying my morning coffee while watching big fat snowflakes drift down. Mother Nature takes about three months to figure out whether or not she's in winter or summer up here, giving 40 degrees and sun one day but a twenty degree drop, plus winds and ice and snow the next.

This means one must be prepared in terms of winter apparel. I got the cowl bug from Red's recent posting, and after only a few days cranked out one of my new favorite pieces to my wardrobe!

Specs: From the Burberry Cowl pattern by Julianne Smith, available for free! I called it my "Midterm Cowl", since it was my stress relief knit while studying for midterms and working on my abstracts for papers.

Yarn: I used the delicious Baby Alpaca Grande from Plymouth Yarn, and it was ridiculously soft and cozy to knit with. It's got a fair bit of bulk around my neck, which is perfect for keeping on the chilly wind coming off Lake Superior.

The pattern was super easy to knit. I can't decide if the pattern or the yarn is the best part about this project, because both were amazing! The speed that I got it done means it'll be one of my go-to pieces for a fast present knit, plus I know a few people that would probably wear it!

The only snag I hit was that I ran out of yarn before I could get the full four repeats that the pattern called for- I ended up about 10 rows from where it was supposed to end. Not a huge deal, as it still fits perfectly and will keep me plenty snug!

As I enter my spring break week, I'm going to make it a point to attempt to finish off at least a couple of the lingering projects I have waiting in my Ravelry "Works in Progress" list. My Vivian sweater, for instance, needs just the yolk, the hood, and a zipper before it's completely done. I'm going to make it my goal to finish that sweater during this break week so I can wear it in the chilly Minnesota spring, which usually extends through May and into June. Plenty of time to wear it left. :)

Today, I'm heading down to the DECC- the girls that I teach competition tap dancing to are competing today in the first competition of the year! I'm a little nervous, hoping that they won't forget their steps or arms or smiles, which still enjoying being onstage. Guess I'll have to wait and see...

Break

2011-03-06T22:13:00.003-06:00

In between all the studying this weekend, I got to take a quick break to go cheer on the UMD Bulldogs against Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday night!

Normally I frequent the student section, but I had a special treat from my friend Isaac- he had an extra ticket in a box suite, right on center ice! I was pretty stoked, and was sitting on the edge of my seat most of the game!

I was working diligently on my cowl in between periods in order to calm down from all the cheering, excitement and action...

and afterwards I was able to stop off and see a crazy brother in the curling club for a quick talk and a drink before heading home.

Next weekend- PLAYOFFS!!!

It's my last week before spring break, so a big push to get a lot done. I'm already almost done with the cowl, so hopefully I'll finish that and get some pictures in the next couple of days. We'll see?

Midterm Alert

2011-03-05T14:46:00.004-06:00

Things are decidedly heating up around here. I spent a long night Tuesday editing and re-editing and checking facts before handing in another draft of my thesis paper on Wednesday, bought my graduation rope and ordered my Master's hood on Thursday, and today I'm working on the essay portion of my take-home midterm for Victorian lit. The semester is definitely putting the heat on!

In celebration of my thesis draft, I took a small detour to Yarn Harbor after seeing Red's blog post about a certain cowl... in a certain type of yarn...

Remember when I fell in love with Malabrigo, saying it was like knitting with butter and I would never look back?

I hadn't touched Plymouth Yarn's Baby Alpaca Grande yet.

Normally, this is a lot nicer yarn than I would ever get for myself. However, a beautifully done and much-coveted cowl pattern makes it worthwhile, plus it's a fast knit and will be perfect for the damp and chilly Minnesota spring. The utter and complete fuzzy softness will couple perfectly with lighter spring jackets, yet keep me cozy when biking around.

Plus, having a rough week means it's nice to treat yourself once in awhile. :)

I got the yarn on Thursday, expecting to maybe start the project after next week, when my spring break was starting.

But the yarn just sat there... cozy... pretty... making yarny eyes at me... coaxing me with promises of a quick, soft, glorious knit..

And I couldn't help myself.

Now I'm just going to limit it to a couple of rows every fifteen minutes. A little reward for all the homework.

Better sooner than later... right?

...Progress?!

2011-02-28T16:48:00.004-06:00

I've been taking periodical breaks to finish certain crafty projects that were promised and have due dates on them, and one for sure is finished!

A "Veggiesaurus" shirt for a certain vegetarian is colored, dried, and has finally been delivered as promised, and I couldn't be happier with the result.

I figure one run through the wash should take out all the pencil marks- trying to draw a dinosaur on a shirt is harder than you'd think...

Another project with a deadline is finally coming along- the Alice mittens have sprouted the first roses on the colorwork portion, and I was able to sort through my many post-it notes to write out my modifications to the pattern to make it work. I posted all the changes on my Ravelry page for them, and hopefully it'll help when I make the second mitten. I really like them so far, despite the fiddly-ness of the pattern.

As I run off to work on my thesis paper, I leave you with a short video on the trials of ballet... because when you're a 5 year old, first position can be tricky... :)

Time Management

2011-02-23T16:03:00.004-06:00

It's been feeling a little lately like I'm a tiny bit over my head. Reading and homework for my classes is extensive every night, I'm trying to finalize my final thesis paper while making my book lists for my exams, and my tap dancing girls participate in their first competition in less than a month.

All of this means I've become a list-making machine, planning every minute that I possibly can to help incorporate homework or working on something I need to get done. 15-minute bus ride to school? Time to read Lady Audley's Secret for Victorian lit.

Get to class 7 minutes early? Headphones are on, and I'm listening to "Jump, Jive 'an Wail", tapping out a section that might be unclear to make sure it works.

Knitting has fallen in to this pattern as well. I have a couple of projects I keep switching out in my bag, and I've made progress on some important time-sensitive ones.

I finished the Incognito for my Hawaiian friend, just in time for his birthday today!

I really had fun making this one- super fast, and the embroidery was a good activity while watching movies. :)

Specs: Made out of good ol' Cascade 220 in a chocolate-brown, on size 8 needles. Embroidery is in black Cascade 220.

Modifications: The recipient was curious if there was a way to keep the cowl up around his face without being too tight, so I made a super-long I-cord and strung it through the folded-down hem, coming out through the back of the cowl to be tied. He really enjoyed it, and I'm glad it worked as well as I wanted it to!

Besides the cowl, I also took the Alice in Wonderland mittens for my advisor back out of hiding and re-cast on in size crazy-small needles, working on the cuff during a climbing-movie night at a friend's house.

It looks a lot better, and hopefully I'll be done with the cuff and into the colorwork by the end of the week!

Last but not least is a Veggiesaurus shirt I'm making for a certain Vegetarian/Vegan!

I'm really excited with how well this one is turning out, and I'm doing one color every time I stand up to take a stretch break from homework.

Speaking of homework... probably should get back... :)

Unseasonable

2011-02-17T12:26:00.003-06:00

The last couple of days have been ridiculously warm up here in Duluth. We set a record high yesterday at 52 degrees F, which made perfect weather for a beautiful walk around Duluth!

The ice in the harbor was breaking up all over the place, and I made sure to do some iceberg-jumping while out (though in retrospect, I really should have fallen in)...

In between tearing off bits of tasty cinnamon chip bread from Great Harvest, a local bakery, I made sure to let my knitting get some air- my pair of crazy-colored socks, which I finally frogged the heel and lengthened the heel flap to what it needed to be.

I love knitting with the bright colors in the midst of white, gray, and ice, and these socks really fit the ticket!

It's supposed to get cold again soon, but it was nice to pull out my rainboots, stretch my legs, and get knitting pictures outside for once. Gives me the itch to finish that one sweater that's been lingering in the background for a long time... get some (finished!) pictures of it against the snowy background...

Yay progress!

Bits and Pieces

2011-02-09T16:08:00.004-06:00

It's been rather stressful this last week or so, but one major accomplishment has been ticked off my list- I passed my written French translation exam, woohoo! Two nerve-wracking hours of translating some pages from Albert Camus's L'Estranger before sitting down and reading my translation back to one of the French professors resulted in (I felt) one of my bigger accomplishments so far. I was honestly worried that this translation exam was going to hold me back from my Master's degree, but lo and behold I managed to do it!

To celebrate, I gave myself a couple of hours off to watch Wall-E and work on the toe increase for my Pointe socks.

After a couple of hair raising moments (including a potentially dangerous moment where I somehow yanked an entire needle out and had to pick up the stitches again) I had the two all done for the first sock! It was finicky work, but I really like how it looks and how seamless the top of the toe is with this method.

I've also been doing a row or two on the bus or in the five minutes before class on these fun and easy ribbed socks, though I'm such a tight knitter that the slip 1-knit or slip-1 purl heel flap was suuuuuper short, which you can really see in the picture and is obvious after I knit the gusset. Just because I really want to like these socks and wear them a lot, and there's no specific time line on them, I might tear back the heel and make the heel flap longer. Just to make it right. :)

In other news, my ballet class has really started to kick my butt. Being back in pointe shoes resulted in a nice big blister, and I've been limping around willing it to heal super fast, since half my life right now is in dance shoes (tap and ballet) or climbing shoes. Tomorrow in class is going to be fun. I'm half tempted to knit a pair of those toe-less socks to walk around in, just so my feet stay warm while letting it heal. Yay for dance! :)

Off to work more on my paper. It's kind of nice that it's been so ridiculously cold out lately up here in the north, as I don't feel terribly guilty for being unable to go outside and enjoy our beautiful winter days. Hopefully a couple more edits and this thing is in the bag. Until then, research, research, research!

Keep on Learning...

2011-02-06T14:06:00.004-06:00

I've been spending a lot of my time here lately:

studying hard, trying to finish my last thesis paper in order to have it ready to go before all my paperwork is due. It's tedious work, but it's a lot of fun when I'm really in the thick of it, and feeds my excitement to keep researching and finding new things.

Speaking of learning, I started a project today that's going to be a whole new learning experience for me!

I'm making a pair of Manolo socks for myself, and they're made using a few things that are new to me as a sock knitter. First and foremost, they're done toe-up using a special cast where the toe of the sock is immediately closed. They're also knit on two circular needles, whereas I've always been a double-point needle kind of lady. I'm making them in some very pretty soft pink yarn. Normally I'm not a pink sort of person, but the pattern reminds me so much of pointe shoes that there really seemed to be no choice in the matter. This pattern will probably challenge me, and I'm excited to really dive in!

Besides, if nothing else, I have a pair of easy ribbed socks I can fall back on, in super bright colors to ward off the winter blues... :)

Back to the studying!

Something Cozy

2011-02-01T08:50:00.004-06:00

Things have been crazy since the semester started, with reading piling up and paperwork to be filled out so I can graduate and a thesis paper I'm revising and a french translation test to study for on top of teaching dance and working at the climbing gym. I'm going to be really glad when week five passes and I can breathe a little sigh of relief at getting papers in before more studying.
In between all the insanity, I managed to knit a little something to keep my coffee warm during the many late-night study sessions I've been having.It's a mug cozy, knit with a very brilliant little pattern that was fast and easy to remember. I've never done "smocking" before, so learning a new technique in the process was an extra bonus!
Specs: The pattern is the Mug and French Press Jacket, with the link to the blog sight here and the Ravelry link here. I made it with some extra Cascade 220 that I found while stash-diving, in a really pretty red/orange mix that was a great splash of color for the middle of winter, not to mention as Valentine's Day approaches! The button is another one from my Grandma's stash- big and brown and fun.I did modify it a little- the bottom increases called for making one by lifting the bar from the previous round, but it was getting really tight and didn't look the way I wanted, so I simply increased by k1 and increase through the back loop, creating the pretty swirl pattern I thought would add a nice detail to the bottom of the cozy.
I'll probably make more for last-minute presents since it was such a fast, fun knit. There might even be one more for me since I'll be drinking a lot of coffee in the months to come!
As my study schedule gets crazier, it'll be nice to have a warm cup of something next to me. :)
Stay warm today, everyone! (especially fellow northerners: -2 F out right now, so waiting at the bus stop is going to be chilly this morning!)

Extreme Second Sock Syndrome

2011-01-24T13:41:00.004-06:00

In 2008, I was really beginning to get a handle on knitting and was excited to make things for friends. One project that loomed as a rite of passage was making my first pair of socks, mostly as a warm up to contribute to a pair of Harry Potter socks for a good friend. I got an easy beginner pattern that worked really well for me as I knit my first sock (notice that- sock- singular). I finished the first one and cast on immediately for the red snitch sock for the Harry Potter pair. This led to other socks like another Harry Potter pair, my first pair in fingering weight, my first intricate lace pair, so on and so forth... and my very first sock (one sock still) lingered forgotten and sad at the bottom of my stash bin. Fast forward to a few days ago, when I was rooting around in my stash for some yarn and found the sock stashed below.

It was knit out of Cascade 220- the same grey as the yarn I used to recently make mittens for Heather, and I happened to have enough leftover to easily get a sock out of it. Excited to get this floating random project finally finished, I immediately cast on and easily finished the second sock over the weekend.

I really didn't notice immediately the difference when I first pulled them on...

but then it began to be more apparent when I looked closer (but really, not that close)....

and finally had to come to terms with the fact that my knitting has changed over the past three years. The sock on my right foot I knit this weekend- the sock on the left foot is from three years ago, and is quite a big bigger, with looser stitches and not as clean of decreases and increases, stitches picked up, the whole shebang. If it had been a comparison from project to project, it would have been nicer than two socks in the same project.

I guess it's a nice thing to be able to say, "Hey, look at how far I've come!", but unfortunately right now all I can think is I have a pair of kind of mis-matched socks.

This will hopefully forever persuade me to not leave a project and come back to it a long time later. My experiment with extreme second sock syndrome (for all you non-knitters, this is knitting one sock and waiting awhile to cast on the second- though usually not waiting 3 years) is a good kick in the butt for sure. :)

Might have to go back and re-examine all those half-finished projects in between chapters of the Iliad...

Alice in Blunderland

2011-01-16T09:15:00.003-06:00

I was really excited after finishing the headband, and cast on for the Alice in Wonderland mittens I'm going to make for my advisor for helping me so much.

I ran in to trouble pretty much right away.

The pattern starts with scalloped edges, which worked out well enough, but the row beyond that asked for increases that put the stitch count from 33 to 65.

First time, I got up to 45 stitches. Backtracked with cup of coffee.

Second time, I realized I didn't do the first purl. Fixed it, still only got to 47 stitches. Poured larger cup of coffee.

Third time, I improvised a little bit from the pattern and was able to get up to 62 stitches.

Backtracked again and considered switching from coffee to wine.

Very carefully did the same types of increases, positive that I was following what the designer had in mind. Got again to 62 stitches. Momentary frustration followed by realization that 62 was close enough and I would just go from there and add more later where I could. Poured another cup of coffee and settled into the pattern.

After a few rows, I got that queasy feeling in my stomach that something wasn't right. I was warned that I should immediately go down a needle size or two by someone who had knit this pattern before, and didn't really think of it since I had already had so much trouble and didn't want to think about it. But that dark feeling in my gut as I kept knitting the cuff kept saying to me, "It's too big. You should measure it. It doesn't look right."

I told my gut it was fine and, naturally, kept going.

As I passed the first buttonhole and got closer to the second, just to shut that feeling in my gut up, I decided to check my gauge and prove once and for all that it was fine and it just... looked big. It would be way better once it was connected. Right?

Gauge- 9 stitches to the inch.

My gauge- 7 stitches to the inch.

Just to be sure (because we all know only measuring the gauge isn't enough of an indicator) I took out my measuring tape to see just how long the cuff was.

@(%*# &%^^&%)@_$!!!!!!

Put the mitten cuff in time out and cast on for a cowl instead.

Snowflake Headband

2011-01-14T13:35:00.003-06:00

After work today, I pulled out a box of buttons to finish up a belated Christmas present for my Mom.The thing about this particular box of buttons is that it comes from my Grandma's sewing kit I received when passed away a few years ago. All the different buttons and notions were ones collected by her over time, put away in a tin "Yale Smoking Tobacco" box. Some of the buttons, like the ones I picked out to go on this headband, still had remnants of thread from whatever clothing she snipped them from.It was the perfect final touch on a soft, pretty headband I knit for my Mom. She might even recognize the little blue buttons I picked from the box if they came from an old shirt of hers.

Knit up on size three needles, I used the Ropes and Ladders pattern from the book Knitting 24/7. Since my Mom is ridiculously sensitive to all wool (and boy do I mean all), I used Sublime's baby cashmere with merino silk 4 ply, which works well with the pattern because of the stretchy, squishy qualities of the yarn.
Best part: The yarn was easily one of my favorite parts- super soft, super squishy, utterly delightful to knit with. The pattern was also fast and easy, and looks great when finished.
Worst part: Picking up the stitches at the top of the headband- it was really hard to get the pattern to line up exactly, and it took a couple of tries to get it right.I have a feeling that giving it to my Mom- especially after she knows where the buttons came from- is going to be the real best part about this headband. :)

Splashes of Purple

2011-01-12T11:30:00.004-06:00

There's a lot of purple going on in my life right now.

I've been working on a vest from the book Knitting 24/7 (one of my favorites- so many gorgeous patterns!) as my traveling knitting, and it's knitting up beautifully in a light purple that goes with a lot of tops I plan on pairing it with.

I'm very close to putting stitches on hold for the underarms, and if I work on this hard perhaps I can wear it one of my first days back at school next week!

I also received a beautiful pair of dark purple mittens recently for my Christmas present, knit by a dear friend.

I feel especially lucky since these are her first pair of mittens she ever knit! Very impressive, considering how many elements there are, keeping track of the cabling and seed stitch as well as the pattern.

I brought them out for a little time in the snow...

...then let them dry over my old-school radiator, ready to go again. Thank you oh-s0-much, lovely Jenelle! :)

With all this purple going on, I might need to cast on in something slightly different... or take out that lovely teal Vivian sweater that's patiently waiting in the corner for shoulders and a hood before it's (finally) done... with school starting next Tuesday, this is my last weekend to attempt to relax before the final semester of my Master's degree commences and renders me into a nervous, crazy mass of busyness.

I'm going to take advantage of it as much as I can. :)