cute as a button hat

I finished my banana republic knockoff hat on sunday.... I'm now calling it the "cute as a button hat." I LOVE it. It is so cute, it fits perfectly. The colors are wonderful. It *almost* makes me excited for cold weather so that I can wear my hat... Or maybe I'll just crank up the AC and wear it around the house. I'm not in that big of a hurry for winter.

I improvised the original hat pattern a little bit... I switched needle sizes because last time I tried to knit this yarn on 10.5s (the suggested size) the fabric that resulted was way to stiff. And I only knit the brim to be slightly larger than the button.

A little story...

My spoilee (Rowena Bladvak) sent me a birthday present in the mail. She is just about the best spoilee ever! (It's early, my birthday is on Friday, but I'm not going to complain about that.)

She is also my long lost twin...  So this year at Hogwarts has been a little like the parent trap. It has definitely been my favorite of all the swaps I've done. And I've definitely gotten myself a great new friend out of it. 

Quidditich Round 3

1. When Hagrid returns to Hogwarts after being sent to see the giants with Madame Maxime, Professor Umbridge questions him on his late return to school. She suspects that Hagrid had been to the mountains, but where does he tell her he has been?

a. Europa

b. Fiji

c North America

d. South of France

2. Professor Umbridge comes to Hagrid's Hut and searches his cabin one evening (as she believes Harry, Ron and Hermione are there visiting him at night when they are not supposed to). When she walks past the place where Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry holds his breath. True or false?

a. True

b. False

3. A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl is one of the members of the Advance Guard who rescues Harry from Privet Drive. What is her name?

a. Emmeline Vance

b. Dorcas Meadowes

c. Amelia Susan Bones

d. Bellatrix Regulax

4. What is the name of the witch who was killed two weeks after the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix was taken?

a. Alice Longbottom

b. Marlene McKinnon

c. Emma Fenwick

d. Dorcas Meadowes

5. Which two fifth year Ravenclaw students does Dumbledore choose to be prefects?

a. Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst

b. Luna Lovegood and Ernie Macmillan

c. Cho Chang and Michael Corner

d. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil

6. Which house was Rose Zeller sorted into?

a. Gryffindor

b. Slytherin

c. Ravenclaw

d. Hufflepuff

7. What is the color of Murtlap's essence?

a. Pink

b. Peach

c. Yellow

d. It is transparent

8. Name the Ravenclaw girl who became prefect in Harry's fifth year.

a. Hannah Abott

b. Padma Patil

c. Luna Lovegood

d. Marietta Edgecombe

9. According to a healer's portrait at St. Mungo's hospital, which disease was Ron suffering from?

a. Splattergroit

b. Splittygrot

c. Spottygroit

d. Spattergroit

10. Which book did Harry give Hermione for Christmas?

a. "New Theory of Numberology"

b. "A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions"

c. "Acheivements in Charming"

d. "Moste Potente Potions"

SCAVENGER HUNT

Padma Patil

Hannah Abbott

Percy

Dumbledore's Army

Cedric Diggory

Extra 5 pts - What movie will Robert Pattinson star in this December?
Twilight (Which, I'll admit I read all the books and pre-ordered the next one... and also I think that Robert Pattinson is super cute...)

:(

My mom backed into my car and totally destroyed the front end of it. It runs and I guess it could be worse... but I'm really upset about it.

My swap package

Here are pictures. Now that I'm home, and thrilled that it's the weekend... Even though monsoon season may or may not ruin my weekend plans. But that's neither here nor there... My package came at a great time. I just found out one of best and oldest friends is planning on moving to Montana in a few weeks. I'm horribly depressed about it... Hence being at a movie at 10pm, I was hanging out with her. :( Anyway, my package cheered me up and here are some pictures.

This is the bag, which is beautiful, and everything inside of it.

2 patterns: a shawl one and a sock one

and instructions for spinning!

My hand dyed yarn!

I love love love these colors.

Fluff and a spindle, for me too learn to spin

I'll be honest and admit I look at this and see something that Rocky would like to shred and throw all over the room and a stick. It's odd to me that it will (with luck) turn in to yarn. I'm very excited to teach myself though...

A little yellow bag with my other goodies

a note from chrysta, a shawl stick (love this, and needed one), a bracelet, stitch markers... and of course some of my favorite needles!

My package came!

I got my package this morning (well, technically it cam yesterday, but I spent all of yesterday away from the house, working and baby sitting, in a sleep-deprived coma because I was an idiot and went to see a movie at 10pm the night before, and on the other side of town too!... So dumb, I know, but I had my reasons... anyway). I'm running kind of late to work (as per usual) so I'll post more and include pictures later. I just wanted to say that I got it and I LOVE it! Thank you Chrysta! (I'm dropping "the cursed" part because I refuse to believe such a perfect package came from someone "cursed")

for fun!

1. I Love Lucy, 2. Chicken Enchiladas, 3. sin city, 4. Shades Of Sunshine Yellow, 5. David Beckham, 6. Margarita, 7. Maui Wowie!, 8. Frozen yogurt with fruit on top, 9. Blood smear. Extreme macro, 10. rocky, 11. Sassy, 12. Dobby

1. What is your first name? 
2. What is your favourite food? 
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite colour?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Choose 1 image from the FIRST page of results, remember the image you choose doesn’t have to be exactly what you were looking for - just the image you like best from the first page.

Copy your URLs to the Mosaic Maker here and publish your mosaic to your blog.

GUESS WHAT?

I finished!

My entire package is all put together and sealed up and prepared for mailing in the morning... I had some teaser pictures but for some odd reason my camera that is nice new and never has any problems and my sweet new imac are fighting and won't let me upload pictures properly... technology is so very irritating.

It'll be mailed tomorrow morning!

US Olympic Trials Swimming

Beware! 

This is a rambling post about swimming. 

The Olympic Trials are a big deal for me

I can not express how freaking excited and obsessed I have been since I can actually, for once, watch my favorite sport of all sports on tv during prime time. I love the olympics! It gets swimming on tv, and it gets other people interested and they'll actually listen when I start talking about swimming. I can name more swimmers than I can any other athletes... and I watch soccer and football and baseball... I just love swimming the best.

I was a competitive swimmer for years, although never good enough to ever do as well as any olympian... and I was a competitive swim coach for even more years. Both my brothers are swimmers, my "adopted" little sister is a swimmer. And she's a really good one too! She even is at the trials now, not swimming, but to watch. She bought me a shirt! (It's a Natalie Coughlin one ;) That's her in the picture. She's my favorite.) And I kid you not one of the 8 year old little boys I used to coach will be the next Phelps.. he's so good already...

Anyways... this week has been me cutting out of work early and racing home to yell at the tv and watch Phelps and Coughlin break world records. I have been so excited. I can't even begin to explain... and I'm trying to right here and now, because I think my friends and family (meaning my parents) have exhausted their patience with my swim rambling. hahaha. April and I watched the 400 IM on sunday night before she left to go see the meet in person.. (I'm jealous... really I am) and we literally scream at the tv like crazy drunk football fans... it's even sadder because later on I do it all by myself too. I thought I was going to cry when Coughlin broke her own back record in finals last night... AND I am not a crier! hahaha

I'm done for now... I may be back tomorrow with another ramble... I love this week.