Preparations

While everyone else prepares for the upcoming film fest by rearranging schedules, buying tickets, and plotting celebrity sightings, I am planning out my movie watching knitting projects.  Of course I'm doing all the other things as well but since my commissions log hit 10 projects and more birthdays are approaching, I am knitting nonstop.

Here's what's on the schedule for the movie theater knitting,

A felted bag (stockinette on circle needles for about a million years)
A jar cozy (same idea but on DPNs)
A gift that involves large blocks of stockinette on straight needles

While these probably won't be enough to occupy my hands during all of my 7 movies, it will definitely give me a good handle on my project mania!

A stone causing ripples on Tawas Point beach

Oh the Things We Knit

First of all, I invite you all the check out this latest post from the Knitty blog.  It's about knitted wedding dresses!  Although I must say, there is quite a difference between knitting your own wedding dress and taking your wedding photos in a field with some sheep while wearing your hand knit, hand spun dress...

Also be sure to check out the giant needles and newspaper yarn in the article further down the page!  Quite sensationally mad.

For those of you who've missed them, here's the inspirational photo of the day,

Comedy Genius

I meant to write about this last week but life got in the way.

Hannah and I went to see Wet Hot American Summer as part of the State Theater's Friday Night Flicks.  It was a great night.  The crowd was right, the mood was light and fun, and I laughed harder than I have ever laughed at this movie (which I've seen numerous times).  It's ridiculous, obscene, and all around an excellent example of a campy cult flick.  You either love it or you hate it and I love it.  Lots of really funny actors, an epic canoe trip, a legendary capture the flag game, an inspiring astrophysics lecture, counseling sessions over arts and crafts, and a truly unforgettable trip to town.  And that's only the first half hour!

Camping - Day 6

Have you ever read a book that, once you started it, you HAD to finish?  A book you were so caught up in, you stopped delineating between reality and the book?  I have.  I am right now.  In fact, I probably won't talk to you until I've finished that final sentence and been released from it's charms.

Camping - Day 4

Today I awoke to another meeting of the seagull convention outside my tent door.  I stumbled out to find that they had left me poopy presents all over my tent, my beach chair, the picnic table, the car... you get the idea.  In addition, 3 spiders had taken up residence in the back of said beach chair.  Isn't nature fun?  Actually I could have been (and was) fine with all that but then a bird pooped on my arm.  That was just a little too close to nature for my taste.

On the bright side, my mother, sister, aunt, cousins, and family friends (9 women in all) got caught skinny dipping by the park ranger last night.  He literally dropped his flashlight when he saw one of our friends standing on the beach, entirely nude.  Quite good fun.

Camping - Day 3

On my second trip to the yarn shop, I was finally able to commit to some purchases.  Fellow knitters will understand this: my mother and sister asked me dozens of questions about which yarn would be best for which project and which colors work well together.  Then they were ready to check out and couldn't believe I hadn't made any decisions yet!

I bought yarn for all my commissions, some lovely wooden shawl pins, and two skeins for myself that I couldn't resist.  One is a sock yarn from Frog Tree Yarns.  If you haven't tried one of their yarns, you are missing out.  Lovely, affordable alpaca, merino, and bamboo yarns from Peru and Bolivia.  Also check out the story behind the company.  Very cool.

The second skein is a red, green, and white Christmas sock yarn.  You know, for my Christmas outfit.  Should go well with my ugly Christmas sweater, my Christmas leggings, and my elf hat!

Camping - Day 2

Welcome to the camp diaries.  I wrote these at the campground but due to the aforementioned lack of easily accessible wifi, you're getting them all now.  Enjoy.

Tawas Point Lighthouse

Yesterday was all set up and eating.  Today is more set up and more eating.  When did we get so many tents?

Goals for the week:  Sleep, beach, yarn shop, read.  Not necessarily in that order.

Photo of the Day

The inspirational photo of the day.  

Tomorrow I leave for a week long camping adventure with the family.  One of the best things about the campground is that there is no wifi and barely any cell service.  I say this because there is a good chance that you won't hear from me at all next week.  But no worries, I'll definitely be back the following week! 

Catnip Inspiration

Sorry I haven't been around to write lately everyone.  I kept thinking about posting but then life would get in the way and sets me on a different course entirely.

Sunday was the Cherry Festival Art Show that my dear friend Kelly was selling at.  If you want to check out her blog, here's the link; News From Fern Street  Although I was only able to stop by for a brief moment, I did get an adorable catnip wonton for Sorcha.  Sorcha LOVES her new toy.  So thanks Kelly!

This morning I went on an inspiration walk to the library, bringing along my photo/video camera.  I needed a break from my furious cape pattern finishing and birthday present knitting.  I hope to share some of these photos over the next few days.  So here's the inspirational photo for today,

Late Night Browsing

I am actually in the process of giving up my late night screen time so this is leftover from before that resolution...

I was looking around at online yarn shops and I stumbled onto this fun shop: indigodragonfly.  The colors are lovely and the blog posts are entertaining but what really got me were names of the yarns.  Check them out and enjoy.  Meanwhile I will try to decide which Buffy, Princess Bride, or Firefly themed skeins I should get!  

On This, The 4th Day of July

It is hot.  Really really ridiculously hot.  Which makes knitting a challenge, let me tell you.  Now that I have finished the light, lacy wedding shawl (a couple days after the wedding but who's counting?) I am left with the next highest priority on my list, the cape pattern.  Let me repeat that.  I am trying to knit a bulky (orange) cape in the middle of this heat.  We have left challenging way behind.  

I know you're all dying to see my completed shawl but this is the only photo I'm releasing at this time.  I will have the pattern for sale either on Ravelry or as part of a book someday so I don't want to give everything away now!  It looks stunning, if I do say so myself.  I literally took 70 pictures of it this morning.

Enjoy your holiday everyone!

My Other Passions

This weekend I got the chance to explore one of my other passions; wedding planning.  Now, as many of you know and were present during, I have done wedding planning before with mixed results.  It is a tough job.  Essentially you are the people pleaser for the day, running this way and that, ensuring that everyone is happy, well fed, and not too drunk.  The best compliment you can get from the bride and groom is "I don't think anything went wrong.  Everything turned out great!"

I could not have asked for more kind, grateful, or generous people at this wedding!  One of my favorite moments was during dinner when people who had a message for the couple just came up to the microphone and gave their toast, no formalities needed.  These words were more personal and meaningful than any of the speeches I've heard at all the weddings I've been to.

The thing I learned from the experience, though, is that I cannot do this wedding planning thing very often.  It completely wore me out!  Well, that is why it is one of many things that I am passionate about.