12/26/2007
Total Insanity.............
I hope everyone has had a Merry Christmas. I received a fabulous gift this year, the first pair of socks my best friend ever knitted. They are really comfy, she made them extra long for me :-), and I am just excited about having them. 
She also sent me some yarn that I am knitting into a blanket. I am not sure how I feel about it just yet though. So it is going to sit in the knitting bag while I have a think about it.
I am knitting it from the center out.
I finished knitting Quant from the latest edition of Knitty.com. I am not very happy with the way the one end turned out. I like symmetry in my headbands.
I also bought myself some yarn to make myself some more headbands. I don't like wearing hats, but need to keep my ears warm. So I have found that nice, wide headbands work for me.
The red yarn is for another panta and the purple yarn is for a calorimetry.
(Don't ask me to put links in today) I have some more yarn that I am saving for someone special.
09:52 Posted in Insanity , Knitting , Life in Leeds , Little One | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this
05/31/2007
Birthday Celebration
This year for my birthday, my best friend took me to Ocean City, MD for three days. There was a lot of sun, food, fun, and some drinking. It only took us 7 years to finally get there, but was totally worth it for me. Here are some photos. We went to 
Higgins for all you can eat crabs. And we went putt-putt golfing with some pirates.
As a side note, in case the person in question still reads this, I am NOT in Taiwan by any means of the imagination. I am quite firmly planted in the United States.
14:56 Posted in Friends , Insanity , Travel | Permalink | Comments (4) | Email this
12/03/2006
In space, no one can hear you scream...
I am iPod less for the next 5 to 7 days. I don't know if I can take it at all. My iPod needs a new battery after over 2 years of use. But in order to replace the battery, it has to be sent to Singapore and then back to Taiwan. The thought of walking without my iPod is scary. Then there are the bus rides home from work without music.
I do have knitting news as well. I have a new sweater to wear. I took the Glampyre Mini-Sweater pattern, read about some modifications on Craftsers.org and this is what I came up with. 
And my Mariah sweater has gone through some modifications. I am not a big fan of hoods or hats. I tried with Mariah to love the hood, but just couldn't. I took the hood off and knit a small stand up collar. 
I like it much better than the hood. Today I was out with friends and found this hat. It is crocheted and super cute. I feel I don't look good in hats, part of my reason for not wearing them more. But check this out. M
aybe it is the short hair I have right now. Yes, I know it is December and I am wearing a tank top. I live in Taiwan and this winter is very warm. Today I also acquired a new pair of shoes. A pair of Dr. Martens boots in a nice soft leather. I think they will be pretty easy to break in compared to other pairs I have owned in the past. I bought basic black because there wasn't much of a selection in the colored boots. And I have humongous feet for a girl by Taiwanese standards. 
But the troupe of monkeys is growing. These are too be gifted thought. 
I have another sweater in the works and need to put some time into it right now. I am too lazy to go for a walk tonight and with no music to listen too, have even less motivation.
It has been a very long week that has been topped off by personal injury. I was coming in the door of my apartment building the other day. There was a scooter parked right next to the door. As I turned around to close the door, my leg brushed up against the hot exhaust pipe. I went straight to my apartment and put ice on it. I was doing fine until the other day when I scrapped it. I am just hoping that it doesn't leave a scar. Staying postive that next week will be better.
06:40 Posted in Insanity , Knitting | Permalink | Comments (2) | Email this
06/20/2006
Newly Discovered
There has suddenly been discovered this concept of "Free Time." It is a new concept here, especially after the insanity of the past month at work. Some of you out there may have heard of it before. The debate is still raging if this free time is a good idea. This is what it leads to here.
That is a actual replica of my hand. As a graduation gift, the Chinese director let each kid have their hand cast in wax to create a mold and then the mold was used to create the replica. And it lights up, different colors. Kind of cool in a really weird way. We do weird here rather well, don't you think. Now this free time thing isn't all bad though. I have been using the Dream Swatch pattern and the last of my Rowan hand knit cotton for a new scarf. Yes, I know, cotton is not a traditional scarf choice. But didn't you just read the weird thing above? 
06:14 Posted in Insanity | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this
05/31/2006
If you ever actually meet me....
don't let me near a kitchen, especially yours. And definitely. don't let me cook, not even boil water. And I want to spend a week in Thailand going to cooking school?!?!?! I decided to cook tonight. Today is Dragon Boat Festival, which means it is a national holiday=NO WORK!!!!! :-) So I figured I would actually cook something for myself tonight. After going to the market, I came back with plenty of fresh veggies to cook with. I made Japanese curry and spaghetti sauce. I like to make several things at once, so when I get home from work, minimal cooking is all that is required of me. But tonight, I burnt the curry. Thankfully, I was using the non-stick pan, so it washed up pretty quickly. Thank goodness. But it still tasted ok. That is what I get for checking my email while waiting for stuff to finish cooking. And I can't wait to be able to use a crock pot when I get back to the States.
I have to say Thank You!!!!! to Mia for the birthday package she sent me. I got it on Monday morning and by Monday afternoon, my kids and I had eaten all the nerds, sweet tarts, laffy taffy, runts, and bottle caps she had sent. My kids would especially like to send a big THANK YOU!!! as well. There was also a Curious George bookmark, a monkey notepad, a tape measure, and a card. Didn't get pictures yet, but am working on it. When ever work decided that I can have a personal life, I will be more organized, I think.
Today I have actual knitting to show as well!!! Isn't that exciting folks!?!?!? So first up is my monkey. He still needs eyes, haven't pulled out the sewing stuff to check for buttons, but will do that this weekend, since I don't have to work this weekend. 
And Alley brat with the monkey. 
Here is an update on my Jaywalker socks. I am still working on the first one. Taking a break is more like it. It is a little tight at my ankle and I am debating what I should do. I made the larger size because I am big foot. Also, I didn't decrease all the stitches when knitting the gussets. So I am going to wait a few more days and then try it on again and go from there. I really hope I don't have to frog the whole thing and start over. There is way too much math involved for that. The colors are pretty accurate because I had every light on in the living room when I took pictures. 
And I am working on a mohair scarf, just for the hell of it. I pull it out whenever the mood hits me and knit a few rows. I am using the lace pattern from Interweave Knits latest online staff projects. Basically, I am stalling on the two big projects I need to get to work on; my dad's gloves and my silk stole. A small preview of the mohair though.
Don't have any plans of who it is for or anything like that. Just my procrastinator knitting. And finally, a sample of part of the shower gift for Brandon Scott. It still needs some serious washing and blocking and I don't want to give away the surprise. But can't help but post a little peak. 
And finally. check out Sandie's Gardening blog. She a picture of her lilacs up. I miss lilac so much, they are so beautiful and smell so good too.
And updates, baby Kirstin is still inside Mommy. And the Pimp is getting better and has said that he will be back to work "sooner rather than later." Things are starting to look up.
07:53 Posted in Insanity , Knitting | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this
05/15/2006
I think I need to go back to therapy
My birthday is this month and this year I will be turning 29. Which means I have 378 days until I turn thirty and all ready I am starting to feel this panic feeling, something along the lines of "What the hell have I done with my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and "Oh my god, I have forgotten to ________!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" So I am trying to use these feelings to better my life and prepare for my future.
So I started by deciding to spend more time with friends and family. I bought my sister a plane ticket to Thailand so we can go together this summer. Guess how much that puppy cost me? Go on guess, no more, more, closer.............you got it US$1650 round trip. But she has agreed that this frees me from having to buy her anything for the next three to five years, at least. What can I say.
Then the realization that I don't have anything set aside for the future hit me, SMACK IN THE FACE people. As novel of an idea as finding someone to take care of me for the rest of my life sounds, I have a hard time believing it. So the day after I bought my sister's plane ticket, I opened a Roth IRA (with T Rowe Price) for myself. There is another US$1500 gone, but to a very good cause. And I have some CD's that will mature in September and will cover most of the money put into the IRA. On Saturday morning, I was panicking a little because of the amount of money I had just spent in two days. You only live once and I love that my sister will be in Thailand with me.
Then I decided that I needed to go to the dentist.....just got my teeth cleaned.....since it has been since like before I came to Taiwan. But he found two very small cavities that I will get filled on Thursday night. I have never had a cavity before and I am a little nervous about the whole thing. But the dentist assured me that they are very small and will be very easy to take care of. Actually, one of them is where I chipped a tooth on my tongue ring several years ago. I had also planned to go to the OB/GYN on Sunday for my yearly feel up, but wrong time of the month. So that has been rescheduled for next week, Happy Birthday to me.
I do have knitting stuff to show, but I am too busy to take pictures and all that right now. I finished the hat and scarf for my co-teacher and the hat for my yoga teacher. I am working on my first Jaywalker sock and on Bettie from Mia. Plus there is this swatching stuff going on, very strange times on this side of the world, let me tell you.
08:19 Posted in Insanity | Permalink | Comments (3) | Email this