So my first week at my new job has ended. It was great. The poeple are laid back, hard workers and everyone is excited that I am here. I have decided (after reading the account at Dooce.com of someone losing their job due to work talk on a blog!) that I probably won't talk about work too much. Although, I honestly have nothing bad to say about my first week here. But it is just the first week....

I have lots of fun things to tell you about my week that I've been forgetting. First of all, I received a glorious congrats on my job gift from Becky at fluffa... can you say yummy metallic Phildar yarn in pink? Woo-hoo! This yarn is used in Becky's pattern Peppermint Twist that you can find in the Stitch N Bitch book, but it looks just about right for some fabulous arm bands too. Thanks Becky! I love getting mail, especially fabby fiber from a faraway friend. (like my alliteration?)

Also, I was cast in a play this week...it's a musical called I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change! It is funny and intelligent and crazy and I am so excited about it. The show is all about relationships and dating, and there are only 4 people in the show -- 2 women, 2 men, which means lots of stage time, lots of acting and costume changes, and lots of singing! I am totally excited about this show. The thing is, even though I would totally do this show for free....they are paying me! Granted, it's not much...but I can still call myself a professional actor, right? hee hee.

Anyways, the show is in February, so if any of you are planning a trip to Georgia, make sure you plan it in early Feb so you can see my show. Just kidding. sort of.

In knitting news, I have pretty much doubled my stash this week in preparation for the holiday knitting extravaganza. (I know, I know...I shouldn't knit for everyone, it's a cop out, they won't appreciate it.) Well, my family will, darn it! And if they don't, I will keep all the fabby presents for myself! This is the first Christmas that I've been a knitter at all and I will make beautiful, useful presents for my family and friends. Try and stop me! ( I was reading Knitting Curmudgeon today so I'm a little defensive. )

And, I am leaving Monday for my trip to South Dakota for pheasant hunting. Just in case you forgot, this
is what I look like with a shotgun in my hand....wish me luck as I hike through the snow (is it snowing? I don't know!) and hunt my Thanksgiving dinner. I'm sure I will have many pictures and stories to tell when I come back....so don't forget me and have fun eating turkey on Thanksgiving!

Mwah! I kiss you all!

Posted by Carrieoke at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

well, hello. things are going really well in old carrieoke land. the new job is great, i just got cast in a play (yahoo!) and i'm going on vacation all next week. so, what's bothering me, you ask?

my poncho. it's frustrating me to no end. it looks so, so strange. I've finished it, and seamed the sides with back stitch, just like the pattern required, but for some reason the shoulders look like the poncho has been living on a hanger for years...there are these big lumpy bumps that actually STICK UP when I put the poncho on. Grr. I tried to undo the side seams and re-seam it but it was a very overwhelming process.

What should I do? I worked on this thing FOREVER and the body part looks great, it's just the damn shoulders. (I used Lion-Brand Chunky, btw, so I don't think blocking is going to help much.) I'm trying to boss my knitting around! I need help!

Sorry for all the complaining. I just had to get that out.

In other knitting news, I have finished Jacob's Can Ya Dig It hat to his liking....finally....and I'm now just duplicate stitching over the letters to make them stand out more. It should be done by his birthday. Yay!

I'm also purchasing yarn today for my mom and older sister's Christmas presents. (That means I get to go to the yarn store! YAY!) I'm planning to make the drive up to South Dakota a knitting extravaganza! I'm hoping that my Noro will be arriving from Matt and Rob at Threadbear any day now. By the way, they are so awesome to work with. Rob emailed me back so fast when I emailed about ordering stuff. He helped me pick a colorway, and then when I called to order, we gabbed about Athens. They are SO great, and if you need some fabby yarn, you should order from them.

So, that's all for me. I will be out of town all next week so tomorrow is probably the last day I can post for a little while....don't forget about me when I'm gone....here's a picture of me with my new haircut so you'll remember me!

Posted by Carrieoke at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Yay! It's my first day on the new job and my brain is swimming with a gazillion things that I have learned today, people I met, codes to remember, etc etc etc. Acck! But so far everything is good and the people are great. So I'm feeling good about it.

And feelin' good about the knitting too...I am two side seams away from having a finished fabulous poncho....I can't wait! And I did it...I bossed my knitting around, a la Bonne Marie, and I unraveled the cast-on edge of the Can Ya Dig It hat....and it worked! A-ha! You were all right, it wasn't hard. And now, hopefully, the hat will be long enough. I am also almost done with the fabby purple and white scarf that I knitted from the Stitch N Bitch book. And, I cast on for my Bucket-O-Chic that I'm knitting with the folks from Becky's knit-along!

Whoa, I have a lot of projects going on right now. What else could I be doing? Oh, just ordering some Noro from the guys over at Threadbear...What's it for? I'll never tell....

Worked my legs off this weekend waiting tables during the Georgia - Auburn game (I'm now obligated to insert a "GO DAWGS!", even though I could care less about football.) It was horrible, and long, but I made lots and lots of tips, which will now go towards paying the bills and buying the yarn. Yum. And, I got another coo knitting book this weekend! My student workers from my old job took me out and gave me Vintage Knits as a going away present. I have so much knitting to do!!

Anyways, this has to be short and sweet because I have to go back to working. I will hopefully post pics tomorrow of all the finished objects!

Posted by Carrieoke at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

so it's my last day in my old job. I'm really, really happy about my new job but I'm a little sad about leaving the people at this job. I work in the Community Office for a college dorm, and all of these students (some of whom I don't even know!) keep coming in and saying, "We heard you're leaving, that's too bad, we'll really miss you." Awww, shucks. I feel loved.

But, enough of this sentimental crap. I need more money! (just kidding.)

In Knitting Knews (as Stef likes to say), I finished the Can Ya Dig It hat (pictured below), and it was too short for Jacob's head. Damn. So, now I'm going to use some instructions found in my trusty Stitch N Bitch Book , pull out the cast-on edge, and try to knit a few more inches. Aacck! I really don't like to pull out stuff, and I'm still not convinced that I can pull out the cast on edge without ruining the hat. But this book hasn't failed me yet, so I'm going to take a deep breath, crack open a PBR, and frog frog frog. Cheers!

Of course all this fun knitting stuff will be happening after this weekend...it's the Georgia / Auburn game here in Athens, which means LOTS of people, mostly intoxicated, coming to the bar where I work. I will make lots of tips this weekend but I am working TEN HOURS on Saturday. On. My. Feet. Yikes. Hopefully I won't have to work two jobs for too much longer....

Last night, I went to see a show downtown, and I was getting something at the bar wearing my devil hat and the girl next to me said "Did you knit that?" and we started talking. Then she invited me to her knitting group! Fun times. So I might stop by just to see what it's all about. I always need more excuses to knit with no distractions.

It has officially gotten cold in Athens, so I'm going to go scrape up some coffee to warm me up! Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

okay, really silly, but this cracked me up. Make your own sign at the Sign Generator....

Everyone is so busy this week!! All my online knitting group girls are busy with work, health stuff, family, etc...and my friends here in town are slammed with stuff too. Is it the time of year for everyone to get busy and stressed out? No! We must rebel against the stress of the holidays! Everyone, take a deep breath. Now, knit you something fast and cuddly in some chunky yarn on fat needles. Like this scarf I'm working on! Got the pattern from my newly acquired Stitch N Bitch..The Knitter's Handbook. (See many previous entries for mentions of this book and how badly I have been wanting it) So far I've learned how to make my own center pull skein (what fun!) and how to knit continental. And there are so many other tips and amazing patterns...and how did I get this book, you ask?

One of my online friends, Stacy, surprised me by sending me this book as a congratulations on my new job. I was SO surprised and happy when I got home on Friday and found this little gem waiting for me! Stacy, I know I keep thanking you, but it was so nice and generous of you to think of me. Thanks for helping me celebrate my new job!!

In other knitting news, here is a picture of the work-in-progress hereby dubbed the "Jacob Knows All My Secrets" hat. Can't ever surprise that boy. But his hat is looking good, and hopefully will be done soon. I may actually use this one as a practice and knit him another one for his birthday...they don't take that long, and I want it to be perfect....

And the countdown is on...four days left in my old job! Aack! Can you sense my anxiety???!?!?!?!? Hopefully I can channel some of my nervousness into some crazy knitting productivity. We shall see...

Posted by Carrieoke at 11:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

This week has F-L-O-W-N by...I can't believe that next week is my last week as the Myers Community Secretary and on November 17th I will be the Project Coordinator for Campus Information Technology Partnerships. (Hey, don't it sound fancy?) Woo-hoo. I'm starting to get a little teary-eyed about leaving all the residents and my student workers... my workers are like my little brothers and sisters and I'm really going to miss them. Check out two of them, Robby and Sarah, here...I'll still be with the University but it's just not the same...

And, I'm getting a little nervous about starting the new job. I fear change...in all forms... and a new job=new people, new projects, new location, etc. Acck! I know I can do it...and I will be good...but what if I'm not? Aacck! Deep breaths, deep breaths....

But what better to boost my confidence than succeeding at a new knitting technique? (Do you like my transition into knitting talk???) I'm working on my secret project that is apparently not secret at all because Jacob is a guru at guessing presents. So, I guess I can talk about it because he already confessed that he knows what it is. I am working on a hat for Jacob's birthday that says "Can Ya Dig It?" (per his request...) and I actually got the letters to work!! I printed some knitting graph paper and graphed the letters out and just started a-knittin' away...it looks pretty good, too! I don't know if I'm doing the whole intarsia thing right but we shall see. I may post pictures in a secret location...aww, no point in being mysterious. Jacob and his darn guessing ability.... but I'm really excited about it.

I'm going to be starting all my Christmas presents in the next week or so...gotta buy yarn and get going, or everyone's getting swatches for Christmas.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm planning on knitting and washing the dogs!

Posted by Carrieoke at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

woo-hoo! Halloween was so much fun. Jacob took this cool picture of me and my friend Andy dancing it up on Halloween night (Can you tell I take my dancing very seriously?). We had a great time at the Halloween dance party, hanging out and looking at all the crazy costumes. Athens gets pretty insane on Halloween. For more fun Halloween pictures, click here...if you dare....muhahahahahaha.....

In knitting news, I finished my top down raglan, finally! Now it just needs to be blocked. Next time I will make it a little longer and use non-cotton yarn, but overall I'm pretty pleased with it. Pictures coming soon! I'm still finishing up my poncho, but I'm getting closer. About 4 rows until the collar..... I have started a new secret project (actually, the recipient NEVER reads this website, so I may post pictures of it...but you never know when he's going to happen upon it.) All I will say is that I am trying something new knitting-wise so I am a little nervous. Send me good knitting vibes.

Counting down to two fun events coming up...the start of my new job: 13 days and my first pheasant hunting trip (to South Dakota!): 19 days! Acck! That's close! I need to get to the shooting range and practice...

more Halloween pictures!
This is just a taste of the pictures that we have, but my professional perfectionist photographer boyfriend Jacob doesn't like me to post pictures until they look perfect, so this was all I was allowed to post :) ...

Full length Velma Kelly!

Me and my friend Drew shakin' it like a polaroid picture...

My friend Greg IS Kelly Osbourne...

A cowboy and Lara Croft (or, Dan and Natalie on Halloween)

Ann Marie and Santiago?!!?

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)