SNOW!!

Hey,

So I haven't been here for awhile, blame pneumonia, work, school, final exams and pneumonia again!

I'm DONE university!!! I wrote my last exam yesterday morning and am so thrilled to be finished, but am now packing up like mad since I'm moving home tomorrow....

But, this just had to be blogged about. Yesterday it was sunny, warm, 17*C outside. I went out to lunch with friends and we sat on the patio, I was worried about getting sun burnt and I even put on sunscreen. At 9:30 at night I walked home with just a sweater, no jacket, and I was fine!

Today however, today is a different story. This is the view out my window this morning:

... yeah... It's hovering around 0, and nothing's staying on the ground, but it has been steadily snowing for more than 6 hours now, on April 26th, after being 17*C out yesterday... Wow.

Exams, Exams and more exams!!!

Hey everyone! Again I am so sorry for the lack of posting, I really don't think I'm cut out to be a blogger, I've never been successful in keeping a journal, but I'm going to continue with the occasional post, because sometimes you just need to say things.

I haven't had much time to post either as the semester is coming to an end quickly. Classes ended last Friday, so there was a massive pile of end of term assignments and group work (which I am now positive I hate!) and quizzes and such. Exam period started on Monday, and I had the worst exam schedule, I had two yesterday and one this morning, so it has been a hellish weekend/2 days, but hey at least the majority of my exams are over now and I'm still alive. Sure my eyes hurt from all the reading, but I only have 2 more exams next week and I will be finished with 2nd year! Oh my goodness!

Knitting-wise I have had a grand case of startitis which is usually the case when I get stressed out, however I think I overdid it as in the last couple weeks my wrists have been hurting and now I have an elbow twinge when I knit, so I'm trying to lay off the knitting, but I got started and a few things finished, so I have lots to show!!

Secret of the Stole II - I don't think I posted about this at all while I was doing it but even starting late and getting delayed through mid-terms I did finish on-time, and it paid off! I won the grand prize for completion, 1 kg of cashmere yarns from Colourmart (who by the way I definitely recommend, very fast shipping!), pictures will come, I've just been too busy.
But here is my finished stole. I love it, it was my first lace project, and I really enjoyed making, I love the colour, and it's so warm, I can really see it coming in handy for summer and cold AC places.
If you like the stole, the pattern is now available on Nautical Knitter's website, here, she's awesome so please support her by buying the pattern, there are two options for the pattern, one with the arch in the middle, and one just a straight stole. I've heard that SOTSiii is going to be starting sometime around the end of summer, so if you're interested stay tuned to Nautical Knitter's website for details!


My Cabled Cardigan - I did it! I finished my first cardigan, and my first improvised design sweater!! It was my first button band, and I have to say, I am so glad I was lucky enough to only have to do it once (I've probably jinxed myself now for my next sweater, darn!) since there were 408 stitches in one row of the button band, that's too many with the weight of a whole sweater attached. But the finished product is great, it's a nice casual wear sweater for breezier spring days. The sleeves are a bit long, but I've just folded up a cuff for now. Also I was thinking of doing pockets, but then realized I'm completely out of yarn! Seriously, this worked out so well, I only have a few metres of yarn left!


Jaden (from Knitty Spring 08) - I really like this top, and so I started it even though I should have been studying. I started the back on Friday and finished it on Sunday, I think this is what really brought on the elbow pain because it's knitting up really tight. So I don't think I'll start the front until after exams. My gauge is also off because I'm using a worsted weight cotton (Elann Endless Summer Connemara - discontinued) so I'm knitting the XS, it's kind of turning out in a S size, but I'm adding some extra length just to make sure, and also because short shirts annoy me.


Forest Canopy Shawl - I bought the pattern awhile ago, and didn't really want a worsted weight shawl, just a light shawl to wear on top of jeans casually, so recently on Ravelry I noticed that a few people had made it out of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino. I love this sock yarn, seriously, love! My LYS just happened to be having a sock yarn sale, so I came home with 2 new skeins (I'm hoping my parents won't notice the amount of yarn in the apartment when they come to help me move home for the summer, there have been a few LYS trips where I have ended up with more than I intended/really needed...). I started it off in Spanish Moss, but didn't like how the pattern was coming out in it, plus it didn't seem very forest-y too me, so that first start is just sitting, I'll frog it later, I think I might want to try the Diamond Fantasy shawl in that yarn. But I did restart the Forest Canopy in Green Mountain Madness, which is a nice mix of greens, blues, teals, and blacks, and seems to be working out well, no pictures right now though, sorry.

Spring has also sprung in Montreal!! Finally!! We had a taste of it last week, but then it snowed over the weekend, which was gross and so not good for our mental sanity, but it's 20C out today and spring looks like it might stay this time, so yay!

Sorry for the drought of posts and then a huge one, I won't make any promises about when I'll be back to post again, but hopefully it will be soon, so see you then!

Ravelry! Uh Oh....

Ok, so not only should I not be anywhere near a computer, I have been checking the Ravelry list excitedly today, because usually check on Mondays, just to see where I am and I started the morning with around 400 people in front of me, and now there are 96(96!!!!!). This is not good. Not only have I been spending WAY too much time knitting on the blanket.

There is also a 4th square done which I finished on my commute to help coach Special Olympic Curling yesterday. I know, they aren't really square, but I'm hoping a really good blocking will help fix that, otherwise Gwen will just have a slightly non-geometrical blanket.
Ok, I really need to study now (presentation and 3 midterms over the next week - wish me luck!) - hopefully I will be able to resist ravelry for at least a little bit.
Oh - and to make matters a little bit worse (for the studying anyways) my landlord says he finally has my new stove and hopes to get it installed sometime this week, Yay!
I will leave you with a beautiful fall scene I took in while hiking up Mount Royal on Saturday...

Mid-term time!!

Ok, so, sorry in advance for the lack of posts in the next few weeks. Anyone else somehow involved with university students will know - it's midterm time!! Whoo!
Pictured above is my favourite new knitting tool - and the exam I'm supposed to be studying for and can't quite drag myself to.
But the bobby pin - I discovered it by accident, I found myself in class without a cable needle, and am doing a cable like the one on my sweater on a baby blanket square. What I came up with was what I had in my purse - a bobby pin. I've never really been a fan of using a cable needle, but I don't like cabling without one either, it doesn't look as nice to me. But with the bobby pin, I slide the stitches off onto it, and then when it's time, slide them back onto the left needle, that way, I'm not fiddling with a cable needle, the stitches aren't going to unravel (as they often did with my other method, just sliding the stitches off the needle and coming back to them), and they're kept safe clipped in the bobby pin. The bobby pin is also very slim, making it easy to slide the stitches on and off.
This is working great with the cotton I'm knitting the blanket with, but I'm not sure how well it would work with other yarns. I guess I'll find out, because I love this!

(sorry for the crappy photo, I was too lazy to get out my real camera...)