Jen's Popperie

Here is the Christmas Quilt my Grandma E. and I made for my cousin TJ for Christmas. Here we all are. Grandma and I were busy with that and another for Brian.

Also, I tried making a Curly Q scarf for myself in early Jan. It was a basic scarf. I started with 100 stitches cast on and doubled the amount of stitches each row by stitching 1, increasing one each time, until I had 1600 (yes, that sounds like a crazy amount of stitches, but it works). Then I cast off. I used one skein of a moonlight mohair from my stash. I just ran out before the end of the scarf as I was binding off. The only thing I'm not sure about is my scarf is more curly-Q ish on one side than the other. I will probably try another one, but wait a bit until I finish a few more projects.

So, I always have "theme" songs going on during different times in my life...things that remind me of different things I have been through, different people, or places that I have visited. This is fun, just because it's so random...what meaning will I find in the songs I have?! I'm intrigued with this, thanks to my KAL pals Canary and Steph. Thanks for the fun idea!

If your life were a soundtrack, what would the music be?

Here’s how it works:
1. open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. put it on shuffle
3. press play
4. for every section, type the song that’s playing
5. next section — press the next button
6. don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

opening credits:
"Conversation With Myself"-Jason Mraz
I can just picture myself walking down a city street
somewhere humming this tune...

waking up:
"Love Carrier"--Billy Crockett

first day at school:
"Complicated"-Carolyn Dawn Johnson

falling in love:
"Cowboy Take Me Away"- Dixie Chicks
fitting, I think, good "love song" although
I'm not married to a "cowboy"

breaking up:
"3 AM"- Matchbox 20
pretty good fit

prom:
"Steady On" -Storyhill
Not really a "prom" song, but about moving on...
I guess the end of Sr. year.
If you have never heard of Storyhill, you must
check them out!
They are my ABSOLUTE fav...if you like that
acoustic guitar folk
thing, they are for you!

life’s okay:
"Home" -Daughtry
Also, pretty fitting...where else can you feel okay?
gotta love American Idol...just a few days until it
(the madness) begins...
yes, I'm a junkie!
Can't wait!

mental breakdown:
"Power of Love" (from Back to the Future)- Huey Lewis
I suppose...

driving:
"Out go the Lights"-Lonestar
This, I had never actually listed to before,
but oddly enough,
the beginning lyrics are about driving...
eerie! However, being as I love to sing along,
I would have to pick a different one.

flashback:
"The Marvelous Toy" -Peter, Paul and Mary
Seriously, the randomizer could not have
picked a more perfect song for a
flashback...I think of when I was like 6...
through elementary school.
Randomness is ironic sometimes!

getting back together:
"The Christmas Song" - John Lennon
Perhaps all of the family getting back together
again? Or that tricky world
peace thing?

wedding:
"If We Hold On Together"-Diana Ross
Ok, what an era when this was probably
 an actual first dance for someone at a
wedding.
The lyrics would make sense...
Didn't you just love "The Land Before Time"?

birth of child:
"Self-Esteem" -Offspring
Offspring-ha!

final battle:
"New York, New York" -Ryan Adams
nope- not the traditional song everyone knows.
OK, so I feel like one of
the "Heroes" characters...New York,
the ever present doomed city on that show.

death scene:
"The Touch" -Peter Gabriel
the touch of death?

end credits:
"It Must have Been Love" - Roxette
....but it's over now!

Ha! How fun!Yes, I do have to find random
meaning in all of it...it's too hilarious!

It was actually pretty easy, I knit in the round from the bottom up...and just started decreasing every once in a while once I got to the red stripe above the blue stars. I do really like how it turned out. It's the first thing other than a hat or scarf that I've made that I will actually wear! I think I'm in love with wool! I love how it holds its shape! Can't wait to try something else.

Things I would change: 1. I forgot to start with a size smaller needle on the bottom border.
2. I really wanted to have the neck button up on the side..2-3 wood-like buttons. I tried, but didn't know exactly how to do it, just wanted to get done...and ended up with a simpler neckline, which I do also like. But, if I try it again, I'll do it another way.
3. I would also start from the neck and go down from the top instead of work from bottom up.
4. I may also make it a little shorter in length so that it doesn't go past my elbows.