Because everyone likes a contest...

Yet another contest guys...go on and check it out!!

Hello. My name is Moriah...

...and I am a yarnoholic. Seriously. I went to Windsor Button today with my friend from school because she wants to start knitting socks...and I walked out $41 and change poorer. But it's all pretty!!! And now I can't think of any yarn that I want to buy so hopefully I can be content with working through my stash for...well a couple years until I have an income again. My haul:Some Malabrigo, because it's delicious; some Comfort Sock because it's sooooo soft; some Sockotta because I loved the colors. I almost bought some more Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, but I realized that it was handwash...which is completely impractical for socks (for me anyway)...and at $23 a hank I'd kill my mom if she felted them.

I've been progressing on the embroidering on the Doctor's Bag...and I have some pictures for you. It's by no means finished but I figured I could show you some of what I did. First, I would like to show you my dad's somewhat ancient sewing machine...it's from when he was in the Air Force in the 70s and weighs approximately 4000 tons. I had way too much fun with the sewing machine...quilting may be in my future...but not for a long while. I put a little ring in the corner so that I could attach my keys to something and not lose them. And I sewed some elastic onto one of the short sides to hold my tuning forks and my reflex hammer. Here's a shot from when I finished getting all the pieces seamed at the bottom. And here's a pic of what it looks like right now...not terribly impressive since it's all floppy but I'm happy with it.

I've been working on my sock to...I even have pictures of it!! I'm using Yarn Harlot's generic sock pattern from Knitting Rules. I'm using the Cascade Fixation that I won from Miss Me...I'm loving it! It's very cushy and I think I'm going to love these socks when it comes to my Surgery clerkship and I'm standing all day every day for three months. I just started the heel flap and I'm vastly entertained by the difference it the way my stockinette stitch looks in the round versus flat.
Things are getting very interesting at the moment as far as scheduling for next year is concerned. For those who are lucky enough to not be fully immersed in this: Medical school is four years in the US, two are all classroom all the time like college on crack, and the second two are in the hospitals on what are called "clerkships." I'm just about to finish up my second year, so we're doing all of the scheduling for next year. Tufts does a series of complex lotteries to first determine your schedule order, and then determine your hospitals. We got the results for our order back just before spring break. I'll be doing Surgery (12 weeks), Pediatrics (6 weeks), Psychiatry (6 weeks), Medicine (12 weeks), an Elective (4 weeks w/ 2 weeks off!), and OB/Gyn (6 weeks). My top choice for hospitals as of this moment is Surgery and Medicne at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Pediatrics and Psych at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, and OB/Gyn and MetroWest in Framingham. I haven't decided exactly what I'm doing for elective yet so I don't know where I want to go for that. For those of you who are wondering why I'm not going to more well-known hospitals like Brigham and Mass General; I don't go to Harvard...Harvard has all the famous hospitals...Tufts and BU get to split everything else in the city. I'll keep you all posted as I find out more/want to procrastinate. Happy knitting...and think spring!!

More Contests!

Anne is having a contest...you should enter.

My Doctor's Bag is coming along slowly. I did not achieve my goal of getting it assembled over break...but it shouldn't take too much longer now. The biggest hurdle is getting to the hardware store to get all of the random notions (plastic for the bottom, little feet so it doesn't get dirty, dowels). I ran out of yarn...like I ended up crocheting the seams (which was actually kinda fun but you didn't hear me say that) with a single strand of yarn (the whole project is double stranded) and have about a yard and a half left over. So...I thought for a bit...and discussed/thought out loud with my dad...and I determined that since my lining was black, and the handles were black, and the button was black, I could use black yarn to attach my handles and make the loop of the button. Upon further thought I realized that I could also use said black yarn to reinforce my seams from the outside with a back stitch (thank you embroidery) and tie it all together a bit more. I'm liking the looks of it so far. Pictures will follow soon once I get off my but and load them onto my computer. Happy knitting!!!

More Contests

There's another Malabrigo contest over at Happy Handwork. Don't forget to tell her I sent you!

And just for fun...and also because I like to have more than two sentences in a post...I give you my favorite flower: the iris.I love the bluey-purple with the bright yellow peeking through. My sense of smell isn't too good since my allergies at ALWAYS acting up, but they don't bother my nose at all which makes them even more awesome. What are your favorite flowers?

Spring Break!

Time to take a break from studying for class and...study for the boards. Med school is kinda awesome like that. But I am having some fun this break though, I promise. Friday I traveled to Porter Square and visited Mind's Eye Yarns and picked up some Kureyon and some Amity. Logic here: I got my tax returns back and therefore have some money (for now), I had two GI finals that morning, and well...because Noro is pretty and I didn't own any black yarn (those of you who actually know me will understand how fundamentally wrong that is).

I also finished up my Cashmere Charlie Mitts and Tudora. I really love the buttons I found.I picked up some other buttons that I thought I would use for my Doctor's Bag...until I realized that the straps have some gold-tone metal on them and I'm way to OCD to put pewter buttons anywhere near that. Speaking of my Doctor's Bag, I finished knitting it (again). I had a little problem where the long sides were a good 3 inches longer than the bottom of the bag. So I ripped and re-knitted and ripped and re-knitted some more and now it's all done...DONE!!! Now I just have to go buy some black canvas and a button...and some dowels, a little bit of Plexiglas, some feet (like on the bottom on a suitcase), some cap-nuts...I think I'm gonna take my dad with me to the hardware store. I also need to convince my dad to show me how to use his sewing machine again...or at least get the bobbin threaded since I'll be all set once that's done. As much as the final assembly seems like it's going to be more work than knitting the bag (a couple times :P) I'm really looking forward to the finished product. Now I just need to figure out how to crochet all the pieces together since that much three-needle bind-off seems like it will make me homicidal.

In other news, my buddy Dennis (we go way back...like elementary school way back) is trying to raise some money for the Bike and Build project that he's doing this summer. So if you have a few bucks lying around, click on over to his blog and find out how to donate.

And contests...what would life be without contests. Alicia's having one...you should go enter...don't forget to say I sent you!!

Lecture time...

Today was a long day class-wise. I had lecture starting at 8AM and classes of various sorts running until 4PM with a 45 minute lunch break. I was very productive today seeing as this is what I accomplished in the 5 hours of lecture I had today:
It's another pair of Subway Mittens (Ravelry link) using the Cashmere blend that Alicia gave me for Christmas. Thus far they seem as though they will be an impenetrable shield of cashmere and acrylic against the Boston wind...I'm very pleased. I plan on making some kind of neck warmer to match...perhaps Tudora.

As promised I give you the people that make my day...in no particular order
Alicia
Dorothy
Yarn Harlot
Wendy
Soule Mama
David

I won't be holding anyone accountable for passing it on since I took well over a month to get around to it. Med school is eating my life. Which reminds me...I have some studying to get back to...happy knitting!

Photo Blogging...

...because it's just been that long.

I won Miss Me's contest. She is awesome. Smarties are almost as awesome as Miss Me.
I finished the first panel of my Doctor's Bag (Knit 2 Together). I'm a decent way into the second panel. I feel like I'm gonna run out of yarn...but I'll deal with that when/if it happens.
I finished the Alpaca Handwarmers (Hand/Wrist Warmers from Last Minute Gifts). They're purty.
I got a Christmas present from Enid and Adam. She addressed it to Dr. Moriah Wright...this was quite possibly the most awesome part of the present simply because I laughed REALLY hard.
Column of Leaves in finally done...all of it. It has been blocked...and worn a fair amount. And I finally got a color accurate picture...shocking!
I succumbed to the lure of a yarn sale...and escaped for less than $10...I was proud of my self-control.
Dorothy told me that I make her day. I will tell you who makes my day when I have more of my wits about me. Happy knitting!

I've been tagged!

Dorothy was kind enough to tag me in her 7 Random Things Meme. First time I've been been tagged for anything so I'm stoked. Alright...here goes!

Here are the rules, and they must be posted to your blog.
Link to the person’s blog who tagged you (see above).
List seven random and/or weird facts about yourself.
Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by posting a comment on their blog and also so they can look at your blog and not tag the same people all over again!

My 7 Random Things:

1) I have a single fake tooth

2) I was born over a month early

3) I was 8.5 lbs and over 2 feet long at birth...I think I came early for a reason.

4) I am the youngest person in my medical school class

5) There is only one person younger than me in the class behind me

6) I have an uncanny ability to remember things that I don't even realize I know. This is coming in handy as I spend more time in hospitals and am getting "pimped" by physicians. On another note I will never quite understand why getting asked random questions on the spur of the moment is called getting "pimped."

7) I have a massive thing for Eeyore. There are 12 different Eeyores within sight of my computer...I don't want to think of how many stuffed animals I have in my bedroom upstairs.

I tag:

1) Alicia

2) Ann

3) Kniterella

4) Fiberjewel

5) KnittingNurse

6) LadyLungDoc

7) The Knitting Doctor

ETA: Go enter Miss Me's Blogoversary contest...and don't forget to say I sent you!

Snow Day!!!

I was very surprised to find that I did not have school today. Not that long ago it had been mentioned by one of the deans that they haven't canceled school in years. Thankfully my Mom thought to check if school was even open because otherwise I would have been in Chinatown with no where to go.

This weekend was very productive, I got all caught up on my schoolwork (which almost never happens...especially with 7 hours of lecture to take notes on almost everyday), and bought Super Stitches Knitting with a 25% off coupon. I love Barnes and Noble for giving me coupons all the time. Not too much has occurred on the knitting front this past weekend, but I do have some stuff to show you from last week. First, I finally finished the Column of Leaves Mittens. I can remember exactly when I finished them but I finished weaving in the ends on the train home one night as I remember. Next up was a Column of Leaves Calorimetry...because I have a lot of yarn and I liked the idea of being all matchy-matchy. I finished this in one day, cast on on my way in on the train in the working and wove in the ends just before the train pulled into the station on the way home. It was kinda impressive. I also tried to start some fingerless mitts of one sort or another with the Inca Alpaca that I got for Christmas, but nothing really seems to be working out for me at the moment. I think I'll keep going a little bit farther on what I'm doing right now (Hand/Wrist Warmers from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts) and see if it will work out but I'm not all that optimistic.
And because I have have severe knitting ADD at the moment, (I think because I'm a bit sick of the Column of Leaves pattern and as much as I want to make the scarf longer with the remaining yarn I'm sick of knitting the same 8 rows over and over and over again) I cast on for a test swatch for my Doctor's Bag!!!! (Pattern is Doctor's Bag from Knit 2 Together). I'm trying to figure out what size needles I want to use. The pattern is written for US11 and I like the fabric well enough (the whole inch of it :P) but I only have 14" straights in US11 and would not be able to take it around with me. I have some US10.5 circulars but I really want to stay as close to gage as possible...but I'm nervous about running out of yarn (even though I bought more than the pattern says I need)...and I'm generally being wishy-washy about it. My thought is that I will knit a swatch on US11s and another one of the US10.5s and use the fabric I like the best...and if I have to go out and buy some US11 circulrs so that I am not limited to home knitting time to make this bag...because at my current rate it might not be done before I graduate.
Ah well, back to work! Have to work ahead so that I don't want to kill myself when I find out how they rescheduled the classes that we missed today. Happy knitting!!!

Last Day of Freedom

First: HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I hope you all had a good time ringing in the New Year. I went to a friends house for a little party and had a lot of fun. I don't really make New Year's Resolutions because I know I'll break them within a week and here's a few knitting ones for you:

• Finish my Warm Up America Afghan (including sewing it all together)
• Knit my Doctor's Bag
  
• Knit for charity
• Knit primarily from my stash
  

Second: A contest. Head on over here for a blogiversary contest for yarn or fiber...and don't forget to tell them I sent you!!

Third: Christmas! I've gotten a fair amount of knitting related items for Christmas...mostly yarn so I can't really complain to much about that! Here is a little collage for you so that I don't completely drown you in pictures :P Now admittedly the one in the top left corner isn't knitting related but it's from Alicia so I wanted to put in in there anyway...by the way Alicia, have I mentioned lately how much I love you?

Fourth: Knitting!! I know...it took me long enough. There hasn't been as much knitting as I would like this break but I did manage to turn one long-standing WIP into an FO. The Champagne by Night Afghan!! I started this shortly before I started medical school but since it ws on US50 needles it was anything but portable and difficult to stay focused on. But after a long day of knitting yesterday, with the help of LibriVox, I finally managed to get it done. I used Jiffy in Camel, Color Waves in Pebble Beach and Trellis in Champagne.

I've also gotten a teensy bit of work done on my Column of Leaves Mittens. I've been running around too much trying to see everyone to get much done but I will show you my meager progress: I'm sure with the 14 hours of class that I have between now and this weekend that I will get a fair amount done...if I can just manage to stay awake! I doubt you'll be hearing much from me this semester since it seems to be a bit of a marathon but happy knitting! And remember, knit fearlessly!

I DID IT!!!

I finished the semester and my Christmas knitting and I'm still in one piece!! I also abandoned my blog for about a month but I was doing a lot of knitting during that time I promise. I'll even show you most of it! I spent most of the last month studying my buns off for the three finals that I had this past Wednesday. I'm sure I passed all my tests but I won't know how well until probably a few weeks into next semester. Speaking of school, my class does a Secret Santa-esque gift exchange that we call Holiday Ho (not sure why but we do) and this year I opted my make my Ho the Subway Mittens from IK Winter 2007. I know that she rides the T everyday and that she's always cold so I figured I couldn't really go wrong. I missed her face when she opened them...but I found out from one of our mutual friends that she not only loves them and wears them everyday...but she thought that I bought them at a store!!! I love that. I already felt super smart when I was closing up the holes at the tops of the mitts and the thumbs...but to find out that it didn't even occur to her that they were hand-made just makes my month. My Holiday Ho gave me a Dunkin Donuts gift card which is always loved and appreciated and the book Knitting for Peace. I read the book pretty much in one sitting and I want to do all of the projects now. One of my other in class knitting projects over the past few weeks was a pair of Irish Hiking Fingerless Mitts for my Mom's friend. She works at BJ's and sometimes ends up working the registers and the cold from outside was really bothering her carpal tunnel so my Mom asked me to make a pair for her for Christmas...so I did. I like the way that they came out...but if I ever have to work with whatever yarn that is again it will be too soon. It's a very thick acrylic that just made my hands ache.I also finished up the Column of Leaves Scarf! I haven't blocked it or woven in the ends yet but I also want to make mittens and a Calorimetry to match so I'm gonna wait until they're all done so that I can wash them all together. I started out just planning to modify the fingerless mitt pattern to make them mittens, but I decided that I didn't really like the way that they were coming out so I'm improvising something on my own. I'll post details when I'm finished. Yesterday I exchanged Christmas presents with my friend Sarah from home. I gave her the Gusseted Dashing and she took me to Graceful Stitches in Medfield. She bought me three beautiful hanks of yarn and I love her for it.

Cascade 220 The Heathers in 9491Classic Elite Inca Alpaca in 1107 Camacho Periwinkle

Hopefully I'll be writing again soon. Most likely after Christmas. Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah/Happy Solstice or whatever you celebrate at this time of year but most importantly Happy Knitting!!