Bad, Bad Amanda!

I've been a bad bad girl......I've been careless with a delicate man.....or should I say checkbook? My LYS is have a 30% off sale all month and I just can't resist! I am going to Las Vegas in less then two days and I cannot kick my yarn addiction! I have tried support groups, accupuncture (doubt that is spelled right) and even a swift knock in the head from my boyfriend (not really just saying that for dramatic effect) but I still have an uncontrollable craving for fiber goodness (in the sheep sense, to much fiber in food gives me a stomach ache). Fortunately I live far enough away from the roving shop in my area that I am to lazy to go often or I would be buying tons of that!

But back to the yarn, I bought 5 skeins of Plymouth Sockotta sock yarn!! I know it isn't exactly luxury yarn, but I love the fun patterns it makes, not to mention I am on a 'I am going to knit everyone a pair of socks for Christmas!' kick and I need my fix. The green yarn I am knitting my toe up sock on is one of the skeins I bought on last wednesday (?) along with a pretty grey one, but yesturday I bought 3 more skeins......5 skeins and two circular needles later I spent $60 I prolly should not have spent since I am going to be spending obsene amounts of money next week....but oh well!! I love my yarn and it is in the best colors don't you think?!

::Sigh:: Oh so loverly.....I cannot wait to start knitting these socks.....but I suppose I should finish the pair I am working on....or maybe I can make one of each to keep it interesting and then start the cycle over again! MWHAHAHA the plot thickens! Oh! I also bought a book for the long trip to Vegas in case I get tired of knitting for a while.....and of course it is a book about knitting! Or at least someone who knits. I don't think it needs any introduction, I sure any committed knitter knows who she.....no not the Yarn Harlot, though her books are next on my list! Its Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair by Crazy Aunt Purl!!!! AKA Laurie Perry =)

Sorry for the bad picture ::sigh::.....I absolutely LOVE her blog, it is incredibly funny and unique. She is so witty you just don't want to stop reading ( even if you are at work and would get into an incredible amount of trouble ^_^;) so I am excited about the book, I am sure it will be great =)

There is so much to do before the trip it is making my head spin! Packing and shopping and laundry and pampering (haircut, nails, eyebrows) I just want to go to sleep....but no time for that! I am a girl on the go and it is time to stop whining and start doing what I have to do! To bad I am beyond lazy ::sigh again::

Count Down Begins.....

The count down for Vegas begins ladies and gentlemen!!! On Saturday it will be a week away and there is so much to do! I need to go shopping for some decent clothing ( I tend to wear mine to death), I need to get my hair cut, buy toiletries, find a suitcase....all that good stuff. Me and Rob are super excited and it couldn't come at a better time. Work has been the dumps, 10 hours of mandatroy overtime has really taken a toll on me and I could use the relaxation of a vacation. Me and my girlfriends are going up to Maine this weekend to Old Orchard Beach, so that is even more relaxation! Christinas mother owns a house on the strip and I love waking up early and looking for sand dollars at low tide, it is like a treasure hunt! And the smell of the beach, omg it is incredible. I don't know what it is but it just puts me completely at ease and after all the stress this week I could use it.

In knitting news I have started my first "toe up" sock on two circular needles and it is coming out pretty good so far, but I think I messed up when I was changing rows and now the needles feel funny in my hands.....hope that wont matter later when I am doing the heel....

It is a figure 8 cast which is easy to do, but it feel a little uncomfortable when you first start because it is loose so you have to be careful of you tension. But once you get past the first couple rows and start your increases it isnt that bad, as long as you know how your needle goes ( I started over like 3 times!) This is what I have so far.....

I hope the pattern comes out nice.....like I said I already messed up =(..I will be working on it on the way to Maine so I will have more pics on monday =)

Goings on

Not to much to post about, but I wanted to write something since I am incredibly bored at work. I have not been spinning at all which I am a little depressed about, but I have made awesome progress on my Clement Dragon Gauntlet glove that I have been working on. Just need to finish the thumb once I figure out how to attach the yarn ( I am dense sometimes) . I have also started a scarf in double moss stitch with the yarn I got in the treasure swap ( the pink and brown one in the picture, very thick, pretty and knitting up quick). I will probably go home tonight, finish the thumb to my glove and then work on the scarf. I think I am going to have enough to make a hat to match, that would be sooooo cute, but we will see.

Clement Dragon Gauntlets

I started the fingerless gloves that BakerX of Ravelry gave me the pattern for. It started out a little rocky, I couldn't figure it out! It is my first time doing a lace pattern and I was freaking out, I started it like 5 times! But once I PMed BakerX on Ravelry and asked her she helped me straighten it all out. Thanks BakerX! So now I am on a roll! I am on the 37th row, and though I have had to frog alot (because I keep losing count of what I am doing) it is going pretty well. The thumb gusset doesn't seem that bad and that is what I was afraid of.

This is probably the best picture I have ever taken on something I have made. I finally got the lighting right! There are a few mistakes, but I am too lazy to frog and besides, that gives it personality right? This is the Paton Grace yarn that she gave me in the swap, isn't it gorgeous??? I love how it shines a little and how smooth it is. A very good cotton yarn if you ask me. I actually went out a bought a few more colors so I could knit some more ( i am obsessive as always!) I will post my progress as go, I should get a bunch done tonight since I am not working to late. Didn't get out til 8:30 last night so couldn't work on it to much....ickkkk

Swap on a Budget

I know I have already posted today but I just had to show off what I got in my other swap on Ravelry!!! I can't believe how creative some people are and my secret swap partner is no exception I mean look at this stuff!!

She sent me- fingerless gloves she made with her own pattern (the color is to die for!!! and they fit perfectly), the pattern she wrote for them called Clement Dragon Gauntlets, little dragon finger puppets (eeeeeee!!!), a pattern for a pretty hat, a pattern for a dragon scale shawl (so pretty), 2 skeins of Paton Grace yarn in a light purple (same kind of yarn to make the gloves, I am totally gonna try the pattern this week!), 1 skein of Frog Tree alpaca wool yarn in great faun color, paper cranes, a knitters journal that I totally needed, a mini zen garden (I could use that at my stressful job!) , stickers and bag from the yarn store where she is from, and last but not least my favorite item----a hand made row counter in gorgeous purple amethyst beads and the instructions on how to make my own!! I can't believe how spoiled I was, what a great spoiler!! Thank you so much BakerX!!!! Everything is incredible! There just isn't anything like handmade items that someone puts alot of thought into. I leave you all now with the picture she drew for me on the note that came with the package ( so talented!)

X-Files and Treasure Swap

My favorite show of all time is The X-Files, I couldn't deny it if I tried. The mystery, the adventure, the constant frustration that Mulder is so close to the truth but cannot touch it when we the audience can see behind the scenes! Who could ask for a better plot or story line? Poking fun at common cliches about aliens, but adding little bits for probable truths is addicting to watch! I can't help but be enthralled by it all. I own the first 6 seasons and will hopefull be getting the rest for my birthday, but this blog entry is not about the series it is about the new movie.

I could not have been more disappointed if they had killed off one of the main characters. I walked out of that theater in utter shock and dismay! My poor boyfriend held my hand all the way to the parking lot and all I did was spout out obscenities! Of all the ways they could have ended one of the best cult classic series of all time, they had to choose what best could be described as a half way decent episode that was about an hour too long. I mean Chris Carter must have been out of his mind when he wrote the script for this!!! He is going to get some hate mail, I kid you not. I mean, ok maybe there is some underlying meaning to what was going on in terms of the characters feelings and getting on with their lives and such, but come on!!! Give me some aliens! Give me some conspiracy that Mulder is fighting tooth and nail to get to the bottom of!!! Utter disappointment, the producers should be ashamed of themselves.

In happier news I got my Treasure Swap package on friday! I was very spoiled indeed! I can't wait to start knitting with all the pretty yarn, I just wish it wasn't so hot and sticky out! I haven't been spinning much the last few days because the hot weather has made me not want to do anything.....ickkkk

Traffic and Setting my First Twist

There are not many things in life that bother me that much. I dont mind standing in lines, I don't care if someone breaks something that belongs to me (everything can be replaced and what can't I usually don't leave out for someone to break), and the only kind of bugs I wouldn't kill for my college roommates were bees ( they bite back if you don't get them!).....so let's just say it is hard for anything to get a rise out of me (unless it is Robert Gerard). But one of the few things that make me crazy is curiosity traffic! I mean come on, what do you think you are going to see a little blood and guts? How classy of you turning one persons misfortune into another person's freakshow. Not to mention the fact that I only get stuck in it when I have somewhere I really need to be, that makes me more nuts! Another thing is when traffic slows to a crawl because a cop pulled someone over and the other cars don't want to get pulled over to. I mean are you kidding me? Do you think the cop is going to see everyone whizzing by and all of a sudden stop writing out a ticket and jump back in his car to catch all of you? "Sorry m'am I have to go save the street from every other traffic violator, this ticket will have to wait til next time!" give me a break!!! I swear some people are stupid.

Anyways, enough venting because last night I had my first attempt at setting the twist in my newly plyed yarn. There really isn't much to it since all you do is soak it in warm water and hang to dry while a weight attached, but that's beside the point since it was my first time. Here are some pics to delight you!

This is the soaking stage, I was afraid some of the color would come out, but it didn't thank goodness.

Hehe, I did it at like 10 last night and it was still wet this morning so I am guessing it will need about a day to dry and then I am going to have to figure out what to make with it....hmmmmm

And here is the fruit of my lunch hour, I plyed half of the white roving I bought Saturday =)

It is a little hard to tell in this photo, but it is plyed! Damn it is hard to photograph yarn, I am going to need to figure it out =(