Stick a fork in me

My lord, you leave the world of blogging for a few weeks and the blogging gods make it very difficult to access what you believe to be your account. Oh well.

I am a terrible blogger, I guess i'm still getting into the grove of things and finding the time to make regular posts. Updates: started co-op. I now work 30 hours a week for my family owned catering company as assistant to the catering manager. My title doesn't really tell you much since I do a whole lot of everything. This week I entered data into a new catering software program which is supposed to simplify and make my life easier. We're not quite there yet, but I like to think things will get better. For the moment, I am trying to figure out how to charge people for food AND for service, because the program doesn't think our customers should have to pay for the $20/hour server that the company has to pay. I got frustrated with it in the last few days, so I've been helping to prep for parties, which is a job I truly hate. Cooking is not for me, although I enjoy cooking for myself on my own time. Tomorrow should be a better day, I am meeting with a wedding couple at 6, because they're interested in having a wedding planner. I will have to look professional so they can't tell I have no experience.

Knitting news: Had an emergency Stitch & Bitch on monday, I think we all needed it, and we had a good turnout. Dan came along because his jerky housemates were having a loud and obnoxious party, so he sat quietly in a corner while the girls and I knitted up a storm. My male knitting friend who refuses to knit in public even showed up, but he just stopped by to say hello. We'll win him over soon though. I might start with a private knitting party in the privacy of my home, to lure him in and win his trust, then we'll get him out to the big hoop-las.

Finished the squid, and now I present the chronological story of the squid.

We begin innocently enough with me following what appear to be simple directions. We start with a few purl rows, then a knit, then a purl row, followed by more knitting. And then we got tricky. Switch to purl row again, and make an obscene number of increases on the purl row. Renate and I had to venture into chapters to find a knitting book that made reference to increases on a purl row.



The very complicated looking purl row increases. This was the first attempt of 3 or 4 at getting this right









Followed by the diagrams I made to ensure I really understood how increasing every other stitch would turn out






One completed squid, taking an ice water bath to speed up the felting process










And little squidy is drying on a towel, sprawled out

Squidy is currently sitting in my knitting bag waiting to be stuffed and sewn up, and when he is, I will post a picture of a very happy Dan with his new squid buddy.





I also finished a baby sweater, buttons and all.
And I am the proud owner of a bright green smart car
Currently working on a 'this is not a plastic bag' market bag. The lace pattern caused me almost as much frustration as my squidy purl increases.