It's 2012 already?!

I know I said that I was going to finish up my 30 day knitting challenge, but I've been pretty swamped with school work lately.  I took astronomy as one of my electives, imagining that I would be outside with Ronnie's telescope gazing up at the night sky, contemplating the heavens and not doing much homework but sadly, it's nothing like that.  There is PHYSICS in the textbook, physics.  I'm also taking discrete math this semester which is a senior level class.  I'm trying to spend a lot of time with my text books because each class requires three chapters of reading a week.  I'd like to go back to my SQL class where I did almost all of the work in one day and spend the rest of the week knitting.

Speaking of school, I got nominated for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars:

What else?  I opened up my etsy shop that I posted about recently.

It's located here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/nuclearkitten  I don't have much in it yet, and I haven't made it look very fancy but I'm slowly working at it.

I'm the maid of honor for Sarah's wedding this year (so excited!!) and I ordered my dress this week.  They told me it should be here in April, but I'm thinking it will be a lot quicker than that.  Time is flying by and her wedding will be here before  I know it.  It's hard to believe that Jenda's wedding shower is already next month!

I'm sorry I've fallen a bit behind on the knitting challenge.  I want to open up an etsy shop this year and I've been busy working on a few things to get it started.  I'm hoping to have it up and running by Tuesday.  Keep your fingers crossed!

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty Three

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty Three

Day 23: If you had the supplies (and patience) for it, what project would you start today?

My queue on Ravelry is so unbelievably long, but here are some things that I find particularly lusty:

The Galaxy Afghan (I need to get a much better grip on crochet before this can happen)
The Marie Antoinette Doll
Paulie
Penrose

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty Two

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty Two

Day 22: Have you ever stricken someone off your to-knit-for list because they didn’t appreciate/take care of your last knitted gift to them?

I don't really knit that much for my husband anymore.  Not because he doesn't appreciate the things I make him, but because he over appreciates them and leaves them lovingly in his closet.

Pictured is my super cute niece who is one of my very favorite people to knit for.

Thirty Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty One

Thirty Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty One

Day 21: Do you knit gifts for friends and family for the holidays or birthdays?

I love knitting for my friends and family.  I subject them to something for every holiday and birthday.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twenty

Day 20: Do you knit in public? Was anyone offended/incredibly happy/curious that you were doing so?

I'm a flight attendant and I used to have really long breaks in between flights so I used to spend a lot of my downtime knitting.  A few years ago I switched my schedule around so I only do two flights a day so I don't have those sits anymore.  That being said, I don't find myself knitting out it the real world very often anymore.  When I used to knit at work, I always got a really positive response.  Most people who approached me were other knitters and just wanted to find out what I was making.  I've made a few friends on Ravelry because of this!

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Nineteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Nineteen

Day 19: Do you watch movies and/or listen to podcasts while knitting? What are your favorite things to knit to?

I have an addiction to Investigation Discovery, so a lot of times I will watch that.  Most recently I've re watched all of The Mis-adventures Awkward Black Girl and I'm making my way through Being Human (UK version) on Netflix. 

I like to read ebooks on my iPad too.  It's really easy to turn the pages while knitting.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eighteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eighteen

Day 18: Do you knit English or Continental?

I do both!  I learned to knit in the English style and I happily knit that way until probably two years ago.  I mostly knit Continental now, but sometimes I'll find myself reverting back to English without noticing it.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Seventeen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Seventeen

Day 17: Have you ever had a project that you loved become ruined? What’s the story behind it?

The slippers that I knit for my wedding reception got pretty trashed by the end of the night.  It was worth it though because it was one of the best nights of my life. :)

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Sixteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Sixteen

Day 16: Have you ever had a knitting related injury?

Any kind of stitch pattern that requires you put more than 2 or 3 stitches in a single stitch generally makes my hands and wrists hurt after a while of knitting.  (pictured is my Knitting Needle bag by Pam Allen with the brutal berry stitch)

I also feel like my Knit Picks interchangeable needles are really pointy!  If I push the stitches off the end of the needle with the tip of my finger too many times it starts to hurt!   

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Fifteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Fifteen

Day 15: What was your least favorite pattern and why?

I honestly don't have one!  I'm going to change this question to What is your most knitted pattern?
I feel like I've knitted Coco Knit's Malabrigo Loafers for everyone I know.  They're my moms favorite so I've knitted her 3 pairs.  I've also made a pair for my Auntie Kay, a pair for my dad and even a pair for my husband.   I love this pattern because not only are the slippers really cute, they're super easy to make.  I can knit up a pair of these in a day if I get myself motivated.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Fourteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Fourteen

Day 14: What’s the worst yarn/fiber that you’ve worked with and why?

One of the girls I work with had been asking me to make her a sleeve for her laptop for ages.  She didn't ask for anything specific, she just wanted it orange.  One day when I was at the grocery store, I decided to just grab some Red Heart and make up something for her really quick.  I don't feel like I'm a huge yarn snob, but I just couldn't stand how this yarn felt when I was working with it.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Thirteen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Thirteen

Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for?

I have one skein of this Lamb's Pride Bulky that has been sitting in my stash for ages because I have no idea what to do with it.

image via: http://www.knitculture.com/yarn/fiber/mohair/brown-sheep-lamb-pride-bulky.html

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Twelve

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eleven

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eleven

Day 11: Do you have a “Knitter Hero” or someone that is just way too awesome for their own good? Do share!

Elizabeth Zimmerman?  Everybody loves EZ right?

I think my real knitting hero is Stefanie Japel.  My little knitting life changed in 2007 when fitted knits came out and realized how many beautiful patterns can be knit in the round.  I think it's pretty norm to see seamless knits now, but it pretty much blew my mind back then.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Ten

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Ten

Day 10: Do you have a favorite pattern or designer?

I have so many favorite patterns, but here are the designers that I want to knit just about everything they've designed.

Ysolda Teague
Rebecca Danger
Ellen Mason
Mari Muinonen

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Nine

Day 9: What fiber or yarn do you love working with?

I prefer to work with wool or a wool blend.  I usually use Patons classic wool because I really like their colorways and it's a yarn that is easy to get in a jiffy. 
Two of my favorite yarns that I've worked with are Dream in Color Smooshy and Madelinetosh Pashmina.

Smooshy image via FluffyKniterDeb, Pashmina image via Madelinetosh

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eight

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Eight

Day 8: What’s your most challenging project?

I think I started knitting this little baby blanket way back in 2007.  I didn't find doing entrelac to be very hard, but I couldn't wrap my mind around how to cast it off.  I remember reading and trying all different kinds of instructions before finally giving up and putting it in my closet for about a year.  I guess I must have gotten a bit better at reading patterns in that year because when I finally tried it again it was a piece of cake.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Seven

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Seven

Day 7: Your least favorite?
This is a hard one, but I'm going to have to say the Mother's Day Cotton Slippers that I made for my mom in 2008.  I think I would have liked this a bit better if I had tried knitting these up with a wool, I'm not a huge fan of how the cotton looks.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Six

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Six

Day 6: What is your favorite piece that you’ve knit?

It was too hard to pick one, so here are four.

Lorna Suzanne - I love this little cardigan.  Not only does it look super cute, but it's comfy and looks great with almost everything.

Atelier - The yarn for this was last years Christmas present. It's very soft and I adore the colorway.  The cardigan is very lightweight so I get a lot of wear out of it.

Ronnie's Wedding Socks - He only wore them once, but everyone got a kick out of them at our wedding.  I saved them with my wedding trinkets and they bring back wonderful memories.

Moderne Log Cabin Blanket - This thing took me two years, but it's so cozy and warm.  We put it on the bed in the winter and on the couch for napping in the summer.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Five

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Five

Day 5: How long did it take from the time your learned how to knit, to finish your first project?

My first project was the hat that I posted a few days ago, and it was pretty easy.  You've got to love large needles!  It was so long ago that I can't really remember exactly how long it took me to finish it, but it's pretty safe to say that I sat there and fiddled with it until I finished it.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Four

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day 4

Day 4: How did you learn how to knit?

When I got my doggie Pepito, I got the idea that I wanted to learn how to knit so I could make him a sweater.  I bought myself the Knitting for Dummies book and learned all the basics and even some advanced techniques from it.

Even though I've been knitting for about 6 years, I find that I'm still learning.  I usually use youtube for cast on instructions or techniques that are unusual.

Oddly enough, I never made Pepito that sweater...

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Three

30 Day Knitting Challenge Day Three

Day 3: Do you have any other WIPs (works in progress)?
I've been working on this lovely 10 stitch blanket for over a year.  When I first started it, I was picking up every other stitch on accident and so it wasn't even on every side.  I took it all apart and restarted it back in November.  I have a little over one skein of the yarn left so I think I'll finally cast off once it's all gone.

Ronnie got me the yarn for two cardigans for Christmas, but I'm going to attempt to finish these two projects before I start them.

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day Two

30 Day Knitting Challenge Day Two

 

 Day 2: What is currently on your needles?

 

image via Russ McAllister

I started a granny square Mario afghan for my brother sometime early last year.  I got about half of it done and started seaming the squares together, but it ended up looking horrible and all bunched together.  I almost threw it out, but I got the idea in my head to knit squares and see how that looks.  I've still got a long way to go, but it's a nice portable project that I can put in my bag and work on it on the go.  I'm going to make mine with the more updated colors.

30 Day Knitting Challenge

I'm sorry for the long absence.  I've thought of little things to update every now and then, but I just haven't been able to get myself motivated enough to sit down and type anything up.  My fall semester of school was killing me.  I spent an embarrassing amount of time working on homework, but it was worth it because I aced both classes.  I had a little winter break that ended yesterday so it's back to school I go.  I've only got one class for the first half semester so I'm going to try to get back into updating by re-posting the 30 day knitting challenge I found over on tumblr.  I'm sorry Sarah, you will have to see these twice :)

30 Day Knitting Challenge - Day One

 

Day 1: What was your first finished project?

My very first finished project was a hat knit straight on size 15 needles with Super Bulky yarn.  I finished it sometime in early in 2005.  I knit the hat flat and then seamed it up the center, using this pattern from the Martha Stewart website.