Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Granny Square Progress...

I've been working rather steadily on my Granny Square blanket throughout October and November. I'm about 85% finished with it-- currently working on joining the last half of it.
Since I'm not sure how much purple yarn I have to connect the squares, I've been joining them in a way that is odd, but that will allow me to keep some semblance of symmetry. The inner squares are joined with this beautiful, deep wine colored yarn I ordered a year and a half ago, after reading about on another blog. The corners (and probably all the outside squares) are being joined with this lighter colored purple yarn I purchased at the Genesee Country Village outside Rochester, NY.

I can't wait to complete and start using this lovely blanket.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

2011 Goals - Revisited

Towards the end of December, I came up with a list of goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2011. I reflected upon said list back in June. I'm looking at it again now. To recap, I wanted to:


Finish writing in my first fluke book. 
Meet people, generally.
Develop a group of friends in LA.
Live in the same city as the person I am dating (engaged to?).
Incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, in whatever form(s).
Read two books a month (for fun!).
Get a grown-up job.
Read my "12 Books in 12 Months."
Pass the CA Bar Exam.
Volunteer in the legal field.
Volunteer in a non-legal field.
Design something of my own.
Take one craft course each 2-3 months.
Get pedicures every 2-3 months.
Learn to cook more vegetarian meals.
Finish Level 1 of Rosetta Stone French.
Learn Spanish!!!
Strengthen my Farsi reading and writing skills.
Learn to can and preserve food.
Do at least 1 "cultural" activity per month (i.e. museums).
Take a roadtrip to Portland.
Go to Yosemite National Park.
Visit San Diego.
Check out different movie theaters in LA - preferably historic/cook ones.
Continue to blog.
Go to 3 craft fairs/shows, i.e. Renegade.
Open an Etsy shop?
Finish/make a quilt.
Crotchet a granny square blanket.
See a great band, live.

My progress this year...

1. Finish writing in my first fluke book.
  • Done! I finished it on February 16, 2011. I started my second one on February 26th. I finished that and started on my third in September!
2. Meet people, generally.
  • I've been working on this once since Nick and I broke up in late February. I've gone to karaoke, house parties, bars, bbqs, movie nights, breakfast clubs, and book club meetups. I'm doing new things all the time! Spending so much time with Gwen has certainly helped... I've met a bunch of new people through her since the summer time. I'm actually pretty happy where things are at in that regard.
3. Develop a group of friends in LA.
  • I definitely have a bunch of really good individual friends. Still trying to find a 'group' to join, though. I definitely feel as if I belong to Gwendolyn's group of friends, plus the group of friends with Travis and Sherwin. What can I say? I've always been a bit of a loner with the ability to walk in and out of groups.
4. Live in the same city as the person I am dating (engaged to?).
  • This goal became significantly easier to reach at the end of February. Hmm, wonder why... I must say that I'm enjoying being single very much right now. While I'm not opposed to meeting "Mr. Right," I am still very much not emotionally vulnerable for that to happen right now. And that's ok. Dating and meeting new people is fun.
5. Incorporate exercise into my lifestyle, in whatever form(s).
  • I had been pretty good about this for about 2 months but then I started working and had difficulty finding time to exercise and take care of myself. I seriously need to change this because I miss running very much.
6. Read two books a month (for fun!).
--> I'm a tiny bit behind but thus far I've read:
  • Freedom 
  • High Fidelity
  • Hunger Game Trilogy
  • Something Borrowed
  • World War Z
  • The Paris Wife
  • Breakfast at Tiffany's
  • The Girl in Hyacinth Blue
  • Ender's Game
  • One Day
  • The Bell Jar
  • The Beauty of the Husband 
--> I'm just about done reading:
  • Interpreter of Maladies (short stories)
  • Secret Lives of People in Love (short stories)
--> I'm currently reading:
  • The Engines of God
  • Team of Rivals
7. Get a grown-up job.
  • I started working for my brother's Surgical Center back in mid-September. It's challenging, but I'm learning a lot about healthcare, healthcare law, employment law, administration, and my ability to handle a shitload of stress.
8. Read my "12 Books in 12 Months."
  • I... don't think I've read a single one. I'm awful, I know.
9. Pass the CA Bar Exam.

  • Took the exam again in February 2011.
  • Find out that I passed the exam on May 13, 2011!
10. Volunteer in the legal field.
11. Volunteer in a non-legal field.
12. Design something of my own.
13. Take one craft course each 2-3 months.
  • I've certainly failed at this goal, but I did take spinning back in August. I absolutely loved it! I can't wait to buy my own spinning wheel!
14. Get pedicures every 2-3 months.

  • I went with my mom last weekend to get one. My feet were awfully blistered and calloused from my flats and wedges!
15. Learn to cook more vegetarian meals.
16. Finish Level 1 of Rosetta Stone French.
17. Learn Spanish!!!
18. Strengthen my Farsi reading and writing skills.
19. Learn to can and preserve food.
20. Do at least 1 "cultural" activity per month (i.e. museums).
  • I'm super behind on this one, though I did go to the Hammer Museum a few weeks ago.
  • I plan to go to the Huntington Museum and Gardens next week!
21. Take a road trip to Portland.
22. Go to Yosemite National Park.
23. Visit San Diego.
  • Went to PB for Memorial Day weekend with Sarah!
24. Check out different movie theaters in LA - preferably historic/cook ones.
25. Continue to blog.
  • Not as frequently as I like, but I'm still at it!
26. Go to 3 craft fairs/shows, i.e. Renegade.
27. Open an Etsy shop?
  • Not going to happen. I have little time and little interest. 
28. Finish/make a quilt.
29. Crotchet a granny square blanket.
  • I'm working on this goal right now! While I haven't finished yet, I'm about 85% of the way done and will definitely be complete by the end of 2011!
30. See a great band, live.
  • I saw Cake perform at Doheny Days Summer Festival and Carolina Liars play at the Fox Theater in Pomona!
Although I haven't had this list in front of me, I'm glad to say that 6 months into this new year (when the hell did that happen?!) I've actually done a number of these. I'm going to spend the rest of the year trying to do more. I doubt I'll do all of it, but I think I could do quite a number more.

I'm pretty happy with my progress thus far! I'll see how many more of these goals I can bang out in this last month and change of 2011.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Granny Square Progress...

Knitting and crocheting is truly remarkable to me. I love possessing the ability to turn these long pieces of string (essentially):

into these little squares of joy:

I think the granny square blanket is progressing nicely... I'm aiming to make 4 squares each of 8 designs before I start attaching them to each other.

I can't wait to curl up under this thing to sip tea and read a book or knit any one of a dozen patterns I've been eyeing on ravelry.

While I do generally enjoy the process of knitting and crocheting, I'm definitely a product knitter and crocheter!

Monday, November 7, 2011

A Short & Incomplete List of Things I Love In (My) Life

1. Holding (and drinking from) a large mug of hot tea.
2. Yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and the ability/(im)patience to create beautiful things using them.

3. The sound of the grandfather clock in the hallway sounding away the hours and half hours.
4. Sweet potatoes with a bit of brown sugar sprinkled on top.
 (Seen here fried up with some egg for a hearty breakfast!)
5. Adventures- even failed ones.

 (Spent yesterday afternoon in a mostly closed downtown Pamona, CA...)
6. Used bookstores.
7. Trees during autumn- vibrant reds, golds, and oranges.

8. Soft, warm autumn jackets that help keep away the cold.
9. Baking pies and other goodies for people I love.

10. Curly and wavy hair.

I'm certainly not where I expected to be a year ago but I must admit that while my life is not perfect, and is more often than not stressful and exhausting, I'm a pretty lucky woman.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Lazy Sunday

I stayed up until 2 am crocheting and knitting last night. 

I then spent this gloomy Sunday morning drinking tea, crocheting Granny Squares and finishing some guilty pleasure television.


I'm now headed off to a cute little town for used book and antique shopping. 

Apple pie baking is in the cards for later on this evening. 

I can't remember the last time I had such a relaxing weekend!