Packing - Part 2

Who knew one could accumulate SO MUCH STUFF!

It just never seems to end. I cleaned out my closet today just to turn around and see the chest of drawers waiting patiently for it's turn... then there's the kitchen which hasn't even been touched yet! and let's not forget that super clean bathroom that has it's own hidden treasures to be sorted and packed. There's just stuff everywhere. Everywhere. Tucked behind cabinets, next to shelves, under beds and on top of closets that are just waiting for me... taunting me with their endless reminder of "you may have cleaned out your closet but you haven't seen nothin' yet!"

I have found stuff that I had forgotten all about. Things that I haven't seen in forever, dusty and shoved to the back of some drawer just waiting to be rediscovered. Then there are the things that I can't believe we saved at all! Old receipts for coffee, tags off clothes, empty envelopes from cards we once received, and keys that go to nothing.

I suppose this is the good side to packing up a house. It forces you to clean out all the old stuff that you don't need or don't use and throw it away or donate it to someone who needs it. You get to start fresh and organized. Only having the necessities. None of the extras that are stashed away to be dealt with another day. Because today is that day.

Or maybe tomorrow.

But did I tell you? I packed all of the yarn...

Duckies

I'm working on knitting these duckies two at a time.

And I'm working on my coffee consumption

Sounds like a good day.

Randomness

1. I uploaded my fist pattern on to Ravelry... well actually 2 patterns. 10 people have already queued it. I think that means I'm famous. That's pretty exciting.
2. I slept in until 10:30 today. That is also pretty!
3. I learned, the hard way, that one should indicate on the lace pattern holder if their next row is the line above the little place marker magnet or the line after .... especially when they are not going to look at it for 3 weeks.
4. I didn't knit for a week. Fortunately that knitting hiatus is over.
5. The Sofitel Hotel at Dubai Jumeirah Beach is AMAZING! The bathrooms alone make me want to move right in and never leave. And this is the view from the rooms
6. I didn't know that the "compose" tab on blogger meant that I could change colors, fonts, font sizes and lay out until last week. I have only been blogging on blogger for 2.5 years!
7. Because of this new development my posts might be a bit over formatted for a while.
8. The Burj Dubai err umm rather the Burj Khalifa finally opened... it's seriously tall.
9. Today I cleaned the bathroom... so that I wouldn't have to feel guilty about not packing. That's how much I hate packing.
10. I love pink sunsets. These days every evening is a pink sunset.
11. I may have taken pictures of the pink sunset so that I could procrastinate packing. Just maybe.

Packing - Part 1

ugh.

ugh.

ugh.

Honestly I just hate packing. I always feel it's too early until suddenly it's too late and there is too much to do. I will procrastinate packing, in any form (vacation, moving apartments, moving countries!), for as long as possible until I'm cramming anything and everything I can get my hands on into whatever luggage/boxes I have on hand. This usually ends up with me packing a bunch of stuff I don't need. But oddly through my procrastination method I have actually become quite efficient at figuring out what I need and all the tricks to making it fit in my luggage (Love you space saver bags!!!!) and not really forget anything essential.

But this time is different (kinda) where I am attempting to get things done sooner. In fact I have ALREADY started packing! I have weeks left before we go but packing? Yup, I started! What have I packed you ask? I know. I know. You really just want proof that I am actually packing and not just saying I'm packing just to make it seem like I'm not just sitting around eating bon bon's all day (That was only Wednesday). So I started packing only THE most important thing! My stash!

That is four large space saver bags and two medium stuffed with all of my lovely yarn. I wanted to swim in it! In fact pulling all of the yarn out of their hiding places get me inspired. I started looking at the yarn thinking of all the lovely things I could knit with it. This Knit Picks would be great for some fair isle... this BMFA would make some lovely socks... OOOH this Posh Yarns would make a beautiful shawl....

I gotta say that it was very difficult to stay on task! But I did and it's all boxed up with FRAGILE written clearly all over the sides and all of the yarn is safely tucked away in plastic as to not experience any mildew or water damage.

As for the set of Knit Picks Options and Zephyrs those are going in my luggage. Can't take any chances there! I mean I'm not worried that the box of yarn wont make it (If I was I would be shipping my clothes and carrying on a bag full of yarn!) I'm more worried that I'll be somewhere and need to do an emergency cast on and wont have my needles!!! And I need choices people!! The needles. go. with me. (insert crazy-eyed look here)

What if- what if i'm walking around town and I stumble across an LYS. And I haven't been to one in months so I will definitely go in if I see one. And they have gorgeous cashmere on sale! (Let's not talk about the yarn diet right now cause we're talking hypothetical here) and and I have to go in and buy some and it's so lushes that I can't wait 2-3 days for the boxes with my needles to arrive to cast on cause (duh) it's CASHMERE. No I have to cast on something that day! But then I would have to BUY needles and well we know that just not economical... Not when I already have a full set of perfectly lovely Knit Picks Options! See, it's more realistic just to make sure I have my needles with me AT ALL TIMES! oooh and the Addi sock needles I have as well. What if I want to knit socks? but the bamboo they are packed cause really I'm not a fan of bamboo needles... I prefer metal. And the DPN's they are in the box too cause once you know magic loop well then do you really need your DPN's anymore? (I'm sure I'll live to regret saying that!) Nope. So just the full set of Option and Zephyrs will be enough.

But you had to know that some yarn stayed out cause I cant go up to a week with out yarn! That's just crazy talk right there. So I have set aside some pre-put-together (I don't think that's a word) projects that will keep me occupied for a few days and additionally for the crazy long ass flight home. As for what those projects are? You'll just have to wait and see!

my first pattern!

ok people someone has requested the patterns for Mr. Bassil's Blanket & Hat so since I wrote it up I thought I would post it here as well!!! I KNOW! SO EXCITING!

Mr. Bassil’s Blanket & Hat

Supplies used:
4 balls of Rowan Calmer (Appx 700 yds) or another worsted weight yarn
Size US 7 needles

Directions for blanket:
Cast on 132
Rows 1-7: Seed stitch
Row 8: Seed stitch 5, K until last 5 stitches, seed stitch
Row 9: Seed stitch 5, P 3, *K1, P4* repeat until last 9 stitches, K1, P3, seed stitch 5
Repeat rows 8 & 9 until finished 3 balls (or reached desired length)
Seed stitch 7 rows
BO

Directions for hat:
Using magic loop CO 65 stitches (to make bigger/smaller just increase/decrease CO by 5 stitches)
Row 1: K all
Row 2: K4, P 1
Repeat rows 1 & 2 for 6”
Do three needle BO
Make tassels by wrapping about 15 times around 4 fingers, tie at top and attach to two corners of hat


if you make either or both send me pics!

note: this hasn't been test knitted (knit?) cause i'm just not that fancy yet. so if you find any corrections please let me know!