New Haircut

Yeah, so I finally got my hair cut!

Hello, bad hair day!

Things you don't know about me

1.I like ballet inspired clothes, especially legwarmers and shirts that have low scoop backs. Actually, I like almost anything that has to do with ballet.

2.I'm captain of the Academic English Team because I love to read. I read when I'm bored, tired, crabby, and when I need to escape.

3.I don't finish half as many projects as I start. I like casting on so much that I forget to cast off.

4.I belong to the Loose Ends, which meets on Tuesdays at Coffee D'Vine. You can come at 7:00 PM if you know where that is.

5.I'm not good at becoming my dreams. I dream high and far away and I get disappointed even when I know how unattainable some of my dreams are.

6.I'm stingy and parsimonious, but I still never have enough money to do all the things I want to.

7. I love "I Love Lucy" and I generally wish I had her life. Wouldn't mind Ricky Ricardo...

8.My hero is Audrey Hepburn. There isn't a moment when I don't envy her, although I disagree with her fickleness concerning marriage. William Holden is my idea of perfect.

9.In case you didn't notice, I love old movies and TV shows. I'm the one out of my friends that was born in the wrong time period. 1980 would have been my kind of time...

10. My favorite TV shows are Grey's Anatomy, House, The Mentalist, and occasionally Private Practice. I watch them when they come on the DVR. Even if I have homework.

This is a page from my new ballet book, First Steps in Ballet. I <3 it! I also got a dictionary of ballet terms from amazon. Both were under a dollar + 3.99 shipping (the dictionary ended up being $4 total!) I hope this will help me get ready for ballet class!

Warm Woolen Mittens

Okay, Let's get something straight: I am not a world class designer. I do not have hundreds of patterns available online, in books, and in magazines. Actually, I only have one, it's on this blog, and on Ravelry (warm woolen mittens on Ravelry or Pixie Knits: Warm Woolen Mittens). I don't expect to have other knitters acclaim my talent, beg me to write more patterns, or even comment on my silly little blog which so very few people read, and thank you to those of you who do, if there are any.

I might expect my flipping pattern to be higher up on the pattern search though. Out of curiosity, I searched "mittens" on Ravelry. 4145 matches, 208 pages of delight. Don't worry dear knitters, I have braved the surf of patterns, and Warm Woolen Mittens is on the 33rd page!

Narrow the search to "free patterns only" and mine will be on the 12th page of 79 pages, 1567 matches.

Narrow it further to patterns available on Ravelry for free, and mine is on the 3rd page of 16, out of 301 matches.

Oh, if you're looking for a super-bulky mitten pattern, then it's on the 2nd page out of 106 matches.

My time was not wasted at all, as I found several things to add to the favorites, including several lacy versions of fingerless mitts that I will most likely never make. For the three people who actually decided to brave the new-designer's stigma, I hope they enjoyed the pattern. It is also queued by 24 people, most likely because I complained that no one saw it in about 4 different conversations.

In case you're wondering, my new idea is to promote the pattern endlessly and to create more wonderful designs, including the Keira sweater, which I already have yarn for, and the Lucienne tank, but adult-sized and with better taste.

My recent project status is as follows:
Minneco: needs a strap
Shawl: halfway completed
OPal socks: frogged
Everything else: on hold until I finish the shawl
*As a precaution for anyone who reads this, I love Ravelry. I just wish that more people would read my pattern. It makes me feel important.

New Year

Okay, as the old year is coming to a close, my Mom is washing the celebratory once a year krab, I'd like to say that this year has been a year of changes. Probably not as many changes as 2005, the year of "the drive" (move to Indiana), or 2001, year of the screaming 8 lb. 6oz. Livi (we haven't found out how to get her to stop screaming yet). This year was my first in AP Chem and US History (and may God have mercy on my soul for thinking that I could handle AP Bio as well). I started writing again and I never really stopped. And I stopped blogging, without really ever meaning to. I forced myself to knit some things, and I frogged more than I finished, so that brings me to the important part:

Melanie's New Year Resolutions of 2009
1. Knit when possible, and even when impossible

2. finally lose a few pounds and be healthy

3. Get involved in ballet

4. Up my GPA (have been working on that one since I found out what it was!)

5. Blog... more. Like, at least once a month.

6. Win academic team state competition (last year we got 6th place!)

7. Read and read more. Read every book on my wish list and read beyond my normal boundaries

8. Schedule and organize my life better

9. Write every day, and finish my story

10. Finally learn how to really be nice, especially to my brother and sister, who are wonderful most of the time, and my parents, who finally let me get my driver's license! (yesterday!)

Happy new year, and holidays to everyone. I'll be in touch, most likely with some form of ten things you don't already know about me

Pixie's Quest for more Yarn (and cookies)

I wish you guys would comment! Please? Please? And yarn, I need more sock yarn. As for the challenge, I started Fanny with some yarn my mom found. Nick's socks are finished, to be photographed, Cot Blanket (which is on ravelry, and you haven't heard about or seen... yet) Has the first repeat of eight done, with the 2nd repeat halfway through. Opal socks are an ugh, because I can't get them lined up right on the needles. I frogged the first sock partway twice, but it refuses to get into optimum sock knitting position. The second sock, which is knitted straight from the ball, can't be finished until I know how long to make it to match the other one.

The sparkly buttony sweater is boring, and going far too slowly for me. I have it listed as 40% done, but I have the midsection half done and sleeves to go. Luckily, there's no sewing up to be done, except for the buttons.

I bought a book! Knitting Lingerie Style is supposed to come in the mail soon... hopefully tomorrow, before I leave for vacation. South Haven is the perfect Beach knitting getaway... I'm Taking Fanny and Cot Blanket, and maybe even Sparkly Buttony.

I'm working on a pattern for the new book being talked about in Teens Knit and Crochet on Rav. Should just cast it on and work it out, but I have so many other projects to do!

Oh, and I dropped Caliormetry from the challenge list, cause I don't feel like making it anymore. In case you were wondering, I just add all my project hopefuls to favorites on Rav until the challenge is over. I really don't think I'll get the socks done, with the shortage of sock yarn here at my house, and my vow not to buy anymore (except to finish projects).

I'll post more pictures later, probably instead of reading my summer assignment in English or AP US History. Ciao!

Pixie's new and great idea

Okay, this is gold, and I hope that lots of people try it:

I'm going to finish everything in my queue and break down the stash before December 24th

I know it's ambitious, but sock yarn doesn't count. It's kind of like a yarn diet, a destash, and a new year's resolution all rolled up into one. In case you're wondering (which I know you are!), I'm only going to knit things from the queue I have saved today.


1 Elefante
2 Fanny
3 Ballet Slippers & Mary Jane Footies
4 Evangeline
5 Queen of Cups
6 Pomatomus
7 Love.Long.Life Smittens
8 Snowdrop Leg Warmers - old MAGKNITS
9 Beaded Cami
10 BFF Socks
13 River Rapids Socks
14 Hedera
15 Monkey
16 Fitted Ribbed Turtleneck
17 Anne Elliot Spencer
18 Water Sprite Swim Suit
19 Calorimetry
20 Audrey Hepburn
21 Marilyn Monroe
22 Super Simple Short Sock
23 Shetland Shorty
24 Mineco

The water sprite doesn't count, it's made on size ones and I have no idea when I can get that kind of yarn

They won't get done in this order, plus I have to finish my other projects first, but it will get done! This is my queue:

And this is my cat:

His name is Phil, and he has a twin sister named Lil. He doesn't like yarn, but he'll cuddle when I knit outside. (He's an outdoor/barn cat)

Emergency Knitting supplies

We've all done it: taken a not-so-uncomplicated project knitting with us on vacation. Believe me, knitting supplies and packing don't go well together. We all inadvertently forget the scissors, the yarn needle, the cable needle, or the stitch markers. So, I pulled together a list of emergency knitting supplies for when you forget a piece of the project (I can even help you out if you forget the yarn!)

The nail clippers


Don't saw your yarn with a table knife! They work in a pinch if you forgot scissors, and most people have them stuffed in their cars somewhere.

The Paperclip

It is the ultimate knitting tool! You can bend it and make it a stitch-marker, or you can use it as an impromptu cable needle!!!

The plastic bag, turned plarn



Start a new project, to make a knitting bag to hold your lovely, forgotten project!

The Bobby Pin


It works as a yarn needle for sewing up socks, but for a regular weaving-in project, wait till you get home.

AND, the piece de resistance,

The pencil


You can use it to write, and you can use it to cable. You can even use it to knit with, as long as you wash out the graphite stains. Or, you could always use it's good friend, the pen.

NOW the pictures

Well. Now I've figured out how to upload pictures without moaning and crying in frustration, I will show and tell you all about my summer (so far). The pictures are of myself, the opal sock, the market bag/earth day project, and Mom's lacy socks.Then there's the pictures of the tinkerbell slippers, which I made several pairs of and conveniently didn't take pictures of, my messy room, my knitting basket, piles of junk. Then there's the pictures of Florida, and Crochet hat, and (almost) finished opal sock. PLUS they're all in reverse order of what I told you! Isn't blogging fun?

All the stuff I haven't blogged about in a long time

Well, I haven't had a very good blog post in a LONG LONG time, so I figured I'd give it to y'all in one big swoop. I cleaned my room. Then I went to Florida, had my first kiss, and came back, all brown and peely. My room is now somewhat messy, but I'll show you anyways. And, strawberries are coming in the garden, so I whipped up a batch of strawberry jam. I started a crochet evening-purse, but all my other projects are at a stand still. Now the pictures! Just Kidding, they're not working!

Ravelry users

I found itty bitty bob!

Warm Woolen Mittens

It's a little late for mittens, but I had to post this gorgeous pattern made by MUAH!

Warm Woolen Mittens
CO 22
K1 P1 rib for 1 1/2 inches
*K10, K2tog* around (should have 20 stitches)
Knit 2 rounds
*K3 M1* around
M1 between needles 1 and 3 (should have 28 stitches)
Knit 8 rounds

Thumb gusset
K2, K4 with scrap yarn
Slip "scrap stitches" back onto left needle and knit with regular yarn
K for 2 inches, or until the top knuckle of the pinky

*K2, K2tog* around (21sts)
Knit 2 rounds
*K2, K2tog* around (16sts)
Knit 2 rounds
*K1, K2tog* around (11sts)
Knit last round, decrease 1
Kitchener stitch or graft the remaining 10 stitches

Thumb
Pick up 12 sts (including the "scrap stitches")
divide on 3 or 4 needles
knit for a while

when your thunb is just short of long enough,
*K1, K2tog* for a round
knit your last thumb round
then thread your remaining yarn through the very last 8 stitches

Weave in your ends (especially around the thumb gusset) and enjoy your first mitten! Yup, you should have the 2nd one done by Christmas.

Well, didn't I almost have it all?

I started a new sweater! This one should be done in a few days... 2 weeks tops. I'll post pics later. I've been pretty busy. Academic team took 7th at state and next year we'll do even better. I made another pair of Susan's Christmas socks and I got back into jewelry making. Plus, I just got a magic loop! Hopefully, after finals, I'll be able to post more often and actually post picture once in a while. See you later!

Should Be Studying

I should be doing some homework or studying or cramming for Academic Team (of which the last meet is tomorrow, which I have decided there is no room for error and we must make it to state), but I'm posting to you guys because A) I love you and B) I haven't posted in forever and C) I'm getting no comments!

I'm writing a book-sized story and I may post excerpts of it here. I've officially got an editor who will ruthlessly cut it to bits and make me sew it together again, but I'd do the same for him. We have an interesting relationship... He's on the E.A.Team too and he's going to either kick my butt or I'll kick his.

Pics later, have been on ravelry too much and neglected my blog... Lots of projects though! G2G, study and do homework. I'll let you know the results Wednesday, as I will be dead tired tomorrow!

E A T

going to my first English Academic Team meet today- wish me luck! We have to wear these nasty old rugby shirts: mine is an XXL and I wear a Small! That was the smallest size that they had! WE're going to state this year (because I said so!) so maybe they'll get us new shirts! Wish me luck!

Pay it forward!

I hereby pledge to send a handmade gift to the first three people who comment on this entry. No real promises about time frame, but it’ll be within the next 365 days. In return, you have to post the same offer on your blog, and prepare to send a gift to three other people.

Okay, now that that's over with, TODAY IS A SNOW DAY!!! Finals are in 2 days (Wednesday, Thursday, And Friday) and Christmas knitting is in overload... Grandma's mittens/scarf/sweater aren't started because I frogged them so many times. It's definitely not a sweater any more and Grandma never wears hats, but I really want to use up that yarn! Any ideas?

Susan's socks are almost done, but I foresee that I'll need more yarn! I'll have to get Mom to buy some from Walmart tomorrow since today it is too unbelievably snowy and dangerous to go out.

I have no idea what I'm going to get my best friend, short of hot cocoa mix and an i.o.u. Any ideas there would be greatly appreciated also. And I've decided that I'll make my aunt Suzie something for Christmas, but I don't know what. Probably mittens because I won't be able to finish socks in time.

That's all the updates I can think of at the moment. If I don't update this for a while, it's probably because our internet is blocked off or the satellite isn't working. Drop me a line if you get bored, I'm probably watching a movie, drinking hot cocoa, or avalanched under some final review books.Merry Christmas!

New jeans, new lifestyle

I finally got some new jeans that actually fit. And I haven't gotten new jeans in... (drumroll please) 2 years. Pretty good, since I've gained about 20 pounds since then (shut up, it was a growth spurt).

Jeans symbolize more than just the outside of you. And they don't just show the body type either(athletic, lazy, naturally skinny, etc.) They show who you are and who you want to be. If you wear bootcuts levi's or lee's, you're probably pretty classic. If you wear skinny jeans, you're either brave or stupid and follow the crowd (or break away, depending on how fashion forward your city is) And you know I'm just generalizing. But you know what? I think that I'm trying to grow into a kind, smart, beautiful person. Intelligent, but not geeky. All a's but not obesessed. Thin but not anorexic. Nice, but not a marshmellow. Speaksing up for myself and my friends. Confident enough to get what I want.

Good luck with that... when I find someone like this, I'm going to hate her forever while I suck on a big old hershey's bar. Life sucks, then you die. But there's always time to improve it a little.

Whatever will I do?

I just bought the most BEAUTIFUL brown metallic Patons Brilliant yarn. I have 10 50g balls just waiting for me to sink my teeth into (500 grams, math whizzes). What should I do with it? Should I make a sweater? A shawl? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I know, I have to post pics of the dumb brown socks, the beautiful brown yarn, and all my other yarn goodies. Maybe next Saturday, I'll blog my stash. It's not really that impressive, but I do need to quit buying. I just like to have yarn on hand to play with! I might even have a yarn giveaway contest. Or maybe just see if anyone wants to swap or something. Fair warning: most of it is acryllic and inherited (i.e. from Grandma or goodwill) and some of it I don't even know what it is.

Blogging time cuts into sleeping, homework, and knitting time, so ttyl. Honors English and Honors Chem and Honors Algebra II homework doesn't do itself, you know! But it does get done at 6:20 when I arrive at school. Yes that's early, but I get up at 5:00, leave at 5:30 and get to school at 6:20 (it takes me 45 minutes to get to school). The on top of all that, school doesn't start until 7:55 and ends at 3:00. Yeah. Sleeping isn't very high on my priority list when there's school. Maybe I'll just catch up on it in Latin and in the car.

Christmas projects

Okay, I finished my dad's stupid brown all wool super thick socks. He said that they're not thick enough. It's like, if I'm going to spend weeks of my time knitting something for anyone, they had better be at least somewhat grateful, you know? Anyway, my dad and brother are going to the Lake for a graduation party and my mom, me, and my sister are staying home. Scary movie and fudge time! I think I'm getting sick, so it's probably better if I stay home and knit anyways. Mom doesn't like scary movies and Livi's 6, so if I have nightmares at 3am, you guys are the first ones to hear about it, okay?

As for the inevitable Christmas projects, I'm making 3 scarves and 1 set of mittens (as of now). I still don't know what I'm going to give my carpool, my favorite aunt who gave me the rest of grandma's yarn when she died (she was my favorite aunt before that), and all of the small presents for my friends. And some stocking stuffer type things so that my family can't rattle the boxes and find out what they have.

My Grandma (the living one) called and asked me for christmas present ideas. Well, thanks gma! She never gives me ideas for what to give her! And they have to be tangible presents, not gift cards. Dang it, I want iTunes money! Last year, with a total lack of present ideas, we got socks with a $50 bill inside. So what do I want? I don't know. What do you ask for that's not uber expensive and is easy for my gift-challenged aunt to find? (she does all of my gma's Christmas shopping. And she has a notorious history of getting the cheapest version of anything even if it breaks the next day and even if you *specifically* ask for a brand name thing because you knoe the cheap one will rot and break before you even open the box)Not that I'm mean or picky about gifts. It's the thought that counts, right? But I don't want my family to waste their money, especially on me. I mean, I don't want anyone to buy me a present and spend time and money on it if I won't use it. That's the other thing. They never include gift receipts. So, if whatever it is breaks, it's garbage. I really don't care if you spend $1 or $100 on me, it's the thought that counts.

Quilting

Okay, don't freak out, my mom is making a quilt for my baby sister. This weekend, I decided to help. Quilting is pretty fun, but waaaaaaay too time consuming and not portable enough for me. If I plan on going to U of M Ann Arbor for college, I'm going to need something that doesn't take much time in between all of the classes, jobs, and studying. It's pretty bad, I'm already feeling the college crunch, and I'm only a sophmore! You have to realize, at my school, everything is competitive. You get ahead or you fall behind. You ask for help and you fall in with people that share your goals, or you won't have any friends in any of your classes. I have the same classes with the same people all day long and it bothers me VERY much. I can't help but think that I don't fit in well at this school, but that's okay, because I was born to stand out. I've got my good friends, and that's all I need. But, I'm always open to more!

Problem!

OK, did anyone notice that everyone online knits the same patterns, reads the same books and blogs, and uses the same yarn? I'm all for KAL's and stuff like that, but come on! Can't we branch out, just a little? What happened to all of the funky fashionistas who flirt with the edge between cool and insane? Use vintage, follow a pattern, improve your pattern, or make up your own! We need a little craziness! Please?

OMG!

I'm on ravelry! my username is pixiestyx
see you there!

Those darn socks!

Okay, you all saw the beige sock I finished? It turned out mongo huge! I gave the pair to my Cough, little, cough, brother. Dad is finally getting his socks. They're brown all wool ones... Post pics soon. I started the soft as a bunny makeup bag from hollywood knits. Only 3000 people in front of me for ravelry! woo hoo! It's all I can think about when I go online! And I'm going to start those spiral boot socks from interweave knits summer 2007. Later!

New socks

okay, I <3 my sock pattern! I made this one, same as Livi's but with a smaller leg cuff. It's in caron yarn (color-bone) (which I got for a quarter at Goodwill!) It took me about 2 1/2 hours to make the first one and I already started the 2nd! Next, Mom and Nick's socks. Dad asked for a pair of really thick wool socks that won't wear out. Sorry, I haven't found that kind of wool yet! When I do, I'll make everything out of it!

Socks and a Sweater

I finished the socks! Yay! Livi wants to wear them ASAP, so I guess they won't be Christmas presents anymore. Mom wants some socks too, because she's too impatient to make them herself.Here's a picture of my yellow sweater because I never posted pics of it. Sorry it's sideways! I can never get the hang of blogger! The pattern is from Teen Knitting Club and it's the boatneck. This is proof that I actually do finish projects from time to time. The biggest problem I had with that sweater was the seaming. It looks pretty sloppy to me, but I love that sweater so much and I don't care. It looks divine for my first sweater!

Oh, and I frogged the plarn bag. It just didn't have the hippie life in it that I hoped. I'm searching for the right pattern for it still. All of the plarn bags I've found are just big squares. THANK YOU! I just thought of a pattern, mid post. Now I'm thinking I'll use the ripple bag pattern Livi found at Wal-Mart. Hopefully the pattern isn't as bad as the cabled bag from Micheal's. Oh, and I just joined the Grey's Anatomy KAL. The link should be in my profile.

Knitty funk

Still have to finish that last sock, the plarn bag, the cable bag, and all of the Christmas stockings.
Maybe I'm just sick of all the same projects and need to start a new exciting one (tank top, anyone?) or maybe I need to get the girls together for a knitty sleepover. I don't know... I have been so busy lately with homework and foot ball games. I need to bring up my Chem grade by the end of the next two weeks. Good luck, me!

Okay, this is the wool purse I started from Michael's. No, this isn't mine, this is the picture from the pattern. I bought all the same materials except the yarn. The pattern called for patons, but there was a sale on lion brand wool ease, so mom bought me three $2 balls of fisherman. It's so soft, you just want to play with it in you hands all the time!
You know those free patterns? They suck. They suck so bad, and I am going through hell with this pattern. It is really confusing, even if you have cabled before and are an advanced knitter. Please don't be fooled by the pretty patterns at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann's, etc. The patterns are mostly horrible!
Everyone else is talking about ravelry on their blogs, so why not me? I signed up a little while ago, but I have no clue when it will open. Hopefully it will get me connected to other knitters who can help me get over my cable phobia (despite this bag. yeah, it's cabled. I'm in the middle of the 3rd cable row). Babs is thinking about selling her beta tester spot so that she can get more yarn. Don't do it! You can always get cheap yarn from anywhere, but ravelry might not open for a LONG time. My mom also signed up after she read someone else's blog. Hopefully, she'll help me with those cables!
Good luck to the rest of you, my knitty obsessed friends. This addiction is impossible to break. If you run out of money, you might even start unraveling shirts so that you can knit up some lace. But never fear, knitters! You won't have to do that until you've exhausted the supply of $o.65 yarn from dollar general, big lots, and (my favorite) the Ace's hardware store in Hastings MI. Don't give up your wool yet!

The die is cast

okay, maybe the roman quote is too much, but I started the wool purse and finished the sweater. And I started some some socks for my sister for Christmas. Oh, and my long time crush has found out that I like him... in a not-so-good way. Long story. . . anyways, what is new with any of you, the readers? I know you're out there, because my hit number keeps going up. No, it doesn't count how many times I log on either. I found the cutest pattern for making mini Christmas stockings. . . I'm going to attempt to make one for each of my cousins and aunts and uncles. My family gets socks. The pattern for the stockings is in Odd Ball Knitting by Barbara Albright and the pattern for the socks is called Iowa Crew/Cruise Socks. Surprisingly, the socks were really easy (so far) . I'm making the child size, so its pretty small (idk if that makes it harder or easier. I just wanted to use up about 50g of Lemon Meringue Pie yarn. And, yes, I named that myself. I didn't like the original name).
Ciao!

Die Standardized Tests!

You really appreciate the stress relieving power of knitting when you have to take a three day long test. It's not like we don't take enough tests already- we take multiple tests a week at my school, sometimes in the same subject. Now they want us to take the ISTEPs to battle for funding. The only problem is that my school DOESN'T GET ANY FUNDING. WE ARE CATHOLIC! Now , since I passed the ISTEPs , I'm headed for a barrage of college qualifying exams and AP tests. Not that the state or the government cares. The problem with tests is that you don't improve when you take them. A test shows what you DON'T know. If the government wants to improve the test scores, its going to be by getting the people who take the tests to care, not by getting the teachers and principals to care. Funneling money into education is not going to improve anything, except SOME people's paychecks. You want a better America? Try making healthy food cheaper than junk food so we won't be fat, filtering emissions so we'll breathe healthy, make it illegal to drop out of school for people under 18, reward kids with good grades, stop the pointless war on terror (we came back from Korea and Vietnam, and they're alright now), and stop making us pay so much in taxes! That would make our world a lot better. Just make gas prices go down first.

The Sleeve

I finished all of the increasing on my sleeve, and am about halfway through it. Expect to see the sleeve done by the end of the week. I'm never doing a sew together project again! Now I'm going to do all of my projects on circular needles. It's way easier. I needed all that knitting after the ISTEPs. Come on, 3 hours of grueling testing isn't considered cruel and unusual punishment? Aren't some of our rights they keep talking about in government being violated? My parents pay way too much money for me to spend 3 days testing to say that I'm already smart. Oh yeah, knitting is as stress reducing as yoga. Beat that, vegans! I'm going to go eat meat and knit while I sit in front of the tv. I'll run when I need my exercise.

Homecoming is finally here!!!

yeah we're ready to rumble! Elmhurst is going down! Spirit day is tomorrow and I'm going to yell until my voice is gone. To those of you who think homecoming is some kind of horrible tradition thing, poo poo to you! Homecoming is awesome, even if you don't cheer or play football. Go Saints!

Procratinating on my sleeve

yeah, nuff said... I'm not regretting anything because A. it's homecoming and B. that is one big sleeve! I got lots of pictures today from NHS day for yearbook. Lots of action shots, but even more really bad ones. Really unexpected- one of my friends was singing in the band, in front of the whole school. Amazing, actually. He wasn't that bad! I apologise for the bad pic...it was in our gym!

Homecoming

is coming up soon. Pretty early if you ask me. This Friday, I'm going to the game, then the dance, then my friend's house. Our homecoming is really informal- it almost became a freshman dance. Today, as part of spirit week, everyone dressed up as military veterans, and most of us borrowed veterans' clothes. I was in the top 40 and probably would have won if I had been a senior. I really don't feel like starting my final sweater sleeve yet-I'm a procrastinator. Hopefully I'll have it done by the time that cold weather sets in.

Almost done!

I only have one sleeve to go on the yellow monster! I like the fit of it so far, but I had to add an inch to the sleeve length and to the bodice length. I think I'm going to knit the wool purse next.

Chicks with Sticks: it's a purl thing

Okay, I know a whole book about knitting doesn't sound interesting (knit 1, purl 2, YO, decrease, Boring!) but this book is amazing for a teenage knitter. It makes everyone wish that finding a magic like knitting can help you make friends, overcome a Learning Disorder, get awesome clothes, remove stress, get closer to your mom, and find out who you really are. Maybe knitting won't solve all of these problems for you, but I happen to know that knitting is proven as effective as yoga for relaxing and removing stress (so if you don't dig all that stretching, KNIT!). The parts about knitting that say the girl was addicted to it, maybe a little too strong. But knitters are all connected in a super circle. Everyone knows its more fun to go shopping with friends than to go alone, and its the same with knitting. It's a communal thing; you do it while talking, watching movies, and hanging out, and pretty soon you have a new sweater or blanket or purse or whatever else you decide to make. It's especially important to the fashion forward people; what happened if you made a sweater that was a perfect fit for you? Everything about it just. . . fits. That's what happens when you knit with friends. . . you just click.

english Test on Huck Finn

was really long and hard...couldn't remember who Judith Loftus was. Hopefully I'll get a good grade

My First Sweater

Hi, I am almost finished with my first sweater. I'm working on the first of two yellow sleeves. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere! Eventually, I'll be able to wear it to school. I'm lucky it fits in with the strict 5 colors we're allowed to wear at school. Khaki pants and a navy blue, black, red, yellow, or white polo shirt and sweaters of the same 5 colors- doesn't that make a wonderful rainbow? I've got an Anatomy test the day after tomorrow- who knows what axillary refers to? I do! Armpit! Who knew?I'm also working on a tank top with my mom- it's blue and striped. Soon I'll start on a poly-wool blend purse and a sweater shell. To save the environment, I'm making a durable bag out of plastic bags. That could be a while before I finish it!