Drugs: The New Anti-Knit

I feel like I haven't updated in forever, which is pretty true. Things around here are increasing in their insanity as we have passed the two month marker on the countdown to graduation. It's always weird when you get ready to graduate, because you know you're going to graduate, but at the same time there is the chance you won't because there are things that need to be done before hand. In my case it's three giant papers and presentations (giant as in easily 40 pages a piece, which is a lot for undergraduate work).

In any case, knitting's become something of a drug to me. I had a conference in DC about two weeks ago and the entire bus ride up and back I sat staring out the window and working on one of my super-secret projects while listening to one of Scott Sigler's podcast novels (Ancestor for those who are interested. I still have a lot of it left, but it's really good! At least by my sci-fi obsessed standards. It's very Michael Crichton). Several weeks later I'm still only a little under halfway finished, but it's coming along nicely.

I'm contemplating a return to monogomy for a while. I have said secret project, a pair of gloves for my boyfriend (he's a hockey player so this project could get interesting), professor gifts, and several more pairs of Bella mittens keeping me busy. Plus the stuff I've been wanting to do for myself. I bought the yarn for the Wicked vest that the Stash and Burn girls are talking about and a few patterns that I've had my eye on might make it into my queue soon. I know that all I'm going to do for a while is this project, but after that, we shall see. I like being able to jump projects, but my school work is keeping me too busy to see much progress.

I have completed some projects. I finally finished the Cable Comfort Throw for my friend back home who got married last summer (nothing like randomly late wedding gifts). I'm quite proud of it and don't think I'm going to make another blanket for a very long time (though as I say this I'm suddenly getting more ideas). It was a dull pattern after a while, but it looks great. And all the seaming up that I was worried about went by really fast during TSCC and Dollhouse on Friday.



I've also been knitting Bella Mittens for some friends. I've completed and mailed two more pairs since my last update and have at least three more to make and send to various parts of the country. I love doing this pattern because it's not necessarily easy, but it's not so hard that I never want to do it again. And the supplies are easy to transport which is always a good thing for someone like me who is always running around and has several really long days away from the apartment. I do feel bad that a lot of the girls aren't getting them until it's too warm to wear them anymore, but they'll be all set to run away to Forks next winter.


(Kim in her mittens that finally arrived last week)

My Ravelry account is still sadly lacking in friends. Mostly because I don't actively seek out strangers and add them as friends (though that might change when I go to grad school). I'm hoping that since I've started using Ravelry on a more regular basis and actually update my project files that I'll meet some new people. We shall see. In the meantime, I have some papers I need to go write.

Nothing Will Be The Same

So I used to believe in monogamy. I would start a project and not work on another until I had finished. Then a few months ago I got tired of that and cast on about three projects. It was so much fun to go from project to project, as soon as I got bored with one I'd move to a different one without a care in the world. But at the same time it was sad to not actually finish anything.

Well, a few days ago I had my faith in monogamy restored. I cast on a new project (Thursday) that I couldn't wait to start and worked on nothing else until I was finished four days later (Sunday). What was the amazing project that gave this college girl new hope for the single-project mindset? Why the Bella mittens, of course!



For all fan girls everywhere, Twilight has been a landmark event, in both the literary and film worlds. I can't explain why we love it so much, why we debate for hours on end the merits of vampire vs werewolf vs human boyfriends, or why we all want to move to rainy Forks, WA. We just do. My sister and my friend Ky pushed and nagged and pestered me until I finally broke down and read the first book back in August. And then that same book read the rest of the saga that has been published (my Christmas wish was for Stephanie Myer to realize that her fan base is huge and just get over her pride and finish Midnight Sun). And then came the movie -- that we went to at midnight. And then later at 4:15 on opening day.

Anyway, I found this pattern over on Ravelry on Tuesday and immediately had to try it. When we started seeing images from the infamous van scene in the film version of Twilight Ky and I joked about those mittens becoming a fashion trend.



Well, as you can see, I participated immensely in the trend. I already learned how to cable back in December, so I knew I could handle that part, but nothing could have prepared me for learning how to use double-pointed needles. Actually, it's not as hard as it looks. (I think I had more trouble figuring out how exactly to use the stitch markers than handling the needles). I used this Youtube video and was pleasantly surprised at how easily I could make the thumbs. Most of it was common sense and I only had to rip it out once because my stitches were backwards.

The temperature here has dropped since I finished the mittens, and they have been very warm and cozy, though understandably bulky to handle. I would highly recommend this pattern for any Twilight fan or knitter who wants to try their hand at mittens. The directions were clear and the stitches were complicated enough to keep me entertained and fully addicted. Double-pointed needles don't have to kill you and at the end these are totally worth all the frustrations and sore thumbs.