From 101 in 1001 to Bucketlist

A few months ago I happened across Bucketlist, where you can make a list of all the things you want to do before you die (it's free!). You can add pictures and notes, and comment on other people's goals. Since my new 101 in 1001 is such a huge fail already, I moved everything over to my own bucketlist...instead of admitting defeat.

101 in 1001 #2

So, I've started a new one. Hopefully this time I'll complete more than 72 of them. Some are easy, some are crazy, outrageous, WTF am I thinking...(and some may get changed later on).

Start date:
January 3, 2011

End date:
September 30, 2013

1.Take a plane trip (I've still never been on one)
2. Go fishing with my dad this summer
3. Learn how to fold an origami crane
4. Get a tattoo
5. Knit myself a garment
6. Try embroidery or cross stitch
7. Knit a child’s sweater for charity
8. Learn bookbinding
9. Go to a past life regression session
10. Finally put something in my Etsy store or open an Artfire store or see if I can sell it via consignment
11. Learn continental knitting
12. Pay off all credit cards
13. Dedicate one journal just for artsy ideas and clippings
14. Start the TKGA Master's Program
15. Dye hair an unnatural color (the bottom layer of my hair is now blue)
16. Spin enough yarn for a big project
17. Find an old fashioned roller rink and skate!
18. Visit a Tibetian temple
19. Get fitted for a bra
20. Try intarsia
21. Go to The Green Mill
22. Learn to use our new sewing machine
23. Learn a magic trick
24. Do grave rubbings
25. Make gingerbread from scratch
26. Learn to shoot a gun
27. Be an extra in a movie
28. Help out at the local theater
29. Go on a ghost hunt
30. Get a massage
31. Knit with laceweight yarn
32. Take part in a protest
33. Get hypnotized
34. Take archery lessons
35. See a roller derby match
36. Learn some conversational sign language
37. Tie a note to a balloon and release it
38. Learn to play a new instrument
39. Get a psychic reading
40. Learn all the words to "It's the End of the World As We Know It"
41. Buy a blank BJD and do a face-up
42. Pay off hospital bills
43. Put $$ in savings each month (Jan: $20)
44. Watch all Twilight Zone episodes
45. Watch all Doctor Who episodes (started!)
46. Borrow someone’s GPS and go on a random road trip
47. Come out of the Atheist closet
48. Lose 50 pounds
49. Get teeth whitened
50. Process a raw fleece
51. Get CPR certificate – both human and animal
52. Participate in Bike the Mile
53. Research jobs that have something to do with my major
54. Get Masters degree
55. Get into three more gallery shows
56. Create an installation
57. Create a comprehensive body of work
58. See more local bands
59. Read these books before buying more: Anarchy Evolution, Books of Blood, Sharp Teeth, The Catcher in the Rye, Death with Interruption, Carriers
60. Create and name my own glaze
61. Learn how to run the kiln
62. Throw a plate on the wheel
63. Visit somewhere west of IL.
64. Try to stop cussing so much
65. Don’t eat red meat for a month
66. Learn to live with less
67. Follow a band around
68. Try a new fiber artist/fiber each month
69. Fly a kite
70. Contribute to a Phat Fiber box
71. Try Zumba
72. Weave something more than a scarf
73. Finish my alphabet prompt table
74. Keep up with my blog
75. Take part in a collaboration
76. Get rid of a lot of my stuff
77. Declutter and rearrange my room
78. Learn the Single Ladies dance
79. Learn to identify 10 constellations
80. Learn more about Creationism, so I can argue my case better
81. Send something to PostSecret
82. Build a snowman
83. Find six great new bands to obsess over
84. Listen to the little voice in my head more often
85. KARAOKE!!!
86. Grow my own veggies
87. Learn a new recipe each month
88. Write a message in a public restroom
89. Have a lucid dream
90. Write a will
91. Write a haiku using alphabet spaghetti or magnet letters
92. Write and send a fan letter
93. Don’t eat fast food for a month
94. Volunteer at Settler’s Pond
95. Create my own font
96. Visit one crazy tourist attraction
97. Convince someone else to do the 101 in 1001
98. Take the polar bear plunge
99. Meet someone I admire
100. Bake bread
101. Go to a book signing/reading

Fiber Goals for 2010

* Get back into felting
*Stop being scared of 'ruining' fibers by spinning them
*Master long draw
*Contribute to at least one Phat Fiber box
*Build a lightbox
*Open my Esty shop
*Actually make stuff with my handspun
*Spin enough yarn for a sweater yoke
*Make time each week for wheel spinning
*Destash a large amount of my commercial yarn
*Only acquire fiber if it's through a trade or it comes out of my Paypal account
*Try weaving
*MORE art yarn!!!

Fishes and Runny Noses

I went to the Shedd Aquarium on Thursday with my mom, a friend, and her mom. I cannot believe the amount of people who have no idea how to turn the flashes off of their cameras. Cause there's nothing like a picture of a reflected light and startled fish. I took at least 100 pictures (no flash) which look good on my camera's wee screen, but will probably end up being very fuzzy. I'll see and post some. I ended up getting two awesome postcards, something for a swap, and a cute (overpriced) squid stuffie.

Oh, and a massive cold.

Spin spin spin

I haven't spun any yarn in well over a year. I remember hating everything I made and put it to the side. A few days ago I received my Phat Fiber box (the first I've been able to get!) and it was full of all these wonderful fiber samples. Seeing what everyone in the PF Ravelry group had made with theirs made me want to spin again. So that's what I did for almost four hours today. Phfft...to my senior project.
To start with, here's my PF haul:

Thankfully, there's only four things in there that I'm allergic to.
Here's what I've spun up so far. The first picture is hand dyed 100% baby alpaca from TLS. Next is some merino silk roving from Liberty Fibers. I just love the bit of sparkle that came with it.

I got 25 yds. out of both of them with very little waste, and some sparkle left over. It's between fingering and laceweight and is the thinnest yarn that I've ever been able to make.

I also combined two more bunches of samples, but that's still on the bobbin. I'm going to spin up some merino/tencel I bought in Wisconsin a few years ago to ply with it. And I have ideas for the rest. Now I just need to find the time to do it all.

Realist Challange totals

This is for the 'Realist Stash Knit Down Challenge' on Ravelry.

Rules:
*24 projects in 2009. (finishing WIPs and UFOs can count!! )
*12 of the projects must be made from stash (you can make more from stash if you want)
*3 of the projects have a new technique that you haven’t tried before

January '09
Projects: 4
From Old Stash: 1
New Techniques: 0
Yardage: 539

February '09
Projects: 6
From Old Stash: 5
New Techniques: 0
Yardage: 644

March '09
Projects: 6
From Old Stash: 5
New Techniques: 1 (invisible crochet decrease)
Yardage: 503

April & May '09
Projects:
From Old Stash:
New Techniques:
Yardage: 255

2008 wrap-up

12 Must-Knits for '08
Intarsia or fair isle
Hats and scarves for charity
Bags of Home *done but need buttons*
Bad Juju
Calyx Handtote *half done-lost pattern*
Some sort of garment for myself *frogged*
Lace
Log Cabin Blanket *started*
Corn
Single Cable Scarf
Toe-up socks
Design something knit/crochet

Yards used up:
7968 (that's 4+ miles)

NaKnitMo -- Knitting 30,000 stitches in November (trying for half)!
Number of stitches: 18907

Items crossed off of 101 in 1001 list (started in Feb.):
26