I AM crocheting...but

So I have nothing to show today. I AM crocheting, but the project I picked out is a big one. I am, maybe, a fifth of the way done with it. I do like a big reveal blog post, so I am not even going to hint about it. However, I can't sleep tonight either, and I feel like writing a little bit. Today was a day off work. Every day off, I think I am going to do so much, or have a big adventure...but end up wondering where the day went. How did I waste so much time and do so little? I keep dreaming about going to the renaissance festival or finally finding myself a furry companion (kitty). I actually did go to pet smart today to see if they had any adoptions available, but they only had a few that were older cats. I know abandoned cats need a good home too, but baby kittens are pretty much the best thing in the world. I should probably get on it with going to the ren fest though, I think next weekend is my last chance for the year.

I had so much fun last year that I sewed my own costume. I really like the top pieces, but I think maybe I chose the wrong material for the skirt. Maybe if I ever get more into the ren fest thing I will re-do it. But for now I just need to get my ass over there so that making the whole costume wasn't a waste of time. Instead of my very interesting options for today's activities, I went to Walmart with Mr. Chris, aka my man, aka the best around, aka the best thing since baby kittens. Not that Chris is anything like a baby kitten, in that case I don't think it would work out... Anyway, we drove up to the Super Walmart outside of town, which is inconveniently far away, but conveniently cheap. Besides stocking up on groceries, Chris and I both got a present for ourselves. I got what I have been waiting for! CANISTERS!!

I realize this is not that exciting, but I have been keeping my flour and sugar in their original packaging, which makes a mess every time you need to use some. I was also completely unwilling to spend $30 on ceramic or stainless steel ones, so I am pretty thrilled with my purchase...or, I suppose Chris's purchase since he picked up the tap on that one. I bought him Taco Bell though, so were even maybe... He got himself a weight lifting set...which...I hate already. It's probably my fault I hate it, it weighed 100 pounds in the box, and I was all "Oh we can just carry it together" when he wanted to just take it apart in the car and carry it up in pieces. We made it to the end of the ally before I couldn't take it anymore and started getting needlessly upset. Poor Chris had to carry it the rest of the way down the street and up the stairs. I also have fears of tripping over the weights in the dark...fear and loathing... But it's not for me, and Chris was really excited to have it, and I want him to have nice things. We also got a bookshelf, which I think was way overdue, because his excess books were piling up on the floor, and I haven't even unpacked my two boxes of books from the move. BTW does anyone have any suggestions on good TV shows to watch that are available via netflix instant stream? I actually got through all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and am really sad that it is over. I used to watch it while crocheting, and I kind of linked those two activities in my mind, so crocheting without Buffy feels a little empty...I could start over on season one! Anyway, any suggestions?

D20

This is the first Christmas present I have made this year, and it is something, I think, that is specific enough to Cory's tastes that he can't be disappointed. The only disappointment I will allow him is that he cannot have this immediately. It took long enough to make. I started this some time ago; it was the project that required all the little black triangles that I showed a couple posts ago. TA DA!

I bought this pattern online from Needle Noodles. The designer was a vendor at Pile Of Craft this year, and had one for sale. Unfortunately I didn't realize what it was until someone else decided to buy it. So I made my own. It is a D20 for dungeons and dragons. I have played once, so I am not an expert. But I think Cory will like this. Days have gone by since my last post, and I so far I haven't any ideas for my next project. I have been a little busy, I had my friend Marina over the other night to make cookies, so I cleaned my living room/work space a bit.

It's weird how much cleaner a space looks when there is less stuff in it. It kinda makes me never want to go furniture shopping again. I finally found out today that I got the day off work for October 30! I hope you know what that means...I am going to the Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington D.C.! I am so lucky I live so close!

Back from Virginia

Just got back last night from Virginia visiting my sister. Over all the trip was really good, all though, I have to admit it was a bit exhausting. Bailey just turned 7 months old, and is VERY active. If I set her down in her play area, she would be crawling out the door within 10 seconds. Lucky for me that I have infallible vigilance...at 6 am...not. Fortunately, I never let her get too far, and nothing bad happened...except exhaustion. I'll have to keep this in mind next time I wish I had a baby.

She is still super cute though.  Other than playing with Bailey and watching children's television, Joy and I worked on a blanket for Greyson, our new nephew. It was hard finding the right fabric. It's so hard looking material for boys when there are so many cute options for girls. Especially, I think, because most boy fabrics are taste specific. What I mean is, the patterns on masculine fabrics are usually dinosaurs, robots, superheros, monkeys, sports, etc. It makes you wonder what the boy actually likes, like "what if he doesn't like sports or superheros?" With girl patterns, it seems to me that picking a pretty floral or paisley pattern is less taste specific. Maybe I am thinking too much. Or maybe, because I am a girl, I am more aware of what is attractive to girls than very young boys, thus my hesitations. ANYWAY it turned out really cute, and we did end up choosing a superman fabric.

 

G is for Greyson. And for Gross Domestic Product- which does not include the value of women's work. Some of which was expended on the making of this blanket. (Does working outside the market economy with no means of exchange make me a communist? Heavens!)

Oh well. Considering Greyson just barely over a week old, I think I can safely assume he has yet to form a solid opinion on superman. I also did a little crocheting while Bailey was napping; made a sweet little hat for Greyson, and then made Bailey model it for me. As you can see she is thrilled.

Happy Birthday Greyson!

I am so happy to announce that my brother and my sister-in-law had their baby boy Greyson this morning! I am so excited to crochet some things for him! I haven't tried making a baby blanket yet, I am a little intimidated by the size of a blanket. At least with hats, they are small enough to finish within a couple days. They don't just sit there staring at you with those sad "unfinished project" looking eyes. If hats had eyes...which I hope they never do...because that would be creepy. Speaking of finishing hats...

These two I finished today. These I made for my sister-in-law to give as gifts for a friend's daughters. Making these reminded me a lot of when Joy and I would get semi-matching things when we were little. The pink one is the unfinished one from my last post. I am very happy with the way these turned out, but I am a bit frustrated that you can tell they are significantly different. I suppose it would be called normal variation expected from handmade products. The purple ear flaps look way shorter to me. I suppose that is what I get for not writing down a pattern to work from.

Here is the baby boy! Isn't he just perfect? I am so happy for them, I just wish I could be there to see him. I'll have to plan a trip soon. I am hoping to go this fall, because when spring semester hits I might be back in school. Speaking of which, I was disappointed today to find out that the school I am applying to changed their application, and it no longer has a box for an admissions essay. Boo! I thought my essay was really good and would have given my application a little extra oomph. Also, according to FAFSA, I am still a dependent, and I don't really see any way around that. So, my application process is all disappointment, and I am wondering if I should just wait until I am not a dependent anymore to go back to school. I dunno. I had fun today though. Myc'Keeta and I went to the mall today, it seems like so long since I have gone shopping with a girl friend. I had such a great time just hanging out!
 

Crochet Slacker

Its been a couple days and I feel like I have been all over the place, getting things done. As far as crocheting, however, I have just been starting projects and not finishing them. Booooooo.

These are my works in progress. One is a partial hat, and the other is a surprise involving black triangles. I am feeling quite conflicted. On one hand, it is nice when presents are a surprise. On the other, I love sharing my projects on here. I think what will happen is that I will share the projects on here and if the person who is receiving the gift is loyal enough to me to read my blog, they will be rewarded by getting a sneak peak at their gift. I suppose I should open this up for debate then. If any family member is completely determined that their gift should be a surprise, let me know and I will not blog about it. I don't know. Can't I give my cake and blog about it too?

  

I made apple crisp the other night, which was delicious and I haven't had it in ages. Instead of crafting I have been baking a bit more, now that I have the basic flour and sugar stuff. Unfortunately, Chris doesn't really like desserts and baked goods so I have to eat this all by myself :-) I think will have some right now with vanilla ice cream, because I need more dessert on top of my dessert. Besides baking, I have been applying to UMBC. I want to get back to school and get a degree as a dental hygienist. On my sister's blog she posted her application essay and I thought it was cool. What do you think of mine?

In middle school, I was captivated by my English teacher’s stories from her time serving in the Peace Corps in the Czech Republic. Ever since, international aid has been a great interest of mine. This summer, July 2010, I experience it first hand when I joined a medical brigade in Honduras for a week. Our team was formed of both doctors and regular volunteers. Having no real medical experience beyond nursing assistant training, I worked in the dental area teaching children how to brush their teeth. It was an amazing experience, and at the same time it was heartbreaking. There was so much joy in working with the people of Honduras. They were so happy to see us and welcomed us with open arms. The hard part was looking past the smiles, and seeing all of the serious dental conditions these people were suffering from. So many people came to me pointing at back molars that were completely decayed. I had to rely on a translator to explain to them that I wasn’t a dentist and I couldn't pull their tooth, and that there was nothing I could do. I didn’t know cleaning teeth could be so emotionally difficult. I was upset that I couldn’t do more to help them. Upon returning, I immediately started looking for schools to study at to become a dental hygienist. The people in Honduras have such terrible dental conditions because they were never taught preventative care. I want to study to become a dental hygienist so that I can help people in America, and especially where it is needed the most, in third world countries. After graduating from UMBC and the University of Maryland Dental School, I hope to one day join the Peace Corps and be involved in other medical volunteer programs.  

 

I am pretty nervous about going back to school, and I super hate the application process, especially the prospects of trying to prove residency and financial independence. I have just been hanging out on the couch today. I am watching a neighbor's cats, one of which requires an insulin shot every 12 hours. I had two days off in a row, today and tomorrow, but can't really go anywhere, like to my sister's. It is nice to have some down time. Chris and I did go out tonight to see the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World which was AMAZING. I would describe myself as a giggly mess the whole movie. It made me so happy most of the movie my mouth was hanging in an open smile and I kept tapping Chris's shoulder as if that would ensure that he caught the jokes. Every once in a while I would start bouncing in the theater seat due to excess enthusiasm. It was that good. I was a giggle mess. And I am so glad that I didn't miss it, because I don't think it will be in theaters much longer.

Beer and Breakfast

Yesterday was my day off and I finished Combination Summer Hat round 2! This time I used the correct size hooks and knitting needles and SURPRISE, it turned out awesome.

You don't have to wear your hair tucked in it, but for working in a deli, this could definitely replace a plain old hair net. And making this myself gives me limitless color options for my daily work attire. However, this one is not for me, this is for my good friend Myc'Keeta. She offered me a block of cheese and in exchange I am making her a hat that is purple. This is true. 

While I was trying to get a good picture of the hat, Chris came over to help take the picture and we took a few of us. We don't have many, and when we do take some, they usually don't turn out right. I think one can tell from looking at these, regardless of the quality, the subjects seem to be enjoying themselves. Kinda reminds me of pictures you take in a booth.

Chris had to go to bed because he had to get up early today to teach the undergrads. I, however, decided not to waste my day off and stayed up super late drinking a few beers, crocheting, and watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For some reason, around 1am I wanted an egg and cheese sandwich and had my beer and breakfast! Wow, I think this reminds me a little of the olden days in North Dakota when after a night of partying we would go out to get breakfast foods at the 24 hour restaurants: I29, Jeanie's, and more recently Denny's. Alas! I miss y'all...and I miss coercing the waitress to take my order for chocolate chip pancakes even though it isn't on the menu...

Bubble Hat and COokiEs!

Today was my day off work! I feel like I got so much done. I sent out the hat I made for Joy, and some superhero posters I got at Baltimore Comic Con for my friend Cory. Christopher and I went out for lunch at a place called El Salto that we had never been to. It was really great food, and we were glad to finally find a Mexican restaurant in Baltimore. After that, we made our way over to Jo-Ann fabrics (my favorite place to shop) to pick up some supplies for my next project. I also made sure to pick up the correct size needles to re-do that hat that I messed up last week. It was a nice day off! Even got to work on some crocheting.

I am not sure how I feel about this one. This hat uses the popcorn stitch. I have used this stitch before on a hat, making the entire hat bubbly. I thought it was too much, so I made this one with just a few popcorn stitches here and there. Not sure about it...hm. It's a good color. Other than finishing this hat, I got some baking done tonight. I have been wanting to use my new electric mixer for a while, and finally bought all the ingredients for cookies.

I just used the recipe on the back of the chocolate chips. It should have been easy, but I had a hard time with these. Each pan of cookies turned out different. I have an oven thermometer now, so I kept adjusting the temperature because one pan of cookies was too dark and the next was too light. The ones that turned out the best started cooking at 300 degrees and finished at 425! I definitely need to figure out just how to set this oven so the temperature matches the dial! None burnt, so this project was not a total failure at least. Also, I watched the premiere of the movie Browncoats: Redemption! This is a fan film, based on the TV series Firefly. If you loved the show, you'll love this, and wish you could have been in it, and are wondering why you didn't to talk to them longer when you met them at Baltimore Comic Con, and want to re-watch the Firefly series and Serenity...at least that's how I am feeling...