Yes, so remember that lacy sampler scarf I was working on? It is finally finished! It’s beautiful and so soft!

I was very excited to find out yesterday that I am going to be able to attend our state’s Summer Arts Institute. It’s pretty selective and intense, but I can’t wait! It’s going to be for two weeks in June. I’m glad because I think it’s going to be very helpful for me to have some instruction over the summer, especially for like eight hours a day.

Next weekend I have my auditions for youth orchestra.  I’m hoping I’ll be able to move up to the highest orchestra in the program.  Really I should be working on that right now, but my solo’s pretty good…grr I just have to pick which three octave scale to go with.  My friend thinks I should do B — the complete hardest.  I’m thinking more of G though…I just hope I don’t mess up!

Speaking of my EOIs, they went great!  I only missed one on both of them.  I don’t know which on the math, but I have a feeling about the science one.  Something about the unit of measurement you should use when measuring a cork cell.  Previously on the test, and in class, it had been mentioned that we use micrometers when measuring a cell, but I guess they wanted me to go with nanometers since it’s the smallest.  Ack so complicated!

I got a haircut recently!  It’s much shorter now (though I guess still considered long).  It feels so nice!

Hey what’s up! So I haven’t really posted anything in forever, and I keep meaning too…haha. Anyways, very busy with school! End of Instruction Exams (EOIs) in math and science…math was today. We just had orchestra contest. The solo judge was super hard and didn’t even give the best violist in the state a superior rating, but both the ensembles I was in went great! It was a ton of fun! We got to eat at some cool restaurants too. Currently I either have the cold or allergies…hopefully just a cold! Anyways, there’s a quick update! Haha still working on my lacy scarf! I am close to finished and I am very excited! It’s so pretty! Talk to you later!

Happy New Year! Sorry I really haven’t posted much for awhile. Just as an update, we ended up moving into the new classroom and everyone fits fine. Our class is the biggest so we have to have two desks separate from the rest. I sit in one of them until tomorrow, which is when we go back to school and get a new seating chart.

Ok, just as an update, right now everything’s been fine in Biology!  No one dropped out of Pre-AP and noone’s been kicked out YET…but we haven’t had to move to the new classrom yet, so I’m not sure what’s going to happen.

Anyways, next New Year’s (not this coming one, but the one AFTER that) our orchestra is going to London!  We’re going to go see pretty much everything you can possibly imagine going to see in England!  I am SOOO excited!  We also get to do some performances and march in the London parade!  (We get to carry one of the balloons!)  The only catch is that it costs us each $3000 to go…the price went up $800 since four years ago.  We’re having LOTS of fundraisers for it — today we each got a bag of lollipops (mine had 35) and sold them for a quarter each.  My bag TOTALLY sold out by the time we were done with lunch.  There weren’t anymore bags I could go and get, though, so I can’t sell them this weekend.  So far I’ve raised almost $20, since we had an entertainment book fundraiser a little earlier.  Still, 20/3000…I’ve got some work to do.  By November we’re supposed to be able to pay the first $300.  I’m hoping that our teacher has more fundraisers we can do on Monday, because I am so excited about London and I want to be able to go!!!

Hello!  I haven’t posted for a looong time because I’ve been so busy with back to school!  It’s only the sixth day of school and I already have been regularly having more homework than I can fit in my new huge backpack!  My school’s really good, but quite stressful with all the work.  We have a bunch of tests this Friday.  If during the school year I hardly ever post, just warning you know, this is why!

Oh, by the way, like how I spelled principal backwards?  It’ll give you an idea of what’s coming up maybe…

Ok I’ll post an annoying little story from today so that this post isn’t totally boring!

I am in Pre-AP Biology.  Well, apparentaly Biology is the cool thing to take Pre-AP or something, because they don’t have enough room for everyone who wants to take it to take it.  The created a new regular Biology class the same hour I have my class, so the principal came in and told us why we should be taking REGULAR biology instead of Pre-AP.  Ummm…isn’t this, like, the OPPPOSITE of what she’s supposed to do?  Of course, in the end she disregarded it all, but it was a little frustrating.  Almost noone is thinking of switching EXCEPT the two other girls in my group, one of which who is one of my really good friends, so that’s not good.  I don’t think she would need to — she’s very smart!  But anyways, instead of creating a new Pre-AP Biology class, they’re just creating a regular one, which is pointless, since no one wants to take it!

Our teacher seemed really quite worried.  Apparentally, an Anatomy and Physiology class had been completely removed on Monday, so a class of 30 people didn’t get to take it anymore and suddenly were told they had to find something else.  Our teacher is worrying that, since the new classroom can only hold 21 people and in our class we have 35, they’re going to just pick 14 of us to take regular Biology without or wishing to do so.  Talk about a REALLY messed up school system.

I sure hope so.

Because this yarn is really scratchy.  It’s such a pretty color, though!

I started knitting the Snowy Triange Scarf by Iris Schreier from Handknit Holidays.  Yes, I know, I am knitting a lot of stuff from that book.  It’s kind of crazy since, after all, I have 235 books to pick from, but I really just like this book a lot!  The patterns are generally very easy and fun to knit.  I think they need to come out with a Handknit Holidays 2.

Anyways, I decided to use some old yarn my aunt had given us.  It’s really pretty — it’s kind of a rose color, but it’s got some tweed in it too.  I don’t know the name, but it’s really scratchy.  I think I’m going to see if I can soak it in a lot of conditioner or something!  That works for my hair, but will it work for this?  Oh well, if it doesn’t, I can just line it with a pretty fabric or something.

Here's a little snapshot of part of my very pretty, my not so soft Snowy Triangle Scarf

This scarf is very fun to make, but I generally prefer the lace patterns, since this has lots of short rows — which are fun, but it’s quite repetitive.

My scarf is currently about 6 1/2 or 7 triangles long, counting the first one, so that means I’m just a little over half way done.  I’m going to try to finish it today.

I finished my little accessories pouch, but I haven’t lined it or added a zipper yet.  I’ll try to get around to that today.

Yesterday I baked some yummy thumprint cookies (aka Jubiless — they’re the type with the jam in the middle) and some standard biscuits (they might be callled standard, but they are REALLY good!).  I’m going to try to bake another type of bread and dessert today (or maybe just one or the other…depending).  I love to bake, but I think I will bake especially a lot when we get around to Christmas time, because it’s so much fun to come home to school to lots of cookies when it’s freezing outside.  Right now though, it’s hot and humid.  Maybe not the best weather for baking…

Yep!  I already finished my Brussels Lace Camisole.  Well, actually, know it’s more of a Brussels Lace Vest.  I just really thought that I wouldn’t be able to wear it with the slit neck they show.  Plus it looks pretty cute as a vest.  I had the EXACT amount of yarn that I needed!  Wow!  Lucky!

Here's the front.

And this is the back. I knit the front and the back exactly the same.

I wore it with my new, super dark skinny jeans.  I thought that they looked especially good with this.  The jeans are such a clean cut style that they offset the fuzziness of the vest.

I’ve already begun (and half way finished) another project!  I started the little accessories bag in Handknit Holidays — the Counterpane Accessories Bag by Carrie Brenner to be exact.  I love the cute scallop pattern!  I think I may finish the other side tonight (it’s such a quick knit) and the finishing tomorrow.  Here’s the first side:

It's actually a much darker shade of blue, but here's one side.

Once again I used my stash instead of what they call for (it calls for La Lana Wools Bombyx Silk, which is too expensive for me and I definitely don’t have lying around!  Although I wish to try it — someday).  Instead I used up some royal blue Shine Sport from Knit Picks!  I think it looks really good in such an intricate pattern, and it’s really soft and fun to knit with!  The only problem is it splits a little more than some other yarns, but really hard at all.

My brother’s website is celebrating it’s second birthday today…if you’d like to visit, here’s the link!  I also found another cool website!  It’s called Carbonrally and it’s to stop global warming!  It’s pretty fun!  Woo!

Sorry I don’t have a picture — I will very soon!  My Brussels Lace Camisole is so close to being finished!  I just have to sew up the sides and weave in the ends!  I’ll add a picture as soon as I finish it and can get online.  As you’ll see, I’ve made a LOT of alterations to it.  It’s almost a completely different pattern now — it uses a totally different yarn, has a different number of stitches, and also has a different neckline.  Just a few more alterations and I could sell it as a new pattern — just kidding!!!

My little brother has been preparing for his website’s birthday.  He baked a cake in celebration and stuff.  It’s going to be the site’s second birthday.  Tomorrow he is going to bake some cupcakes to go along with it — yummy!

Yesterday I received a letter from my penpal.  She is someone that I met on my trip to California — she’s one of my aunt’s friend’s kids, if that makes any sense.  She’s the oldest of the five kids but she is three years younger than me.  She’s homeschooled (even though her dad works at the high school).  She’s a lot different than me, but hey, it’s a lot of fun to get some mail!!

Two of the plants in our yard died from some sort of heatstroke yesterday.  We broke a 90 year record, so it’s quite understandable.  One cucumber and our winter squash died.  The other two cucumbers are thriving — they are enjoying what their companion despised most of all.  They’re all the same variety, too!

Ok so I tried to schedule an appointment for my haircut today and every day that I COULD go they have booked!  Arrgh.  I hope we can work out something, but I might not be able to get my hair cut until AFTER school starts. GRR.

If you’re trying to improve your vocabulary before you go back to school, here are two websites where, by answering vocab questions, you can donate money to organizations:

• Free Rice

• Aid to Children

See ya later!

Ok, I know I already got some new clothes, but yesterday was tax-free day, so we decided to go and pretty much finish up the shopping.  Here’s what I got:

Blue Cropped Cardigan

X-Back Camisole

Crochet Trim Shirt

Dark Wash Straight Jeans

Ink Indigo Wash Skinny Jeans

Pink Striped Pleated T

Lace Pocket Camisole

Gray Cardigan

I also got a green peasant top with a ribbon tie and lace edging (it’s very cute!) but I couldn’t find the picture online.

I’ve made a lot of progress on my Brussels Lace Camisole.  I think I might be able to finish the back today!

Ok, so today I have really spent most of my time on Ravelry.  I added all my mom’s books, pamphlets, and magazines (well at least the ones that were in the database) to Ravelry.  That took a LOOONG time.  Just to start with, my mom has at least 75 knitting books, probably more, plus a lot of booklets (which most weren’t in the database) and lots of magazines.  I didn’t mind doing it though — it will be SO helpful when looking for my next project!  I won’t necessarily have to pull all the books off the shelves and dig through, although I probably will still!

I’ve also  been adding all of my stash to my stash on Ravelry.  I made a bit of progress on my camisole, too, but not much, since I’ve been so busy updating everything!  I guess it’s kind of silly to worry so much about it since it is so big and will change a lot, but it’s such a nifty tool that will definitely help me stay very organized!

That’s about it for today.  I had another frappuccino that I made, we’re probably going to the mall tomorrow for tax free weekend, and…yeah.  It’s just been a really relaxing Saturday!

P.S:  I almost forgot!  Soon I will start adding little patterns and tutorials to the site for knitting and crochet!  Yay!