*Hanging my head in shame...*

Yes, I too have succumbed to the lure of the Clapotis at knitty.com. It has entranced me with its dropped stitched and bias knitting. Pics later.

Gone too long....

Well folks, didn't mean to let the blog slip away from me for quite that long...however, I should be back online on a more regular basis this week. I'm settled into my school schedule (a senior with five days a week--aarrrrggghhh!! The injustice of it all.) However, that's what I get for playing "Musical Majors." But hopefully, we will be back to our regular Stitchin' and Bitchin' schedule.

Thwarted...

I was going to make my escape from school earlier today so I could get home sooner.
Many things have delayed this:
1) I did not get to sleep until 8 AM!!!! this morning and didn't wake up until 2:30 pm.
2) I start packing my car and walk around to the passenger side to discover a flat.
3) I have limited cash resources as my home bank is 100 miles away!!!!!

However, my dad and mom are driving here to pick me up/fix my flat. Whichever is easier. Yaay for spoiled brats, I guess.

Anywho, I went and took pictures of the residence hall next door. It was originally built in 1966 and contains asbestos. As of Monday the 20th, it will no longer be in existence. Which also means we are losing 4 parking lots (450 parking spaces) in an already overcrowded residential parking situation. They are giving us a staff lot to park in...the same one where I got my parking ticket earlier this semester.

However, I do count myself lucky that I was not one of the residents in the condemned hall. They had to move out of their rooms after their last final and as being reassigned to some place further away on campus (from all the academic buildings).

I'm not sure when I'll be able to update my blog while on Christmas vacation as I am taking an intersession class and have iffy internet service at my parent's house. But I should be back up and running by Jan 10, 2005.

Happy holidays. Stay warm and may you all have a peaceful and fruitful new year.

Casey

I present Pasha the Penguin...

Yayy!! Finals are over. (at least for me...but I won't say that too loud)

And beside more credit hours, I also have this to show for a week of studying:



It's Pasha from Knitty.com!! It's made from some leftover yarn stash and it's my first stuffed animal. (I also learned how to do short rows, so I might just make that Donna sweater at MagKnits I've been itching for.) Happy, happy, happy.

P.S. Mom, I'm keeping my penguin. :P

Should be this. Shouldn't be that.

I should be studying...not knitting. But it is stress knitting, does that count? It's finals week at my new school and they take it seriously. Free late night food, all night library, grill open all night. Tommorrow's my last day for tests...I got three. I've studied some...but need more. At least I get to go home earlier than some. But then again, I have a class that starts next Monday at the campus at home. Well, I'll post the pic of what I made during my finals stress...it waddles but it's not a duck. And I have experience with its kind. That's all I'm saying for now.

A year o' knitting...

My "knit-a-versary" was a couple days ago. One year since I started this madness with two sticks and some string. As a crocheter, I had the hardest time convincing myself that, yes, pulling yarn through a loop without a hook can be done. They've been doing it for 1000s of years!!! Finally, I got the hang of it (even tho' I was purling in the wrong direction--figured that out eventually) and here I am today...someone with too many ideas, too much yarn, and never enough time on my hands.

I enjoy knitting. I think it's transformed who I am and how I think about things. It's also been a life-saver. This year, two of my baby cousins died in a car wreck, my mom had a stroke, and my fave aunt passed away unexpectantly on my first day of school.

I'm not as much of a perfectionist. I can let a little purl bump stay nestled out of place in my ribbing if I've already done four inches of stockinette stitch on top of it. I'm learning not to be so impatient. If I don't finish it today, my knitting will still be there tommorrow, the next day, and for years if need be. Also, I'm just so happy to have something to do while I'm waiting in the waiting rooms and lines of the world...it makes me feel like I accomplished something more than watching boring t.v. and flipping through ancient magazines I would never read anyway.

Anyway...that's my thoughts on knitting.

-C

Another post...Yes, because I am truly loved...

Tuesday is generally my longest day of school (at least this semester) because I have a Botany lab from 3:30 to 5:20. And my T.A. (who is from Ghana in Africa) is the sweetest guy and today we had a "fruit and nut" feast at the end of our last lab. Strawberrys, apples, fresh pineapple, peanuts, and all sorts of things. It was great. I was in "fruity" heaven.

Then later, after I came back to my room (I live in suite-style dorms w/ 3 sweet girls) and am winding down by knitting, I hear the doorbell ring. Not knowing if anyone else is here I come out of my room, and Nancy is at the door. Three girls loaded with boxes and bags are standing there, asking if she is Casey. Of course, she says no, and I say "I'm Casey." They say they have a delivery for me and hand me a bucket, a bag, and a box and make me sign off on some paperwork. My parents have sent me a "Dead Week/Finals Survival Kit" and all three containers where just packed full of stuff like candy, chips, gum, cocoa, coffee, tea, toys...well, you get the idea.

Needless to say, I was flabbergasted. I have never had such a haul in my life. I called Mom and told her I must be spoiled, right? She said no, because if I was truly spoiled, I wouldn't be crying right now. Instead, I'd be asking, "Is that it?" There was a signed card in there from both her and dad, and it was just amazing. Nobody has done anything like that for me in a long time. My Uncle Steven used to send me roses on my birthday when I was in middle school and high school, and mom and dad, too. But that was more than 10 years ago. Wow, I am just overwhelmed.

Here's some pics of my haul, if you're interested:

The bag:



The bucket:



The box:




(And it's all good stuff---that I like---that I'm not allergic to. Yipppeee!!!)

I love you, Mom and Dad. Thank you, thank you so much.

Satan, start diggin' out those mittens...

In case you haven't already guessed...Hell has officially froze over. I have been invited to join a sorority. Seriously...no kidding. 42 day pledge process and everything. Alpha Pi Omega. The works.

It was in my school email today. Do they know I'm 31 years old? Granted, it's an American Indian Sorority, but still...**shivers** (Just watch--next semester I'll be the flag-waving, high-steppin'-est geezer pledge out there. Go figure.)

Anywho, my lovelies, not much progress on actual WIPs, but I have learned two new, amazing knitting things in the past week.

1. The Mattress Stitch: Forget messy seams that scream "MY AUNT CASEY MADE THIS AND NOW MY DAD IS MAKING ME WEAR IT". Now have nice, invisible seams that say, "My Aunt Casey made this and it's not so bad." My new slogan: It doesn't have to look homemade--just handmade.

2. Knitting Backwards: I swear, all the cool kids are doin' it. It's better than purling, but not better than S-E-X (oh shut up-you know what I mean). Too bad you can only do it with stockinette stitches. It rocks!

The new Knitty is up, but I found it late last night, so I got to see it before a lot of other people. must buy more yarn...*drool*