So, in other news, it's official -- I have accepted a new position with the University, and it's exactly the kind of job I was looking for, and I'm so excited that I can hardly stand it! I will be working with the computer / tech support department, running the office for a certain division. Thanks to my family and all of you for all the good luck and well wishes everyone sent...they worked! I will toast you tonight with a Pabst Blue Ribbon...

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween weekend. I will be waiting tables in my Velma Kelly costume, and then going out on the town. Yahoo!

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I promised my Athens Stitch 'n' Bitch girls that I would update today, so here I am. I've been knitting so much that I haven't had time to take pictures or post on my blog! I am almost finished with my second hat in the past two weeks...this one is a little devil hat for me. I used Wool-Ease in a really pretty red, which was on sale at JoAnn's and cheaper than Red Heart Super Saver. I just have to add ear flaps and devil horns and it is ready to protect my head in the cold. (And yes, it is getting cold(er) here in GA....we thought it would never happen.)

Still waiting on getting yarn for Christmas presents, but I think...I know....that I will be the proud owner of a NEW BETTER JOB by the end of this week. I'm trying not to talk about it until the details are finalized but I will say this... I have been offered a position (!!!) and I am going to accept that one or another one by the end of the week. I am a very very happy knitting girl, since I think of money in terms of how much yarn it can get me. Yahoo!

Had so much fun at knitting group last night. My friend Natalie came for the first time, and we had another new person named Ann. It just keeps getting bigger! Yay! We also talked a lot about Halloween, which got me excited for Friday! My friend and knitting buddy Leslie is going as Roxie Hart, and I'm going to be Velma Kelly, and we are going to be fabulous. I'm so excited about seeing everyone's costumes and acting like a little kid......

Congrats to Stef who is defending her dissertation today ... everyone send her good, happy vibes!! And here's a shout-out to Monica who is en route to New York to run a marathon! Woo-hoo! Go Monica!

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So I've been a dishcloth knitting fool for the past couple of days. I am really trying to have a nice little set ready for the wedding I am attending on Saturday evening. It will be really fun...it's an old high school friend, and they will all get to meet Jacob, and I will get to reminisce about my days as a Catholic school girl. Ahh, the old days.... just kidding. ( I really did go to Catholic school for 9 years though!) I actually have a picture of two of the dishcloths because we were conducting an important experiment at work (the experiment was: can you take a Polaroid and send it through a scanner that usually is only fed ONE piece of paper at a time? The answer: yes. And here is the result: Dishcloths!

So I've been neglecting all my other little unfinished projects (Wool Poncho, Top Down, etc.) although I do weave in a loose end every now and then if I get bored of dishcloth knitting. The cloth I'm working on now is a very cute flower pattern so I have to think a little bit while I do it....Of course I will post pretty, clear pics of the whole set of dishcloths when I finish. (I know you are on the edge of your seat for that photo!!!)

Jacob was working with his digital camera and tripod last night and took some absolutely adorable pictures of my little schmoo, Bella. Check out how photo-ready this pup is:
Bella is ready for her closeup...
and now she's just resting....
Oh, how hard is the life of a fabulously spoiled little schmoo!!

isn't she a movie star? Or maybe I'm a little biased...

but my household is full of talent! not only is jacob a great photographer, but he can sing karaoke like a rock star...back off, ladies, he's my man!

Posted by Carrieoke at 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So, we went to a new place last night for our little Stitch n Bitch.. a cute little bar called Transmetropolitan. They have a little room with couches, and lamps, and it really felt like we were sitting in someone's living room, knitting away, except that it was happy hour! And on Tuesdays (our knitting night) it's happy hour all night! A-ha! We have found the perfect place to knit! The bartenders were all really interested in what we were doing, and made us feel very at home. So hooray for that, and for $1 bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

We had another new person last night...we've had at least one new girl every single week, which is cool. Everyone doesn't always come back, but it's fun to see new faces and show people how to knit. I worked on the pink and brown top-down and finished one sleeve...only one sleeve to go and it's blocking time, yahoo! I also worked a little on my wedding gift dishcloth set for this weekend ( but that pattern requires a little more concentration than straight stockinette stitch sleeves, and knitting night always lend itself to talking, drinking, AND knitting...) And, I got to give Anne Marie her Kitty Hat and she loved it! Doesn't she look smashing? I think I might almost like knitting gifts better than knitting for myself....almost.....

tonight I will be knitting my dishcloths (I've already finished one with a pretty feather and fan design) and hopefully finishing the raglan. (I think I say that in every post now.) Then, it's poncho time! I want to have my poncho done in time for my Thanksgiving pheasant hunting trip....so I can wear it when I'm hiking for miles in the snow. Ha! Ha! I'd better start working out today if I'm going to be hiking....

On a fun and exciting note, I've decided what to be for Halloween. I will be waiting tables AND going out with friends that night, so I need to look extra cute (for the tips) and be extra comfortable (to hang with the friends) and the verdict is...Velma Kelly, from Chicago! Va-va-voom....I'll be sure to post some fun Halloween pictures! Oh, how I love thee, wigs and makeup and costumes. That's why I like to be in musicals!

Posted by Carrieoke at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tonight is Knitting Group Night...or, as we like to call ourselves, Athens' Stitchin' Bitches. I can't wait to show them the Kitty62 Hat (click here to see it in all its glory, finished...and here to see it modeled by me....I love it!) And tonight I get to give this finished hat to its rightful owner... my friend, former landlord and roommate, beginning outstanding knitter, and all around fabulous girl Anne Marie (shown here with her man Santiago). This pattern totally rocks. Check out more hat patterns at Kittyville. I think I'm going to knit myself one in black next, just because I like the pattern so much!

Have you noticed that I'm picture happy these days? It's because I can take such fabby pictures now with the new digital camera at our house. Yahoo! I still plan on getting my own since Jacob will be using his one day very soon for professional photography endeavors....not for my knitting blog.

Two of my student workers are now knitting in the office! They are both trying to make hats for the first time and it is really fun to knit with him and help them. I feel like I've become a pretty good knitter, even though I've only been knitting for 7 or 8 months, because I can help them correct mistakes and spot mistakes before they happen. There's even a beginning knitting class taught at the nearby continuing ed center that might need teachers....hmm...extra money to knit? Sign me up!!

Hoping to hear about job stuff this week...I'm keeping quiet until I know more but everyone send me good luck vibes. And cash flow vibes. :) Well, back to work. (And by work I mean knitting on a set of dishcloths that I am making for my friend Kevin who is getting married this weekend...)

Posted by Carrieoke at 1:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

This weekend was really, really fun. I only had to work on Friday and that was quick and painless. (And lucrative, yahoo.) Then, the rest of the weekend was free for relaxing, spending time with Jacob and the schmoos, and knitting! Wonderful. So I made this the weekend of finishing old projects....I really need to be starting on the new ones very soon...
(notice the clarity of the pics coming up. Yay Jacob's new camera! It is so nice)
I promise this is the last picture ever of the beribboned baby blanket and hat set, because I gave it to its rightful owner (my stepsister Ashley) at her baby shower, and she loved them! Yay. Done.

I also finished another project which has been hiding in my knitting room for a while...the Kitty62 hat, found at kittyville.com. I don't have a finished picture because Jacob was asleep by the time I completely finished it, but here is a work in progress pic ...click here!

And I'm very, very close to being done with the top down. Next time I will use wool and some other fuzzy, soft, and more forgiving yarn than 100% cotton. But I think I'm still going to like this sweater..(don't ya like the pink and brown? I do!)

So yay for all that. I would have finished the poncho this weekend but I left the pattern sitting on my desk at work and I was too lazy to go and get it. This week! I shall finish!

On Saturday, we stayed in, and watched the Eukanuba Tournament of Champions. That's right, a dog show. And it was freakin' awesome. I love watching all the doggies! Although the dog that won (a Pekingese) looked like an alien furball. You couldn't even see his feet when he walked! And the judges were like, "Oh, he showed so well. What expression. What charisma." Funny stuff.
Jacob and I decided that the best breed is the American Schmoo....

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Look at this nifty site I drifted on to yesterday! It's called HeadHuggers, and they are making hats for people who have lost their hair due to chemo, brain surgery, burn wounds, etc. And check out the awesome patterns they provide for the hats! I think I'm going to make a few!!

Yesterday, I taught one of my student workers Sarah how to knit while we were bored in the office. I love teaching other people because they get so excited when they finally get it and start zooming along (I still get excited because I'm hyper)
Yay for sharing the knitting love.

Finally got some pictures of the baby blanket and hat. Now, as you will recall from past entries, my little 'toy' digital camera (the Jam Cam!!) doesn't take fabulous pictures. But this is the best I can do right now....although Jacob got his lens last night for his totally extraordinary Canon 10D and once we get a memory card, I (well, probably Jacob) will be taking some mac-daddy pictures of my knitting. (I'm sure that's what intended him to use his professional quality camera for) But hey...he has to practice with it somehow, right??

Anyways, here's some JamCam pics of the latest creations:
The finished (and blocking) Beribboned Baby Blanket
Blanket detail

And, a few views of the little baby hat (click to enlarge):

the little one can wear it rolled up or down! Yay for fun, quick baby gifts.
This weekend is slated for relaxing, going to the baby shower, knitting on the front of my poncho, and hopefully finishing Mr. Top Down Raglan. Then, on to buying new yarn for the huge list of Christmas presents that I need to start working on. Aacck! So much to do, so little money. Hopefully one of my new job possibilities will pan out very soon so I can pay my bills AND buy yarn. Because I really hate having to choose....

Everyone have a great weekend!

Posted by Carrieoke at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I really hate finishing stuff! And, as I read in some book, yes, it's because I suck at it and I'm never happy with my finished product. My beribboned baby blanket is finally beribboned and finished (pics tonight) but I'm just not 100% happy with the way it looks. It's okay, but I wanted it to be ADORABLE. Maybe I'm being hyper-critical. Maybe when I post pics you can tell me what you think!

I decided to knit a little matching hat to go with the blanket. Now, it's freakin' cute. So at least I'll have one gift that I'm super happy about when I go to the baby shower this weekend (my step-sister's).

Had knitting group on Thursday...that's four Thursdays in a row! We are on a roll! This week was a potluck so I brought the only thing I know how to bake...a cake. From a box. And it was pretty good, actually! We had kabobs and hummus and deviled eggs...mmmm. Now I'm hungry again... But the group is great. Everyone is good at different things, so we're all learning from each other and helping with finishing and sharing patterns, etc. Yay knitting groups! I am lucky enough to have an virtual knitting group (my MonkeyKnits gals) and also a live, in person knitting group. what more could a girl ask for?

I washed my little schmoo Bella last night and she is clean and pretty now so Jacob can't complain about her being on the bed. Ain't she cute?

On a totally ridiculous and super fun note, A Makeover Story needs twins for upcoming shows, and I so entered my twin sister and me yesterday. I'll let you know if I'm going to be on TV...speaking of which, did anyone watch the Bachelor last night? I want LeeAnn outta there!

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

so i went to Callaway Gardens and took shooting lessons this weekend. Now, I was a little worried about this. I have never been around guns....and I'm scared of them....yuck. But, my boy Jacob and his family are into hunting, and I'm a girl who will try just about anything once. So I did it, and hey, it was fun! We are going pheasant hunting over Thanksgiving and this was my chance to practice. here I am learning the tricks of the trade (note the serious look and the stylin' safety glasses). And here I am aiming the shotgun at the bright orange clay pigeon....and here I am ...shooting! And you know what? I actually hit one of those little orange things...once....

So, the moral of the story is that guns weren't as scary for me after I learned a little about them and handled one. Not that I'm going to run out and go hunting every weekend....and I still think they're scary. But I'm glad I was open to have a fun day, and now I can go hunt pheasants for Thanksgiving dinner.

In knitting news, I beribboned the Beribboned Baby Blanket, which is a damn good thing because the baby shower is this weekend. I swear I will post a picture soon. Hopefully tonight. And, I am just about finished with the top down,...just gotta do the arms. I had a little setback with the body...I did ribbing on the bottom and I just didn't like it, so I frogged it and knit it again. Now I just need to cast it off and do the arms, and it's done, baby! I worked on the front of my poncho all the way to Callaway and back...I'm about 20 rows away from doing the neck...yay me! The back is blocking this second....

Check out Teresa's pretty poncho! I hope mine looks this cool!!

Knitting pics soon! I promise!

Posted by Carrieoke at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

okay, so maybe to some it seems like I'm sick all the time. I actually sort of feel that way myself right now. But I didn't go to work today...because I couldn't talk when I woke up! Yuck. I had to call in to my real job and my waitressing job...but a girl's gotta get better, right? I didn't even use the time to knit. I slept ALL DAY. I guess I needed it...

Now I'm at Jacob's parent's house, using their scanner to get some really great pictures scanned in and posted up. And NONE of them have to do with knitting, but hey, they're still fun. For example...I posted a little while back about the baby squirrel that Jacob saved from a certain and horrible death (by dogs) in our backyard. The little squirrel (who we affectionately nicknamed 'Twitch') is now in the hands of a professional squirrel handler and livin' the good life. But here are some shots while he was in our care: Here's little Twitch being fed, and here's his sleepy little body on Jacob's thumb. So cute!! Yay baby squirrels.

I also have some great pics of our doggies. And, in honor of the ever-present dancing pictures on fluffa! and other knitting blogs, I'm posting some pics of me and Jacob dancin' with the schmoos. Bella is a dancin' machine..watch her get down!

Me and Bella groovin'!
Jacob and Bella groovin'!
We love to rock, what can I say?

Well, I need to go to sleep because I am going to take (gulp) shooting lessons tomorrow in preparation for a pheasant hunting trip that I am taking over Thanksgiving....send me safety vibes tomorrow! aacck!

Posted by Carrieoke at 12:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So, what do you think? Miss Fabulous Becky at fluffa! designed this totally awesome template for us lucky gals who are hosted at Pretty Posies. So, I couldn't resist, and I *LOVE* the new look! One day, when I grow up, I will be as creative and fabulous as Becky. But for now, I will use her creative abilities to make my site pretty.... thanks, Becky!

I followed everyone's advice...and I started the brown section on the top down! Of course it looks great, like you all knew it would. (Brown and pink are cool, like Miles Davis.) I'm sosososo close to being done with that....and my sister has personally requested pictures of the BBB (that would be Beribboned Baby Blanket) but sadly it is still not beribboned. That will be done posted by the end of the week. It MUST be. Self imposed deadline in effect.

I'm being a little bit of a slacker on the poncho, but it's SO much thinking. Once I finish the (no thinking required...in a good way) top down, I will concentrate solely on my poncho to get that thing done. I don't think I'll be needing it here in Georgia anytime soon...a little too muggy and hot still for a big old wool poncho!

Once Jacob gets his totally awesome digital camera up and running, I will be putting some fun pictures on the little sidebar there, and possibly on the top too. But for now, you get to see me, Jacob and the schmoos. (like you don't see enough of us already on this blog!)

Posted by Carrieoke at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

hello friends!
it's raining here...it hasn't been rainy in a little while. it's already getting colder too...time for me to knit lots of fun scarfs and quick hats on big needles. Ya-hoo!
I got a fun treat this morning....going to municipal court about a ticket for running a red light. (oops). I pled nolo contendere...no contest...but they were nice enough to give me a 30 day break on the fine. (Although, if I spend 9 days in jail, I don't have to pay the fine! Hmm...which should I do??) Yay for our friendly court systems.

This weekend was wild and crazy! It was a game weekend, which means all hell breaks loose in Athens, everyone drinks until they can't stand up, and on Sunday, everyone rests. I worked all weekend among the crazies and made lots of good tip money. We also deejayed a karaoke party on Saturday night and I did a little more drinking that deejaying....

On the knitting tip... I blocked my second square for my crazy quilt on Sunday and it looks fab. Also, I kept working on my top down, and I am SO going to run out of yarn. So...I have some extra cotton yarn in a beige color, what do you think about a pink on the top, brown on the bottom sweater? Really ugly, or stylishly daring? I guess I'll just start it up and if it looks ugly, I can frog it... (I'm trying to learn to take risks and be fun with knitting, but I HATE pulling out rows and rows of knitting!)

Hope everyone's having a great day. I'm about to have a bunch of finished pieces to take pics of and post up, and I'm excited!

Posted by Carrieoke at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

well, i'm back at work, and back from my lovely three days of colonoscopy prep.....and the procedure was a success! Hooray! And my colon is, to quote my doctor, "beautiful." Who knew? I am so, so glad that everything is all right.

I certainly got lots of knitting time in while I was at home resting up. I'm about 3/4 of the way done with my top down raglan...I'm still trying to decide what I want to do with the sleeves. I think I want to make it long-sleeved and do a flared sleeve....it's starting to get a little bit colder up in here and I want some sweaters to wear! I also finished another square for the crazy quilt that my work knitting group is working on. I tried a new stitch that I read in a pattern ...the blackberry stitch...and it turned out pretty nicely! I'm practicing the stitch because I'm about to embark upon this scary sweater pattern....I will succeed! I will succeed!! I almost forgot to mention .. my mom came up to take care of me while I was in the hospital, and when we were at home resting, I taught her how to knit!! She loved it, and she is so good at it. I sent her home with some needles and yarn to make a scarf with. Yay Mom!!

Since I don't have any pictures of works in progress to show you, I'm just going to show you some more doggy pictures from the park. These pics are of my sister's dogs ... they are the cutest! (Well, after my dogs, of course.) Here's Molly running like the wind... and here's Foxy chillin' in the car ...

my post was just interrupted by a fire drill! Aacckk! Don't worry, everyone's safe!

Posted by Carrieoke at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)