Books & Hooks

ABCs

2010-08-29T16:46:00.001-04:00

I'm back again. I thought I should start off with something fun since work's been a drag lately and I'm newly single. Yea. Pictures of my currents to follow tomorrow.

ABCs

A - Age: 24

B - Bed size: Full

C - Chore you hate: Vacuuming - my sister enjoys it because she likes to hear the dirty stuff being sucked into the vacuum

D - Day of the Week: I personal love Saturday since I was born on that day

E - Essential start to your day item: Some breakfast - bagels, cereal, or bacon, egg and cheese sandwich...

F - Favorite actor(s): Hm, can't really say any off the top of my head. I'll have to revisit this one.

G - Gold or Silver: Silver or white gold. The yellow isn't for me.

H - Height: 5'3" says my doc

I - Instruments you play(ed): Violin, a bunch of traditional Thai instruments, and a bit of guitar

J - Job title: Associate Mechanical Engineer

K - Kid(s): More like Pet(s): Kujo, a terrier mix who's a year and three months old

L - Living arrangements: I live with 3 roommates (2 guys, 1 girl) in a two floor house

M - Mom's name: Chinapat, but everyone calls her Pat

N - Nicknames: Patti, Fong, Bubbles, Pat (though I don't like being called Pat)

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: Appendectomy back in 2003

P - Pet Peeve: Bad drivers. I complain about them everyday.

Q - Quotes you like: Dreams are necessary to life. ~ Anais Nin

R - Right or left handed: Right

S - Sex - Female, and yes, please!

T - Time you wake up: Usually 6 am on weekdays and 7 or 8 am on weekends

V - Vegetable you dislike: None that I can think of

W - Ways you run late: 1. Facebook in the morning 2. Forgetting to set the alarm 3. Kujo is slow to do his business in the morning

X - X-rays you've had done: Mouth - dentist made me do it, though I got a CT scan of my abdominal area when I have my appendix removed

Y - Yummy food you make (made): I love making Greek salad, Thai food (Rad Na and Kow Mun Gai), and I make a decent Eggplant Lasagna.

Z - Zodiac: Taurus - the reason why I'm dependable, practical, loving, bull-headed, stubborn, and romantic

Crocheted Baby Sweater Photos

2010-05-03T19:22:00.002-04:00

Hello! I'm back with pictures of the finished product.

I just love the simple design of the sweater.

Close up.

I hope my friend likes it. I'm making a bunch of other baby related stuff for her. For now I'm going to work on a pretty lace project.

Crocheted Baby Sweater

2010-04-25T07:54:00.003-04:00

So I started a new project. I'm not sure how big newborns are in size. This might be a problem since I'm crocheting a newborn sweater, but I crochet pretty tight. I knew in the back of my head that I should have gone one hook size up. Grr. Well, I'll make this my practice run and in the future I'll look up the right age to size dimensions.

Here's the link to the pattern: http://bundlesoflove.org/CrochetedBabySweater

On Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crocheted-baby-sweater

I will be posting pictures up but I have older pictures I need to get out from the back log of sorting through and posting up:

Picture from last summer.
Pictures from winter.
New pictures I took recently of Kujo.

My goal for today is to get my photos organized and up-to-date so I can feel better about myself. =)

Crazy Talk?

2010-04-23T20:36:00.003-04:00

Okay, this might sound crazy, but I want to move posts from my WordPress site back to this blog. I don't think there's an easy way to do it other than by copying and pasting them one at a time, but I want to do it. Crazy? Maybe I need a reality check.

Tomorrow's Saturday. I will begin my crochet and knitting journey again. Oh this is just exciting but a bit scary since I haven't really touched my hook in a very long time. Wish me luck!

There Goes My Year...

2010-04-12T16:57:00.004-04:00

I haven't posted anything new in a very long time. Where did the months go? I have no clue. All I've been doing is work, taking care of Kujo, studying for my Fundamentals of Engineering exam, and visiting my mom or my boyfriend every other week. I have about 4 or 5 crochet/knit projects on hold. They might be there for another week. My FE exam is this Saturday. After that's over I'll have my life back.

That means I get to crochet every night if I want to. Yay! I miss checking up on my favorite crochet/knit websites and blogs (see the list on the lower right corner). I have a huge yarn stash to get rid of before I move. Maybe I'll take a picture of everything after I move so I can show you the craziness that's living under my bed and in my closet.

My friend is having a baby, but she doesn't know if it's a boy or girl. I plan on making a blanket, hat, sweater, and booties set for her. I'm thinking the color green. I love green and purple. I have some baby yarn in that color but not enough for all those items I listed. Hm. I really don't want to go yarn shopping. I've been very good for the past 3 months on not buying new yarn.

Well here's to a new start. I'll write back if I start crocheting. =)

Back in the game

2009-10-31T13:51:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm back to crocheting and knitting! With over $500 worth of yarn stashed around my apartment, I better be doing something with it. I am 99% done with a crocheted hat/scarf combo that I made for my mom to sell. I'm currently working on a knitted slouchy hat. The pattern is lovely and I can't wait to finish it. I've never knitted a hat before. It's looking good so far.

Back to tv and knitting! Kujo's just been staring me down all day.

Keeping Track of Books

2009-10-13T18:22:00.002-04:00

Okay, I have a confession to make. I used to have a spreadsheet of all the books I own. I was keeping up with it until May when I went to Thailand. It seems that after Thailand I pretty much stopped doing everything that I used to do for better or worse. I'm not on facebook 24/7 anymore and I barely update my photos. I still tweet, but less often. I used to crochet like a fiend, but now I can't find the energy to do so. I used to blog all the time, now I update maybe once a month.

Part of it has something to do with starting a full-time job and getting a puppy. I can't blame Kujo for my laziness. It's just me. I got sick of the internet after experiencing Thailand for a month essentially without it. Maybe I have less to say? Nah, I doubt it. I just don't feel like typing it all out right now.

About that spreadsheet... I need to find it and update it soon. I have way too many books that I haven't kept track of.

And I'm Back

2009-09-07T12:45:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I finally found something worth making. I am making a blanket for Project Linus. Yay! I chose a pink and white color scheme and it's coming out really good. It's really easy to make. I'll post some pictures after I get my online life (facebook photo albums) in order. So bear with me!

No Motivation to Crochet

2009-08-16T15:22:00.002-04:00

Man, I have no clue what's wrong with me. I haven't touch yarn in over 3 months. Eh. I can't seem to get myself back into it. It's probably because I have no inspiration. Nothing to make me go... "I really want to make that!" Well, I subscribed to Crochet Today! magazine today. Hopefully that will kick start my yarn obsession again.

Back to Blogger

2009-07-21T22:07:00.003-04:00

Okay, I'm back. My little love affair with Wordpress didn't last that long. I got frustrated with how slow my computer and maybe the website took to process anything. Bear with me as I transition back to blogger and follow my new blog: My Little Kujo.

~ Patti

New Blog Home

2009-03-04T18:36:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone! I moved my blog to a new blog service. You can find me here:

http://pattiveeraplin.wordpress.com/

I won't be taking down any of the post on blogger, but I will be updating at the new site instead of this one. So check it out. I'm still in the process of adding pages and making it personal. Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Patti

Getting Ready for Spring!

2009-02-25T23:34:00.003-05:00

I've been slow on the crochet front lately. My Capstone project's been picking up and things were hectic. Now that presentations are over I have more time to read and crochet. Here are my latest creations and WIPs.

A new headband

Four Leaf Clover by Pam Gillette

Itty Bitty Shamrock by Pam Gillette

Marshmallow Bunny by CopperScaleDragon
PDF download is on the left side of the blog.

I'm making the marshmallow bunny for my old roommate, Alyssa. She had a love affair with stale peeps. I plan on putting two of them together and then stuffing it with fiberfill.

Capstone Report = Formatting Like There's No Tomorrow

2009-02-24T23:45:00.002-05:00

So my contribution to the Capstone project has been being the devil's advocate and sounding board. On top of that I've been writing the Capstone reports (with the input of my teammates). I just finished writing and editing 21 pages of the report. It originally started as a 11 page draft two weeks ago. I added pictures and new information to back up our research and why we're doing it.

Total, I think it took me about 10 hours or so of work. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to formatting. I did learn some valuable lessons while working on this midterm report: don't add captions until the very end if you're going to sync them to the List of Figures and Tables. Every time I rearrange pictures, I had to update the figure numbers. Oh boy, there were 30 pictures and I believed I moved half of them at some point during the writing. Okay, I'm going to get some sleep. Maybe I'll post my final document somewhere when I'm done with Capstone. I don't think I really explained what I'm working on. That's for another day.

Good night.

Fridays, I love them so

2009-02-20T12:57:00.003-05:00

It is Friday, the day of the week that I look forward to the most. The reason? My art class meets today. Unfortunately we are not meeting this week since my instructor is sick. =( I woke up this morning at 6:45 am to get ready for work at 7:45 am. I worked until 12:40 pm and made a couple of purchases before leaving. I had a sweatshirt on hold for my sister for the past two weeks and my co-worker Meredith recommended a book to me: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I've seen it before, but never made an effort to actually read it. But now I will. I'm always looking for book recommendations by my peers. It's always interesting to see other people's interests.

My interview with UTC Fire & Security, Fire Safety Division went really well. I got there early so I sat in the car for the next 10 minutes reviewing notes I made about the company. I met with HR, the engineering manager, the program manager, and the director of engineering. I also received a tour of the facility. Very nice. I'm pretty excited and also in awe. The engineering manager has two Masters degrees and the director of engineering has three. Wow. That's dedication. I would like to do that one day too. For now I would like to get more experience in industry before I decide if I should get an advance degree in any field.

That's all for now. I'm going to go lay down and maybe play Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. =)

Clearly I'm Not Doing Work

2009-02-17T18:35:00.009-05:00

Okay, so I've been at the library for the past hour or so and I haven't even touched my Capstone report. I'm supposed to edit the draft report for the midterm deadline. Instead I updated my google group website, browsed facebook, and g-chated with a classmate. Here's an excerpt of that chat.

Reason why I messaged him: His status said "Strawberry milk: the source of my greatest strength, but also my greatest weakness."

6:28 PM
me: I like chocolate milk
we should battle
Scott: haha i like it
some sort of godzilla-vs-mothra super hero battle?
me: my milk will dehydrate your milk and make it powder
yea
Scott: i will have to scoop up the powder and take it back to my secret lair where i can make it back into strawberry milk
me: oh, and it's soy based, so it's good for you
Scott: oh man, mine is made with crap :) me: lol
Scott: there is negative health in this bottle
me: yea, that sucks

Super Mario Invincibility Star

2009-02-16T08:55:00.005-05:00

While my boyfriend watched the All Star game last night, I sat there a crocheted a Super Mario Invincibility Star. I was thinking of giving it to my guy friends. My friend, Snipe, loves wearing the power up mushroom shirt and I was thinking of making him one of those too.

Super Mario Invincibility Star by Marte Fagervik

What's new in February?

2009-02-15T12:01:00.005-05:00

Okay, so there's a bit to catch up on since I realized that I've been too busy to update with anything substantial. There was a Mega Career Fair at Northeastern University on February 5. I attended and passed out my resume to potential companies. It was a good opportunity and because of that day, I got an interview this upcoming Wednesday with United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for their Fire & Security division. Cool. Now I need to borrow my sister's car or my boyfriend's. We'll see.

My independent study has been lagging. Right now my professor is figuring out what hardware and software to use and probably realizes that there a lot of choices out there for him. I need to schedule a meeting with him to keep things on track so I can actually design the labs for him before I graduate.

Capstone is going okay. My group has visited the research lab where our device will be used. I need to rewrite the report for our Midterm Presentation. Oh fun. I'm not much of a report writer. I find that they are usually dry and boring. Well, academic reports tend to be especially when you involve numbers and terms that most people wouldn't know about.

Planning our trip to Thailand has progressed a bit. We decided to visit Hong Kong on the way to Thailand. Possibly stop in Honolulu, Hawai'i and Los Angeles, California before heading back to New York. I need to figure out if my friend's mom can host us in Hawai'i. Poor college students have to think cheap and efficient if they want their money to last. =)

I finished my Starburst hotpad yesterday. It's pretty cool. I plan on making some for my boyfriend's family.

Starburst Hotpad by Loretta Schepp

Durango Hat

2009-02-07T12:27:00.003-05:00

I finished another hat. I apologize ahead of time that the pictures didn't come out that great.

Durango by Catherine Lindsay

Close up of buttons. I covered one of them.

New Projects for February

2009-02-02T23:26:00.004-05:00

So instead of sleeping, I decided to put this up. Here's what I've been up to...

Suzetta's Heart by Suzetta Williams

Crochet Calorimetry by Kristin Rose

I love the way the pattern came out. I used Paton's Classic Wool in Rosewood.

Close-up of stitches.

Button close-up. Bought from Windsor Buttons, Boston, MA.

Crocheted Mittens / Fingerless Gloves by Sue Norrad
I'm making this for my sister. It's a WIP.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-02-02T00:44:00.002-05:00

Copied this from my Facebook. Just some random facts about me.

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Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I procrastinate... a lot. I wish I didn't. I got this 25 Thing from P' Jenny on January 23 and I'm finally getting to it. I'm actually using this to procrastinate from doing some research.

2. I like to be neat in class. My room is another story.

3. I use rulers to make lines. I'm serious. Ask anyone from class about it.

4. If I'm reading a really good book I'll read until I finish it. I stayed up til 7 am to finish one of my favorite books and ended up getting 2 hours of sleep. =(

5. I like to collect pretty yarn though I know I won't be making anything out of it any time soon. I can't help myself.

6. I like to meet new people but I have to be in the mood to socialize. See #7.

7. Sometimes I prefer my own company. No offense, but I rather read than go out most nights.

8. If I can make a lot of money as an artist, I would do it. Engineering can be my back up. =)

9. Sometimes I feel like a fake. Like there's more to my life but I settled for the path that it has taken because it's easy. Does that make sense?

10. I used to want to be a doctor then an architect. I really love buildings. I regret selling my American Architecture: A History by Leland M. Roth. Maybe I'll get something similar but better one day.

11. I bite my nails. It's this nervous habit I have. I can stop for a month, but then something will set it off again.

12. When I'm embarrass or nervous my ears turn red and hot. I don't really blush.

13. I own over 300 books. About 280 of them are romance novels. I enjoy them. =)

14. I can't pass a Borders or Barnes & Noble without going in.

15. They say that you shouldn't live your life with regrets, but I do. I just don't think about them too often or I'll get sad and/or emotional.

16. Every now and then I like to stir up a bit of trouble. Maybe it's because I'm experiencing ennui too often?

17. I never really had any close girl friends while growing up. I had mostly guy friends. I'm not sure why it's that way, maybe it's easier for me to deal with.

18. I wake up wanting to change things in my life, but never actually do it.

19. I like to time myself walking places. I can give you a pretty good estimate of when I'll get somewhere. When I say 7 minutes, I mean 7 minutes.

20. I like to argue. Though I know when to concede when I'm wrong (which doesn't happen too often because I seldom argue when I know I'll be wrong).

21. In the past 4.5 years of college I never visited anyone at their school. Yeah, I like staying on campus a bit too much or I'm just that lazy.

22. I love watching chick flicks because I like imagining that I was the heroine in the movie. This also applies to my romance novels.

23. I would like to unclutter my life, but I don't know where to start or how to get rid of things. Pack rat genes run in my family.

24. I used to have a plan of how my life would be, but I tossed it out a few years back and now I feel lost. It's not a pleasant feeling.

25. Sometimes I wish I was more honest with myself and tell people how I'm really feeling instead of just bottling it inside. Writing in my blog helps with this. That's why I keep one.

Capstone Presentation

2009-02-01T08:07:00.000-05:00

A lot of people are amazed when I tell them that I get nervous speaking in front of people. I guess it depends on the situation. I love to talk, that is true. I just don't like to give presentations. If I'm not prepared for it, I choke and then I freeze. It's pretty bad. I usually have to practice at least 5 times on my slides to feel somewhat comfortable.

On Thursday my group presented our Capstone project to our design advisor. We met an hour before hand and practiced as a group. During the first two rehearsals, I just messed up and couldn't think of something to say. Actually, I just couldn't start the slides. So I wrote down what I would like to say and practiced hitting the key points. The guys took a break, but I knew I had work to do. I asked Bryan, one of my team members, to read the previous slide before mine and introduce my section. I practiced my slides three more times by myself and each time it was a bit better.

I managed to calm down and focus on what I need to present. Our advisor finally showed up and I was glad it was just him. It was originally planned that we were going to present to him and his graduate students. My part of the presentation was great. I didn't stumble and I spoke loud and clear. I made eye contact and delivered my section with ease. I breathed a sigh of relief after it was over. I did it.

My teammates all have different techniques for presenting and they were telling me to "wing it." If you know me just a bit, you'll understand that I don't do that. I prepare and I practice. I memorize a lot of things and that's how I learn. I remembered that back in 11th grade, my English teacher had us memorize all 40 prepositions. In order to do so I wrote them out in alphabetical order 5 or 6 times. When I took the quiz, I pretty much wrote it out from memory. That's the same technique I used to memorize my "lines." If I say it a few times, it'll eventually stick.

That was only the draft presentation. Our real midterm presentation is right before Spring Break. Then the final presentation is mid-April. I believe it'll be on the last day of classes or the reading day after that. Okay. I need to do some research on Robotic curriculums. (My independent research assignment.)

(Taken from my blog - My So-Called Engineering Life)

Getting Ready for Valentine's Day

2009-01-28T23:17:00.002-05:00

Here's a sample of some of the things I'll be making for Valentine's Day. I'm excited! It's one of my favorite holidays. Actually, I like all holidays. It's nice to be festive about something. It makes your day a bit nicer.

Hearts Around Doily by Terri Kroupa

My Neighborhood in Thailand

2009-01-28T20:58:00.004-05:00

My friend was asking me about when I was going to go to Thailand. So I did some research and found out where I live in Thailand. The first map is of my neighborhood. This Military Training School is near my house.

View Larger Map

This is a map of Horwang High School. My aunt teaches here. There's a mall called MBK one block south. It's huge and I love going there.

View Larger Map

Maybe I Should Get Some Sleep

2009-01-26T02:52:00.002-05:00

It's 3 am on a Monday. Why am I up so late? I dunno. I have trouble sleeping sometimes. Tonight I decided to do some research on laptops. I want to get a new one before the end of the school year. I want something small and portable since I'll be taking it with me when I travel over the summer. I like those mini laptops, but I'm not sure. I kinda want one I can play my Sims 3 game on (should I ever buy it, highly possible). So I might end up buying a gaming laptop instead if it's not too heavy/bulky. I saw on Dell that they sometimes have this offer - you buy their XPS gaming desktop and get a Mini 9 laptop for $99 (normally priced at $379 or so). Hm. The best of both worlds? I'm still looking, so we'll see.

I decided to get reacquainted with knitting. My friend, Jenny, wants me to make a hat for her boyfriend. It's the Jayne Cobb Hat that the main character wears on the TV show Firefly. The pattern she gave me was for circular knitting. I went to AC Moore with my sister today and bought a 10.5 US 29" circular knitting needle - but the wrong length. I was supposed to buy the 16". Eh. So I asked my boyfriend to drive me back there tomorrow so I can do an exchange. I hope I can still keep my discount - 40% off regular priced items. I'm a yarnaholic. This is bad, but not too bad. I only bought 3 skeins for the hat and a bag of random end of the line yarns that was on sale. They had an okay selection but I promised myself to not buy anymore random yarns that are not going to be used in the very near future.

Okay. Ranting done. I need to sleep now. Good night everyone. Happy Monday. =)

Everyday Popular

2009-01-24T20:12:00.004-05:00

Check me out on Everyday Popular! www.everydaypopular.com

My friend, Dan, is working for a company that compiles links about people - famous or not. Nice. He asked to use my picture and links on the site. So if you have some time, check it out. It's still in the working stage, so don't judge too critically! =)

How I Spent My Weekend

2009-01-24T12:51:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday I went to Happy Hour at McFadden's on State Street in Downtown Boston. Happy Hour was from 8-10 pm and we got there a little later so we were playing catch up. It ended badly for me and I'm thankful that I have such great friends. =)

This weekend will be different. Lesson learned. Last night I went to Jose McIntyre on Milk Street with Sean. He was meeting up with a few friends/old roommates there. The bartender was awesome. I didn't know what to get so he asked me what kind of drinks I liked. My response was something fruity with vodka. He made me a Raspberry Smoothie. Here's what's in it:

Raspberry Smoothie

Splash of: Grenadine, orange juice, and lime juice (or two lime slices)
2 oz sour mix
1.5 oz raspberry vodka
0.5 oz raspberry liqueur

Add all in a glass and shake it up. Add fresh raspberries and enjoy!

New Hat (Because I Lost My Other One)

2009-01-21T17:43:00.003-05:00

I finished my hat just now. What do you think?

Divine Hat by Rheatheylia

Is Everything On Sale?

2009-01-21T13:39:00.002-05:00

It seems like it. Everyday I get new email telling me what's on sale at my favorite stores. Today I received the Bath and Body Works email and they have their semi-annual sale going on. My favorite scent is Black Raspberry Vanilla. It's just delicious. I stocked up on their body wash and lotion last year when I thought the scent was being taken off the line. It turns out they just made it part of their Signature Collection - complete with perfume and body spray. So check it out here.

Bath and Body Works - Black Raspberry Vanilla

Senioritis

2009-01-20T08:27:00.002-05:00

Ah, it's that time of year when I really don't want to do anything but read, crochet, and maybe attempt my art homework. I spent about 13 hours or so yesterday doing nothing aka not doing my work for class. I didn't start on it until 11 pm and finished around 1 am. Something so simple I definitely could have done it any time during the day. Anyways, I'm up early to go to work. I have some things to take care of today that's been on my mind since Saturday.

I started a new hat yesterday and it's coming out really nice. I can't wait to finish it. I have to do some art homework today too. I'll take a picture of my work so far. Sean was pretty impressed with my skills. I think it's the engineer in me wanting the drawings to be perfect... the right angle, the right values. Okay, I have to move away from the computer. =)

Can't Wait To Get My Own Place

2009-01-19T12:47:00.003-05:00

After living for 4.5 years on-campus with roommates, I can't wait to have my own place after graduation. There are certain pet peeves that every year at least one roommate does and it drives me a bit batty. I'll list them. If you're living with someone, please be courteous and respectful to them and learn from these pet peeves.

Not cleaning up after themselves - this includes all shared spaces such as the kitchen, the bathroom, and the living room. This should just be the topic of this rant.
Leaving personal items in the living room - you have a closet in your bedroom for this purpose and leaving your stuff all over the living room makes it messy. I have to apologize to guests and shove other people's things out of the way to make sitting room.
Putting pots and pans in the dishwasher - yes, using the dishwasher supposedly saves water, but when you're putting huge objects that should be hand washed into it, you're wasting space and not using the dishwasher efficiently.
Not maximizing the space in the dishwasher - I usually end up going back into the dishwasher and organizing it before running it because people don't understand how to stack thing in it properly.
Leaving the Brita empty - that's great that you drink a lot of water, but hey, when you are the last to use the Brita and there's about an inch of water left over, just fill it up. It takes about 7 secs, maybe 10.
Eating my food - it doesn't happen often since I label my things in the refrigerator. I found bread crumbs in my butter the other day and I know for a fact that I never do that. I also never dig gorges into my butter. I like to level it off. Thanks for using my stuff, at least be sneaky about it.
Using my stuff and not cleaning up right away - I have about one of everything (kitchenware) and when you use things and leave it dirty, I can't use it. Chances are you don't have it too so now I have to clean the mess you left behind just to use something that belongs to me. Not cool.

To sum it up - clean up after yourself and be respectful of other's property. If I use someone else's stuff I make sure I clean up right away so that they can use it when they want. If you have the time to cook, you should have the time to clean. Having your friends or significant other over doesn't mean you can't clean up. When I have my sister and/or my boyfriend over, we clean up right away. Saves the time to clean up later when everything is stuck on and you're aggravating others by leaving a mess behind. That's my rant for now. I should write a book about roommate etiquette. Meh.

Flowers and Hats

2009-01-19T11:02:00.004-05:00

Some more crochet projects I've been working on...

Tawashi Flower by Marte Fagervik

More pretty colors. I think I'll use them as coasters.

Ear Flap Hat for Joy

Close up of the pom pom. I love how it came out.
It has light pink yarn on the outside and rose yarn on the inside.

Close up of the flower

Beanie for Jenna and Mittens for Chris

2009-01-15T19:15:00.004-05:00

I finally finished Chris's convertible mittens. The second side took less than a day to finish. I was just procrastinating for the longest time (2 months!)

Convertible Mittens by Sue Norrad
I added the button and loop to it.

Palm side.

With the flap up.

Here's one more request from Jenna. She wanted a navy blue beanie with the elephant motif from her Kathy Boatneck Sweater.

Beanie by Azzy

Close up of elephant motif.

A Present for My Mom

2009-01-15T19:10:00.004-05:00

I made my mom two hats over winter break. I finally have time to post them!

How cute is this hat? I love flowers!

Beanie with a purple flower.
We had tons of snow on New Year's Eve and I crocheted all week!

Crochet Hats and Scarf

2009-01-15T19:02:00.001-05:00

I crocheted this tam hat and matching scarf for my neighbor, Ruth. She loves matching sets. =)

Retro Rings Tam Hat by Jaybird Designs

A scarf I improvised to match the hat.

Pictures from Winter Break

2009-01-15T07:07:00.001-05:00

I made this hat for Jenna. It took me a couple of hours. Sweet, right?

Pretty Puffs Slouchy Hat by Jessica Suzanne

Close up of the sunflower.

Not Again...

2009-01-13T23:09:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I've been getting this lost feeling for the past year pretty much. I used to have my life planned out, but now, I don't know anymore. I get so frustrated with myself and every now and then little things will just trigger me to breakdown and cry. I'm never like that. I try to refrain from showing a lot of emotions.

I'm just an emotional and confused mess right now. My life (mostly personal, not academic or work life) suffers from it. Sometimes I feel like I'm fooling myself. I paste on a happy face when sometimes I don't want to smile. The stress of not having a job lined up and my Capstone project being behind schedule doesn't help.

I just have to deal with it somehow. I just have to let it out and stop bottling my frustrations and do something about it. Okay. Breathe. Everything will work itself out. It has to.

To Drop or Not To Drop

2009-01-08T16:15:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I only needed one elective and my Capstone class to graduate. But to maintain my financial aid I need to take 12 semester hours (3 4-hour classes). Then 3 classes cost as much as 4, so I decided to take another. I was thinking of dropping my CAD/CAM class. It's okay, I guess I'll see how it goes until next Friday.

I'm also taking Capstone, Basic Drawing, and an independent study. My independent study got changed. I'm supposed to redesign the Dynamics and Vibrations labs, but the professors like their old, forgettable labs. I got reassigned to designing new Control Systems labs. They never had a lab class before. This will be a great opportunity for me to create and find cool experiments to perform. I'm working with Jeff Doughty and Professor Rifat Sipahi. I'm actually looking forward to it.

Okay, I'm going to do the in-class assignment for the CAD class before I go to it so I can leave after lecture. Fun.

Monster Mix

2009-01-07T23:20:00.003-05:00

What is a Monster Mix? It is a trail mix that you can buy from Target's Archer Farms brand. Sean and Ty picked it up in California and Sean had it in his car. It's amazing. I decided to make my version of it. Here's what's in it:

Chocolate Chips
Peanut Butter Chips
Raisins
Unsalted Peanuts
M&Ms (I went with the dark chocolate)

You mix it up in a bowl, in a bag, it doesn't matter. The proportions however does. I bought a bag of Tollhouse Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips, a large bag of M&Ms, a jar of peanuts, and a pound of raisins. Note that each item was less than a pound in weight, but close to it.

When I made it I used 1/2 a bag of Tollhouse chips and 1/2 a bag of M&Ms, 1/3 of the peanuts, and about 1/2 pound of raisins (maybe a little less - it's up to you). I also like my raisins plump and juicy and not totally dried up.

Anyways, experiment with it and happy eating!

First Day of Class

2009-01-05T08:44:00.001-05:00

Today is my first day of class in my last semester!!! I'm excited. Very EXCITED!!! I'm working in the school's bookstore from 10-2 and then my first class is at 2:50 pm followed by another class until 5:40 pm. Then I have a Tau Beta Pi meeting at 6 pm. After that's done I'm going grocery shopping - round two - with Sean. We also have to pick up miscellaneous items at Target and Home Depot. Fun!!! Pictures will be posted up later when I have time.

Stash Much?

2009-01-02T13:17:00.002-05:00

I spent the morning organizing my yarn stash on Ravelry. Oh geez. I have 100 types of yarns stashed at the moment. There might be more since I haven't updated in a while. Now I'm going to go and be productive. Sitting here eating Chicken Chow Fun is nice, but I'm way behind on my crochet work. Michaels might be in the mix too. Oh yes!

Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

2009-01-02T00:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, I have to say that Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia is taking up all my time. Sean gave me the game for Christmas and I have been playing it for 3-4 hours a day since. Ahh! I should be spending all my free time crocheting, but instead I've been playing this Nintendo DS game like it's my job (but way more fun). What's not to love about a girl who saves and befriends Pokemons then use them during missions and quests? Okay okay. Tomorrow will be my big crochet day. I have two projects lined up already.

My friend Jenna asked me to make her two hats and I have Chris's mittens that I mentioned earlier. That's all I'm doing tomorrow. Well... I think I'll go to Michael's again too (if Sean can find it in his heart to indulge his girlfriend). =)

Good night!!!

Slippah Luggage Tag!!!

2009-01-01T23:57:00.003-05:00

Crochet Update:

I finished making my slipper luggage tag. I'm probably going to start Jenna's hat tonight and work on Chris's mittens tomorrow. I've been putting his mittens off because I was frustrated with the yarn (and I messed up quite a bit and hate to frog - undo stitches - my work). Here's pictures of the Slippah Luggage Tag (enjoy the awesome floral background courtesy of Sean's mom's dining room chair and table):

Slippah Luggage Tag

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T12:50:00.003-05:00

It's finally 2009. Oh wow! It's a brand new year and a chance to start fresh again. New Year's Eve brought snow in the morning and festivities in the evening.

Last night I attended a party with my boyfriend. It was a party hosted by his brother's friend, John. His house was huge and pretty. I think it's kinda interesting in a weird way that my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend happened to show up with her latest boyfriend. Fun stuff. I can't stand the girl and it's the first and last time we'll ever see each other in person. It's almost symbolic that I ended 2008 with her there and started 2009 oblivious to her presence. I hope it's the last time I ever see her face. She caused a lot of drama the entire time I've been with my boyfriend. It's about time she grew up and get her own life instead of interfering with mine via Sean.

Anyways, on to something else. We're going to Sean's grandparent's house for some New Year's Fondue. I'm excited! I made the guys bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches this morning. Sean and I made the Baked Macaroni and Cheese for his grandparent's and it smells heavenly. =)

The McD's Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Serving Size: 6-8 people (maybe more)
Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Ingredients:

1 lb Macaroni (we prefer elbows)
1 tsp salt
5 tbs butter
5 tbs flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 cups milk (we use fat free)
4 cups cheese (we use 2 cups White Cheddar and 2 cups Monterrey Jack)

To Cook Macaroni:

Follow instructions on the package.
Drain then rinse in cold water.

To Make Sauce While Macaroni Cooks:

Melt butter.
In a large sauce pan combine flour, salt, pepper, and melted butter. Stir.
Add milk slowly and continue to stir until sauce thickens.
Add shredded cheese to sauce and stir constantly until cheese has melted.

To Combine Macaroni and Sauce:

Place cooked, drained macaroni in casserole dish.
Pour cheese sauce over macaroni. Stir to combine.
Optional: Dot with butter.
Bake in 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

Shannon's Lotus Flower Bracelet

2008-12-30T17:04:00.003-05:00

I finished Shannon's bracelet today. I was going to have Sean stop at Michael's Arts and Crafts for black crochet thread, but I guess I'll get it another day. Here's the finished product and close-ups.

Lotus Flower Bracelet by CreativeYarn

Close up with button.
I wanted a teal button, but this white one will do.

What I've Been Up To...

2008-12-30T12:03:00.004-05:00

Okay, so finally I have a chance to take some pictures and upload them. The ones on my camera will have to wait until I get back to Boston. These are the pics from my webcam (actually Sean's).

White Cap with Purple Flower

Lotus Bracelet

Irish Rose Dishcloth

Picture of me with Sean. Haha. I'll make him take a picture!

Nice face, Sean.

Okay, so we're not on the same page yet. =)

A Week in Connecticut

2008-12-29T11:39:00.002-05:00

I arrived safely in Connecticut on Saturday, December 27. My boyfriend picked me up from Bridgeport, CT. We went to his mom's boyfriend's brother's house in Somers. They have this amazing recreational room in the finished attic. All hardwood paneling with leather chairs spread out in different nooks. There's a bar-like area with a beer/alcohol fridge. The fireplace was huge and gorgeous. In the middle was the pool table. I wish I took pictures, but I think one of Sean's relatives might have some.

Sunday was spent hanging out and shopping. We went to Canton and had lunch at Five Guys. It is the most amazing burger place ever. EVER. I went to Barnes and Noble and got the Interweave Crochet Winter '08 magazine and a crochet book: Beyond the Squares Crochet Motif by Edie Eckman. Then we went grocery shopping at Shaw's. We always stock up his mom's kitchen when we visit. The total was $180. Oh jeez.

I'm also crocheting my aunt's new hat. Pictures to come when I get back to Boston. I forgot to bring the cord with me. =( Well, I've been distracted by my new Nintendo DS game - Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia. Okay, I know what you're thinking at this point... Is she seriously playing a little kid game? Yes, I am. It's so addicting. I got it on Saturday and as of Sunday night I already played 6 hours of it. Ahh. Well, I'm probably going to go play another hour and then finish the hat or vice versa. I think the hat is easier to finish and I need to get that out ASAP.

Until next time!

Oh Yes!!!

2008-12-25T21:48:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone got what they wished for today. My sister and I just finished watching Love Actually. I love that movie. <3 Tomorrow we're going to the mall so I can finally get a winter jacket. I also need to exchange the gift we got my mom because the glass was cracked. Eh. I can't wait to go to Connecticut on Saturday!!!

Okay, back to crocheting. I have a lot of projects to finish!

Christmas Eve!!!

2008-12-24T13:44:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I woke up this morning and read for a hour or so. Then I started crocheting my mom's hat. I love the green color; it's called Olive. (Pictures to come.) Plans for the day: CVS to buy a last minute card, bake an apple pie, wash my dog, and clean up my room.

I've been to Michaels Arts and Craft on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Crazy. I bought probably $80 worth of yarn and accessories. I'm going to have to tally up all my stuff and organize it. Wait until you see a picture of my yarn stash. I'm going to have a fun time cataloging them online at Ravelry.

I went to Borders yesterday and bought a new book - Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker by Debbie Stoller. I'm a fan of her knitting and crochet books. I can't wait to try patterns out of it. I also bought a book about making potholders and dishclothes. It's called Kitchen Basics in Cotton by Carolyn Christmas. I'm making my boyfriend's grandparents - what else? - some potholders and dishclothes. I can't find most of the colors for the cotton yarn in stores so I'm going to have to order it online soon. No rush.

Okay, off to run my errands and get things done. =)

Home, Sweet Home!

2008-12-21T13:05:00.003-05:00

Okay, the only thing not sweet at home is the fact that we have no internet service. My mom doesn't use the computer and Joy and I are never really home for long so to save money we canceled our internet service a few years ago. I've been surviving my withdrawal by going to the local library or by lugging my laptop to Panera, Starbucks, or where I can get free wi-fi.

Well, having no internet is actually a good thing. I managed to get more stuff completed. I'll working on the test reports for Randy. I have 1.5 more tests to finish up. Okay, I gotta go work on it now.

Plan of attack for the day:

Go to A.C. Moore, Toys 'R Us, Joann Fabrics and Crafts, Old Navy, Panera, Borders, Ulta's, and then Michaels Arts and Crafts.

I will still update via cellphone my Twitter account. If you scroll down and look on the right side of this blog there will be a section called "Twitter Updates". I'll be posting to it often throughout the week since it's faster to text then drive out to a wi-fi location to just get internet service to blog. =)

Going Home

2008-12-20T07:57:00.001-05:00

I'm traveling home today in 3 minutes. So I'll make this quick. I catch the Amtrak from Back Bay at 8:45 AM and take it to Bridgeport, CT. Then I hop on the Port Jefferson Ferry and it takes me to Port Jeff, Long Island, NY. Then my mom or sister picks me up from there and drives 20 minutes to our house. The total trip takes about 4-5 hours depending on how long I have to wait in between the train and ferry. It's snowing out a bit, but I hope it doesn't impede my travel.

Happy Holidays! Stay warm and toasty!!

Pictures from Friday's

2008-12-20T01:33:00.008-05:00

Yankee Swap at Friday's on December 18, 2008:

Deciding what to eat...
Matt and Randy

... the menu can be challenging when there's a lot of options.
Steve M.

Anthony (in the white) why do you look so down?

Clearly I wasn't sneaky.
David

John, Rick, and Karen

Joe Q.

View down the table, part 1.

View down the table, part 2.
Oh look, Dan's in a picture!!! (Green stripes)

Clearly the best gift of the night. Her boobs jiggle.
My supervisor, Ken

Checking out the gift.
Ricardo, Steve D., and Ken

Some funny faces with Matt and Randy.

Massive Snow Storm

2008-12-19T18:51:00.002-05:00

Oh yea, there's a huge snow storm outside. I'll be back in my room in an hour or so and I'll be uploading new pictures. Stay tuned!

-----
December 20, 2008 1:30 AM

Getting a ride back with Steve. 93 South, North of Boston.
Zakim Bridge in the background.

All's quiet on Westland Avenue.

Still no one on Mass Ave. (I was dropping off my blockbuster movie.)

Bundled up and ready.

Huntington Avenue and Opera Place. (Outside of Speare Hall.)

The Nano Dog covered with snow.

Looking towards the Student Center.

Looking towards the Library from the Student Center.

Looking out onto Sweeney Field and nearby Huntington Avenue from my window.

New Blog

2008-12-19T18:49:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone! I have a new blog that I started a few days ago. It's dedicated to talking about my co-ops, engineering, and work. My Books & Hooks blog used to be about everything, but now it's mostly about my favorite topics of interest. So take a peek and see what's been on my mind.

http://mysocalledengineeringlife.blogspot.com/

Thanks for viewing!

Not So Funny...

2008-12-18T20:22:00.002-05:00

So today went by pretty quick. Of course it usually is when you have a lot of things to get done. Hopefully the snow stays away until later in the day tomorrow. I need to finish a test report, a very long one. I have a doctor's appointment in the morning so I won't be in until noon if the weather holds.

So after work we gathered at Friday's. Everything was going great and everyone was having a good time and lots of different conversations were happening at the same time. About an hour in we started the Yankee Swap. There were some cool gifts and some not so cool ones. My favorite was the one my boss picked out. It was a top half of a women with bouncy jelly like boobs. OMG. It was hilarious. It was suggested that we put it on the shake table. Haha. That will make Art and Cristian's day.

At the end of it all I got a $20 Au Bon Pain gift card. Hey, college kids never turn away free food. Lisa, one of my co-workers gave me her scratch cards that were part of her gift. The first one had nothing, the second one had $1, and the third one had $2. The last one looked the same as the other ones and the prize was $10,000. I proceeded to scratch the pyramids one by one and then in front of my eyes... $10,000. I was like... serious? No way... I was so happy that I shed some tears. Then someone suggested that I sign the back to claim it. So I turned it over and I started reading...

It was a fake. It had stuff on the back like "Write to [...] the NorthPole" and "Winners only get laughed at by their friends." Something along that line. Great. There are two things I hate doing and I did them tonight. 1. I cried in public and 2. I was made a fool. At one point during my happiness I yelled out that I was going to go to Europe with that money. Guess not. Oh well. My tears of happiness became tears of sadness and disappointment.

Money's always been an issue in my family. We always just had enought to make do. Since I was 9, my mom has raised us, Joy and me, single handedly and gave us everything, though she had nothing. When I was 16 I understood the debt my mom was living in and wanted to help. I've been working every summer and every school year since then. The only time I wasn't working was when I was in San Fran for two months this summer. Every other paycheck up until my second co-op went to my mom to help pay for the phone bill, the electricity, and other expenses. Even now I'll go home and give my mom $500. It's something to help her out for all that she's done for us. I love her and I can't say no if she's feeling pinched.

So when I saw that $10,000 I thought of what I can be doing with it. I would put half towards my trips and the other half will help pay off some of my schooling. To find out that it was fake was very disappointing. I'm not sure who put it in or why they bought it. Maybe they didn't know it was fake, maybe they thought it would be funny. The wrong person got to scratch that card and definitely didn't take it as a funny joke. I think the people around me felt awkward because here I was so happy and finding out it was fake totally killed my happy mood. Well next time I'll read the back before jumping up and down and making a cake out of myself.

Mr. Cactus and His Hat

2008-12-17T22:57:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I'm a bit ridiculous. I finished Mr. Cactus today. Then I sat back and realized that transplanting a cactus to the Northeast was not a good idea... he'll get cold. So I crocheted him a little ear flap hat. OMG! It's sooo cute! Hope you guys like it!!! He's going to be sitting at Azure Dynamics. Us co-ops can't keep plants alive. =)

Mr. Cactus (Amigurumi World)

I just made the little hat pretty much out of nowhere (actually off the top of my head).

Okay, so I also made a little scarf...

... clearly having too much fun.

Almost Done!

2008-12-16T22:02:00.002-05:00

My last day of co-op is December 19th -- this FRIDAY!!! Omg. I can't believe it's almost over. It's been super quick. I have an end of the year/co-op review tomorrow and my boss is taking me to lunch. Yay! On Thursday we have a Yankee Swap after work at TGI Friday's. I'm excited! I'm making an apple pie for Thursday. Friday I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, but I will be in around noon. Not missing the CRD seminar hosted by Beth for the world! Should be an interesting topic... She's putting together a slide show about what our customers have been doing with our DMOCs and motors. Fun! Okay, gotta run to my sister's now. =)

Cutie's Sweet Set

2008-12-13T23:46:00.006-05:00

I have been crocheting non-stop! I'm currently finishing up my handwarmers. The scarf came out great! Here are some pictures. My ravelry username is PVeeraplin. You can find more information about the patterns there. I added embellishments to all the patterns: picot flower and/or contrast edging.

One Skein Scarf by Denise Cozzitorto (Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker)

Basic Fingerless Mittens by Julia Vaconsin

Whoa There Crochet Addict!

2008-12-10T23:36:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I made more stuff...

Baby Owl (Amigurumi World)

Natural Cap to Crochet (Bernat Designs)
I added the contrast trim and flower.

Crochet Picot Flower by SkaMama

La Vie en Rose Lyrics

2008-12-06T11:22:00.001-05:00

I was watching Wall-E and this song was playing during a scene. I heard it before but never figured out what it was called. <3

La Vie en Rose

Hold me close and hold me fast
The magic spell you cast this is la vie en rose

When you kiss me heaven sighs,
And thou' I close my eyes I see la vie en rose

And when you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart, a world where roses bloom

And when you speak angels sing from above
Ev'ry day words seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be la vie en rose

When you kiss me heaven sighs,
And thou' I close my eyes I see la vie en rose

When you press me to your heart
I'm in a world apart, a world where roses bloom

And when you speak angels sing from above
Ev'ry day words seem to turn into love songs

Give your heart and soul to me
And life will always be la vie en rose

Catching Up

2008-12-05T20:49:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I've been a bum and haven't updated my blog in quite some time. So here's an update. I won't say it's a quick one because I can write on and on about nothing. Hm. I rant.

Crochet Projects:
After weeks of intense crocheting, I decided to give it a break and get back to my romance novels. I managed to read 3 of them in the past two weeks. I made my aunt's cloche, 15 mini Christmas stockings, and started Chris's convertible mittens and a tiger amigurumi. I'll post up some pics soon.

San Fran:
I went to San Francisco, CA for Thanksgiving and stayed there until the Tuesday after. While there I went to Sausalito, Tiburon, and the Marin Headlands on Friday. Took in a Raiders game on Sunday afternoon (they lost) and went on the Alcatraz Night Tour on Monday. Sean took most of the pictures so I don't have much to put up on Facebook. Alcatraz was pretty cool, though it gave me the creeps... just a bit. The Raiders game was an interesting experience. I have the worse luck... every time I went to the concession stands they would score a touch down or field goal. =( We had really good seats in the Season Ticket Holders area. Section 139 Row 42.

Work:
My co-op is winding down to a close. I have about 2 weeks or so left. Originally I'm supposed to work until December 19, but that might get extended to the 23 or 24. I planned on going home on Dec. 20, but I'm going to aim for the 24. I can't wait to see my mom and doggie again.

Random:
While I'm on the subject of home, I plan on bringing up some of my yarn stash and taking home random clothes that I don't plan on wearing anymore while I'm up here.

School:
The upcoming spring semester is my last. I'm almost done! Last day of class is April 15 and commencement is May 1. I'm sooo excited!!!

Upcoming Trips:
I plan on going to Thailand mid-May and then Europe at the beginning of July, both for a month. Well, it depends on my financial situation next year... sad story.

Okay, I think that's about it for now. =)

Thanksgiving in San Francisco

2008-11-24T22:44:00.002-05:00

I am spending Thanksgiving in San Francisco, CA! I'm so excited. My boyfriend, Sean, and I have been planning this for the past month and a half. I'm leaving on the 8 am flight out of Logan Int'l Airport on Thanksgiving Day and I'll be landing in San Francisco Int'l Airport around noon. I'll be there until Tuesday, December 2. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and post them up here soon. Three days of work this week and next week. Two full weeks after that and I'll be done with co-op and one month closer to graduation!!!

Good night, sleep tight.

Convertible Mittens: Update

2008-11-22T04:01:00.002-05:00

Making some convertible mittens for my friend, Chris...

(www.crochetandknitting.com)

Amigurumi Koala!

2008-11-17T02:19:00.003-05:00

He's done! It took me a few hours since I had to take breaks after I've been sitting in front of the computer for hours...

Amigurumi Koala (Tiny Yarn Animals by Tamie Snow)

Why Can't You Bag Groceries Properly???

2008-11-16T16:43:00.004-05:00

Do they not training people to correctly bag items at the grocery stores anymore? I go grocery shopping once a week at either Shaw's near the Pru or the Stop & Shop near Brigham Circle. Both places I hate to leave the bagging up to the bagger. They never do it correctly. Who puts the bread and other delicate items at the bottom? I normally bring a reusable bag that I bought from Shaw's with me. Since it's bigger I feel like these kids just toss my stuff into it...

Today my apples got bruised, last week my zucchinis were almost squashed. WTF?! I used to work at Costco (summer after freshman year) and we pack carts (think bagging but on a bigger scale). I did an amazing job. =) When I bag my own groceries everything makes sense. You put the frozen and refrigerated foods in one bag, cans and odd items in one bag, produce in one bag, and boxy items in another. You can combine them together by putting the heavy big objects at the bottom and work your way up to the top with the lighter, delicate items. Sometimes I just want to teach these people how to bag properly, but it's not my place... I blame it on their supervisors and trainers.

There was another pet peeve, but at this point I don't remember what it is... =P

Thin Walls = Not Cool

2008-11-16T00:55:00.003-05:00

One thing I hate about on-campus apartments: thin walls. I was sitting here on Facebook minding my own business when I heard one of my roommates and her boyfriend having sex. Um, yeah, I totally didn't need to hear any of that. Why did I hear it you ask? I had music going in the background and it was in the middle of a transition to another song and that was when I heard it. Good thing most sexual intercourse lasts about a few minutes. Haha. As I'm typing this one of them just went to the bathroom. Whew, I'm ignoring any awkwardness in this. Moving on...

I'm starting a new crochet project: driving gloves.

Oh yea, so I joined Ravelry. If you want to look me up and friend me my username is PVeeraplin. That seems to be my username for a lot of websites. Okay, back to work on this project.

Stockings Sweet Stockings

2008-11-14T19:20:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I finished two so far. They were made using two different weight yarns so one's bigger than the other. Well, I extended the pattern a bit for the brown one. I have a lot of random color yarns... I think I'll go buy red and green yarn to be traditional, but I swear that's it. No more yarn until Christmas. =)

I think I'm gonna go have dinner and watch a movie. My sister went to the University of Delaware for an Ultimate Frisbee tournament so I'm gonna be lonely this weekend. I guess I'll hang out with my other friends. =)

Mini Christmas Stockings (Learn to Crochet)

Stroller Blanket (Crochet Today! Nov/Dec)

So cozy!

Mini Christmas Stockings

2008-11-13T22:54:00.003-05:00

I have until the end of this month to make as many Christmas stockings as I can so it can be shipped to Iraq. These mini stockings are going to a special Engineer Battalion, "a unit that neutralizes the IEDs; checking and clearing territories for other troops in Iraq. According to the unit’s chaplain, 1/2 of the troops do not receive anything in the mail from home." (Ravelry Boston Yarn Party group posting)

I just want to do something special and use my yarn for something good. I'll even include a special note in the stockings. =) For more information: A Call for Help Service Project.

Oh, by the way, I'm addicted to www.ravelry.com. I finally got my invite two days ago and now I'm an addict! It's a website devoted to the knitting and crocheting community. SWEET!

Update for November

2008-11-12T21:32:00.005-05:00

I clearly have too much time on my hands. So this is an update video. It's just funny watching myself communicate via video. I finally got to register for classes today. I was worried that I wouldn't get a spot in the Basic Drawing class, but everything worked out. Here's what my days look like:

M - 2:50 - 4:35 PM (Capstone)
Tu - None
W - 2:50 - 4:35 PM (Capstone)
Th - None
F - 1:35 - 5:05 PM (Basic Drawing)

**Independent study to be schedule in there. M - 10-2 AM and W 10-12 AM?

And that's my schedule. Seems like a very slacker schedule, but I earned it. I only needed Capstone and an elective to graduate, but I'm also doing the independent study. I'm redesigning the labs for the Dynamics and Vibrations course. If you asked me to tell you what they used to be, I couldn't tell you because I don't remember that lab at all. =)

So I'm a yarn addict and it's gotten worse. I think it's time for an intervention. No more buying yarn until Christmas... *sighs*

Okay, that's it for now. I leave you with this video to amuse yourself. I'm a dork. I fully acknowledge it.

Little Octopus!

2008-11-08T10:34:00.003-05:00

He's done!!! Super cute!

He's all smiles!

He has eight arms or is it called tentacles?

Current Work In Progress

2008-11-06T19:48:00.004-05:00

Hi everyone! I've been working on many projects simultaneously again. Don't mind me in work clothes. I just felt like updating and didn't bother to change into something more comfy yet. But I will... I'm going to read my romance novel for an hour or so then I'll continue my little octopus. Then I'll work on the stroller blanket.

This is the start of my little octopus. (Ana Paula Rimoli)

I still need to make his 6 other arms.

Baby stroller blanket for my friend's daughter.
(Crochet Today Nov/Dec)

My Lion is Done!!!

2008-11-02T19:07:00.001-05:00

He's done!!! My lion is sooo adorable! See below...

Roar! So cute!

He even has a little tail.

Halloween crochets and new projects...

2008-11-02T14:35:00.008-05:00

So I've been busy making hats, candy corns, and other cute stuff. Now I'm trying my hand at making amigurumi animals and objects. Here's some pics of what I've been up to...

Candy Corn! They're about 3" tall. (Lion Brand)

Pin Wheel Candy (Lion Brand)

Snuggly Hat (Crochet Today Nov/Dec)

Floral Cloche (Crochet Today Sept/Oct)

Puff Stitch Newsboy Hat (Mary Jane Hall)

Puff Stitch Newsboy Hat- front view

Puff Stitch Newsboy Hat - back view

Work In Progress (WIP) - Lion (Ana Paula Rimoli)

Slacker

2008-10-29T21:58:00.002-04:00

Okay, I'm a slacker. It's been over a week and I've been buy being a yarn addict. I buy yarn by the arm load. Crazy. I just went to Michael's Arts and Crafts in Everett with my sister yesterday night and bought 8 more skeins. Eh. I currently have about 20 skeins of yarn in my room. I have about 30 or more at home on LI. I'm making candy corn... preparing for Halloween. I'll post up pictures later. I promise! I also made a few hats too. Okay, I'm gonna go and crochet some more candy corn.

I'm Addicted to the Internet

2008-10-19T10:19:00.003-04:00

Haha. OMG. I just realized that I spend the last 3 hours sitting in front of the computer doing who knows what. Actually, I do know what I was doing. I've been up since 7:30 am. Yea, I barely sleep and waste a lot of time on the internet (mostly Facebook, blogs, random interest stuff like looking for more cute crochet patterns). So I've been busy updating my wishlist on Amazon.com.

I'm currently into crocheting and needlepoint stuff like cross stitching. I spent 1.5 hours this morning looking up cute books to buy on Amigurumi. I picked out a really good looking one. After viewing the author's blog Ana Paula's Amigurumi Patterns and Random Cuteness I was persuaded to buy her book - Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet. I'm also buying Jason Mraz's Mr. A-Z album and Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster.

I went to Jason Mraz's concert at the Orpheum Theater in Boston on Friday and it was amazing. I seriously love his music. His voice is so smooth and his music is just so catchy and melodic. I can listen to him all day (as I'm doing now).

Back to my internet addiciton. I also spent some time updating this blog to include a list of links. You can tell a lot about a person by the websites they visit. While adding links I ended up browsing the Sims 3 website. I'm going to pre-order The Sims 3 Collector's Edition maybe in a week. I'm excited. I still have to get a new computer to play the game. =( Ahhh! Everything costs money and I barely have any. I gotta stop buying, but it's just hard. I like to indulge my hobbies. I barely go shopping for new outfits anymore... but that money gets rerouted to my hobbies.

I still have to plan out the cost and logistics of my SkiJam! 2009, Thailand, and Europe trips. I can tell you the estimated cost now... SkiJam! - $399 (3 days), Thailand - $1500 (3 Weeks) , and Europe - $3000 (3 weeks). Yea... I have to put aside $5000 for the things I want to do. I still need to make sure I have money to live off of during my spring and summer when I'm not going to really be working. Hm. I have to start looking for a part-time job for spring and a full-time job for next August/September.

Lots of things to do and I'm procrastinating by sitting here on the internet. Yups. That's me. Okay, I gotta stop typing and do other things like upload my pictures and putting them up on Facebook. =)

Rest In Peace Eric

2008-10-16T21:25:00.002-04:00

I just found out that a classmate of mine, Eric Z, passed away last night in his sleep. He's been battling cancer and unfortunately his life was cut short. He's been in my classes for the last four year and it's just crazy to think that he's not going to be there anymore. We should all be glad to have our health and everything we have right now in our life.

I never dealt well with death. I still think about my stepdad every now and then and do that whole "what if" scenario in my head. He was 36 years old (I was 9 years old) when he had a heart attack 10 days after my 9th birthday. I always thought that if he was still alive that we would be living a better life. My mom would not have to work so hard and I would not feel so lost.

A friend from high school, James Lundin, was killed in action on May 30, 2007. He was 20 years old. I remembered when he used to have a crush on me and I wasn't exactly into him. It's weird. Sometimes you take people for granted thinking that they'll always be there. Life is uncertain. You should always live it to the fullest and never look back. If only I could do the same. Time heals all wounds, if you let it.

Rest in Peace Eric, James, and Daddy. You're all in a better place now.

Stories about Columbus Day Weekend

2008-10-14T21:36:00.008-04:00

Okay, so I have a lot of stories to get down before I forget everything. I also have two new Thai recipes, but we'll see how long my attention span is today.

Story #1: Apple Picking on Saturday

So my mom had this great idea to go apple picking at the Lewin Apple Farm on Fresh Pond Avenue in Calverton/Riverhead, NY. Great. I decided to join the trip since I haven't been to an apple farm since I was 15 or 16 years old. That's a very long time ago, well, maybe not that long ago, but you get the point. Back to the story, I decided not to bring along my hand bag because I hate carrying unnecessary items around with me. So I stored it under the front seat. My mom saw what I was doing and did the same and so did my mom's cousin (I just call her aunt instead of my first cousin once removed).

We took some cash and our cameras and headed into the farm. We managed to bag about 6 lbs of apples. It was slim picking since it was late into the season. While heading back to the car my mom realizes that she didn't bring the car keys and none of us had our spare keys or cell phones. Oh man. So I borrowed people's phone and called my neighbor. He has a spare key to our house and can retrieve our spare car keys. While waiting for him my mom and I decided to go pick more apples and left with another 10 lbs. It took my neighbor 2.5 hours to get to us (we were only 30 minutes away). Oh man. What a waste of a good two hours that could have been spent at the mall.

I decided to walk to the nearest cross street (2 miles down the road) while I was waiting for our back up key. I ended up going to this Poultry Farm on Rt. 25. My family had bought turkeys from them in the past. It's been a good 12 years since the first time we visited. My mom ended up picking me up from the poultry farm and we bought an apple pie. It was delicious.

We went back to the car and realized that my right rear wheel was flat. It had a nail in it. I ended up changing the flat with the dummy. My mom and I drove to the nearest service shop and had them patch it up. Pretty quick. Then we head to Stony Brook to go shopping. So the lesson of the story is: Don't get too excited about something that you only bring cash and camera and not your keys and phone. And check for flats before you drive.

I got the goods...

... and so does my mommy.

Story #2: Yarn Freak

Okay, when I get really into a hobby (usually for some short period of time) I end up buying everything necessary to participate in that hobby. My current hobby is crocheting. I ended up going to Michael's and AC Moore while I was home and buying $80 worth of yarn and accessories. OMG. They were on sale so I bought them. It amounts to something around 10 lbs of yarn. I couldn't help myself. They had all these pretty colors. I also bought two volumes of Crochet Today magazine (Sep/Oct and Nov/Dec). My current project of choice are hats and caps. I'm making my mom and my aunt one. They're super cute. I'll take pictures and put it on here later.

Thai food - upcoming recipes include Gang Som (Sour Curry) and Kaow Mun Gai (Chicken with Rice). Okay, I gotta go get ready for bed now... after I kick my sister out of it. She likes to come over, talk, and fall asleep on my bed while I type away on the computer.

Columbus Day Weekend

2008-10-09T23:35:00.003-04:00

One more quick post. I'm going home tomorrow afternoon. I won't be getting home until midnight. Fun stuff. On Saturday my mom is taking me apple picking and then we're going shopping. She has to stop at Macy's. I'm probably going to go to Michael's Art and Crafts afterward and buy more stuff for my yarn collection. I decided that I want to make my own paperboy cap. I had an awesome one last year, but I lost it. That's the story of my life. I have something I really like and I end up losing it. Anyways, here's a link to the hat I'm going to make. Have a good night and a great long weekend!!!

http://mjcrochet.com/newsboycap/newsboycap.html

Oh Roommates...

2008-10-09T23:27:00.002-04:00

Did I mention that my roommate has the thermostat that control both of our rooms in her room? (My on-campus apartment is so weird like that. Two out of the four bedrooms actually has their own climate control. The two that don't are controlled by the living and by another bedroom). So my room is either freezing cold (her bf sleeps over a lot and they have a lot of body heat) or super hot (she turns off the air conditioning when she wakes up in the morning and I get back before she does). So today I had Joy and her friends over and Joy commented that it was hot. So I knew that my roommate was out so I opened her door a crack and turned on the AC and shut the door again. She came back about 30 minutes later. So to be polite I told her that I adjusted the thermostat and that she can turn it off again if she'd like.

So she was getting ready to leave or something 10 minutes after Joy and friends left and I hear this noise... she was testing out her room lock or something (we use our school ID to swipe into our building, our apartment, and our rooms if we lock it). Goodness, like I would really rifle through all the shit she has on the floor, peak around, or steal her stuff. Right. So she leaves to sign in her bf or something and I checked her door and she definitely locked it. Okay, now that's just being ridiculous. I never go into her room unless it's to adjust the thermostat which is right inside the door and I always close her door like how it was before. If she keeps locking it this is going to be a problem because it's not fair that she's also regulating my room temp without my input and I can't adjust it when she's not around. And she's never in anyways. She gone most of the day and comes back late at night to sleep. I hate waking up cold in the morning... brrr.

I can't wait to live in my own apartment. Then I can control every aspect about it.

P.S. I love playing the Sims 2 because I get to live in this fantasy world. The Sims I manage do get annoying sometimes. Especially when they know they have to go to the bathroom and don't quite make it there. Lame.

P.S.S. My sister also does a lot of art and crafts stuff. She makes beaded necklaces. She's just saying that it's a granny thing to do, but I know she thinks it's cool. =)

Video about Sims 3, Cross Stitching, and Aptera

2008-10-06T22:23:00.006-04:00

Hey, I made another video or two actually. My sister is in the second one with me. I got interrupted while filming the first one. So check them out.

Take 1

Take 2 with Joy

Adventures into Thai Cooking

2008-10-06T18:57:00.002-04:00

Thanks Elvin for letting me know that gratification is a word. I probably knew it was in the back of my head, but I didn't check to make sure I used it in the correct context when I made the video. Here's the wikipedia definition of it: Gratification is the positive emotional response (happiness) to a fulfillment of desire.

Okay, so I started making my own Thai food after I don't know how many years of eating it. Probably 22 years since I've been eating my mom's cooking since I was a baby. I usually make the trek home to Long Island just for my mom's yummy Thai food. My favorites are Lad Na (also known as Rad Na), Pad See Ew, Gang Som (aka Sour Curry), and Fried Tofu with Sweet Chili dipping sauce. The desert menu can go on forever... my mom makes the best deserts on the East Coast. Okay, that might be stretching it, but hey, she's amazing and I'm not being biased. She usually sells her cooking at the local Thai temple when they're having the monthly Buddhist celebrations.

Anyways, I started making Lad Na (twice now) and Gang Som. So far so good. =) I'll take pictures next time I make Lad Na. I believe I'll try making my mom's awesome Tomato Soup next. Here are some of the recipes. I'll probably edit it until I get them right. You can find most of the ingredients at Chinese and Asian grocery stores.

Lad Na (2 Servings, maybe 3) - Modified version of www.thaitable.com

1 package (3/4 lb) of fresh flat rice noodles
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
6 tbsp vegetable oil (I usually use olive oil)
1/4 lb of pork, chicken, or beef, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp tapioca flour
2 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce - mushroom (or Thin Soy Sauce)
1/2 lb of broccoli or Chinese broccoli

Coat the pork with 1 tablespoon of tapioca flour. Mince garlic. In a bowl, add water to the rest of flour. This will the base for sauce. Cut up the Chinese broccoli into 2 inch-pieces.

Slice the noodles into 1/2 to 1 inch wide strips. Break the clumped noodles into strands.

Heat up 4 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan or pot. When the oil is ready, put in the noodles and stir. Add 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce on the noodles. Stir again until all the noodles are broken into pieces. Keep stirring for 5 more minutes. Set the cooked noodles aside.

In a pot or pan that is big enough to hold all the ingredients, heat up the rest of the oil. Add minced garlic and coated meat. Stir for a minute or so until the meat is getting cooked. Add the flour water. Stir quickly to keep it from forming chunks. When cooked, the flour will turn from white to clear. Add soy sauce and sugar. Stir. When the sauce is bubbling, it should have a consistency of thick gravy.

Put the noodles on a plate and pour as much gravy on it as you like. Add a bit of white or black pepper and some boiled vinegar with pickled chili, for the experienced.

I'll put up pics and more recipes as I semi-perfect them. Taste definitely depends on the cook. I love the way my mom's cooking tastes so I emulate it. Okay, time to go eat!!!

A Video about Romance Novels

2008-09-28T22:40:00.004-04:00

I really like talking to this camera. I don't know if any one will actually see it, but I find it fun. Anywho, this video is me explaining how I got into romance novels and why I love it. It's pretty long, about 6 minutes. It's pretty much a rant. So click away.

Change in Weather Makes Me Sick... Literally

2008-09-28T08:52:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it started raining hardcore a couple of days ago. I take public transportation to work. Add those two together and you have one sick person... me. Every time it changes from hot to cold and cold to hot weather, I get sick. I develop a sore throat and headaches. It usually lasts a couple of days. Eh. Yesterday I was going to go climbing but being in a bad shape is not going to help things. I decided to move the indoor rock climbing event to next weekend. We're going to Carabiner's in New Bedford, MA. So far it's me, my sister, her roommate, and my friend Steve. I'm probably going to rent a car if no one has one available. Okies. That's it for now. I'm gonna go watch a movie.

New Webcam!!!

2008-09-25T21:58:00.000-04:00

Oh wow, my first video post. Now you get to see AND hear me. Too much for one blog, huh?

New Google Group

2008-09-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! I started a new Google Group last night.

http://groups.google.com/group/nu-mechies-2009

It's a group dedicated to bring together the NU Mechanical Engineers Class of 2009. I ended up adding the "and Friends" part since I realized it's not nice to leave people out. It's a recreational group. I hope every who joins will have time to do some of the events that I have planned. From me, it's going to be mostly indoor rock climbing. I'm thinking of going skiing in the winter, possibly with the school's group. Anyways, if you're interested in joining, go ahead. Happy reading!

Wow, September is almost over...

2008-09-20T03:07:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I've been busy since the beginning of September. When I come home at the end of the day, I really don't feel like sitting in front of the computer. Eh. But I would like to try and put up more entries than I have in the past month. Sorry for not writing, but I'm back. =)

Back to Boston

2008-09-01T10:07:00.000-04:00

I'm headed back to Boston tomorrow and I'm excited. I'm moving into West Village H, the 16 floor apartment building on campus. I'll post up pictures when I get there. I haven't written ina while since I don't have internet at home. My mom's not internet savvy so we had it turned off. Joy and I usually go to a friend's house or the library when we need to get online. Okay, I'll write more tomorrow.

Heading Back to the East Coast

2008-08-21T20:30:00.001-04:00

So I'm currently packing my huge luggage to go home... not fun. I have tons of stuff. I hope it doesn't go over 50 lbs, but the bag is huge and I might have to pay a fee. Eh. Our flight is at 11:15 pm from San Francisco Int'l Airport and we'll be getting into Logan Int'l Airport at 7:45 am. It's a 5.5 hour flight, but due to the time change we get in that early. I believe Sean's brother is picking us up.

Anyways, we're going to be in Boston and then head back to CT sometime that day. Sean's cousin's wedding is on Saturday and my sister will be picking me up on Sunday night to go home. Sean's flying out on Monday, but I'll be on Long Island until September 1. I move back to Boston on September 2 and I start work on September 3. I volunteered to help out that weekend so I won't be charged a $250 early move in fee. Six hours vs. $250, I'll gladly volunteer. Okay, back to packing and preparing the BBQ for tonight.

I'm Going to L.A.

2008-08-14T14:01:00.000-04:00

Good afternoon everyone! My boyfriend, Sean, and I are going to L.A. tonight. I'm so excited. I won't be writing on this blog until I get back on Sunday night. We're going to visit my friend, Fon, who's in L.A. visiting her mother-in-law. She's taking us out tonight to Hollywood! Tomorrow we're going to Disneyland and on Saturday we're going to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. I'm excited!

So the plan is for me to meet up with Sean downtown at 5:30 pm. Then we're taking the BART to the San Francisco International Airport. We're supposed to get into L.A. at 9:40 pm. We're taking one checked bag. It's mostly Sean's stuff, he occupies 2/3 of the bag. Yea. I know. He has more beauty products than I do. Heh.

Okay, back to watching the Olympics and Jon & Kate plus 8! It's a new addiction.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2008-08-13T17:01:00.001-04:00

It's done. I made a decision. I decided to go with Azure Dynamics and sent my response out just now. GE would have been a great opportunity and I hope I have another chance at it after college. It was probably the hardest decision I've ever made concerning a job. I'm happy and I think this is best. I've work for a small company before, but I think this will be even better than the last time. So wish me luck!

Analyzing Choices

2008-08-13T14:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I have to decide where I want to co-op. Here are the choices and I will comment upon their importance to me.

Azure Dynamics

Industry: Renewable Energy
Size: Small
Location: Woburn, MA
Miles from Boston: 27
Transportation: Train, Bus
Position: ME, Test Engineer
Salary: $19.50/hour

GE Aviation

Industry: Jet Engines
Size: Large
Location: Lynn, MA
Miles from Boston: 29
Transportation: Train, Bus
Position: ???
Salary: $19.25/hour

So these two companies are almost the same except for their size, industry, and job position. The more I think about it, I should probably go with Azure Dynamics. I would love to work for GE later in my future. And you know what? It is definitely possible. They'll be one of the companies I will strive for, but for now, I think Azure Dynamics is a great way to build up my resume. Okay, I should probably go accept that offer now. Thank you GE, but I think I'll be a better candidate in the future.

Co-op...

2008-08-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

So a little about me. I'm currently attending Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. If you don't know about NU's co-op program, then I'll give you a run down about how it is in the Engineering Program. The engineering class is divided into two divisions, A or B (currently using A and N for the class of 2010 and younger). I'm in division A and this is our co-op pattern:

Freshman Year: In class Sept - April
Sophomore Year: In class Sept - April
Middler Year: On co-op July - Dec, In class Jan - June
Junior Year: On co-op July - Dec, In class Jan - June
Senior Year: On co-op July - Dec, In class Jan - April

What is co-op? Co-op is similar to an internship. The typical co-op lasts for 6 months and you're paid for your work. NU is known for their co-op program and the College of Engineering has a 100% placement rate. Since I decided not to do the 5-year BS/MS Mechanical Engineering Program during the summer of my junior year, it was too late for me to change plans. I had decided to come out to California with my boyfriend for two month. He has a co-op in San Francisco doing industrial design.

I'm looking for a co-op during the fall semester now. Good thing I have the support of the amazing Co-op Coordinators back at NU. Thank you Clint, Karen, and Lorraine. They're amazing. I currently have two job offers. I'm considering both and it's a very hard decision. Yes, it's only for 4 months, but it makes a difference. Hopefully I can get back to them by Thursday. Then I can breathe easy.

Okay, I'm going to start dinner and then watch the Olympics. We're heading out tonight to one of my boyfriend's co-worker's new apartment. She's having an apartment warming party. She also has HD cable, so fun!

A New Beginning

2008-08-12T01:33:00.001-04:00

Okay, so I have blogs and journal all over the internet. Hopefully I can wrangle them all on this one blog. So why have I made a new one? To start anew and to unify everything I've ever done on the internet. That's why. I've been writing in blogs since I was 13 years old. It's a good way to express yourself and to improve your writing.

With that said I always let readers know that these blogs are an expression of my feelings and thoughts. I don't mean to offend, but it's not for everyone. So if you don't like what you read, then don't read it. No one is forcing a gun to your head and making you take in everything I write. Well, then, enjoy!