"We can live without oil, but we can't live without water."

-Jane Goodall, April 16,2007 speaking at Oklahoma City University

I am still in awe of her. I sat in the wellness center at OCU last night and was in awe. She is amazing, pure, full of life, soft and oh so powerful woman. She spoke at our Distinguisted Speakers Series last night, and what a lady she is. She spoke about the most influencial people in her life; her mother, Louis Leaky, Mr. Greybeard, and one other. Her mother also tied into the message of hope and peace she is trying to give our world today. Chimpanzees, like humans, care for their children and will protect them throught their lives. Also, there are good Chimp mothers and there are bad Chimp mothers. She spoke of the unthinkable act that was committed at Virginia Tech this week, and that even though it was horrible, sad, and heartbreaking we need to have hope for the future. She spoke of her grandkids and how much of an inspiration they are for her. She was at a recent UN event where several Native American tribes were represented, and one of them that was an Eskimo said that everyday they see what the rest of the world doesn't...how we are losing our water supplies. The ice is melting. I've always been concerned with the environment, but she made it even more real to me. Please, have hope and know that we need more 'good' mothers out in the world raising strong, independent, and well-balanced children.

The rest of this post I started Monday morning, but just never finished it.

I'm waiting not so patiently for my new yarns to arrive from Knit Picks. Since I'm a relatively new knitter (and a college student with limited cash flow) I don't have a very large yarn stash yet. In the meantime I've been looking for lace shawl patterns for the laceweight yarn I bought. Here is a gorgous shawl called Kiri that I'm considering. This is another that I like: Print O' The Wave Stole. While looking for these I came across this beginner lace scarf that I think I'll try using the pink yarn I've been wanting to knit up.

It really seems to the all the craze lately, to knit socks. I'm a little scared of them, but I really want to try them. My LYS has classes on knitting socks, so maybe I'll attend one of them this summer after school lets out. I did find a great tutorial on socks at my new favorite website http://www.knittersreview.com/article_how_to.asp?article=/review/profile/011018_a.asp. I also found an easy beginner lace pattern for a scarf. I've already started using the pink yarn I've not known what to do with. It is called "Feather and Fan" or "Old Shale".

Kniting woes

I have found a super cute darted tank from Knit Picks that I really want to knit, but I can't for the life of me decide which color of yarn to purchase with it. I am going to knit it in their Shine Worsted which is 60% Pima Cottom and 40% Modal. Super soft and great for the summer, but I just can't pick a color!!!!

Family Ties

I have this yarn. This beautiful pink yarn that I have no idea what to knit with it. It is the first yarn that I ever had. It was given to me by my grandma who was the one who taught me to knit. We don't knit like most people in the United States because the woman that taught her to knit was from Hungary. The style is called Continental Or European Method as opposed to the English style of knitting. We hold the yarn in our left hand instead of our right. My grandmother is a woman that I look up to. She is strong, beautiful, and amazing in every way. I want to be just like her when I grow up. It makes me happy that I make her happy by knitting. I've grown up seeing her knitting (usually sweaters). 2 Christmas' ago I decided that I wanted to learn, so I asked her to teach me. I was thrilled, and bought me this yarn and gave me a pair of #6 straight needles. Even thought she is amazing that wasn't the best choice of yarn or size needles to teach with, but I love her anyways. After a few frustrating tries, not getting vary far with those, and then visiting my step-grandma's house I finally had something easier to work with. My step-mom who also knits gave me a size 8 circular needles and some left over yarn she had. We drove to Grove (her mom's house) and by the time we drove the 2 hours I needed more yarn to knit with. Her mom, Betty, gave me about 5 skeins of extra yarn she had in her stash (wish is a lot of yarn). I guess my grandma got me started, and with a little help along the way I'm starting to become a pretty good knitter. I love it. It is relaxing and challenging in a variety of ways. I started out making every color of scarf under the sun, but I got bored. Since this Christmas I've ventured our and really impressed myself and my mothers. I feel that knitting is part of a tradition that didn't really mean to be a tradition, but when i think of knitting it gives me warm comfortable vibes reminding me of home, family, and where I come from. Family is very important to me and thus so is knitting.

This is my newest FO. It is the One Skein Wonder from Glampyre Knits. It turned out really pretty, but it's a little tight. I can still wear it though. I might try it again.

This is material and a pattern for a sundress that I want to make. Reasons I haven't done it yet.

1. It's been cold!
2. I'd rather be knitting (especially lately)
3. I'd rather be knitting

I'm sure I'll get to it sooner or later. Maybe when it starts to warm up again.

Non knitting related topic

I when and sat in on my first ELS class today. I will probably do one more before I start substitue teaching there. It was informative. I got lots of odd looks from the students in and around the building. I'm sure they don't see many Americans coming into their building unless they are teachers. Most of there teachers are older than me (I'm still in college) so I don't they assume I'm a teacher. I did get hit on while waiting for the Center Director to take me to the class I was going to be observing.

My first MAJOR knitting project is almost done & it's so cute!

Easter weekend was great...good food, fun with my family, and time at church. I saw a great illistrated message called He's Alive at Victory Cristian Church in Tulsa, OK.

I didn't get my shrug finished like I wanted, but felting my purse took a long time and a lot of attention. I finished knitting the last piece of my purse on Friday evening and felted it Saturday morning. It took 45 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes, and then transfering each piece to cold water to stop the felting process. It was finally dry today. Between work and my afternoon class I assembled most of the purse, and it turned out sooo cute! I love it so much. The handle still needs to be attached (right now it's being held on my straight pins).

Here name is Flora, and she can be found here.

Here she is before felting.

And here she is after felting.

Here is a close up of the flowers w/ bead detail.

This is another view just because she's so pretty.

I will probably line the inside of the purse because I'm afraid with how clumsy I am that something will get spilled or a pen with leak. I want something light in color and sort of springy.

I also knit 1 1/2 dish rags in Sugar & Cream. I already gave one to my mom and forgot to take a picture of it.

Easter Snow

WOW the week went by fast, and Oklahoma is experiencing snow in April! Crazyness I say, crazyness! I had to get up at 4:30 this morning to take my bf to the airport, I went back to sleep, and now I'm at work. I've done way too much for it to not even be 9:00 AM yet! Now on to knitting...

I bought a beatiful skein of cotton yarn that was kettle dyed in Uruguay. The brand of the yarn is Manos de Uruguay (Hands of Uruguay). I also bought #5 Bryspun circular needles, and a shrug pin thingy (not sure what it's called). As you can see I started imediately on the shurg I bought the yarn for, but sadly I had to rip that out (plus a little bit more) because I was some how off by a few stitches in the middle section, but all is well and I've already gotten about that much more knitted again. Here's a close up of the yarn and shrug stick. All of my new goodies were bought at the Gourmet Yarn Co, which by the way is a fabulous yarn store. I bought the pattern for the shrug at Glampyre Knits. The name of the shrug is the "One Skein Wonder". I should be able to finish it this weekend, and have pictures up next week. I will also be felting my purse this weekend, so pictures of that will be up to. Yea for FO's!

~ Happy Easter ~

~ Feliz Pascua ~

FO

I finished my black shawl, and it turned out even better than I thought it would. I'm so excited! I think I need to wash and blocked it, but it's finished none the less.

Here it is in action.

Knit, knit, knit is all I wanna do!

Weekend knitting:
Flower fabric for purse - added several more inches...almost done!
Black shawl - about 2/3's of the way finished. At the point of CO 3 sts beginning of every row till end...also almost done!

Future projects I want to start SOON:
Boogie Time Watch - Designed by Knit and Tonic (wonderful blog)
Shrug - at Glampyre Knits. I have a pink silky yarn to use for it.
Tank - can also be found at Glampyre Knits.

While talking with my step-mom (who knits) said that her mom (who knits more than both of us and for much longer than both of us) said that felting white (which is the color of my purse) wool is the hardest and that the store that I bought the yarn at should have told me. idk. I'm visiting my dad and step-mom this coming weekend for Easter, and together hopefully we can felt my purse successfully.

In my previously mentioned future projects I listed a shrug. I am nervous and excited to knit it. I've knitted a shurg before (see post before this one), and it didn't work out too well. I want to make one that I will actually wear, so hopefully this one will work.

I would so much rather knit than do my readings for class, but since there are only 4 or 5 weeks left in the semester I guess I'd better buckle down, and do the work. One of my professors is leaving for Korea tomorrow morning, so I won't have to go to one of my classes this week, but I need to use that time to work on my research project for another class. Hopefully I will be a hard worker on school stuff, so I'll make all A's instead of 2 A's and 1 B like last semester.

The sun is back!

After two days of torrential rains it is sunny once again! I'm not sure how warm it is because I've been cleaning my apartment and reading for class, but it sure looks nice outside. I tried to post about 3 times last night, but due to the bad weather my internet keeping messing up. Thursday was a very busy day, and didn't get to knit at all.

Yesterday I finally started the last piece of my purse. It is knit on smaller needles that the rest of the pieces and with only 1 strand of yarn instead of 2, so this piece might take a bit longer. This picture is of my first go round...I knit it with 2 strands, and then I read the pattern again, and figured out that it was with one strand. The picture to the right -> is the second and correct attempt at the last piece. This piece will be used as fabric for flowers. The flowers will be cut, free form.

The below purple thing was my first attempt at making a shrug. I knit it over Christmas, and am just now getting around to washing it in hopes that it might shrink just a bit and when worn will look a bit less than a cross between sholder pads and a linebacker.

These earings were a present from my mom. She has a similar pair that I've attempted to perminently borrow, but never got away with it. She found these at Dillards and bought them for me.

*EDIT* The earings are actually silver & gold. The middle piece is actually the only gold part, but in the picture it looks like the whole earing is gold. idk?

Forgotten project

I had a great evening last night. Ernesto took me on a date to see the Hornets and the Mavericks play at the Ford Center in OKC. We ate in Bricktown before, but we were almost late because Ernesto thought the game started at 8 when it really started at 7. I knew, but thought that he did too. We did make it on time though. It turned out to be a really fun date. I love just hanging out with him. The day before last he told me he was taking me on a surprise date. That night I was checking out our schools ad website and someone had posted 2 tickets for sale. I knew he has been wanting to see the Mavs, so I asked he if that's what we were doing on our date, and he lied and said NO! I thought maybe he was lying, but I wasn't for sure. I don't care though, because even though he wanted to see the game, he was sweet to make it a surprise date! The half time entertaiment was awesome! It was a group of 4 guys from Indian that have a roller skating - dance routine. We were both really impressed. They danced to hip-hop/pop music, and even did the worm. They were crazy.

This morning I could not wake up. For about the first 2 hours of work I felt so sleepy. Coffee didn't even seem to work. After sleepily go about my duties at work I came home for lunch. My roommate made lunch and while I was waiting to go to class I found a long lost project still on the needles. I started making a simple black wrap to have when I was at work about 2 months ago, because I get cold very easily. I picked it up, and hope to finish it soon. Here's what I have so far.

My work out today was pretty good. I worked out back, biceps, and triceps. I guess my sleepiness didn't really go away because I felt like I had no power to lift the weights. I have a work-out playlist on my mp3 player that helps me to get pumped up, but ACDC just wasn't doing it. Maybe it had something to do with the music the gym was playing getting in my ears with ACDC. Pop music doesn't really mix well with ACDC.

Well I'm going to spend the rest of the evening doing homework, taking a bath, and hopefully getting to bed early. I'll leave you with this... Don't ever stop learning. Why would you want to? Do crossword puzzles to expand your vacabulary, watch the History or Discovery channel to learn about the evolution of the "Crapper" or if you can make a glider out of cement. Learning is not just for nerds. Continuing to gain knowledge everyday can help fight memory loss when you are older. I for one would like to honestly 'learn something new everyday'.

New Job!

I just got my first real job, and I couldn't be happier. I am a grad student just finishing my first year, and I am studying Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I will start out as a substitue teacher, and hopefully if that goes well I will be able to teach elective classes.

Knitting

I haven't been able to work on my purse because I my sister has my pattern. No fun. Plus I'm not on Spring Break anymore, and have to study/read for class.

Here's a re-post of a picture of the purse I'm working on. For some reason it's not showing up on my other post. Hopefully it will now.

Hornets/Mavs Basketball

My boyfriend bought us tickets to see tonights game in OKC! I am super excited! Today is our 3 1/2 year anniversary.

Rainy day

I'm at work and completely bored. Monday at OCU is pretty slow, and with the rain it even more quiet than normal.

Knitting
This link - UK Hand Knitting - is pretty cool. I found it from the Stitch n Bitch (whose link can be found to the right) web links. There was an article on a BBC website about an 11 year old girl who joined a knitting club and has come to love it. I am young, and therefore get funny stares sometimes when I am knitting. I enjoy it very much. It is not just something that old grannies do! I granny did teach me, but I think she's pretty cool. Several women in my family knit, and I'm trying to get my mom to start knitting more.

Movies
This weekend my boyfriend and I watched some good movies. Friday we watched Babel. It was good, but I was a little let down. I just thought there would be more... Saturday we watched The Prestige which was really good.

Can't decide

I haven't been able to decide which blogger to use. I had one here, and then switched for Word Press, but now I'm back because I didn't like the other one very well.

I'll be posting things here about knitting projects mostly, but I could post sewing items, or general life stuff.

Here are a some pictures of projects I have finished/am still working on.

(1)These are two dishrags that I finished last week. (2) A purse that will be felted.

*EDIT* Pictures deleted due to them being wonky.