o happy day
It's January! It's 2009! and we have a new president! hooray.
My office sponsored several showings of the Inauguration coverage yesterday, so I got to watch it on a big old projector screen with a crowd of people. I was happy to watch it with other people - lots of cheering and clapping and yelling. It was just an all around good time. And the speech! Oh, the speech. and Rev. Lowery's closing prayer, which I totally loved.
Anyways, good times. Yay for us electing someone awesome.
Let's see. What else is new? Well, I graduated - hooray! - so this marks my first semester in a LONG time without classes. It's a really great feeling. I don't have all the free time I was dreaming about (ha), but I do have MORE time on my hands, which is nice. I'm teaching a sock class at my local yarn store, and knitting a lot, and spending some quality time with my schmoos.
I'm also taking (gulp) a BodyPump class at my gym. (why does it have to have such a silly name? BODYPUMP) Here's the deal: I am lazy. I know this. I've had brief bouts of insanity before (mostly induced by my twin sis) where I ran half-marathons, but generally speaking, I'm not a huge fan of exercise. The couch is sooooo comfy, and my knitting is there, and also the TV...and maybe some dark chocolate....
SO. I've signed up for an entire semester of BodyPump, three days a week. It's already paid for. I'm doing it with AM, in the hopes that we will motivate each other when we don't feel like doing it. We shall see how long it lasts, but so far, so good. It's really hard for me to get up in the morning, and I'm hoping that incorporating some regular exercise into my routine will help with that. and just make me feel good in general. BODYPUMP.
har.
I have actually been knitting lots! I knit a few Christmas presents:
A Dollar and A Half Cardigan for my sis!
Toasty Mitts and a Darkside Cowl for my sister in law Alison!
A Fourteen cowl for Jenny!
They were all fun projects, although I was down to the wire on the cardigan (hello, picking up, knitting, and finishing buttonband on Christmas morning). Obviously my sister wouldn't have minded if I'd given it to her partially finished but I was SO. CLOSE. so I finished. and she loves it! yay!
Then, right after Christmas, I had another deadline: baby shower knitting. I didn't make the deadline because I was knitting for twins and WAY underestimated how long it would take me to finish two baby sweaters. D'oh. However, I did finish!
Twin Sweaters!
The pattern is SuperNatural Stripes, a great free pattern that I found via NotScarlett's Flickr photos. I haven't given them to the parents yet, but hopefully they'll love them.
And! I have a crocheted finished object to show you. I know! Crazy!
This is Herbert.
I'm also working on finishing a baby quilt, and have plans to start another small quilting project v. soon. I got a ReproDepot gift certificate for Christmas, and I just got my order....so many pretttttty fabrics. ohboy. and someone awesome sent me some fabulous new quilting books, so I have all kinds of crazy ideas.
So, now? Well, I'm working on a stripey Noro scarf - after admiring two in person, I pretty much needed to make one. And, I'm working on a not-so-sekrit and belated Christmas present for someone...
Haha, black and white! at least the colors will be a surprise.
If you can't tell from the pic, this is Minty's Tapestry Cowl. This is my first time doing double knitting, and I'm actually really enjoying myself. The pattern takes focus - I think right now it's taking me about 30-40 minutes to do one round - and I have to LOOK at the chart. but the colorwork is interesting, and I'm enjoying watching the pattern appear as I knit.
o hai, longest post ever! I hope you're having a great week and hope to revamp this here blog one of these days. maybe.
Comments (28)
The inauguration was incredible. Great patterns.
Posted by Hilary | February 4, 2009 10:17 PM
Beautiful knits, lucky recipients! I especially like the Dollar and a half cardigan. It looks so comfy and elegant at the same time. Congratulations on graduating too :)
Posted by connie | February 4, 2009 8:26 PM
Slow runners DO ROCK. And um, Body Pump? I am a little skeert! Tell me how it goes, I need a next project.
The knitting looks fantastic. May is on the way, will I see you in MD? xoxo
Posted by chelsea | February 4, 2009 7:54 AM
I totally ♥ the dollar and a half cardigan. Yours looks great!
And those baby sweaters are so cute. I'll have to knit up some of those for never ending run of babies that my friends and family keep producing.
Posted by kelly | February 3, 2009 8:58 PM
Love all the finished knitting! Very inspiring!
Posted by jane | January 25, 2009 9:31 AM
Nice fake out with the black and white, you are a super sneak!! All of the projects are fantastic, love the simplicity of the Toasty mitts...
Posted by Heather | January 24, 2009 2:10 PM
TOO MUCH TO COMMENT ON! Congrats on graduating!! YOU ROCK! Also, I wish I lived near you guys so I could Bodypump with you (ok, that totally sounded dirrrty.) - lord knows I could use it. Adam keeps saying he's gonna train me, but every week, I somehow manage NOT to do it. We did start up the Tango again though...YAY TANGO! (uh, except I suck! LOL)
Posted by Lara | January 24, 2009 12:29 AM
love those sweaters, cute cute cute, your little kids sweaters imress and inspire.... thanks for shareing
Posted by Loua | January 23, 2009 5:32 PM
I love Cathy's glasses! So cute. She looks great in her new sweater. Thanks for reminding me about that stripey baby sweater, too. Good luck with BODYPUMP, har.
Posted by Karma | January 23, 2009 1:53 AM
All the stuff you knit is *adorable*. Knit and crochet, that is. The twin sweaters came out SO GREAT (are those the formerly "wizard-like" ones?)
Posted by Jen (Friender) | January 22, 2009 3:14 PM
Bodypump *is* a funny name. I think I'd just rename it when talking to friends, as in "I'm taking a cardio class" or something. But that's just me.
I was intruiged by the Tapestry Cowl, but scared by the double knitting, I must admit. Maybe one of these days...
Posted by Stacey | January 22, 2009 1:45 PM
Everytime I read "BODYPUMP" I giggle. Just a smidge. I mean, you know it sounds funny. BODYPUMP. I hope you stick with it though, you are gonna get SUPER PUMPED. Someone stop me.
Love, love, love the twin sweaters. So adorable. Seeing Cathy's sweater again is very motivating...I keep putting mine in time out.
Posted by Sarah | January 22, 2009 12:15 PM
Many congrats on graduating. Loved your gifts. Hope I get to meet you at Paul's in two weeks.
Posted by Jane Prater | January 22, 2009 10:40 AM
Good gracious, girl - you've been busy. I still need to cast ON my Dollar and Half, and you're through number 2. That's it, I'm going to hide in my sewing room. :P
Posted by amanda | January 22, 2009 9:04 AM
I love the twin sweaters! So cute and great colors as well!
Posted by Stephanie | January 22, 2009 6:01 AM
Wow, you may have been blog silent, but you sure have been busy!!! I have to admit...I noticed you queueing all sorts of baby stuff on Rav, and I thought you were going to have some sort of "announcement" for us...but the baby shower for twins explains that!
Congrats on your grad.
Posted by Shannon | January 21, 2009 10:25 PM
Wow! That's a lot of FOs! I don't have half as much to do as you do and I made like nothing. I should sign up for a knitpump class. :)
Posted by sil | January 21, 2009 9:19 PM
Hooray for Obama! Congratulations to you on graduating and I hope you'll have more time to blog. Great knitting FOs!
Posted by Rosie | January 21, 2009 8:15 PM
Congrats on graduating! Yay for no more school! :)
Posted by Clumsy Knitter | January 21, 2009 8:06 PM
oh hai! as usual 700 projects to show!
Posted by carolyn | January 21, 2009 7:51 PM
o hai that was the longest post ever! maybe you should post more frequently ;)
bodypump sounds like FUN! i have 35(ish) more sessions with my personal trainer that are already paid for, but i love my bed :)
Posted by mai | January 21, 2009 7:24 PM
Congrats on graduation! And what great knits you've been able to get done at the same time!
Posted by Karen C | January 21, 2009 6:26 PM
Oh yay- you finished the other twin sweater! The set is SO cute! And Cathy's cardi - I love it!
Posted by Nonnahs | January 21, 2009 5:50 PM
I started using google reader so I saw that you posted. HAI I AM OLD.
Yay I love my sweater SO MUCH!
Posted by Cathy | January 21, 2009 5:34 PM
Congratulations on the graduation! and the Inauguration was pretty neat, wasn't it??
And all your knitting looks great, as always. :)
Posted by Janice in GA | January 21, 2009 5:24 PM
wow, you have a lot going on for not going to school anymore! i love the $1.50 cardigan for cathy and your amigurumi. and bodypump?! i need that.. like so bad!
Posted by gleek | January 21, 2009 5:05 PM
so much knitting! i love it all. the cardi looks awesome on your sister. and knitting for twins, that is going to be so loved by the parents.
in other news, i love your idol tweets. i read them and then try to figure out who you were talking about as we are in different time zones. added fun. :)
Posted by mamie | January 21, 2009 3:59 PM
Such cute little twin sweaters! I knit that pattern a while back for a baby shower too, and I loved it enough that it's on my list of go-to baby gifts. And I love the colors you used.
Totally unrelated, but I've been watching the new AI season, and everytime they show crowds of people waiting to audition (every season), I always think of you...
Posted by J Strizzy | January 21, 2009 3:09 PM