Blogging Woes

Some time in the past three years, Blogger changed the way it sets up blogs. As I understand it, instead of changing the HTML, you can now just point and click to add new widgets. Which sounds pretty cool, except that every time I try to change over to the new format, I lose about half of my links, as well as all of my badges and widgets. But then when I go to the HTML to put everything back, even more things seem to be missing - I can't find any of my links. This is very frustrating. So I pose a question to all you Blogger bloggers out there: What do I doooooooo??

Law School

Law School. The reason I can rarely go out with my boyfriend and friends. The reason I am at the library at 10 a.m. on a Sunday morning. The reason my nights are spent reading torts instead of watching Project Runway and Law and Order. The reason my Thursday nights are rarely spent knitting with my friends anymore. How do I feel about law school? I love it!

There's an amazing feeling when you find the perfect case for your legal memo, or when you create the perfect sentence. When you figure out WHY certain claims can only be brought in certain courts. I could go on, but I don't want you to leave, so I won't.

Last week, there were rumors of a new MTV reality show about my school. As it turns out, the administration and some student groups had met with some people from MTV to discuss the possibility of a reality show - and decided against it. Phew! My fellow students and I were pretty worried about that possibility - MTV isn't exactly known for bringing out the most savory elements of, well, anything. And that would surely be the case here. Can you imagine a show about what REALLY goes on in law school? The classes, the studying, the dorky legal conversations? Unless they figured out something from our personal lives (no doubt prohibiting us from ever finding jobs), that would have to be the most boring show EVER! To an outsider, law school has got to be incredibly boring. But I still love it.

Art Fire?

Today was one of those days when my homework just wouldn't seem to get done. I was a little confused about one of the cases I read and needed time for my brain to process what was going on. It was especially annoying because I refused to let myself go knit with my friends until my homework was done (read: never) so that was another creative outlet I had to miss because I was procrastinating.

But during my very long break, I decided to set up an Art Fire shop! It just seems like another market I'd like to try for my beadwork. I set up the shop (you can probably guess the name I used) but I haven't added anything to it yet - mainly because I need more merchandise. I'm almost finished with a new bracelet, and I have another bracelet that's been waiting to be photographed forever, so those two might go to Art Fire instead of Etsy.

Off to bed! I still have to wake up early to finish my freakin' brief!

Sky Diving!

On labor, Sam and I went skydiving with some of my friends and some or their friends. Here are some pictures of the fun:

The Most Well-Travelled Socks

I started my first pair of socks here in Astoria. Then, in April, when I went to visit my family in Sydney, I finished the first sock (my first ever!) and started the second. When one of the family dogs mistook one of my needles for a stick and chewed it, I had to make do with the four needles I had until I got back home and could by another one (well, a whole new set.) The sock progressed slowly after I started law school, and a little more quickly during my trip to Costa Rica. Then, one day, months after I started my first pair of socks, I finished it! I messed up the kitchener stitch at the toe of the second sock, but the pair is entirely functional, very warm, and very pretty. Here is a picture Sam took of me knitting the second sock in Costa Rica:

Some Beady Things

On Monday, Sam and I got back from a week in Costa Rica. By the way, it was AWESOME. The most amazing vacation ever. I'll write more about that as soon as Sam uploads the pictures we took. 

School starts again on Monday, and until then, I'm trying to pack as must fun and productivity into my days as possible.

Last night, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and started a Facebook page for my little business. Feel free to become a fan! :-)

And I FINALLY put up something new on my Etsy site! A dreamy star bracelet in blue. I'm really proud of this line, and I'm going to try to expand it a little this week...fingers crossed!

Usually, my brain turns off at 10. During the week before exams, it's a little more courteous and waits until 11 to shut down. And seeing as it's after 11, I don't have to feel guilty about blogging!

During the three years between college and law school, I kind of felt like I was on one long summer break. Yes, I was working, but I had worked full time every summer when I was in college, so that was nothing new. And now, when other students are getting ready to start school, I'm holed up in my apartment studying for finals! The weird thing is that it doesn't feel weird. Maybe that happened when I started being a grown up. The seasons just melted into one another.

Anyway, during my study breaks, I've been trying to participate a little more with the Etsy Beadweavers, and I've been thinking about my little business. My silver illusion pieces are by far my best selling items. I think that might be where my niche is, and I think that's the direction in which I am moving. (I still have a couple of pieces I've had finished forever but for camera or computer or lighting reasons, I still haven't gotten them up on my site.) Anyway, that's just some food for thought. I'm kind of thinking out loud.

From the Proud New Owner of a Signed Copy of Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits (thanks to Kimberly and Anna!)

Just thought I'd show off a little there.

In other news, I've actually been working on my Etsy shop! It all started when I made a...drumroll please...sale! Actually, a triple sale! All rings. Custom sizes. I'll be making them up on Thursday and Friday, after classes are over for the week.

It's weird, but now that I'm in law school, I'm happier than I've been in a long, long time. Probably since I lived in Minnesota 15 years ago. I'm still having nightmares, but in all waking hours I am happy! Even if they include hours of studying...which they do. I had two exams last week, and now I'm having four more hours of class a week...and I've just started crim law, which has A LOT of reading. Oh yeah, and I've been really distracted for the past couple of evenings. Which is why I am blogging instead of reading.

Gaining Knowledge and Losing Teeth

I just typed "Dreams about" into Google, and the first search term that came up underneath it was "Dreams about teeth falling out." Which is exactly what I was looking for.

It has been an intense month, but I am loving law school so far. The further I get in academia, the more I am able to embrace my inner dork. And who would have ever imagined that I would have found contracts so interesting?! After my three years of soul searching, I am definitely very happy with my decision.

And with school, comes homework and studying. And with homework and studying comes procrastination (like, um, right now...I am blogging and should be outlining). But the weirdest thing is my sleep patterns! All through college, I had dreams of my teeth falling out and I also had sleep paralysis. For the three years that I was working, those two things went away completely. But now they are back! Last night I dreamed that I had handfuls of teeth just falling out of my mouth! I guess this means that I can be very happy and incredibly anxious and stressed out at the same time.

Meanwhile, my crafting gone by the wayside. I'm still on the cuff of that second sock that I started in Australia! I haven't even attempted to block my lace shirt yet! At least I'll have a two and a half week break before the fall semester. By that time, it'll be getting cold enough to actually wear the socks! Hopefully it won't be too late to wear the top, too. The weather has been so awful, it had better be nice well into the fall. (Yeah, I wish!)

I have been keeping up with the running. When I was a kid and I saw other kids with braces for their various appendages, I always thought that they looked so cool. But it's not nearly as cool when you have to wear two of them. With the metal bits on the sides, it kind of looks like I'm wearing a bionic suit for the knees. Plus, my knees still aren't strong enough to run on pavement, so I'm stuck on the treadmill, which can get really boring. Although, I guess with this weather, the treadmill is where I would have been anyway. I think it's been really good for my mind and body.

G'Day

I'm in Sydney! I've been here for a month and I've spent most of my time knitting! I knit all of the pieces for Krista, a camisole from Knitting Lingerie Style, but I left my blocking stuff at home so I have to wait to block the pieces before I can sew them all together. And I also finished my first sock! It's the 8 stitches per inch sock from Ann Budd's Getting Started Knitting Socks (which is awesome, by the way) and it took FOREVER, but it's done! And now I'm working on its twin. I have about an inch done, so I'll undoubtedly be working on it when I get back to New York.

My two knitting buddies have been Misty, and labradoodle, and Diva, a cotton de tulear, aka the family dogs.

In other news, I'm not sure if I've blogged about this before, but about six months ago, I found out that the seasonal knee pain that I'd been having for three years was tendinitis (which is weird, because I had had tendinitis in my ankle two years earlier and it felt a lot different). Oh yeah, and I also found out that I have minor cartilage damage in my knee. (Fun, fun, I know.) So now I'm finally able to start running again! And I'm training for a half marathon! I'm really excited because although I've been running on and off since high school, this is the first time I've set a half marathon as my goal. And after a week and a half of jogging every two or three days, I can feel that my fitness has improved a lot and that I'm finding it easier and easier. I think that this will be a great way for me to ease stress while I'm in law school, and it's totally boosting my confidence.

My family took a quick trip to New Zealand, and it was the first time Dev and I had ever been there (and this only time I got to see my sis the whole time I've been here, since she's working in Canberra). It was really fun, and we all noticed that the people there were all so friendly!

I haven't really seen much of my friends, but everyone's been busy with work and exams and going to Thailand and weddings. And I've been really, really lazy (the calm before the storm that I'm sure will be law school). But when I was snooping through my mom's computer to find pictures of the dogs, I did find these:

That's me and four of my bestest friends in my parents' loft during winter break my senior year. Ah, memories!

On a roll

It's a beautiful day outside, but I'm on a role and I can't seem to stop knitting. I'm finishing off my garter yoke cardigan. I'm really proud of it, but I'm getting a little tired of stockinette, so right now, I just want it to be done! I took a really shoddy picture of it with my phone because although I finally found my camera and charger, I still can't find the cord the connects the camera to the charger.

I just have to finish one sleeve, weave in the ends (from adding additional skeins of yarn, not from sewing, because this pattern is done completely in the round which makes it even more awesome)!

I was so busy knitting this morning that I didn't even get properly dressed until there was a knock at the door. It was my super, informing me that he had a package for me. It was my latest and greatest knitpicks package! Inside was the delicious yarn for something I'm going to try to make for my mom before I go home next month. I can't wait to start the project! Plus, I have to get a move on things if I'm going to finish before I leave!

Also inside was Knitting Lingerie Style by Joan McGowan-Michael, a book I am currently drooling over. Seriously, I want to make every single thing in that book. I think I'll start out with some of the spring outerwear and progress from there. I'd like to start one of the patterns when I'm at home in Sydney.

And then there's this month's EBW challenge. The theme is "Time Machine," and I'm a sucker for things like that. I haven't entered that last few challenges, but I'm psyched about this one. Any time, any place for inspiration? You just can't beat that. I'm thinking Japan.

And remember that Valentines gift? Well here it is:

It took a while to make this, mostly because I don't have a sewing machine so I had to sew the whole thing by hand. I designed the pattern myself and sewed on heart beads for eyes. I embroidered the heart on the shoulder and the mouth. It was my first ever attempt at embroidery, and I'm very happy with the results.

so much to make, such little time!

I'm still working on my top down cardigan. I'm at a point where it's just a lot of stockinette. I can't wait for the arms...oooooh! Variety!

And then I have my non-knitting, non-crochet, non-beading Valentines day gift, which I have yet to start, although I have most of the materials. Everything else can be bought at the discount store across the street.

Then there are the "little" projects I've volunteered for. The feminist knitting swap; the afghans for Afghans item (most likely a child's hat, possibly two), the neutral colored wool squares that my Heifer International group on Ravelry is using to make an afghan. All extremely cool, fun, encouraging things, all at the same time.

And now, I'm off to finish the laundry. Wish me luck! :-)

It's been a while (again)

I have so many blog posts in my head but I haven't blogged in so long! January was crazy - I had four Australian friends staying with me at different times (sometimes overlapping), and I finished 8 out of 9 law school applications. I also spent two days in DC to see Sam's dad receive the French Legion of Honor.

I've been knitting like crazy. Once I finished Sam's scarf (yes, I can finally announce that it's a scarf), I went on to finish my dad's scarf that had been in the works, like, forever. I finally knit myself a hat, and I'm a little over halfway done with my first cardigan. Unfortunately, I put my camera somewhere and am unable to locate it. Luckily, facebook exists. Here is a picture my friend Dave took of me knitting my lovely Thorpe hat (pattern downloaded from Ravelry).

Notice it was knit from the top down. Something about that was incredibly exciting and fun.

This next picture was taken at a bar in Park Slope (Brooklyn) after a hard day of football. It normally sits a little lower on my head, but it was kind of pulled up.

I've kind of been neglecting my beading, and I've felt bad about that, but I'm slowly getting back into promoting my Etsy store and supporting my Street Team. I've still been receiving hearts, and that's very encouraging.

I also have another little project up my sleeve that I hope comes into fruition. Here's a hint: what's exactly eleven days from now?

This and that...

The thing I've been working on is finally finished! And just in time!! I'll try to put up a picture some time next week...if you get my drift ;-)

Lately, I've become quite obsessed with Ravelry. And knitting. Again. So now I'm obsessively looking at patterns and I picked up something else I had meant to finish a year ago. Very proud of myself. Kind of getting in the way of law school applications, but still proud of myself. Oh yeah, and there are like a thousand things I want to make right now!

And, through Ravelry, I met some awesome knitters in Astoria. And I drank some delicious tea. :-)

hello hello!

It's been a while, and I apologize for that. A lot has been going on over here, and it's gotten in the way of my crafting (and, by extension, my blogging).

Sam and I moved to a new (for us at least) place in Astoria. I looooove this place. We're still getting settled in (e.g. we don't have a couch yet) but we're now at the point where I am able to work on my crafts. My Etsy store is still up and running, although I haven't been attending to it as much as I should, especially with the holidays coming up. Hopefully that will change soon!

I've also been knitting. I'm working on the same things I hoped to finish last December (this year, in retrospect, was not the year of the UFO). Hopefully I'll be able to finish them this December! Even so, I couldn't help but to order some sock yarn on KnitPicks for who knows when.

As for Hannah, she was found alive several months ago (and I should have posted this earlier, I know). You can read about it here.

Please Help Find Hannah Upp

She has not been seen since last Friday, August 29. Her keys, wallet, phone, metro card, and metro card, and passport were all found in her room.

Hannah graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 2007, a year after I did. She is truly one of the sweetest, kindest people anyone could meet. Her friends started a facebook group called "We're Not Giving Upp (On Hannah), and over 1,500 people have joined and are getting media attention. Please, please, please, if anyone who reads this blog knows anything, or could help in any way, please contact the police, leave a message for the facebook group, or let me know and I will pass on the message to the appropriate people. You don't have to give your name or anything.

Here is the information posted on the facebook group, by Hannah's brother, Wally:

"Hannah Emily Upp, 23, has been missing since Friday, August 29, from her residence in the vicinity of Hamilton Terrace, Harlem.
Hannah is a New York City Public School teacher; she teaches middle school Spanish at Thurgood Marshall Academy for Learning and Social Change, at W. 135th and 7th Ave. A recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College, Class of 2007, majoring in Spanish and Comparative Literature, she is a New York City Teaching Fellow, working on her Master's degree at Pace University and teaching full time. She completed her first year of teaching 2007-08, and was about to start her second year of teaching when she went missing.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Detective Perez, 30th Precinct Detective Squad, at 212-690-8842, or 212-690-8843."

Complimentary Contradictions

That is the theme for the Etsy Beadweavers September Challenge. For once, I wasn't scrambling to finish at the eleventh hour, and I had so much fun with this one! My piece is called, "Black and White - A Story in Color." It's made up of six hexagons woven together. Three of them are made up of different colors, and two of them are black, white, and different shades of gray. It's finished off with a real silver chain and a red glass bead. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out. These colors were so fun to use, and I'm also really pleased with the final proportions. I have a feeling that this piece will be my inspiration for many pieces to come.

You can vote for your favorite September EBWC Entry on September 9th on the EBW blog, http://etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com.

I've only been a member of the Etsy Beadweavers since May, but it's been such an awesome experience so far. And the three challenges in which I have participated have truly influenced the way I bead, for the better! Lately, I haven't had much time to bead, because I've been getting ready to move apartments, and I've also begun the law school application process. I have finished a gift and a custom order, and I finished two more bracelets a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't had a chance to photograph them and get the up on Etsy yet. But I will soon! All in good time...

Guilty Pleasures

I've developed an addiction to reality TV shows on Bravo. In the past, I would never had admitted to this, but we're all friends here, right?

My all time favorite, of course, is Project Runway. I've also really gotten into Shear Genius. I love watching the challenges and the wonderful and awful things that these people come up with. I love choosing my favorites and least favorites and imagining myself wearing those outfits and haircuts. My favorite "character" is Stella, the wonderfully ridiculous designer of all things "leatha."

I rush home every Wednesday to watch these favorite shows of mine. If I can't be home to watch them, they'll always be on the next day. And the day after that. And pretty much every day until the next Wednesday, the next episode. But then, all the episodes are on that day too...

This all got me thinking. What if there was a Bravo TV show about the type of designing that I do? What if there was a show just about beadweaving. Or about knitting and crocheting. The camera focuses on me. I'm beadweaving, and you hear a voiceover. "I decided to do a peyote cuff. So I started with some beads. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I decide to change colors." Or "I did a row of knit. And a row of purl. Then I did an intricate lace. Yarn over..." Maybe it's just that I've been watching too much TV and frying my brain, but this concept makes me laugh! Just imagine how entertaining that would be to the outside world! (Not!)

But it also got me thinking about the people I design for. I always design with a little piece of myself in mind. After all, who could love something I make that I don't even love? In their own way, the Etsy Beadweaving challenges are kind of the same concept. The last challenge in particular got me out of my comfort zone, but I was determined to make something beautiful within the guidelines that was still true to my own sense of style, and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off.

And of course there are the people who wear my jewelry. I just love opening a package in which there is something wearable that I ordered from Etsy. (Lamp work jewelry is another guilty pleasure of mine.) And when I put it on, I feel amazing and beautiful. That is exactly how I want people to feel when they wear my jewelry. I want them to feel like the powerful women they are, or to feel like princesses. Whatever makes them feel best, that is how I want them to feel. Whether I give pieces I make away or people purchase them or even have me custom make them, I just want my pieces to be loved, and I want the people who wear them to feel just that little bit more amazing.

Art Deco

Once again, I listed my EBW Challenge piece at the very last minute, but I listed it!

This piece was inspired by colors and geometric designs of the Art Deco period. It's an adjustable peyote cuff with rectangular windows ascending (or descending, depending on which way you look at it) across the bracelet. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

When I started this piece, I had a vague idea that I wanted it to be red, with maybe some black and or white, and preferable with some sort of window. It evolved as I continued with it. As geometric as it is, this piece is the closest I have ever come to free form. Perhaps it is time for me to give real free form a try! :-)

Starting August 9, you can see all the beautiful entries on the EBW Blog, and vote for your favorite!

Checking In

I've had various things going on for the past couple of weeks, and I've been kind of absent from the blogosphere. A few weeks ago, Sam and I had an amazing time visiting friends in Ithaca. And the Thursday and Friday before last, I had jury duty. (Yes, in New York, federal jury duty lasts two days!) I spent all of Thursday in a court room, but in the end, I didn't get picked. It was pretty interesting, though. I started my Art Deco challenge entry that night, and was able to work on it a lot on Friday in the "Jurors Lounge" and then at Starbucks as I waited for Sam to get out from work so we could head off to a Ween concert, which is one of his favorite bands.

The next day, Saturday, was Sam's birthday, and we walked from his apartment in Astoria to Peter Luger's in Brooklyn. It was lots of fun, but I wasn't wearing the right shoes. We finally took advantage of his back yard that night, during Sam's big birthday bash. When I excused myself to "nap" (i.e. go to sleep) at 2:00, the party was still going strong.

My big endeavor for this week was to finish my August EBW challenge, Art Deco. Sam and I had planned to go hiking upstate with a few friends yesterday, but a few hours into our drive, it started to thunder and pour. So we took a tour of an old mansion for an hour or two and then got ice cream before the long ride home. But today, at 1:00 p.m., I finally finished my piece! I took my pictures, but I haven't had a chance to list it yet, or even put up the pictures (a very late brunch in Sam's neighborhood took priority) so I'll get them up tomorrow before the midnight deadline. But...Woohoo! Done! Yay! :-)