Tuesday, July 29, 2008

"Be Realistic!"

I'm not a very realistic person, as you can tell from my last post.

When I wanted to take 9 full classes this coming year and skip my lunch in order to fit it all in? It took my dad to tell me "Becky, be realistic--do you really want to go through the whole year with no lunch?" And now I have 8 full classes plus a lunch period, thank god.

When I wanted to go to a 7 week session of camp this summer, doing the CIT 1 and CIT 2 program in one summer (which is pretty much unheard of), only having one day of rest in between the sessions, it took my mom to go "Becky, be realistic--do you want to spend 7 out of 9 weeks of your summer sleeping on a cot in a tent?" And so I did 3 weeks of camp, finishing up the CIT 1 program.

So it took my 14-year-old sister to tell me "What the heck Becky? You're going to knit a hat every single day plus a scarf? BE REALISTIC!"

Yep. I am going to be realistic and change my plans for the Ravelympics. Along with doing the Scarf Stroke, I want to do one other event--either the Sock Put or the Amiguri + Toys Toss. Since I have a billion sets of DPNS now (thank you Grandma!) I can do any of them pretty cheaply without having to go drive a half an hour away for more needles.

If I do the Toy Toss, I'm going to make an Elephant "Elefante" for...someone...I don't who yet.

If I do the Sock Put, I'll probably make some cozy house socks.

So, what will it be? No idea yet. Well, I've still got, what, 8 days? 10 days? Plenty of time left!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The Ravelympics--2008 Plans

Well, the Olympics are beginning in...*checks counter* 15 DAYS! Which means that it is time for me to pick my Ravelympic project.

At first I was planning on making this sweater in lieu of the new HP movie coming out (and it looks like a fairly simple first sweater project--all done on circs, which means no seaming) but it turns out that the supplies cost way too much. I calculated $60 for everything, which I don't really have right now.

So. I went with option 2. Scarf Stroke. I know what you're all thinking--"A scarf isn't a challenging project!" Well, it is if it's 90 in. long! I'm doing the PoA Ravenclaw HP scarf to wear to the new movie. I know this KAL is the motivation I need to get it done--it is miles and miles of boring stockinette. But, using Caron Simply Soft, I can get all the yarn for $10 or less. Now that's more in my price range!

And, besides the scarf for the KAL, I'm also going to do a mini-KAL all on my own. Those hats.

They really have to get done. I want to get a hat done for every day of the Olympics. That's 17 hats! I can get it done--I'm going to be knitting all through August, but I can do it. I have NOTHING going on in August and am prepared to tackle this Gold Award--and that scarf.

The only damper on this plan is that school is starting again on the 18th (ugh). We don't get any homework the first week, though. It's always "Okay, here is a list of my expectations for this year! Let's play a getting-to-know-you game! I want to test all of you to see where we should start in the curriculum!" Easy. I went Tuesday to register for Junior year, and my schedule is so screwed up--I'm missing French III and Advanced Piano, have two classes at once and was put in the wrong gym class. Oh, and my lunch was at 2:30 P.M. Yeah, the office really has to fix it.

So there you have it--my plans for the Ravelympics! Can I do it? Or do I not know what I'm getting myself into?

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Christmas in July

I'm baaacccckkkk! It's been a while, but I'm glad nothing too drastic took place while I was up in Northern Wisconsin, sleeping in a tent and away from much civilization as we know it.

Anyway, the main reason for this knitting-related post is that my grandparents arrived from Kansas City today--yay! And my grandma brought me her ENTIRE. COLLECTION. OF. KNITTING. STUFF.

I freaked out. I am now the proud owner of more sewing needles than I can count, a huge binder of patterns from the '60s through the '80s, and LOTS AND LOTS OF NEEDLES! I would write more, but I'm off to talk to my grandparents. Stay tuned!