Bad Blogger, Bad!

So sorry for the blog absenteeism.  I know that you know that I just started college.  Who knew college would actually entail work?  Crazy, I know.  My knitting time has taken a serious hit from this studying business.  Anyway, in other craftiness, I made my Halloween costume and I will try to take some pictures to post tonight.  

Disaster mode

I have a log cabin disaster on my hands.  I tried posting it on Ravelry forums, but it seems that everyone who answers thinks I am just a thickheaded idiot.  I do know how to knit and I did it successfully the first three times doing the exact same procedure.  Aaaaahhhhhhh, I don't know what to do.  Maybe I can make it to a yarn shop today to beg for help.  Anyway, here are pictures.  Maybe you can help.

The right side.  See how pretty?

The wrong side.  I really have joined them correctly.

Disclaimer notice:  I did not mean to offend any Ravelrers with my above comment.  My feelings were hurt when I was writing this because every response I had gotten on my forum threads was implying that I had done it the wrong way.  I just wanted you to know that I do kind of know what I'm doing and it is hard to hear someone say that you are just doing it wrong.  I really did not say it with the intent of offending anyone, I was just looking for some help that would be given in a non-hurtful setting.  I am so sorry.  If you knew my personality you would all know that I go out of my way to make sure everyone is happy and I just think everyone thinks that way, as you can see I was upset.  I am so so sorry.  

August Afternoons

So, I know I haven't spoken much of my personal life on here, so here goes... my family just moved about an hour away from where I spent the better part of my childhood(yes, here in Kansas we measure distance in minutes not miles).  Now we live in a quaint little country town and I got to enjoy possibly the most wonderful afternoon of my life.  In our little corner of town(which consists only of ranch houses built in the 1970's and I am the youngest resident) it is nice and quiet with just the occasional train.  Today while my parents were off slaving away to bring home the bacon, I sat on the porch with just my knitting and my dogs.  The only sounds to be heard were the quiet clank of my needles and the occasional bark of my little dogs.  As knitters, you understand how peaceful that is.  I came inside to find that my mind felt incredibly clear.  I may have to do that everyday this week to prepare my mind for the start of the long educational process that I start next Wednesday.  Does anyone else want to join me for thirteen years of school plus residency before I will have anything faintly resembling a life?  I didn't think so.

Okay, so now I have to indulge you in a story of my aforementioned pooches.  Their names are Daphne and Olive and they are the cutest little things I have ever seen.  Well, Daphne has been sick for the past week or two and I thought she had gotten over it.  Shortly after we came in today I heard her nappy(the word I like to use in place of the other words I could use to describe regurgitation) in another room.  I was in the middle of a row of my log cabin blanket so I took time to finish my row before embarking(catch the pun?) on a clean up mission.  When I went to see where her nappy was I found her on my bed looking up at me with the saddest big brown eyes I have ever seen.  I assured her that it was fine and I quickly stripped my bed only to remember that my mattress pad and been misplaced somewhere in the move so I have been sleeping without one.  No mattress pad + Daphne nappy = Mattress mess for me to clean up.  Ever since then, she has been so ashamed that she has not been able to sit with me yet and is hanging her head by the door.  I tried to get her to look at the computer but she was too ashamed to even do that.  Oh how sweet is she?

So, Olive is another story, this is her favorite perch in the new house, so that she can stand guard of the house to scare off predators with all eight pounds.  
Just for cuteness sakes, I had to include these pictures of the two of them watching the happenings of the community.  Don't you just want to nibble them up?

Sorry this post was so picture heavy, but these pictures are just too cute to waste! 

Next time on Once upon a knit:  AAAAAHHHHHHHH Stash Attack!

Ravelrympics

So, about that... I had surgery yesterday and I completely planned on starting the Ravelrympics on time, but due to the fact that I can hardly sit up comfortably, that is not going to happen.  I will try to do something small, but it all depends on how I feel.  Sorry to let you down.

Proverbial Sunrise

I watched the proverbial sunrise coming up over the Pacific and you might think I'm losing my mind but I will shy away from the specifics.  'Cause I don't want you to know where I am, 'cause then you'll see my heart in the saddest state it's ever been.  This is no way to try and live my life.  Stop right there, that's exactly where I lost it.  See that line, well I never should have crossed it.  Stop right there, well I never should have said that, it's the very moment I wish that I could take back.  I'm sorry for the person I became.  I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change.  I'm ready to try never to go that way again.  'Cause who I am hates who I've been, who I am hates who I've been....

I really wish I could claim that poetry but it's a popular song by a wonderful group known as Relient K.  That has nothing to do with my knitting, but it's what the video make me think of because it is based on a proverb that I can't remember and I am in rush so I will post it later if it comes to mind.  I think the song describes all of us at one point or another and I knew my knitters would appreciate this bit of wisdom.  Anywho... the next paragraph is all about my inspiration for sharing that bit of song with you.  

So by way of Glampyre Knits I found a wonderful new blog.  And by way of that new blog I found an adorable video that if I had kids they would probably be forced to watch this video every day.  For some odd reason I can't get the video to show up like that cool way other people can get it to.

A wonderful cause

So, I don't usually plug contests and raffles and other related drawings.  However, I do make exceptions for a good cause.  This woman has a wonderfully inspiring story and all the donations go to a great cause.  It is sad that this raffle had to spur from a near-tragedy, but it is best that it was a near-tragedy and not a fatal-tragedy.  Anyhoo, go check out her blog, read about her amazing story, and put yourself in her position and see how generous it is for her to share her story with us and give us such a wonderful chance to help her.  

A FO, A Timed Project, and A Sore Knitting Appendage

First things first, the FO.  I made my first Baby Genius Burp Cloth.  Not until I posted this did I realize I was holding it upside down in the picture.  Whatever, you get the idea.  I loved doing it and it went amazingly fast.  It was a very fun knit and I already have colors picked out for my next one (which I will be starting tomorrow).

Next, a timed project.  I have never actually timed myself knitting before and I thought it would help keep my brain active with the math.  So, I cast on for a Baby Bib o' Love.  I know, Mason Dixon has been popular around here lately.  This is to match the burp cloth and I love it so far.  In one hour I knit a measly 23 rows.  Sadly, that's about 15 and 1/3 stitches per minute.  Knitting at such a slow rate meant each row took roughly 2.61 minutes.  I felt like I was going fast until I actually crunched the numbers.  
Last but not least, my sore appendage.  Below you will witness a gruesome photo but I thought all knitters would sympathize with me.  So the story... On Independence Day, I was bound and determined to get this huge pile of snakes lit.  So, me being the oldest of the "children" at the party, I grabbed the old-fashioned butane lighter and set out on my quest.  After about 7 minutes of sitting in the middle of the road burning my finger to a crisp, I ended up with a huge blister.  So, I did what any sane person would do, I popped the blister with my teeth only to see when we got in the light that I did more damage.  So, for the last few days it has been festering and growing and after my knitting marathon it looks like this:
Sorry that my post was so wordy, I usually don't like wordy posts so thank you for sticking with me.  

ETA:  Sorry about the poor photo quality, that's as good as PhotoBooth gets.