Recital and then some!

I finally received the pictures from my recital! I want to boast about how great my photographer is. His name is Jim Campbell, (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001013361061) and he has done the pictures for our last two recitals. I can tell he came far from last years photo shoot because these pictures came out great! (Mind you.... pictures are great, cant do anything about how "too long" my dress is... sighhhhh) Check out his stuff! Photosand Framesbyjc on face book!


I am so relieved to be done with this recital! And with college life! Student teaching here I come!


Mind you some of these pictures were taken by my mom, but its all good. (you can tell the difference between moms pics and Jim's pics for sure.




This first photo is from the marimba solo Torse III by Akira Miyoshi (b. 1933) movements I. These and III. Commentaire. It is a very atonal piece, which I at first did not want to do at all. In the end, I think it was my favorite piece because even if I hit a wrong note, no on in the audience except my instructor would know about it!!!



This next one if from my Vibraphone solo Three Songs for Vibraphone by Eckhard Kopetzki (b. 1956) movements I. Evening Song, II. Morning Sunbeam, and III. Summer Fantasy. I found this piece to be pretty simple, with tons of repeats. But I really liked how melodic it was, and I didnt give my percussion instructor a chance to say no!



This picture was from our multi percussion solos, Six Ideas for Snare, Bass, and Cymbal by Dave Hollinden (b. 1958)
Movement I or movement V. (played both, not sure which one this is a picture of!)
Michelle and I would switch off in between each big piece to play the multi solos, just because we felt the audience would get bored with so much drum all at once!



Next up is Moods by Pete Zambito (b. 1975). I loved this piece. It kicked my butt at some points, but I loved it all the same. Now I love that I am done with it!!!!



The last note in my solos from this recital! Best feeling ever! Just a duet left, which was terrifying but I was happy to have made it through all my solos!



In Tandem by Josh Gottry (b. 1974). Awesome duet. Just so cool. Multi percussion with marimba duet. It is a newer piece, and is so kickass that when I heard it I knew we were going to do it on the recital. Best choice ever!


Next up some pictures of friends and family that came out to see the recital! Some even traveling from New Jersey! (I have the best cousin, aunt, and uncle ever!)



^ Liz and Sarah, my besties from my hometown!



My family (minus my brother... dont ask, I am bitter about him not showing up!)


Me and the lovely Michelle! She is my roomate, my fellow female percussionist, and the girl that I did my junior and senior recital with! I would put up pictures from her piece, but then that would be another full long blog post! She did a great job too!



Michelle and I with Jim Campbell, our photographer! He did an awesome job!



Lastly, me putting my mallets away for good. (jk, at least until I have to use them again.) But I felt like it was a good way to sum up everything! I am so glad its over, so glad all I have to do is student teaching (and my diversity section of ST in Germany!!!!)

I am almost a college graduate.

And now I am on Christmas break, so I am knitting my butt off! I will also have a bunch of purses made up, and hopefully an awesome intense cross stitch for the boyfriend!

Knitting club brightens my day

I was so worried about this sock, and then I brought it to knitting club. And finished the first sock. It does not look horrible. It might be a little big on me but truth is, she has a little bit bigger feet than me. So it works out perfectly!!!

I'm done knitting for today... Oih...



Casted on the next sock, and I plan on chugging through that by Saturday... while working on some of the other things I need to do.

Useless rantings of hatred socks.

Now this post is going to sound like I am complaining.

Don't get me wrong, I am complaining. 100% complaining.

For Christmas, when i asked one of my best friends what she wanted....

the reply was....

knit me a pair of socks.


Heres where the "dont get me wrong" part comes in.
I have been knitting and crocheting for over half my life, hats, stuffed animals, scarves, blankets, gloves, colorwork, you name it.

BUT

I loathe socks. I have knit a few pairs in my past. But the needles were too big and the yarn was too small so they came out... thin, for lack of a better word. I always watch with extreme jealousy at my friend Sarah, who knits socks like nuts, beautiful socks for that matter.... AND FAST!

All perfect stitches, tight, correct yarn and needles. Just perfect all in all.

And I get big uneven stitches, loose fitting socks, funky heel flaps, chunky gussets. Or maybe its not that bad. But as I am sitting here with the half finished Christmas sock on my foot I want to call up my friend (its almost 2 am) and say "SCREW YOUR SOCKS! YOUR GETTING A HAT, SCARF, AND MITTEN SET!"

Yes I have been studying for finals all day, and dealing with some.... really badly picked group partners. So my mind is blown already. I should be asleep by now. I have that stupid final in the morning.

But instead I am still sitting here, saying.... Ill just finish up shaping the gusset and then go to bed. But no... I am too damn commited to quit right now. Because I keep saying... "If I do a little bit more I can decide if I want to continue on or rip it out." Mind you I have been saying that for 2 hours now... and I still dont know what to do.

I'm going to go by the everything looks better in the morning idea, and skip past morning, and maybe look at the sock after 5 pm tomorrow. Because in that time I might actually be ok with it.

Here it is. I made it worse than it is. Its not falling off my foot. But I just hate socks.






ANNND once this one is all done??? I GET TO DO IT ALLLLL OVER AGAIN!


Sarah... I should have used sport weight!


MERRY F&$@*@#$ Christmas Liz Cook! :)

Posting like nuts today!

This is what happens when I have some free time put aside! I plan on studying for my final later today after I knit with Sarah for a little bit 6-8ish. Theres only one final I am really irked about. Music history... But then again I have an A in the class so I am not really worried about it. Practicum final is a group project, so not bad. Music 3400 is an open notebook final. and thats it. My last finals week as a undergrad student .... is the easiest finals week I have had as an undergrad.


Holler hey.

This was knitted up quickly for Mary Garrett, who asked for another hat on top of the one she bought at the knitting sale!!!




Now back to studying....

New Stitch markers!!!

I just added two sets of stitch markers to my shop! Check them out!


They are adorable!!!





http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

First recital picture!

I can never get any good pictures with my boyfriend, he always has a stain on his shirt or he looks goofy. So I begged my photographer to take a picture of us after my recital.

Not my favorite but its the one I'm gonna frame for his Christmas gift!



As soon as my photographer finishes with his jury (and passes!) I hope to have the rest of the pics from the recital!


It feels good to not have to practice constantly!

New Yarn!!!!

I have to admit that I spent some more money on yarn. At a new yarn store.
http://www.the-yarn-studio.com/

Its a cute little shop, the owner is great, and the older ladies that were restocking the shelves were amazing!

Araucania - quillay color:2




Fame Trend color: 660





Heritage: Cascade Yarns Color: 9872





I will be student teaching in this town all next semester, and I know I will be spending all my free time (in between class and the basketball band) knitting in this store with these amazing ladies!!!!

Some projects going on right now

I promise to post pictures from the recital as soon as my photographer gets them to me!
Until then, heres some of my horrible photography on current projects!

I did a test knit Otterwise design, Winter Vine Cowl. It was pretty easy, and I liked the yarn with it. (Though the pictures dont do it any justice... I need a new camera!) I would recommend the pattern!






This is a Christmas present for my cousins wife, she has introduced me to make up... which my bank account hates, but at least I feel more grown up! She is making me a bracelet in return!





I also have been asked to knit a pair of socks for my close friend Liz from my hometown, and Im stuck between Basic Cabled Socks by Brainylady and Kalajoki by Tiina Seppälä.

I also have been requested to sew up a drawstring bag for a set of recording studio headphones, knit a scarf for a friend, knit a funky hat for my boyfriends friend, and sew up a cover for my moms foot stool that her father made.

I just need to get through this week of homework! But at least practice is all done!

Tonight was my last concert and performance ever at EIU. It makes me sad...
College is just about over, and I dont feel as if i lived as a college student at all!


Wednesdays schedule: work 7-9, so I do not get fired over stupidness... shower and clean up 9-10, class 10-11, presentation 11-12, Practicum 12-4, KKPSI going away 430-6, homework 6-7, and then knitting club!!!!


FINALLY KNITTING CLUB!


then more homework. of course.

New Yarn!

I just finished up with my senior recital here at EIU! And now I have quite a bit of free time, so after the festivities were over I finished up some yarn that I have been spinning for months...






I really liked how it turned out! It was my first attempt at two ply yarn and I used the Andean bracelet in order to make it into a center pull ball before spinning it into two ply.

I learned a ton about how to spin two ply, gotta love youtube.

The only issue is, is that I wound it around my binder over 100 times, measured the binder, did some math, and figured out that I made 131 yards. For some reason that doesnt sound right.

This is why I am a graduating music major. Not a math major....

:)

Just saying

I just got my new business cards in the mail.


I am in love.

Winter Sale!!!

Once again, the years rolls around to the knitting/crocheting sale that I started with in Kappa Kappa Psi! This is my last year doing it, and well.... It's the time where I sell the most items. Mind you.... I only get less than 25% of the profit of my items. The rest of the money goes towards the music department at EIU.

So for the most part we sell a hat for 12$, I get 2$. It barely covers the yarn, and does not even come close to covering the time... But In the end I am helping out the music department, and that is the whole reason I joined Psi. (though... I am about to graduate... and that money would be awwwwwesome to have...)

We did make it into the DEN today though,


Feature Photo: Bake sale



Amanda Zumwalt, a sophmore elementary education major, Sharon Walker, a senior music education major, and Greg Sainer, a junior communication studies major, sell homemade items for Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary band fraternity, in Doudna Monday. (Katie Overby | The Daily Eastern News)


No I am not in the picture, yes the knitted stuff and crocheted stuff are all made by me, (except for three scarves, and a couple loom knitted hats)

It is a bittersweet sale for me. I love music, I love Psi, but I love money. So I can buy more yarn. And then sell more. hahaha


I did just finish the test knit that I was working on, and I plan to put up pictures tomorrow.

I also sold another item from my store! One of my.... ex boyfriends.... bought a bag that I crocheted out of plastic bags, for his current girlfriend who is known to be "green". I am glad someone I know bought it because I really would like to see how the bag holds up. I know there are ways to reinforce the bag, but I reallllly would like to see how it holds up to daily use, whether it be shopping or just carrying around a wallet. If it works out for a while I will start making more, even though it takes forever. Having to cut up the plastic bags, then string them and knot them together, thhhen crochet it all together. The only issue is, cutting up the yarn and knotting it takes forever,

But its green, and it uses tons of old plastic bags that would just end up in the landfill!

I am going to finish up a knitted acrylic blanket that my friend Kelly gave me to finish, just because its been sitting on my chair in my room for months. and darn it... I want to sit on that chair!!!

And if someone is reading this... please check out my friend Sarah's blog. She needs some help paying for graduation, and anything will make a difference!!! http://www.rainloverknits.com/

Thanks!

New Years Resolution

I know its only the beginning of December, (well about) but with how busy I know I am going to be I would like to start identifying my New years resolutions now.

1. Once this recital is over, I want to work out at least an hour a day. I can replace practice time with gym time.
-lose 8 pounds and get back to the weight that I was when I first came to college
- which in return will help me fit into my freshman year pants again
- hey I am pretty darn proud that in 5 years, I only gained 8 pounds. I say kudos to me.
2. Knit, crochet, and sew things that are unique, and fun, and will make people want to buy them. Instead of the mass producing I do now.... which doesnt really get much sold because anyone can do what I am doing (unless I am working off a pattern... and then I cant sell it anyways....)
3. Sell a buuuunch of acrylic yarn over ebay. Cause everyone knows I need to destash.
4. Write up, test knit, and produce multiple patterns. Lace/scarves/hats/blankets/ whatever
5. Make money, (save at least 6,000 up by the end of summer) hopefully with student teaching I will still have time to get some work in.
6. Ace student teaching at Casey, and enjoy my time in Florida with the band!
7. Get a teaching job after graduation! Anyone looking for a music/band teacher for middle school or high school?


Thats all I got right now....

But I did finish up a scarf, and a hat, and I plan to sell it in the Kappa Kappa Psi sale this week!
The Prismatic Scarf
by Huan-Hua Chye







Then a plan crocheted blue hat, easy sell.


Working on a test knit Stargazing hat by torirot design. I am really liking this pattern, I think its sweet! I hope to have it done by tonight so that I can put up pictures!

Laters

Hija!

It has been a while. I have not been getting as much crafting done as I usually do... which upsets me. But I know once this recital is over, I will have tooooons of free time in which I will be sewing, knitting, and crocheting to clear up my stash problem. (stash as in yarn foo)

Recital preview is Thursday at 10:30. We are going to pass. No doubt. As long as I keep up the good practice.

Once we pass, the recital will be December 5th!

I have made some time to get some projects done, which makes me feel awesome!







Two crocheted hats, and a crocheted baby hobo blanket.

All for sale!

Check out my shop in the next couple days, free shipping until thanksgiving!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/luganchica102

Getting back into the knit of things

Its been a tough semester so far. Practicum has been nuts, getting ready for this recital even more so. In the past two months I have had strep twice, and salmonella poisoning. So I missed school for a week straight. But now I'm healthy, caught up in school work, and attempting to get where I need to get with practicing.

But for now, heres some knitting.

This is the Heart to Heart Beaded Scarf by Sivia. I started it today, and so far I love it. I cant get a good picture of it, and it looks messy cause it isnt blocked yet, but its getting there!

Sideways heart!
You can kinda see the side pattern here.
And I finished this up today, Demiluna Shawl by Lhevinne Amor. I used Jojoland Melody, and I really love how the stripes worked with the pattern.

This is a shawl that I actually think I'm going to be wearing in the near future.
Welp. Off to bed. Got a long day of classes, and then off to Carlyle high school so I can continue instructing the drum line... wooooo

Knit on.

Catch up

The school year has literally crashed over me like a giant wave... Knitting has become scarce, other than once a week at knitting club.

But I have a couple projects that I have been finishing up. I am working on a stashbuster skinny scarf, which I leave over at my boyfriends apartment to work on when I am bored over there. I leave it there because him and his roommate smoke (not really ok with it, but I fe

el that nagging wont help him quit!) so everything I bring over ends up reeking of cigarettes. So I only bring simple crappy projects.

Heres some of the things I am working on, please excuse the crappy camera phone pics, my camera is at the bf's....

This is the Demiluna Shawl by Lhevinne Amor. It is my knitting club project, since the only time I get to work on it is during knitting club. I am excited to get it finished as I am on the border finally!

This is some yarn I am currently spinning. Spinning is a slow process for me since I never really have time and when I do, I would rather knit than spin. I am a self taught spinner, and while I know my yarn isn't perfect, I can still knit it up and it looks great!

I just did this project as a stash buster. I hate this yarn, and yet I have so much of it. It stretches out in a plain knit fabric so I decided to use this patter, which reminds me of crochet blanket stitch.

I also have a baby blanket going, which is almost done. ummmm...

Senior percussion recital is December 5th. 2 pm.

Be there. It will be awesome.

What a week

Salmonella poisoning is not fun.

Especially when the idiots at health services prescribe and antibiotic that attacks the good bacteria in your intestines.

Leaving the bad bacteria to run a muk.

going on the 8th day of not being able to really do anything but sit around in a ball and pray that I don't fail my classes and I am able to practice enough when I get better for my recital.

Stupid egg.

Ohhhhhh school.

School starts in a little over a week. This will be a tough semester. Senior recital, practicum, music history 3, and handing over my recording studio job. (that will take hours of training)

But for now, I am trying to finish off all the projects that I can before school starts.

Heres one I started and finished today. In my moms sewing room, which was 102 degrees. inside. But I made it through. and drank a huge glass of water after....

Front of the purse
close up of the banner and words
back of the purse
the pretty strap!
and the interior.

Im gonna go cut up some veggies for mom so she can go sailing...

Trip to NJ and stuff

Mom always wants pictures, so Greg and I were posing for her. She wanted my head closer to Greg. I think I dun good.
Me, Laura (my cousin), and Greg (brother). This is how they pose in New Jersey. Its kinda nerdy?
Mooooom! Take a picture of us! I got blue balls!
Now heres for the crafty stuff. I made Laura a huge quilt for her graduation. I didn't get any close ups yet, but I'm trying to get her to send me a couple pics of it! She loved it! Took me over 5 months. I love it, almost didn't give it away. but I am so proud of her! She is becoming a music major just like me!
Even Aunt Linda loved it!
She looked really surprised! I'm so happy she liked it!


I am currently working on Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery. I love the pattern, the yarn is the color I want, but I just hope that it softens up in the wash when its done. It is running on the rough side... sigh...

Til next time!