Is it Friday yet?

I am excited that it's almost the 31st of October.  Why?  Not anything due to Hallowe'en other than the cheap price of candy afterwards BUT it's the first clue of the Westknit's MKAL 2014.  I got up this morning and decided it was finally time to start winding my skeins for the project.  I made it through 1 skein.  My hand got tired and started to cramp but in my defence it was a 150g skein of Wollemeise of Twin in the Natural colourway.  After I finished that, I said "Forget it, I'll do the next one after work tonight."  Yup, I can do it while I watch the next episode of "Arrow".

Once I finish winding the skeins, I'll try to be pre-emptive and do a small swatch to see how well the colours go together.  I still have to finish the test knit but I have reached the gusset so I think I'm making good progress.  It doesn't need to be finished until November 7th but I want it done and out of the way so that I can work on the MKAL shawl with nothing else "due".

Now I've sat around here long enough waiting for a group project and I've got no more time to wait.  I'm off to the backroom of my workplace with no internet access to play my games and perhaps do some homework so I'll have free time tomorrow.  Till next time :)

It's Stephen's fault...

I was minding my own business on Ravelry when I stumbled onto the Westknits Group on Ravelry and saw the mention of the 2014 Mystery Knit Along.  I am so intrigued since I have like the shawls I had seen that were done for the previous years (with the exception of one).  I got the stash to do it and I believe I can be finished with the other things in my knitting that have due dates. The problem is really making the final decision after I select the colour combination of yarn.  Once that's done, I think I'll join. 

The MKAL starts October 31st.

And a few hours later...
I'm narrowing down my skein options but I'm still working colour 3 and 4.  It's down to 4 skeins.  I probably won't get everything together until about a week before the first clue.  In the mean time, I'll finish off the test knits and maybe a shawl so I have a bag big enough to put the the MKAL in.

As I was cleaning up my group pages on Ravelry, I noticed that I think I have enough knitting bags to have a project a day for a week.  I'm half wanting to throw them all on the bed so I can roll around on them like it's a pile of money.

I just felt like doing an update

...instead of getting ready for a wedding that I will be attending this afternoon but there's still plentry of time for that.

Life has been so busy for me.  I've got school which is kind of hard to get back into the mentality of attending.  I'm doing pretty well generally but I'm still having a hard time in my english class.

I've joined a bible quiz team at my church studying I Kings (22 chapters, lots of architechtural detail and important people who in my mind are not exactly the most important of people since they rarely get mentioned again in the book but Beniah the hitman makes it feel like Game of Thrones).

I just finished knitting for a Susan Claudino swap and it was sent off on Friday.  I hope my partner likes what I made her.  By this experience, I actually want to join other swaps but I think if I do, I'll keep them few and far between so I still have time for other things. 

I'm in the middle of test knitting a sock for Econnerd, which I am loving by the way.  I think I want to reknit it though because I have made so may mistakes of forgotten cables that it's really noticeable to me.  This is the first time I've wanted to redo a pattern just because of it.  I think I'll finish up the sock but leave enough so I can unravel it and do it again with the same yarn which I am loving by the way (Tanis Fiber Arts Purple Label in Julep).

And last night, I voluteered for another test pattern for HopeVickman. I immediately went through my left overs stash and started going though my blues and I couldn't find anything just right that I would have enough yarn of for the 6 colours requested in the pattern.  I then remembered two of my first forrays into dyeing yarn and yanked my burgandy-ish and orange yarn out of my stash and paired it with Knitpicks Stroll in Golden Glow and some of the left over I have from MissBabs Cosmic in Inkwell.  The look I was going for was a rising and setting sun.  I can't wait to do the pom-pom.  It's all packed up in my JessauLu bag.  I won't be able to get started on it until next week but I am looking forward to it.

Things are looking good

I don't know why but today just felt like a good day.  I woke up upset with myself for not being able to do my Critical Analysis but that fear kind of got relieved when I was able to set up a meeting with my teacher to get extra help.  While waiting for my math class, and the mark for m math test, I got a good portion of my computer class work down which I completed about an hour ago.  I showed up for a cancelled math class, found out the tests hadn't been marked yet.  I am anxious to find out my grade.

I had lunch at Nori Sushi not far from my house and it was delicious.  Went walking through the mall which was a long way to get to the post office to find out how much it would cost to sent the Susan Claudio Ravelry Group gift swap.  It's a reasonable cost so I'm looking forward to sending it off.  I put in quite a bit of work on a test pattern for Econnerd.  It is a beautiful pattern and when it goes up on Ravelry, I suggest everyone give it a look.

I got home and finished up all of my computer work which has never been done since this semester started.  I was able to see my mark for my Marketing class online (80% baby! Combined with my not failing my Intro to Business test, I am elated).  I came to my room to watch the series premier of The Flash on PVR and then I got an email from the Must Stash Yarn Shop letting me know that I could pre-order a skein of Dark Side of the Moon.  I only mildly paid attention to the skein when Stacy showed it on the MustStash Podcast.  I started to drool when Stacy sent everyone to go look at Yarn Harlot's Blog to see it knitted up.  I'm surprised my keyboard didn't short circuit from the drool.  I did not delay when I got the e-mail and pre-ordered my skein.

So let's sum up the good stuff for this week:

1. Finished my gift for the swap (and it's adorable)
2. Set up a meeting with my teacher to get help
3. Finished my computer homework
4. Good lunch at Nori Sushi
5. Decent price for shipping swap gift
6. Mock-asins I like are on sale and I have a pair on hold for me until Friday
7. Test knitting "Helix Cable Socks" by Econnerd which I am loving
8. Great mark for my Marketing test
9. Decent mark for my Intro to Business
10. Series premier of The Flash which was excellent
11. I was able to pre-order a skein of Dark Side of the Moon! (YES!)

Critical Analysis' suck

I have never felt so inadaquate in regards to English.  I have always assumed that I was somewhat decent when it came to writing but this Communications class is kicking me in the butt.  I cannot write a Critical Analysis and up until now, I don't really understand the purpose of them in the business world.  If I were doing journalism, I could see its purpose (and I'm happy I'm not taking that as it is).  I'm looking at the article I'm supposed to be doing the critical analysis on and I'm barely seeing the stuff that I'm supposed to be seeing.  A checklist would be very helpful to go over for what is supposed to be in...and I'm going to try to make one for myself instead of stressing myself out on what goes in a critical analysis