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!

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!!

Now With More Knitting Content!!

It's been a helluva week over here in med student land. Way too much studying than is good for anyone's mental health and three finals. Have no fear though...I start three new classes next week...and this is supposed to be a much more difficult set of classes. The things I have to look forward to hunh?

So much knitterly stuff has happened since the last time I gave you anything! I finished the Gray Dashing that I had been working on...after running out of yarn and having to buy more. I bought some really pretty yarn while I was at JoAnn's getting the yarn I needed for my Gray Dashing...because I am dangerous when in the presence of yarn. I started a new set of Dashing...now with gussets! And I have a couple funny stories for you. So let's start with some pictures...

These are the Dashing that ran out of yarn. In a desperate attempt to not run out of yarn I shortened most of the hand portion of the gloves. I did 20 of the 24 suggested rows between the last cable and the opening for the thumb; and 10 of the 18 rows between the thumb and the top of the glove. I still ran out of yarn...so off I went to JoAnn's where I purchased: I got some acrylic fingering weight yarn in a pretty lavender to try my hand at socks...I also picked up some US1 DPNs for the same purpose. I was also unable to resist the shiny white Wool-Ease or the pretty pretty colors of the Decor. I have no concrete projects for either of these but I'm thinking a simple scarf for the Decor to show off the colorway. Here's the first funny story: As I was going through the check-out at JoAnn's the cashier said "Wow, you're one of those really talented knitters!" I have no idea what she's talking about since I do not think of myself as all that talented...I mean c'mon I haven't even made a sweater! She indicates that I must be talented if I can use all of those needles...I tell her that I plan to teach myself to make socks. I think I may have become some sort of idol for her in that moment...it was more than slightly unnerving. As I was leaving I found myself thinking...I know they're supposed to be friendly...but that was just odd.

After my exams were all done I started in on my next pair of fingerless mittens. My friend Sarah had expressed interest in my first pair of Dashing so I decided that I would make a pair for her for Christmas. She also expressed her dislike for the gap-y thumb that is built into the pattern. So I've opted to use a gusset thumb. I'll give more details when I've finished the pair. But here you can see the first one finished: I suppose I do have some level of talent hunh?

Since this was the long weekend and my break from studying I spent a fair amount of time out and about with friends this weekend. Friday involved a little bit of morning drinking celebrating the end of hell week...followed by a very yummy and very cheap lunch in Chinatown. It was on the way home from the train station that my second funny story happened. Let me start by saying that my dad drops me off and picks me up at the train most days to save money on parking ($10/week adds up!). But because I was coming home early on Friday and my Dad had taken some of his use-it-or-lose-it vacation I got to take the car. On the way home from the train I drove home the same was as always and I looked at one of the stores across the street from me. "Fancy Purls"...I thought "Hey, that's spelled like a knitting purl!" I continued down the street trying to look in the window to see what's inside while not getting myself killed...and I see shelves full of yarn and I scream "Ohmigod YARN!!!!!" At this point I had to remind myself that I was driving and that I should pay attention to the road...but YARN!!! Later that night Aaron took me out to dinner for my birthday to Aculpoco's. It was good to catch up and see him again. Saturday I went to the Cranberry Harvest Festival in Wareham with Enid and her adorable son Adam. It was so pretty! We went to dinner and did a little shopping at the Wrentham outlets. It was fun and I was definitely glad to see them again. Then last night I want to see The Jane Austen Book Club with Alicia. It was cute...decent movie but I wouldn't go see it in the theaters again. We then went to dinner and talked and went back to her place and knit and talked. I love her so much! She gave me shiny pretty stitch markers too!!!
*sigh* Now I have to get back to med school...since I should really read ahead for tomorrow. Happy knitting!!!

Thomasina

That's what we call the turkey that lives in my backyard. Why Thomasina? Because she's a mom...earlier this summer she had two turkey chicks but lately we've only been able to find her with one (sad panda :'( )...that is when we've been able to find her. She doesn't trust us even when we're in the house...to many sudden movements (such as running to go grab a camera to take her picture) and she runs away/flies into the trees. But one morning not that long ago I was awoken by my Dad with a "Where's your camera?!?" It took me a minute to figure out what was going on...since it was about 6AM and I am chronically sleep deprived/a med student...but I managed to get downstairs (without hurting myself!), grab my camera, and take the following picture of Thomasina in my backyard (She's that weird looking thing between the two trees...I promise)
In other, more knitterly news, I have completed my Gray Fetching and moved on to a pair of Dashing. Both are of Wool-Ease in Oxford Gray on size 7s. The Fetching took me about 8-10 hours I think. I'm quite a bit farther along on the Dashing since I took that pic, but there's still a ways to go. I think I'll knit for a bit tonight before I finally go to sleep...maybe I'll make it to the thumb.
Now, I love my DPNs...and I love fingerless gloves, but I need some more interesting patterns. I've been looking all over Ravelry...but I can't seem to find anything that I really like. I'm thinking about trying to make something up on my own since I've made a few pairs now and I have a pretty good idea of what I like and what I don't like...but it's a bit intimidating. So, I have a question for all of you: What is your favorite stitch pattern (links with pictures/instructions appreciated and welcomed) and why? Also, if you can think of any particularly awesome free fingerless glove patterns that would be good too...because I know that Ravelry doesn't have everything just yet.

Nate

Success! I have completed yet another pair of fingerless gloves! I have also learned that I *hate* making fingers. These are a birthday/Christmas gift to a friend of mine who saw pictures of my DK Dashing and decided that he *had* to have a pair for himself...I showed him a few patterns for him to choose from and he picked Natalya...but insisted I call it something more masculine. So here's Nate:
Nate is *just* over one skein on Lion Brand Wool-Ease in Oxford Gray on US8 DPNs (only the thumb and pinkie on the second glove are from the second skein...so close!). I made the arm portions a good 3 inches longer than the pattern suggested per the recipient's request. Now all they need is a wash to get all of the nasty train and lecture off of them and they are good to go!

Of course I have already started another project...because I would go crazy if I didn't have something to knit in class...so I show you my meager process on my first pair of Fetching. I say first because I intend to make a few pairs as gifts. I don't know if you have all seen the new Knitty, but there are two things that I want to make so bad it hurts. Obviously they've been added to the Ravelry Queue...to be added to the queue here when I have the time and presence of mind to edit that code.

Classes are progressing. They've decided to give us the questions we missed on our last exam as a separate "mini-exam" on Tuesday...which means that I do not get this weekend off from hardcore studying...and that makes me a little bit sad. But at least I only have to study the Psychopharmacology this time. I'm loving Neuroscience in the kind of dork-tastic way that only I can manage. You would not believe how totally enthralled I was by the lecture on the Thalamus that we had the other day...I actually stopped knitting *gasp*! Tomorrow night I'm headed to see Wicked as my birthday present from my friend Sarah.
I'm so excited! I'm meeting her and her mom for dinner and then it's off to the show! I have been listening to this soundtrack all summer and I can hardly wait to see it live! Someday when I have time (hahaha...hilarious I know) I'll read the book that it's based on...but that day will not be here anytime soon. Have a good weekend everyone!! Happy knitting!

Speed Blogging!!

Alright...it's been a while since I've given you much of anything to look at...which means that I have a ton of pictures for you. But since I am fast approaching bed-time I will try to be as fast a possible.

So, during my first week of class I pushed to get all of my PIF Exchange done before I became so bogged down that I forgot to sleep. That resulted in 4 washcloths due to a relative lack of creativity on my part. My thinking was that everyone likes nice soap...and one can never have too many washcloths...so it was basically a win-win. These were the end result:
They were all done in Sugar 'n' Cream in either the Jewel or Patio Pinks colorways. The lacy-cabley one is the Lacy Mock Cable Cloth and the other is just the simple bias-knit washcloth pattern which I didn't actually look up a pattern for. Now...I would like to remind you that I bought the yarn for these before classes started...and that I did not know what colors my syllabi were going to be for my first set of classes...but somehow I managed to do this:
I'm not going to lie, I was a little bit scared.

Then last week I started working on some fingerless mittens for my Mom to go with the Reversible Cable Scarf that I made her. I used Carissa Knit's Cabled Fingerless Mitts pattern as a starting point. I added some seed stitch on either side of the cable to match the scarf and changed the ribbing a little bit around the fingers (my Mom and I have kinda short palms and I didn't want these to get too long). So after a week of knitting through class to stay awake I present another FO.

Classes have been going well. I had my first test last Friday in Pharmacology. I wasn't very pleased with the class because it was structured horribly...but I'm pretty sure I passed the test and that's all that really matters. Had an awesome time this weekend in Amherst with Alicia and our amazing blog-free friend Enid. They threw me a little bit of a surprise birthday party...and locked me out of the apartment to do it *glares* I love those two so much!! No tests this week...but I have my Psychopathology Midterm coming up on the 10th. I know you all want to be me right now :P Hopefully I'll be back with more knitting soon...at the very least I'll be by later this week to show you my birthday haul. Happy knitting everyone!!!

OMG FO!!!!

Behold the finished Reversible Cable Scarf:
I have no idea why I am so proud of myself...perhaps because this is the second thing that I have actually finished since I started medical school. Also probably because unlike the purse I made over Christmas Break this is not going to fall apart on me. (I would like to point out that I am not actually tall enough to take this picture...I managed to get this on my first try just holding the camera in the air over the ironing/blocking board.) I'm actually really pleased with the way it turned out. Here are some more lovely pictures for your viewing pleasure one of the blocking process and a closeup.

I have been contemplating making some matching mittens, and I think I'll give it a shot, but I'm concerned that I won't have enough yarn. There's also the part where I have never worked with DPNs before and my first attempt a few minutes ago failed horribly. Alica, we need to get together and knit...and you need to teach me how to do this mitten thing!

I've also updated my queue on the side-bar. I was looking at my Ravelry Queue and noticed that I was very much behind on that front. I have no idea when I'm actually going to knit all these things, but the goal is to use up most of the yarn my grandmother gave me before I actually go out and buy some.

I hope that all is going well with your respective projects. Time for me to get back to work on the Champagne by Night Afghan...maybe get it done in time for my Grandmother's birthday on the 13th? I doubt it but it's worth a shot!

ETA: I'm sorry I suck at formatting so bad...I think I finally got it right this time!