Trip Pictorial

So we returned this past Sunday afternoon but it has taken me way until now to actually get situated and sit down to write. This post will be filled with pics so please be patient in terms of allowing for the photos to load.



Kinoosao was a great place to vacation. By the end of the week, we seriously did not want to leave! As you can tell by the picture above, it is a wilderness with only one road to access it:



When we drove to Kinoosao, Saskatchewan, we took the quickest route possible. However, states like North Dakota aren't the most exciting places in terms of landscape and photo oppotunities. So we decided to take a longer route back to Michigan and drove on the Trans Canada Highway from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay to Sault Saint Marie and then entered the US from the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. The following is a map of Michigan so you guys know where we entered:



While in Kinoosao we did alot of things like camp under the stars and watch some Aurora Borealis:

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* Top pic is Internet Photo

We also built a fire by the lake, cooked some hot dogs, and Nathan even caught a fish:



I was very proud of him to say the least. We decided to cook the fish with some salt, pepper, and butter over the fire we had built for the day. It was a Freshwater Pike Fish. Very tasty!



The time spent with Nathan's family was grand. Here is a pic of them:



From left to right Allison and Jerry (married), Enoch (Nathan's Bro), Me, Aunt Deanna (Nathan's aunt, Jerry's mother).

We also got some great shots during the trip. For example, while driving up to Kinoosao, we saw a beautiful sunset:



However, 9 days later the weather looked more like this:





Still, we were able to visit some falls like Pisew and Kakabeka in Manitoba and Ontario:





And I even got to buy some yarn at this fabulous store called Egli's Sheep Farm & Animal Park on the side of the highway:



They have a website and they also sell other wool products like rugs, handknit sweaters, even cosmetics.

The trip was long:



With many signs warning us of the length of space between rest areas (don't worry, it's in kilometers, not miles).



So I was able to get some knitting done:





Another pair of Pomatomus, this time for me. I finished the pair for my friend but it turns out that the heel is shorter on one than the other! No worries. I'm not ripping it out!

All and all, a good vacation:

In Kinoosao

I am absolutely in love with Kinoosao Saskatchewan, Canada. Even my hair feels fabulous (the water here is so clean you can drink from the tap with no problem and there is not so much crap in it to make your hair feel like straw after a shower). Located right on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Kinoosao was a all-white community that thrived off of a booming fishing industry. However by the 1970's, the area had been over fished and in 1997 it was converted into an Indian Reservation.

The community consists of 1 large extended family. Two brothers and their sister moved there some time back in the 1960's and had their own families. In other words, everyone in this town, (except for Nathan's aunt who teaches there), is related in some way. Though there is a small convenience store in the town with 1 gas pump, it is awfully expensive and the nearest supermarket is a 3 hour drive from home. Nonetheless, the people here are happy, hunt duck, caribou, and other wildlife when buying meat is not an option, and live simple lives. They do have modern things like cars, televisions, and trampelines. But because the town is so small and everyone is related in some way, more often than not, people interact with people more than they do video games or YouTube.

Contrary to what many of you may think, I have not been knitting. Truthfully it is not boring up here. In fact, we've been walking around the town, digging through old dumps for old bottles (Nathan and his aunt love rummaging in trash for "treasure"), taking pictures of the breath-taking views, and just chatting and eating with each other. I did knit some Fetchings as a gift for Nathan's aunt on the trip up here but have not done much knitting at all.

Anyway, that is all for now. Surprisingly it is not that cold up here. I'll have more pics about the trip and maybe some knitting if I get to it when I return to the USA.

What To Do Next

So remember a couple weeks back I told you guys I was going to Saskatchewan? Well Nathan, Enoch (BF's Bro) and I are leaving tomorrow night after work. The drive will be about 30 hours long and we should be in the middle of nowhere by Sunday afternoon.

So the big question is: Am I bringing enough knitting projects to keep me busy during this whole trip? I was thinking of knitting 2 pairs of plain jane stockinette socks for the ride back and forth and while I am there, start my twin nephew's Christmas sweaters (yeah I want to start early this year). However, my boyfriend says that I will not have much time to knit because we will be doing things like fishing and hiking and other outdoor stuff. Still, the small New York City girl inside of me says, "We are going to the woods. The nearest market is a 3 hour drive! You must be crazy if you think you do not need a truck load of yarn, needles, and patterns to survive this next week!" So do you think I should bring more or is what I have now good enough?

Thursday Teaser

Remember yesterday? Let's find out what those pictures were about. As you guys all knew my boyfriend was away in Florida for the past 6 weeks on business. Being a fanatical knitter, I searched for some yarn stores near Orlando before he even left Michigan. I asked him to stop by and buy some sock yarn for this project. However he came back with these colors:



Obviously the wrong colors for Clessidra. Nonetheless it was a pleasant surprise because he made it seem like he did not have the time to go while he was down there (BTW, for you Florida knitters or knitters planning on visiting there soon, the store that Nathan visited is called The Black Sheep in Winter Park, Florida). Boy was I surprised when I saw the two skeins! He's a trickster, that boy. Despite that, he is a good man because he knows what his girlfriend likes--YARN!!!





Not only was my BF busy buying me sock yarn, he was also busy knitting me this bikini top. I asked him for this a year ago, and the pattern I asked him to make came from the first Stitch & Bitch book. However my boyfriend is a maverick knitter who seldom uses patterns. He came up with his own design. Here are some more shots:





Unfortunately the top makes my boobs look funny. Either way the fact that he could have been out in the Florida sun instead of inside knitting for me is a very nice thought.

That's it for today. I have alot of stuff to do before we leave for Canada (like pack). It's a roadtrip so we got to go buy snacks and other provisions today. I'll try to write a short post tomorrow before I leave for 10 days. If not, you'll know where I'll be (or at least have an idea, right?).

It Is Finished!

I think the title for today's post is rather appropiate because like Jesus Christ's mission on earth 2000 years ago, I have complted my mission, which was college (the title refers to the last words that Jesus Christ said on the cross right before He died). On Sunday, May 6, 2007, I marched my way to freedom, I mean, a Bachelors of Arts in History and Spanish Studies. Surprisingly, although it was somewhat windy, it was still a sunny day. My family was there:



From left to right is my mother, father, and grandmother, came all the way from New York CIty to see me graduate. Yes, I had a small entourage. Trust me when I say, though, that if this graduation was closer to NYC, there might have been 20 or more people there. That's why I love my family, because it is so BIG.

I got lots of presents too:



In the middle is a frame for my my degree. I'll still be in the area when the school is ready to give them out so I'm just waiting for them to get their act together. I remember a conversation on the phone with my mom a month ago about how I could no afford a frame for my diploma (they were like $100 each!). She surprised me with it last week. The iPod in the right corner is to replace the one that got stolen last July (long story, I won't get into it here). I also got a souveneir Graduation pillow in the left corner, and some Teavana tea because my mom loves tea and wants me to feel as strongly about it as she does.

I even took some pictures with some very important professors of mine:





The first pic is of my spanish teacher, Dr. Pedro Navia. El es Chileno y su esposa es brasilera. (That means, "He is Chilean and his wife is Brazilian). I like him because he's laid back and funny. For example, whenever we speak Spanish (which is all the time) I can use "Tu" (informal "you") instead of "Usted" (formal "you") and he, his wife, and his children (he has a son and a daughter) are completely multilingual (Spanish, English, Poutuguese). I aspire to have a family that is as proficient in modern languages as his one day.

The second picture is of one of my favorite teachers in the world. His name is Dr. Lael Ceasar and he is Guyaneese. Outside of our common heritage, what I love about him the most is that he is also multilingual, incredibly intelligent, and fun to be around. In the past 5 years I have been fortunate to take some classes from this man. I think he is cool because he reminds me of Master Splinter, or some other type of Martial Arts trainer that is unbeatable by even the best students in the world. And even though he is a Religion professor (not my department), I still visit him from time to time just to chat about life and my future plans.

As you can see this past weekend has tired us out:



Thursday Teaser

Tomorrow we shall return to regular knitting content. For now I leave you with these two pictures to look at:

Almost There

I don't have much time right now. I just wanted to give you guys a quick update. I'm very excited because in less than a week I graduate from university. I just finished one take home exam and now I have to continue the second one that is due tomorrow. I'm trying to see if I can finish it today because if I turn it in today at 5 pm, I get 10 extra bonus points towards my test. We'll have to see if I can actually do that. The great thing though is that after that test, I'm ABSOLUTELY DONE with school, and all I have to do is clean my apartment, cook a shitload of food for my family, get my hair done for the grad (I have to look professional now), and run some other errands. This week is really going to fly by.

Knitting

Between studying, I have been procrastinating, I mean knitting on my Pomatomus socks. Sorry there are no pics but I turned the heel on it this past Saturday. I don't think I'll have it done for my friend on time for this week, but I'm sure she's not leaving right after graduation. (Side note: Remember last time I told you guys I was hanging out with my Argentina crew? Well that has been postponded to this Tuesday or Wednesday)

That's all for now. Next week I'll have pics of the grad for you all!

Just for Kicks

As of late it appears that I have only been posting once a week. That is because I have less than 2 weeks before I walk down that aisle to a college diploma and freedom from papers, exams, quizzes, and other projects. Today I have my first final, an oral exam in my Senior Seminar class for history. After that torture session ends, my next final is on Wednesday, History of Photography. This class was really a filler class, something I needed so that I would not loose my student loans (I only needed 9 credits, but you need at least 12 credits to keep your loans). I also got to read a whole book and write a two page paper by Wednesday. After all that, the rest of my time will be dedicated to two take home exams, both essay, both requiring at least 16 typed pages. So as for these next couple weeks, I will be looking like this all day:




Knitting

This is a blog about knitting though. Between studying for exams (i.e. falling asleep in my books, procrastinating a bit with Food Network, Vh1, and Style Network) I have managed to finish one sock of Pomotomus and even start it's sibling.





The friend I'm making this for I saw this past Friday night at a Vespers program at my school. I told her the progress on the sock and she was very excited. That may mean that I placed some pressure on myself to have it done by this weekend, when me, her, and a couple of our other friends that we went to Argentina with meet for the last time to hang out before we all graduate and move on. It should be a bitter sweet evening, filled with junk food, movies, jokes, hopes, and maybe even tears. I'm looking foward to that.

Primavera

Thanks for the response to Primavera. I would love to know if any of you guys are planning on knitting this thing. Again it is my first pattern so it won't be perfect. Nonetheless, if you come up to a mistake or problem or something, let me know. This pattern won't be my last. It was a lot of fun doing it.

And with that, I leave you all. Have a good day! Happy Knitting!

I Did It!

Last Friday I went to Purdue University Calumet to present my research. Don't I look professional? It was fun! I got to miss work for a day and even hung out with one of my favorite professors. He told me on the way back to Michigan that he and the other teachers believe that I have what it takes to go to graduate school and do a Masters, even a PhD! But we'll have to see about that. I have to admit though, doing research and teaching college students history does sound appealing.

The Debut

I present to you all Primavera:






(Click on images for larger, more detailed pictures)

This is the first pattern I've ever written, let alone published. Needless to say that I am very proud of it. Thanks Valerie for your suggestion in last post's comments. Your words inspired me to name this pattern Primavera. For those of you who do not know, "Primavera" is Spanish for "Spring." The reason why I called this pattern Primavera is because the yarn is green, which made me think of spring time for the whole time I knitted it. Plus, the lace pattern is called Foliage Lace from the Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 2 and Spring is all about growth and vegetation. Lastly, the material of the yarn is cotton, which is perfect for warmer weather garments.

Now, seeing that this is my first published pattern, there may be mistakes. That's why this pattern is free (I'd be a complete narcissitic ass if I, a novice, charged you guys for this). Here's a link to the pattern and you can also access a free copy on my sidebar. Have fun with it!

Back From Hiatus

And it's still not over yet! Apparently when you're a senior in college, they like to pile one tons of projects, homework assignments, and papers on you. And professors always make sure to tell you, "We know it's overwhelming, but remember to keep up with your assignments." Man, I've been so busy this past week trying to get my school work in check. I had to actually take a day off of work to keep up! I was kind of sad because I thought about how meager my check will look next week loosing 1 whole day of work. After careful consideration, however, it did not bother me because 20 years from now, I'm not going to wake up in the middle of the night, sweating from a nightmare about this past week and say, "Man, I should have worked that Monday I took off when I was 22 years old and trying to get out of college. Then I'd be $60 richer today." Yeah right.

New Knitting Magazine

I was reading Gaby's blog last week and I found out that there is a new website that showcases patterns written by bloggers who speak Spanish. It is called Tejemanejes (I think translated its "HandKnits" or "HandKnitting"). The patterns are all written in Spanish and it seems to have some pretty cool stuff, like these socks and this hat.

So for those of you who speak spanish or just would like to stretch your foreign language comprehension skills, this magazine seems promising.

Knitting

So because I've been swamped with homework, there has not been much knitting. However, there has been some pattern writting. Last night I just finished writing up the pattern for the Spring Green Vest. So now I have to go back in there and edit it (make sure it makes sense) do a photoshoot (i.e. get my boyfriend's brother to take pictures of me in it) and then figure out how to publish it on this blog. I'm not making any promises on a release date (given my schedule) but I shall say that it will be soon.

Though I have named this thing the "Spring Green Vest" I thought maybe I could get some input from you guys on a better name for this pattern. I realize that what's in vogue in online knitting patterns are one-word names like "Clapotis" or "Jaywalker". Anyway, you guys have seeen the whole process of my first pattern writing experience, so you already know that the garment is green, made from cotton, and has a lace pattern. Any ideas for names would be greatly considered by me.

Just so that things are not boring, here is an interesting picture I found last week on Google:



Happy Knitting!

Weekend Wrap Up

So I finally finished the Spring Green Vest. I just have some ends to weave in and I'm done with the knitting of it. As for the pattern writing, that will come later, but I won't reveal anything till I have the pattern written up for you guys (and of course a photoshoot with my boyfriend's brother). I haven't even touched the Pomatomus Sock because I was so focused on the vest. Which is why I woke up very early this morning to get some homework done (my mom should of named me "Procrastination" instead of Kelly).

Yarn Diet Issues

This past Saturday, I wanted so bad to go to my LYS and buy some yarn. I didn't have a project in mind, I already have tons of stash, I just wanted to go to a nice quiet place, look and touch some new yarn, and buy something nice. However, I knew my boyfriend would be disappointed in me, plus I'd be more disappointed in me, and that's really bad when you're disappointed in yourself for failing, worse than if someone else were, in my opinion. I overcame my urge, though, and did not go. Truthfully, though, I think I was able to overcome because I had lost my debit card last week and all I had was my credit card but I was not going to buy yarn I did not need on credit. I did need groceries, though, so I bought food (which I do need) on credit yesterday. The life of a poor person is about deny and compromise!

Repairs and Storage

Though the weather man is saying that by Thursday it's going to be below zero again (see now why I want to leave this place?), yesterday I did my laundry and washed my handknits (and some store bought knits that are made out of natural fibers) for storage for the summer. I used Eucalan Woolwash, which has lavender in it. I heard that lavender keeps moths away during the summer months in storage. Is this true? If so, in addition to the lavender wash, I'm thinking of buying some lavender flowers to throw into my storage unit when it's time to put them away (living in Michigan, that could be the end of June).

I also darned some socks. I don't think I did a good job, which made me think, it's so f-ing expensive to buy sock yarn for socks that will end up with holes on the bottom. Maybe my mindset is wrong, but I like my clothes to last longer than a season or two of wear. I find that good sturdy sock yarn is not cheap nor expensive, but in the middle range ($12-$15 for 100 gram ball). Superwash is a must because I find that the normal wool felt around the toe and heel (my feet sweat, I'm sure yours do to in wool socks at times). Seeing that I now know the life expectancy of a sock is two seasons, I think in August when I go to this festival, I'll have to pick up a couple hanks of sock yarn.

That's all for now. I'm actually procrastinating by writing this post. Maybe you're procrastinating at your job reading this. I only said that so I wouldn't feel like the only person that procrastinated in this world.

The Pictures Say It All

I finally got a camera. No I did not buy one! My boyfriend's brother was kind enough to let me borrow his. I won't be molesting him everyday for his camera but because I have access to it, there will be more pictures than I thought on this blog while my boyfriend is away with his camera.

Knitting

Now for what you came for--Knitting!!!



Some finished Monkies! The yarn is Great Adirondack Yarn Company Soxie in some colorway I don't know the name of. The yarn is tough when you knit it, but after it is blocked, it's light as a feather on your feet, and soft too. I hope it's a sturdy sock yarn. Sadly/Gleefully, it's getting warm in Michigan so I may have to leave these socks for next winter. Who am I fooling, I'm keeping my winter knits out till June!

Just a long sidebar for you: I swear to you this is a true story. My freshman year of college, it was April and the sun finally came out to play. It was a nice 75 degrees Farenheit (is that how you spell it?). People were outside making out, doing homework, having picnics, and just having a grand ol' time with that wonderful ball of fire in the sky (have you realized yet that I LOVE warm weather?) Two days later, I lie to you not, a blizzard had come and dumped over 2 feet of snow on us!!! That's one of the reason's why I can't wait to leave Michigan and someday finally meet you, Del.

Sorry about that tangent. I just had to represent for my people who love sunshine and green grass. Moving right along to the Pomatamus sock.







Many of you have shown interest in this socks colorway. This is some Knitpicks Sock Garden in the Pansy colorway (I believe they've discontinued it). I have to say that though this sock yarn is not as luxurious as say, this sock yarn, it's pretty damn sturdy! One of my first pairs of socks is actually knit with them and I remember making those the winter before (December 2005), but I've been to Argentina and Brazil with them (their winter is our summer and I was there last May and June 2006), came back to the US and wore them most of our winter too. So that's 3 sets of winter all in a row and the socks finally gave up and started getting holes in the heel. I don't know how to darn socks, and I've tried looking for editorials on the Internet. Nothing. I would love to save the socks. Do anyone of you guys know how to darn socks? If so, send me the info.

So now for the final event. I present to you the finished front and halfway done back of my Green Spring Vest:



Sorry about the blurriness. I always tremble when I take pictures, so I guess I won't be a photography superstar like this guy. Anyway, I'm really enjoying this project, partly because it's coming along at a nice pace, given my school load, and partly because I'm working this out to be a pattern. It's my first time doing this so it's pretty straight foward and easy, but the lace pattern makes the design look feminine and more appealing, in my opinion. I finally got some time this week to work on this so maybe I'll be done knitting this thing up by next week. Don't hold your breathe, though. In the world of a college student, unexepected things always come up!

In My Past Life

Yesterday I was thinking about what I use to do before I became a knitter. Well in my past life I was a writer, a journalist, if you will. My senior year of High School (about 5 or 6 years ago), my school did not have a newspaper so I made one up. It was a monthly called The People's Voice. I remember staying up all night trying to type up the whole newspaper (we did not have Internet at my school) and make sure that the layout was perfect for printing. The last step was getting the paper approved by the principal before printing it and then passin it out. I found joy in seeing every single person at school reading that newspaper in class and during lunch time. I consider it one of my best accomplishments.

When I got to college, I continued by journalistic endeavors and started writing a dating column at my school. It was popular, to say the least. One girl actually told me that she would tear out my article and throw the rest of the paper away! Needless to say that I was flattered.

By my sophomore year my relationship with the newspaper had soured so I ventured off and created a website called TheGamut.TK (doesn't exist anymore). Again, another success, and I was absolutely thrilled to be doing the work.

After that, I went to Argentina for a year, came back, did school for another year and decided that I had to start writing again. The editor for the school newspaper job was up for election, so I applied. I was devastated when I did not get the job. In fact, this not talent ass of man got the position and I have not been the same since.

I thought maybe I could just write freelance for the paper, but then my research took up most of my time last semester. Currently, I'm still not writing and I'm about to leave school.

I told you guys this story because it has been burning me up inside for some time. When I applied for the editorial job, I worked hard to get it. I made a resume, a proposal, and went to every single interview meeting. The guy who has the position missed many appointments, because he was too busy or simply forgot about it. After he had stolen the position from me (can you say "bitter"?) he offered me the asst editor position. It was a paid position and he told me that I would get the same amount as he did. But my pride did not allow me to work for him. How different my life would be if I had just accepted defeat? I probably would have more career options right now, doing something that I use to love. I say "used to" because I'm not sure if I want to do it now. I mean, I write all the time, on this blog and especially for my teachers. But the blog is personal and my school work has not soul. My journalistic writing allowed me to be among the people which I loved.

So yeah, there is no solution to this problem, if it really is one. I know there was not much knitting content but again, I needed to share something that has been in my heart for quite some time now with you guys. Just to make this interesting, what were you in you past life? Do you wish that you could go back? Why or why not?

A Realization Does Not Need a Camera

Hey everyone! There has been alot going on over on my side of the world, so let's get right into it.

The Boyfriend is Gone

Yeah. My boyfriend has left me...for Orlando! No, we did not break up! Last night he flew out to Orlando where he shall be for a whole month working at another warehouse for our company. Everything is paid for (his lodging, food, transportation) and he gets paid while down there! I'm really jealous, but I know that this is a great opportunity for us. We HATE Michigan (sorry for those of you from here)! The weather is shitty, the people aren't too friendly and there is not much to do where we are. Orlando is sunny, we have family down there, and there are definetely more job opportunities down there than up here. We're hoping that they'll like him so much that they'll offer him a job so we can move there soon. But don't wait to exhale. This is all a fantasy that may or may not come true in the next couple months.

As a Result...

I don't have a camera. Yeah, he took that too! So for the next month, all I have are my words to tell you about my FO's, which sucks!

Knitting

I finally have a pair of Monkeys! I blocked them yesterday morning when I couldn't sleep and now they are on my feet in all their purply goodness. I was so impressed with them that I finally gained enough interest in Pomatomus to turn the heel and pick up the stitches for the gusset. After that, I started working on the back for my spring vest. Once I have the pattern written up for this one, I'll see if I could get my boyfriend's brother to take some pictures of it, so that it can debut properly on the blog.

The Crusade

So today is Monday and I have to go back to class. Just to let you know, I have done all of homework assignments--accept the ones that are due in two days. This is not the first time this has happened. I have a tendency to do all the easy stuff first, my reasoning being, get all that crap out of the way so I can get to the more difficult stuff. The only problem is that now I'm a knitter, I'll just knit my whole week away! I'm not sure if it's senioritis but I have come to a realization, that I wish to share (you knew this was coming right?).

I've been very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend University, get the grades I have, and graduate with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Spanish and History. A couple months back I was thinking of graduate school. However, now that I think about it, that would be a bad idea, especially right now in my life. Graduate school would mean twice as much reading and writing as a do now, and as much as I love writing, I hate reading. I'm always reading and responding to historical work. I just want to knit, or be an entreprenuer or work in an office. I want to start my life, finally, after 17 years of school (5 years before that at home), I'm ready to get the F out of here and start my career. I know that I can't say now that "I'm never going back to school" cause I don't know what my life has in store for me. However, I can say that I'm really glad that within 5 weeks, all of this shit will be over and the only responsibility I will have is to get to work on time. I'll have more time for stuff I love (i.e. knitting, eating, traveling, and oh yeah, my boyfriend) and I will definetely be less stressed.

So I Got Sick

Yeah, Monday morning while I was tending to my sick man, I felt great. I went to work that afternoon and I felt like I was carrying a ton of bricks. I requested to be able to go home early that night and my boyfriend nursed me back to health (isn't he sweet, even though I know feel like a bitch for writing the last post). Anyway, I'm feeling alot better, so much so that I don't even mind that the weather looks like this:



This image courtesy of wunderground.com

Knitting

I told you I had some knitting I wanted to share with you:



I finished the front of my "Spring Vest" creation. The idea has come from my head so I believe this is an original pattern. I've written down good notes and I believe once I'm done, I just need to figure out how to write this pattern for more than one size (this vest is 34 inches around the bust) so that I can share this with you guys. The only thing I did not create from scratch is the stitch pattern, which I got from this book. I hope to finish this by April 13, 2007. That's when I shall be presenting my research at Purdue University. And if I don't get it done by then, it won't bother me. I've enjoyed designing and knitting this vest.



I felt that one picture wasn't enough. The second Monkey sock right after the heel has been turned and all the stitches have been picked up for the gusset. I have to admit that I'm enjoying knitting these socks more than these socks:



I think it's because Monkey is for me and Pomatamus is for a friend. I'm selfish like that.

It's pretty early in the morning here in Michigan, so I have to continue my homework crusade (I call it that because I have to fight my impulses to procrastinate).

Am I a Bad Girlfriend?

Why are men such babies when they get sick? My boyfriend woke up Saturday morning with a high fever. I thought some rest and lots of water would take care of it. By Sunday I was administering drugs to him (tylenol to be exact) and I thought "Yeah that should do it." However, throughout the day I'm trying to get my work done and he's interrupting me with requests for water, more blankets to keep him warm, and food. I had enough when he woke me up 5 o'clock in this morning so that I could keep him company while he was sick. He had been in pain all night and the tylenol stopped working. So I did what any responsible girlfriend would do--I called a doctor. Turns out the fever he has had all weekend is because of the flu. The doctor prescribed some more powerful painkillers and now he gets to take a day off and fight the flu (lucky dog gets to stay home on a weekday). I really want him to get better, but when he woke me up this morning, even in my weak, sleepless state, I was ready to choke his ass. After 15 minutes, though, my irritation subsided and I really wanted to help him feel comfortable and get better. Hopefully he gets over this flu soon so he could get back to work tomorrow.

Knitting

I did alot of that this weekend but I haven't taken any pictures and I feel as if no pictures would be cheating you guys, so I'll talk more about the weekend's knitting tomorrow.

Blast From the Past

This past weekend, my boyfriend and I went to the Historic Adventist Village in Battle Creek, MI. It wasn't voluntary. I needed some credit for this class that I'm taking about the history of the Seventh-day Adventist church. Here are some pics:







It was not too bad. I actually enjoyed some of it, but after 2 hours, and only seeing the welcome center and the home of Ellen G. White, we were starving and it was that time to go. So we headed over to Hobby Lobby to pick up some DPNs (no pic) because the last set kept on breaking, and then we headed over to this Chinese buffet restaurant.

Just to go off topic, have any of you guys noticed that no matter what "ChinaMan" buffet you go to, wheter it's in Florida or Michigan, Maryland, or Mississippi, they all look somewhat similiar? I mean many of them have the same set up, some even have the same furniture, and of course the majority of them have the exact same food items for sale. I figured that maybe there is some kind of Chinese mafia that helps the people that work there get green cards so that they can enter the US and start making money. The only requirement that the mafia places on them is that they start up a restaurant that looks just as how the mafia says, That's just my imagination speaking. Seeing that China is a communist country, not many people are leaving (I don't think) and so maybe the people at alot of Chinese buffets could be Korean, or Japaneese. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Man that last paragraph sounded so ignorant. In my attempt to not offend, I think I might of offended readers of this blog of those particular backgrounds. I'm just trying to show you guys my thoughts, no hard feelings?

Knitting

Now for the real reason why you are here:



My boyfriend is so talented, isn't he? He designed the intarsia motif himself and it was his first time doing this type of technique! Even though we're both knitters, he doesn't do as much pre-planning as I do. I got to make a swatch, wash it, let it dry, check the gauge, find a pattern I like or draw up one of my own then find a stitch pattern I like (yeah, reading this sentence alone gets you tired). My boyfriend, on the other hand, never makes a swatch and if he has to rip it out, he does, no cursing or tears involved. My type A personality when it comes to my knitting is completely opposite to his knitting personality. I guess that's a sign of me wanting everything to come out perfect the first time (that also includes non-knitting things like school work). But I won't be loosening up any time soon.

Back to the hat. The hat is for his 70-year-old aunt who is teaching Native Canadians in northern Saskatchewan. He absolutely adores her and were going to visit her this May. He hasn't seen her in about 10 years or so. It will be an interesting experience.



Yeah, I know I haven't finished these, but the weather in Michigan has been getting so nice that I could not resist working with cotton (I guess in an attempt to quicken the death of winter). The design is my own. I really just wanted to do some lace work with out having to use thin yarn and small needles. Plus, I like knitting garments that are fitted and wearable, so sweaters, tops, and vests are my favorite things. But I do like accesories so hats and socks are cool too.

This week is looking good. Spring break comes after Wednesday, so I'll get 10 days off of school (that includes the weekends). No, I'm not going on vacation. I'm staying put, working at night and doing school work in the day. I know it is a time to relax, but I still have assignments that need to be completed and turned in after spring break. But seeing that it's my normal class load, I won't be breaking a sweat (unless I procrastinate). So pray/wish/grant me the desire to not procrastinate these next 10 days.

This Post Does Have Pictures Because...

The camera is finally behaving. First the yarn from Stash and Burn:



Isn't it pretty? Again, I haven't begun to think about what it shall become. I'm so swamped with school right now, I haven't even been able to pick up current projects.





Pictures from yesterday's presentation at the history department of my school. Yes, I'm wearing my vest! My professors were very impressed with my work. One suggested that I work on the paper a little bit more to submit it over to the Michigan Historical Review for a student papers contest. If I get accepted, not only would my paper get published but also I'll win $1000, and what girl does not want that? Another professor told me in private that I started something very exciting and if I worked on it even more it could become a book in 3-4 years. I thought that would be pretty cool to be a published author some day, but that would mean that I would have to work even harder than usual because the book would all be dependent on my ability to stay focused on getting it done. I'm not saying that I'm going to be turning my research paper into a book someday, but the idea of becoming a history professor did come to mind.



My boyfriend (who took these pictures) expressed to me something that I would like to share with you guys. Lately I've been wanting to return back to Brazil to teach English for a couple months. There is an Adventist University down there and seeing that they do have programs for people that want to be English translators, I figured I could be a teacher's aid there, and I could finally learn a language that I love, Portuguese. Unfortunately, this is one of many ideas (possibly 10) that have come to mind concerning my life after I graduate in May. I keep changing my mind and this frustrates my sweetie because he (as well as I) wants to be apart of my life and wants to have a sure plan that we stay together. He told me something that described my condition to a T.

He said: "You don't believe that you will be sucessful in a career so you're trying to delay actually working as long as possible so you don't have to make a decision. But if you continue doing more school, by the time you get out you will be over-qualified with no experience."

After thinking about it for a couple minutes, I finally agreed with him. I have terrible self-esteem issues, in other words. I'm constantly doubting my abilities and am very critical of my skills and achievements. I guess I saw it as having an attitude of always bettering myself, but maybe I'm being too hard on myself. Understanding what my boyfriend told me does not mean that I don't want to go to Brazil any less. I'm only 22 guys! I don't have any children nor am I married and if I wanted to do something as crazy as go to Brazil to teach English, then now is the time to do so. Afterward, not only would I most likely have a better career plan, but my obssession with Brazil and Portuguese would be satisfied and I could do something else with my life.



I guess another reason why I'm so indecisive about my future career goals is because since the 10th grade, I've been moving around the globe. In the 10th grade I started attending boarding school and I haven't lived at home ever since. I was always living at school or traveling abroad. And unfortunately, the older I have gotten, the less I go home, which sucks because I love my family and wish I could see them more often. In addition to this, being a nomad is fun for the most part, but it doesn't allow you to have strong connections with many people. You end up loosing your old friends to new ones and at a turnover rate of a year, that doesn't look too good on my resume.

It is for this reason that I have signed up for counseling at my school's career and counseling center. I know that I could get through my low self-esteem issues with a little professonal help. Hopefully after Brazil, I will be less indecisive and more focused on staying in one career field for more than 1 year (like I've been doing for the past 8 years of my life).

This Post Would of Had a Picture But...

My computer doesn't seem to want to download the picture I took of the yarn I received from Jenny and Nicole, hosts of the Stash and Burn Podcast last Tuesday. I'll describe the yarn for you now. It is Lisa Souza sock yarn in a colorway entitled "Mars Quake". The colors aren't necessarily something I would pick out for myself but it was free and you can't beat that. Plus I've been wanting to knit with this yarn for quite some time now so when I get to it, I'll tell you all about it.

Another situation that deserves a picture is that my one of my size 1 US bamboo DPNs broke unexpectedly yesterday while I was knitting Monkey. That was the second one too! Now I'm down to three DPNs made out of bamboo and one made out of metal. I know that spells disaster for gauge purposes but I've done this with another pair of socks before and they came out fine. Maybe I need to invest in some metal DPN when they get that small.

In non-knitty news, I'm somewhat nervous about my presentation on my research for tomorrow. All of the professors of the history department and my fellow classmates will be there to hear what I have to say. I just hope I sound professional. In addition to this, I got a letter in the mail this Saturday from Purdue University. Apparently, they've accpeted my paper for the Clement S. Stacy Undergraduate Research Conference and they want me to do a 7-9 minute presentation on my topic. The good news is that I would be able take a day off of work. The bad news is that I now have to worry about being professional in front of total strangers. Well, I have a month to figure it out so I won't worry about it now.

To close, the agenda for this week is survival. I just finished a take home exam, I got another midterm in a couple hours, and I still have several pages to read for two other classes. I'm glad my 17 year run with school (since kindergarten) will be over in less than two months.