This summer was spent working on one project: my cousin's wedding blanket. I started working on it in the beginning of May. I designed it myself (wasn't that difficult), and I finished it August 1, a few days before the wedding.

Things I learned, but should have already known:

1. never knit a blanket in the summer! I was sweating SO much under the blanket--even with air conditioning!

2. Blocking it takes longer than you expect, even in the desert.

3. Never buy yarn that has been returned to a store. I bought Caron One Pound Yarn, which has no color variation--supposedly. I stupidly got one without an official label on it. I guess it had been returned because when I blocked the blanket, I noticed a slight color variation, which should not have been there. So even if there is no dye lot, make sure they all have the official label.

I will post my pattern soon (it's free!), but here are some pictures:

DIY Yarn Chandelier | HGTV Design Blog – Design Happens



I may do this! It looks easy and could be a great addition to a craft room, should I ever get one.

I was not the first person to jump on the HIMYM bandwagon. Based on the title, I didn't see how a long or successful series could be made. After all, how long could it take to tell a story about meeting someone? Obviously I had not yet met the long winded Ted Mosby.

So I started watching the series around Season 3. I loved the characters and how they dealt with issues that I had encountered. I really enjoyed a show that spoke directly to people in their 20s, 30s, and early adult lives. I tried to see myself in one of the characters, and though I do not fit any character exactly, I still related to all of them (Once I met the mother, Tracy, she and I did seem to be similar, and my boyfriend is closest to Ted, which is odd). I am sure that many of the other fans thought Robin was perfect for Ted, like I did, and really wanted the relationship to work out, though we knew it couldn't be possible.

For me the series started to decline in Season 8. I was anxious to meet the mother, and it shouldn't take two seasons for two people to get married. How long did that weekend last? While there was some funny backstory and interesting obstacles, Barney and Robin should have been married at the end of Season 8. Since I marathon watch my television, the energy really seemed to lag towards the end.

I greatly looked forward to the season finale, and I had many fixed feelings at the end, as did many other fans. I watched it live because I knew my Facebook feed would be littered with spoilers (yes, I realize the irony of this post). Here are my critiques:

1. Lily and Marshall: they're ending is predictable, yet happy. Their argument over careers was confusing, since they made it clear that Italy was not an option, but Marshall still decided against becoming a judge, though he should have still taken that opportunity. They never clarified that, probably to give Marshall some humorous lines about dealing with a difficult boss. Yes, everyone will empathize with Marshall's situation--unless you are very lucky--but that plot should have been cleared up. Lily seems to corroborate Jane Austen's stance, made clear in Emma, that women cannot be friends once they are married. Robin makes a good point that the gang must fragment, one of the reasons being that Lily and Marshall have kids and are busy and have different priorities and responsibilities. This argument makes sense, except that Lily and Marshall had been making an effort to be part of the gang with their first child. Although spending time with a family may not be ideal for the single career woman, they are her surrogate family, so I don't buy Robin's argument for distancing herself. Lily, very attached to Robin, would not let her go so easily either.

2. Robin and Barney: Although I was skeptical about their relationship initially, they did seem to work well together and shared many personality traits. I may have had them divorce, but I definitely saw them reuniting in the future, perhaps adopting a child as well. Yes, I imagine it is difficult to have a spouse who travels frequently for work, but the end result does not have to be a divorce. I must say that I respect Barney's honesty with Robin, though I expected him to make more of an effort to keep his marriage together. Same goes for Robin. She could have been successful and request to travel less.

3. Barney: After breaking up with Robin, I did not see him acting like his pre-Robin, player self. I suppose he might have done so for a period of time, but not indefinitely, at least, not until he first laid eyes on his daughter. I know the writers were trying to make a point that becoming a parent can change people for the best, but it is too idealistic to say that the change is instantaneous. Of course, I am not a parent, so perhaps this quick personality change is frequent.

4. Ted and the mother: As I previously mentioned, I couldn't envision a better match for Ted other than Robin, that is, until I started seeing glimpses of the mother. Tracy so perfectly compliments Ted. I appreciated the flash-forwards, but I would have liked their relationship to develop more through Season 9. I see the necessity of ending the series the moment Ted meets her, but there could have been a many more scenes of their lives together. After waiting SO long to meet her, it seems unfortunate that they waited so long to get married and that she died so young. Ted could still outlive her, but maybe when he was even older.

5. Children: According to another article, People, the children's responses were filmed nine years ago and that the series was always headed in the direction of Ted's and Robin's eventual union. It makes sense that so much time was dedicated to their romance, but still upsetting that the fans had so little time with the mother, who was an even more perfect fit with Ted. Their reaction bothered me and many other fans. I understand their conclusion that Ted is asking their permission to date "Aunt Robin," but if that was the whole premise of the show, then it should have been "How I Fell in Love," or "How I Learned that You Can Have More Than One Great Love," or "How to Tell Your Children You Love Someone Other Than Their Mother," or "The Incestuous Nature of Friendships." However the series was not called any of my titles, so the conclusion should end in marital bliss for Ted and the Mother, however realistic or unrealistic that may be (after reading a lot of literature, you change your mind about marriage...many times).

Yet all of my critiques may be for nothing: like a book, HIMYM is just a TV show with characters made to emulate people. Therefore perhaps we should not complain about the series finale as if we were speaking about real people. The series showed us vignettes from the lives of twenty-somethings and displayed the nuances of friendship. That should be enough, right?

In no particular order...

1. A damp towel when you've just showered
2. Damp clothes out of the dryer
3. Knitting patterns in booklets that are unavailable 
4. Plane tickets that are ridiculously over-priced
5. Drivers in the fast lane that go below the speeding limit
6. When the internet loads slowly--and I remember the dial up days!
7. People who lack the ability to follow directions
8. burning your tongue on food or drink
9. Knitting with a cut on your finger
10. The dry part of lotion.

This is your brain on knitting - CNN.com



This is a really great article. I have always enjoyed knitting. Sometimes it's frustrating when you are learning a new technique, but you feel so proud once you do master it. Of course it takes perseverance, but it is worth the effort. Now that I've read many articles on health benefits from knitting/crocheting, I know I will continue this hobby for as long as I am able.



More people than you realize knit. See if a friend can teach you. Otherwise there is at least one yarn store in every town with people eager to teach you.



Happy  knitting!

I have a few guilty pleasures, and one of them is watching The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. This last season with Juan Pablo inspired the following drinking game.

Drink if you hear the following phrases or statements:

• "It is what it is."
• "At the end of the day..."
• "It's okay." (Now that Juan Pablo is no longer the bachelor, I don't know how often I'll hear this phrase, but we'll see.)
• "I'm here for love." (mostly for The Bachelor shows)
• "dream"
• "I'm just being honest."
• "mature" and variations
• disrespect and variations
• grown-ass woman/man (for VH1 shows)

Friday, 3/7: buy chocolate wine for my friend
Saturday, 3/8: email a friend studying abroad
Sunday, 3/9: respond to student emails sent late for Monday's class
Monday, 3/10: walk to meet my friends rather than drive

Yeah, I know: my "good" deeds are rather lame at this point. I need to spend more time focussing on the good that I can actually do on a daily basis. There are also many good deeds that I do regularly, but should those "count" for Lent?

I will try to do good deeds that I normally don't, but if it is a busy day for me, I may need to fall back to a "common" good deed. However the whole point is to inspire people to do good and love God, so I think I will be okay either way.

It is Lent once again! I feel that I have not posted much since last year's Lent. I have been knitting, but not enough due to graduate school. I hope to include some pictures of my two projects, although one is very boring, during this season.

I used to hate Ash Wednesday services because they were so serious and some appeared hypocritical. The last two years have been a pleasant improvement. Last night the priest reminded us that Lent should not have us wonder what we should give up. Rather we should ask ourselves how we can better bring Christ's message of love into the world. Yes, we should try to avoid our bad habits, but if we place too much pressure on ourselves, we may be doing the opposite and begrudge Christ this season. Therefore, once again, I will try to do one good deed each day, not repeating any, during this Lenten season. I will also attempt to give up one bad habit, which, of course, I will not be posting online because everyone is perfect in their online personas.

March 5: Give money to St. Vincent De Paul
March 6: Take my dog on a long walk during my only break today.

What are you doing for Lent?

As always, Happy Knitting!

Happy New Year! Like last year, let's see how I did before making new goals:

1. Keep getting results from the gym. Rather than lose weight, I'd like a lower BMI number.
              I have been getting results from the gym, and my BMI is lower. So far, so good. I've lost eight pounds as well.
2. Be able to do 5 pull ups.
          I can! not in a row...but I can. Additionally, I'm only displacing 45 pounds when I do assisted dips and chin ups.
3. Stretch out my hamstrings.
          Not really measurable, but I do stretch more
4. Learn to knit socks.
          I made my first pair in spring 2013! There are pictures on this blog.
5. Learn to knit Entrelac.
           Not yet...too many knitting projects in progress
6. Finish the Masters Level 1 Program.
           Again, not yet, but by March.
7. Do and finish the Masters Level 2 Program.
        A 2014/2015 goal
8. Save more money.
          Done, but considering I'm making less, my bank account looks about the same.

So I thought 8 goals was doable. It looks like that number was a bit high. It is interesting to see what my concerns/values were a year ago. This year I would like to...

1. Lose two more pounds (easy, but keeping them off can be hard)
2. Learn to knit Entrelac.
3. Finish the Masters Level 1 Knitting Program.
4. Start the Masters Level 2 Knitting Program.
5. Travel to one new place.
6. Exercise at least three times per week.
7. Be sure to find happiness in everything I do. 

Happy New Year!