secret santa

last night i had a secret santa xmas shindig with some friends from work. i love secret santas, but i'm so bad at keeping my person a secret! somehow, this time i managed to do it. and i had the lovely and talented danielle. she seemed to like my gift, fingerless gloves i knit her, cookies and a cool om thingy she can hang on her wall!

and its not officially a party with yoga friends until someone is upside down...wine and all...

<3

cowls>scarves

not that i don't love a good scarf....but why do they take forever to make?! ahhhhhhhhhhhh. i would take a cowl any day of the week. but alas, a friend of mine requested a scarf (he's a boy) and i think this is quite masculine looking, no?!

i feel like i've been working on it forever and it's only half done...and i ran out of yarn! boo. i think this is going to have to be a post-xmas project. i just have too much to cast-on in the next few days, i shouldn't even be online! gotta go! here's a preview....

AHHH!!!

well, hellooooooo. i haven't been able to post because i've been knitting hat, after hat, after hat. i've pretty much become a hat machine these days! i can't believe how many people love this hat. i kind of want to steer them in another direction, because before this i never really knit a pattern more than twice. and i think i'm going on about 15! ah! but it's nice having such a good response. :)

this of course has meant NO xmas knitting. AHH!!!!!! remember that blanket i started for my mom last january because i knew i would procrastinate? yeaaaaaah, it's not really close to done.

i have almost no time left, i think i need to get a plan b. asap.

here are my lovely friends modeling some hats i made for them!

ok, onto more hats.....

<3

hat season

i can't believe it's already november! and i can't believe it has been so long since my last post. work has been crazy, as per usual....but actually a little more crazy than normal. i about had a nervous breakdown this week, but that is neither here nor there! the only thing that really keeps me sane is knitting. so i've been knitting like a crazy person (because i am).

i've been on a major hat kick. i'm knitting lots of hats for people at work....here is a picture of my latest creation for danielle! weeeeeeeee!

and here is a birthday cowl for my friend cole....

i'm also trying to sneak in some xmas knitting amongst my many hats and things.

it's finally getting cold out....i couldn't be happier. the more knitting on me the better! oh yes.

<3

friday night

this is what my exciting friday night looked like. i had a doozy of a time at work today and couldn't really manage to do anything but knit, eat peanut butter cap'n crunch and watch pirates of the caribbean. i love using scrap yarn for projects! i love how it turns out, even though it doesn't really make a dent in the scrap yarn...

hopefully the rest of this weekend is a bit more eventful. ;)

<3

twins!

my hat has found a home! this is my lovely coworker karen, i was showing her my hat and she really liked it! so it is now her's. :)
for about two months the doorman at work asked me if i had a twin, and i was convinced he was just cuckoo and kept seeing me thinking i was different people....and he was getting karen and i mixed-up! i think that is such a compliment, i mean look at the that cutie! ;)
another person at work requested the same hat in a different color, i see a trend here....and i like it.

<3

FO: dayglo hat

pattern: star crossed slouchy beret

yarn: patons classic wool marino

needle: sz. 9 & 11

started: sept. 24, 2009

finished: sept. 25, 2009

long time no see! i was finally able to pick my needles back up. i can't believe how much time passed without knitting, i won't let that happen again! i can't believe it's finally fall-ish outside, i am loooooving it. time to bust out the hats and mitts! this hat was easy peasy, although it's pretty bright i'm not sure i can pull it off. here's hoping!

i have much knitting to catch-up on. work has really been keeping me busy, i feel like i was pretty much living at the studio, but i think i'm starting to get a grip on my work and really feel comfortable in my new position. :) yay.

more knitting to come!

<3

cooling off

i haven't been knitting much lately, but i've been yoga-ing....forward bending is supposed to be cooling...i'd still rather have some ac!

there is much birthday knitting to come.

p.s notice how i never take my headphones off?! hehe

<3

FO: those mitts!

pattern: irish hiking armwarmers

yarn: patons classic wool marino

needle: sz. 7

started: aug. 12, 2009

finished: aug. 18, 2009

theeeeeeeeeeeeeey're baaaaaaaaaaack! yet another pair of those wrist warmer/mitten/glove thingies. this time for a friend who's birthday is at the end of september. :) modeled by the lovely danielle who i work with at the studio!

<3

the highline

today i finally made it to the highline with some friends and a friends little one, and it was really nice! it's kind of this bridge/garden/little getaway above the streets of nyc. it's right by the water so there was a really nice breeze and it didn't feel like the 100 degrees it did below. :)

you can even watch traffic! hehe


leo approved!

<3

insomnia knitting

i've been having a really hard time sleeping lately. i think it's a combination of the heat and lots of things on my mind. :( boo. i've never had trouble sleeping, and now it freaks me out that if i wake up in the middle of the night, i'm up for at least 2 hours.

i tried to knit a bit, until my hands got too hot! but it did make me feel better. oooh swellllllllls.

<3

and the winners are......

EVERYONE! i thought instead of picking 1 out of 4....i'd just give away 4 bags! weeeeeeeeeeee! :)

so beanymama and neko if you could please send me your address (jess.castro@gmail.com) i'll send them out asap. (lisa and sarah....i know where you live!) :)

<3

FO: sockettes take 2

pattern: ballet school dropout sockettes

yarn: oceanwind knits in jardin

needle: sz. 2

started: july 30, 2009

finished: august 10, 2009

love these socks, and i can't wait to wear them! mainly because that means it won't be summer and i won't constantly be melting!!! friends, summer is trying to kill me. :( it's always been my least favorite season, but i think this year it's trying to run me out of town.

we don't have ac at home, and at the studio if we even have it on it's set to 79. who puts ac at 79?! help!

<3

giveaway whatwhat!!!

i love giveawaaaaaaaaaaaaays! what we have here is a lovely reusable bag from laughing lotus yoga center. it's a cute little bag, very handy. i use mine everyday...i always have at least two bags filled to the brim with me at any given moment, you never know what you might need while you're out and about!

you can also use this bag for some stash yarn, or a project bag....here it is in all it's glory (yarn not included) :)


post a comment before wednesday at 5pm and i'll randomly pick a winner!

i'm almost done with my second pair of sockettes, what i need to do is pick back up that baby sweater and my mom's blanket, and my brother's blanket...going to go knit.

<3

FO: sockettes

pattern: ballet school dropout sockettes

yarn: yarn love (elizabeth bennet)

needle: sz. 2

started: august 1, 2009

finished: august 4, 2009

i love this pattern! so fast and the perfect thing for random/extra sock yarn laying around. now i just need to find some flats that they will go with.

this yarn is sooo soft and silky. i think there is bamboo and silk in it, ooooh yeeeah. and as you can see, betty is a camera hog...i barely got one shot without her jumping in! :)

taking the reins

today was our going away party for the manager who i will be replacing. she'll still be around, teaching a couple classes a week...but she'll definitely be missed. we had a little shindig at the studio and somehow i got balloon duty, what the?! my face hurts. after all the training, excitement, nervousness, it's finally time for me to just dive-in. here's hopin' i don't burn the place down! (knock on wood.)

here is the lovely heather, who shall be leaving us to go to columbia and someday become dr. heather. :)

here's the studio...i love how it's so hard to tell the difference between the party decorations and the regular stuff goin' on. it's a festive place! what can i say! hehe.

and most importantly, snacks! we also had a cake, but that was still on ice....


party is over, let the work begin!!!

<3

odd balls

it took me less than 24 hours to knit a sock! i feel a major sock phase coming on. i guess it wasn't a sock so much as a 'sockette'. i was looking for a pattern to use up some random balls of yarn i have, and i think this is perfect. my mom got me some yarn off my loopy ewe wish list a year or so ago, and she didn't know that you need two skeins to make a pair, oops!

in an effort to keep it interesting i think i'm going to knit one sock from a pair and then a sock from another pair. :) hopefully i go back and finish up the pair though! because you never know with me...

here is the first sockette and the yarn i'm going to use for the next one!


<3

FO: surprise thujas

pattern: thuja

yarn: knit picks wool of the andes

needle: sz. 6

started: july 12, 2009

finished: july 27, 2009

on a side note, today miranda kerr (the victoria's secret model) came into class. don't ask how i recognized her, i think i spend too much time on gossip sites. :) what's with me having to work-out next to pretty people?! nothing like practicing yoga next to this:


<3

what's really important

sorry for the lack of posts lately! there hasn't been much new on the knitting front. i'm still working on those thick wool socks and i also cast-on for some slippers for myself. oh, and i have that baby sweater on the needles...and those blankets...perhaps i should be knitting more than i am! :)

i took care of the important things first, like unpacking my yarn and giving it a nice home where i can admire it...and where betty can reach it as i've found out. she doesn't really seem too interested in yarn though, she likes sleeping more i think. i'm sure she'll get her priorities straight soon. :)

as much as i would like to unpack my clothes as well, i don't have a dresser! yeah, i should probably do that soon. i haven't actually unpacked my suitcases since i arrived on may 30. and as you can see, i still have to paint! ah! so much to do.
can you spot betty?! check out those walls, yikes!


<3

sweet betty

my sweet sweet betty! she's such a friendly, happy cat. i promise not to turn into someone who only posts pics of their cat...or i at least promise to try not to be! hehe.

i've been so busy with work and training, today was kind of the last straw and i almost lost it at work. but i lit some incense and had a cookie. :)

knitting news to come soon!

<3

betty's home!

yaaay! i brought betty home today! she's a little nervous i think, exploring things and right now she's hiding by a box of yarn. :) i think she'll be happy here!

all settled in....sort of

i officially have all of my stuff moved into the new apartment! i had to get some last minute things i forgot over there, this morning. i left my keys there, so i hope there isn't anything i forgot. :) my new room is a MAJOR fixer-upper. which is fine, i've just never spackled or painted before so this should be interesting. my room is kind of sad looking at the moment, i don't own any furniture and a lovely friend gave me a mattress. so i have clutter, suitcases and a mattress.

almost all of my stuff is still in nebraska. i have about 10 big boxes of stuff there, i moved with just two suitcases. it's been really interesting having only two suitcases worth of belongings. i kind of forget all of the stuff i have back in ne...and it makes me realize i can live with much less. i still don't like it though!!! :) i think i'll really feel settled in when i can finally get my stuff. and some furniture! and a tv! and betty!!!!! i'm picking her up tomorrow. i can't wait.

yesterday i went to ikea and could have seriously stayed there forever. oh how i love ikea. i just need to figure out how to get big things like bed frames/desks/dressers from the store to my apt. without paying a million dollars in delivery. these are the rare moments i wish i had a car.

i've been wanting to join a knitting group lately and i was searching ravelry for one...i feel like the city is so big and there is so much going on, it's so hard to find one! then i came across this thread...that was exactly what i was looking for:

Mondays:
8pm-ish Red Hook / Rocky Sullivan’s Pub 34 Van Dyke @ Dwight
Tuesdays:
6-8:30 LES / Whole Foods @ Houston @ 2nd Ave (upstairs in Food area)
6:30-9 UWS / Yarntopia @ 974 Amsterdam @ 108th
6-9 LIC / Manducatis Rustica @ 4635 Vernon Blvd (bet 47th Ave/46th Rd)
Wednesdays
1-3pm Windsor Terrace / Oak and Iris @ 2826 Ft Hamilton Pky (bet. E 4th/E 5th)
5:30-6:30 Chelsea / Amigurimi Club! Lion Brand Studio 15th @ 5th/6th
6-8pm - UWS / Starbucks @ 86th & Columbus
7-10pm - Bay Ridge / Starbucks @ 3rd Ave & Bay Ridge Pkwy
6-8pm - UWS / Knitty City - 79th & Amsterdam Men’s Night!
7pm Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill / location varies, check here for details
Thursdays:
6-9pm - Staten Island / Panera behind the SI Mall
7-10:30pm - Astoria / Himalaya Teahouse @ 31st Ave & 33rd St
7-10pm Park Slope / location varies - usually Sweet Melissa’s but check.
Fridays:
12-1:30pm Chelsea Lion Brand Studio 15th @ 5th/6th Ave
7-10 pm Windsor Terrace / Oak and Iris @ 2826 Ft Hamilton Pky (bet. E 4th/E 5th)

ahhh!!!! maybe i'll join them all! ;) i'm kind of nervous about going to one, i hate being the new person. i feel like such a dork!

<3

the (kinda) big move!

tonight i packed up the last of my stuff and sat in front of the a.c knitting some thick winter socks! :) only one (or two) more nights in this itty bitty room. yay!!!!!!!!!!! i can't wait to be in my own space. finally!

someone at the studio wants to feng shui my place...we'll see what she says. i'm all about powering up my money corner of the room! ;)

i'm trying so hard not to melt these days...fall, where are you?!

ok, i'm going to knit myself to sleep, then tomorrow it's movin' time.

<3

FO: sleeping blob

pattern: maddox the mischievous

yarn: patons classic wool merino

needle: sz. 7

started: june 14, 2009

finished: june 14, 2009 (unless you count how long it took me to stuff it....then july 14! hehe)

this sleeping creature looked so at home among my bags...i must say though, it's kind of funny looking. :)

<3

date night

francesca and i had another knitting date! i could sit and chat forever with a friend, some coffee and some knitting! :)

i brought my (kinda) secret socks and finished up the first one. these socks are very cozy, they might not be appropriate in august...but i'm sure they'll come in handy this winter! i'm never quite sure about knitting socks for others, especially when they're a surprise and they can't try them on as i go. i'm just going to hope for the best! i tried them on to see if it looked 'about right'.....it just looked crazy. :)

i found the cutest card at the coffee shop...

on a side note, i'm still training for my new position at work (i officially take over aug. 9). it's going pretty well, it's alot of information and alot of responsiblity but i'm excited to really get going and get in my own rhythm at the studio.

i haven't gotten betty yet...i'm hoping when i officially get moved into my new apt. (at the end of this week), i'll be able to go and get her and bring her home!

<3

sick day

i think i'm sick...i so rarely get sick though, that sometimes i forget what it feels like. i'm pretty sure this is it though. also, who knew it was possible to get a cold in the summer?! not cool. i've been feeling kind of down in the dumps the past couple days, so that has meant lots of laying around. :)

and what better to do on a sick day than cast-on another project! hehe. the recipient is top secret (for now), but i cast-on thuja with some wool of the andes i had tucked away.

i love this pattern! socks on 6's? yes please! i have gotten this much done in one night and about 5 episodes of chopping block (thank you nbc.com). as much as i love all this knitting time, i hope i feel better soon.

this week should be pretty busy, i should be moving, painting (hopefully) and getting betty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

can't wait. :)

decisions, decisions

last night i worked a bit on my mom's xmas blanket (that i'm thinking of turning into her bday blanket....more on that later). i'm running a little behind on my 'july block', but if i do about 3 rows a night for the rest of the month i should be a-ok.

and today when i got off the train, i realized how much i'm going to miss this neigborhood :( where else can you get unicycles, human paint brushes and iced coffee to go?! ok, alot of neighborhoods probably...but still.

this brave little soul was unicycling through the crowds! hehe

i saw this cutiepatootie....she just had to touch the turtle to see if it was real, i was also tempted...

and then everyone wanted her picture, who wouldn't!?

interesting...

not sure what is going on here...

there's was a table set up with notes people wrote starting with 'think of...' it was cool to read what they had to say.


and then, i went to look at the kitties again. my heart almost exploded. i really don't know if i'm going to be able to choose one! i was initially drawn to a cat named ip, she is a big calico cat (i think). however, she is a package deal with her sister, dip. i would love to take them both, but i really think i should/can only get one cat for now. ip is on the left, dip on the right.

an apartment with 4 people and 2 cats seems crazy. even with only 1 cat i bet it'll be crazy! :)
then i saw betty. betty!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love her.


she's so friendly and lovable AND betty is my mom's name. (lol!) i think it's a sign. so i really think my heart is leaning towards betty, i'm hoping she's still there when i go back in a week or so to adopt. :)