Happy New Year!

     I just wanted to take this post to wish everyone a Happy New Year!! My parents are going to a party and my boyfriend has a shift at his job, so my plans are a little low key.  I didn’t have much time to plan this year because I’m transitioning into a new job.  Over my winter break, I am doing self-study for a job as a scribe and working temporarily for my former employer.  Fortunately, my mom is awesome (and Dad too)! She just said my boyfriend could drop by after work and to get some “fun food” like fondue, and that we could all watch the ball drop together!! Some resolutions with the caveat that in order to work, they should be reviewed more than once a year:

Keep up my impeccable grades for my prerequisites

Do good work as a scribe

Maintain my ballroom dancing, even if it’s on a more recreational basis

Maintain my friendships, most of which are long distance

Help out around the house as much as possible

Be financially responsible: there’s not much room in my budget for extras

Lose weight (I know, so cliche, but it’s for health reasons)

It’s probably too many resolutions at once and not realistic, but I’ve got to put them all down anyway.

     So, any exciting New Year’s plans? Any resolutions to share?

 

New Crochet Kick of Mine

Lately, I’ve had to be more creative in my spending habits, particularly when it comes to the holidays.  The problem with me is that I love being on both ends of gift-giving: I love watching the recipients’ faces as they open gifts, but at the same time, if I’ve given a gift to someone, I hope I’ll receive one back from them in return.  So, my newest solution is buy raw material and use what little crafting skills I have to invest more time rather than money into the gift.  Therefore, the thought is present, but exorbitant amounts of money are not being spent.

While being in the process of giving proper credit to the designer of the following pattern, I realized that I was crediting a fellow WordPress user.  I am attaching the following link and thanking her profusely for her pattern because I am using it over and over again to create handmade gifts for the season, albeit on the late end.

http://hookersdontbite.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/free-pattern-woven-bobble-fingerless-gloves/

Picture came from the blog

The great thing about this pattern is that it is so quick to work up and that it gives a little twist to the glove and is not just boring stitches the whole time.  What I also adore is that I feel the pattern could be used for both men and women, although the men are free to disagree.  Another upside is that I was able to learn a new stitch by doing this glove: the bobble stitch! The downside is that, like most crochet, the glove is more airy than I intended and therefore is not so warm.

I’d love to hear your opinions.  Are there any patterns you use over and over again?  I’d love to see them! How does one create a warm garment in crochet? Any advice on how to effectively learn new stitches?

Introduction

     To be honest, I do not know if I will continue blogging. (This was a caveat of sorts to subscribe to my friend’s blog.) On a certain level, it is very self-indulgent. On the other hand, a lot of things nowadays are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap chat, I’m sure there are more.  Maybe the main focus of my blog will be to help people out on certain hobby interests I have: travel, ballroom dancing, crocheting, and anything else I tend to think of.  Most importantly, I would love to hear the wide variety of opinions that are out there on these topics and hopefully improve myself and live a better life.

     Some information about me: I graduated college with a degree in Jewish studies and am now interested in pursuing a career in healthcare.  I am living at home and taking prerequisites at a community college until I get into graduate school and get out of the no-man’s land that is me being unable to get financial aid because I’m not pursuing a degree program.  So, here’s a preview of my topics.