Welcome!!! Welcome to the Whimsical Woolies blog center! I plan to talk about anything that relates to fiber! Hope you enjoy what you see and keep coming back!
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I am now a Cedar Crest College Alumna! Last Saturday, May 12, was the big day where I walked across stage (didn’t trip), shook hands with the college president, and received my diploma. Four years of hard work was all built up for that moment.  Don’t I just look all regal and amazing in my Cedar Crest graduation regalia? 
Overall, in a quick reflection of my undergraduate career, I had an amazing time. Granted, there was lots of hard work, but I didn’t mind. I learned so much, had new experiences, and met so many amazing people that I will never forget. And of course, the Class of 2012 is the absolute best!
As for other news (also non-fiber related), I am continuing my baseball career by playing in a semi-pro league. I am on the Centronia Longhorns – its very exciting. This is the first team I’ve had to try-out for – and obviously, I made it. May 12 (yes, graduation) was our first game – and of course, I went. Its also a wooden bat league, so Tuesday, I bought my first wooden bat. And of course today, during its 3rd time of use, I broke it. Shakes head in disappointment. Just gotta go get another.
 Right on the handle! Its really neat that the guys have pretty much accepted me. I mean, I still get the question “so softball wasn’t for you,” but its nothing new. I see everything as one step closer to trying out for Mercyhurst’s team!
Keep knitting!
So, below are some pictures from Arizona… just a select few of course. This post would be reaaaaaaallllllllly long if I included every picture taken down south.
 Me, in front of the cacti at the hotel we stayed at  Strutting my runway walk during the final fashion show  Hanging out in a wagon wheel chair with wool buddies Tori and Chelsea - aka resting our sore feet.  Posing during our fashion shoot with Chelsea and Jill  At the end of the fashion show with my dancing buddy Aubrey  Posing with my "twin" in all our wool glory  My new baby, Brother Augustine (one of the prizes for placing 3rd at Nationals). I can't wait to sew with it! In other news… my dress for winter formal is coming along fantastically and I’ve got some lovely knitting and crochet projects cooking up too. More pictures of these will follow… eventually.
~Keep Knitting!
I know, I know… its really unusual for me to do anything other than fiber related, right? Well, during the first half of the Superbowl, I put together and framed this magnificent puzzle of my most favorite baseball player of all time, Derek Jeter. <3
~Keep knitting
I don’t understand where the time goes… I swear it had to be less than 3 weeks ago that I started my last semester at Cedar Crest! I don’t understand it!
And… I would have written sooner, but I was kinda out of town last weekend. I was in wonderful, amazing, beautiful Scottsdale, AZ. It was such a little slice of heaven after all this cold PA has been getting lately. It was 75+ degrees everyday! Like I said, amazing. And it was all because of the Make It With Wool Contest Nationals. (See my Make It With Wool page to see which outfit was competing) It was held at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort, which was 40 acres of hotel, including 4 pools, 4 hot tubs, and orange trees. Yes, I’m totally serious! We could pick the oranges right off them! There were also a ton of palm trees… which reminded me of California. And of course, there were lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of cacti. And different varieties too!
The only downside was how dry the climate was (not totally bad, it just took some getting used to). Duh, of course its dry, we were in the middle of the desert! Granted, it was a wonderful temperature for January, but I can only imagine the 115 it gets up to in the summertime. No, thank you anyway.
Me, in front of a cactus, towards the end of a very pretty AZ sunset.
I would have posted live in Scottsdale but it cost to have Internet at the hotel… so, that wasn’t going to happen. Oh, there is so much I wish I could tell you! But, that’s all I have time for right now – I just wanted to provide an update to keep up with everything!
~Until then, keep knitting!
Hola all! I apologize for not writing… I’ve been busy prepping for the new school year, trying to finish projects, and rearranging my room! Yep, for the first time in about 5+ years, I finally rearranged my bedroom in order to have floor space… I’m still not done with everything, but at least I can sleep in my bed. Which is a good thing, because I needed a good night’s sleep last night to be all fresh because today is my LAST first day of school at Cedar Crest College. VERY LAST. That means I graduate in a little less than 5 months. Scary, in my opinion.
I do have news, fiber related that is!
First, only 9 more days until I head to Scottsdale, AZ for the National Make It With Wool Contest! Check out my Make It With Wool tab to see the outfit that will be competing. I’m so excited – the temperature is supposed to be in the low 70′s! Hurray! (Much better than the temperature when I woke up this morning – 8 ) And on top of the warmer climate, I get to see my best friend, Chelsea!
 If you’ll notice in the picture above, there are afghans lining the stair rail. Last weekend, we attended the opening of the yarn bombing at Lafayette College. The whole point of yarn bombing is to make the community aware of knitters, crocheters, etc. These afghans, as well as more that are not in sight (a grand total of 40) were purchased by the program’s coordinator, Susan Huxley at thrift shops for under $5. All of them were handmade. Just imagine that – all that work that went into making one of these only to have the family member or friend donate not appreciate it and donate it to their nearest thrift store. Its so sad… and infuriating! But the yarn bombing was a great event to go to – there was (and still is) a display of various knitting talents and unique projects – you can click here to see them.
 This may not be knitting, but this is one of my needlework projects (cross stitch, specifically). It was finally finished and framed yesterday (it was originally meant to be given to my sister for her 16th birthday, but due to some cold/virus, I couldn’t get it done on time. Its pretty, if I do say so myself.
 And, this, last but not least, is my fabric for my winter formal dress. Isn’t it awesome? Underneath is going to be a gray crepe. I’m not going to post which pattern – just for the element of surprise!
~Keep Knitting
Not that I believe any of that… but I can’t help but make fun of it. I mean seriously, no one knows what the Mayans were thinking when they calculated everything… they just ran out of rock. Or felt that they calculated the calendar enough into the future. They had a couple hundred years to work with. Sheesh.
Anyway, Happy New Year everyone! Its crazy how quickly 2011 slipped by… like water through my fingers. It shall be interesting to see what 2012 will bring me.
So, I guess I should publish some resolutions… maybe putting them on the Internet will make them more likely to happen…
New Year’s Resolutions
-Write more blog posts… 1 every 2 weeks isn’t too much to ask – is it?
-Graduate… that’s not too much to ask, right?
-Get into a grad school – unfortunately, this decision is no longer in my hands…
-More sewing
-More knitwear designs
And that is all I can think of off the top of my head.
I will write more… promise.
~Keep Knitting!
… To be jolly. And full of homemade cookies. And gift making (especially when you need your skills as a knitter, crocheter, cross stitcher, or whatever else is needed to create gifts for friends and family.
Anyway, I do apologize for not writing in all these months – this past semester has been… crazy… eventful…exhausting…exciting…brain-deadening. Take your pick.
I will gladly tell you all about it… but that’s for another post.
For now, I shall just say (even though there is no snow):
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
So, my gifts to you are some free patterns (you have to have some sort of project for all the yarn that your family and friends will give you)
Christmas Stocking – Who doesn’t want to hang a stocking by the chimney with care?
Knitted Jacket – It may not be snowing, but, this sweater can keep the cold December air out!
Rudolph Sweater – If you need something cute and themed, this is for you! Isn’t it adorable?
Well, I promise to write more… but I think I hear hoofs on the roof! *GASP* Could Santa be here all ready?!?!?!
Night! Keep knitting!
That’s right, folks! I had my last first day of undergraduate school at Cedar Crest College yesterday! I will admit, I had mixed emotions about it. Depressed: I didn’t want to start school again. It meant that summer was over. Nervous: It’s Senior year for crying out loud!!! That means tons of work, not just for classes, but preparing for the rest of my life too! Happy/Excited: I get to see friends I haven’t seen all summer, and besides, I’m pretty thrilled about the classes I’m taking this semester – they’re going to be so fascinating.
So, if you’re interested in my riveting schedule, here it is:
Monday: 1-2:15 – Spanish 2; 2:30-3:45 – Tourism and Pilgrimage (every other Monday, its an Independent Study for Anthropology)
Tuesday: 9:30-10:45 – Jewelry and Metalsmithing (I’ve been waiting to take this class ever since Freshman year); 12-12:50 – Crestiad (School newspaper, 1 credit); 2:30-3:45 – Intro to Communication; 6:30- 9:00 – Ancient Egyptian Religion
Wednesday: 1-2:15 – Spanish 2
Thursday: See Tuesday, but without my 6:30-9:00 class
Yep, I have a four day week. However, I also am taking my Honors Thesis, Part 1, meaning that there’s lots of research involved. So that brings it to a total of 19 credits. Not to mention my 3 campus jobs: Social Science Dept. Assistant, Ambassador for the college, and Anthropology Tutor.
Can we say busy? Or would the more accurate word be “crazy?”
I would, of course, written this yesterday, however, Hurricane Irene decided to take the power and cable away – meaning I only have internet while on campus. We’re not supposed to get back until Sept. 1 (at least, that’s the latest estimate).
Other than that, not too much to catch up on. I went and got tan at Ocean City before Irene hit. I also have updated my Ravelry designs – more patterns available! So, when power comes back and this first week of school is complete, keep an eye on my Designs page here at Whimsical Woolies – I will be updating it.
~Until then, Keep Knitting!
Below is a FREE pattern that I’ve just finished designing and writing up. A catch-up post is sure to follow!
Royal Mitts
These simple, quick knit fingerless gloves were designed for a friend to match a hat I made for her. Nicknamed the queen, she can keep her hands warm but fingers free to perform her royal wave.
Materials:
Yarn: 1 skein Patons Classic Wool (223 yds; 100% wool)
Needles: 1 set of #6 dpns
Directions:
CO 36 st
Round 1: *K2, p2 from * around
Rounds 2-28: Repeat Row 1.
Round 29: BO 8 st in pattern, *k2, p2 from * around
Round 30: CO 8 st, *k2, p2 from * around
Rounds 31-39: Repeat Row 1.
BO all st in pattern
Obviously, I’m very behind. Isn’t summer a time when you’re not supposed to be behind? I guess not.
So here’s what I’m going to try and catch up on:
~Baseball
~Mercyhurst/Pittsburgh
~Harry Potter
~Girl Scout Day Camp
~Chicago
~Grad School
~Wool Contest Update
~Taylor Swift
Baseball: It wasn’t our best seasons, but overall I’ve done my best pitching. And we had personal wins. We beat two teams that we have never beat before. One of the games, they brought the local TV station to show their win over us (in preparation for a really big game the next day). But lo and behold, we beat them. We had minimal errors, good hits (including me) and good pitching (I played 3rd base). So our team’s awards dinner is this next Sunday (I’m still trying to figure out what I’m going to wear)
Mercyhurst/Pittsburgh: I finally got to meet Dr. Adovasio while touring Mercyhurst College early in July. I love the campus – its small, but slightly bigger than Cedar Crest. We also walked along Lake Erie (beautiful!!!) and went to the local amusement park. The sad thing about Erie, PA is the fact that they get an average of 300 inches of snow per year and the only month it has not snowed in yet is July. As for Mercyhurst, of the 100 applicants that applied last year for the Anthropology program, only 8 were accepted. *Gulp* That means I have to put together a fantastic application if I want to stand a chance.
As for Pittsburgh, we went down there to visit Joe for the day but (sadly) had to head eastward home because I had a game the next day. But we were able to go almost to the top floor of this 40 story cathedral on University of Pittsburgh’s campus.
Harry Potter: An era ended. Which is essentially equivalent to my childhood ending. I grew up with reading and watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s adventures. So, as excited as I was to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (especially since it was my first midnight showing), it was very depressing that its all over now. Now, I guess I can only wait for Pottermore.
Girl Scout Day Camp: The theme? Camp Runway – anything and everything to do with fashion, fabric, sewing, knitting, photography, etc. I was a unit leader for Daisy Girl Scouts. I was in charge of four 6-year-olds. Although it was unbearably hot all week (we couldn’t wait for swim time), my girls were so well-behaved and loved learning all the crafts and participating in all the activities.
Chicago: Another hot weekend in the last weekend in July. But I got to see Chelsea and we stayed with my aunt! And we ate tons upon tons of Giordano’s Pizza – the best deep-dish pizza I’ve ever had. Of course, we hit up the American Girl Place (and yes, at 19 years old, I bought Kanani – the Girl of the Year – an outfit), and the Hershey Store (mmm…). And we topped it all off by doing a photo shoot at Lake Michigan’s beach. And we got soaking wet in the process (however, there is just something very liberating about going into a lake fully clothed). It was sad when we had to head home.
 Liberation Grad School: Decisions, decisions, decisions. And applying to each school costs sooooo much – just to apply! But I think I’ve narrowed my choices down to four schools:
~Mercyhurst College (free to apply online)
~University of Pennsylvania ($75)
~Boston University ($70)
~Brown University ($70)
Mercyhurst is by far my top choice because they have pretty much exactly the direction where I want to take my career. But I can’t pin my hopes all on one school. Now, I have to get my butt moving on the applications, reference letters, and essays. Not to mention the GRE studying (doomsday is Sept 2nd at 8am).
Wool Contest Update: Well, remember that rose and chocolate brown colored wool that I pictured in my last post? It almost didn’t have the right percent to be allowed to be in the contest. *GULP* I got scared when it didn’t dissolve in Clorox. But thankfully, the lab test came back that it was 68% wool (it has to be minimally 60%) *Phew!* So, I’ve been ironing out that outfit. So the dress will be in Simplicity 2442 and the dark brown cardigan on top will be the pattern Sylph. I’m debating to add a white mohair cropped jacket on top of that, but I haven’t decided yet.
As for the other outfit, I’ve casted on my Lattice top. I have one sleeve done and the about 1.5″ of the bottom ribbing done. My Vogue suit jacket does fit (I did a mock up in another fabric – pictures of it later), so I’m ready to cut it out. And I’ve decided on my pants – Vogue 8652. Everything’s coming. Slowly, but surely.
Taylor Swift: So the most amazing thing happened this past weekend. Taylor Swift had a concert in the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia (where the Eagles play) last Saturday. Since it was so close to us, my sister and I really wanted to go. But the ticket prices were out of our budget. Cat Country (local radio station) was giving away free pairs via drawings. So we went to the one, put our names in, but didn’t win. However, we learned that James Wesley, who is opening of Taylor Swift, would be giving a free concert at a local sports bar last Friday and there would be more free tickets there. We go (love the concert) and enter our names for one last try. Not only did Stephanie and I get to shake hands, meet, and get autographs and photos with James Wesley, but my name got pulled as the winner of a pair of tickets!!!
 The Golden Tickets So, Saturday night, we had an amazing time seeing Taylor Swift perform (with James Wesley and Hunter Hayes as her openers). From Row 8, we (and 51,000 of our closest friends) sang our heart out to:
~Sparks Fly
~Mine
~Story of Us
~Our Song
~Mean
~Back to December
~Better than Revenge
~Speak Now
~Last Kiss
~Fearless
~You Belong With Me
~Dear John
~Enchanted
~Haunted
~Long Live
~Fifteen
~Love Story
 Our view at the concert So, I guess its back to knitting!
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Don’t I just look all regal and amazing in my Cedar Crest graduation regalia? 
