Milo Vest in Pictures

I've been sick (still am) so you get a half-assed post today. I did not finish those socks I was talking about last week. In fact, I haven't finished much of anything in the last couple of days except reading some Once Upon a Time fanfiction. (Yeah, I had that kind of brain dead, lazy day yesterday.) 

Here's a vest I made months ago for my favorite little man, Reed. I bet he's huge now, since I haven't seen him in the two months since we've moved.

Pattern: Milo with owl cable option.

Sweater for Miss Anona Jane

When I made this sweater, the baby it was intended for was still two months away from being born.

Now, she has arrived! Actually, she's about two weeks old, but I'm just getting around to posting about this sweater.

I'm totally in love with this pattern- the Carle Cardigan. Quick, easy. A-freaking-dorable.

This one wasn't one of my favorites when I originally made it, but her parents loved it, and the more I look at these pictures, the more it's growing on me. 

I think the buttons make it. 

In other news, my grad school applications are done. And sent in. And now all that's left to do is wait. 

Also, write. I really need to do more of that. But I might be doing some copy writing soon for my mostly brother-in-law. In the mean time, I need to start doing some more research on WWI. I'm planning on finishing the first draft of Alekhine's Gun for the April Camp NaNoWriMo. 

Next week, you can expect more socks. Or possibly a baby sweater. 

I'll decide later. 

PS- This baby girl has one of the best names I've heard in a long, long time. Anona Jane. I love it. Well done, parents.

Sockmania

My days are full of socks.

These Hummingbird socks from The Knitter's Book of Socks.

These are for me. Finally! I get a pair of socks. I am already mentally planning another pair for Ben, because he's felting his faster than I can make them. I need another set or two of the bamboo DPNs. I have a metal pair, as you can see in the next picture, and I can't stand them.

However, these socks need to be done, and those Hummingbird ones are slow going.

This next pair is for my mom for her birthday, and it's just a basic sock pattern, courtesy of Silver's Sock Class.

As I'm in a little bit of a sock rut, I've been pondering my next project. I just found it on Ravelry.
Cabled Owl Neck Warmer. 
I just got so excited.
It's OWLS. I love owls.

And the best part??

It's CROCHET, y'all.

Do we know how many adorable owl cable knitting patterns are out there? Gazillions. And the adorable owl cable crochet patterns? Not gazillions.
While I'm getting better and better at the knitting, I still really enjoy the instant gratification that is crochet. It goes so much faster, and occasionally, I need to feel like I'm finishing things.

Speaking of finishing things, here I go finishing my grad school applications.

Just Keep Swimming

As you may have already heard, if you live on the east coast, particularly the Mid-Atlantic to New England area...

NEMO FOUND US.

And he's coming to get us.

If you've been watching the news at all, you know we're in for a 'historic' blizzard that will possibly dump 1 to 2 feet on us.

For the record, this is NOT historic. This is the fucking Northeast, guys.
I distinctly remember a Christmas Day when I was a teenager where we got THREE feet. In one day. That's a historic blizzard, since I'm still talking about it today.

While I would pay to see the panic on the faces of the Long Islanders (and I can say this without offense, because I'm from there) we will survive this. I promise.

I'm all set. I've got a new scarf:

First Growth Scarf. Project 2 of 13 in 2013.
The yarn is Tintagel Farms Merino/Kid Mohair blend. Color: Driftwood
Pattern is Mae Geri Scarf, a lovely easy lace pattern that was perfect for my first go at knitting a lacy pattern.

I'm very pleased with how this came out.

In addition to a new scarf to wear in the snow, I have a pair of socks on the needles (no picture yet, sorry) and a massive to-do list all ready for me to work on while if I'm snowbound.

To Do:
-personal statement for grad school applications
-preliminary bibliography (this one annoys me. I'm potentially paying to go to your school, and you want me to design my own curriculum, too? Why, exactly, do you deserve my money?)
-pitch for the Book Doctors NaNoWriMo Pitchapalooza
-Smell of Rain character sketches
-blog post

Be brave, Northeasters, in the face of this latest blow.
Remember the wise words of the little blue fish:
Just keep swimming.

My Turn: Color Affection Affliction

So awhile ago the Yarn Harlot posted a warning on her blog about the Color Affection shawl. Pattern can be found here.

Clearly, I didn't heed the warning.

In fact, the Knit Picks catalog with all those lovely neutrals on the cover came a few months ago and I had a fit of excitement at all the Color Affection combinations I could make with  two neutrals and a bright splash of color.

This one is for my mom. I'm still trying to pick the right colors for me. Stay tuned.

Score: Color Affection/Affliction - 1     Me-0

Fortune Cookie Speaks The Truth

Recurring weather conversation:

Me: It's STUPID cold, here. There is no reason for it to be 'highs of single digit temperatures.'

Ben: It's cold in Philly, too.

Me: I know that. I wasn't thinking that I wanted to be in Philly... I was thinking that I wanted to be in Hawaii.

For the record, it IS stupid cold here. It was -5  or more last night, and there's a high of about 7 degrees today. The wind is whipping, but at least it's sunny. That might make it feel like 9 degrees. Hooray.

This means that it's a great day to stay inside and work on cozy projects like that lace scarf that I started:

It's also a great day to finish the book I've been reading. I'm currently loving Markus Zusak's I Am the Messenger or, by its original Australian title, The Messenger.  Don't read the whole wikipedia plot summary- you'll ruin it for yourself.

What I love about Markus Zusak are his little one-line phrases that are absolutely gorgeous. One that comes immediately to mind is the final line of The Book Thief: "I am haunted by humans."

I should be writing, or at least applying to grad school programs, but I think for today, I'm going to take a day to relax and work on some quiet things. But before I do, I have to share the greatest fortune I've ever gotten out of a cookie:

Thanks for clearing that up for me, fortune cookie.

Whooo Are You?

Who, Who.

An ever-popular pattern with the people in my life: Owl Mitts. They're adorable, they're easy, they're warm. Win- win for everyone, really.

In fact, I have two more pairs that I need to make. As my mother pointed out when I posted this picture on facebook, she doesn't have a red pair. She has one in every other color.


In other news, I had a lousy job interview today. Why would you wait until the end of the interview to tell the candidate that the position has been filled, but that they should keep checking back to see if something else opens up?

Honestly, I'd have liked to have known beforehand. Especially since there were THREE WEEKS between when they scheduled the interview, and when I actually had to call them. You'd think they might have called and said "Hey, this position is gone, but would you like to do the interview anyway so that you're in our system and next time you apply you can skip this part?"

Sure, fine. Do.

But to wait until the very end? So frustrating, guys.

Finally, I'm looking at low-residency MFAs. My three to look at right now are, in order, Bennington College, Vermont College, and University of Southern Maine. As I'm sitting here staring at my pad of paper with my notes, I'm thinking about applying to Goddard too. It's only an extra $20- that's a stupid cheap application fee. Most undergrad app fees are more than that. The rest of them are in the $75 range, which makes me cringe a little.

And no one needs GRE scores. Which sucks because I paid all that money to take it, but is also good because I was again, perfectly average. Well...above average on the verbal, but every else was middle of the road.

First, I'm going to send an email to a professor that I really liked at Bing, who also went to Bennington, and now teaches creative writing, and see if she has any words of wisdom offer. Also, to see if she'll write me a letter of recommendation.

Then, writing and crossfit. I still have to be dragged to Cross Fit occasionally, but I'm liking it once I'm there. I back squatted 55 pounds the other day. That's like, half my body weight. On my way to becoming an ant-like ninja that can lift twice my weight!

Win.