Ahhh....

*Whew*

So, it's been a few months.... Let's see what's up?

I've been working on building a pattern library of patterns I've been designing. This has been proving very tough because I've been attempting to make lace patterns. Luckily my first pattern is the Charlestowne Pineapple Blanket which is a crochet pattern with a pineapple lace stitch in the middle.

Please ignore the bottom, it's messy...

This is what the prototype is:

So far, I've written, had it test checked once by my good friend Christi and am currently having some free pattern testers on Ravelry try and wrap their heads around it. They've found tons of mistakes, and I've apparently made quite a few typos on it. (aka, the combination of cut-and-paste and trying to type regular drove my brain insane)


My goal for the end of the year is to try and get a website where I can start selling these!






So what else is new? J came back, and isn't home again. His socks DID wind up fitting (which was awesome! I was terribly worried that they wouldn't fit and that I'd have to start all over again).  We also went to Germany/Austria and ran around for a good 2 weeks!

 He keeps himself pretty busy by making some gourmet food in his hotel room. I think he should start a blog called "bachelor chow" and post all the crazy-awesome food he manages to make.... it's seriously like dinner impossible in a 3x3 ft kitchen space!!!

I've also started a KAL (knit-a-long, for you non-rav'ers) for the February Lady Sweater (it's free on Ravelry!) at the knit shop. This first KAL, is going fairly slow with some participation... hopefully when we do next month's, we'll have a few more participants.

....and that's life! Until Later! <3

I've Been to the Dentist Several Times... so I know the Drill!

*buh-dum... CHING*

Buttony sweater! Cute, no?

So, today I got to visit the dentist. All in all it wasn't a painful experience... but definitely was painful when it came for the checkout time. Luckily, it was only two teeth instead of three! Hooray, more funds to put to the trip to Germany!!!

I'm super excited as one of my besties had her baby a couple weeks ago! As a rule, I'm not generally fond of babies... but for some reason, I'm a HUGE fan of the little guy and look super forward to meeting him in a few weeks! To celebrate, I'm working on the offset buttony baby cardigan:



Unfortunately, I'm not nearly as organized and cool as the designer of the pattern, so mine currently looks more like this:

Sweater, meet oven-baked herb and Parmesan potatoes. Parmesan potatoes, meet sweater. Needless to say, a few moments later, the potatoes disappeared never to be seen again.

I'm also working on some socks for J.... Hopefully they'll fit... I've taken a compilation of his socks that I've made in the past and made a formula for J-socks.... Cross your fingers!

Dear Miss Manners

I know, I know... I haven't been writing. *le sigh* Life's been crazy... so I bring you a quote below from Miss Manner's column from July 30. I find it fascinating that someone is so bothered by knitters knitting in public that they have complained to that bastion of politeness, Miss Manners.

DEAR MISS MANNERS:

Over the years I have noticed people knitting in public and have had no particular problem with it. However, I am a bit put off by those who knit in church or at an event such as a recital or concert.

Is it acceptable to knit at a church, synagogue or other religious service? And what about a concert or recital? I recently attended a piano and violin recital in a small venue where someone was knitting in the third row. Surely it was evident to the performers. And if such knitting is not appropriate, how should the knitters be approached, or prevented?

GENTLE READER: Please do not -- repeat, not -- make a hostile approach to knitters. Have you not noticed that they are armed with long, pointy sticks?

Of all the multitaskers who could annoy you, Miss Manners would not have guessed that knitters would top the list. There is a centuries-long history of ladies quietly doing needlework while remaining alert to what was going on around them.

But perhaps your complaint is that they are not quiet. If the clicking of needles is what bothers you, you could appeal to the authorities at church or concert hall that as they ban texting, it is only fair to ban activities that create similar noise. And if they don’t already ban texting, you might start by asking that they do before going after those comparatively unobtrusive knitters.

Visit Miss Manners at her Web site,www.missmanners.com, where you can send her your questions.

2011, by Judith Martin

Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

And My dear friend Tamera's Response!!!

I want to address this "Gentle Reader" and ask what is it that is really bothering you? Did you have an aunt who knit you itchy sweaters that you were forced to wear as a child? Or are you just too inept to actually learn a constructive hobby, rather than just griping in a public forum about someone else's choice of recreation?

This is precisely one of the many reasons I DO knit--to help me keep my foot out of my mouth during such events as congregational meetings and Little League baseball games. It never distracts me from what is going on around me, rather it gives me focus that keeps me sane. I joke to friends that "I knit so I don't kill people" and while that is extreme, there is an underlying truth. By "sticking to my knitting" I am able to be involved on a level that keeps me coming back, and prevents me from being asked to leave because I've said too much in the heat of a moment.

I adore what Miss Manners says about the "centuries-old history of ladies quietly doing needlework while remaining alert to what was going on around them." This contrasts sharply with the current trend of ladies AND gentlemen too engrossed in their latest smart phone app to notice what is happening in their lives and the lives of those around them. I have tried both, and if you are checking your email during a meeting, you really can't LISTEN to what is being said. But knitting lets you do it all--listen, pay attention, and retain what you hear.

All this doesn't even take into account the fact that some people listen better if they aren't perfectly still, and having something to do with their hands enables them to listen better than if they were otherwise unoccupied.

For now, all I can do is shake my head and wonder, with all the evils running rampant in this world, why ANYONE would have a problem with quiet knitting. If someone is poking you with a sharp pointy knitting needle, you have a more than valid complaint. Otherwise, maybe you should stick to YOUR knitting!

New year

Can anyone tell me where 2010 went?!? It seems like a very short time has passed since then! Anyway, I got my big Christmas wish-- SNOW!!! When J and I flew back from Houston, we were greeted by a wonderful winter wonderland! (Sorry to everyone else who didn't want the snow... I promise to use my powers dor good next time) I miss snow so much- it was awesome to get that wish fulfilled!

So as far as resolutions go, I've made mine slightly more reasonable than last year. ( last year's resolution was about going "cold sheep" and not purchasing any more yarn. HA!) this year J and I have resolved to get fit by March. I've also resolved to knitting at least a pair of socks a month, trying steeking and felting. A job would be awesome too... Hopefully I'll get one before J deploys in April.

So here's wishing everyone a happy new year! :)

Charleston, Chucktown = AWESOME!

Ok, so I know its been a while since I last posted... Sorry.

Since the last post, life has been a whirlwind! We moved. And in the 10 days that we were allotted to stay in a hotel, we found a place to live, cleaned it, and moved all our stuff in! *whew* A week later, J left for his training and left me with a house full of boxes to unpack! :)

... That brings us to today -- I've got a 90% unpacked house, some pictures hanging up downstairs and a twist-tie holding up my hair because I can't seem to find a hair band to save my life. Life is good. I love Charleston a ton, but do miss all my friends.

I promise to post more after Thanksgiving! Maybe I'll find my camera and take some live shots. :)

Another Adventure Begins..... And a Friday Fill in!

First off. I wish I could speak rabbit. This would help me wonderfully on those days Echo decides to follow me around and stare at me (longingly?) from across the room. In my head, he sounds like he makes grumbly noises that would sound like:

"I don't see why you're walking around again. What good human goes around and cleans all day? It's just not right I tell you. Not right at all. What? You're cooking again? If you ate like me and the other rabbits, you'd be the picture of health! THE PICTURE! Instead, you look goofy not covered in fur except the stuff on the top of your head! Don't touch me -- DON'T TOUCH ME! Stinkin' human and your stinkin' paws... One of these days..... POW! ZOOM! To the MOON!!!"

... He's kinda grumpy.

Anywho, this last week has been crazy! Since the AirForce has given J such a short time to get us moved to South Carolina, I've been checking out places to live and making appointments to meet with property managers the best I can.... But today, the packing man arrived! We'll be packing up and shipping out all of our stuff on Monday and leaving here/arriving there Tuesday! I'm not exactly sure what to pack clothes wise because the weather has been running between cold and hot for the last week! This morning it was 60 degrees in our house! WOWZA!

And here's our Friday Fill-In:
1. While the cat's away the ice will play!

2. Knitting is, fabuloso!

3. Children are good for housework.

4. Knitting is better when I get home from work or shopping or what have you.

5. This may seem odd, but I like Columbus!

6. Taking a breather from packing and that seems like a fine idea to me!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hanging with J tomorrow my plans include Knitting, dinner and Candy giving and Sunday, I want to CLEAN!

Happy Halloween Y'all! 

Random thoughts - List form

1. The WalMart Basket ConspiracyWalmart is its big own conspiracy. Buy low, sell low -- but hide all the baskets, force people to use a cart and then tempt them with millions of 'no-nonsense' things or the small things that you think you really need. This is really annoying for people like myself who only want to buy maybe 10 things, but can't carry them all at one time.

2. Stamps
Stamps are also annoying to purchase. Rarely do I ever use a whole book of stamps before mail prices are raised. This really has turned nasty as I recently found out we are moving and will probably have to change the date of our wedding.

3. Life
As it turns out, the AirForce was just kidding. :) We're moving to Charleston soon -- Like in a week. really. So, Life's taken a slight turn for the crazy as J and I go around and try to find somewhere to live and make arrangements to get a moving truck here before we have to be there! Everyone is confused -- which is cool -- I mean, Its only the Air Force its not like they move people all the time, right? :) Anyway, this means that we're going to be packing up the bunnies and moving our stuff somewhere awesome... right after we eat out the freezer.

...note to self: make sure camera gets charged. :)

In Columbus, even the cars get dressed up for Halloween

Ah yes. This was seen in the WalMart Parking lot at 8:30 AM this morning:

Oreo Car

"Taste My Cream Filling"

 

Sorry, My camera is tiny. :)

Music, Moving and Motivation

So, we've all been waiting to hear where the next doorstop lies. Its South Carolina! Lovely beaches, seafood and unfortunately no snow... though I do hear that there is a sno-cone maker in my future, which makes everything seem a little better! We are taking a slight detour to get there though. J is going to deploy and take more training courses within the next year and I'll be staying behind in Mississippi holding down the fort and making sure that the bunnies behave themselves until J returns from his whirlwind adventure! I'm crazy proud of what J has accomplished in the last year and I'll be happy to move! I'm looking at painting a wall in my house to add just a little bit of variety to the living space since it is difficult to move around the furniture.

Grandpa with Grandma and their kids!

We went on a slight 'vacation' this weekend and visited family in St. Louis. This unexpected trip was planned Thursday night when we received word that J's Grandfather had died. He was a wonderful man, kind, funny and would tell you how it was. He gave J most of his personality, and taught him how to cook and woodwork. We'll miss him, but definitely remember him.


Today, I've also picked up the job search (again). For a town who's unemployment rate is up near 20%, its very depressing to be in the position of a college graduate who doesn't have their master's degree, but has a year or two of experience under her belt. I've been told quite a bit that I am overqualified for many positions and HR refuses to hire me for the fear that I may get a better offer and leave. It is a truly sad position to be in. None-the-less, I'm not giving up and am going to still job hunt/volunteer my heart out until J and I are just about ready to leave.

...bless my heart....

Sweater Day No. 2

Sweater Day No. 2!!!!

Today is the second day this year in which I have been able to wear a sweater... in the South. Which, when you think about it, its a big deal! Down here, the weather is hot... and sometimes hotter -- and when its not hot, its wet. Rarely does there come a decent day in which I've been able to wear one of my favorite creations!

To celebrate, (other than wearing a sweater) I made two types of ice cream, mango sorbet and chocolate fudge syrup! YUM! Does it make sense? Nope... outside of the fact that tomorrow it is miraculously supposed to make it over 80 degrees!

le sigh Too bad sweater weather doesn't stick around for long. I've got a couple more in the closet that are feeling unloved.

Today is also 3 days away from where J and I will be next! Cross your fingers!  No knowing where the Air Force will send us next!!! 

The Countdown Continues....

FOUR DAYS! Until we find out what J will be flying for the next couple years!

Eighteen until Graduation.

I find that one of the harder points (at least for me) about being a military spouse is the not knowing what the next couple weeks/months/years will bring. It makes it hard to coordinate life when, at any time, you can be uprooted from where you live right now, and transplanted anywhere in the world. It reeks havoc on Thanksgiving and Christmas coordination plans. Its also very exciting knowing that J and I will be moving someplace else in the near future!

But now a disapproving bun for monday morning. :)

And then you realize the carrot is made of fabric.

Welcome to Monday morning.

Rebel

I.... am a "public menace". That's right. You heard me -- I was called a public menace. This discovery is actually very new to me, as I didn't realize that I would be a public menace. I thought a menace was just someone who was dangerous or harmful... and a public menace would be someone who's thoughts or actions would be dangerous to, well, the public. So, I pulled out my good friend Webster and read:

Menace

–noun

1.

something that threatens to cause evil, harm, injury, etc.; a threat: Air pollution is a menace to health.

2.

a person whose actions, attitudes, or ideas are considered dangerous or harmful: When he gets behind the wheel of a car, he's a real menace.

3.

an extremely annoying person.

Huh.

So, what exactly did I do to be called a "public menace"? I was working out. Walking and working on my arms. I didn't hear the 7AM bugle call either -- so I didn't stop, and neither did the other drivers including the woman who blocked me with her car to yell at me out of her car window.

... I sure attract some characters....

Oh Atlanta!

Yes... that's right, Atlanta! I ditched my dear, sweet, and loving husband, and hitched a ride this weekend with my most favorite (and only) mother-in-law, Barb! J's brother is currently going to grad school at Georgia Tech and so we decided to visit and spend some time with some cousins and my brother-in-law for the weekend!

My Partners in Crime: Barb and G

I love spending time with these two! Barb is one of the most positive people in my life and she has the best outlook on life! The car ride from Columbus to Atlanta was amazing. We talked about anything and everything under the sun and caught up on quite a lot of things that were going on. She's extremely proud of all her kids.

 While we were at Georgia Tech, we stopped by their Gift/coffee/book/gear shop to look around and get some souvenirs. I found some awesome gloves and being the knit-wit that I am, I fell in love with them. I didn't buy them though because I couldn't see a practicality of wearing gloves with pom-poms on all of the fingers (outside of a football game). Plus, I'm not a big glove-loving girl. Maybe it was all those years of having to play clarinet in marching band, but gloves are not something I do. Sorry for the pic, it was 90+ degrees and we'd already walked a ton!

Me with the pom-pom gloves... not the most flattering of pictures...

So after a quick stop at the pride store, we made our way around campus and saw the stadium full of people and where G does most of his classwork. The last project he completed was of the city of Atlanta and why all the streets go different ways vs. being a grid-type map. After that we ate at the Varsity and saw the Olympic park and the Underground -- Man, I miss public transportation. I forgot how much knitting/schoolwork could be done on a daily commute!

Barb and I came home Sunday to find a very tired and worn-out J. He's been working hard, but should be done by the end of this week. Maybe we'll take a day-trip to Memphis or something to cheer him up later!

In other news, I was really happy that I was able to finish my good friend's baby blanket! This is the fifth one of this year that I've made and many, many stitches later, I'm done! I'm really happy that she let me make a green one because I was getting way tired of the traditional pink or blue blankets.

Blocked, washed, folded and ready to go!

A closeup of the stitching

I've got a shawl to complete before graduation and then a couple more things... maybe I'll stop procrastinating and get a move on the wedding dress!

More Than Halfway Through!

Today, I realized that it is more than halfway through September! Tomorrow will be the official month countdown towards J's graduation! Friday is officially the two week point when we find out the unveiling of where and when we are moving as well as what J's next airframe will be!

The hard part is the waiting. J turned in his "dream sheet" almost two weeks ago. This sheet listed (in order) what airplanes he would like to fly and where we would want to end up. Waiting for Assignment night is like waiting for Christmas, only worse -- I can't search the house to see what we got.

On the knitting side of things, I finally finished the darn middle to the fifth... count it 5th... baby blanket this year! Its amazing on how many of my girlfriends have gotten pregnant in the last year! I'm happy to make this one though... its for a friend that I've known since high school and she's having her second. The nice thing is that its green, so whether if it turns out to be a boy or girl, it doesn't matter! (Thank God too -- the last one I made was meant for a boy because they were sooooo sure... turned out to be a girl). After this one, I'm swearing off blankets until after J and my wedding... unless I finish one for myself.

Travel the world she said....

Welcome! This is my first blog -- so let me tell you a little bit about myself:

Hi My Name is Stephanie.

Me and J Geocaching

...I should really make that into a sticker. Anyway, I am a spunky and weird 25 year old with a larger-than-life imagination that sometimes gets the better of me. I knit. Like, REALLY knit. Socks, scarves (the bane of my existence), shawls, sweaters -- you name it, I've probably attempted it so far! Instead of kids, I've got three crazy rabbits -- I'm sure the kids will come later -- And instead of locking them into their cages all the time, I let them roam free (with supervision).



My Man, My hero.

My husband, who I've know for about 3 and a half years and have been married to for a little over a year, is training to be a pilot for the Air Force. So far, we've been doing this for 11 months, and can't wait to find out where we go next -- My choices currently will fall in the order of 1) Something he likes to fly and then 2) something that can go somewhere with snow.

Location, location, location...

We are currently located in Columbus, MS. If you are here right now, you've probably run into me... I'm the weird chick that knits in line at the grocery store, in the coffee shop or at the post office. I LOVE Columbus. It's only the place I've lived outside of college, but its a great town! The people around here really do love their sweet tea and fried food making this state the #1 Largest state of the United States. I miss slushies and snow though, so while Columbus isn't the most ideal place to live right now, I can understand why we're here.

Living Out LOUD!

 Since most of the family (on both sides) lives in St. Louis -- I obviously don't get to see them much, or share my day-to-day life with the people that I love (well, outside from J and the rabbits). At 25, I find that I'm still doing a little bit of growing up, and that there are some profound discoveries that I make every once in a while.

Knitting

Ah yes... knitting. :) The thread that holds me together as of late. After moving to Mississippi, I've pretty much given up working cold turkey (not willingly) -- and no, it hasn't been pretty. Throughout college and after (before MS) I was used to working somewhere between 40 to 80 hours a week!!! Granted, that left something between 32 to 72 hours to eat, hang out and socialize. But socialize I did! Weekly knit-nights were definitely something to look forward to after a long day of work and even more so while J was deployed.

I'm a thinker. I'm sure you've gathered right now that I've got a lot on my mind. If I'm not obsessing over that late-night scary movie, my wedding or the next place we'll live, I'm not sleeping. If I don't sleep, I get crazy and crabby and then I obsess more over things. Knitting takes the edge off of not working. The sound of the needles clicking, and the feel of softness running through my fingers makes me sane. If I'm not knitting, then I'm reading knitter's blogs, or messing around on Ravelry.com and planning the next project.

The good, the bad, and the Furry

Echo

Gigi

Toki

Like I said, I've got three house-Rabbits. This was not the original plan. It started off with Echo (Named after Emergency Food Supply) and Toki who I got about 2 years ago. Then this last Easter, I was driving along and found Gigi (aka Gozer the Destroyer) and saved her from a man who had bought her for his daughter for Easter, but his wife said No. Needless to say, I've got a soft spot for animals, but that doesn't leave much room for traveling as now J and I have to figure out who can bunny sit. It's a lot like having kids without the screaming.

Travel

One of the benefits of being married into the AirForce is the travel possibilities. This first year has kinda been the pits, because J and I aren't able to travel with him in pilot training. We do both really want to travel, we just haven't had the right opportunity with him being either deployed, moving or in class. I titled my blog "The Next Doorstop Knitter" to incorporate traveling, knitting and the AirForce into my life.


The End

So, if you've made it all the way down here, I'm surprised. Really. As you can see, I've got a lot going on in my head, and hope that I haven't bored you with my crazy thoughts. Hmm... Narcissistic much Steph?