Well, darn.

Everything is gone. Bluehost has lost my entire website, despite still charging me to host it. The whole "I want my own website" venture has been absolutely crap, if you ask me. I was told I'd be able to move back to blogger no problem, but oops! None of my images are able to be saved. Let's not even get into the countless problems that I had with the website itself - no HTTPS functionality for 80% of the time, the site redirecting to someone else's webpage for a good 4 months... it was just a huge headache.

So, all of my blogging for the past 3 years is gone.

At least I'm able to restore everything before the move here, so my knitting patterns are still around. On the plus side - I haven't produced any patterns in the past 3 years, so at least the internet didn't lose anything there. 

Knitting Away!

"Where'd Alyssa go? Oh, she must be busy with her wedding planning, and stuff."

Actually, I'm not, really! Wedding planning is going really smoothly. I'm immersing myself in work, working out, eating clean, and knitting really, REALLY slowly.

Oh, and watching TV while the cat lies on me :)

If I have any knitting progress, I'll update you! There's just not much to see lately. Sorry!

My (Long) Weekend Project Was a Success!

I now have a widdle baby sweater with a widdle shawl collar! I can't get over how adorable this is.

The only thing I need to do is weave in the very last end. So I'm going to count this as done!

I'm a LITTLE worried about the sizing though. How big are baby arms? Beacuse this thing fits around my wrist...

Oh well... she can grow into it :)

Another 16 in 2016 project done! :) I really have to get it in gear if I want to finish the list though... :(

1. Knit something for charity.
2. Knit something just for yourself.
3. Knit something you can finish in a weekend. Then spend the weekend working on it!
4. Knit something that's been in your queue forever. (Can be a Ravelry queue or just something you've been wanting to try.)
5. Knit something and then yarn bomb somewhere! (Be sure to get permission. I'm going to do something on my own property.)
6. Knit something that uses a technique you've never done before.
7. Knit something silly. (There are so many possibilities!)
8. Knit something to give to someone as a thank-you. Everyone has someone that they can thank for something!
9. Knit something useful.
10. Knit something that uses a vintage pattern. 
11. Knit something that uses game knitting. 
12. Knit something from a pattern you tried before but gave up on. I have a lot of these!
13. Knit something from a pattern that you tried before and loved. I have some of these...
14. Knit something that uses indie yarn.
15. Knit something with someone else (through a knit along, mystery knit, etc.)
16. Knit something from a pattern that you buy. Spend money on a book, magazine, or independent pattern!

Weekend Knit

This summer has not been very good for knitting for me.

One, it has been just two darn hot and humid to do ANYTHING, so most activities have been kaboshed for just trying to keep the house presentable.

Two, my two projects have been just dragging on and on.  I gave away the needles for the Hue Shift Afghan to one of the knitters at the nursing home, because she needed to make a gauge swatch and I will set myself on fire to keep someone warm. My knit along - Part of my 16 in 2016 - has been a little disappointing...

It's supposed to be a mermaid tail blanket, but it's not SNUGGLY enough. I purposefully made a child's large, because I'm small, but I still don't like it. With the fact that they are selling for $20 online... it just feels like a waste of time. But it's really close to being finished, which will be nice.

So, in true knitter fashion, I'm picking up a totally new project. One of the supervisor's at work is having his first grandchild in October, so why not make a baby sweater? They're fun, easy, and I can finish it in a weekend with no problem - especially this weekend, which was a game night, a party, another game night, and then MORE dungeons and dragons. Not to mention we have to drive to all these social activities, so there's knitting time there, too.

If all goes well, I'll have another project Monday to show you. Wish me luck!

I had an engagement party and no one died!

Adorably(?) bad kerning

I was very nervous about our engagement party. It helped to set a goal - when asked about my expectations, I just said "As long as no one dies, I'm happy." So when things when inevitably wrong (the CD that was playing party music skipped, high winds tore down handmade bunting, I forgot one of Dan's relative's names) I just told myself "no one is going to die" and was able to float through the party with something that was close to zen.

Of course, that probably didn't seem zen to some people. I was really hoping everyone had a good time, and so I tried to get the two families to mingle. Eventually I realized that I should have at least taken some photos, so the only photos I have are kind of grainy 8PM post party stuff.

Yes, these are the LEFTOVERS.

We had a great dessert table, with all sorts of sweets! Sadly only one cake was gluten free, and that ran out fast. At least I got some before it was gone, but at 9PM when the last few stragglers were eating cookies and milk I felt a little awkward munching on veggie tray leftovers.

I test drove my homemade bunting that I put together, and I learned two things. First, I need at least 10 times more bunting for the wedding. Second, wind and bunting don't mix. Wind and decorations don't really mix in general. Most stuff had to be brought inside, where my hard work went pretty much unnoticed - oh well. No one died.

My favorite detail of the party? This thing.

Yeah, the gift table is not really pinterest worthy, sue me.

It's a cloud peeing rainbows. We saw it at the party store and I bought it on a whim. I love it. We brought it home with us, and I spend the entire drive like this:

Overall, I had an awesome time and would do it again. Oh wait... I am, and it's going to be even bigger and I'm going to get married at it. 

Yikes.

Better just knit some more and not think about that.

A Project Diversion

Sometimes you get pulled into knitting things for people. Usually I can resist, but I have a soft spot in my heart for the folks at my knitting circle. They are so nice, and mean so well... and well they're really persistent.

Here's how the conversation went:

Her: "Oh I'd like to knit my new great grand-daughter a baby blanket. Do you have a pattern for that?"

Me: "Sure! Here's a really easy one!"

Her: "Oh lovely! Here are the needles and yarn! Can you start it for me?"

Me: "Ok! It's a really easy pattern."

Next week

"Oh, this is so tough, my hands just aren't the way they were when I was younger. Can you show me again?"

"Sure!"

Next week

"Hey, I noticed you haven't really worked on your baby blanket. Everything ok?"

"Oh, it's just your work looks so much better than mine! Can you work on it today?"

"Sure!"

Next week

"Again? Listen, is it ok if I take this home and work on it?"

And now I have this pretty thing.  Made with Red Heart! Hopefully the new owner likes it.

I'm Engaged!

Ok, I've been engaged for about two weeks now, but I've been so overwhelmed talking with family and friends offline, that making the post here slipped my mind.

So, obviously, my 16 in 2016 goals might be... not met? I'm not sure what I'm going to craft for this. Dan and I got the book A Practical Wedding and the workbook as an engagement gift from Alysia, so we've been using that to plan things. It's really been great!

Our date is set - June 3rd, 2016 - and we have our photographer/videographer already booked! We're also planning an engagement party, engagement photos, and all the trappings. I'm really excited!

Oh - of course, I should tell you how he proposed! It wasn't a surprise. (Can it really be, when you've been living together for almost four years?) I knew that he had the ring, but I didn't know what it looked like. I knew he was going to propose to me on a weekend. He really wanted to go to Maine, so I kind of figured he was going to do it there. We had a great day at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, then pizza for lunch before going out to the island.

Before dinner, he suggested we take a walk along the beach and watch the sunset. We did, looking for sea glass and just having a good time. Once, he bent down on one knee to pick up a piece and there was an incredibly awkward moment where I thought he was going to propose and I felt myself crying with happiness. He just looked up at me confused and we had a good laugh. I said "You know when we reached the point in our relationship when you couldn't get me any jewelry in ring-sized boxes? Well, now I guess we're at the point where you can't bend down on one knee for things." So he pointed out the seaglass and I picked it all up.

When we had walked up and down the beach, we sat down on a big fallen tree that was turning into driftwood and went to compare treasures. When they were all on my lap and we had come to the traditional decision that it was "a pretty good haul," he stopped and gave a cheesy gasp.

"Oh, wait, I have something here in my pocket."

It was a suede jewelry box, that was slightly sandy. I opened it and the ring was inside.

I said yes, of course :)

Oh, and here's a closeup of the ring. It's a little big, so I have to get it resized this weekend.