Adventures in Knitting: The Beginning

One of my goals for the summer was to learn how to knit. My mom tried to teach me when I was little and I never really picked up on it so it just fell to the way side. For the last couple of years I have wanted to learn but didn't have much time and didn't feel very good. So I decided that this summer would be the summer. My mom is a really good knitter so I asked her if she would teach me and she said she would help but she wouldn't teach me completely herself because she knits weird (she's right handed but learned from a left handed person so apparently she knits weird). So we found a couple YouTube videos and she helped supplement what I learned from the video (an easier way to cast on). My goal was to get up to the level of the hat pattern on the wrapper of the the yarn a bought shown here. So we found a pair of needles (there are a ton, we have the ones my mom bought as well and a ton that my grandma gave us) and a ball of peach yarn (light colors work best for seeing what you are doing when your learning a new stitch), and sat if our basement hooked my computer up to the TV so the picture was bigger and I learned how to knit. 

 This is my first little swatch of knitting. It is just straight knitting also called the garter stitch. 

Then I got a pair of circular needles which I bought so I had the right length for my hat (my mom said I would be happier with them especially because I plan on doing more than one hat). I practiced with the circular needles for a bit before I started my hat. At this point I also learned how to purl. This can be seen on my next swatch. 

 The swatch I did on my circular needles. The is knitting, purling, and a combination of the two to practice ribbing before I did my hat. 

Then I started my hat! I was really excited to start my hat. I used Red Heart yarn from their Gumdrop collection in the colors Cherry and Orange. I followed the directions the hat on the wrapper of the yarn and I LOVE how it turned out. It turned out great despite my problem with knitting on the inside of the circular needles (my mom is going the help me fix this problem so I learn to knit on the right side of the needles). This turn out not to be a supper big deal because I was knitting a hat not socks when I finished I just had to flip the hat inside out and it was fine. It fits perfectly and covers my ears. I am supper happy with it. 

 My hat! I am supper proud of it. I may even make a matching scarf eventually. 

When I told the lady that I am babysitting for this summer that I learned how to knit she told me she had all of this yarn that she had that she didn't want anymore and asked if I wanted it so I said sure. So she gave me all of this funky yarn pictured below. I don't know what I am going to do with all of it but I'm sure I'll find a use. (I already have for the green). 

 Funky Yarn. 

The green funky yarn is Moda-Dea Lazy Daisy by Coats. There were three balls of this yarn so I decided I would try to make a scarf out of it. I started with US10 bamboo needles and was having a rough time so I decided to try some metal needles to I went to the needle stash and found a pair of metal US10. This is working MUCH better. I plan of finishing this scarf by crocheting a daisy or two for it. Hopefully it turns out cute (I'll keep you updated). 

 A picture of the yarn and what I have knit up already. 

 A close up picture of the scarf in progress. 

So then on Thursday my mom and I went to the Alpaca place (Rainbow Gifts and Yarn). I bought some food pellets and went and fed the alpacas and pet them and then we went and bought yarn (and needles). I bought a set of double ended US8 needles to finish my hat. And the YARN. I bought some Little Flowers Yarn in 2232, some Cascade Yarns Cascade Kid Seta in Shade 10 to make a scarf like my mom made for my aunt shown here. I also bought some Premier Yarns Starbella to make a ruffle scarf that is shown on the wrapper. 

A picture of my yarn and needle purchases which I will also keep you updated on. 

So I have found a new hobby. I still love my beads dearly but I am also having fun knitting. Knitting is nice for me at the end of the night when I get home from work and don't have the energy to think about beading. I am having a lot of fun knitting and may be knitting Christmas presents for people this year. I am planning and really going to try to keep my word on keeping you updated on my knitting. Wish me Luck! 

Under the Dome

  Recently I started watch the show Under the Dome with my parents. It is a relatively new show on CBS, this fifth episode should be airing on Monday at 10/9c. A couple weeks ago I had a sinus infection and was home from work when my mom decided that they were going to start watch it, so I watched the first couple episodes with them. We caught up on episodes that we missed and watch the third one which was airing for the first time that night. I got addicted to Under the Dome. I watched the first three episodes a couple times each while it waited (rather impatiently) for episode four which aired this past Monday. I had to work on Monday night so I had my mom DVR the new episode for me which I've watched twice. The only other TV shows that I'm this in to are the American Horror Stories (and I wasn't as into the last season of that as I was the first).   

So basically the show is about a relatively small town that all of the sudden is surrounded by a dome. No one knows why or how it got there. When the dome appears it cuts a cow in half and shows the inside which I thought was the coolest thing being the science nerd that I am. After the residents find out there is a dome basically all hell breaks loose. Things are rapidly starting to deteriorate on the inside, while the people on the outside appear to have given up. People are also starting to realize that everyone has a secret. 

I am really really REALLY excited to see what happens next. I am really enjoying Under the Dome. 

Shopping, June Book List, & Update

I've been home for about two weeks, and started work last week so I have been super busy unpacking and working...loads of fun (not). My spring semester went well, I kind of fell out of blogging with calculus, but I passed calc and never have to take it again so I guess it was worth it. Now I am home for the summer and working again and when I'm not working I tend to be sleeping. This summer I am working Monday through Saturday which kind of sucks but I need the money so I've got to do what I've got to do. 

With that said having Sunday's off my family and I went to visit my brother for the day. He has a good on campus job so he is able to stay at his college for the summer. We brought him a chair he wanted for his new apartment and then rearranged his apartment to make it fit and flow (he just wanted to through the chair in there and call it good). So while we were visiting my mom and I hit up the craft stores for a little bit of shopping before decking my brother out at target. 

 A picture of everything I got. 

 Just the beads. (Lets face it I have and addiction.)

 The Yarn I got. I'm going to make the hat that's directions are on the wrapper. 

I want to read more books this summer an decided that I'm going to start doing monthly book lists to keep track of what I want to read and what I have read. This may or may not go into the school year. My selections for June are: 

1. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

2. The Miserable Mill by Lemony Snicket (I read this when I was a kid and reread them periodically.)

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Another Favorite that I haven't read in a few years.)

4. Paris My Sweet by Amy Thomas

5. The Hollow by Jessica Verday

I am back now so hopefully my blog post will be more frequent. I have a bunch of fun things planned over the summer so hopefully I will have lots of posting inspiration. 

Coming up I plan on doing a school year review so hopefully I can get that together. 

Busy, Busy Week + THE WINNER IS

Its my first week back at school and it has been crazy busy. I am taking five classes (Calc 1, Geography, Psychology  Art Appreciation, and Snowboarding). It is mainly a lot of reading and taking notes, so I'm getting as far ahead as I can this weekend. So far all of my classes are going well. I also got a smartpen this week and had to go through training for that. I LOVE my smartpen and plan on doing a blog post all about it. Its been really great to catch up with friends that I hadn't seen since break as well as making some new friends. 

Sorry for the small delay in the announcement I have been supper busy. I have been working on loads of homework all weekend. I have taken notes on a lot of reading, taken two quizzes and still have calc, more psychology, and geography left for this weekend. Hopefully I will also get ahead in several classes. So without further ado the winner is...Maggie! I will be e-mailing you with some details, please respond as soon as possible. If you didn't win I would love to have more giveaways in the future. Thank you all for following and looking at my blog as well as commenting. 

It's Freaking Cold

It is insanely cold here. The schools were all cancelled (they are also cancelled for tomorrow). It was a high of -2 F, which wind chills around -30 F. Being this cold I stayed inside all day, in fact Buster and I stayed in my bed most of the day (Buster is my dog, his blog is here). So I stayed in bed most of the day, watched Despicable Me, read, and drank hot chocolate. My major accomplishment for the day was getting my medications transferred to a new pharmacy and getting dressed, but I'm okay with that, it's freaking cold. It's really not supposed to warm up until later this week so I'm not going to leave the house much. Tomorrow I have to help my mom by meeting her at the vet with Buster, but other than that I don't plan on doing much that involves leaving the house. 

 A picture of the book I am reading, my blanket, and Buster. 

 The hot chocolate I made after dinner. 

Blog Party 2013 + GIVEAWAY

Hi! For those of you who are new my name is Kathryn (I go by Katy). I am a 19 (almost 20) year old college student, who has many interests. I am studying Bio-chemistry and hope to go into genetics. Some of my hobbies are making jewelry, cross stitching, random crafts, make up, hanging out with friends, reading, and of course blogging! I have many upcoming plans for my blog as well as some posts already written for the first week or two I'm back at school. My blog chronicles my life and random tidbits of it, and my favorite color is pink, this is how I came up with the name for my blog. I started blogging for something to do one summer when I was struggling with some medical problems, as something to bring some positivity to my day. 

For the blog party I decided I would do something which I have wanted to do for awhile...A GIVEAWAY!!! I am giving away pink themed items. A pink four strand bracelet with a snap clasp and a hot pink bottle of nail polish.

 A picture of just the bracelet. 

A picture of the bracelet and nail polish. The nail polish is Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro in Posh Pink.

The rules for the giveaway are simple. 

1. Leave a comment on this post recommending one of your favorite books. (I'm always looking for a good book).

That's it! I would prefer to give this away to a follower of my blog but that is not a requirement. This is open to everyone world wide! This Giveaway will end on February 1st of 2013.

Please look around and enjoy! If you like what you see please follow! If I have enough followers there will be more giveaways in the future. 

Thanks for stopping by.

 Katy

What I've Been Working On

I made some jewelry today. It is jewelry that I've been planning on making for awhile and just finally got around to it. I also made a birthday present for a friend which will be revealed on February first. 

 I saw a similar star necklace in a magazine and decided I could make one for myself. This is the finished product.

 I just wanted a delicate little necklace with a heart so this is what I came up with. 

My mom got these bracelet kits with all the parts. This bracelet is made out of fork handles!

These are the pieces I made tonight. There is still time so I'm probably going to go work on another project!