The Land of the KnitaSaur

Okay, so on my very last row of the bamboo gloves–the VERY LAST ONE–guess what I run into?

Yep. A knot. In the last row. Had it been a few inches more into the skein, it wouldn’t have mattered. But, no, it was just barely there in time to mess it up a little. Anywho, Holey bamboo gloves are finished except for…weaving in ends :D

Dumber Than Snake Mitts are finished except for thumbs and…weaving in ends.

I finished a short sleeve for Eiffel a while back before realizing I made the large size, not medium. Der. So, started again with the proper amount of stitches.

And I’ve started a bag with more of that SWTC Bamboo. Love that stuff. Different colorway this time. It’s gonna be a stretchy produce bag for my mom ’cause we’re green like that.

So, today was meant to be my first day at the clothing store I just got hired at. Notice the meant to be part. Yep, ended up not being so because I woke up with a fever of 104. So, I called in sick MY MOM called me in sick on my first day. Grah. They seemed okay with it after the words “Emergency Room.” I hate hospitals. And I was looking forward to working! I mean, not when I’m feverish, but it seems like it’ll be a fun place and it sucks that I’m sick.
Ah well. Have another picture of Panda. I promise I don’t love her more than Ketchup–she’s just been sitting still more often in the past couple of days.

Oh, and what’s a post without showing off some KYS acquisitions?

First off: Go read the lumpy sweater post titled “Weird People Radar: I can haz it?”

Okay? Done? This was meant to be a comment on that post, but is way too long and epic for that. So, my weird people experience.

Like most of her stories, it begins with in a library. I’ve got myself huddled up in the corner that has the best wireless connection, with a laptop and textbook open in front of me, headphones on. Cue weird person.

Weird Person = Random little asian guy in the electrical program at my college that I’ve never seen before in my life. Well, I’ve probably seen him, but never registered him in my people-index. As far as I’m concerned, he began to exist in that moment. What moment?

The moment he settled in to the chair across the table from me, of course. And sat there staring for a good 5 minutes. Creepy, yes? Eventually, I notice his mouth moving, and politely take off the headphones. I get the kinda strange introduction: “Hi, my name is ___, but my friends call me ___.” Both names that I totally can’t pronounce. I smile politely and pointedly go back to my laptop screen. A few minutes pass. He then tells me that he is in the electrical program. I smile politely and go back to my laptop screen. He asks what I’m doing, I say “I’m writing an essay that is due about an hour”, give a slight grimace that could be taken as a polite smile and start fondling my headphones, which are still playing because I was hoping to get back to them quickly. He then comments on the fact that a friend of his in the electrical program says I’m quite nice. I’m getting a little annoyed because I’m not a people-person and really dislike not being the one to initiate conversations. Plus, I don’t know anyone in the electrical program. However, I’ve also got this innate need to at least be sorta polite, so I again point out that I have an essay due in an hour and really don’t have time to chat. He sits staring for a few minutes, mentions that I’m pretty, then his half-hour lunch ends and he goes to class.

Later: He shows up and sorta barges his way into the little knot of people I’m hanging out with in the hallway. Asks if I want to go get lunch with him. I politely decline, saying that my boyfriend and I have plans, actually. He sorta wanders away. This sort of thing continues on for about a week–him showing up and asking if I want to do something, me responding with an excuse usually centered around the fact that I have a boyfriend. Eventually, I figure, he must understand by now that I’m totally not interested in him and since he can’t be that much of an idiot and I forgot my lunch, I went with him to subway. Awkward lack of talking, ’cause he doesn’t talk and I eventually head off to workout with a friend.

I get a phone call at home from him asking if I want to go walk his dog with him. I glance outside, notice it’s pouring and say quite unkindly that I wouldn’t go walk my boyfriend’s dog in this weather, let alone some random guy who’s following me around. Then, I clue in and ask how he got my number. Turns out his big brother was my tailor.

Creepy? Very. I haven’t had an article of clothing tailored since. I also spent most of the next month or so refusing to go out in public without being thoroughly latched onto my over-6-foot-tall boyfriend.

Other weird people? The random 14 year old kid in CHOP who is infatuated with me and calls me the Sound Ninja. Crazy cat lady who would only come through my till when I worked at Overwaitea. Countless people on buses who like to give me their life stories. I think weird people take glazed-over looks as encouragement.

This is me in wordpress! Yay! So, why’d I switch? Look up. Way up in the top of the screen. Those little tabs. The pages. I decided I wanted pages more than I wanted Rav progress bars. I also like the category/tag thing, but I’m selfish and wish it wasn’t WP global, just in my blog. Sigh. Ah well. Have another kitties nose.

I like my kitties.

I also like bright colors and fingerless gloves.

That’s the beginning of a pair of lacey bamboo gloves for a swap, that are actually really bright electric blue, not navy at all. And I’m almost done the second Dumber Than Snake Mitt. Both on US5 needles, the blue is DK, the green worsted. Mmm.

Oh, and here’s what you’ve all been waiting for, I’m sure!

Sooo cute! I love him so much! So does everyone in my family, but my little sister won him by giving in to the other little sister when trying to decide what day to go to the carnival. But, there will be more to come. Lots more.

Possibly one this color:

Yep, that’s another KYS arrival, wool from Vandy :)

I know I’ve got a ton pics.

First off: I received my prize from Spinningdoggies! Along with the bag, she threw in some handspun that reminds me of creamsicles and stitch markers! So great! I love it all :)

Secondly: Quick pic of hedgehog
Sooo cute! Very quick knit on US 10.5 and 11. I loves him. He’s going to have many a brother and sister I believe. My little sisters are most impressed, and smallest kiddo is already asking if I think she might be able to make one someday (she’s currently working on a garter-stitch blanket for her bear) I had most of the back done, but kinda messed up the short rows and had to rip it out. But, I should catch up to where I was pretty quickly :)

Thirdly: The most recent stitch markers

Fourth: Most recent stash acquisitions, courtesy of Karma Yarn Swap on Rav. Sorry about the yellow tint on the last one, but it was the only one that showed the yarn color properly for some reason

And that should be it for the things with pics, so I’m gonna send you off to g-sters amazing post. It’s this amazingly written thing about how introverts aren’t necessarily shy and is totally great. And I’m not just saying that ’cause she’s my blog buddy. Seriously, she’s pretty much described me to a T there :p I was planning on writing a response, but really, there isn’t much left to say besides the fact that I agree.

Just to prove there is some astounding amount of generosity out there, take a look at this:

That is the entire Huggable Hedgehog KIT! In the RAK group on Rav, I posted that I was looking for the pattern, as I can’t buy it for myself ’cause I don’t have a credit card or paypal account. DebiRN then bought the entire kit and had it sent to me! When I started knitting this summer, blogs all over were filled with these adorable little guys and I was stoked for when I’d be able to make my own. So, I was hoping someone who had already done it and was finished with the pattern would send it to me and I would find stashed yarn to work–but thanks to her I can make one just like the pattern shows! And I bet he’ll end up with some garishly bright brothers and sisters, too, later :D But, yah, I’m pretty stoked! HUGE thanks going out to Debbie!

Speaking of garishly bright: here is number 1 in the garishly bright Dumber Than Snake Mittens.

And to offset that, here is a really cute kitty nose.

Along with the amazing package from Debbie, there were a couple more yesterday (and I’m beginning to think the mail-person (sometimes male, sometimes female. but this applies to both) hates me :p They showed up 3 separate times :D
I got some KnitPicks Shadow, that is more blue than purple from Nandodge

and a mystery purple and 3! skeins of sportweight alpaca from nordly

(Immediately swatched to see if it’ll work for Bronte’s Mitts–the May KAL for FGF–which it will! Yay!)

Along with a pattern book from cccavicch and some coilless safety pins and a couple of charms from pocketmouse1189!

There is the normal macro setting. Which I had totally forgotten about. I like that setting.



Anywho, my internet is crap right now, so that’s all you’re getting.

Why not? I’ve been blogging for a few months now, why not do a “get to know me” post :p That and the knitting front has been pretty boring, and there are no new shinies to show off.

Starting with that mini-profile thing blogger puts in my top corner:

I’m a university student who likes to play with string, tape, and shiny things. I may have a jumping-out-of-planes habit and an addiction to my camera. I also play “designer” sometimes.

Fairly self explanatory. Except:
I’m not currently a university student. I did my first year and a half at the local college, but found it wasn’t working with me. I’m not a stupid person, I’m actually really smart (modest, too.) I just didn’t see the point in anything I was learning, and I’m really lazy :D So, after the first semester of the year, I dropped out. Unfortunately, that has put the funding I get for being Nisga’a in a bit of danger. So, I’m gonna have to pay for my future education on my own like a normal person. Speaking of that–the future planned for me is a design school. For a while back there, my blog was taken over by sewing. That’s my portfolio, and I’m pretty stoked on it. Turned out pretty nice, especially for a non-sewer (if I do say so myself. Like I said, modesty :D)

So, the strings, tape and shiny things. String is yarn, obviously. On that front, Diamond Yarn Galway, a worsted 100% wool is definitely one of my favorite go-to yarns for anything worsted. Other than that, I like exotic fibers, just to paw at. I like super-bright colors, jewel-tones and metallics. Quite the spread :p I’m not super-picky. Tape–I went through a duct tape phase. My current purse is duct tape, a tutorial for making your own is found in the sidebar. I also have a smaller silver one, with a black beaded flower on it. Super-fancy. Love it. Oh, and my BF and I both have duct tape wallets–mine with my logo, his with tux the linux penguin. He’s a geek. And shiny things? Beads. Shiny tape. Shiny yarn. I really like shiny yarn. I’m part of the Karma Yarn Swap Group on Rav and the shiny yarns are the hardest to walk away from. Ohh, and I love shiny shoes. I’m like a magpie.

Jumping out of planes habit? Well, that only happened once. And that almost didn’t–the only time we had available was my last day in Hawai’i, but this summer there was a hurricane passing to the south of the island we were on. So, the winds were pretty high, about 29mph. They don’t go up at 30mph. But upon finding out that I was leaving that day and they wouldn’t get my money if they didn’t go, they decided to risk it :p You’ll have to trust that this is me :D

And the last thing is an addiction to my camera. Yep, love the little thing. It’s a Canon A460 and has a frikkin awesome macro setting. However, I’m not so great with it. I mean, it can take some great shots, I know that from it’s flickr page. But, my hands are stupidly shaky, and it’s impossible to get natural light here. (we are the rainiest city in Canada. Which, equals cloudy.) So, my photos always end up with a weird white balance, dark, or fuzzy. I like this one, though.

Oh, and lastly, I play designer. I’ve got a couple of free patterns on the sidebar, but they are all pretty simplistic, hence the “play.” I’ve also got the Quest Giver Hat coming eventually, I promise! And I may publish the pattern for the wallet, but that would also be a sewing pattern.

So, that’s the rundown on the mini-profile, here’s a few other random things:
I’m 19. I’m dating Greg, and have been for about 3 years. We went to high school together, but only started dating after I switched out of the school we were in. I was a traitor and went off to the other high school where I could be part of the musicals. Which I was–between them and the city band, I’ve been in the pit orchestra for Sweet Charity, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Pink Panther and a bunch more. Oh, I play flute, piccolo, sax (mostly tenor, but bari in the community band and alto when I have to), clarinet and oboe. Tried to learn guitar, but after 6 years of normal music, I can’t read more than one note at a time :(

Hmm. What else. I can drive, finally, but only with one passenger due to stupid BC rules. I work at the LYS and have a possible part time job at a clothing store around that. Hopefully ’cause they have a 50% staff discount :D

Okay, so it’s not actually my blog doing it. It’s the FGF. But here’s the deal:
1. You need to be on Rav.
2. You need to be a member of the Fingerless Gloves Fanatics Group.

You are? Good. Moving on to how the contest works:
1. PM me on Ravelry (that was a direct link to messaging me. My username over there is Knitasaur, just in case.) Title the message something like “Photo Contest Submission” so I can find it easily later. In that PM, send me a link to the flickr page of a photo you have taken of a pair of fingerless gloves. If it is one of your projects, let me know which one. You can submit up to two photos, of the same project or of two different ones.
2. All the submissions will get put into a spread in the newsletter.
3. After the newsletter is published, I’ll open a voting thread in the group. Whoever gets the most votes wins a prize from one of our fabulous sponsors! Contest thread will be open there for a week. I’ll be sure to let you guys know when it is open for voting :D

I’m doing more beading than knitting these days :p

I’m kinda annoyed. I love the little dice. Well, it was dice, there were two. But one wasn’t drilled properly! And there were only two to begin with! I woulda love dice knitting markers.

But, yeah, I’ve done a few more sets

And here they are, all cuddled up to be brought off to the store!

And you know what? In the first day, selling at 10 bucks a set, 8 out of the 11 I had there were sold!
I made 5 more sets, but packaged them up before getting pics. Silly me.

The butterflies are gonna be 12.50 each, ’cause those beads are expensive!

Knitting with these gives me a bit of a thrill. I mean, lime green on red-orange needles? Totally awesome. What else is totally awesome? The pattern. I’m testing it, it’s from maerchen on Rav.

Jorah shared this Dilbert comic with the FGF, and she decided to actually make some Dumber Than Snake Mitts. Freakin cool.

I just can’t do good photography of these.

Tidied up the logo (actually took a photo of Georgia On My Mind and stole an 8th note from that, then clonestamped the second part of the M in :D) Again, gonna be on nicer paper, but it’s the right size and looks good methinks.

Oh, so I decided the second wallet design would work better in a yarn with longer color repeats. Enter Noro…

I’m wondering if they might be too long, though. Oh well, it’s Noro \*drools\* <–You know you’re a Ravict when you backslash before asterisks to avoid italicizing.

ETA: I just realized I haven’t shown you guys wallet version 2.
It’s currently being worked in the same Hobby Lobby stuff, but a different stitch pattern.
More holey.

Oh, and another new thingy:
Reversible cable scarf, to get rid of that yucky blue bernat satin that I have leftover from my BF’s portal scarf