In Which I Scrapbook

Yesterday I thought a lot and decided to write a blog about it. I had every intention of doing what I said I would do, but my brother Kevin came up with an even better idea. Read his post and you can see the challenge I unwittingly got myself into. http://fakingmyway.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/challenge-accepted/

I really appreciate Kevin's support and accountability, and now if all goes well there'll be twice as much creative stuff as there would have been if I'd tried this on my own, and you can follow both of our blogs and see all of that creative output. Also, there'll be a free dinner for one of us sometime in the future.

This creativity duel might change my focus a bit. Knitting and cross-stitching take a long time. I'll continue to do things, but Kevin established that only completed things (I made this sleeve! etc.) count. Due to this I'm going to have to venture out a bit and I will probably end up writing more. Since I've wanted to try my hand at writing for the better part of a year and simply haven't found the time on my own, I expect good things from this. (Good things by way of me practicing, more so than necessarily good writing - I'm still really new at it).

My only question for you, Kevin, is does cooking a meal count? Not making a PB&J, but actually cooking? I don't get to do it as much as I want to, but I've been counting good cooking as creativity in my head.

Finally, if you read his blog you will have noticed that Kevin wasted no time in beginning, and has put some new Haiku on his blog. So, what have I created today? I don't think I mentioned on the last blog that I recently took up digital scrapbooking (thanks Mom!). Today I made this:

I intend on printing it out and hanging it in my apartment post haste. Now we just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings from the both of us.

-Kat

In Which I Start Something

Today I drove from my home in Texas to my second home in Stillwater. A four hour drive on your own allows a lot of time for introspection. While I was driving I listened to a few podcasts. I started out with Bad Philosophy (check it out - it's going to be a thing), and then I moved on to catching up with a knitting podcast I follow. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much inspiration I can get from hearing someone else talk about knitting. I started thinking about how I don't have a class I can knit in this year - which was the most knitting I ever did in the last few semesters - and how I would have more difficulties finding time for my hobbies this semester. That got me thinking about my hobbies and the hobbies I plan on taking up.

Last week I was talking with a friend, and I mentioned how home ec-y I am in my hobbies. I knit, cross-stitch, write, and cook, and I want to learn how to sew and garden. Thinking about them all together I realized that I really enjoy creating things.

When I was young I dreamt of being an artist when I grew up. Then I realized that I can't draw a thing and I gave up that idea. Since then I have come to understand that I still have a strong creative impulse, it just goes through different avenues. Around mile 200 of my drive my thoughts wandered back to my lack of knitting time this semester. I made a resolution - this year I am going to create something every day. Whether that be a few rows of my sweater, a paragraph, a few stitches, or just dinner, I'm going to create a bit each day, keep track of it, and see what happens.

I find joy in creating things - otherwise I wouldn't keep doing it - and one thing I know is that it's important to make time for the things you love, so starting today that's what I'm going to do. And if you're even a smidge interested, you can keep up with me here on this blog.

-Kathryn

In Which I Wear My Cloak

Today it got cold. Really, really cold. Today I also conducted an experiment in self-confidence in the face of weird looks.

I decided about a year and a half ago that I really wanted to own a cloak because I think that they're really pretty. I found a pattern and was planning on making it myself when my mother thought to ask my grandmother to make it for me. We bought warm, dark green wool and sent it to Tulsa. It turned out beautiful, and I wore it a few times last winter. I brought it with me to campus and told some people about it, but it hadn't been cold enough to wear it for most of the semester.

Last night I knew it would be and I resolved to wear my cape today. I worried some, would it be too big to fit in at the desks we have to sit in?, would people think I was crazy?, would it be warmer than I thought? But this morning it was still close to freezing and I donned my cape and went to class.

The reactions I got to wearing an ankle length cape around campus were varied and hilarious. The first person to comment saw me sitting down wearing it and thought it was something like a snuggie at first. I explained and she seemed to think it was interesting. Every time I walked into a room I almost felt like I was making a grand entrance, because people would glance up and I could see wonderment on their faces.

I got one bad review from a girl in my math class, but I've never much liked her fashion sense, so I didn't take her reaction much to heart. When I went to get lunch at the library the woman who usually sells me my sandwich and coke said that she loved it and wanted to know where the pattern came from so she could make one herself.

My worries about the cape being too bulky were unfounded. When I was in a building I just folded up my cape and usually put it on the floor next to me. On my way to the Canterbury center the sun was setting and it was getting even colder. I put my lovely, very deep, hood up for the walk there. I got some really great looks from the theater people smoking outside the Seretean Center as I walked up in full cape with my hood. It made me laugh.

So today I reminded myself that as long as you walk tall almost no one will laugh in your face, cloaks are awesome, and so are grandmothers that make them.

Also, this evening I was told by a woman that I go to choir with, "You know, you're young - but your book would be very interesting." I agree.

"We always walk tall, we're Jets!"

In which I Scare My Psyc Class

So I have a funny college story to tell.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have carried a pocket knife for several years now. Unfortunately the clip on my knife is bent and I have not received a new one yet. Because of this and the fact that clothes makers seem to think that women's pockets don't need to be deep enough to properly carry a pocket knife, I lost my knife last Thursday afternoon.

I filed a report with the police and the next day they called me and said that they had found it. I was very excited and thought the matter closed.

Today in psychology we were discussing motivation and fight or flight. Dr. Dempsey began to mention a personal experience that he had had with fight or flight just last week. He told us how a student after class had walked up to him with an open switchblade. At this point I burst out "Was taht last thrusday?" Dr. Dempsey said that it was and I announced that that was my knife and I was very glad that I had gotten it back.

The class began to look at me a little strangely and wanting to better demonstrate what he was teaching Dr. Dempsey asked if I had it with me. I said yes and pulled it out and opened it. Then I got that feeling that everyone around me was fairly certain that I was crazy.

I handed the knife to Dr. Dempsey and he said that when a student had walked up to him after class holding an open knife (the student hadn't known how to close it), he simply thought that he was going to die.

We all laughed and I thanked Dr. Dempsey for turning it in to the police. He said that he had to, and that the police officer had seemed rather unconcerned about the whole thing. Apparently Dr. Dempsey thought that they should fingerprint it or something to make sure it hadn't been used in a crime. I'm sure that since there have been no recent reports of stabbing on campus that that never crossed the officers mind.

So I have my knife back, and S.O.G. is supposed to be sending me a new clip. Also, my entire psyc class is a little afraid of me going off the deep end and stabbing someone. Funny Day.

In Which I Have a Lot of Knitting

Wow....

How did October get here already?

First off the college catch up:
Classes are fun (bet you don't here that from many people), they're pretty much the same as they've been.

I've had time to read a lot more than I thought I would so I've been reading a bit of Shakespeare. I don't think I'd read any of his comedies before and I really like them! Always learning something new.

With it being fall and a little colder up here than it is in Texas, I've had oppurtunities to wear stuff I've made, and I love it. Unfortunately it's also given me a bad case of startitis.

I'm currently working on five projects and I've ordered three more which are being shipped to me now. That's more projects on the needles than I've ever had before.

I'm still working on Joe my blanket, but it's gotten so big that it just lives on my bed now and can't travel anywhere.

I'm also working on an unnamed scarf that I started before college. It's a beautiful gray lace scarf and I love the feel of working with it.

I recently started a shawl in a pretty blue-green for a knit-a-long. I have to purposely drop stitches in it and I love it. It's named Anne.

I also ripped out a fingerless mitten I had made a year ago and am changing it into a lace neck scarf.

Then I wanted to learn how to do circular knitting with the magic-loop method so I ripped out Juliet, my pretty cotton yellow gloves with cables up the arm, and restarted them with magic-loop and it's working out much better.

See? I told you I've got startits! I started all those new projects within days of eachother.

Now I've ordered three kits. One is a kit of knitted ornaments that I'm going to decorate my room with for dead week and finals week. The second is a knitting bag that will teach me how to make linings and and use interfacing. And the thrid is a kit for a hat and gloves to teach me fair isle (knitting with two colors of yarn in one row), which was one of my goals at the begining of the year!

All this knitting will keep my hands busy and warm all winter.

Alright, tired of hearing about knitting?

In other news my classes at the Colvin Rec Center are going really well and I'm imporving greatly in both boxing and yoga. My boxing class has dropped from 20 people to about 8. It means we get to learn a lot more in each class because Jeremy, the teacher, only has a few of us to correct.

The other big part of my life here at OSU remains the Canterbury center with the Episcopalians. I love going to a church that has such a small congregation, because everyone knows each other; and I still love the two-three nights a week I spend at Canterbury, the people and conversation are great.

I also went on another tour of the library this week and found a fantastic study spot! It's on the fourth floor facing big arched windows so during the day it's really sunny and really beautiful. I also checked out a couple of books on e. e. cummings and I don't have to give them back till the end of January if I don't want to! How cool is that?

All of these things are keeping me very busy, and I'm really looking forward to tomorrow when I don't have any pressing responsibilities until the play in the evening.

"When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way."

In Which I Spread the Love

So summer has already happened.

I have so many interesting things to say, so I'm just going to stick to interesting knitting and school. I think.

Why knitting and school you ask? Why, because those are two things I love and this is technically a knitting blog.

First though, an interesting story - this Tuesday I was leaving my mom's hairdresser and I tripped off a curb. This is not that unusual for me (I'm not particularly graceful), but I twisted my ankle bad enough I though it might be broken. One condescending doctor and an x-ray later, it was determined that I didn't break it but it was swolen bad enough that I got a nifty brace and crutches. I only used the crutches a couple of days, but I've been wearing the brace awhile and was hobbling for several days after.

I and several of my friends have spent this summer trying to get ready to go to college this month and I've been having a great time. Apparently I chose a difficult color scheme for my room because wherever you go it is hard to find eggplant purple bedding and other room stuff. I have bought and returned several items and I think I might actually have everything I need now. I'm still knitting my handtowel, but I should be done by the time I move in without any trouble at all. In an attempt to be organized I've taken a schemeatic of my room and written down where everything I have will be going so that move in day will be a little easier.

I can't wait until next Monday when Dad and I get to start packing. He and I are both good at making many things fit into a small space so I am not worried about making it all fit at all.

I've bought my school supplies, which I seem to do differently than everyone else. I need a spiral notebook and a folder for all of my classes. I like these to match and have a pretty design on them. I didn't think that that was asking too much because I knew there were brands that made matching supplies. Of course none of the stores seemed to think that people would want this because they seperated all the notebooks and folders, so I had to hobble around (see above story) back and forth comparing to try and get 5 matching sets.

It took 4 stores.

Enough about school (I can't wait!!!), I also have fun summer knitting stories.

Early this summer I finished my orange sweater, fondly known as Pete (go Pokes!). Pete is a bit oversized so I will be able to layer it really well, and it will be a fantastic study sweater because it is rather cuddly.

I have also been working on more washcloths, my blanket, and at least one handtowel.

I have enough washcolths to take now, and the first handtowel will be done before I get to college, but the blanket will not be ready till almost winter I think.

My blanket is also yet to be named, although I've been given plenty of suggestions. My dad says I should name it a guys name so I can shock people by telling them that I sleep with ____ (random guy's name), my brother said something along the lines of Shada, but I'm really not sure what fits yet.

I got back from New Orleans last week and I had an amazing time. There were 4 youth there including me. On the drive down I informed them that if there was a knitting both there like there had been in the past we would be visiting. Come Saturday, I found the booth. I sat everyone down and gave them needles and yarn and began to teach. The two guys, Andy and Jacob and Jo our youth director picked up knitting quite fast and even seemed to enjoy it. Huzza for knitting!

I introuduced them to some of the traditions of knitting and recomended books on the trip down and now I've done all I can and I hope the knitting bug takes hold of at least some of them.

Now I think this blog is long enough so I'm going to go watch some Stargate and knit!

"Get back and let a man do the Popcorn!"

In Which I Do a Little Bit of Everything

School is finally winding down and I'm already getting ready for my next semester in the fall.

I've been looking into what classes I want to take at school and I've been looking for dorm stuff. Apparently I picked very unpopular colors for my dorm as my mom and I can't seem to find them. I choose orange and black for my bathroom because of the orange washcloths I've been knitting in my philosophy class and purple for my bedroom because of the purple, black and yellow blanket I've finally started and plan on having finished by the time I get to school.

In classes now everything is getting close to the finish. We're reading Hamlet in English, doing a unit of the philosophy of logic, truth, and science in Philosophy, and reading Billy Budd by Herman Melville in Lit. I still really don't like Melville - Billy Budd is at leas short, but the story isn't even really good. I thought I might like it because it's something of an exploration of opposite personalities, but instead it just makes me angry like Moby-Dick did (and yes the hyphen is supposed to be there).

On a happier note, I got accepted to the Freshman Research Scholars program at OSU and I'm very excited! The class I take for this program is taught by the dean of the arts and sciences college and there's only 16 people in it! I think I'll really enjoy doing a research project next year and hopefully I'll have the opportunity to do another one my sophomore year.

While I'm making plans for the fall semester I'm also making summer plans. The only big event I have is the National Lutheran Youth Gathering in New Orleans. It should be great fun. The rest of the summer I plan to spend buying stuff for my dorm, knitting my blanket, and reading classic novels.

When I got accepted to the FRS program I realized the only classic novels I've really read are Jane Austen novels and I think I should expand my horizons a bit. I've been making a list and every time I go to borders now I spend time lingering in both the knitting section and the required reading for schools aisles.

Despite being so busy I have gotten quite a bit of knitting done lately because I temper my homework schedule with knitting breaks. I knit an entire wrap - Emma - in two weeks because I wanted to wear it on Easter. I was up at one in the morning before Easter watching The Ten Commandments on TV sewing on the buttons and weaving in the ends!

I've also started my black hand towels for college and I've finally collected all the yarn and started my dorm blanket!! It's really soft yarn that's knitting up really well, I'm very happy with it and I haven't even finished the first block of color yet. There will be pictures when there's something more to show!

That's the highlights for this semester (I really might blog more than once every few months after this)

Until next time!

"Why did I listen to that cad?"