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

So much past inside my present....

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!

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?

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...

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

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.