Things I never thought I would do...

So...lots of good things and a couple strange things today.

Firstly, I am now finished with 15 of 25 squares for my lizard ridge. I suppose I could stop at 20 and have a normal sized blanket...we'll see when we get there. It would be a lot cheaper to make 5 more squares instead of 10.

I started a new scarf for Nathalie, the lady who put together the China trip of awesomeness. I'm using a mesh pattern to make the yarn go farther and make it interesting enough to not go into hibernation after two days of work. I made the pattern up, but since there's only a few ways of knitting mesh, I'm sure it's been properly made up by someone else. Here's a picture, it's out of the same linen yarn that the red "tequila sunrise" scarf is made of, it's just shiny enough...I really love this yarn. If anyone is interested in how made it, I can write the pattern up. So far it's mindless but enjoyable.

This morning I took my history final for my online course AND AM DONE WITH IT! I can't tell you how happy I am to have that shit done. Now I've got my Postco final next wednesday to worry about. But first....ROAD TRIP! I'm hitting the road saturday morning with a few friends from the China trip to (things I never thought I'd do #1) go to a gay nightclub. One of my best friends from the trip, Chi Chi, is my favorite gay man ever and we hit up as many gay nightclubs in China as possible, and we're continuing to do it here. We're also going to some pie festival which makes me glad I did Thing I Never Thought I Would Do #2, getting acupuncture to lose weight.

I threw my back out the other day doing something that could get me in trouble if I posted here, so I'll just say I threw my back out....rescuing kittens from a fire. Riiiiight. So I went to the chiropractor who also does acupuncture (this is yesterday, not today) and after he did the adjustment, he asked if I wanted acupuncture- normally I say no, needles are for knitting, but I jokingly said, "got anything to help with tomorrow's final?" And he said yes. Turns out they use the same points for nerves and weight loss, so I'm a mellow, slightly skinnier version of my self right now. Already down 2 pounds! It suppresses your appetite so instead of eating the 4-5 meals I day I normally do, I'm down to 2 with smaller portions. It also (no idea how this works) makes you feel miserably full (think Thanksgiving) after a normal-sized portion, and then you don't want to eat for a while. I know this isn't healthy to continue to eat 2 smaller meals a day, but I figured I'd keep it up until after this weekend (pie festival + small halter top for clubbing = not pretty) then see where I should go from there.

So that's about it today... other than my all-night conversation with McTango...yummy. Too bad I have less than a week left at Purdue- is that bad timing or what?

Yeah, I knit.

SO....after knitting for more than 3/4 of my life I still find myself a little embarrassed to say I do it. I know that there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of about knitting and I actually should be proud to have found something that I am passoknit about but when asked what I do in my spare time, reading, napping, dancing and other crafts nearly always come up before knitting. My knitting and I seem to need couple's therapy.

I think after trying to break the stigma attached to knitting (you know, the old ladies in rocking chairs in bad acrylic sweaters for their grandchildren) I'm tired of fighting it. No, I didn't learn two weeks ago to keep up with the "craze", and no, it's not because I don't have anything better to do, and lastly, no, I will not knit you a scarf. I'm tired of people saying, "You KNIT?" In the same tone of voice one would use

five minute pause...James McAvoy is on Jon Stewart

oh dear jesus the naughty dreams I have about that man. God, if you love me like the priest says you do, you will give me that man and I will never Hulk-punch the wall in your name again.

Back to knitting. I'm tired of people saying "You KNIT?!" In the same tone of voice one would use while saying, "You rob banks?" or "You're a serial killer?" Yeah- I knit. And I make some cool stuff too. So, next time someone says to me, "You KNIT?" I pledge to respond, "You DON'T?"

I have never been a closet knitter, but I am (outside of knit night) a little shy when people are gawking at my Lizard Ridge square. It's a little unnerving for me to be watched while I finish a sleeve at Starbucks. I don't see how my knitting is any different from his sudoku, or her Wall Street Journal. I don't knit because I'm incapable of completing a cross-word, I enjoy that glow I get after I finish a project and occasionally, when I wear something I made out in public, I enjoy the feeling I get when someone says- "Where did you get that?" And I can say, I made it. Because I am talented and smart enough to follow a chart or make up a lace pattern, figure out a gauge and make a sweater fit me. I knit to blow off steam and it makes me feel special when I knit things for other people that they (at least seem) to really like.

Perhaps we need a Knitter's Pride Parade?

We got a Redbox!!!

You know those dollar-a-night box things with movies in them? We got one at the grocery store! It's amazing. I've rented 3 movies over the past 4 days and it's so much cheaper than Blockbuster! Woohooo! I love redbox! So onto the movie reviews:

P.S. I love you

Adorable! For starters we have Gerard Butler with an Irish accent and a guitar- yummy! Sad in the beginning and I definently squirted out a few tears, but overall a really cute movie. Watch it with your girlfriends. And! It had Denny from Grey's Anatomy- the one Izzy "loved" to death. He's good in it- so is his naked bum.

Last King of Scotland

Weird. Shows the perils of an evil ruler in Uganda in the 1970's. After Hotel Rwanda and Blood Diamond, I thought I was ready for it, but it was a whole new level of graphic and disgusting. Great acting from Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy (okay I only rented the movie because he was in it) but was not really okay with the scene in which Whitaker pushed rusty hooks through McAvoy's nipples and suspended him in the air by them. I threw up a little in my mouth. I don't like to see my baby's daddy suspended by his nips.

I Now Pronouce You Chuck and Larry

Exceeded my expectations. Normally I think of Adam Sandler movie as slapstick comedy and this was funny, yes, but not stupid funny. Worth watching. Nothing all that "gay" about it. Plus it was really star-studded (Lance Bass, Dan Akroyd, a few others I've already forgotten about) And my fav. character by far was the gay butterfly played by Nick Swardson, the guy who plays gay Terry in Reno 911- he was hilarious! Overall it shed a positive light on the gay community, which I am all for.

Also I went and painted pottery last night with my friend Ben! (If you go back a couple months he is seen wearing a brown and creme hat I knitted him for helping me study for a math test). He painted a rather harlequin looking mug and I painted a sunflower bowl because I've already painted wayyyy to many mugs and am out of space in my mug cabinet. Here they are, in their unfired/unglazed state. I can't wait to see them finished! Oh- that thing on the petal is supposed to be a ladybug.

Done, Done, and halfway done

So yes, I missed the Yarn Harlot. And I am still a little bummed about that. But I had fun without Stephanie Pearl McPhee! My new friend from Postcolonial Literature asked me if I knew anyone that could teach her to crochet (she has only ever seen me knitting, and only on the hoodie). I told her I could and she suggested a trip to Hobby Lobby immediately after class. Cool. Not that I need anything, but it's always fun to look. She drove, which is awesome because the trip to Hobby Lobby takes about a gallon and a half of gas in my Jeep, and I hate spending more getting somewhere than I spend actually being there. We picked out her yarn and crochet hooks and grabbed a pair of bamboo knitting needles (just in case!)

Sure enough, an hour later, we were both knitting at Vienna coffee house. She had given up on crocheting after about half an our of not getting the single crochet stitch, and was knitting within ten minutes of that. I had to run to tango at 7 to meet McSteamy for our lesson. This would make up for missing the Yarn Harlot- sexy dancing with sexy Peruvian man. (he's McSteamy from now on, okay?) It would have made up for Yarn Harlot, except he didn't show. He wasn't feeling well, that's cool, I just wish he would have let me know BEFORE I SPRINTED ACROSS CAMPUS IN STILETTO HEELS AND A MINISKIRT!!!!

Anyhoo, I stayed for about an hour and tango-ed with myself. After getting sick of all the happy couples tangoing with each other, I headed to the grocery store for dinner and a rented movie for one. I didn't even start the movie, my roommate was watching Big Mama's house and I knitted on the PoCo hoodie while kinda sorta watching that. And then I FINISHED the hoodie with the help of Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha. Weaved in my ends, sewed on the buttons and all. Since my makeup was all gone by then and it still hasn't found it's way onto my face today, the bed will be my model.

In unrelated but still awesome news, I finished all my essays but one yesterday, and the one that isn't done is due Monday. That will be a bitch to finish. Damn you PostCo!

So...it's just occured to me that finishing the hoodie means I have two more weeks left at Purdue, and enough Kuryon for 2 Lizard Ridge squares- 3 if I'm creative. That's not going to last me three weeks....poo. On the other hand, I did buy four skiens of dishrag cotton at Hobby Lobby and will make the double-sided crochet potholders with it...those are like stressballs, they finish so quickly and they're so brainless. I love them!

More later, but for now James McAvoy and I have a date in "The Last King of Scotland".

I am Procraftinating.

What are you doing?

So midterms are here, and I have three more essays that need done by Friday. I finished one last night, but that's just one. I did effectively procraftinate, and added a few more inches to my hoodie. It's starting to look like something- and rather quickly. I think I understand this project manogamy thing- it's very strange by it works! The picture is of me and the sweater trying to figure out how to get the camera to take a picture after ten seconds. The only time I've gotten it to work was this time, when I wasn't actually ready.

(I haven't been entirely manogamous- I made 2.5 lizard ridge squares as a brief diversion of life.) But I'm getting there. But it's amazing how this thing sucks up yarn like a vaccuum. I've just put in the fifth skien of Cascade! Yikes! If I didn't knit so tightly I might be able to get more sweater for the yardage, but I rather enjoy wearing handknits so thick they could pass as carpet.

So...hoodie progress: check.

essay progress: not so much.

and now I'm going to Tango to put off the essays for another few hours! Ciao!

Knitters are Generous People

Today was the day from hell- was unable to return some rather expensive beads to a store because they had "no proof" other than my receipt that I had actually bought them, had to give up the Yarn Harlot tickets, stomach flu, I went to 4 places trying to ship out this week's handspun but none had "delivery confirmation", the landlord put a random notice on the door that we need to pay to have the appartment steam cleaned by friday (new management BLOWS), I also slammed my hair in the car door and have a bald spot. So not my day.

But then I get back, check Ravelry, and there is a lady who has offered me her skien of discontinued Kureyon for my lizard ridge- for free. It's amazing how kindness like that can cancel out the shit hitting the fan.

maybe...maybe.

So...my fairy knitting Godmother (different from the Knitting Fairy that works on your projects when you leave them sitting in their bags after hours of knitting and not a single inch of growth by your own hand) has offered me two tickets to Yarn Harlot this Friday in Chicago, the land of yarn shops.

Trouble is...all my knitting friends have already seen the Harlot, and Chicago is a big scary drive (for someone who gets nervous getting on an interstate-me). I would buy an Amtrak ticket but last time I took Amtrak we were 6 hours late- we could have walked to Chicago and gotten there faster. I called my mom, who for those of you who remember, promised to go to the Harlot in Indy in my place while I took the math final. Janet made my mom's day and went for her.

Things I would miss if I went to see the Yarn Harlot in Chicago:

My postcolonial literature class (I'm okay with that)

Tango (poo)

The sexy Peruvian in my Tango class (I need to do some serious thinking-he's really sexy)

Things I would miss if I didn't see the Yarn Harlot in Chicago.

The Yarn Harlot

Chicago

Shit. Anyone else want to see the Harlot in Chicago? I call not driving!!!!

Oh- and my hoodie now has BOTH sleeves....oh yeah. Now just miles and miles of stockinette to make up for my abnormally long torso.

And to make up for not having a progress picture, I give you Jing Jing the olympic mascot at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

hurrah!

So...lots of stuff today.

Knitting Content:
Yesterday I had a bit of an experiment. Could I use Paint Box with Noro Kureyon for my lizard ridge? Turns out that I can, but the Paint box square are about half an inch longer, but the colors are so cool, it totally makes up for it. Since I plan on dry cleaning this blanket anyway, I'm not too worried about one yarn felting and the other not. I dig Paint Box. (btw, Paint box is the one with the oranges, pinks and purples, Kureyon is the green and purple one) I now have 11 squares completed, which is a little dissapointing. I could have sworn I had 13 done.

I also completed the first sleeve on the hoodie I am now calling PoCo, because it gets worked on during my postcolonial literature class. I would like another name, so if you have any ideas, leave them in the comments or ravel me with it. Please.....

Since it is international Knit in Public Day (!!!!) I will probably take a study break and the hoodie and I will venture down to Starbucks and enjoy a tall chai latte together. I need a chai fix, it needs the remaining 1/4 sleeve. If I am doing really well, I may go to River Knits (make that a very likely actually) to take a peek at what they have. I have a 20% off card that I plan on using at the latest possible moment in hopes that I have accumulated a bit of money before then. *hoping very hard*

Here is the stash I never flashed after the fiber festival in Franklin. It's alarming how much of it is already spun into yarn. Seriously- I have a problem. I've currently got some periwinkles BFL on the wheel for last semester's Jane Austen prof, an avid knitter who recognized me on ravelry. She isn't a spinner but we frequently talked about it. So her periwinkle wool titled "Dashwood" is a third of the way done. I really hope she likes it.

Non-knitting Content:

Last night, after nearly chopping off my g**-damn hair (I spent 2 hours trying to put it in an updo only to have it fall out as soon as I finally got it up there. I was entirely too close to pulling a Britney. Bad....) I went to tango. My hair did look like shit, honestly, because it was sprayed and curled and shaped like I had just taken it down after prom. Bad. But I went anyway because I would have done something drastic if I hadn't.

So I get there and I'm a little nervous because...I really suck at Tango. Yeah this is a beginner's class, but I've always been more intermediate than that in all the other latin dances. So I'm feeling a little incompetent. Then, Alfredo Tuesta, the most beautiful Peruvian man in exsistance (like Antonio Banderas + Goatee - 20 years) came right up to me (ME!!!) and asked if I had a partner for the evening. (Turns out I was actually better at the Tango than him, which was a little dissapointing. I was quite sure Latin Americans came out of the womb with a rose in their mouths) So we switched off partners a few times and I danced with the instructor (from Argentina- also a sexy beast) and he was such a good leader, I looked like really good...and Alfredo was watching the whole time! Score: Paige 1, Tango girls:0.

Back to Skewl

So I'm back at Purdue for one more English class before I jump across the pond to live in England for a year. So I'm studying literature that displays the atrocities of English colonization on the Middle East and India. Good stuff. Not really.

But my prof said it was totally cool with him if I got my knit on during class provided that I a) sit in the back and b) participate. Check and Check.

So...since summer classes are hella long, I knitted about 10 inches of sleeve yesterday. I'm guestimating the same progress today. Here's a pic of the sweater after yesterday's class. Thanks to my lovely model, Sir Oatmeal, who is older than I am- which is really old in Teddy years.

Today's China picture (chose at random) is of the great stone tiger at the Beijing Zoo. So was the last post's panda.

Have a great day and happy knitting!

My blog is fixed!

So...apparently blogging in China is kinda illegal. So my account got shut down for a few weeks. But after paperwork and a few phone calls- I'm back! And to make up for not blogging in China, I'll post a China picture everytime I blog for a while.

Today was something especially blog worthy....I went to the Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival with Mandie and Janet! Driving there was terrifying. There were flash floods, stranded cars and water up past my Jeep's tires. It was a wonder we weren't swept off the road by all the flood water. It took way longer than it should have, but we finally got there. I'll post pics of my findings next time I blog, I'm just too lazy to load them into the computer right now. I figured I'd go big or go home, so I went big. I think I spent around $140ish, which for me in a fiber festival, isn't all that bad.

Because of all the storms lately, my dog hasn't been sleeping. And when the dog has a bad night, I do too. So..I'm going to bed. Here is my China trip picture, selected at random.