What's a Life, Again?

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.  Alright, now that I have your attention . . . I know it's been a while.  I know that I promised myself that I would write a blog post a week, and I know that I've failed miserably.  However, I've found myself incredibly busy for the last two months.  First of all, I have fifteen credits-worth of classes (almost all of which require an excessive amount of reading).  Second of all, there are several clubs that I'm trying to be involved in (one of them being English Club, of which I am the secretary).  I've also been forced to do all the homework for said classes.  In between all of this, I've been trying to find time for friends, my boyfriend, and other assorted situations that have come up. 

I have, however, found some time for knitting.  I made another hat with some blue acrylic/wool blend.  I used this pattern from Knitty.  For a few days, this hat was my therapy.  I've been at the breaking point for a few weeks now.  I'm over halfway through the semester and I think I can make it.

Midnight Inspiration

I love how, as soon as I start getting ready for bed, I start getting ideas for knitting projects.  Sadly, I haven't had that much time to knit lately . . . Well, to be honest, I haven't had that much time for anything lately (confounded homework!).  I've worked a few more rounds of my sock.  I'm still trudging my way through the first row of the lace pattern of the body of my sweater.  However, as I was thinking about the poster I'm putting together for English Club, I started thinking about the pair of fingerless gloves that I've been wanting to make.  Now, I have a pattern that I want to use (this one from Knitty).  I think I've been putting it off because I want to modify the pattern somehow, but I wasn't sure how.  However, I've been struck by inspiration, and I think I have a semblance of a plan . . . Now I just have to wait until the sock is finished so I can use the needles . . .

10 Random Facts About Coming Back to School

Once again, I find myself sitting at a college desk in a college dorm room with a massive load of homework hanging over my head.  I've been back on campus for almost two weeks now.  Classes started on Monday, so I've officially survived almost an entire week's-worth of classes (I have one class left tomorrow).  Then, I'm off home for Labor Day weekend.  It's such a weird feeling being back on campus after being home for a few months.  Here are some things I've realized over the course of moving back onto campus and once again dwelling in the dorms:

1. I realized how many people I actually know on campus.  
2. I've also realized how many people I don't know.
3. I forgot how much walking you do in a day while on campus.
4. The first day of classes the second time around isn't nearly as scary as the first time.
5. I love getting textbooks really cheap on Amazon.
6. Having an elevator in the building makes moving in so much easier.
7. English classes require a lot of reading.  So do history classes.
8. I love my cork board.  I don't know how I survived without it last year.
9. No matter how many times I check to make sure I brought everything, I still manage to leave something at home.
10. Did I mention that I have a lot of reading to do?

 So, those are my thoughts on the first week of my sophomore year.  Tune in next time to hear me ramble about . . . I don't even know yet.  Have a splendiferous Labor Day weekend, everyone! 

Attention Span

You know, it's amazing how short my attention span can be sometimes.  For the last couple of weeks, I was focused on my knitting.  Yarn, needles, and projects were constantly on my mind.  I spent hours browsing the Ravelry pattern index for that pattern.  The one I had been dreaming of for that random ball of yarn that has been lounging in my stash.

Now, however, it's changed.  I've been spending the last week reading and reviewing stories and poetry on a forum that I joined last weekend.  I've spent that time I was spending thinking about knitting and have applied it to thinking about, and actually doing, some writing.  I finished a short story that I started on a while ago.  I've written random pieces as I was sitting there watching my dad and my brother having a catch in the backyard.  I wrote about move-in day last year in response to a story I read on the forum I joined.

I just need to figure out how to join the two of these things.  Rather than focusing all of my time on either writing or knitting, I should spend time with both during the day.  Maybe it would keep me more focused on each of them for a longer period of time.  But then again, I may need these spurts of obsession.  As much as I don't like big changes happening in my life, I need to keep mixing things up.  Maybe that's why I've been enjoying college so much . . . there's so much to do and so many interesting people to be around.

Speaking of college, I'm once again sitting at a residence hall desk as I type this.  I came back on Sunday to help out with a program for incoming freshmen.  I must say that it's good to be back, but it's weird seeing the campus so quiet.  It's rarely this quiet on campus and in the dorms.

5K

For those of you who don't know, I started training to run a 5K at the beginning of the summer.  I know some people who might be surprised at this since, in high school, I was very anti-running when the running applied to me.  I've never had a problem with other people running (I have several friends who ran both cross-country and track in high school).  It was just the concept of me running that I abhorred.

So what caused the change?  There were several factors.  Part of my motivation was simply to get into shape.  Another was to see just how far i can go.  I may have played soccer and been on the swim team and been in the colorguard in the high school marching band, but I've never been the person who goes outside just to run around.

But I digress.  I feel like it was my cousin who got my butt in gear (or "get my butt moving" as a certain someone's parent would say . . .).  At the beginning of the summer, my cousin invited me to a facebook group.  She was trying to get a group together to do the Tough Mudder race this fall.  As I looked at the website, I couldn't help thinking about how much fun it looked.  The only problem was my lack of physical fitness.  So, I started looking up training programs for running a 5K.  And it's history.

I still can't run for too long, but I can run for a mile without stopping.  Or I can run for a half hour, broken down into six-minute intervals.  It's not much, but it's definitely a start.

Distractions

You know . . . I've sat down at the keyboard several times over the course of the last month thinking about what I should say here.  Whenever I sit down with the intention to write a blog entry, my mind draws a blank.  I start to type something and hope that it comes across as witty and clever, but I reread it only to find that it sounds bland and flat.  I know that it doesn't serve as an acceptable excuse, but I have been thinking about the blog.  As I go on a run or make the hundredth small Chocolate Extreme Blizzard with vanilla ice cream at the Dairy Queen, I think of the perfect things to say.  Yet, when I sit down at the computer, nothing comes.  Maybe it's just the inactivity of the summer, or maybe it's the heat (yes, we have air conditioning, but no it's not on . . . please don't ask me for the answer to that riddle).  Honestly, I can't really say.

However, I can say that I love planning for projects, especially when they're knitting projects and especially when I'm going patternless.  It just feels like this great adventure where I've got to apply all the knowledge I have about that craft.  Or having to learn new skills for the completion of the project.  There are always the rough spots, where nothing that I do seems to be working.  But if you think about it in the grand scheme of the project, those rough patches only make the finished project mean that much more. I've been working on some knitted jewelry designs for an Etsy shop that I'm hoping to open next spring.  Stay tuned for more!

They Do Exist!

Ok, so . . . while exploring the wonders of the internets, I've stumbled upon a blog with an extremely interesting, unique, and entertaining topic.  Introducing Hot Guys Reading Books.  Yep.  It's a blog that features a different picture of a guy reading a book every day.  Because literature-loving guys always seem to be in short supply.  That's all I really had to say right now.  Honestly, I've had a few blog posts in my head over the course of the last month, but . . . whenever I went to write it, I was called to do something supposedly more "important."  By the time I got back to the computer, all of my brilliant thoughts were gone.  At the moment, I'm waiting to pack the car up with my family for a week-long trip to Myrtle Beach, so this post won't be very long or informative, unfortunately.  But stay tuned!