Purls and Pugs

Spring Cleaning

This weekend I got the Spring Cleaning bug. I cleaned slats on my blinds...who does that besides Martha? I'm not 100% done with my cleaning, but I made a good dent. I felt so productive.

Speaking of productive, I also knit over the weekend. I finished the body of the V-Neck Pullover and am quite close to finishing the first sleeve. The instructions say to knit the sleeves flat and then seam them, but I decided that I wanted those 2 extra stitches I would be losing. So, I actually gained 4 sts because I needed to add 2 for the ribbing. It fits like a glove, so I am glad that I decided to do it that way. I think it would have been a tad snug with a seam, and I would have to seam! Hopefully I can get the rest of this sweater done this week for wearing!

My sister stopped by this weekend with part of my birthday gift. She had already given me a gift certificate for a massage, but she brought by this scrapbook of Yoda for me! It's so cute, and I love it. She even made up pages for me to add pictures to later. She knows that I don't have the patience for doing that stuff, so she made it easy for me.

Blog School

I have a friend that I met at school who has decided to enter the world of blogging. Last night before my last midterm of my MBA career, I met with him to go over the fine points of blogging. Ok, maybe not the fine points, but the fun points. And I told him some of my latest dating stories. (side note: Did I mention I am going to write a book about modern dating? It'll be comedic.) Anyway, give him a visit at The Man with Million Dollar Hair. Tell him Amanda sent ya.

So, instead of studying for my midterm, I decided to knit. I think that's the best use of my time at this point. And since it's supposed to snow today, I could use a nice cozy v-neck sweater! Yes, you read that correctly--snow. I have no idea what's going on with the weather, but if I can get a wear out of the sweater before next year, I'm ok with it. So, I still have a few (3ish) inches left in ribbing and then it's on to the sleeves. You can see my green marker sitting there on the side so that I can see that I am actually making progress. For a while there I was thinking I was in the land of never ending ribbing, but I'm not. This really is an easy, quick knit.

Yoda received all sorts of goodies from the Easter Bunny this year,  and one of the things was a collar that wouldn't fit Lillie. Shhh....don't tell Yodster. Here she is modeling it. It's cute, but I can't see her wearing it all the time. I think this is a dress-up collar. My little pink ruffled pug.

The power of positive thinking

Yeah, so I was sick. For like a day. I'm ok with that. See, I know everyone around me has gotten the flu, colds, the 'Sapphire virus', pink eye...whatever--you name it, they've had it this year. I have been trying to stay away from the illnesses. Saturday I was at the mall and could swallow one second and then had pain the next. It was that quick! I thought that I would be getting the flu, and who knows, there may still be time. But I pumped myself full of vitamin c, airborne, cold-eeze, and water. I even gave myself a positive self-pep talk. But I am feeling much better than I expected. I'll just stay on the regimen of vitamination to make sure I keep the yucky away.

After last week (I'll just call it a constant party), I decided that I need to rest, so I stayed in last night. I worked on the Fitted Knits V-Neck pullover. Here you can see the progress on the endless ribbing. I think I am supposed to do 10 inches of ribbing...we'll see if I last that long. I might go back to the sleeves and come back!

My cousin's wife is from Romania, and she was watching me knit at Easter dinner. She told me that I did it differently than her, which is probably true. I knit English, so I am sure she does Continental...which I really need to learn and practice. I want to knit fast! Maybe this year at Stitches I'll take that class...hmm....

Detox week

Why, oh, why was St. Patrick's Day, the beginning of March Madness, and Easter all in the same week?! Let's just say that I need to detox! I'm afraid that beer runs through my veins...

Here I am with some friends at a bar watching all the games. I actually am not as hard core as the others. I left around 7 pm on Good Friday while they didn't leave until 11:30! And that was day two for them watching all the games.

Instead of doing two days of basketball, I saw a band called Dot Dot Dot on Saturday night. They were pretty good, too! If you get a chance to see them, you should. They do covers and some original stuff.

But it was fun, and at this point, that's what it's all about. I did do some knitting on my down time, but not enough to warrant any sort of pictures. You would all wonder if I was recycling pictures.

Happy Easter!

Leprechaun Hunter

Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I am thinking all the Leprechauns are going to be out and about. So, I taught Yoda how to hunt them. She's going to pounce on them and lick them until I get home to steal their gold. I blame my rich imagination on my mom. When I was younger we would chase the end of the rainbows to get the pot of gold at the end. Of course, we never made it, but it was still fun.

In addition to Leprechaun Hunting Training 101 this weekend, I also attended a wedding with my sister as her date. I was an awesome date...I navigated, got drinks, fixed her dress when it broke, and danced the Cha Cha Slide. What more could you want in a date?

AND I knit! Seriously, this post is like a triple threat! So, I am working on the Old World Baby Booties for my friend with the twin nephews. They are moving along pretty well. Here I am just at the short-row shaping of bootie #1. Only 3 more to go after this one!

I also worked on the Cozy V-Neck Sweater. It's hard to see, but I am all the way to the  ribbing...only 10 more inches of ribbing to go. The weather is warming up, but I think I can still get this done and wear it at least once this season...I'll just go without a coat!

Don't Feed the Pugs

Here we have a pug in her natural habitat. When the snow melts, and the temperature rises, the door opens for the pug to watch her domain...the front yard.

Ok, that was my attempt at narrating sort of like Animal Kingdom or one of those wild animal shows. We have been having absolutely amazing weather this week, so Yoda have been taking advantage. We have been going on walks outside, sitting in front of the door barking at all the school children playing, and just soaking up the sun! Vitamin D makes you feel good! Just ask Yoda.

Get a little Irish in you

On St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish. And the same goes for the South Side Irish Parade, as well...even if the parade is a week earlier than the holiday. I think it's just a reason to get rowdy and drink beer all day...fine by me! Here I am with my friend Jenn and her sister at the parade. This was about halfway through the parade, so you can be the judge about how much fun we had...

Since I knew I was going out on Sunday, I took it easy Friday and Saturday, so I worked a little bit on the Fitted Knits V Neck. I'm now working the body in stockinette...mindless and nice after a long day at work. So nice, in fact, I think I fell asleep knitting! Because I fell asleep, I really haven't gotten very far, but I think it will not be long until I'm to the ribbing...my favorite (sense the sarcasm?). But I am liking the way it is turning out, so I will preserver through it. I know, you've heard it all before.

Plugging Away

So, I have a body image issue, as do a lot of women. It don't think I am giant compared to what I really am, but I always misjudge the size I need for a top. I tend to grab a large or make a sweater in the bigger size rather than the smaller of two. BUT, I've been getting better. I have been realizing that it's just not flattering to have a HUGE baggy sweater, nor a large top. So, because I have been warned that the Fitted Knits run on the larger side, I decided to make the smallest size of the V Neck pullover.

I've joined the sweater for knitting in the round, and because I am making the smallest size, I'm almost to putting the arms on waste yarn and working just the body. Making the smallest size has its advantages in that I'll probably finish a lot quicker!

So this yarn is an interesting color. When I bought it online, I thought it was mostly brown. It is, but there is a green undertone. I don't think I would have bought it if I had seen it in person, but I think I like it. One of those sweet mistakes.

Apology

I want to apologize to my regular readers. Lately, I have gotten off the point of knitting and Yoda and gone off on some other tangents. Well, I'm over it. Back to the regularly scheduled blogging about me, my knitting, and the pug named Yoda. And I am going to catch up with all the blogs I have on Bloglines just waiting to be read.

Here is a quick pic of me working with my sunglasses on. I was good until about an hour before it was time to go home and then my eyes became very tired. The sunglasses actually helped. I look goofy, but I don't care...I tend to march to the beat of my own drum as it is. And most people at work know that I had eye surgery, so they just like to make fun of me, but they understand.

Since I am done with the sample and the pattern, I want to make something for myself. I could work on the Ribby Pulli, but you know, I'm just not feeling it right now. So, I decided to cast on for the Fitted Knits Cozy V-Neck Pullover with Deep Ribbing. With the new forecast of snow, I think I still have time to wear any sweaters I can crank out. And with this sweater being knit on size 9s will just fly.