Finally Friday...

This week has stretched on for me. I've been sick *all* week, beginning with the headache last weekend and culminating with flu symptoms on Wednesday. Those are gone now, and I'm left with the respiratory ickiness - YUK!! I've been taking it easy, getting *tons* of sleep and not doing much at all.

Later this afternoon, we're going up north, so I'll be gone all weekend. I'm hoping that most of the allergens up there have died away by now... and I'm going armed with lots of Allegra and Sudafed, JIC. :) Being that my cabin is Montmerency Cty, MI, aka the "Elk Capitol of Michigan," it's only fitting that their annual celebration is dubbed the "Elk Festival." That's going on this weekend. I've been to probably 15 or 16 of the 20 that I've been alive for. It's a hokey little event, with food booths and rifle raffles and crafts involving antlers... The most exciting part is the "Bump n Run," which occurs on Sunday. This is basically a balls-out race around one of the smallest tracks you've ever seen... It's hysterical. There's a prize for the first to roll over a car. :) I love me some good hillbilly entertainment!!

Anywho... I gotta pack and prepare and all that lovely stuff... so I wish everyone lovely weekends!!

The Nat in the Hat

I woke up a couple hours before work this morning with a headache. Took some Motrin, went back to bed, woke up a little later, still with a headache, and called into work. After sleeping til 1 pm, I was feeling better and wanted a mindless crochet project... And I guess I was feeling a little jealous of Kris's hat. So, I made a 'girlfriend' hat, lol, the girly version of the 'boyfriend hat' from Cozy Crochet. This pattern is stupid simple. I used JoAnn's Dolcetto, which I swear is just like cotton candy. It's so awesome to work with, looks gorgeous, and is so soft and cozy. Took about a ball and a half with an "I" hook to fit my big head. I still have about the same amount left that I have no idea what I'm going to do with - maybe matching fingerless gloves?? I was working at slow pace today, so it took me longer than usual, but I'm happy with the way it turned out. It'll get used. :) And I have another FO... Woo-Hoo!!!

Playing along...

I was tagged by Beth, and since I'm soooooooooooooooo bored right now I'm going to play along.

10 years ago - I was 10. I'd just started fifth grade, and felt like tough shit cuz we were the oldest in the school. This was also the year I first realized I was "popular."

5 years ago - I was just starting my sophomore year. I'd transferred to a HS in a new city, and was branching out from my old safety net. I was getting high and having fun and had just started skipping school and letting my grades fall. I'd begun hanging out with Kris's sister, and later on that year, he and I would hook up.

1 year ago - I was starting classes at the community college and not the university. :P Things were pretty much just how they are now, LOL - same lame job, same living situation, same everything. I'm happy with that - it's jus the continuing easiness before I have to actually grow up!

5 snacks - Tollhouse cookies, bubblegum Popsicles, nachos + cheese, broasted potatoes, Honeycrisp apples. [BTW, Honeycrisp are absolutely the most fabulous apples *ever.* I'm so spoiled on these that I really don't even like other varieties. They're only in season a short time and much better organic.]

5 songs I know all the words to - Fuck All Y'All - 2pac, First Taste - Fiona Apple, just about any Doors/Motown/Eminiem song, Castles Made of Sand - Jimi Hendrix

5 things I'd do with 100 million - Buy a nice house, buy some property up north, get a Shelby Cobra, pay off student loans/tuition, hook up everyone I know and love, travel all over the place and spend a few weeks in Amsterdam, donate alot of it...

5 places to run away - up north, Amsterdam, Rome, Alaska, and pretty much anywhere tropical.

5 things I'd never wear - mesh, straight leg jeans, any type of vest, leggings, and all tight, tiny, unflattering clothes.

5 favorite TV shows - LOST, Good Eats, Law & Order: SVU, and I really can't think of 2 more!

5 biggest joys in life - Kris, my family, accomplishing something, a lazy day, and maybe some gorgeous yarn.

5 favorite toys - my car, my phone, my comp, my *toy,* and our other toy.

A little FO...

So, awhile ago I'd mentioned that I got some allHEMP3 from Knit Pixie. I've had it laying on top of my way overflowing Rubbermaid stash tub for several days now, wondering just what it wants to come. I'd originally planned to make a few Econo Shoppers, but after finishing the last one I did [in organic cotton - very hippie!] I had no desire to do another. But I *really* wanted to play with the hemp. And I wanted a small, quick, rewarding project, since I've been stuck on this one design and since my next planned endeavor is a big[ger] one.

And I wanted to make something for Kris, that he'd actually use. I made him a hat last winter, but forgot to mention to him that it was wool... You see where I'm going here. Anyways, he also has an afghan I made, one of the first ones, and it's like 7 ft of sc, but it's so warm he rarely uses it.



So I made him this little beanie. I used the tiniest hook I own, which is only an "E" but still, that shit is small! The stitches are so cute and uniform, I'm pretty impressed with it actually.
This yarn works up so nice and soft, and it's almost got a sheen to it - but not quite. I'm defintely going to buy some more soon. I was a little worried during the crafting of this - I was all cocky, like "I don't need a pattern for a simple beanie..." so I just start going... and soon I have a Jewish hat, and Kris is looking preeeetty skeptical... so I keep going, and I end up with a kufi and Kris is just kinda laughing at me... I'm all "No, really, it'll turn out just how you want, like a skater beanie..."

And lo and behold. It turned out to be a skater beanie! Fancy that! I was really relieved that I didn't have to eat crow and frog it or go to a pattern... And now I feel like maybe I'll buy size "C" and "D" hooks just so I have them... This didn't even use much yarn, I'd say maybe 1.5 hanks total but I had to break into three to get the blue stripe. I can't wait for him to wash it and see how it softens up... I've got two skeins of rose waiting to become somesing for moi.

Right now,

I'm *supposed* to be in my Geography class. Buuuuuuut, I decided not to go - I don't feel like it, it's boring, no quiz today, etc. I thought I'd rather sit home and chill out, since I felt like I haven't done that much lately. I should've gone, just to check the status of my financial aid, but I'll do that before my next class, tonight at 6. See, last Saturday, I got a letter saying that my financial aid hadn't gone thru cuz my school hadn't received my Student Aid Report. So on Monday, after dealing with the *bitchiest* girl ever, I came to discover that I "wasn't on file" for aid. Not at my school, not with the government. Turns out, my mom forgot to forward me the renewal notice for my FAFSA that they send out in like January. The notice that was due *today.* So, we scrambled to get it filled out, and I'm like 99% sure that everything will continue right on track, and I'll get my aid as expected, after the last official day to drop classes. but, I just want to make sure, otherwise I'll need to scramble for several hundred dollars to pay my mom back. [Yes, only several *hundred.* One of few perks of going to a comm. college. I just found out that tuition at the university I'd started at and will be returning to next year has been upped so much that each class is costing a couple grand! Ouch!]

Anywho... Mikey, my dog, got his shots on Tuesday... routine vaccinations... except that he had a severe allergic reaction to them. Wednesday morning he was running a high fever and panting so badly he woke every one up. He was shaking so hard it looked like he was seizing... I felt so awful for him! He started to get better once we got him some aspirin and some baby Benedryl, but he was still all fucked up yesterday. Today, he's just taking it easy...
We've been having issues with other allergies, too... For some reason he keeps scratching, so much so that his hair's been thinning around his ankles. [No, he does NOT have bugs.] My mom's been giving him oatmeal baths, which will help for a short time, but our vet and groomer both said that animal allergies have been bad in our area this season. My mom's wondering if it's our tomato bushes - has anyone else had this problem??

My wonderful 'secret' sistah showered me with more awesomeness last week, and I've been entirely neglectful and not posted about it.
That's nine balls of the Merino Style wool from Knitpicks - three balls each of Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Frost. How freakin spoiled am I?? Seriously - one of the nice things about other people choosing yarn for you is getting something you might not otherwise buy for yourself! These are all colors that I adore, but probably wouldn't have picked out together, but they compliment each other so nicely!! I haven't decided what the hell to make with this yarn, or if I will use the colors together or seperately... I'm thinking about making a 'Marvelous Fulled Mini-Tote' or maybe trying out the pattern I've had developing my head in a fulled version. We'll see... for now, I'm just enjoying looking at it.

My Econo Bags have been enjoying great success, and I could not be more thrilled. Seriously, my ego has swelled with all the sugar that's been said about them! The pattern has even been accepted to the 2007 calendar, YAY!!! Happy, happy me!!

And since I'm out of shit to write about for now, I'll leave you with the poem I whipped up for my class tonight. I haven't titled it yet - any suggestions?

He moves against me
like a poem...

In a complicated rhythm
of stressed
and unstressed
moments.

Yep that's right...

mid-grade for $2.89!

Stupid friggin blog.

Back to the tried and true [template]. I liked the pink, but it pissed me off more than enchanted me, so it's gone. I still want something new, but something one page, that you don't have to click to navigate. I'm too lazy/busy to look.

Lately I've been a totally fucked up typer... I've never experienced this before - and it just happened again! I think I type whole sentences that aren't even there, just a bunch of gobbledygook. It's strange.

Erm, Jessi - please don't mention the big unfinished mass of cranberry yarn laying in the corner of my bedroom big collared cardi. I *swear* I'll have it finished up soon... Lately, like Deneen, I've been bit with the designing bug - so when I'm not working/sleeping/schooling I've been working out a design for a handbag.

I've also been crocheting spiral motifs...

The thing about these motifs is that I know I'm going to run out of yarn before I finish the shawl they're for... And I'm continuing to crochet them. They're so pretty and this is some of the smallest work I've done. I haven't yet decided what I'll do - screw with the pattern or hunt down a few extra skeins of baby blue Luster Sheen... [If anyone has some of this in their stash, *please* get in touch with me]

I'm waiting to get the pattern for my Econo-Shopper bags up, too. I've heard some great feedback from one tester, but that's all I've got so far and I want to wait before posting it. I think I'll probably submit it for the 2007 calendar [have I said that 7 times already??] but I'm also working on little charts for the mesh pattern so that's another reason to wait.

Not sure how things are going with the Secret Sistah swap... I feel like satisfaction is satisfactory. Not sure if that's what I'd hoped for, but whatever. I've certainly learned you can't please everyone.

My sistah has made some awesome plays... She's been sending great unexpected pick me ups...

Thoughtful little packages...

Tons of crochet-y goodness...

And just downright spoiled my ass!!


Here's a close-up of the latest addition to my collection:
I'm still awaiting her stats... Bill thoughtfully excluded an invoice in his package, but he also forgot to put in the little slip with all the specs!! My guess is that it's a G or an H... in cocobolo, or maybe the blackwood? It's very dar but I can make out a bit of woodgrain... It's beautiful, and I *love* it!! My sistah rocks!

That's not all the mail goodies I got though... a very thoughtful gal sent an envelope my way! In it was a mag I'd inquired about some time ago then promptly forgot about!! I still haven't had a chance to sit down with it properly, but it looks really cute. I think it'll be a good one to share with people who I'm trying to push the craft upon. ;)


My little blogging world seems to be in a transition. Maybe it's just me, who knows... It's been hard for me to get here and post. Maybe it's just a time management issue, since I've been so selfish with my time. I realize I haven't gotten used to working so much and then school on top of it... not quite what I'd been wanting. It's funny, though, becasue not long ago, I was whining about how broke I was, and here I am saying I have too many hours. Funny how the universe works like that.

I plan on donating a healthy chunk of my paycheck... My heart breaks for everyone involved in the disaster down south. I watch TV and cry, and Kris tells me to change the channel so I can stop crying, but I can't. I'm just so transfixed, watching these people and listening to their stories and waiting for the happy ending that's not there right now. I am so grateful to be where I am.

I am so grateful to be me.

I started school today...

And so far, it pretty much sucks. My geography class is seriously a snoozer, plus the prof's accent is very strong. Then my creative writing class I think is going to be pretty elementary.

Plus, I'm still working five days at Psychos, Inc. Blah.

I have been crocheting. Hopefully will have projects to share soon, but gotta run now, my dad needs the comp.

'Night!!