Socks and lace

I'm beginning to get really frustrated with BOTH. Seriously, these socks are killing me. I'm on the second one of the pair and it should be easy...but I don't know what it is. I just can't concentrate on the pattern anymore...and I'm sick of doing surgery! For some reason, this particular yarn does not like to stay in place while frogging and just to remove a partial row of stitches is a stressful task that I DO NOT look forward to. Since knitting is SUPPOSED to be for fun...I think I'm putting these socks down for a while, just as I have put down the pink shrug. Isn't it pitiful how long these projects are taking me?

One piece that I have found enjoyable to work on is the Jawbreaker Cardigan. However, I have not even been able to finish the back because I left the project in the car and now Max can't find it! IT'S NORO! WHAT DO YOU MEAN "MAYBE PAUL OR SOMEONE PUT IT SOMEWHERE IN THE MOVE"!!!!!!????? FIND IT and find it FAST! Seriously, I don't feel like working on anything else and it is the one project that I can't find? What am I supposed to do? Work on the cabley blue scarf? I don't think so. Work on the swallowtail shawl? Hm...maybe I will work on that in the meantime even though I'll probably never wear the thing. I feel like all I ever wear now is a pair of black pants and a black polo/oxford...the rest of the time I'm in the bummin' clothes being boring around the house...what good's a pink shrug when you don't show it off? Oh well. I guess I'll go work on it now because I have some time before work. I just hope that the lace pattern doesn't frustrate me (it didn't before, but neither did the snowflake pattern for my sock). If it does frustrate me, I'll have to put it down and read some Dostoevsky instead...that won't be too bad.

One of those "text-heavy" posts

All right. Let's just plow through this one. My academic experience has been sort of (REALLY) crazy lately. I have one 3-credit hour course at the 400-level remaining for the completion of my Japanese major. My intention was to register for that course over the summer that just ended not too long ago. I couldn't afford it. So, the professor kindly agreed to continue to work with me on the independent study over the summer, but register for it in the fall term. So...that's what we did.

Fall term comes around and I register and it goes on passed the withdrawal date. And I didn't have the money to pay for it (unforseen circumstances). SOOO, I petition with the registrar to have them withdraw me from the course without me having to pay for it. And I waited...and waited...and waited...and never...heard...anything. THEN, my mom gets a bill in the mail, the course was never dropped, and I began to panic, panic, panic about what the fuck I was supposed to do to fix the problem. SOOO, I go to the registrar and meet with the lady there who knows her stuff and she tells me that my petition is still active and there is still a chance that they will grant me. That's good news right?

Right.

BUT HERE'S THE THING...now, part of me wants to withdraw my petition for withdrawal. BECAUSE, if I don't, and I take the course next term, I won't be considered a graduate of North Central College until I retake the course OR drop my Japanese major completely. I don't want to drop the major if I don't have to.

SOOO, I'm praying really hard that I will be able to pay in installments or something so that I can get my Japanese major AND be considered a winter graduate. I'm so confused and I know that this explanation isn't very good...but it's the best I can do. I'm just sick of the whole thing. I'm sick of explaining it to people because it's hard to explain without getting all frustrated and crying (that's right, crying). I just want it all to be over. OVER OVER OVER!!!! I'm finishing this...one way...or another.

I spent the whole day today (my day off) finishing my paper for the independent study. It isn't very good, but as long as I get a PASSING grade, I will be happy. I read a novel that Japanese ADULTS read, I wrote the summaries on my readings IN JAPANESE, I met with the professor and spoke in Japanese...and now I've turned in a 4 and 1/4 page paper on the problems with the Japanese school system incorporating tidbits from the novel I read and explaining in broken Japanese why the school described in the novel was a good school. Did I mention that the paper is written in Japanese? THAT'S WHAT I SENT TO MY PROFESSOR TODAY. As long as I pass. It isn't a great paper...I feel like it is so simple, but it IS in a foreign language...and a sort of difficult one at that...ANYWAY...no excuses...I'M FINISHED WITH THE STRESS OF WRITING A PAPER...FINISHED.

Now I just have to persevere to get through all of the technical nonsense of finances without gouging my own eyes out in despair. I hate money...

I love knitting, though...so, that's good...and I had a good birthday...so, that's good too.

I cast on for the Jawbreaker Cardigan in Interweave (scroll down on the linked page...it's there). I have fancy yarn for it...guess what it is....

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NORO!!!! It needed four skeins of Colinette Prism, but the LYS didn't have any...so I went Noro and am completely LOVING it! I bought two skeins and Max bought the other two (they were expensive)...but I'm hoping it is worth it. I will post pictures when it is worth it...and when I feel motivated to take pictures.

Anyway...thanks for reading my rant.

Since Tuesday is my birthday and I will finally be allowed to buy yarn again (yes!), I need to start thinking about what I really want to make. I have a million things I want to make, but I think I should make something simple (not lace) that I will definitely finish quickly. I think my birthday deserves a quick, ultra-instant gratification knit. The new Interweave is coming out ON MY BIRTHDAY, the 14th! What a great present! :) I'm thinking that I will cast on for this. It looks simple enough, but is also quite cute. I am worried about those seams, though...are they just normal seems...or is there steeking involved...the idea of that HORRIFIES me. And it is knit with Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran...13 skeins at a whopping $7.75 each. I know it would be b-day celebration, but 7.75 times 13 seems steep. Whatever...needless to say the decision hasn't been made about what my b-day project will be. I still have a lot of thinking to do.

Can't seem to blog lately

and I think it's because I'm working really hard on other things. No, I haven't made a lot of progress in crafty projects...which I really should work on. For instance, I really need to finish sock #2 for the Snowflake Lace Socks. I really need to finish my Rose Lace Shrug...my blue scarf...my Swallowtail Shawl (oh yeah, I forgot about that one)...Max's hat (that's right, he hand picked the yarn for it...I'll have to start it soon). So...yeah...a lot.

But that stuff is all for when I have time. We closed on the condo and are going to be working really hard at painting it. I will post pictures of all that nonsense eventually.

Love ya!