PolarGrrlPurls

Since I'm Late Anyway

I woke up late this morning, but Marikal is in the shower and since I must wait my turn and I'm late anyway, I thought I'd take advantage of a few "spare" minutes.

This past Sunday I went to Snow Goose Yarns with the idea of getting a few more skeins of Kureyon in color 188 and another hank of Cascade Eco Wool, both for the second blanket I've started knitting. Alas, they had neither. This, however, was made up for my the fact that I stumbled accross a store-wide Halloween sale. Woohoo!

I picked up 2 more skeins of Manos for blanket #3 (in the planning stages at the moment, but I could really cast on at any time):

A skein of Malabrigo worsted in Sweet GRape that I intend to use for a new a winter hat for myself:

A skein of Malabrigo sock in a color called Solis that I got just because it was way too pretty to leave behind:

And four skeins of Debbie Bliss Merino DK that was on clearance (at $3.25 each!) because it has been discontinued. I plan to hunt around for more cheap skeins of this and use it for some small color wok projects.)

 

Quick FO - Hot Water Bottle Cover #2

It has taken me truly forever to get around to knitting a cover for my second hot water bottle, but I finally got to it this week. I knit it with part of a skein of Cascade 220 Paints. My guage was a little off (1 stitch/inch), but knitting being what is, it stretched nicely for a snug-but-not-tight fit.

A Bunch of Knitting And Other Stuff

Eight weeks into nursing school and I'm happy to say that I have passed my first clinical evaluation, my first practicum (like a final exam for hands-on skills), and I went into the final exam yesterday with a 90% average. I don't have my final grade for the class yet, but I'm feeling good about things overall. I'll get my grade for the class tomorrow, I think.

I have the day off today (thank goodness! I was desperate for a little down time!) and I'm spending it cooking, knitting, blogging, and....I admit...studying. So, not a total day off, but at least I was able to sleep in and I don't have to be anywhere or even get out of my pajamas if I don't feel like. I've finished the February Sweater and the matching booties, which aren't sewn up yet because I want to sew in a little elastic band at the ankle to help them stay on. I also haven't yet found the right buttons for the sweater, but I'll be making a trip to Windsor Button soon, so I'm hoping to remedy that in short order.

 

I keep meaning to start the matching hat for the baby sweater, but I have been distracted by the new blanket I'm knitting. I'm using Noro Kureyon color #188 that was given to me "free" as part of a very generous swap with another knitter and I'm alternating it with Cascade Eco Wool in a natural gun metal grey. So far, I've spent $15 on the whole project, though I will be spending more as I'm getting to the end of the 5 skeins of Noro I had on hand and the skein of Eco Wool that I bought for this. Having said that, I am trying to spend as little as possible.

 

I don't know what it is about blankets, but I'm already hatching plans to  use up some of the Manos yarn that has been in my stash forever. I've really been enjoying knitting blankets the past year or so and I have to admit that I love the gentle, light weight warmth that wool blankets provide.

Apple Picking

This past Sunday Marikal and I went apple picking with another couple and their 2 year old son, Ramsey. We lucked out with mild weather and warm sun and it was a very relaxing afternoon for everyone, I think.

More Knitting and Another FO

So I....um....started knitting another blanket. Yes, the Log Cabin Paintbox blanket hasn't got it's borders yet. I'm waiting for the weather to cool off a bit more so that I don't mind having the almost-queen sized blanket on my lap for extended periods of time. I've even got the yarn and needles ready and waiting! But see, I have this other lovely kureyon that was free in a swap and it looked so lonely and neglected sitting there in my chest of drawers full of yarn and I've been wanting to try this pattern for about a year...

(Please don't ask me what it is about knitting blankets lately...I just really like them.)

In other news, I've finished a second pair of white wool socks to wear with my nursing uniforms. The pattern is Shur'tugal. I really enjoyed knitting it, as the pattern is easily memorized but also somewhat interesting. It did take more yarn than expected, however, and I ended by knitting up the toes in some Knitpicks Essentials that I had leftover from another pair of socks. I like to think of the orange toes as my private rebellion against wearing mostly white 3 days a week.

Thank You Froggy Dear!

Froggy-Dear, a fellow knittyhead, knit some beautiful socks for me in a swap last month and they just arrived. I love the green heels and toes! I know that they will be warm and comfortable when I'm spending 8+ hours on my feet and my nursing internship this fall and winter.

And the Next Pair of Socks

This is a wip picture of my second pair of "nursing socks". The pattern is called Shur'tugal and is a sort of diamond basket weave. They are very stretchy, which I like and the stitch pattern is easily memorized.

A Red Letter Knitting and Nursing Week!

This past week has been great for both knitting and nursing. On Sunday I spent an entire shift at a rehab facility shadowing some wonderfully friendly and helpful nurses. The experience was immensely positive and it has helped to calm my worries about nursing school. Then yesterday, I got 2 wonderful packages in the mail! AKKnitter from the Knitty Board sent me some kelly clamps and a pair of bandage scissors, which I need for school and included a very pretty blue sock yarn, some stitch markers and a postcard with it. Thank you AKKnitter! :)

Then, my friend L (currently in Atlanta) sent me a very cool book of poetry written by Anne Webster, a nurse with 25 years of experience who  has recently been nominated for the 2009 National Book Award. L even asked Ms. Webster to sign the book and she included a message to me. What a wonderful and thoughtfully supportive gift! Thank you L!

And lasatly, I finished the first pair of socks I'm knitting in white wool to wear with my nurse-in-training uniforms. The pattern is Salida (pdf) knit in undyed superwash merino wool from Elann.

Got the Uniforms!

Here is a craptastic picture of me in my brand new nurse-in-training uniforms. I haven't got the school emblem and name patches sewed on yet. Also, please pardon the mess in the background.

Pretty Pretty!

Over the past several months, I have been creating some textile pieces that are purely art. I have been using them as a therapeutic process to deal with stress and a bumpy ride through childhood. The projects have mainly been centered around photographs, both from the net and those I've taken myself, printed onto transfer paper and ironed onto fabric pieces that are then pieced together or appliqued onto other fabric.  I had almost run out of white cotton to use as backing for the transfer images and so made a quick trip into Winmill Fabrics to pick up some more. While I was there, I noticed that they had restocked their collection of batik fabrics and took a few extra minutes to explore the possibilities. I liked quite a few of them, but found that I could not leave the store without this one:

I also bought the chocolate linen shown below. It is deliciously soft and has a beautiful hand. I'm thinking a gored skirt...