Knit Like a Rock Star!

Word vomit.

2011-11-18T02:14:00.000-08:00

Right now can be summed up in a few context-free bullet points.

I hate the waiting game. I would really like next week to be now.
I have a good support system. Additionally, I am a good support system for others. Both of these things make me feel incredibly lucky.
While I hate waiting, I am a little glad to have some free space. December is going to be crazy-full of house guests, things to do, (possibly) new opportunities, and twice as many "want to's" than there is time for. I welcome all of it, but it still makes me feel a bit tired to think about and I'm not sure how it's all going to work yet.
The mittens are probably too small. I don't actually know if this is true or not, as I don't hang around four-year-olds much.
I'm still not too fancy for $2 Chuck every once in a while.
I recently told someone that, while I would always have things I'd do differently in hindsight, I still have plenty to be proud of. It wasn't until I heard myself say it that I actually believed it.
Fall and winter make me miss living downtown, minus the week my apartment didn't have heat. That part sucked.
Every once in a while I still find myself able to be surprised by the people I think I know best. I'm not sure if that's good, bad, simply interesting or some combination of all three.

2011-11-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is where stash diving gets me.

I was searching for a coordinating sock yarn to finish off my dad's Christmas socks with, and ended up spending a good 45 minutes or so just digging through stash for no real reason.

Depending on one's perspective, my stash is quite modest. Not counting unspun fiber and sweaters waiting to be unraveled, it all fits in one cubby-holed bookcase, roughly four feet tall by two feet wide. Okay, I'll admit things are slightly crammed into the bookcase, and there's another ten balls or so stashed in an ottoman in my living room, but the overall stash is more or less bookcase-sized. In comparison to the stories of stash I read on Ravelry, this isn't very big. According to my friend Shelly, who has been knitting for just over a year and tends to buy on a project-by-project basis, this is crazy huge. Like I said, it's all about one's perspective.

In any case, my sock yarn search made me go through everything again. Due to poorness, I'm trying to knit as much as possible from my stash, and Christmas presents are no exception. I realize not everything is going to come from here-- for example, my super-special snowflake mom gets socks every year, but can't wear any of the wool or wool-blend sock yarns I currently have on hand-- but I'd at least like to try. Realizing this, I started looking through, hoping for ideas to spring forth from the random hanks, skeins and balls.

I got one. Just not for a Christmas present. As usual, my self-involvement meant that I thought of a perfect project from some long-forgotten handspun for me.

I sometimes feel like I shouldn't keep my first handspun yarns in with the yarns. I don't even really think of them as actual usable fiber and instead tend to view them as an artifact of the learning process. My first plied yarn fell squarely into that category until the other day. It was a purple silk blend that I had started to ply with a grey merino, then switched to a white merino half-way through. In retrospect, for an uneven, horribly underplied mess, it was kind of pretty. Too bad there was only 42 yards of it. But then I came across a basic merino single I'd spun up who-knows-when, and an idea and a swatch or two eventually became a cowl.

I was quite proud of myself-- I waited until I finished a pair of mittens for my brother before casting on, and it went quickly enough that it didn't take much time away from the holiday projects I have to get done. The ends still need to be woven in and it needs serious blocking, but I love the cowl that sprang u from my stash.

Nevermind.

2011-11-13T02:58:00.001-08:00

I just finished a post about stash diving and unearthing a cowl idea, but then the internet (or more specifically the mobile app that I was using due to being too lazy to turn on my laptop) ate it. We'll try this again tomorrow.

Today's First World Problems

2011-11-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

I finished the bulk of my dad's Christmas socks last night, but don't have any appropriate sock yarn in my stash for the contrast afterthought heel and toe. The black is too black, the blue has too much green, and I used up all of my white/neutral dyeing mini-skeins for my sock yarn blanket. I'm too poor to buy anything that would work. I really want these socks to be finished!

Reason why this is not a real problem: I won't be poor forever and should be able to find the right yarn and knit the heels and toes in plenty of time for Christmas.

I ran out of yarn ten rows away from being finished with the Oaklet shawl I was working on for a friend. Can't buy more for both above reasons and because it's been stashed for the last couple of years, making matching dye-lots tricky.

Reason why this is not a real problem: I didn't actually like how the shawl/yarn combo looked in the first place.

My second attempt at polenta cakes was a complete failure. Maybe I didn't give it enough time to set up, maybe I had the wrong heat, I don't know, but my broccoli polenta fell completely apart tonight into a big, slightly browned mess.

Reason this is not a real problem: Do I really need a reason for this one? It's freaking polenta for crying out loud.

Despite such horrible setbacks, I managed to eke out a reasonably productive day, then grabbed a glass of raspberry mead and caught the tail end of my friends' set at Honey Moon Winery. Now I'm finishing up a West Wing: Season 1 dvd and planning the rest of my Christmas knitting in my cozy house with my adorable dog asleep at my feet.

That last paragraph? That's the real reason that none of these are real problems.

Nothing, followed by more nothing.

2011-11-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

So I missed a day in my quest of blogging. On the flip side, no one would have missed the boring, useless blog post it would have been had I bothered to blog yesterday. I swear to god I am actually capable of being slightly interesting.

Sadly, I have little to nothing to write today, except that I'm hoping that something I started this morning ends well. I won't know until next week if things are going to go the way I want, and it will be even more time before I get to know the final outcome. Nonetheless, I sit here today watching Mythbusters and being hopeful.

Blah. Blah. Blah.

2011-11-07T23:43:00.000-08:00

It's only been four days and I already find myself slightly stuck for a topic today.

I suppose I could write about what I made for dinner-- Veggie and Tempeh Curry with Eggplant Punjab and Basmati Rice--- but since I cheated and used things like curry paste and pre-made eggplant punjab, it's not a recipe, or even an interesting story.

I could write about how the passing of Halloween and the turning of the clocks this weekend have plunged us into instant winter, but a girl can only talk about the weather so much.

I could write about the progress I've made on my dad's Christmas socks, but it's a basic sock. At this point, the only visible change is that it looks like a slightly longer knit tube than it did a couple of days ago.

....and those were the least crappy ideas of the bunch. So for once, I went and looked at NaBloPoMo's page for one of their recent writing prompts and was given this:

When you are writing, do you prefer a pen or a computer?

It's kind of nice coincidence that this question came up, but I'll get to that in a second.

I end up writing a lot on computers. Having had a blog in some form or another for over ten years now and being more attached to the internet now that at any other time of my life, the majority of what I write comes from keys punched on a keyboard, but there was a time when my daily routine included putting pen to paper. Writing was one of my decompression methods when I would come home from a particularly bad day of retail hell. I had an online journal at the time, but it wasn't the same as opening up a book and pouring something out on paper.

A few days ago, I was trying to remember when a particular event happened, so I reached up into the top shelf of my closet and pulled out the three or four beat-up sketchbooks that use to be my daily accessories. I ended up thumbing through them for nearly an hour, reading through a couple of books worth of late teen/early 20s self-involvement. It was kind of funny to read through the things I found important then, but I was more struck by the sketchbooks themselves.

I had forgotten how much they really contained. More than just hand-written words about goofy times with friends and whatever dumb guy I was involved with; there were elaborate doodles and bits of poetry my friends wrote on napkins, ticket stubs to concerts and watercolor landscapes, random funny postcards and photographs of things that were only cool to me. My old journals felt so much more textured than anything I've written since and a part of me really missed being able to write without concern of who would read it or how it would be interpreted.

I have a new sketchbook. I don't know if I will be converting it from it's current purpose-- planning out craft ideas and the occasional recipe-- but I have a feeling more words may go into it in the future.

Weekends don't exactly make for great blogging.

2011-11-06T23:55:00.000-08:00

Football. Sub sandwiches. Tons of couch knitting. Spending a lazy Sunday with my two favorite guys. These are a few of my favorite things.

2011-11-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

My Saturday was not quite as productive as I originally planned it to be, but I'm still pretty okay with it. I got to sleep in, free in the knowledge that I didn't have to talk to anyone important or official. I got to go out and do things without necessarily having a direct agenda. I got to watch movies with good friends and knit a good two inches on my Dad's Christmas socks.

Honestly, that pretty much sums up my day, though I've also been reveling in one other thing-- as I was going through my day, it occurred to me that the fingerless gloves I was wearing were the first ones I made, a good five or six years ago. Admittedly, I noticed that the upper palm of the right glove needed mending and is close to unraveling, but I loved the fact that I have made something that has lasted longer than most of the clothes I own. I fully realize that for some folks that's standard procedure-- hell, I know people who wear handknits their grandmothers made!-- but for me it was pretty awesome.

It's time.

2011-11-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

After Round 4 (or is it 5?) of battling with insurance companies this morning, I decided that today it was finally time to get back to the project I started before our surprise remodel. I spent my afternoon working on a felting project that I'll get around to writing and photographing later, but I think the rest of the weekend will be spent on my new quilt project.

Finishing the hexagon quilt left me pretty stoked about this whole ridiculous quilting thing, but wanting something more simple, preferably with seams longer than 3 inches. So a few weeks ago, I picked up a bunch of sale fat quarters and started sketching.

I'm still trying to get away from my fear of patterns, so I went wild with black, white, and blue prints. I liked the idea of a simple brick quilt, but wanted something a little skewed, so I my rows are being cut at 45 degrees and pieced diagonally starting at opposite corners. I also liked the idea of a project that used as as little waste as possible, so in addition to my 3x6 bricks, there are 3 x random length bricks thrown in for good measure. So far my leftover scraps consist of two 1x1 squares and a few 1/4" strips.

I swear to God, it's the last blue thing I'm sewing for a while. Seriously.

So here we are again.

2011-11-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

Once again, it's November and I'm lagging on this whole blogging thing. I'm usually decent at the outset before eventually petering out, but this time I seem to have failed to even make it out of the starting gate.

Thing is, it's been that sort of a week. Actually, scratch that-- it's been that sort of two weeks. Two Sundays ago, my condo flooded due to a malfunctioning washer next door, dumping gallons of water under the adjoining walls into my kitchen, stairwell, and living room. We got a lot cleaned up that night, but it took four days, a cleanup crew, seven industrial fans, a dehumidifier the size of my stove, and the removal of half my downstairs flooring before everything was finally dry.

...and that was the easy part. Week 2 has been the hard part-- dealing with insurance companies. I generally expect insurance companies to do their job-- wearing us down to avoid having to release money-- but the run-around we've been getting has exceeded even my already-low standards. Luckily, I've armed myself with a trusty notebook full of info-- every name, every phone number, and every single scrap of documentation that might be remotely relevant. I'm also really lucky to have a couple of friends with insurance backgrounds who've let me pick their brains when needed, so I feel well-prepared for our fight with bullshit bureaucracy.

The whole thing, along with a couple of related tensions and frustrations, left me pretty worn out and depressed. I was too tired to do much for Halloween, which bummed me out even further. So after a week of eating my feelings and a beer or three, I went back to my preferred method of coping-- following through with my restoration plan, reminding myself that this will also pass, and making lists of the things I have to be happy and grateful for.

Right now I'm glad to be snuggled under my finished-at-long-last hex quilt. My finished size ended up being slightly bigger than throw-sized at 65"x65". I was originally planning on making a twin-sized piece, but after months of sewing I looked at my quilt where it was pinned on the wall and finally admitted that if I had to sew another hexagon I was going to hurt someone. "A throw would get more use anyway," I told myself while shoving 150 leftover hexes into my fabric trunk, and thusfar it's turned out to be true.

Summaries.

2011-08-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of stuff to write about but, as per usual, I ended up getting a bit backed up, so I’m just going to sum up. While the rest of the country has been roasting, summer barely got off the ground until the 4th of July, so we’ve had to pack in quite a bit in a short time.

Now that I’ve had a few weeks to recover, I can unequivocally say that Warrior Dash was a ragingly good time and I can’t wait to do it again in six weeks. My finish time was terrible and my body hated me afterwards, but I had a ridiculous amount of fun. I think there are so few opportunities for grown adults to do ridiculous things like slosh through the mud, so I find it important to take those opportunities when they arise.

There's also been quite a bit of camping. A small family trip to Deception Pass and some orca watching on Lime Kiln Point started the month, then we ended it with a big camping bash at Rasar State Park. We got a big group site for Elena’s annual birthday campout this year and it was so plush it almost felt like cheating at camping. The site featured a big grassy area with a huge covered annex featuring tables, electrical outlets, and a fireplace (though we kept to the firepit just outside of it.) Individual tent sites radiated out from the center like a child‘s drawing of the sun, giving a nice balance between having one’s own space and having a central place to flock.

In all, it was two days of sock knitting, beer-drinking, s’more-making, frisbee-throwing goodness.

Lastly, I made a dress, just in time for the summer's first camping trip. I pulled some random aqua jersey that had been bumming around my fabric stash for about ten years, and in my mom's stash for who knows how long before that, and decided it was time to finally make something out of it. Using the Camisole Dress pattern from Alabama Studio Style, I sewed myself up my new favorite item of summer clothing. I also airbrushed some darker blue swirls halfway up, added some decorative seam stitching, then stenciled and reverse-appliqued some leaves along the bottom. It's still a work in progress, but I'm wearing it in the meantime.

There was probably more, but I think that just about catches me up. Now onto the rest of summer!

Obsession

2011-05-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

Since I gave up my fruitless fight for a decently snowy winter, I've been aching for spring. Technically, it already is spring, but the Northwest has a different sort of definition for that word. Here, "spring" means rain, a day of sunbreaks followed by rain, some temperatures that dip down into the forties, a tiny bit of the snow we didn't get in winter, then more rain. Now that we're getting into May, things are finally starting to warm up and get sunnier, but it's still a Northwest spring so things can change quite quickly.

Spring is a tricky little bastard that delights in showing me a ten-minute flash of sunlight, and like the gullible idiot I am I think that means it's warm enough to forgo the fingerless gloves that have been a daily staple for the last six months. Within moments the rug is pulled out from under me and the giant dark clouds roll on in. Some people think they look like bunnies, some see dragons, and the truly odd see the face of President Nixon. Me, I see a giant hand pointing as Nature laughs at me.

This is also typically the time of year when I start to go off the rails a tiny bit and, judging by the attitudes of the people I encounter throughout my day, I'm definitely not the only one. There are plenty of places in the world where the elements are more extreme and harsh, but the Northwest requires its own special sort of endurance. A mini-vacation to Disneyland(!) in early March and a visit from my sister helped stave off my usual early spring depression, but now I find myself aching for color and light and skirts and warmth and bikes and mojitos.

I think that's how I ended up on this hexagon quilt thing. I had been thinking about starting one a few months ago. I went as far as going over to my mom's to pull out the flower garden quilt my great-great-grandmother made to study it a bit, and buy a hexagon cutting template. After a couple of days, I shelved the idea in favor of sitting on my couch and knitting squares for my sock yarn blanket.

However, as the weather got wetter and my patience for grayness grew thinner, I thought about it again. Before I knew what hit me, I was at my local JoAnn buying a couple dozen fat quarters in shades of blue and green, and making dozens upon dozens of hexagons. Now, I find myself stealing every moment I can to go up to my sewing room and sew just a few more seams.

I'm foregoing paper piecing methods in favor of machine sewing based on the Lady Harvatine tutorial on the subject. When I consulted my mother, she was reasonably certain that my great-great grandmother never used the paper piecing method on her quilts. Frankly, if machine sewing was good enough for Kate, it's good enough for me.

Given how many hexes I cut out, this quilt is going to end up being about twin size, but I'm envisioning large picnics and snuggling under it in camping tents.

2011-03-29T23:49:00.001-07:00

There's been a lot going on the last few weeks, both internally and externally, but since it's still going I'm gonna wait until I can organize it all.

In related news, I'm not sure how to explain the awesomeness/warm-fuzziness/scariness of my little sister visiting the place I've called home for the last 13-ish years for the first time.

2011-01-20T00:31:00.001-08:00

I have a slightly weird habit.

Actually, that's not true. I have many weird habits, ranging from just the tiniest bit off-kilter to... nevermind, where was I? Today I thought of one in particular.

I count stitches. I don't mean that I count stitches to make sure i've got the right number. I sit down and do the math to figure out how many stitches make up the thing I'm knitting. I'm usually not too concerned with having more than a ballpark figure. I expect my margin of error is within about 10% or so. Even if it isn't, it's really not important since it's a meaningless and arbitrary number anyway.

To be honest, I'm not sure why I even do it, but I think it's because I like to amaze myself sometimes. I started a pair of Ice Age Boots on last week's (no-)snow day, figuring that would be enough to keep me busy without distracting me from my movie marathon. The rough total for the size I'm making (with adjustments) is 35,838 stitches.

Isn't that just a mind-boggling number? And it's not just because I'm making double-layered, ridiculously large boots. Even a chunky hat on big needles adds up to hundreds of stitches. If someone told me when I first learned to knit, "hey, that thing that seems tricky to you now? In a little while, you'll be able to do this thousands of times without even breaking a sweat," I would have been pretty incredulous. Now, I just like to marvel at the everyday awesomeness that we crafters are capable of.

Robots may break your heart.

2011-01-11T22:20:00.000-08:00

So far the epic winter that our meteorologists threatened us with throughout the fall has proven, depending on one's perspective, disappointing. We are experiencing only our second snowfall of the season, and by most predictions it will all be over and melting by tomorrow afternoon. As a person who grew up in tropical climates until late adolescence/early teens, I seem to have retained a child-like fascination with snow. I've even gotten to the point where I don't mind driving in it, though other drivers still scare the bejeezus out of me.

Hell, I have a love of snow that even a winter-related car accident two years ago and a week without heat at our old apartment hasn't diminished.

So in the interest of winter wishful thinking, I'm declaring tomorrow a SNOW DAY. As it stands, I'm a little in need of a recovery day anyway. A flare-up of a chronic knee injury combined with continuing to push myself too hard has left me sore and hobbling. Most of the pressing things have been taken care of, so tomorrow is going to consist of icing my knee, making Baked Potato Soup, and finishing about six projects that are in the "99% done" stage.

Finishing is my least favorite part of knitting. The knitting portion is done, but there are still yarn ends to weave in, buttons to sew on, or one little seam before it can be worn or used. In my mind, once I've bound off on something, it's done. Everything afterwards is just an irritating chore. Luckily, if I can get myself to sew on just one button, it's usually smooth sailing from there.

For now, though, I'm just going to watch the snow fall, and start knitting something else.

My January list of...things.

2011-01-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

I don't really believe in New Year's Resolutions. I'm sure for some people they are a good idea. However, for folks like me-- the enthusiastic but easily distracted-- it just feels like setting oneself up for disappointment. Sure, I can tell myself that I'm going to stop eating fast food, take a picture everyday, or some other very grand endeavor, but inevitably I will slip up one day and be forced to face the giant letdown of ruining a year-long goal.

I also recently saw this TED video that explained why it's better to keep one's goals to oneself, so the life goal list I have in my head is going to stay there for the time being. My last "11 in 2011" is admittedly a goal of sorts, but since it's more of a nice idea that's subject to change at any moment, it doesn't really count in my book. If anything, I wanted to write it down so I could see exactly how it differed later, because again-- enthusiastic but easily distracted.

In the meantime, I've found yet another cool thing to add to my distraction: Iron Craft -- A weekly crafting challenge using different themes and materials each week. Complete commitment isn't required, but it seems like a fun idea that I could definetely get behind.

Edited to add: I did remember my one major New Year's Resolution-- to stop watching Lonely Island videos so much. It's time to let "I'm On A Boat" go.

11 in 2011

2010-12-31T02:54:00.001-08:00

Just a list for me. Links are all ravelry links.

A modified Backward Cable Pullover

WIP-- Tappan Zee

WIP-- Rambling Rose Cardigan

WIP-- Ripping out and reworking Houndstooth Mitts

At least one pair of socks

Something else

We knew it had to end sometime.

2010-11-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

So it finally happened. I finally caved and turned my heat on.

I haven't been going heatless for any practical reason, though electric bill savings and being green are both nice little byproducts. My refusal to turn on my heat was nothing but a pointless and completely arbitrary act of defiance towards Mother Nature.

When the winds first started blowing and the days started getting chillier and the nights started getting longer, I laughed. C'mon, Weather! Don't you know who you're dealing with?, I thought. You clearly have not seen my sweater shelves or my accessory wall. I am a knitter. I keep myself warm FOR FUN.

Then it got a little colder, but I still wasn't fazed. I simply threw a blanket over my toes and made myself some tea-- and a french press cozy to keep it extra warm. Silly Nature, I haven't even put on my fingerless gloves yet. You let me know when you decide to start playing for real.

It went roughly like that for the last month or so. The weather got wetter, then drier, colder, then warmer. I put on sweaters and took them off. Every once in a while, the Boyfriend and I would look at each other with that "should we?" look, then smile and say "nah! Let's just keep going!" I mentioned my heating stand-off on Facebook to find that everyone else I knew had already given up and turned up the thermostat. Nonetheless, I soldiered on.

Until today. Today it was 45 degrees and dropping and when I woke up this morning, my knees ached like an old man's when it's about to rain, my toes were chilly even with socks, and the air smelled like snow. So I finally ended this (again, pointless and completely arbitrary) battle with the elements and did what most normal people did a month and at least 10 degrees ago-- turned on the heat.

Even though I've had to concede defeat in a battle I had no chance of winning anyway, I'm quite proud of how far into Fall we made it. I'm still not sure what that says about me and my possible lack of a life.

2010-11-08T23:24:00.000-08:00

Homemade ravioli is quite possibly one of the most awesome things ever.

Lazy Sunday.

2010-11-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

Today has consisted of nothing but football watching and crockpot chili. I'm currently debating whether it's worth the effort to make cornbread as a side or just skip it.

....and now that it's been two hours since I wrote that sentence, it's pretty much confirmed that I'm skipping it.

After a few..... okay, six months of feeling a bit lost, I'm finally starting to get myself pointed in a direction as far as my life and career go. Up to now, I've been drifting along-- applying for jobs, contemplating the idea of going back to school while trying to sort out if it would hurt my unemployment status, feeling generally unsure of what my next move was, not knowing what I wanted to do but knowing I need to get out of the service industry. I'd been trying to figure out what exactly it was I wanted, but kept stuck with this overwhelming indecisiveness.

Over the last week or so, I've had a couple of important conversations with the people who love me and it may have finally been the kick in the pants I needed. It feels good to finally have a goal.

2010-11-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

I find it a little sad that three days into my daily blogging challenge and I'm already slipping. I usually last at least a week.

Tomorrow will be all about breaking vows, choose-your-own-adventure pizza, and why I really need to replace my shower curtain with a door.

Voting and semi-ridiculous ideas.

2010-11-02T23:45:00.001-07:00

Yay, election day! I dropped our ballots off earlier today. Even though it would have been simpler to drop it into the nearest ballot box, or heck, the nearest mailbox, but I like taking it to the courthouse to hand it in in person so that I can get the "I Voted!" sticker.

(It's a bit sad that I'm willing to go miles out of my way and wait in a line of cars just for a sticker. God only knows what I would probably do for a gold star.)

After other errands and a really good "happy birthday, Old Guy" conversation with my dad, I sat down and tore into some knitting. I still have a pair of armwarmers and a scarf from last month that need finishing touches, but today and yesterday called for some new projects for November.

As a show of solidarity with my boyfriend and other facial-haired friends participating in Movember, I started Incognito. Since I can't (thank God) grow my own mustache, making one out of yarn seemed to be the next best thing. I'm already halfway through the body of it, so with another day and some duplicate stitches, I should be ready to rock the 'stashe by the end of the week! With any luck, only 30% of people who see me will point when they laugh.

Even more ridiculous, however, was the Sock Yarn blanket I (sort of) started. The whole thing in itself is a bit crazy-- an entire blanket knit on size 2's from sock yarn? Seriously?-- but then I had to go and take the crazy to a whole new level. I currently have the hair-brained idea that I want to keep similar color groups together for a blanket that slowly shifts through the color wheel. I'm still not entirely sure how I'm going to do this, as I don't have nearly enough sock yarn leftovers to make the whole thing and will be picking up new colors as I go, but for now I'm still in that early "wonderful possibility" stage of the idea. I'm sure the "logistical nightmare" stage won't be too far behind.

National Blog Posting Month!

2010-11-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

Along with NaNoWriMo, today marks the beginning of NaBloPoMo or, in other words, a month where a bunch of people set about the task of writing a lot.

I was previously all set to go this month, but truth be told, my heart's not really in it today. Maybe it's some sort of post-holiday hangover, or possibly the dreary weather, but I woke up feeling uninspired, listless, and just generally brood-y. Generally when I'm feeling like that, I try to simply hunker down with a cozy blanket, a pot of tea, and television I know by heart, but that just wasn't doing it for me today.

So I did something I haven't done in some time-- I attempted to indulge in some retail therapy. Although I'm not a currently active member, I've been diligently sticking with my Wardrobe Refashion challenge. With the exception of picking up a dress to wear to a wedding last summer, I haven't bought new clothing that wasn't underwear since February. Apparently my clothing diet has left me way out of practice, because I left the mall with a bath mat and conditioner. Having said that, if I can find a pair of knee-high boots I like, all bets are off.

I did, however, fall off the wagon pretty hard when it comes to knitting books-- Hat Heads, 101 Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders, and Stitch & Bitch Superstar Knitting are all sitting on the couch next to me. My Christmas knitting has just begun, so I can use all the ideas I can get. I'm already months behind!

Some things probably don't deserve the thought I give them.

2010-10-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

So I wrote a pattern. To be specific, I wrote a hat pattern.

I still have to wash, block, and take pictures of the finished product before I'll be ready to fully write it up, but I'm already liking it.

Although this isn't the first time I've knit something on my own, I've never written anything that I would call a pattern, the tongue-in-cheek Random Cowl notwithstanding. I've always been hesitant to do so for two reasons.

1. I'm pretty terrible about keeping track of my knitting. I might get as far as writing down how much I cast on and occasionally will mark the number of increases and such, but most of the time I forget at least one step or, even better, change my knitting but not my notes. I've found myself having to try and reverse-engineer a second sock or glove on more than one occasion because of my terrible note-taking.

2. I've been struggling with the concept of "original pattern." Don't get me wrong, after reading more than my share of long and painful discussions on Ravelry about copyright law, copyright ethics, general pattern wankery and why both designers and the people who knit others' designs are all wrong, I have a very firm grasp on the law. The problem I find comes from trying to concretely define for myself what constitutes an original pattern.

So much of my work takes bits and pieces from things I've knit before. Although none of it is exactly like anyone else's pattern, it just doesn't feel like MINE because I borrowed the gauge from another pattern or the stitch from a dictionary. Secondly, some of my knitting is simple enough that, although I didn't use a pattern, it seems silly to call it a pattern at all. Having said that, a quick look through a lot of the patterns on Ravelry --including the garter stitch scarves, the ribbed-brim beanies, and basic cable baby blankets-- tells me that I'm in the minority with this thinking. Although there's a need for these patterns-- beginners have to start somewhere-- trying to call that one individual's pattern feels like trying to copyright knitting itself. Some say it's the specific wording that makes Jane Q. Public's beanie an original work, different from every other beanie on the planet, but really? I honestly don't know how to feel or what to think on the subject.

Then again, here I am writing a hat pattern that most knitters could probably sort out for themselves, so who am I to judge?

Ultimately, though laws are relatively clear, I'm finding trying to define the concept of "original" is like trying to define "art" or "beauty", so while it's still something my brain is constantly muddling over, I've managed to push it into the background white noise of my thoughts.

....well, until I started writing about it anyway.

Ghouls Night Out.

2010-10-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

And so it commences.

I've been spinning up my first "art" yarn. I've always had a bit of difficulty with art yarn-- it just doesn't suit me. Over the years, I've figured out that my personal knitting style tends to veer away from the novelty towards the practical. I love details like lace and cables, but if things are too fuzzy or have too many colors or added embellishments, I tend to run in the other direction. Although I've always found art yarns pretty, I tend to avoid them because I know I will never knit with them.

Until today.

I happened to find some skull beads at the bead shop while looking for something else, and it sparked a notion of making a Halloween themed yarn. So I started digging through my fiber stash. Instead of the traditional black/orange combo, I decided for something a little less literal and opted for some black merino with bits of gray and white NZ wool and along with the skulls, there are gears and small keys and big swirly glass beads. It's not a true art yarn-- for starters it's a relatively even thickness throughout-- but it's probably as close as I'm going to come.

Frankly, I'm rather giddy over the whole thing. Now my month of Halloween can begin.

Too many cogs moving....

2010-10-07T01:31:00.000-07:00

My brain has been busy lately. Busy with life stuff that I won't get into here, but also busy with craft stuff.

I'm spinning my first attempt at art yarn, or more accurately art-ish yarn. I'm also toying with another arty-farty yarn that may or may not turn out, but for now it's an interesting idea.

I'm trying to figure out how to block my first and possibly last* shawl. I have a giant bulletin board that is useful for blocking smaller things, but this stupid shawl just. won't. fit.

I'm still working on my quest of knitting from the stash and the books and have added the new goal of making enough pairs of fingerless gloves that I can wear them with every outfit I own. This winter is supposed to be bad enough to take all the previous winters' lunch money and give them wedgies, so I'm trying to be prepared.

I'm sketching out ideas for a Goodwill sweater I just finished unraveling. It's worth noting, Banana Republic makes an incredibly well-constructed sweater. Softer-than-soft merino and knit seamlessly, which is a rarity for a mass-produced garment.

Mostly, though, my brain has been stuck on one particular notion: knitting patterns. More specifically, what makes a pattern? And when you get down to brass tacks, what makes a pattern yours?

....oh yeah, and I'm putting together a Halloween music playlist.

Is it any wonder that I can't seem to fall asleep?

Progress Report

2010-09-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've been lax in writing in this thing. It's been a pretty awesome and fun-filled summer, but that's a lot of ground to cover, so for now I just want to look at this summer's goals and see how I stack up. Let's see--

"I will not buy any new yarn until such time as I have decided the stash is depleted to normal levels."

In the most technical sense, I haven't bought any yarn since writing this. I did, however, buy fiber and another drop spindle and have been spinning more yarn. Yes, it increases the stash and could be considered cheating, but I'm willing to give it a pass considering I freaking made it myself.

"I will finish every current UFO."

Um.....yeah. I was pretty good about not starting too many other things, and only started a new bigger project (ie, bigger than a dishcloth or a baby bootie) when I finished another one. I did finish one or two other things that were sitting in the pile, but in all honesty today's list of unfinished items looks pretty similar to the list I had four months ago.

"I will not buy another knitting book until I use every book I already own."

Still holding strong with seven projects to go. I've even managed to go to the bookstore, look through knitting books, and walk out without one. Now that's willpower!

There's more on my mind-- the end of summer, my newfound interest in flower garden and hawaiian quilts, knitting my first shawl-- but that will have to wait until I can organize my thoughts a bit better.

It's important to have goals.

2010-05-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

I am a girl on a mission. Well, several missions at once actually.

For starters, there's the stash. Once I got everything out in the open and organized, I suddenly realized that I am blessed with an overabundance of fiber, so with a few super-special exceptions, I'm not picking up any new yarn. I haven't settled on a time frame or goal, but like my Wardrobe Refashion no-new-clothing challenge, it's the kind of goal that ultimately rewards itself.

Then there's what I am affectionately referring to as the Knitout at the U.F.O Corral. Like most of the knitters I know, I have things that have been sitting for a very long time. Some of them, upon closer inspection, are better off just being ripped out, but quite a few are still things worth finishing. I started with the Rambling Rose Cardigan, and though I keep having to take detours and breaks (like the Framed Jewelry Holder from Stitch Diva I made recently), am inching ever closer to finishing it. I finally knit the second sock of a pair that I started a year and a half ago. The basket of things that have been sitting and languishing is getting smaller and smaller each time I look at it.

All of this overhauling and organizing has also made me realize one other thing. I know it is blasphemy to say this, but:

I have too many knitting books.

Actually, let me rephrase that-- I have too many unused knitting books. I originally bought them because there was a pattern or two that I really liked, but got distracted and moved onto something else before I could ever knit anything from it. So part 3 of "Jilly's Epic Knitting Mission" involves using all of my books. Thusly, the Ravelry queue is topped with projects from books I already own.

To sum up, the mission statement is this:

I will not buy any new yarn until such time as I have decided that stash is depleted back to normal levels. I will put my entire stash on Ravelry to keep myself honest. Acceptable yarn purchases are limited to extra yarn to finish a project and small batch/specialty producer yarn.

I will finish every current UFO. Finishing can also include ripping out an item that no longer works. I am allowed to start another project during this process, but only one new WIP will be allowed at any given time.

I will not buy another knitting book until I use every book I already own. Use = completing atleast one project from each title. Stitch dictionaries require a project using atleast one stitch pattern. The only exemptions are spinning books.

And there we have it. I guess I just planned out my knitting list for the next two years!

What A Wicked Gang Are We

2010-03-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

I have been a busy little beaver of late. Due to no job luck thusfar, I find myself measuring life by the bands and movies I've seen recently and the projects I've finished.

In the interest of full disclosure to no one in particular:

The most recent band was the always-astonishing Captured By Robots.

The most recent movie wasn't a movie at all, but a bunch of old episodes of Brisco County Jr.

As far as other accomplishments, the list thusfar includes:

-1 painted, organized, and very nearly finished craft room. There's still some touch up painting to do, and some of our (mostly the boy's) stuff that needs to find a home, but languishing 2nd bedroom is finally being put to use! Having a dedicated space for yarn makes me feel like I have my own yarn store in my house, and I am suddenly getting a heck of a lot more use out of my sewing machine now that I can see the top of our desk.

-3 altered t-shirts

-1 skirt made from 3 thrifted tees (complete with the learning experience of making my first ruffles)

-the unearthing of all of my set aside knitting projects-- the various mitts I've started, the ominous and frightening Rambling Rose sweater, the Bond Girl tank I started last summer....

-1 complete Olympics sweater........that was afterwards ripped out because I decided I didn't like it at all. In the grand scheme of sweater Olympics, I feel like I earned a bronze.

-1 pair of socks. They're stripey and purple and fabulous.

-1 reorganized kitchen, with cabinets I can actually use!

I'm only just now getting around to documenting said accomplishments with those picture thingies, mostly because I've been too busy perfecting my Arnold Palmer iced tea/lemonade mixture and spending WAY too much time on the Ravelry message boards.

Truth be told, every new thing just motivates me to craft even more. I fall asleep at night with refashion ideas running through my head and have spent more evenings than I'm willing to admit knitting until the tips of my fingers went numb. I feel like parts of my brain that have been dormant, cast aside while the other parts were consumed by stress and long hours and the constant worry about the next thing, are finally starting to work again.

In short, I finally remembered how fucking fun this all is.

You Are Not On the Recieving End of It All

2010-02-22T17:10:00.001-08:00

So far, the Official Day One of Unemployment has gone thusly:

Make an awesome lamb-and-tomato scramble for breakfast... Check.

Sign the rest of my severance paperwork...... Check.

Put away all the gear from this weekend's camping adventure.... Semi-check. It's atleast out of the back of my truck.

Pick up a couple more skeins of yarn, thus guaranteeing I have enough to finish my sweater for the Knitting Olympics.... Check.

Watch atleast another hour of curling competition... Check.

Although I have commited to starting my spring cleaning in earnest tomorrow, I decided today was a chill out day. It's been so long since I've taken a day to deliberately do nothing without feeling terribly guilty about it, so scrubbing down my shower can take a backseat to sweater knitting for once.

Despite illness and numerous setbacks, I still have a glimmer of hope that I will finish my sweater by closing ceremonies. I'm about halfway done with the body, and keep telling myself the sleeves will go quickly. Then again, since I'm pretty much (once again) making things up as I go along, I suppose it's done when I say it's done!

Back in the saddle again.

2010-02-18T20:24:00.000-08:00

I'm a little embarrased to admit that this is is what it took, but I finally got my incentive to get my act together, in more ways than one.

I was laid off from my job. Although I've had the news for a little while, I completed my last full day today. Other than a meeting and some paperwork tomorrow, I'm done with this thing and onto The Next Big Thing. Only problem is, I'm not quite sure what that thing is yet.

I find myself lucky enough to be in a position where I don't absolutely have to have a job tomorrow. The boyfriend and I have always lived well within our means so there's little concern about making ends meet while I'm unemployed. Knowing that, I decided to take advantage of my incredibly fortunate circumstance and figure out what I really want to be doing, as opposed to just grabbing onto just any job. I also count myself lucky that I have an understanding SO who supports this pseudo-walkabout I'm going on. Having been through the same thing three years ago (and coming out MUCH better for it), Eric knows that it's an opportunity to set my own course and not my way of being a SAHG (Stay A Home Girlfriend.)

So I'm getting my house in order, in both a figurative and literal sense. Everything I have wanted to do around my house but haven't had time for is on my list. This includes finally painting my bedroom, despite my boyfriend's color indecisiveness, and finishing my Rambling Rose cardigan. I'll be whittling down my refashion list and organizing our office within an inch of its life. And while I set about those tasks, I'll also reorganize my life.

I've mostly been telling myself this to avoid an OMGIdon'thaveajobandI'mscaredtodeath freakout, but I'm really beginning to think this could be the best thing that ever happened to me.

2009-07-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Oh blog, I haven't forgotten you. I just work a whole lot during the summer and don't write like I used to. I've also been taken over to the facebook darkside due simply to the high percentage of my friends who have one and put information on it. I hate the damn thing, but can't give it up or miss out on, like, everything.

But I do miss you, my darling blog, and I have been crafting, albeit at a much smaller level. I took up canning, and am on a quest to make the ultimate bloody mary using green beans I pickled myself and an experimental jalepeno-infused vodka. It could either turn out incredibly awesome, or incredibly gross, but that's the fun of trying things out!

Truth be told, I thought of you today when I was at the bookstore, checking out what's new in crafting books. The answer: nothing. Either I have put together a really good crafting library, or people are just stealing more and more of other people's ideas.

Frankly, if I see another book that has a chapter devoted to felting sweaters and making throw pillows and crap from them, I'm going to lose my shit entirely. Note to writers/editors/publishers: If you do decide to go against my wishes and put a "no, our felted throw pillows are totally different, we put circles on them!" chapter in your book, don't make it the first one. I will not keep the book open long enough to get to the other stuff that may be possibly useful and interesting.

Seriously though, I have been doing some crafting, albeit without (current) pictures. I bought 20 t-shirts at Goodwill for $24 and am slowly making summer gear out of all of them. So far I have four tank tops and another shirt in the works.

Sadly, my knitting has suffered. 52-hour work weeks + 100 degree temps = no knitting for Jilly, so instead I'll make a few more tanks, get through this summer, and go back to being a chick with sticks.

2009-05-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day today. The sun is shining, the breeze is flowing. There are kids playing in the yard next door, I can smell the faint scent of a charcoal grill in the air and about a block away, somebody is mowing their lawn.

It's a beautiful day, and all I can think is that today can go screw itself.

I suppose wisdom tooth surgery will do that to a person. My mouth is more swollen today than it was two days ago, when I had my teeth ripped out. The most exciting bit of food I'll get to eat this weekend will be today, when I switch out the customary mashed potatoes for mashed sweet potatoes instead. I'll admit, the tofu-blueberry-yogurt smoothie I made yesterday was pretty kick ass, but I would give almost anything to be able to eat a cheeseburger right now, and I don't even really like cheeseburgers.

You would think this would give me extra knitting time, but mostly it's just extra sleeping time with a little bit of knitting thrown in. Pre-surgery, I got inspired by Stephanie's foray into the red Glitterspun we both have and started the cups from Naughty Needles Basic Bra Pattern, with the notion that I was going to make it into a tank top with a bust area that actually fit. However, the combination of Oxycodone and Glitterspun seemed like a bad one, so I decided something simple, like another grocery bag, was a much better recovery project.

For now, I am going to work up enough energy to put a leash on my dog and step out into this beautiful day long enough for him to pee, then it's back to my comfy pillow-filled couch where I will fall asleep to yet another episode of Bones.

Things I'm stoked about today

2009-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

I've been having another one of those fits lately, where I get listless and depressed and have a hard time being enthused about anything. I didn't realize how bad it had gotten until my boss pointed out that I had been completely off my game for a while.

As I drove home the other night, wondering what the heck was wrong with me, someone on the radio mentioned that it was the beginning of March, and then it hit me. In fact, I felt silly that I hadn't caught on sooner. It's March!

I started to notice about six or seven years ago that the few weeks between mid-February and mid-March are a slightly dangerous time for me. After six months of greyness, never really seeing the sun, never being able to get completely dry or warm, I start to crack a little.

Luckily, knowing what the problem is makes it that much easier to deal with. I spent yesterday buying interesting used books and getting all of my flower pots ready for spring. And today, I'm making a list of awesome things....

....starting with the "Leftovers Lasagna" I'm eating. I threw in some carrots, brocolli, green peppers, and some leftover turkey kielbasa from a dish I made earlier this week. YUM. It even got the seal of approval from Eric, who isn't at all keen on lasagna.

2009-02-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can only shake my head at my coworker sometimes. She was talking today about how she's going to have to borrow some money from a friend....so she can go to the casino. She lost about $60 in thirty minutes the other night, but now that her brother has taught her the rules of blackjack, she's sure she'll be able to double her money in a hand or two. She says she has a plan now-- take the $20 she's planning on borrowing to her favorite slot machine, double it, then head to the blackjack table.

We asked her what she was going to do if she lost her money too quickly (crazy idea, I know), and she said if that happened she would go to the bar and wait for someone to buy her a drink.

...but that won't happen, because she has a plan.

I guess that's what all the other poor shmucks are doing wrong. They're failing to properly plan.

In no particular order.

2009-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

1. I still say being the nicest meter maid is kind of like being the best five-dollar hooker. Seriously, he was still out ticketing at four minutes to five. Luckily, I can sprint faster than his little go-kart can drive

2. I made spanakopita last weekend to go with the fabulous gyros I picked up from the mediterranean market. Sad thing is, without thinking I chucked them into the fridge afterwards, where they have been slowly getting soft and uncrispy. I'm currently experimenting with re-crisping them in the oven for a few minutes, because I'll be damned if I let my phyllo efforts go to waste, and looking up the best way to freeze them. So far it doesn't look promising-- it seems the best way to freeze them is to have done it before I baked them in the first place. Atleast I still had some dolmathes left over, that almost makes up for it.

3. I had to rip out two or three days worth of knitting this afternoon. Stupid as it sounds, it always pains me a little when I have to pull it all apart because I screwed up.

4. My black eye is almost gone! Woohoo!

5. Even after watching the entire movie and a special feature or two, (Quentin Tarantino presents) Hell Ride made no sense whatsover.

...and I think that's pretty much it.

2009-02-09T19:02:00.000-08:00

I'm really tired of being sick. I think I may be finally kicking the cold that moved in on me a week and a half ago. The one nice part has been days off spent alternating between sleeping on the couch and crafting while watching movies....and sometimes sleeping while trying to watch movies. (I still have no idea what the Golden Compass was about.)

Happily, I'm picking back up a nearly decade-old project. I started a quilt when I was 18 out of all of my worn out pairs of jeans. It's edged with the back pockets, and every fabric is either a former item of clothing or the leftovers from making something else-- flannel from some pajama pants, star-printed cotton from some throw pillows I sewed up for my teenage bedroom. My favorite part has always been the pegasus in the center, cut out and appliqued on after my favorite t-shirt met an unfortunate end with some bleach.

I made the quilt top at 18, then carted it around for nine years and four or five moves, not sure what to do next. I kept thinking about making it bigger or adding this or that, but when I pulled it out of the trunk a month or so ago, I realized that mostly I just wanted to finish it. So I'm going to add a little more embroidery (courtesy of some Sublime Stitching patterns I picked up last week,) then back it and finish it.

I just can't wait to have my biggest recycled project finally done!

2009-02-08T02:31:00.000-08:00

I have to say, this year's football hangover wasn't as bad as it normally is. Normally, dumb as this may sound, I get slightly depressed the first week after the Superbowl, because it's the farthest I'm going to be from the next football season. Don't get me wrong-- I'm not crying in my shower over it, but when the shortest season in sports ends for the only sport I actually like, I get a little sad.

However, I'm already starting to look towards next season. The combine. The draft. It's going to be interesting to see how next year plays out.

....but that wasn't what i planned to write about.

Actually, I started to write about a dive bar I really like. For starters, it's lit entirely by beer signs, and still has an old-school non-internet jukebox. A very long time ago, back when I lived in the center of my podunk town, my roommates and I would go there to "go out into the county" and play pool. Most of the time, I shit you not, we were the only people there with a full set of teeth.

Now that football's over, we're thinking of making the dive bar a regular Saturday night/Sunday afternoon routine. I'm pretty stoked about it.

2009-02-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

After reading Yarn Harlot's post about the silliness of male/female buttonholes, (which is a rant I've also had in the past) it occurred to me that I have officially gone over the knitter edge. That was the second article/blogpost I've read about freaking buttonholes today.

I might officially need to get a life. Also, after a conversation with Eric, I realized he needs to get a life too-- he just sat here and listened to me talk about reading about buttonholes.

2009-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

After a week of minor wierdness and a bit of isolation, it's nice to know I can always come home and get a high-five from my dog.

2008-12-31T18:26:00.000-08:00

I'm currently sitting under a hairdryer as I type this. Yes, under. I'm one the floor in my living room, planted under the home version of the bonnet hair dryers you see at beauty shops. I'm not sure why my mom still even owns this thing, or how she was able to put up with this once a week.

Why am I sitting here under something that looks like a bizarre popcorn maker? Mostly, because I'm a sucker for a good theme party.

Tonight is Elena's You-So-Nasty Pajama Party. When she and I went shopping for suitable attire last weekend, I found an awesome red corset at Charlotte Russe (aka "the cheap whore store" ) and voila, an outfit idea was born.

I decided to go a bit retro, with loads of pearls (yes, I did just spell it purls and have to change it) and victory rolls in my hair. Then I got the nutty idea that, since I was in dire need of a dye job, I'd go ahead and tackle that while I was at it. And maybe I could kill two birds with one stone (straightening, then recurling the ends) by simply putting it on rollers and sitting under this contraption.

I had forgotten what a pain in the ass it is to put rollers in one's hair. I'm getting much quicker at dyeing my hair though. It always seems to take a while because I never just dye it one color (it looks like doll hair when I do.)

After this, all that's left to do is put on my attire and find that damn black slip, the one that I have been tripping over until I decided I needed it.

I thought about year-in-review posting, but thought better of it. Maybe tomorrow, when the only thing on my to-do list is taking down the christmas tree.

2008-12-28T01:41:00.000-08:00

Lovely. Some has apparently pissed off the neighborhood skunk. AGAIN.

2008-12-25T02:41:00.000-08:00

I've gotten quite a bit of baking done today. First there were the brownies, then the blondies:

Then it was almond creme cake. I realized I didn't have toothpicks to check doneness, so I had to improvise:

I put in the last of the molasses cookies a couple of hours ago. I noticed notmartha's recipe the other day and, since I happened to have all of the ingredients (and was not leaving my house for anything at all,) decided to make them this year. They make me think of Carmen, who made the best ones I've ever had:

I also held up my family tradition of eating pizza and watching movies. Since it's been too snowy to even think about calling for pizza, I made a few pizzas here-- the best ones I've made yet-- and we all (me, E, CJ and Alicia) watched "Santa with Muscles," a mid-90s Hulk Hogan vehicle made back when Hulk Hogan was still trying to prove two things:

a) that he was a serious actor
b) that he still had hair

Seriously, that shit was hilarious. It might have to go in the repetoire of "so bad it's funny" Christmas movies.

Now all that's left is to wrap a couple of presents for Eric, then go to bed before Santa shows up.

Word Vomit

2008-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

this week
hit by truck/stranded on the highway/18 hours to get home/car is probably totalled/bumps and bruises and broken glass that I was still picking out of my hair the next day/thank god we're both okay/did the truck that hit us have insurance? We're still not sure

it's been snowing a lot/nobody up here knows how to drive in the snow/I grew up in Hawaii and even I know how to drive in the snow/The truck is sandbagged and I don't give a shit how mcuh you tailgate me I'm not fucking speeding up

We've been sick since we got home from vacation/my brother sneezed in my face and made me ill/the dog is sick too/he's been rather smelly and kind of miserable/and had an accident on Monday/Eric almost puked/I'm glad he didn't-there would have been two messes

Wednesday was my birthday/the dog was still sick/there's nothing like cleaning up semi-liquid dog poo at 6:30 in the morning on your birthday/the highlight was the nap I took that evening

Still cold/still snowy/Closing the shop early/after the big scary boss stopped by and hung out for a bit/atleast the other people got out early/I had to stay and do paperwork/this is not supposed to be my job today/I know it's my bad mood but they can pretty much suck it/ but first my tooth chipped/woohoo time to schedule dentist appointment and get my teeth pulled or drilled or canaled or whatever the hell it is they do/the chipped spot feels huge and I can't stop messing with it/

today i came home and cried and ruined two loaves of bread

I'm tired of things getting broken and sick and screwed up/I think if the truck slides one more time in the snow I'm going to drive it into the side of a building/ i just want my dog to get better/and me to get better/and life to get better/i kind of don't give a shit that christmas is a week away/cause i really just feel like crap inside and out

really, i just want to hibernate until this month is over.

2008-11-04T19:38:00.000-08:00

It's finally, thankfully here.

As a million other blogs have already mentioned, today is election day and so it all begins.

I've been away from the internets for a little while now, as I've been avoiding most media ever since I sealed my ballot a few days ago. I didn't have a chance to turn it in until yesterday (where, to my suprise, I got an "I Voted" sticker! I totally wasn't expecting that!) but once it was in its envelope I was officially done-- with the constant shitty political ads, the constant debate, the constant white noise of "us against them" that has permeated our lives for far too long.

As today loomed closer, people both here and abroad became more and more crazy. We all started to resemble dogs, biting at eachother out of so many fears. Fear of the unkown and uncertain future. Fear of having to confront our own prejudices, both racial and otherwise. Fear of people in distant towns who seem to be against everything we stand for. Fear that the person standing in front of us in the grocery store might make a decision that could potentially take away our rights, our money, the very way of life we've become accustomed to. Fear of the oh-so-ominous "THEM" --the real americans, the city elitists, the republicans, the democrats, the millions of people that don't know us but probably hate us anyway.

Mostly though, I think the thing this country has feared the most is change. Don't get me wrong, we're craving it, wanting it so bad we can taste it. But deep down, most of us know that change in any form is a difficult, painful process. And, unfortunately, "change" is an incredibly ambiguous and open-ended word.

I'm not sure if it's cynicism or optimism, but ultimately I'm not afraid of the future. No matter who's elected, some things are going to change, but frankly, I think quite a few things are going to stay the same, in both a good and bad way. And after surviving one of the worst presidents this country has ever seen, not even John McCain and Sarah Palin can scare me, so tomorrow will not be the day to start moving to Canada, regardless of the outcome.

I keep remembering an old episode of Sports Night that centered around Napoleon's Battleplan. (Think Waterloo, not Dynamite.)

According to Aaron Sorkin, it consisted of this:
First, we show up.
Then, we see what happens.

I am not one of the super-passionate, one of the fervent and almost obssessive supporters this election seems to be spawning on both sides. I am simply someone who believes one candidate is more qualified and a better choice than the other. I have made that better choice. I have, in effect, shown up.

....so now all we can do is see what happens.

2008-09-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

I got muy knitting mojo back, but not before I made the uber-cool printed t-shirt corset from Alabama Stitch Book.

I still plan to sew a whole lot, but not before I finish the Buttony Sweater. All that's left is button bands, and although they intimidate me I plan to KICK THEIR ASS!

2008-09-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

I think this is just about the longest I've gone without knitting a stitch in years. Eight days and counting. I'm growing rather concerned.

I have, however, been obsessively deconstructing t-shirts and messing with fabrics, so maybe there's hope for me yet.

2008-09-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

I'll save most of the Sarah Palin rants for the people who write them better than I do, but my disgust first kicked in when I heard some Republican analyst explain that part of the reason they chose her was to pull in some of the women that would have voted for Hillary.

...'cause us womenfolk are so simple-minded, we'll vote for anyone just as long as they have a vagina.

I did however contemplate writing a letter, if I only knew the address---

Dear GOP,

You and your pro-torture, anti-choice, anti-humanity asses can feel free to kiss mine.

Love, Jilly

I don't claim to believe that Obama is the messiah everyone seems to think he is. Frankly, I find myself to be distrustful of anyone who makes it as a viable presidential candidate, because given the state of American politics, they had to sell a little bit of their soul to get there. Luckily, I don't have to think that he can walk on water in order to vote for him.

On a side note, tonight's Daily Show made me adore Brian Williams, if only because he made a gay innuendo and talked about John Stewart being all up in his grill.

Don't be silly, turn on Billie. She's singing us to sleep so we can dream our lives away....

2008-07-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

Overheard on the Daily Show just now--

"Do you feel that we might have a lifestyle civil war? Obviously, the red's would win-- they have guns. But you throw a nice hot latte in someone's face, that's not gonna feel good..."

I don't know why, but that cracks me up.

I have not accomplished nearly as much as I've wanted to the last week and a half. While Eric was gone, I originally had a plan to finish touching up the eggplant bathroom, start testing colors for our bedroom, and finish both Grocery Bag #2 and the magenta sweater. Instead I have:

-spent hours on Ravelry
-worked some crazy hours and commuted to different stores
-become obsessed with Dr. Horrible, iTunes, Studio 60 (again), and The Pierces album, Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge
-watched The Dark Knight (HOLY SHIT Heath Ledger as a spectacular Joker OMG Harvey Dent)
-locked myself out of my house (twice)
-watched some Golden Girls with Rob, both in tribute to the recent passing of Estelle Getty, and because it's a good show. Although I keep finding more and more friends who like the show, the fact is Golden Girls will always be synonymous with Carly.
-slept through my favorite part of Kung Fu Hustle

Thursday will be the day to take care of these things I've been meaning to do, including finishing the first sleeve and starting the second of the pink sweater.

For now, I'm gonna go watch yet another episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, then go to bed to start another early morning.

2008-07-20T02:21:00.001-07:00

Funny how knowing that I'm being ridiculous about something doesn't seem to make me any less so. I've been feeling really petty and snarky today, overly irritated by the rather innocuous and, in and of themselves, inoffensive actions of others.

In my defense, some of this has been building, brought on by a lot of other shitty actions by the same people that I have been letting slide by.

I should feel bad about getting (inwardly) pissy because everyone I know managed to inconvenience me today, but I don't. As I told Steph earlier, sometimes you just shouldn't have to swallow things. Or more accurately, "we can't be big people all the time."

2008-07-07T15:41:00.000-07:00

I had something of any epiphany the other day, brought on by my recently-finished Lace Skirt. Since I currently don't have pictures of the finished garment, I will substitute it with my favorite place in my house:

And my favorite dog doing something that makes him happy:

But I digress.

It occurred to me, as I was flouncing around in my new skirt on the 4th of July, that I could finally put into words the feeling I've always felt when I put on a garment I made myself.

It is this perfect marriage of three things-- the perceived luxury and decadence of owning and wearing custom-made clothing, the self-satisfaction that comes from being able to make something with little more than sticks and string, and the singular feeling of uniqueness in a mass-marketed world. Yes, alteast a few hundred other people have made the same skirt I did, but once you factor in yarn, color, size, and all those tiny modifications that we do to garments, my little faded pink skirt with it's white ribbon trim is like none other.

When we live in a time where everything is made cheaply and shipped from somewhere else, and until recently the idea of making things yourself or choosing handmade over store-bought was considered fringe thinking or something only available to the very wealthy, the notion that simply doing something our predeccesors did out of necessity is forward thinking and just now entering into the mainstream boggles my mind.

The little things are awesome.

2008-07-06T02:58:00.000-07:00

In keeping with my "I'm having a great couple of days" theme-- 4th of July weekend has historically always been a great time, full of friends and barbecue and things to laugh about.

Currently though, now that all the friends who came over for Eric's Birthday Barbecue have gone home, after the super awesome fajitas we made have all been consumed and Gus has played so hard with our friends' dog Otis that he was falling asleep against his will, the things that are making me happiest are

-wifi
-warm weather
-pandora radio

There's nothing like updating your blog from a comfortable chair on your back patio, with the night breeze flowing over you, the train whistle blowing in the distance, and Fiest playing softly in the background.

2008-07-05T04:48:00.000-07:00

It seems that a holiday isn't a holiday until I hurt myself.

I fell and broke a flower pot with my face last night. Three things:

a)it wasn 't on purpose.
b)the flower pot was this wierd compostable plastic stuff that is designed to break apart anyway.
c)There's a reason that I am known as Jilly, the pitifully uncoordinated.

I wasn't always this way. In fact, I think that the first fall into my bathtub, along with giving me a concussion, permenantly screwed up my equilibrium, because I have fallen more in the last three years than I have in my entire life. And I always manage to take the impact on the left side of my forehead.

Other than that, this has been so far an incredibly enjoyable long weekend.

Lessons I should have already learned by now.

2008-06-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

1. Don't try to type when you've just painted your nails.
2. Don't paint your nails in the first place. You're just going to chew all that polish off anyway.

2008-06-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

It seems after nearly a year on Ravelry I'm finally starting to stick my toe into the discussion boards. I'm only about 30 posts in over the last month or two ,but so far my favorite discussions have been from the group for the Lazy, Stupid and Godless. Until now, I never knew the word "twatweasel" could be used so many times in one conversation.

At the moment, though, I think I'm going to tear myself away from message boards and actually knit something instead. I'm one handle away from finishing one project, and if I apply myself, I might even be able to get all the ends weaved (woven? Neither one ever sounds right) in on the Lace Skirt. And just maybe if there's a slow day at work tomorrow, I just might be able to fix the bind off and add straps to my Vixen cami. That would be three FO's in one weekend, an unheard of accomplishment here at the House of Chaos!

For now, to the Bat Cave!

For I am truly lazy.

2008-06-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Don't feel like posting a full entry, so I'll simply give myself some bulletpoints for later (or possibly not.) To sum up:

The Lacey Skirt is all done but for weaving in ends and adding ribbon.
I have been make some rocking meals lately. Mahi mahi, anyone?
Working 52 hours in a week, mostly by yourself, is potentially bad for one's health, but definetely good for one's wallet.
I finally knit something with some of the handspun I've been stockpiling!
The Rose Cardigan has suffered due to my dalliances with handspuns and skirtiness.
Trader Joe's Artichoke and Lemon Pesto = new favorite thing ever. You know, behind potato bread.

The sound of our voices made us forget everything that had ever hurt our feelings.

2008-06-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Finally seamed the sides of the Rambling Rose Cardigan last night, after a self-pep talk and a glass of wine. I've been avoiding it because not only do I hate seaming, I've never sewn a seam in reverse stockinette and therefore must completely suck at it.

Suprisingly, it turned out better than most of my seams do! Isn't it great to find out you can do something you thought you couldn't? I'm so stoked, I'm even ready to tackle the short rows on top. I'm trying like hell to get this thing knocked out soon, because I don't really want to have the guilt that comes with another six-month sweater like the No-Name Cardigan. I've set a deadline of June 25th, three months after I started it. Somehow I'm hoping to get my skirt done in the same time, but I think that might just be wishful thinking. Either way, one of these things will be getting worn to various weddings in August.

Subsequently, this means that I've unfortunately hit the age where summer = wedding season.*

I've also been putting my new planter boxes to good use, and have even added another hanging basket. I'm determined to get as much use out of what little space I have, lack of sunlight be damned. The emphasis so far has been basil and mint. Three (maybe four) varieties of basil, with an additional lime basil in the tiny seed greenhouse I started last week, and another three of mint. Two are just for smell, as I'm not sure what use I really have for chocolate or ginger mint, but the "mint julep" plant will definetely be put to work this summer.

As small as these little things are, I find that minor things like filling my tiny patio with plants and making myself a kickass dinner like the grilled mahi mahi I had last night are really my bread and butter, morale-wise. It means that no matter how evil and frustrating and downright fucking annoying the outside world is, I can come home to a place where we do what we like and like what we do.

*Don't get me wrong, I like weddings. I'm just not too fond of having to ready myself for the barrage of questions and criticism about mine and Eric's unmarried and unengaged status.

2008-06-06T17:49:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wish I walked around with a tiny music player (think boom box more than mp3) that could play some sort of victory song for those small, rather insignificant accomplishments one has every day. You know, those moments when you have exact change at the store, or nab the perfect parking spot, or get through an interaction with the world's worst customer without saying anything snarky? How awesome would it be if at that moment "We are the Champions" suddenly started playing?

I don't know about you, but it would certainly make my day atleast 17% more kick-ass.

2008-05-30T20:12:00.001-07:00

Eric is definetely one bad ass shut-yo-mouth. Our back patio had these pitiful looking horizontal slat divider things between ours and our neighbors and we've never been terribly fond of them. One side has this chicken-wire sort of mesh woven into it, presumably so someone (not us) could attempt to grow climbing plants. Either way we've been tired of looking at it, so we got the bright idea to basically put a fence on top of the fence. It's definetely got some bonuses--

a)sound deadening privacy wall

b)LOTS more space to hang stuff

c) lovely cedar smell

and now... planter boxes!

Keep talkin' that smack, don't be suprised when you wake up on the ground....

2008-05-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a bit of trouble and tension brewing around Chez Dog Hair. Not between me and Eric, mind you-- other than E's impending departure on Sunday for Bumfuck, Egypt things are pretty cool within our little abode. Out in the world, though, things feel hostile and uncomfortable. I have a slightly sinking feeling that some of it might be due to one very small (but very key) misunderstanding. Nonetheless it seems like everyone, E included, has ramped it up to Defcon 5 or something.

The whole thing makes me want to move out to Double Ditch Road* and put a big "Trespassers will be shot on sight" sign at the foot of my driveway, despite my dislike of guns. There are just few things that bother me more than coming home to a hostile environment, especially a passive-aggressive one.

Then again, who am I to talk when I'm sitting here pouring my frustration onto the internets instead of discussing it with the other parties. Hey kettle, pot here. I think we already know what color you are.

*There actually is a Double Ditch Road within Whatcom County. Sometimes living within Bellingham makes me forget that the rest of the area is pretty fucking rural. The road's name is accurate however-- there is indeed two big-ass ditches running the 5-mile length of it.

I don't envy you, but don't worry-- I've got plenty of other deadly sins to work with.

2008-05-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

It's becoming almost redundant, but I am very grateful for a renewal of the spirit, though I find my feelings even harder to explain than usual. All I can say is that I get pretty in love with my life sometimes. It's probably not the best in the world, but I love it all the same.

Spin to win!

2008-05-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

I made my first balanced 2-ply yarn last night. No really, this shit is awesome. (and will soon be followed by pictures.)

In other words, my spinning class has rocked and I have rocked it right back. Compared to my fellow students, I kind of felt like I was cheating. In fact, when it came time to discuss our experience spinning at home and do our show-and-tell, I wanted to crawl under my chair.

Having spent the last year occasionally playing with a drop spindle, I already had a lot of practice at the drafting part (ie, the kind of tricky part.) So I had a bit less trouble with some of the basics and got to use the class to adapt my skills to a wheel. Consequently, I tiny bit more to show for my work. And if there's one thing I don't like, it's a show-off. Luckily, the ladies in the class were very sweet and wanted to see what I'd come up with.

Because we had to postpone the second session, I've had two extra weeks to play with the shop wheel I was using and spent my time doing experiments. I spun some merino and merino/silk blends to test out the difference between different fibers, tried to my first attempt at plying the merino and silk blend (it failed miserably), and made the Noro Knockoff pictured earlier.
Now I get to test out the Ashford Kiwi for another week or so, which is awesome since I was looking at buying one. However, I just found a gorgeous Majacraft that I might actually be able to afford!

For now, it's all about plaing with a double treadle. I plan to spin more silk.

2008-05-16T00:46:00.000-07:00

The meteorologists were finally right for a change. By the time I left work, it was sunny and warm and actually felt like May. As I drove home, I got all nostalgic, remembering how, starting right about this time of year, we'd have "porch parties" when it got too warm and too nice to stay inside, but going somewhere else felt like such a chore. So Eric and Shannon and Myra and I, along with a revolving cast of characters in the form of various friends, would hang out on the stoop in front of the apartment, drinking blender drinks and watching the day fade.

I no longer have a porch, or even much of a stoop, or quite frankly anything that resembles a good sitting spot,* but the impromptu barbecue tonight felt like one of those times. Nothing renews the spirit after a shitty couple of days (more on this later) like raspberry dacquiris, fresh grilled corn on the cob, and sitting around the table telling funny stories. Thank God spring/summer is finally here.

*We have been known to use the parking lot a time or two. Meh, atleast I have a really pretty welcome mat.

No stashing for Jilly.

2008-05-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am kicking myself for not budgeting for NW Handspun Yarns Mother's Day Sale. 20% off everything? Why oh why does it have to be this weekend? So instead, I've been focusing on the great things about the last few days.

Some favorite things of today:

Potato Bread Rolls from BreadFarm. I made it to the farmer's market too late to get a loaf yesterday, but the rolls are just the perfect portion of potato bread-y goodness.

The new yarn I spun Friday night. I had picked up four or so coordinating colors of New Zealand wool last time I was at NW Handspun, so I divided each color in half (so that I can possibly get two skeins that are similar in pattern) and spun each color in succession, throwing some reddish orange I already had in for smooth transitions. I'm calling it my Noro KnockOff.

The sun is, if not shining, atleast making an effort. That's about all one can ask for in Northwest Washington, especially after last night's torrential downpour.

Basil plants, ready for the repotting.
Yarn from the lovely girls at Spin Cycle. I picked up a hank of Rusted Rainbow to test out gauge. The bad news: It's not going to work for Knitty's Cathode, like I'd been deluding myself into. I probably should have read the patter first. The good news: I love it so much I'm definetely going to be making a sweater out of it anyway.
The Manos del Uruguay hat I managed to make in one slow day at work. A bit big, since I just cast on and went to town, but it should felt down a tiny bit and be perfect for this cold spring that won't seem to end.
Listening to a ska album from about five years ago that I loved, but had since forgotten about. (for those interested, it's Catch 22--Keasbey Nights.)
Getting to spend Mother's Day with my mommy. We're going to dinner tonight for prime rib and giant hunks of chocolate cake. She won't be getting her present until tomorrow though, because I haven't had time to pick it up. She asked for a candy thermometer, a specific one that she found at Target, and I haven't had the time and sanity required to brave the mall. So she'll be getting it tomorrow.

Man, I am one lucky girl if I have that many things to be happy about!

Mantra time.

2008-05-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

It took some serious self control, but I managed to come home without stopping to buy yarn for the Lace Skirt with Bows that I SO don't need to be knitting right now. I can only chalk it partway up to will power, though. Truth be told, I skipped lunch earlier today and was far too hungry to bother trekking across town for anything that wasn't food.

Instead, I'm just going to continue my spinning practice while repeating to myself "you must finish your projects" over and over. I might intersperse round of "no new yarn" in there as well.

Happy Wednesday.

2008-05-08T00:19:00.000-07:00

The only pictures I can ever seem to get of Gus are when I'm holding a treat in my hand, which is why they always feature him sitting, trying to look his most obedient and sweet. Otherwise, they all either come out with him looking the other way at something, or (90% of the time) as a giant blur because he's hyperactive and can't sit still for more than two and a half seconds.

I was just trying to capture the post-bath cuteness. He tends to get all fluffy.

I'm thinking of getting him a tiny blue t-shirt and making him the unofficial mascot of Eric's softball team, the UltraSonics. (By the way, the name has absolutely nothing to do with the soon-to-be-not-in-Seattle Sonics, and everything to do with the company he works for. They do ultrasonic testing, go figure.) I scoped out the first game tonight, and it looks like dogs are totally cool to come to games.

As for tonight's game, it was pretty fun despite the fact that they got their butts handed to them. After a while, I lost track of the final score, but that's probably for the best. Fact is, it wasn't pretty. In the UltraSonics defense, everybody on the team is currently on 60-hour work schedules and full team practices have been impossible to come by. Nonetheless, I have hope for next week.

The only real drawback, other than watching the team get stomped? Bellingham's experiencing a pretty cold spring, one that has even included snow, as documented by Steph. By the end of the game, even with three layers, my fingers and toes were still pretty numb.

Although IT SHOULDN'T BE THIS FUCKING COLD, I knew exactly what to do. Which is why, despite my resolution to finish some projects before I start any new ones, I'm halfway through the first in a pair of new armwarmers. Pretty simple-- 2x2 rib cuff, stockinette for about an inch and a half, and for slightly added warmth at the pulse point, with maybe a bit of visual interest given Noro's color changes, a two-row combo:

Row 1: sl1, k1

Row 2: k1, sl1

Herringbone without the double stranding. Next Wednesday's game is gonna be sweet. You know, assuming we fix our issues at first base and start hitting towards the gap.

We won't stop until somebody calls the cops

2008-05-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

The borrowed spinning wheel is looming, staring at me, waiting for me to finish my spinning homework. I think I know what I'm going to be doing with atleast part of my Sunday. I've still got a bit to get done before my next class on Monday. Thusfar I've really enjoyed spinning, but hanging out with friends I haven't seen much trumped sitting in my room. It's almost embarrasing to realize you've barely talked to people that live less than 30 yards away from you.

Yesterday pretty productive, as far as days off go. I got pictures taken of last weekends dyeing experiments. I'm pretty happy with most of those-- I tested out frosting colors in earnest (the first time was kind of half-assed and didn't go well at all) and "overdyed" some less-than-spectacular Kool Aid yarn. I also found that I LOVE Ashford's purple dye, despite it not really being purple. I'm hoping I have enough left to dye up a sweater's worth of yarn. I'm thinking it might lend itself to a Wicked sweater, or atleast something wicked-esque.

I also got the front of Baby's First Tattoo pinned up and set aside, and the back is about done with just a few decreases left before it gets set aside for sleeves. With any luck, this thing might be done while Wyatt is still small enough to wear it! (Then again, I cheated and started knitting the 1 year old size for my five month old brother.)

Now if I can just fortify myself long enough to finish Rambling Rose, I'll be set!

Spin me right round, baby. Or alternately, UFO diet.

2008-04-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

I gave up. We bought a new battery charger tonight. Which means I will probably find the old one tomorrow. Meh.

Either way, I've been itching to document some recent stuff, including the finished Pomatomus socks that will be en route to Hawaii as soon as they are photographed. My Aunt Tena is terribly excited. Heck, she doesn't know that she's getting a ginormous jar of her favorite fireweed honey (which isn't available on the island) with her socks. One would think that since my mom sends her honey on a semi-regular basis, her socks would be a suprise instead of the other way around, but that's what happens when my mom offers to have me make things for people before informing me about it.

Also on the list is my first spinning wheel yarn! I went to the first night of my two-Monday class last night, and although I was about 20 minutes late (I thought I was coming in early for my 5:30 class, not late for a 5:00), things went pretty smoothly after that. Since I've done a bit of drop spindling before taking the class, the drafting part came rather quickly. Now I'm just working out the tricky bit with the foot pedal. I've got about 8 ounces of homework before I go back next week and do the scary part--- plying.

With the addition of spinning homework and a glut of recently started projects, I find myself having to go back on my new project embargo. I can sort of justify the Robin's Egg Blue Hat, and Anticraft's Flowers on a Grave hat, as they both went pretty quickly. But now I've also started Vixen from Sensual Knits (which on size 4's is going to take a while), and the yoke-less Rambling Rose peices are starting to give me dirty looks.

I do have to wipe one currently languishing project off the slate, though. Now that the weather's trying to get better, I decided to go back to the Orbit Lace project I set down last fall. I knew I was going to have to rip back a bit after messing up the lace pattern, but then I saw it-- a discolored spot about the shape of a silver dollar. Suddenly, it all came flooding back, and I was hit with the horrible memory of sitting in coffee shop and having someone spill their coffee onto the table in front of me. Apparently, it hadn't just spilled onto the front of my knitting bag like I thought. No, it spill inside, onto my long-suffering, half finished bamboo lace t-shirt-like-thingy that was nestled right on top.

Secretly, I'm a little glad to be given the excuse to rip back and fix a couple of things I wasn't entirely wild about, but right now I still kind of hate other people a little bit.

How did I get by before the technology age?

2008-04-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

Dear magical stuff-hiding house elves,

I would greatly like to be able to find my battery charger now. The "no featured photo"s on my ravelry are really starting to bug the crap out of me. Also, how am I supposed to take more unnecessary pictures of Gus if I have no camera?

If said battery charger could be returned to the last place I saw it, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Signed, me.

Focus, Jilly, focus!

2008-04-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

I had to take a break and refortify myself before I could get myself to face that second scallop cuff on the Rambling Rose Cardigan, but managed to get it done while watching The Tudors with the awesome Stephanie and her awesome mom. There was, however, much cursing and untangling involved.

I've been having lots of false starts lately. I started a Rutabaga bag from Knitscene, then ripped it out when I a)messed up the mesh pattern and b) decided I didn't particularly like that pattern anyway. A quick glance through a stitch dictionary should fix both problems, maybe even in time for the next trip to the farmer's market. I won't be a moment too soon-- that giant jar of honey I bought last time was a looking a bit awkward shoved into my purse.

Shortly therafter I knit one of the fronts for "Baby's First Tattoo" (from SnB Nation), but lost interest after the first eighteen hours. I will probably be going back to that one, as I managed to get a fair amount done in that short day and a half-- one front is already finished, with the motif intarsia-ed (so not a word, although it really should be) instead of the duplicate stitch called for, and I've started the decreases on the second front with only a little to go. Plus, I deliberately started making it according to the pattern in order to force myself to have some seaming practice, so I can't really back out now. I decided to be realistic though-- I'm making the 1-year-old size for my 4-month-old brother.

But now I find myself eyeballing other patterns, buying buttons for the Robin's Egg Blue Hat, thinking long and hard about whether I am a beret person, and working out the math for converting Knitty's Azure socks into a pair of armwarmers.

Is there some sort of medication I should be taking for this?

2008-04-20T19:37:00.001-07:00

It wasn't until about three seconds after I dropped the yarn in the pot of dye that I remembered Samurai Knitter's experience with purples. It seems I am now left with something that looks somewhere between magenta and violet, though I'll probably have a better idea once it's dry. At the moment though, the only word I can think to describe it is "ultraviolet".

Thankfully, it was only a small hank of some of my handspun that I was using for an experiment (do two different colors of undyed fiber come out the same color?) , but I think the addition of a dye that is notorious for breaking down and making crazy colors might just affect my results. Ah well.

So that's what my carpet looks like!

2008-04-17T21:36:00.000-07:00

We have this little problem, the boy and I. I own quite a lot of clothes and my closets have a slight tendency to explode (especially when I'm having trouble deciding what to wear), and although I am stellar at getting organized, I always find it challenging to stay that way. In my defense, our old apartment had so little storage that Eric and I shared a closet about the size of a doorway and, despite our exhaustive efforts to defy the laws of physics, there was only so much room to use before things went all 'splody. But in our current house, with its Wall O' Closet, there really is no excuse for this.

To add to that, Eric has a slight habit of dumping out laundry onto the nearest flat surface when he needs a basket or simply pulling what he currently needs straight out of the laundry instead of putting it all away.

Together, we are an incredibly dangerous combination.

It took a few hours, a load or two of laundry, lots of folding, and an embarrasing amount of vacuuming (I still have yet to understand how the dog manages to shed twice his weight in fur) but our bedroom is finally starting to feel like somewhere I wouldn't mind spending more time in. In the process, I managed to cull about a garbage bag-full of clothes I no longer need. Now I'll always be able to find that one item of clothing that disappears right when I want to wear it, and my kinda ugly but ultra comfy chair that I like to sit and read in? I can actually sit and read in it!

Hell, we can even hang out in here with the dog when we're not all sleeping, something we couldn't do before. (I also have a habit of not always emptying my pockets before I take my pants off, and Gus ALWAYS manages to find that one stray bit of change that falls out. It's really not fun to have to pry coins out of your dogs mouth.)

Woohoo! I have a bedroom I like again!

Now to tackle the office.......tomorrow.

2008-04-12T04:44:00.001-07:00

Seriously, tequila lime salsa is the best thing ever. I've spent the last four days eaten meals based around it. It's just that good.

Apparently it still exists.

2008-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up yesterday, my day off, looked out the window, and saw the sunshine. I then rolled over and went back to sleep for another hour. In a place that gets very little sun for most of the year, it felt like true decadence.

Once I was up and moving about I had a rather good day, although only marginally productive. I got a bill or two paid, then decided I was done with responsibility until tomorrow. So we went for a drive.

Stephanie and I visited a cashmere goat farm that sits just outside of town. I drive by their sign, a cut-out of a goat with a handpainted sign and an arrow underneath it, about once a week or so and decided that yesterday was the day to finally venture out and find it. We chatted with the man that has the farm, and I came to realize that I am not a good enough spinner yet to afford $18-ounce fiber, but we will definetely be returning at a later date.

After that, we wandered aimlessly around the county, enjoying the weather. I even found a yarn shop I didn't know existed, alongside a county road between Bellingham and the next town over. I managed to get out of their with only one skein, a test subject for dyeing. After that it was down to NW Handspun Yarns to wind up the rest of my yarn for the Rambling Rose Cardigan, followed by some knitting and movies. I'm guessing tonight may be a repeat of that last part-- we rented Sweeney Todd.

2008-03-29T21:01:00.000-07:00

Would it be considered cheating that I used my laptop (only on battery backup) during Earth Hour?

So much past inside my present....

2008-03-29T16:07:00.001-07:00

It took a few hours, but I think my stomach has finally started speaking to me again after all the awful things I did to it yesterday.

Our dear friend Ryan is leaving The Black Drop and, in the not-so-distant future, Bellingham and 'round these parts nobody goes anywhere without a proper send-off. So we had the (second) Deep Fry Party*, where everyone brings anything they're brave enough to batter up and dip in oil. There were too many items to list everything, but some of the notable mentions included the customary cheese wiz-filled corn dogs, shrimp and bacon won tons, Snickers (my contribution), Oreos, Nutella and peanut butter sandwiches, and a concoction Arianne came up with-- macaroni and cheese encased in garlic cheese biscuit dough**. The best however, occurred after we left in the form of deep-fried Tums.

As is also customary, there were also quite a few shenanigans, including the wearing of unitards. Poor Eric, who had been at home sleeping and was only there to ferry me home, got a little caught in the middle of all of it, though he never had to actually wear the unitard. He was a damn good sport about the whole thing, however.

On the knitting front, I've made some decisions. After a slight color change, I've decided that the Rambling Rose Cardigan is the next sweater project, in part due to the fact that I could get the yarn for that one soonest***. I'm also testing out another yarn for my brother's Baby's First Tattoo cardigan. I'm trying out bamboo, but I fear it's going to be too.... the best word I can come up with is "slinky."

I'm kind of grabbing at straws with that one, as nothing I've seen in fingering weight has been able to meet all of the requirements. I wouldn't think it would be that hard to find something in solid, non-wierd colors that doesn't require massive jumping through hoops to care for, and yet here I am testing out a bamboo yarn that will make my baby brother look like he's wearing a satin smoking jacket or something.

* -- There's good stories behind why we've all done this to ourselves not once but twice. I prefer to live inthe now, though.
** --These eventually became known as "Cheese Fists" and were incredibly yummy.
*** --Is that even a word?

No linking for me!

2008-03-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

So far in the last two days I have made two swatches for Fitted Knits' Textured Tunic and figured out what color and yarn I want, knitted part of a left from for Interweave Knit's Rambling Rose Cardigan (minus the bottom scallop, not sure I like it), am rethinking a yarn idea for FK's Carie Cropped Cardigan, and am about two seconds away from starting a swatch for Dominitrix's Little Red Riding Hoodie.

Think I might be ready for another sweater, now that my Nameless Cardigan is nearly finished?

2008-03-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

So I have this tiny little idea, but I'm keeping it to myself for now because, after doing a bit of online searching, it doesn't look like anyone else has done it, atleast in the way I want to. This could be for one of three reasons:

Either a) it's a ridiculous and stupid idea or
b) people have tried it and found it to be more hassle than it's worth or
c) I have an awesome brain.

Either way, some experimenting is in order, but it may have to wait until I have space for my sewing machine in my still-in-progress office/craft room. It's currently residing under a stack of airplane models the boyfriend bought and hasn't looked at since.

I suppose instead of sitting here searching my way through the intarweb, I should be getting back to tackling things on my always overstuffed "Day Off To-Do List." It includes things like putting the second coat of paint on my bathroom and doing about six loads of laundry, and all before Knit Night.... or possibly after.

Another one bites the dust...

2008-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Mom's tea cozy is finally done, though I'm pretty embarrased that it took me this long. All the darn thing needed was a drawstring. So a little Plymouth Happy Feet and two feet of i-cord later, it now resides in its rightful place on my mom's little teapot (it's only a three or four cupper.)

....which makes me think a progress check is in order. To revisit the previous list, I had:

-~~one finished sock with no match~~ make that three socks needing matches

-~~one knee sock that's pretty much only a legwarmer at the moment~~ I've decided I wasn't too fond of my wierd attempt at calf shaping, and wouldn't be able to recreate it for the second sock even if I liked it, so this one's being ripped out. It took seeing it on a list for me to finally bite the bullet and admit defeat.

-a cardigan that's missing a sleeve and buttons-- I got about halfway through the second sleeve last night, so this one could be ready for blocking soon.

-a pullover that actually has two sleeves but still needs to be sewn up

-~~tea cozy without the drawstring required to cozy it up~~ Done!

-a mitten without a thumb

-a blanket that's currently about the size of two place mats and

-a scarf that is about 5 feet too short--- Still about four and a half feet to go

Looking at it like that, I actually start to feel like I might have accomplished something. However, is it enough to justify the fact that I'm swatching for yet another new project?

Idiosyncrasies and compulsive behavior

2008-03-18T00:20:00.001-07:00

A quick Ravelry search has revealed that most people aren't nearly as bothered by the fact that the pattern in Pomatomus goes the same direction for both socks as I am.

Pick your heart up off the ground, I'm sure it weighs a ton. You're no better and no worse than any mother's son

2008-02-15T17:53:00.001-08:00

Progress check:

I finished one exterior side of the Hoop Purse-- which wasn't actually on the list I made yesterday, but still counts in my mind since I started it before the Grand Proclamation was made. Only three more sides like it (one outside, two linings) before I can throw the whole thing in the wash. I also got another pattern repeat on the argyle scarf knocked out on my lunch, so that brings the remaining length down to four feet, 10 inches.

Tonight we go to see a really good local band for their last show. Sometimes I think local music is dying around here, though I don't usually voice it because it tends to start arguments. Venues are shutting down for various reasons, bands are breaking up or moving out of town, and there are becoming fewer and fewer reasons to bother leaving the house at night. Hell, it's gotten to the point where the bar that seems like someone's basement is the one of the best (and only) places left to see a band.

Then again, maybe I'm just getting old and longing for the "good old days". You know, the ones that were really only so-so, but are really, really great in your memory. Cause really, one of the inherent traits of a college town is bands that come and go, and although there really is a dirth of good venues around town these days, something new will eventually pop up. Things ebb and flow around here, and we're probably just experiencing the latest downswing. If anything, I'm learning to appreciate how good we really had it.

It's shaping up to be a nice weekend after two weeks of downpour, so I might break out the barbecue and dye some more yarn. I want to test out the icing colors I bought, and maybe do an experiment with some hibiscus tea. It should produce a nice rosey color, but I want to see how deep a color I can make.

For now though, it's back to my purse. I'm hoping to get the first lining cast on and a bit knit before we go out tonight.

Knitting ADD.

2008-02-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

I'm starting to develop a problem. I have far too many unfinished projects, all at various progress levels.

The current tally:
-one finished sock with no match
-one knee sock that's pretty much only a legwarmer at the moment
-a cardigan that's missing a sleeve and buttons
-a pullover that actually has two sleeves but still needs to be sewn up
-tea cozy without the drawstring required to cozy it up
-a mitten without a thumb
-a blanket that's currently about the size of two place mats and
-a scarf that is about 5 feet too short

...and now I've started a purse. Really, what the hell is wrong with me? I'm almost ashamed, which would explain why one or two of those aren't listed in my Ravelry notebook. One can only handle a certain number of little squares staring at you with that "wip" icon in the corner.

So I hereby officially anounce (it sounds more important that way) that from here on out, I will not start another project until I've finished atleast three on that list. (I'd say the entire list, but let's face it-- that simply will not happen.) I will also not be buying any new knitting books for a little while, as I think this is part of what is contributing to my lack of attention span. The super-short scarf began with the purchase of Son of Stitch and Bitch, and the new purse happened when I picked up Felt Forward. So, for the time being anyway, I need to cut off my dealer-- the book store.

But still I'd be lying if I said it wasn't easy....I am trying to break your heart

2008-02-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

In the interest of full disclosure, I never did start that second sock.

I did however go back to a sock I started, like, months ago. It was an expirement involving a knee sock with calf shaping that doesn't involve changing needles. I'm almost to the bottom of the calf decreasing, and I'm still not sure if the whole thing's going to work, or if I even put the extra stitches where they really need to go. It will be so completely awesome if it works, though useless as a pattern, since everybody's calves are shaped differently.

(Nevermind the fact that it's been so long since I worked on this sock that all my notes about the shaping have disappeared. It has nothing to do with that at all.)

I had made a plan to get some stuff done after I got off work today (including some top-secret Valentine stuff) but I have been pretty much immobile since I started getting stomache aches last night. I barely made it through work, then came home and immediately put on my pajamas, with little intention of leaving the house again until tomorrow. Though I've always had a stomach of steel, I think I may have finally pushed it past the limit with all the random things I ate in a rather short time* yesterday. We seem to have come to a truce for now, as I no longer feel the urge to vomit (sorry), but like any peace talk it's tentative at best, so I'm staying put and (maybe) attempting to eat some of my spinach lasagna later. It's good enough to risk another tummyache.

Heck, I might even finish something tonight. I only have about 11 active works-in-progress right now, having started yet another one last night. For now though, a short nap is in order.

*noodle bowl + blood orange + super rich chocolate cake + blackened catfish + collard greens + mashed potatoes, in that order, and all in less than five hours. How dumb am I?

Letting the world go by....

2008-02-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

There's nothing better to come home to than a dog who loves you and good salsa.

Due to a slight mishap involving me and a sidewalk curb that took out one of my tires, I had the opportunity to navigate Bellingham's bus system for the first time in quite a while. I used to bus and bike all the time, back when I lived a car-free downtown existence. Since then, routes, times, and my own destinations have changed. They have this crazy color-coded system where two digits mean one thing and three digits mean another. I was a little nervous I was going to have the same mishap I did back in high school, the one that resulted in an hour long round trip to and from somewhere I didn't want to go. (And still don't come to think of it. Lynden's not a very nice place.) I think I've got it sorted out now, though, so it should be a lot less walking tomorrow. As it is, Eric got home from work shortly before I did, so he swung down the road and picked me up.

As much as I like the independence and thinking time driving from place to place affords me, as well as the oh-so-important opportunity to sing along to the radio, it was kind of nice to sit in the back corner and read my book until I was where I needed to be. I brought some knitting with me, but didn't feel like breaking that out since I had to look out every once in a while for my stop. Tomorrow, however, I will be bringing the second Diagonal Cross-Rib Sock, the one I plan on casting on for tonight. After finishing the first, I'm not so sure that a multi-colored colorway was really the absolute best way to go, but I still like them nonetheless. Now if only I could stop dropping stitches when I do that little twisty thing!

2008-02-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I dreamt that I was taking a tour of a garden on the inside of a house. It was a community garden and the room was divided into tiny plots only one or two feed wide and three or four feet deep. I overheard someone say, "yep, that's standard California size." I walked around looking at the plants that had sprung up from their tiny beds, then eventually walked another garden that stretched almost as far as I could see. I looked down to see a perfect red bell pepper hanging from a vine, so I pulled it off and bit into it like an apple.

....which is why I'm currently reasearching how to sign up for one of Bellingham's three community gardens.

Yay for weekends!

2008-02-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

I think I may have a post-football hangover tomorrow. Not from the beer consumed, but the fact that my favorite sport is finished until next fall. Then again, I'm going to be able to get some good mileage out of gloating for the next few days, so I may be able to stay away from the end-of-season blues for a little while longer.

It's been a very nice weekend around here. This was the first weekend of my new schedule (ie, the first weekend I've had off that I didn't have to pull teeth and call in favors to get), and I think I can get used to this.

We spent Friday night in Seattle visiting my friend Jen, who's been feeling a bit homesick since moving down there recently. Other than forgetting my wallet down there and locking myself out of the building, it was a splendid evening. I've really missed having her around since she left, and this was the first time we've gotten the opportunity to just hang out without a whole lot of other things going on. We'll probably be doing it again sometime next month, if not sooner.

I also got to do a bit of knitting on the way down. The garter stitch, sort-of log cabin blanket I started has been my go-to knitting lately. I'm about 10 panels in, and I keep wanting to work on it, if only because I'm not sure whether it's going to be this awesome blanket, or a giant garter stitch mess, and I'm anxious to find out. Plus, it's all garter-stitch, so I can even knit it in a dark car on the way to Seattle!

We came home and vegged out, then went into uber-cleaning mode in preparation for Super Bowl festivities on Sunday.

Sunday was, of course, all about the Superbowl. Around this house, it's practically a holiday, complete with lots of food and a few friends. In keeping with family tradition, I made meatball subs, and some buddies brought pizza. We stuffed ourselves silly while occasionally yelling at the TV. The game ended the way I wanted it to, and now I'm enjoying my clean, quiet house with a beer and Arrested Development. Not a bad way to end a weekend.

2008-01-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

There's been knitting lately, I swear. But mostly there's been working, with a little bit of reading thrown in. I just finished Full Frontal Feminism, and although it was slightly disheartening (I thought I knew how under attack women's rights were, but even then some of it was still suprising), it renewed my enthusiasm for feminism as a whole. It gives me the warm fuzzies to know that I live in an time full of badass women.

Yay, I'm almost near the end!

2008-01-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Oh Seahawks, this game made me sad. So much snow, so little defense.

Game's only been over for fourty five minutes, and there's already talk of whether or not Mike Holmgren will come back next year. I really, really hope he does.

I have yet to post a year-end or new year post, but I don't think I'm going to do that just yet. Heck, I can't even write the correct date consistently yet, so I think there's still a bit of time.

In other news, I'm very nearly done with the body of my no-name cardigan! There's about and inch of ribbing and a buttonhole left before I can start on the sleeves. I've already said it before, but I'm really loving top-down raglan sweaters. I already know this sweater will fit me exactly the way I want it to, which makes me want to finish it even more.

I've also been working on Mikey's scarf (the Uncle Argyle scarf from Son of Stitch and Bitch) and another slightly secret project (a Christmas gift that is not yet finished-- I know, it's kind of embarrasing.)

The argyle scarf has been awesome, and I've come to the point where I can work the chart from memory, but the lack of contrast between the two colors has been vexing me. Don't get me wrong, I chose dark purple and black on purpose, because Mikey is a dark color sort of guy, who isn't big on lots of contrast or flashy patterns. And so far the scarf looks beautiful in this wonderfully subtle way, but it makes it hard to see the difference in certain lights.

...which brings me to my mini-review of Knit Lites. I bought them because they were on clearance and I needed that particular size, but every once in a while I turn them on, if only to see if they make things a bit easier. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If anything, having those lights under my stitches puts them in silhouette and makes them more difficult to see, not less. Maybe they'd be good on one-color projects, but for now I just leave them off and look around for a lamp to turn on.

I had a lot more to write about, but I'm currently too enthralled with the playoffs and finishing my cardigan to keep any real train of thought. Maybe after the Jacksonville/New England game is over, though if the Patriots win I'll probably be too irritated to write.

2007-12-30T02:36:00.001-08:00

I really wish I didn't have so much on my mind, like, all the time.

It's all over but the shouting.

2007-12-26T00:33:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly but surely getting things set up on my laptop the way I want them. I'm up a little late, letting the fabulous dinner and dessert I had digest. My mom's outdone herself, although there was of course a bit of help from yours truly. I'm also trying to squeeze the last little bit of this three-day weekend. It's the first one I've had since.... gosh, September of '06, I think? Maybe that's a sign I need to work a little bit less and take a little more time off.

My mom loved the socks I knit for her, in spite of all the poo-pooing she's previously done about my knitting socks (it involves a whole lot of "what's the point of knitting socks? They're just socks after all.") The tea cozy I'm finishing up was quite a hit as well. I finished everything but the weaving in during the break between dinner and dessert. Other than that, all that's needed is a ribbon to (pardon the pun) tie it all together. She was a rather excited mom indeed.

While sitting in front of the fireplace, knitting the last bit of the tea cozy, my friend Tim started to take an interest in what/how I was knitting, especially the part where I can knit while holding conversations and paying attention to other things. It was kind of fun to give a sort of mini-lesson to one who's barely ever even seen anyone knit before.

For now, I should probably head to bed. The workday waits for no woman.

2007-12-25T16:01:00.000-08:00

So far Christmas has been pretty rockin'. We held to our usual Christmas Eve tradition of watching Christmas specials and eating pizza, then I came home and finished wrapping and sewing up loose ends, both literally and figuratively.

As for now, I'm currently updating on my new laptop, courtesy of Eric, while we watch a shit ton of Metalocalypse, one of Eric's presents. A lot of the knitting has been accomplished, but I decided to take a break, so everybody else gets things a tad late. Gus ripped open his presents like any kid on Christmas, and has been happily playing with his new toys. (Truth be told, he played a little too hard and had to have them confiscated briefly, but otherwise things have been pretty smooth.)

In about an hour, we're heading to my mom's for dinner. All in all, with one awkward and odd occurence on Saturday, I've had a pretty enjoyable holiday. Hope all of y'all are having the same!

It's here.

2007-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

The day I'd not at all looking forward to....... Finishing Day. Tonight and tomorrow will be spent weaving in ends and sewing stuff up. (and trying to finish another small present. Did I mention I have a really screwed up sense of time?)

There will also be more baking. The cookies, brownies, and cheese ball were all accomplished, but that leaves the cupcakes and another attempt at blondies (the last ones were WAY underdone, a problem I didn't notice until it was much too late to do anything about it.)
So why the heck am I still sitting here? Gotta go!

She's pretty damn wierd.

2007-12-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty sure that no one other than my mother would ask for a meat thermometer for Christmas. I shouldn't be suprised, as this is the same woman who once asked for a rack of ribs for Mother's Day. It was amusing, if only because I got to tell people I gave my mom raw meat as a gift.

I finished another One-Row Scarf for my dad last night. I have to start another project so that everybody (Dad, his wife Pang, and Wyatt, the new kidlet) gets something handmade, but all in all it's working out pretty well. The way I see it, if I can knock out a second scarf and a child-size hat (for another family), I'm going to consider this holiday season a success with more than 50% of goals completed. All that leaves is the other half.

The sort-of birthday outing of this weekend was a rousing success. I had an awesome time seeing the Red Elvises, and afterwards we popped over to the dive bar across the street and caught the Hot Roddin' Romeos. I lost one of my favorite scarves, but I'm going to check back and see if maybe it turned up. That makes three handmade scarves lost over the last couple of years-- one in the Baltimore airport security check, one at the (no longer open) 3B Tavern, and now this one at another bar. While none have been particularly fancy--heck, the 3B scarf was thrown together in two hours while watching a movie-- it still irks me that I have such trouble holding onto things. I'm going to start pinning things to my clothes, like they do in elementary school. This will go well with my plan to put locators on everything I own.*

For now, I'm on the move. I've got to get myself a shower before I go have a birthday lunch with the lovely Stephanie. After that, I have a full afternoon of Christmas tree hauling, knitting, and eventually dinner with my super-awesome boyfriend.

*I find I have a really hard time keeping track of things, but I thought of a way to remedy this. Know how you can call your cell phone when you lose it and it will ring to tell you where it is? Well, my plan is to put beepers and bells on everything, then create a big board of buttons that I can push to find things. The buttons will have labels like "keys" and "purse" and "left shoe".

2007-12-15T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have (once again) given up on the idea that everything is going to get finished by Christmas and started telling my family and friends to expect things around the end of the month or so. I'd probably be a lot farther along if I didn't keep adding stuff to my list, but the way I see it, if I'm going to go crazy with knitting gifts I might as well go all the way crazy. It's no fun if you only go half-assed crazy.

Nonetheless, I've been quite busy, so busy I have absolutely no time to write about it because we're going to see the Red Elvises tonight as a kind-of-sort-of-not-really birthday outing (my birthday's on Monday) and Tim's already here and I still have to change clothes and put on makeup and I've got to do it quick because the boys are starving.

...wow, how's that for a run-on sentence?

Also, my mom and I got into an argument about the internet, specifically blogs like this one here. This will also be discussed.

2007-12-06T15:15:00.001-08:00

At long last, I finally got to update my ravelry and flickr accounts. I've been meaning to add pictures to my projects for some time now. It sounds silly, but it helps me feel like I've actually accomplished something recently to see it in list/thumbnail format.

I took a break from Christmas project knitting by doing some other knitting last night. I swatched for The Spencer Jacket from Fitted Knits, but still haven't quite gotten gauge yet. I also started in on the Little Sky Sock, and so far it seems to be making sense!

For now, it's back to the Christmas grind-- time to recast on the Pirate Mittens (my gauge got way too tight and they had to be frogged) , start the tea cozy, dye some sock yarn and make some rice! (I made curry.)

I might actually make it this year!

2007-12-05T19:37:00.001-08:00

I have to say I'm a little proud of myself. So far I've gotten quite a few Christmas presents 97% done. The final 3%, the weaving in of ends and use of kitchener stitch, I'm saving up for last so I can take one day and finish everything at once. I'm not sure if this is a good plan, as I'm probably going to avoid "The day of stupid fucking end-weaving and seaming" until the last possible minute, but it seems like it won't be so bad if I know I'm getting it all out of the way at the same time.

Barring that, nearly half of my gift list has now been crossed off, including a super-secret gift for a friend that I can't even tell Eric about. (Actually, I just mostly can't tell Eric, even though it isn't for him. Don't ask me to explain that, it might give something away.)

All that's left is to knit a pair of mittens, socks, a hat (or possibly two) and a tea cozy..... in three weeks. And figure out gifts for four other folks, the most difficult being my 16-year-old sister. For starters, knitting doesn't exactly get used much in central Florida. Also, I'm a bit nervous that she wouldn't really like anything I made for her, just like I was last year. And did I mention that she's sixteen?*

I'm also contemplating throwing another holiday party, Festivus '07, into the works as well. I wasn't going to, but I wouldn't mind an excuse to drink things out of the martini glasses I haven't used since last year.

...on second thought, maybe I shouldn't be jumping for joy just yet.

*I think I may spend some time tonight perusing Etsy. If I can't make her something she'd like, maybe I can find something made by someone else.

Maybe Carmen wouldn't have gone home if her horseshoe necklace had been turned the right way.....

2007-11-28T23:52:00.000-08:00

Man, I love knitting socks. Wait, I've probably already mentioned that, haven't I? Well, I found reason number 364289347 to like knitting socks: Retro Rib socks are the perfect pattern for knitting while watching Project Runway. I barely even had to look at my stitches. (Luckily, we have a DVR for those few occasions when I look down and miss something. Like that wierd pectoral spasm Jack had while sewing.)

I have yet to come up with a PR favorite, although I like the things that Kit and Jack have been making. There's a few other hit-and-miss people, and some I downright dislike* (both clothing and personality) but it's too early to make real judgements. Ultimately, by next week I'll find the designer I love, the one that will inevitably get killed off by the judges two-thirds of the way the the competition--- Allison, anyone?

These will probably be the last easy tv-watching socks for a little bit. I picked up Cat Bordhi's New Pathways into Sock Knitting the other day, and although I don't entirely understand the whole crazy-arch-increase every three rows-gussets-in-wierd-places thing, I'm definitely going to give one of the first pathways a go once I finish the socks I'm working on now. Maybe instead of going the easy route of Monkey socks for my Aunt Tena, I'll expirement with a pair from the book. Being a fairly adventurous woman, she might appreciate that.

*We generally make up discriptive and sometimes unflattering names for people on this show. I'm keeping this season's nicknames to myself for the time being, but know that a certain contestant from last season was called "Baconchest" 'round these parts.

Pluses and Minuses

2007-11-27T23:57:00.000-08:00

Reason I don't like always like my job:

I worked eleven hours today, including the almost four hours I spent in rush hour traffic driving to North Seattle and back (From this day forth, I'm going to start lobbying for a cd player in the delivery rig.) I got home at nearly ten o'clock, just in time to eat a quick meal with Eric before he went to bed.

Reason I still mostly like my job:
The customer that caused me to work so late spent five minutes apologizing after I proceeded to read him the riot act. Only in my line of work can I look at my customers and ask, "what the fuck?"

In other news, I am eight stitches away from finishing another sock! Two socks in the last week alone, woohoo! Too bad they are socks for two different pairs! I'm almost done with one of the matches though. Hopefully my mom will like them, but even if she doesn't she's kind enough to fake it.

It's been kind of neat trying out different fibers of sock yarn. My mom's are in corn-fiber based Maizy, specifically the hibiscus colorway. They almost have a cotton sort of feel to them, which would kind of bug me in a sock, but should please my wool-sensitive mother. The other pair (that I think I might actually keep for myself this time) are in Panda Wool, a bamboo/wool blend that has a gorgeous sheen and really soft feel. I threw in some leftover Shibui Sock from the Mermaid socks for the heel and toe. The colorways are just different enough to contrast each other while still being semi-blended colors.

Once I finish these, it's back to the still-lingering Uzume socks and a knee-high number that I'm kind of making up as I go along. For now, I think I'm going to head to bed without binding off my new sock. I'm still not great at kitchener stitch, and it would probably best to attempt it when I'm no longer slightly stoned from wood stain fumes.

You listen to it twice, cause the dj is asleep....

2007-11-20T23:40:00.000-08:00

I'm having a Regina Spektor lyric moment. Just bear with me and I promise it will pass.

Although my week started off fairly badly-- I had an allergic reaction to something that has had me looking like an itchy lobster for the last two days-- I'm feeling rather good about the rest of the week.

On the radio, you hear November Rain
The solo's really long, but it's got a good refrain

Tomorrow will be filled with after-work prep cooking, where my mom and I will be making bread and black raspberry ice cream, followed by the second annual pre-thanksgiving bar hop (minus last year's ER visit) and hanging out with Dominic, (I've missed him so.) I'm also going to have to throw in a trip to the store so I can buy the correct batteries for my camera (I got the wrong ones last time.)

There are quite a few WIPs that need documenting-- the revitalized cardigan, the one-row scarf, the Uzume socks, the frogged and restarted Pirate Mittens, and the Embossed Leaf socks I started the other night. I am loving that pattern-- simple, pretty, and a pretty darn quick knit. Then again, that could just be because I stayed up way too late the last couple of nights wanting to knit just one more repeat.

As for Thanksgiving, we always tend to have a spectacular time, so I expect things to be about the same this year. The rest of the weekend will be filled with house guests in the form of visiting friends...which means I should probably be cleaning my house right about now.

Meh, too late now.

You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

In other news, I seem to have developed a freakishly introverted streak of late and I'm not sure how to feel about it. Having always been an outgoing sort of person, the fact that I now get anxious when walking into a room of people I don't know, or barely know at best, is a little disconcerting. It's even starting to happen in places full of people I know well, which really freaks me out. I know I'm being ridiculous when I do this, and even tell myself so as it's happening, but that doesn't seem to start my breathing from getting shorter when faced with groups. At least I did pretty well at knit night tonight. I managed sit in a room with people I don't know and make conversation without hyperventilating! That's progress, right?

Easy Equation.

2007-11-17T01:56:00.000-08:00

wifi at home + new laptop = PURE AWESOMENESS.