Monday, September 15, 2008

Secret Yarn

So, the other night I was looking through the closet trying to find something and my boyfriend pulled down a box from the top of the closet and guess what was inside? YARN! Yarn that I didn't even know I had! It was amazing! I guess my stash problem is worse than I thought. Woops.

I've been an unmotivated knitter recently. I just haven't been able to get in a groove. I started the A line dress which is great, but I think my gauge is off and it's going to be too big. I need to frog and start over with smaller needles. I'm working on my Arbor sweater, but it seems to just creep along. I feel like I've been working on it forever with no progress! I'll keep going though.

For those of you that don't know, my brother officially got the second string QB job in Green Bay which is really exciting! He's excited. He is getting a kitty soon, so I will have pis of my nephew kitty soon!

Saturday, August 30, 2008

I HATE POLITICS!

I hate politics. I really do. I’ve never really had an interest in them, and very rarely get involved in political debates or discussions. I’m one of the few people I know that doesn’t associate with a party. I’m not registered as a member of either party. I believe in researching each candidate and voting for the candidate that I think will do the best job. I don’t believe in voting or not voting for someone because they are a Democrat or a Republican, or Libertarian or Independent. I don’t vote for someone because they are a Christian, or not a Christian. I don’t vote for someone because they are white or black, or because they are a man or a woman. I choose the person to vote for based on how they feel about important issues and how I think they would handle the job.

I’m not writing this to knock anybody’s ideas or views, but I just got really frustrated today when I saw who John McCain chose for VP. I’m not here to bash Sarah Palin, because I know nothing about her. I’m sure she’s a wonderful person and a great mother to her kids. I’m sure she’s a competent leader of Alaska. What makes me so angry about the situation is that it is so obvious that McCain picked her because she is a woman. He is trying so desperately to get the “lost” Hillary Clinton votes that he picked this woman with little experience over more qualified candidates. It is so plain and clear that he wanted her on his ticket to win those female votes.

Now what really irks me is that someone running for the leader of our country is sexist enough to believe that women will now vote for him simply because he has a female running mate. To think that women are dumb enough to not see straight through this political game makes me so furious. This is the move of someone interested in winning the election and not interested in what is best for his county.

As a woman, I can’t deny that it was a little exciting seeing a woman making a legitimate run for the Presidency. Would I have voted for her? I don’t know, but if I had chosen to, it would not have been simply because she was a woman. Excitement aside, sex does not determine your capabilities. Your experience and stances on the issues do.

I never write about politics. I find them boring and really only pay attention when I have to vote. I try my hardest to be a fair and educated voter. I am someone who watches the Democratic convention and the Republican convention because I feel that it’s important to be educated about what you are voting for, and what you are voting against. I respect everyone’s right to have his or her own opinion, as long as it is an educated one.

I hope that the women of America are awake and paying attention to this latest move in the political game. We have worked too hard for equality to let the potential leader of our country assume our ignorance in his political games.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Surviving Colorado

We survived Denver!  It was actually an amazing trip.  Our families got along famously and I got to spend a little time with my brother, and watch him play football.  I got to break in my new Packers' Jersey, and go to the Bronco's stadium which was really nice!  


Here we are outside of the stadium.  It looks like it has a roller coaster on top of it!


Rob grew up in Denver cheering for the Broncos, so the fact that I got him to wear a Packers hat shows his true devotion to me! (not to mention all the year of cheering on LSU instead of Michigan!)

Matty warming up on the field before the game.

Flynn family (part of us anyway) after the game!

I also have to add that the Packers just finished their last pre season game and my brother was awesome.  He lead them down the field to score with seconds left in the game.  He also ran for a first down and faced tons of pressure when he threw the touchdown.  They almost went into OT, but they receiver didn't get both feet down when he caught the ball!!  Long story short, my brother was great!

I did actually cast on my ravelympics sweater while I was away, but the provisional cast one came unraveled.  Typical.  I started over and am a few rows in.  So far so good!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Confessions and such

I have to confess that I have been so busy the last few weeks that I have not even cast on my ravelympics sweater.  I know.  You can throw stones now or later, but it just didn't happen.  I'm taking it with me this weekend on my trip to Denver, so hopefully it will at least make it on the needles.  

Rob and I are going to Denver to see his parents and to watch my brother play football on Friday.  Also, our parents are meeting each other for the first time.  Wow.

I also have to mention that today on the street I saw someone wearing a Ravelry shirt and I was so happy and shocked that I didn't know what to say!  I figured that whatever I would say would come out wrong and I would scare the girl, so I just froze in excitement.  I'll be better prepared next time.

Also, I wanted to share this link.  What a smart blogger!
PackSmack: Why Matt Flynn Will Be The Packers Starting QB

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Wow!


Watching your little brother on Monday Night Football is amazing. I wish that everyone got to experience it! It was so much fun. Matt played so well. They lost, but he did really well and I couldn't be prouder. Saturday is the next game and then he plays Denver next week and I'll be at that game! Hooray! I can't wait to see him and watch him play. I also have two scarves that I knit for him right after he got drafted. He will want those when the winter hits in Green Bay!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Monday Night Football!



I'm getting nervous.  I always get nervous during football season, but especially right before it starts.  I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders for my brother!  I get an upset stomach, I can't sleep, I bite my nails.  I have watched him play football on TV so many times.  And he has even played in bigger, more important games than the game tomorrow night, but tomorrow will be his debut as a professional football player.  I'm so proud of him and so excited for him that I can hardly stand it!  So, if you don't have plans tomorrow night, turn to ESPN and watch the Packers vs. the Bengals and watch for #10!

My knitting is going well.  I'm yet to start my Ravelympics sweater.  I know!  I've been so busy!  I'm closing my show today and my boyfriend is on vocal rest for a vocal injury.  I just haven't had time!  This week though.  I promise!






Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger

I know!  It's been forever!  Now I remember why I always stopped blogging.  I get really busy and then don't have time to blog, but this time I will just keep pushing on.

Since I last blogged, I have gone upstate to do a show as part of the Bard Summerscape Festival.  I'm doing "Of Thee I Sing" and playing a disgruntled Southern beauty queen named Diana Devereaux.  It's a very old Gershwin musical, written in 1931 and it was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama.  It's a very funny political farce and I'm having so much fun!  The campus is really pretty, even though it is in the middle of nowhere and I'm going a little stir crazy, and the show is going to be really great.  The cast is awesome and I think that the audience will like the show.

Now onto the knitting :)  

First things first, confessional:  I did use my sewing machine to seam my sweater....and I liked it :)  It was so easy and the seams look great.  Now I just have to put a neck on the sweater and it will be done.  I'll save that for later.

I made the Lelah Top from ravelry and I love it!  It was so easy and it turned out super cute.  I will admit that the yarn I chose is a little warm for the hottest of days, but perfect for late spring or a cool summer day.  This was my first attempt at lace and I loved it!  I can't wait for my next lace project.  



I am onto my second goal, SOCKS :)  I bought a book at The Point about socks on two circulars and I love it!  I got through the first sock and am almost done with the second.  They turned out only slightly wonky, which is passable, in my opinion, for a first sock.  I will say that I did have problems with the pattern.  I don't know if it was just me, or if there are mistakes in there.  Has anyone used the Basic Sock Pattern by Cat Bordhi from Socks Soar on Two Circulars?  If so, let me know if you found any errors.  


I'm also knitting some things for a cute baby girl that belongs to a guy in my cast.  She is only 7 weeks old and is so precious I started yearning for fiber as soon as I saw her!  I'm knitting a Sun Dress for her.  I will probably also knit the matching hat, as well as some booties!  I'm using my leftover KnitPicks CotLin from my skirt.  I had 4 skeins leftover, so it's perfect for Vivienne this summer.

I ordered yarn for two very fun projects.  The first is an A-Line Dress that I hope to wear to a wedding or two in September.  I'm using the suggested yarn which is Garn Studio Safron in Navy Blue.  The second is the Arbor Sweater by Melissa Burt.  I love it and think it will be perfect for late summer/early fall.  I ordered KnitPicks Shine Sport in Terraotta.  I loved knitting a baby sweater recently in Shine Sport, so I'm looking forward to using it for me!

I think that catches me up on my knitting.  Between my show and my knitting, I'm keeping busy.  Oh, and my brother did sign his contract this week, so he is now officially a Green Bay Packer!  Flynn #10!


Saturday, June 14, 2008

Knitting in Public

Happy WWKIP Day for all you knitters out there!  I am part of Sit N' Knit here in NYC and we had a fantastic day.  We all met at the Great Lawn in Central Park and knit for a few hours and then went to our after party at The Gin Mill for Happy Hour, and then made an after after party stop at Knitty City.  I mean, we were so close who could resist stopping in and saying hello to some fiber :)  Also, I must mention that there were door prizes today and I won!!!  That's right, I won.  I won the most beautiful Brooklyn Handspun yarn.  The colorway is called Smooch!  I can't wait to knit it up.  I think it will look great on my feet :)





I also decided yesterday to organize my yarn and Madison decided to help out.  She is quite the helper and organizing the stash is one of her favorite activities!! (besides making the bed)






Last weekend I made a last minute trip to Kansas to visit some family.  It was such an awesome time!  We ate and drank and enjoyed each others company.  My nieces did wear me out, as 6 years old usually do.  My dad and brothers played golf the whole weekend and I went with them on Sunday and spent the day riding in the golf cart.  It was glorious for my knitting!  I finished my Chic Hippie Skirt!  I shouldn't get ahead of myself.  I finished the crocheting part of it.  I still have to sew some buttons on it and make a lining of some sort.  I bought some material to make a skirt lining, but might not have enough so we will see.  I will post more pics once its done completely.

I made the teddy bear for my niece but it turned out all wrong, so I halted the plan for them to have new toys from me.  Oh well.  They'll live.  I've also started two new projects.  I'm knitting the Lelah Top from Ravelry/Craftster.  I'm using stash yarn for this.  I'm also knitting a baby sweater knit in the Knit Picks Cotton Sport.

I did finally finish my acrylic sweater and I blocked it last night.  I have a plan for the seaming, but I'm not sure I'm ready to announce it to the world yet.  I feel a little dirty.  I'll tell you next time!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Sales and such

The month of May was all about me reducing my stash. I did a great job. I knit two boring scarves, I crocheted a shawl, I am knitting a sweater. All from my stash. Good Girl. Then came along the Joan Vass Yarn Sale. She is retiring after a million years and had to get rid of tons of yarn. Rooms full of yarn. All for very cheap. I did some serious damage. I got some amazing stuff though and for nothing. I'm actually a better stasher than I used to be. I used to only buy one skein, maybe two, but not I know to buy in bulk for large projects, especially when I was able to get full bags and boxes of 10 skeins for 20$.



I love this yarn. Its 100% cotton, but look at the shine it has. LOVE IT!!


I love this one too. Its a nice shade of green in a bulky yarn. I can't wait to
 knit something fabulous for the winter!


















SOCK YARN!!




There is more yarn, but that's all I posted because I wanted to pretend like I didn't get as much as I did.  Shame.  You can see more on Ravelry.  I'm amandagrace33.






I also spent Memorial Day on Coney Island with my boyfriend and some friends.  It was such a good time.  It's such a shame that they will be tearing it all down, but I'm glad that I went before it was taken down.







My skirt is coming along quite well as is my sweater.  I know that if I put my sweater down I will not pick it up for a very long time, so I know that I must finish it.  I also picked up a crochet hook to crochet a very simple teddy bear and bunny for my nieces because I am going on a last minute trip to visit them.  My awesome brother and dad split the purchase of a ticket for me to go and visit next weekend, so some toys must be made!  I'll post pics once I finish the toys.  I think they will be adorable!  

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Summer Skirt

I have two projects in the works at the moment. I am crocheting this summer skirt that I have wanted to make for so long. I'm using KnitPicks CotLin yarn which is lovely. Last night I discovered a mistake a row down and since I'm crocheting I had to frog back a whole row. Woe is me. If I was knitting I could have just dropped down and fixed it, but alas. The burden of crocheting. But at least crocheting goes so fast. I was able to catch back up pretty quick.





My other project is a cabled sweater. I had some acrylic yarn that I needed to use up, so I am making a sweater, and I don't care that its acrylic! I'm so not a yarn snob. As long as the yarn is soft and perfect for what I need it for then its a match. I'm a fast knitter, so this project is moving along quite well. I'll post pics of that once I'm done.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Last Few Months

OK. Here I am. I decided to revisit my blog. But I'm warning you. It will be boring. There is nothing exciting going on in my life and I have nothing exciting to say. That being said, I will still blog about what's going on which at this point in my life is mostly my knitting and crocheting.

I'm posting a few pics of some exciting things that have happened in my life lately as well as some fun projects that I have made recently.


This is the whole family together for the first time EVER!!












All the siblings









Here we are cheering Matt on at
the BCS National Championship!











They won!! Hooray!


So, check back soon and see what else will be happening in my life these days.