Is finally done. I sewed on some buttons, and promptly put it away.
I knit it a bit too small for even my (small) head. I'll still wear it to Chicago though. Hopefully my flight isn't canceled.
I'll post pictures while I'm there.

I think I'll be starting on another hat. But not a beret, just a regular hat. Simple, fast, easy.
And maybe a little simple clutch, something I just make up as I go. I have a really pretty DK weight yarn, in a gorgeous green, so I'll use that, and then just stitch the sides up, pop on some buttons, and some inside closures, then I'm done. I have it all in my head.

I haven't been able to work on my beret for awhile, or update, due to the fact I've been busy working on my college application...So now, I will take some time to do that, as I took time to work on my hat today.
I didn't get very far, but you can definitely see the difference between the sad round little thing of a few weeks ago and the almost half complete hat of today.
Here is a photo:


I'm going to get this done before I leave for Chicago. I'm about ready to start the decreases, so maybe I'll actually finish it like I'm hoping...
I'm off to work on it some more.
Wish me luck.

P.S. I believe I never posted a photo of my tattoo. Here it is:

You may recall, in my last post, I was super excited for the start of the beret from hell to be on my circulars, because after I get it on them, it will, and I quote, "just magically appear, just like the last one did."
It's not magically appearing. It's not even showing the hard work that I do everyday! It's the DK's fault. I'm getting frustrated because it's taking so long to knit up, and because the pattern is just sooo repetitive! I'm about to the point of setting it on fire tossing it in the fire.

This is about where it is, as of now. My circulars are too long, so its really, really stretched.
I think I'm going to run out of yarn before it's done, even though I'm making it less slouchy.

But, I did start on my sister's Christmas gift, a hand-knit scarf, with Knit Picks Crayon Boucle in Whisker. Go check it out if you want on the website (www.knitpicks.com), I'm too lazy to hyperlink right now.
I'm also too lazy to take a picture and upload it, so you can see the progress on the scarf. The yarn is very soft, but really (really, really) lightweight. It's a DK weight when the pattern calls for Worsted or Aran weight. But she picked the yarn. She said she loved the color and the feel of it, so I used it.

I should probably go and shower, and get ready for the day, as I am heading up to work at about 1.30.
But first, a very short (and very open) letter.

This morning, I woke up to the lovely smell of turkey in the oven, at 5:30 a.m., and decided to start on a new beret. I found a pattern last night on ravelry, after browsing around a bit, (you really should join. it's free and there are TONS of patterns!) and fell in love with this one. It's so adorable and slouchy without being too overbearing for my small head.

This is the pattern I chose: Slouchy Springtime Beret. (I linked to the pattern designer's blog, (you'll find the pattern on the right side, under Free Patterns) just so those of you without ravelry can see it. In ravelry, search "Slouchy Springtime Beret", The creator's name is "Little Miss Muffet".) I'm using City Tweed DK from Knit Picks in Desert Sage, and so far, I'm loving the pattern, the yarn, and the entire (half inch) looks great. :)

I'm looking forward to getting it on the circulars, because after that, it'll just magically appear, just like the last one did.

By the way:

Two days ago, I started on a beret. I thought it would be hard, too hard for me, because I am a beginner knitter, and the pattern was intermediate, and was a bit nervous.
I finished it about 3 hours ago. I had no reason at all to be nervous!
It's bigger than I thought it would be, but I love it :).
I give you...
Star Crossed Slouchy Beret:

So, the 2nd was my 18th birthday, and I decided to go get a tattoo.

Turns out all tattoo shops here are closed on Monday. So I went last night, and 12 minutes later, I had a beautiful nautical star on my wrist! :)

Pictures soon.

P.S. I'm going to be starting on a sweater and my beret here soon.

According to Plan

She went into labor at 10 a.m.
I got the call on my private extension, a number known only by my wife and secretary, and when I picked up, I heard her. She was holding her breath in between breathy groans, and I could tell she was moving around a lot by the feedback through the phone.
“Baby,” she panted. “It’s time.”
I told her I would be there to pick her up as soon as possible, and was in the middle of telling her ‘I love you’ when she hung up. I gathered my briefcase, stuffed a packet of gum inside, grabbed my coat from the closet beside my desk, and hurried out of my office. As I was pushing the door open to the private garage, I turned and said to my assistant, who was hovering around me uselessly, “Two dozen snow-white lilies. They go to my wife in the hospital.” She nodded anxiously, and jotted my message down in the leather notepad I had gotten her for Christmas.
When I got to our house, a two-story building with a three-car garage attached that we had designed when we got married, I found her waiting for me outside, her hospital bag clutched tightly in her hand and a grimace on her face.
The front door was hanging wide open.
I helped her climb into the passenger seat, and was a bit worried at her white complexion. I rubbed my thumb across her cheek, and planted a gentle kiss on her chapped lips. I shut the car door, with more force than necessary, and went and closed the front door calmly.
The ride to the hospital was nerve-wracking; my normally calm wife was screaming obscenities with shattering intensity while gripping my free-hand with white knuckles. I squeezed back, not at all afraid she would break my fingers.
Finally, she was situated in a hospital bed screaming her head off because she was too far along in labor for medication like she had originally wanted. I felt terrible for not picking her up sooner, for not staying home so I could bring her to the hospital as soon as possible.
The birth went fast.
She was lying there dying as I welcomed my beautiful daughter to the world. I don’t think I could ever forgive myself for not knowing that she was fading so fast. The chaos that surrounded me, I assumed was normal.
After one long look at my beloved wife’s haggard face, I felt my daughter take a huge breath of air and let it out shakily.
It was her last.
I stood there, holding my beautiful daughter’s limp body, staring at my gorgeous wife’s face, tears slipping down my cheeks when the flowers were brought in. They were beautiful, of course, the best that money could possibly buy.
And they were the only thing that went according to plan.

Ever since I've started knitting, I've heard "What is it?" more than I want to. It looks like a scarf, but it's too wide. And it looks like a blanket, but its not wide enough. Maybe a skirt? Or foot warmer? (This suggestion makes my dad laugh.) I have no idea.

This is what it looked like last night, when I brought it out to work on it after an explosive fight with boyfriend. Knitting calms me. If I'm frustrated or upset, or a little bit anxious (as I have been for awhile, waiting for the trip to Chicago), all I have to do is pull out my yarn and needles and knit for a little bit, and then I'm completely content.

It takes hours to actually change the appearence of the pattern (ha!), because it's so wide, but after about 2 hours, this (>) is what it turned into. It's so soft and squishy and I love just cuddling against it! I'm running out of this purple yarn, but I dug around and found an old GIANT (and I mean giant! its more than a normal skein) skein of a pretty blue that is the same weight and is almost the same color as the yarn shown. I can't wait to attach it to the yarn and keep going!

I love the simple monotony of just knitting a simple stitch, row after row after row. It's so calming. Not so calming when my fingers cramp though. And it's hard to bend one finger, my left pointer because my cat attcked me (you can see it in the pictures, all bandaged up; I ran out of bandaids.).

And, after all of the questions and suggestions, my brother told me that I have a knitting face. I wondered what it looked like, and took a picture to see. It's actually just a really focused/happy/relaxed look. (Don't mind the no-makeup/really pale complexion, I'm just getting over my sickness. Well, not getting over, just starting to get used to having it.) And notice the finger as well.

Maybe this will turn into a carseat blanket. Something to wrap around a baby when they're in their carseat, without the fuss of tucking all the extra fabric of a regular size blanket and folding to make it smaller. Afterall, this project is very cozy.

But I thought I would show you what I've been up to while I've been sick (which I still am, unfortunately :( ).

This is just a simple scarf, no design, nothing fancy, just something to practice on until I'm able to knit with my eyes closed :)

I won't be updating anytime soon, due to the fact H1N1 has made an appearance.

I did order some yarn from knitpicks, and hopefully, it'll get here when I'm feeling better. :)

I've spent almost 2 hours on knitpicks, deciding what yarn to buy, what would be perfect for my beret, and for socks, and maybe a scarf, or a blanket, or maybe even a sweater!

I CAN'T EVEN KNIT THAT WELL!

sigh.

I've decided to make a beret, intead of a scarf!
Sure, it'll be difficult because I'm just getting into knitting, but I think it will be well worth it.

The pattern I'm following: Butterfly Beret. It's adorable.

(I hope I look good in it, because I have trouble pulling off hats...)

As I am a senior in art this year, I get to decide what projects to work on, and I have decided, after reading Debbie Macomber’s books, to knit! I’m excited to start! I used to knit, but then decided it wasn’t cool.

I’m not concerned with being cool anymore.

My first project is probably going to be a scarf or a hat, something simple. And then, when I get closer and closer to Symposium, and better at knitting, maybe a gorgeous chenille throw.

p.s. that throw is completely gorgeous.

After being hypnotized during school, and making a bunch of faces (so I'm told), I now have gum in my pocket.

I'll have to add some pictures sometime.

Oh, and my nail broke off. I'm pretty sure I could seriously hurt someone with this thing.

I am procrastinating again.

I have a paper due tomorrow, and I have about two sentences down. I know better than to leave it until the last second, but I find myself doing that anyway. It feels wonderful to be writing again, even though I’m not writing what I need to be writing.

Everything I’ve felt the past week, I kept it in, and I’m starting to feel it deep in my gut. Or maybe what I’m feeling is my stomach digesting itself, because the events have left me physically sick, and unable to eat.

I’m off to finish a Machu Picchu expository essay.