Halloween happiness

So, like I posted, I survived the test. Now I have to survive waiting the 6-8 weeks while they figure out whether or not I passed. Meanwhile, I get to study for comps (which i need to pass to graduate). My program lets us take comps instead of writing a thesis. (Thank the powers that be).
One day last week, in the midst of being out of my mind, I come home to my mailbox which has a lovely RAOK from Angela!!!





I had started to rip it apart, but hastily put it back together in my attempt to be a good blogger.



Half the fun of the package was opening it! Angela interchanged between black and white crepe paper...






with bits of goodness stuck between each layer... so you unwrapped more and more goodies...



until you got to the end.... there were far more layers than pics, but I got (ahem) impatient and tired of waiting to see what was in the middle!



We have a bookmark, stitchmarker, candle, chocolate treats, a pumpkin jumper, and a charm. THANKS ANGELA!!! (she sent a card a couple days later too!)

ok! a girl can take a hint. really, the haul from Shuttles wasn't THAT exciting. I was tired and didn't have a specific project in mind... so i bought sock yarn. Not just any sock yarn. KOIGU.



I also got 2 back issues of Interweave Knits. The book in the back is Nicky Epstein's Knitting on the Edge that I bought at the meetup the week before. When i got home after shuttles, I got online, bought my SP a book at Amazon... and thought, hmm...we shouldn't waste free shipping!! So I bought myself another Erika Knight book (simple comforts) and Last Minute Knitted Gifts, aka Oh Shit! Knits, dubbed by Cathi. And a boring book for my future career (on couples therapy). In front, we have the three skeins of Koigu, and the new Vogue Knitting...

If anyone needs a good laugh, I present you with:

BSB
a prime example of why Asians kick ass at karaoke.

and
the tale of the leather pants. If you don't laugh or smile, i'll take you out for coffee.

I leave you with a cute and gratuitous pic of my 'helpers.'

Needs vs Wants

In my childhood, I hated this saying of my mother's... now I'm convinced it was some of the best advice she ever gave to me (but dang, shouldn't EVERY little girl have an EZ bake oven?) In any case, I used to beg for toys, like any good consumeristic little kid out there... and my mom would say "no." Not all the time (b/c believe you me, my ass was spoiled rotten), but with enough regularity that I have very distinct memories of disappointment. In my snottiness, I would say, "how come? we can afford it!" Now you see why my mother, in all her wisdom, made sure she NEVER EVER took me to Toys R Us. She would say, "well, you don't always need everything you want."

In saying so, it appears, according to Google that

Cynthia needs....
to write a blurb for the website
no money (what the heck is this? )
a little fortification to face the shops alone (not true!)
a makeover (yes please)
to revert only to old English
to be in GREAT condition (so where's my personal trainer?)
help (LOL...)
to be stopped.
to continue counseling with Mental Health-anger management classes
and family counseling (a bit ironic, no?)
a job.

and, just in case... I googled using my nickname, Cyn needs...

to get back on David Letterman
a break
to go on tour again
a new partner
your help
a serious talking-to (hee hee hee)
more botox (no thank you)
one of those tiara rings
no makeup.

Love it.

The exam yesterday was alright. 200 questions. Multiple choice. The first six were a breeze. Then I hit #7, circled it (to come back). Hit #10. Uh oh. It's not good when you're on #10 and there are already 2 questions about which you have no inkling. I was the first one to turn in my test (I'm a big believer in, if I don't know it now, I probably won't know it later) and met some friends for a couple beers after the exam (well, I had pear cider ale). Then off to training in Boulder. I had planned to get up to Boulder early so I could visit Shuttles to buy myself a reward for surviving the big test. That didn't happen, but I didn't know their hours, so i thought, hey! I might as well stop by and see what their normal business hours are... and lo and behold! DANGER! DANGER! DANGER Will Robinson! They were still open after training.

I'll save the pic of the booty haul for next post.

For anyone who's holding out on joining the Int'l Scarf Exchange hosted by Celia and myself... please hurry and join. We're cutting off the sign ups in early Nov.

Swimming through shark infested waters...

So, I'm posting from a coffee shop today, because i needed to study for the BIG EXAM on Saturday. You know...I'm kind of ok if I don't pass the test, because it's the OTHER BIG EXAM (comprehensive exam) that's concerning me... if I don't pass, I don't graduate. That would be a bummer.

I got an awesome RAOK in the mail on Tuesday from Angela. Pics to follow later on tonight. I'm already playing hooky by blogging instead of studying so forgive me for not hooking up the camera to the computer right now. It came in the cutest tupperware container, an orange pumpkin made out of crepe paper and goodies hid inside! She had made a stitch marker, some charms, a book mark, and some other goodies inside!! can't wait to show you pics.

k. back to the drudgery of flashcards crammed full of info I don't remember learning.
check back later tonight (or tomorrow morning) for pics of my RAOK.

join join join

um, maybe i should delete the post about joining exchanges and KALs.

who wants a new scarf for the upcoming winter?

then join the


there are two groups forming, one for a scarf only, the other for your choice of scarf and hat, or scarf and mittens. I'll be doing the scarf only exchange b/c I'm participating in the scarf set exchange...

This is just a test. In a case of a real emergency...

you, the readers of this blog, have FAILED. FAILED FAILED FAILED. I mean, don't get me wrong, I LOVE getting comments (what blogger doesn't?) but I'm worried about you. I spent at least half of the last post talking about how KALs and I do NOT get along. I sign off saying that I'm going to join the SPORK along. Does anyone confront me on this? NO. Not even any of my girls.

Moving on... the booty call.

first up.

Look what Deborah got me!! Two skeins of SOCK IT TO ME! in a gorgeous blue, a cute little snap case with hand made stitch markers (and they MATCH. they're a SET), some DPNS in sizes 000, 00, 0, and 1s, some chocolate covered macademia nuts, a chibi set of darning needles, and a very sweet card. Thanks Deborah!! (and the package came all the way from Hawaii... think i could squish myself into a box and mail myself back?)


just a close up of the details of the package. I LOOOOVE the blue yarn!

The greek pullover, with many small changes to the pattern, has finally been completed. A little scary, since it knits up quickly, that it took me so long to finish. I made the back smaller than the smallest size, the front is the smallest size, the arms slightly smaller than the smallest size. All that needs to be done now? Buying some pink chiffon and getting Stacey to help me figure out how to sew it on.


Meanwhile, I've been studying my butt off for the big test next Saturday, seeing clients at the clinic, and doing the training up at Boulder. For those of you that thought I was reneging on my promise to blog... when I say Thurs, I mean Thurs night (which really means early Fri morning). See? I follow through on SOME things.

Last call: must mention Michelle's birthday!! (which is today, Friday!!!) Jump over to her blog and wish her a happy b-day...

along: to go WITH...

i think i need someone else to define for me how a knit along is supposed to work. as soon as i sign up for one? i stop knitting on that project.

let's look at the evidence.

#1
scarfstyle a long.
joined with the intent to get help with backyard leaves. which has been living in a UFO storage bin since last spring.

#2
sockpal2za
ahem. the only reason they were only a week late is b/c i hid all my other projects and let ALL my knit friends know that they were due pronto. and that someone was waiting for them.

#3
international scarf exchange
again. the scarf was due Sept 30th. Have you seen a pic of the scarf? No? hmmm. wonder what happened? really...i was working on the damn socks (which were due Oct 15th)



Finito!! (umm... 2 weeks late?) and it needs to be shipped internationally. Sigh. i need you, yes YOU, to help me resist temptation to join every darn knit along I see.

i leave the jury with those three pieces of incriminating evidence to come to a decision.

What else have I been working on? Besides being in the clinic 3 days a week, I've got training at SPAN (domestic violence shelter) on thurs nights from 7-10p, and Saturdays from 8a-5p. Don't these folks know i need time to KNIT?



that's the greek pullover from IK Fall 05 that i'm knitting for my very small pregnant friend. I changed the pattern quite a bit to accomodate her teeny tininess, and the expanding belly and breastisies. I made the back 15" wide, then made the smallest printed size for the front. no decreases at all. made the sleeves with 5 fewer stitches on each arm. i need to finish attaching the sleeves, then find some chiffon for Stacey to help me sew on the ruffles around the hem and cuffs.

while i'm baring some embarrassing secrets with you all? i present you with...



that would be my couch...turned upside down, leaning on my ottoman. Why have I literally turned my living room upside down? Because I'm reliving my childhood and wanted a cool fort.

oh. you didn't buy that? um... well... because I was knitting on those socks, and dropped a DPN down the side. and my fingers couldn't coax it out and the pillows don't come off... so I had to tip the whole thing over so gravity could help me. If that hadn't worked, I wouldn't have put ripping out the bottom of the couch past me. Have I officially joined the nutty knitter circle? (if only i were as talented as Franklin who would've drawn a cute crazy cartoon instead of posting a boring pic).

next blog update (for those of you that don't want to have to keep checking... (hint hint... bloglines anyone?) I will regulary schedule a blog update on, um, Thursdays? Maybe.

By then, I hope to have joined the Spork a long, made a decision on Rogue, and finish the greek pullover.