Monday, August 31, 2009

Nerves

Classes start today. I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad. Orientation just seemed to drag on and on forever, but I'm still not sure I want classes to start. I'm really nervous. Of course, I don't have anything better to do right now than just sit here and think about it because all of my friends have left. Of course they have. I'm the only one in my wing (that I'm friends with, mind you) that has an eleven o'clock class. That may work out to my advantage later in the semester if I have to pull an all-nighter--meaning I can sleep in later--but that doesn't help me now. So let's talk about happier things, shall we?I've decided that I need an easy project . . . well . . . I have a lot of easy projects going right now. What I mean is the kind of project that I can do while sitting in the dark watching a movie. We were watching Howl's Moving Castle last night with a couple of other girls from our wing and some random guys and I couldn't knit! They insisted on having the light off. Since I was working on this:
And since I need to be able to see the stitches so I can knit without dropping any, I need the light on. So, I need something like a sock or a scarf or something of that sort . . .

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Orientation

So this is my third day at college orientation. I've been learning the in's and out's of life that is college. My triple room is way bigger than I expected it to be and it looks awesome. For example:
My bed and my desk....and the giant shoebox full of cookies from my grandmom (in front of the TV) We've had several RA's complimenting our set-up. And, for probably the first time in my life, my stuff is pretty organized. For the moment, anyway. That's bound to change when classes actually start. But I've gotten a surprising amount of knitting done over the past couple of days during boring sessions. And I've found that it's very difficult to knit while there's an auditorium full of college students waiting for Keenan Thompson. The Orientation Leaders kept sending a wave across, threatening my knitting with every swing of their arms. But my scarf survived without any dropped stitches, fortunately.
I was rather disappointed with the show . . . I found Keenan Thompson very . . . not funny. Even my Orientation Leader, who was really looking forward to seeing him, said that she didn't think he was funny. But whatever. I got a lot of knitting done, so it's alright. And then I got even more knitting done today during our campus security talk this morning. I was listening, I promise. I just didn't feel like looking at the person talking . . .
Unfortunately, I've got to cut this short. There's a department meeting that I've got to get to. Art Ed! Woohoo! Yeah . . . of course I'm normal, why do you ask?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Productivity



Finally, for the first time in a while, I feel productive. First, I went out to breakfast with the youth minister from my church and a friend who also just graduated. Then, I went to the bank and cashed the last two paychecks I got. I haven't actually done any packing today, but I did order my textbooks online. This means that they'll be waiting for me in the student center for me when I get there next week. I also looked said textbooks up on Amazon and Alibris and decided that I might as well get them directly from the school (partly because none of the books were on Amazon orAlibris, but that's a minor detail). I've decided that college makes you harbor random objects that really don't belong in a bedroom. Other than the obvious books, yarn, bed, pillows--I've got dish soap on my desk and tons of crates full of stuff in front of my dresser (in a way that it's a pain to get clothes in and out of the dresser) and a second bed set (bedspread, sheets, etc.) and a laundry basket. Weird.
Anyhoo, yesterday, I started making Knitty's Shetland Shorty with my Knit Picks Imagination yarn:

Here's the yarn hanging out with the pattern on my laptop as I wound it into a ball. I've decided that a swift would be nice. Really nice. My knees will do in a pinch, and I'm sure borrowing somebody's hands would be great, but a swift would make life so much easier. I've always been stuck using my knees. Despite the fact that I have five younger siblings and two parents, none of them would ever be willing to hold my yarn for me while I wind it into a ball.
Anyway, I digress. I've gotten almost past the ties. Here I was thinking that the 300-stitch long garter-stitch ties would take me weeks. But watching Pride and Prejudice with my sister last night helped a lot. I know the storyline really well (I've read the book twice--first on my own, then in eleventh grade English), so it was easy to knit along with the movie. Maybe I'll talk everyone into watching another movie tonight . . . the perfect way to get lots of knitting done. I never knew 2700 stitches of garter stitch could go so fast. But I better not rejoice too loudly lest someone get jealous and let the rest of the wrap go painfully slow.Let's hope that doesn't happen. :)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Differing Perspectives

Why is it that non-knitters automatically assume that, if a knitter takes out their knitting, they’re bored? I went out to dinner with my friends Friday night (which was super-fun, by the way). We were at this Moroccan/Indian place for a six- or seven-course dinner; I kind of lost count after a while. While we were waiting for the next course, I decided I would take out my knitting and knit a few rows. In hindsight, I don’t think it was a good idea, anyway, because we were eating with our fingers and my fingers were all sticky—but I digress. My friends were horrified, thinking that I was bored! On the contrary, I was having a really, really good time. My hands just felt empty sitting there without an eating utensil. Even my friend who crochets didn’t believe me, though. So, unfortunately, I didn’t get to knit in the restaurant, which was rather disappointing. But I did get some knitting done later. :)
I’ve decided that I want to make a pair of legwarmers. I have no idea what I would do with a pair of legwarmers, but I want to make a pair. Now I just need to find a good pattern…

Monday, August 17, 2009

Once Upon a Time...

Welcome to Just Keep Knitting! Why a knitblog? And why me? Why make another knitblog when there are so many good ones out there? Well, when I asked my friend whether I should start a knitting blog, her response was “do it.” So…here goes. I’m Laurie and I’ve been knitting since I was probably about 10 years old. I’m an almost-college freshman; I’m leaving in 11 days (yay!). I’m currently an Art Education major, though I’m seriously considering switching to English Ed. (and I haven’t even started yet, go figure XD )
As for what I’m currently knitting, I’m working on a shrug in my leftover skein of Gossamer “Blue Jeans” from Knit Picks (pattern from Lacy Little Knits). I’m also making a scarf out of a laceweight, dark red yarn with a name that’s escaping me right now, but it’s a wool-acrylic blend. There’s more but I’m afraid I don’t really have time to talk about those right now because I’m being dragged off to the swimming pool. More will come later. :)
Toodles!