Just in case you forgot...

Just in case those of you who have graduated from College/Uni, and moved on to the real world have forgotten what it is like, I have a story.

See, I have a theory that the longer you are out of college, the more you manage to block things out. My mother looks at me in horror when I relate roommate catastrophes, Residential Life snafus, or other gems of college living, even though I am sure she herself experienced similar sagas. I don't think my experience is worse, I think she's just managed to slowly erase all the scaring memories of writing papers at 3 am or the massive amount of Ramen one can consume in just 4 short years, rendering one's self a walking salt cube.

So, let's recap a night or two over at Chez Skeins and Steins (if only there had been more beer, it might have been better.) I promise, there will be knitting at the end.

Wednesday night, around 11 PM. I enter room, fully intending to go to sleep since I have a 9 AM lecture on Modern Literature. I notice my flatmate has some people over.

Wednesday night, 12 AM. They are loud. Oh well, it's early right? I can still get a good 8 hours of sleep.

Wednesday night, 1 AM. I fall asleep. Yay sleep. I have been slightly sleep deprived lately. I suspect I may be either malnourished or developing an iron deficiency, since my cooking is mostly veggies. Too healthy for my own good? Anyways, yay sleep.

Wednesday night. Undetermined time. I suspect around 3 AM. WHAT? A PARTY? I HAVE CLASS.

Wednesday night. Another, later, undetermined time. Still partying. Loudly. Loud music + thin walls = no sleep. Even with ear plugs. I did not want to confront 20+ drunk people about the fact that I could hear their conversations through the walls. I pull the blanket over my head and dread waking up for my lecture.

Wednesday night. Still later. Some guy WALKS INTO MY ROOM. For serious people. Closed door + lights off+ 4 am. What could be in there? Possibly someone sleeping?

Finally, everyone left. I woke up about 3 or 4 hours later and spent the day really, really caffeinated.

So last night?

Thursday night: 12 AM. I go to bed.
Friday morning: 11 AM. I wake up.

Thank goodness the only thing I have to do today is laundry, and go to the gym.

Now, returning to our regularly scheduled knitting content. Lately I have rediscovered a skill I loved as a kid. A skill I seemed to have forgotten. It lay by the wayside, languishing, and I was so excited when I rediscovered it that I started mixing mediums like a mad woman.

That skill? Embroidery. I know it's a simple idea, embroidering one's knitting, but for some reason it never crossed my mind. Until a few days ago, when it sort of paraded across my mind, blowing horns, full fanfare, throwing flowers, and making a generally grand entrance. Embroidery is here to stay.

Exhibit one:

I wanted to knit a duck, since I love ducks. Every time I see them I am overwhelmed with the desire to pick them up and hold them. Sadly, the ducks find this idea not only extremely underwhelmed, but stupid.

Knitting a duck was much easier than trying to convince one to let me pick it up. First step, Google images. I found a suitable duck. Second step, plug it into knitpro to graph it. (The best website ever for those of you who haven't used it. Check it out.) Third step. Knit brown blob.

Step 3 is where it got a little complicated. I wanted to knit a male Mallard duck, but my gauge was too big to really knit fine details without it being a huge pain. I couldn't figure out what colors to use, where to switch, and the thought of fighting with several different strands of yarn on one little square made my head spin. So, I made it brown. And blob like. In the picture above, I started embroidering the head and beak, but you can see how brown and blobby it truly is.

Step 4. Embroider! This part was fun. After a few episodes of Buffy, and lots of chain and feather stitch, may I present you with...
A duck! He still needs eyes, and maybe a little work on his weirdly shaped feet, but overall, I am really quite enamored of this little guy.