Year end is fast approaching!

How is it that I come upon the end of the year and I still feel as if I've got lots to do? I'm mostly finished with knitting projects for now and I need a break anyways after the presents. I have 1 more scarf to finish and then work on Hopeful. I'd love to get started on Lady Eleanor from Scarf Styles...this would be after I find me some money and some cheap Noro. I dunno, does cheap Noro exist?
On the beading front, I still owe 3 people beady presents, two patterns to finish up with a hard deadline on one of them...and lots of my own projects and houseplants I want to make. I also picked up the latest copy of Beadwork where there was a slight focus on Swarovski crystals and some patterns that look awesome and I want to make jewelry! On top of that, dad's here and we're shopping and eating and all I want to do is sleep!
So, I think thoughts for next year...I will only start buying materials for the next project once I know I have projects coming off the needles. Beads...well, heck, let's see if I can make money off of any of it and in the mean time, I've got enough on the "To do/wishlist".
Pictures up coming.

Chantress saga...continued

So, I tend to get brilliant thoughts either in the bathroom, or in that semi awake period while in bed. This morning, it was in bed. With French beaded flowers, I learned to lace from the center out because it keeps the petal shape even. When I'm being really careful, I will actually go back and forth on each side and work my way out. So why not do that with Chantress? So this morning, I cut myself a piece of thread and started working out from the center of one side of the frame, left side, right side...and have the piece stretched out over the frame. Yippee! So one side is attached. I did make a stupid little mistake...as I was cutting the thread at the end, I'd accidentally nipped one of the fringes at the top...grrr...so I just pulled the beads out of that fringe and knotted it. Something like that is stupid, careless, and heck, I'd rather have the knot than remake this entire thing.

Chantress frustration

So, tonight, I decided that while watching the Harvard/Dartmouth game, I would put Chantress together. I cut the fabric, sewed it together and seamed my bag. Then, I went to attach the frame. So, a while back I got the 5 inch frame and thought it was too small so I went and bought a 5.2 inch frame. Well, turns out the 5 inch frame would've been just right. Urg! And now, the 5 inch frame I originally bought wouldn't work either. Doubld urg! What is a girl to do?
I found a 5 inch frame that looks like the style would fit and the price is right. It's from this lovely store called M&J Trim and I had happened to wander into it this summer while in New York. Now, I will be up in New York in a couple of weeks...the question is...should I buy it now and pay the $5.95 in shipping? Or should I wait two weeks and pay the $4 for NY sales tax???
And dad's scarf is finished....just in time!

A cold and dreary night

And I think I've got about 4 more rows of my dad's scarf to do. My left wrist is starting to get ouchy... so I think I'm going to go take a shower, put on my wrist brace and finish this baby up. Tomorrow, I can weave in the ends and give it a quick wash!

Productive Weekend

Scroll down, you'll see a poinsettia and a shawl. Unfortunately, I was a little bit too obsessive compulsive about finishing the karabella shawl...and so my arms are getting a mandatory rest period today. I may even have to bring my wrist braces to work tomorrow. So then I switched the the beads...and it was still aggravating my forearm muscles...so...I just have to be careful.

Poinsettia

Poinsettia
Originally uploaded by jyiu7.

I've finished the poinsettia for Ms. Dorrie. This will get packed up and get sent out tomorrow. The pattern is based on Virginia Nathanson's patter for the red petals. The centers were my own creation, and you can see the trial and error in what I had done different between the larger cluster and the smaller. Then I added some holly and berries as filler at the bottom. I hadn't expected to do this much but one needs greenery to complete the arrangmenet!

Poinsettia - the larger cluster close up


Poinsettia - the smaller cluster close up

Karabella Ruffle Shawl - blocking!

KarabellaRuffleShawl-block
Originally uploaded by jyiu7.

I finished up the shawl last night and it is now blocking in the hallway...as that was the largest expanse of carpet upstairs that I could find. Exciting! Exciting! I'm hoping that because it is a mohair blend and really thin that it dries quickly and I can bring it to the SnB tomorrow night.

Some specs:
Pattern: Karabella Ruffled Gassamer Shawl, Pattern # KK420
Yarn: 3 skeins of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (used nearly all of it, not enough extra for a gauge swatch if I had chosen to do that)
Needles: Size 11 Addis
Other: size 11 Toho beads

The Christmas Flower

Poinsettia1
Originally uploaded by jyiu7.

Poinsettias...I'm making one for Dorrie so she can give it away as a Christmas present.

I started with Virginia Nathanson's patterns for the red leaves. Then I made my own version of the centers. Did you know that the centers in poinsettias are really the flowers? The things I learn from beaded flowers...

Cosmos

I have a new computer. And I'm so thankful I uploaded a working copy of my miniature rose pattern to my friend's server...because I don't think I can boot the compaq anymore.

On other fronts...I took the spiral rope class at Bead Obsessions last night. It was a first foray into needle work and I survived! I hope to have Chantress done soon so I can put the spiral rope on as a handle.

Karabella ruffle shawl...2 more rows...2 more rows...

I started Ruffles from "Scarf Styles".

Dad's scarf is on hold.

Work's been hectic and you could say that I've otherwise been depressed at home due to the lack of a functional computer. But I'm back!

Geek in Girl's Clothing Part 2

So, here are those pictures I promised.
First, I removed the battery (lower left) and the harddrive (to the right of the battery), memory (just above), and the pci board (upper right).


Next, flip it over and remove the keyboard.



Then, the display is disconncted and removed.


And the top cover is removed

Removed the video card and underneath it lay the Intel centrino...Of course, it had to get its own close up.

and here we've zoomed out and you can see the video card in the lower right hand corner.


And when I put it back together, it still worked...sort of. Turned out that the display is dying. I had my monitor plugged in and had managed to boot it up. As I was IM-ing, the display started to go but the monitor was fine...and the verdict was...it's the display, time for a new computer.
I've still got this old Pentium III 6oo mHz computer with its 382 megs of ram from the college days. But it is slow and in terms of computers, it's ancient.

So sorry if I don't blog much. I'm a little depressed that I'm lacking in a more up to date computer. But I am busy working on some scarves so hopefully, I start getting some finished products soon.
I've decided to that I'm going to take apart kepler and re knit the body. I'll have to take a picture of it first.

Also, IT'S OFFICIAL! I'm on schedule to teach my flowers at Bead Obsessions!

Work In Progress 3

Ya. I'm a busy girl. This is supposed to be Ruffles from the Scarves Style book. I think the gauge is a bit loose on the 11s so I'm going to have to swap down, maybe to 10s. And get shorter needles.

Work In Progress 2

this is something, not just a blob. It's that Karabella ruffle shawl...yeah, you can't tell right now. I'm working on the ruffles so it's gathered on the side.

Work In Progress 1

sead stitch border, basketweave body. Waiting to be finished