Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Some new stuff


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
On Saturday I got this great Patternworks catalogue. The Koigu page alone makes this catalogue great. I bought more needles for socks too. I'm beginning to learn you can't have too many dpn's for socks. Even though I have been on a bit of a knitting break for the last two weeks it hasn't stopped me from going on a knitting spree. Meanwhile, I've been listening to my new cd With Teeth as much as I can with two little ones running around. Its freaken brilliant and I think Trent Reznor is one of the most talented musicians in the world today! I've heard people complaining that its not hard like The Fragile or his previous works, but hey, life is change. The whole cd has a dark tone (without being whiny or obscene), is powerful and of course jams. There are a lot of musicians I love to listen to, but none like NIN where I actually get excited to see the new music that has been created! Okay, I'll stop gushing over it. I'm just thrilled with the music and glad for him and his success. We need more really talented original musicians like him. Okay, now I'm really done.

ooooooooohhh.....


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Nothing makes me happier than a mountain o' wool. Its eleven skeins Briggs and Little light brown wool. I'm saving it for a sweater for MYSELF. I'm still waiting on my Rowan Vintage Knits pattern book from Ram Wools. Hopefully I will have it in time to knit myself a sweater for fall! Can't wait!

Debbie Bliss


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Okay, I couldn't resist! For $30 I got these two books (free shipping) at amazon! I LOVE some of these designs and will post pictures soon of the ones I will be casting on for. I'm going to make something for Maya out of the Junior Knits.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

mathematical yarn


mathematical yarn
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
My husband left this for me this morning on the kitchen table. I always knew yarn was brain-stimulating. Now there is a mathematical display to prove it. The caption says....
"Crochet is probably the last thing you'd expect to see in the Smithsonian's permanent collection of mathematical models. But it turns out to be a simple way to demonstrate the complex concept of hyperbolic space, which spreads infinitely in all directions. Cornell researcher Daina Taimina shows this spatial expansion by increasing the number of stitches in each successive row of her needlework."
-Elizabeth Svoboda
This was published in the June 2005 issue of Wired magazine.

homeschool


homeschool
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
In other news...
Here are some of the books I've aquired for Maya's first year of official school at home. Most of these are books that will guide me in teaching and a handful are workbooks for her work. Her reader books are on the way. One curriculum I've found that I absolutely LOVE is Sonlight. While I dig Jesus, that part of the curriculum isn't what thrills me. The idea behind this system is reading. So simple! I would have LOVED this curriculum when I was in school. I think Maya is a little more hands on and interactive so if I order it, I will definitely have to supplement with activities for her. I'm getting more and more excited to do this every day and I'm having a hard time stopping myself from buying more and more stuff.

Monday, May 16, 2005

And two became one....


two
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Okay, so I got my Knitwhits pattern and promptly casted on and promptly screwed it up! My m1's are apparently not up to par. I could NOT m1, sl1, m1 to save my life. Eventually, I had to learn a new way to m1. I was directed to this great site from some wonderful ladies at knittersreview.com that showed all the inc thru video! Brilliant! I can't post the site cuz I'm too tired and my favorites folders are full of homeschooling links, but that is a whole other post in itself. Needless to say I will be homeschooling my daughter this fall, and well...wish me luck! I stayed up late last night figuring out exactly what books to buy for her. Then I lay down. Then the kids woke up. Then I lay down with Aaron so he would quiet down. Then he stayed awake for two hours keeping me awake as well. Then Maya woke up crying because I wasn't in her bed. I got up and moved to my bed leaving them in their own beds. Couldn't fall asleep again for about an hour. All in all, I got four hours of sleep. Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I DO NOT function on this much sleep. To top it off, the kids are under the weather today. Maya has had a fever and Aaron is sniffly. Sigh. Must stay awake.
Back to the knitting. Anyway, after the m1 confusion, I read the pattern wrong and added an extra step therefore confusing my self on the st count. Duh. I do know how to read knitting patterns I swear! Finally, after many hours of struggle against my own idiocy, the cheap needles and acrylic yarn I got this:


one
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Despite how crappy its been going, its coming out looking like what its supposed to look like. Wow. Who knew acrylic yarn and cheap needles could come together with a mediocre knitter to produce something wearable? Well, I guess I'm jumping ahead of myself. Its not quite wearable yet. I'm debating on whether or not I should pick it up again. In my sleep deprived state I can't be sure of anything.

Thursday, May 12, 2005

Trent!


Trent!
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Definitely Blogworthy!! I love this man! He is soooo talented and although I haven't bought the new album yet I will be soon! I saw this mag in the rack at the gym and gave myself whiplash doing a double take. I love his music! A new NIN album and the Second Season of The Golden Girls DVD in the same month.... I need to sit down.

Knitting and other stuff


knit
Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Well, it seems long time no post. Here is a random project I started out of the blue yesterday. If it comes out okay, I will post a picture. If not, lets not mention it again. I'm still working on socks and baby blankets and sweaters.....the list goes on and on top of that I've bought more yarn! Somebody stop me! In my defense, it was a good deal: $3 per skein of Briggs and Little Wool. Oiy! I am so excited! Now its gotta make its way from Canada. I found this buyer from a link on the principessa site. Its The Wool Shoppe.

Friday, May 06, 2005

It was only a matter of time.....


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
One thing I love about knitting is that it surprises me. When I first began knitting, knitting socks appealed to me about as much as having cavities filled. Now look at me. I have spent mucho dinero on all sorts of sock yarn for me and various others. I'm carrying around the bag with my latest purchase (Kroy sock yarns) as a reminder that I have enough yarn to knit socks for the rest of the year.
Not much knitting has been done on anything else. I'm starting to get overwhelmed by all the knitting I've obligated myself to do. I cannot sew those @*%# squares together decently to save my life and moms sweater should have been finished last year!
By the way, this is my first sock! Its from the knitpicks sockgarden (which is absolutely lovely!!) and was my first ever practice sock. Yes, I'm going to make a partner for it......eventually...after I finish moms socks, and the baby blankets, and moms sweater.

Maya's socks


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Well, here they are! My first official pair of knitted socks. They were so much fun to work on! The best part is that Maya loves them! I'm going to have to sneak them out of her room to wash them!

Mothers Day Sock


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Originally uploaded by samuraisqurl.
Okay so I bought this yarn (Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock Yarn) on Tuesday and I finished this last night. The good news is it looks good. The bad news is its a little snug. I really don't have time to knit two more socks. I'm not sure I could rip it back to the point I need to (although I'm sure its worth a shot). I'm going to start the other one and see how I feel when I'm done with it. Hmmmmm.