Thursday, February 25, 2010

Life Update

No knitting to talk about. No cooking done to wet your appetite. Just wanted to let everyone know that I GOT A JOB today!!!!

It's a temp to hopefully permanent position. I'll be working for a law firm within their Word Processing Center (exactly what I've been doing with my life for the past 10 years but in a financial setting).

The only downside is that it's working the night shift (seems to be the only real work available right now), BUT only for three nights (Mon, Tues & Wed). I've worked nights before, but over five days. I like the fact this is compacted into three and I have four days off that encompass the weekend. Plus the pay is really good. Also this schedule will also allow me to go back to school for my Masters in Education to become a Kindergarten Teacher if I so choose.

I'm just really so happy to have a job. One year ago today I got the phone call telling me I lost my job and now today I get a call telling me I have a job. I start my training on March 8th! Woo Hoo!!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Olympic Knitting

As I mentioned briefly in my "Week In Review" post, I decided to participate in Ravelympics this year. Not sure if I was excited from fiber fumes, or just crazy, but I entered myself in three events. I figured at the time I could whip out a hat, pair of socks and mittens.

During the opening ceremonies I casted on for the Jenny Cloche hat. Didn't get but maybe five rows competed that night as to the fact that I had a killer headache. Right now I am around 17" on the required 21.5" length for the hat band. After that you three needle bind-off the ends together and pick up stitches to work the skull part. I haven't worked on it for about a week and the picture below shows where I stand with it.

On the first full day of Olympic events, I casted on for my Kai-Mei socks. I figured I would get this started and work on them as I knitted the others. However, once I got started I didn't want to put them down. So here is my first completed Olympic knitted item...

Pattern: Kai-Mei (Cookie A.)
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn (Colorway: Crimson)
Needle: Knit Picks Fixed Circ, Size 1.5
Started: February 13, 2010
Finished: February 23, 2010

I'm in love with these socks. Come to think of it, I pretty much love all the socks I knit. There is a Left and Right for this pattern. I did not make the same mistake as I did with the Rick socks and knit 2 Right's. No frogging done on these babies. I learned my lesson and paid attention.

So now I will be picking the hat back up and hopefully I can finish it in time. I am going to wind the yarn today for my Bella Mittens and cast on for them, but not sure if they will be completed by the closing ceremonies.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

My Valentine

Valentine's Day has become so commercialized that I feel the true meaning of it has become lost in how much money can be spent on someone. To me it's all about acknowledging that special someone in your life, but in the simplest of ways.

DB and I talked about how we wanted to spend the holiday. He told me that if I wanted to go out for dinner we could, but in my heart that's not what I really wanted to do. We decided that we would cook a nice dinner together, eat by candlelight and share a bottle of wine.

I have to say DB really made this a Valentine's to always remember. He took care of/planned everything. He bought a bottle of our favorite wine and an assortment of cheeses to nibble on while our homemade pizza dinner was cooking. He even thought of dessert which totally surprised me.

What made this all even more special to me was that DB doesn't cook and he still wanted to make me dinner! He is the best!!!!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Week In Review

It's been a rather eventful week here in NYC.

We are still thawing out from all the snow we got on Wednesday....

I was 8 rows from finishing my second Rick sock...

...when I realized I was knitting two right leg socks. Sock #2 quickly looked like this...

I did forge ahead and last night (by the end of the Survivor season premiere) I had a finished pair...

Pattern: Rick (by Cookie A.)
Yarn: STR Rare Gems Lightweight
Needle: Knit Picks Circs Size 2 and 1.5
Started: January 17, 2010
Finished: February 11, 2010

I also finished DB's Bedtime Socks last week. DB obliged me in letting me take a modeled shot of him wearing them for the blog.

Pattern: Basic Pattern I had from when I first learned to knit socks in 2002
Yarn: Louet Gems Sportweight (Black - 2 skeins; Blue - 1/2 skein)
Needle: Knit Picks Size 3
Started: January 19, 2010
Finished: February 4, 2010

DB loves them and when I asked him if he wanted more he said, "Oh Yeah!".

Lastly, I decided to join in on the Ravelympics fun this year. I signed up with the Sit'nKnit NYC group and will be participating in three events (Sock Hockey - Kai-Mei, Hat Halfpipe - Jenny Cloche and Mitten Moguls - Bella's Mittens). Think I might be a bit crazy to tackle three projects, but it will be a fun challenge.