Officer Connie, Space Dad & Codenames

Officer Connie and Space Dad are my parents' codenames.

See, the Codename thing started with the movie Raising Arizona ("Nobody sleeps naked in this house!'). There's a band I work for called The Codenames. They sing about zombies, witches, haints and grade-school angst. Anyone who's a fan gets to pick a code name.

Mine is Mean Girl, for reasons already explained - she's a cartoon I draw based on an old Stick Figure Theater presentation of the Hindenburg disaster. (Yes, that explanation defies logic in many forms.)

Dad - actually named Chuck - loves "Green River Monster"...so he picked a code name. He knows a lot about Space - obviously. Not organisational or logistical Space, but Outer Space. He's brilliant, actually.

Mom, on the other hand - actually named Connie - loves "Jenny's Got a Go-Kart." Her code name is funnier - she has these ancient, gigantic Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses; they are expensive, and they keep out LOTS of the Florida sun because they are so huge. They practically need wipers. She looks just like a State Trooper with them on, somebody you REALLY don't want to mess with, so we call her Officer Connie.

Come to think of it, I should get her a badge for Christmas.

Thus ends the explanation of MY parents. You can click the Codenames link on the right to go to their webpage...and if you click Listen you can hear some Codenames in action.

Kirs10 and I used to have code names for our future husbands. It had to be a name that was in no way associated with our friends or our friends' friends, so you'd never be overheard in conversation talking about him and have them think you were referring to an actual person. Mine was Hector Feliziano. (Ok, too much Nutella and Sonic went into that one.)

Obligatory knitting content: I bought four skeins each of light yellow and light denim Encore Worsted and started knitting Pam's blanket today. She brought back pictures of her daughter, and she is so adorable! I think 4 skeins will make the blanket. Then I can either make another one for another friend or exchange it for enough yarn to make Kristi's. For Pam's I am using a #13 needle and CO 76 stitches. The seed stitch borders are 8 stitches or 3" wide. It's working well.

Today was a good day.

Schmade is a good sport

Because I didn't have a baby handy. Just a simple garter-stitch baby scarf, but my sister didn't have a scarf for niecie, and the Chicago wind got her a week or so ago. She actually stopped breathing for about a minute (shock, apparently). So I knit her up a quick scarf.



yarn: DB Merino DK, 1 skein / 100 yd
needles: #8 US
time: about 2 hours
wearing stupid human clothes: Priceless

Crap crap crap

Craptacular event of the day - someone stole my checkcard number. The bank caught it. I found out when I accidentally used it (instead of my household account) at grocery store. They cancelled the card, etc.

Crap crap crap. Stuff like that makes me uneasy, but thank God they caught it.

Ahem.

"Kit price including yarn only (no book or pattern): $294.50"

It's actually about 40 skeins of yarn.

The Angry Knitter revelation

Click the link over on the right for The Angry Knitter. Angela is making the BBBB in a double strand of worsted and she's half done after one day!

Ok, I'm getting Encore Worsted and doubling it, and using a 13 or something, and I'm gonna kick this bad boy out.

Now to find similar colors...

(later)

After looking at the Encore color cards, I have the solution to Kristi's blanket as well. You know the Ombre blanket in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, the one that takes about 16 skeins of yarn? I'm going to adapt it for my own purposes. It's a simple garter stitch pattern. I will get 4 colors, 220 yards each, wind it into thirds or knit with each end of the ball - knit with 2 strands of each color. For stripe 1, you knit AA (the lightest colour). Stripe 2 is AB. Stripe 3 is BB. 4 is BC, 5 is CC, 6 is CD, 7 is DD. 4 inches of each. 24" x 28" blanket, 672 square inches. You use tonal colours. What happens with the doubling is that the yarn has a gradient from dark to light.

So I found about 8 groupings of colours on the Encore card, and when I find out Kristi's colour scheme I'll knit it up.

Secret-Pal shopping wrapup

Well, I think I am finished with Pal shopping. I tried to strike a good balance between knitting and non-knitting and involve yummy smells and tastes as well as fun stuff to do. But for this last one I sorta felt that I bought her too many little trinkets, so I went out again tonight. My holiday SP is hopefully going to love what I got her...now comes the hard part, waiting for them to get their packages!

I decided that since I already told Pam I'd make her the big bad baby blanket, then I ought to order my yarn from Knit Picks and get to work. She really seemed to love it so away I go!

Can't remember how many skeins I used, though...I think four of each. I think I ordered eight of each and that was too much. Or maybe it was six that I actually used. I have two skeins of gold left over and a smidge of pink from making the baby jacket. Yeah, it must be six.

Off I go...

More things I forgot to mention

Because I am really tired today.

I got a SECRET PAL PACKAGE again! (she is spoiling me with attention, honestly!) This time she sent me a HUGE chocolate bar and a very cute little book about gratitude (I read 40 pages already). Also, a gift card for KnitPixie! Whoo hoo! I've got my eye on a few things there so we'll see what I decide on. I am notorious for waiting till the last minute to cash them in, but I don't want to wait!

I feel sick today - after such a long weekend that's a bummer, but I am really and truly congested and tired.

The Bamboo is going to become an Anouk for Hailey (niece 2). I think. Without the flowers on the pockets, or maybe with. It's so little-girl CUTE.

A long while ago somebody posted at Knitty that they had some Patons Grace and were wondering if they had enough to make a certain project with it. Last summer I bought a couple balls of that yarn with a project in mind for my friend's birthday. Turns out I hate to knit with it. I don't know why - I love mercerized cotton. But this is the second time I've bought sport-weight cotton that I've hated it (the other time was some Isis/Scheepies that split and hated me). I love KnitPicks Shine and that's sport-weight cotton, so maybe it's the mercerization. Anyway, I offered to send her the yarn, and she was going to pick something out of her stash to send me. Then I forgot about it.

Last week the yarn showed up finally - two balls of Dreambaby DK in a light aqua. That's the yarn you see below for the Daisy sweater. It knits beautifully. I usually have a hard time with acrylic, but not this acrylic (further confirming my suspicion that I am actually allergic to Red Heart sizing). Anyway, it's just lovely yarn and so nice to knit. I have to try to remember that girl's name so I can thank her properly.

Joke (no offense intended): Why is it so hard to catch a redneck murderer? Because all their DNA is the same and there are no dental records. (OUCH! Courtesy of my mom Connie. I think it's the only joke I've ever heard her tell.)

So yeah. Um...relaxed and groovy (fans of Eddie Izzard will get that). I have some training tomorrow ("What kind of training, soldier?" "AHHHHHRMY TRAINING, SIR!") which is welcome because we just upgraded all our programs. So for two days I get to forget about deadlines and soak in knowledge. I always learn so much at these things. They are fantabulous.

(The quote is from Stripes.)

Anything else? I've got about 8 inches of Baby Scarf done and am currently stewing on ideas for knitting some baby blankets for two of my friends...one is pregnant and the other is adopting a baby girl from Guatemala and it looks like they will both be here in January. So I was thinking of just garter-stitch blankets with 5" blocks grafted together. I know that seems so cliche but I see women with these all the time and they are really pretty if they are done well. Which makes me wish I'd bought more Debbie Bliss Merino Aran at Threaded Bliss this weekend (and darnit, I missed the best markdowns while I was in Memphis!). But I'm going to have a look-see if I can find it on eBay or somewhere, buy maybe 4 colours and see what kind of patterns I can come up with. I think I could do 4 wide and 5 high for around an 20 x 25" blanket.

Blankets are such a hassle to knit, but so comfy and soft. I wish there was a fast way, so maybe knitting the squares will speed me up. I would need 20 blocks per blanket, I have roughly 8 weeks, so I would need to knit 5 blocks a week to do this. Ugh, that sounds like work.

Maybe I need bulkier yarn! Or something. Still thinking.

I have project-itis

I started the Debbie Bliss "Baby Garter Stitch Scarf" today for niecie 2 (she's 5 months old).

Do I really need MORE projects going now? Guitar Boy is going to kill me for not having his socks finished...I haven't knitted on Jaywalkers in almost a week...poor Irish Hiking Scarf is totally neglected...

I need to find some order in the chaos!

See the purple Debbie Bliss in the photo below? That's the scarf yarn. :)

Memphis was fuuuun. It was so fun to see Mom and only have to drive 3 hours to get there. The neighborhood they like is really nice and only 20 minutes from the Pottery Barn / Williams Sonoma Outlet. :) We had a good time, ate some good prime rib, saw some sights and did some shopping.

Debbie is out of ICU and in a private room now, praise God!

Knitting this weekend

Some yarn for gifts, progress on clapotis, and two new things:



Poor clapotis - the color looks terrible!





Don't you love how I managed to focus on the couch, and make the hat soft?



(small sweater for small niecie!)

Oh, I forgot

That the Daisy baby sweater pattern is by STEPHANIE PEARL-MCPHEE and you can find her lovely lovely blog at THIS address.

I don't like it when people credit Knitty patterns as "Knitty." Knitty is a compilation, a work in progress, and certainly the sum of its parts.

Owww.

I went to Threaded Bliss today and had a great time shopping. I got some SP yarn, some yarn for a scarf for niecie, and what I THOUGHT I needed to make this cute little top for Audrey - some SWTC Bamboo yarn. But I came home and read the pattern and saw it calls for Phoenix! which knits at a different gauge. So I will make another sport-weight sweater from it...it's too cute not to be used for a baby. Maybe Pam's baby would look good in it and I'm still trying to think of something to make for her. (Pam is in Guatemala visiting her daughter for for the very first time!) Kristi is having a boy so I can't use it for him.

So I wandered around the yarn shop for about an hour trying to decide what to buy and feeling really spacey. Now I know the reason - migraine started about an hour ago. BLECH.

I always feel spacey and wrong when I'm gonna get a migraine later. I have been working on Clapotis and just messed it up and had to tink back - I shouldn't be knitting complicated stuff with a migraine coming on.

I am feeling a little sick to my stomach. Ugh.

Happy Thanksgiving

Things I did yesterday:
1. Was thankful for everything I could think of.
2. Ate turkey (deep fried).
3. Went on a hike to a canyon on friend's land and crunched around in leaves.
4. Started "Daisy" baby sweater from Knitty in some Dreambaby DK I have from a swap.
5. Ate cookies.
6. Watched "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."
7. Watched a program on the Battle of Franklin.
8. Watched "Finding Nemo." (I know, that list is schizo!)
9. Ate pumpkin bread.
10. Cuddled with my cats.

Today I am working on a website all day; tomorrow I pack up bright and early and drive to Memphis to see Mom and Bill. They are looking at houses. At the moment I'm praying their house sells THIS weekend, but...God's will be done. I don't want to be pushing my own agenda when I pray.

Must go eat cookies.

Oh GOSH: A Major Award!

HA.

Click here.

HOORAY FOR MY SECRET PAL 5!

(who I learned today is Jochibi.)

Get this! I have just been thinking about dyeing some sock yarn, because somebody-or-other had just done a bunch with Kool-Aid and I thought "I would love to do that." I nearly placed an order to KnitPicks last night...but today, my third SP5 package came! 440 yards of undyed knitpicksy goodness, five packets of kool-aid!!!

She also sent me some PRETTY Landscape yarn, a Cast-On magazine, some Earl Grey & Lavender tea, two candy bars, a bottle of honey from her FIL's beekeeping, um, operation? (sounds like a mafia thign when I word it like that) a yarn-cutting pendant and a lovely card.

You have been a WONDERFUL Secret Pal and I'm so thankful for all you have done for me. I hope your upstream SP was this good to you!

Pictures tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!

One more Debbie update

She actually applied for the transplant list in late September, and went on the transplant list November 7th. So basically 14 days after she went on the list she got the call. That just baffles me. I do know and believe God is sovereign over His creation, and this is proof.

I mean WOW.

I got a hank of Blue Sky Cotton at LYS last night along with some Rowan Cashsoft for SP gift. That yarn is so soft! I think the spinning oil in some wool bothers me, especially Cascade 220 (which is a shame because that is a great yarn). Some wool (like the Mexi blanket Guitar Boy brought me) has that smell to it, kind of an off odor, not unlike formaldehyde but more machiney-smelling. I wonder if I can wash/soak the yarn.

I really need to buy a ball winder if I'm going to do that. I think I would go crazy trying to wind all that yarn - and I have 440 beautiful yards of Vesper that I have done NOTHING with because it's not wound.

Yes, time for the ball winder/swift to go on the list. I don't need to buy any more yarn at the moment.

Holy Cow

Update on Debbie: she's already off the ventilator! Her new lung is already working and she is at 98% oxygen absorption. So she has a little bit of supplemental oxygen for the next 3 days, and then she'll go home in 6 days. (Mom told me wrong or something with the 6 weeks thing.)

Thanks again for your prayers. They mean a lot - God is good!

Whew

Debbie came out of surgery last night at 7:30 and is resting comfortably in ICU.

Transplant is a go!

The donor lung is viable and the transplant started an hour ago. Should last eight hours.

It's a single-lung transplant; much less traumatic for the body and you can definitely survive on one.

YEAH!!!

Be an Organ Donor. (Now you know why.) Let somebody else use your parts when you are done with them.

Update

Just talked to my mom. The news is that they prepped her for surgery at noon (11 our time). They will "harvest" the donor lungs and visually inspect them and do some tests to make sure there isn't anything wrong with them. If everything is okay, then they will perform the transplant. They basically proceed as if the transplant is going to happen, and after this point, they only cancel if the donor organs are not suitable. As far as we know, the donor is a match and the lungs are suitable (I think it is going to be both lungs instead of just one like I thought earlier).

It's a 6- to 12-hour surgery and there is a team of doctors performing it. During the surgery she will be on a heart and lung machine that will respirate and work her heart for her. After the surgery she will be on a ventilator for a while. She has two sisters flying in to be with her.

Debbie told them that almost everybody who receives organ transplants experiences a "dry run." I'm hoping and praying that this is the real thing.

Debbie

My brother-in-law's mother Debbie has alpha-1 anti-trypsin, a genetic liver/lung disease that has caused most of her lung tissue to be destroyed by her body. There is no cure. She was diagnosed six months ago and her lung function is currently at 21%. She is on the transplant list for the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL; she needs a double lung transplant. She went on the transplant list in late September with a warning that it would probably take 18 months to get a lung.

Lately Beth and Erik have been very concerned about her, so they decided to go see her this week - at 21% capacity, even a cold could wipe her out, and they are afraid she might not last much longer. Everybody - her family, my family - has been so concerned and worried and praying for her. My aunt is a respiratory therapist, and even she thinks it would be a miracle for her to last through the holidays.

But here's where it gets interesting! Beth, Erik, kids flew down there last night. They got to Daytona at midnight. About five minutes after they arrived, the Mayo Clinic called - they have a lung for her! Less than two months after she went on the list!!!! My sister rode up to Jacksonville with her last night. Debbie is checked in and ready to go. She will find out at noon today if it's a match.

Please, please, put Debbie on your prayer list this morning. She is understandably scared to death - scared of the surgery, but more afraid the lung won't match. I know she will greatly appreciate your prayers. We are all waiting and trying not to get our hopes up too high; this morning has got to be so hard for Debbie.

Thanks so much. Things like this make me realize all over again that God can do anything. That call came 16 months early. Even my mom said "this just has to be the Lord working in her life." (!!)

Yoshimi Battles the Black Socks

And wins! These are the Guitar Boy socks, which I made by throwing together little pieces of all kinds of sock patterns. They are Wool-Ease. They are black. They are house-socks. Footies. They fit him, although they make my ankle look unnaturally large.

Thank God!





Here is the pattern, best I know it, fits woman's size 9-10, man's size 7-8. It uses a ribbed slip-stitch pattern for the top I got from a pattern called "Ribber Socks", a traditional heel and toe. There are some wonky increase built in to get the heel size right, but trust me, they work:

1 skein Wool-Ease worsted, color black
#4 circular needle with 40" cord, two #4 circs OR #4 dpns

CO 52 stitches. Divide as follows: needle 1, 13 stitches; needle 2, 26 stitches, needle 3, 13 stitches (to use magic loop or 2 circs method, place a marker at midway point on one needle, so #1 is on the left side of it, #2 is the 26 st needle, and #3 is the other half / 13).

Knit 1x1 rib for 1 1/2". On the last round, increase one stitch at the end of needle 1, at the beginning of needle 2, and at the beginning of needle 3. 14/27/14 sts - 55 total. The 14/14 are the heel stitches, and the 27 on the same needle are the instep stitches.

Set up pattern:
round 1: *k1, sl1, k1, p2; rep from *
round 2: *k3, p2, rep from *

Work in pattern for another inch and a half or so or until the leg portion is as long as you like. Last row: increase 1 st at the end of needle 2 so there are 28 sts on heel needle.

Set up heel: Work needle 1 and 2 in pattern. Begin heel with needle 3; heel is worked on needles 1 and 3. Knit heel flap: row 1: sl1, k1 across, turn work. row 2: sl 1, purl across. Repeat these two rows 14 times total (less if you need a shorter heel) ending with row 2 (WS).

Turn heel: Row 1 (RS): sl 1, k18, k2tog, k1, turn.
Row 2: sl 1, p12, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: sl 1, k to within 1 st of gap, k2tog, k1.
Row 4: sl 1, p to within 1 st of gap, p2tog, p1.

Repeat rows 3 and 4 until all the heel stitches are consumed, ending with a RS row. (Insert # of stitches left)

Pick up 14 stitches along left side of heel flap (pick up an extra or two if you need to close any holes); knit across instep using Row 1 of pattern (k1, sl1, k1, p2, ending with k1, sl1, k1); pick up 14 stitches along right side of heel flap, knit to marker/end of needle 3. (Knit into the back of these picked up stitches to twist them and close up any holes.) This puts the beginning of the round between needles 1 and 3 at the middle of the heel.

Decrease gusset: We are going to combine the pattern stitches for the instep with gusset decreases for the heel. The bottom of the foot is worked in stockinette. There is a slipped stitch to mark the gusset decreases on each side. When you finish decreasing the gusset, the slip stitch will mark the transition from instep to sole.

Round 1: k to 3 stitches from end of needle 1, k2tog, k1. Needle 2: k3,p2 across, ending k3. Needle 3, k1, skpsso (slip one stitch knitwise, knit the next stitch, pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch OR use ssk), k to end of needle 3.

Round 2: k to 1 stitch from end of needle 1, sl 1. Needle 2: k1, sl 1, k1, p2 across, ending k1, sl1, k1. Needle 3: sl 1, knit to end.

Repeat these two rows until the heel has been decreased down to 28 stitches. You should have 14 stitches on needles 1 and 3 and 28 on needle 2. You should have a slipped-stitch chain going down the side of the gusset.

Work in pattern (round 1: Needle 1: knit to 1 stitch from end of needle 1, sl 1. Needle 2: k1, sl1, k1, p2, ending k1, sl1, k1. Needle 3, sl 1, knit to end. Round 2: Needle 1: knit. Needle 2, k3, p2 across, ending k3. Needle 3: knit) until work is as long as the base of your big toe.

Knit the toe:
Round 1: Knit to 3 sts from end of needle 1, k2tog, k1. Needle 2: k1, skpsso (or ssk), knit to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1. Needle 3: k1, skpsso (or ssk), k to end.
Round 2: Knit all stitches.

Repeat these two rows until there are 28 stitches total left, then work round 1 only, decreasing every round until there are 8 stitches left.

You can use a 3-needle bind off or cut a long tail and thread it through all the stitches and pull the end closed (overstitch it if you need to).

Keep your feet warm!

Fee's new coat

This is hilarious:



I bought it at Old Navy. Size XS. I bought it because it has velcro around the neck and under the belly so it goes on pretty painlessly - I know I couldn't get anything over her head. The pink plaid cracks me up.

I am certifiable! She seems to be okay with it but she walks a little funny when it's on, kind of creepingly.

13 of 20

Score on another dyslexia test. The oddest thing I've found is that a common tendency is to mix pronunciations of words - where you know how to say the word properly but you say it wrong anyway, or can't get all the syllables in the right order when you say a long word.

All these things I've had all my life. I do think if I have it, it's mild - but I think I do have it.

Just for fun I'm going to ype a paragraph without correcting and spelling miskatek. This is how i read any type all the time, but I'm a pretty good eidoter and I can regoncize awhen i spell things wrong . i'm not just a bad typist. see how many words have the correct letters in thtm with the wrong order? that's dyslexia. i don't read this waym uch but it does make orf frustrating typeing.

boy, that is really bad, huh? looks like gjoke.

PS: Starbucks gave me the wrong coffee today. I was five minutes away before I tasted it. Instead of a soy latte, I had some gingerbread thing. I turned around and went back. They replaced the coffee and gave me a coupon for a free one. It was worth going back for. Just wanted to say I don't go there much, but I am happy with their customer service.

Well

I'm not out of the woods yet. I had a dream I was looking for old refrigerators I could climb into and do some sort of lung treatment. It scared me to be in them so I kept knocking the doors out of the refrigerators. (Where was I where there would have been a selection of those old things laying around anyway?? There was a great variety, and many designs that would never have been practical in any home.) Things like this usually mean I'm having asthma problems in my sleep.

"Walk the Line" is a great movie. Joaquin Phoenix is nearly a revelation - he doesn't so much impersonate Johnny Cash as channel him. He's minus the big nose and big ears, but aside from a few scenes I think he's got it perfectly. Part of it is shot in Hendersonville at their house; they don't show much of it, but it is the house they lived in. I lived most of my first 6 years in this area about two miles from there. The singing is great - during a couple of numbers I am absolutely convinced it's Johnny Cash singing and during the rest of them I'm not sure it's not. Reese Witherspoon is very funny and tough as June Carter.

But the chicken-fried steak was cold! Later we got fries from White Castle and watched Six Days, Seven Nights. (Goofy but cute.)

So today they are FINALLY putting up the window framings on my building, which means tomorrow I get to hang up all my paintings and art again. Then the building is going to be painted - a nice tobacco green color. It's really a nice color.

I'm off to work.

Better today

They replaced my toilet tank, which was cracked and moldy in the back. He did it Wednesday. This morning was the first morning in a very long time that I woke up and didn't feel tightness in my chest and feel completely exhausted.

I am really hoping that was the whole cause of the asthma outburst in the first place, and maybe now I can go off these pricey meds.

I must be crazy

But I am seriously thinking about knitting a sweater for my cat.

Things you must know: Fiona (my brown stripey Maine Coon) is a stray who showed up at my apartment complex office three years ago, in the winter, skinny and adorable, and I took her home as a temporary thing, and she never left. She's jumpy, playful, standoffish and extremely proud of her French-Army-General plumed tail. She's not very social unless I lean over and talk sweet to her for a few minutes - or I'm brushing her. Then she goes crazy.

Well, we like to call her In-n-Out Kitty, because I live on the second floor and every night she wants to sit outside on the patio all night long. And she has a distinctive meow for when she wants to come in. So I lean over the couch and let her in, and she patrols the house and then meows to go out again. (This is part of her ritual. I can't seem to make her stop.) And I feel bad because in the winter she can't really stay outside, even crowded into her old lettuce box with layers of towels and blankets that have accumulated over the years (I can't part with the box, it was a take-home from Costco and she just loves it too much).

So the last few nights when it's been cold she doesn't stay out there long, and I keep imagining that it bothers her to miss because it's such a constant feature in her life whenever it's above 50 or so. So I keep wondering, if I knit her a very small sweater, would she be able to stay out longer?

Which is really sad and pathetic, because it shows how far down the road to permanent spinsterhood I really am (snicker). Thankfully I have enough sense to prevent me from making the final slide - buying a third cat and getting a perm. I also suspect that a good deal of Rice a Roni is involved.

Anyway. I figure I could pretty easily adapt a dog pattern to her measurements. Am I totally insane or what?

I actually am not sure I'm not.

Here is Fee wearing a scarf that is about the first thing I ever knit, wrapped and pinned on her and she didn't seem to mind At All.

Huh.



And now that I have the Cat Content out of the way, here is actual knitting content.

Went to Steetch und Beetch tonight and had a great time as always. Sheila helped me a great deal with Clapotis, because I was really nervous that I was doing something wrong wrong wrong with that first dropped stitch, but thankfully she had a store model (!!!) and she showed me it was all right. Thanks woman!

So I am finished through row 8 of my first straights repeat. Only...136 to go. !!

Now I have to go work on Guitar Boy socks, because he is asking about them. Tomorrow I'm going to eat country-fried steak at Sylvan Park and go see that Johnny Cash movie. I mean seriously, you have to eat a meal like that before a movie about a legend.

I wonder what I would eat before a Bob Dylan movie...that is a total enigma to me...

These little bags

Are REALLY pretty!

Famous First Lines

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

A quote I like

"The grinch hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season. Don't ask me why, no one quite knows the reason."

The main reason we are already sick to death of it in November: Beyonce's Idiotic "Very Beyonce Christmas" commercials. Rich girl Beyonce giving everybody stuff for Christmas is truly the meaning of the holiday.
rant! rant! rant!

Tornados and Socklets!

We had tornados all over the place, sirens, mass hysteria. To calm my nerves I made one of these (if you want to download the English pdf of the pattern click here) in some lovely lovely lovely KnitPicks Sock Garden. They aren't for me so no more info for a bit. :)

Make some! Quick knit!

Huh

Suitcase keeps crashing on my computer today. After 57 restarts, I'm getting a bit tired of it all.

The Hurricane Poster Project

Despite the occasional descent into juvenile anti-Bush politicking and a few liberal uses of profanity, The Hurricane Poster Project is really brilliant, and most are beautifully designed. Check it out.

Uggggh

YUCK I hate whining.

Ahh.

Worked all day today on freelance, literally from the moment I jumped out of bed. I had to figure out how to work the mp3 thing at the Codenames website. Then worked on interface for another site. So tired! Then got letter from old friend Kelly from a hundred years ago. It was fun to write her. Then I started organizing digital pics. Then I found some from last fall I forgot to send Nephew, of him and Gramps on the Harley. Kickin'! So of course then I had to resize those and send them to Beth and Gramps.

Are you seeing what my life is like? Stepping-stones. Not sure it's the best way!

publix fried chicken is yummmmmy.

Baaaa.

Which flock do you follow?

this quiz was made by alanna

Today

I got an eye exam, shopped at Office Depot for a printer ink cartridge, went to Old Navy and bought a pair of cords and two t-shirts ($30! total!) and bought some yarn at JoAnn for some yarn for house socks which have been requested by a certain man in my life. He wants machine-wash so I found a pattern (through the 617 free patterns link) for some ribbed socks made in Wool-Ease with a #4 needle. I thought this excessively small BUT I remember LYS owner telling me that if you're not using sock yarn you need to knit more tightly to add strength to the fabric - you don't have nylon on your side.

So this sock had an interesting ribbing pattern but very weird heel that struck me as ill-fitting (no gusset decreases?) so I just did a little bit of doodling and decided to use the basic heel construction from the Jaywalker footie, which I am sure is simply a basic heel, but it felt good to make a major pattern modification. The other modification I made is to knit the sole in stockinette instead of the k1, sl1, k1, p2 / k3 p2 rib pattern I'm using.

Alas, he's gone this weekend and I really need to try it on him to see if it fits so far and how long to make it. Weird knitting socks for someone else!

Worked a fair amount on Clapotis, fourth or fifth increase section is now done. Whoo! This pattern is totally addictive.

Some chick at the mall grabbed me and buffed my thumb nail to prove to me I don't need clear polish. Years of abuse have caught up with me though - the nail hurts like crazy tonight.

and ugh, pms.

Fee

Likes all my Secret Pal gifts a lot, but especially the Manos Hat from SP5 yarn, and the Monkey Socks from Holiday SP.

She doesn't like the camera flash.

So sad

Monday morning flight looks too risky for me to come back on from Chicago, so I'm not going to see Mom and Dad this weekend. Or Nephews and Niecie. Pfft. But it was the only responsible decision I could make. I've learned my lesson - from now on I'll buy tickets.

Nephew got to see snow for the first time - he didn't know what it was. Florida Boy!

In other news, I completed an update of The Codenames site. Mostly just a few small changes.

And "When Harry Met Sally" was on. Possibly my favorite movie. "That stupid, ugly, Roy Rogers, garage-sale coffee table."

Fun Fun Fun!

First, my SUPER FANTABULOUS Holiday SP sent me a happy little gift with two yummy green tea candles, a big notebook I'll be using for my web design notes, and these super happy Monkey Socks!



And second, I finished the hat to go with Kyle's Toddle Scarf. I know it doesn't match-match, but it's the same wool and there wasn't enough to make a cabled hat. So here's a pic!

It's late

But here is my progress so far on Clapotis.

Hitchens

Any critique of realism has to begin with a sober assessment of the horrors of peace.

Don't miss this article on the ethnic cleansing in Darfour. Bush did what the patsies wanted - followed Kofi Annan - and look what happened. 400,000 dead Africans later, aren't you glad we didn't go to war? War is bad. Kofi Annan good.

Yech.

Featuriffic!

Well, I'm supposed to have truncated posts now but it isn't working. Will fix later. "More" doesn't really mean "more." Sorry.

Happiness and Un-Happiness

First, the Happiness:



New fuzzy slippers from IKEA and three fuzzy skeins of yarn for Clapotis.

Now for the Unhappiness:



Crap. I don't know how THAT happened. Maybe the yarn was frazzed. It certainly wasn't tied or joined. It just died.

So today's the day!

Tonight I get to cast on for my Clapotis - KAL with Kirs10. !!!

However, I'm foot-deep in Jaywalker socks (Grumperina pattern, Lorna's Laces yarn) and I want to do it alllllll. I need a minimum of three extra arms!

I just realized that the Gold Hill LL's is just about exactly the same color as the lovely Manos my SP5 sent me. I am so predictable! But I really love the colors. I can't wait to see how it will knit up.

Also I'm kind of hoping to find a pattern I can knit with Knit PICKS Merino Style so I can order some yarn. Maybe Sesame, but that's Rowan Wool-Cotton in the pattern and it drapes so nicely. I dunno. I keep hearing great things about Merino Style. And I'm over my little tirade about the name change.

Wonder if I can finish Clapotis by Christmas? Should I knit anyone Christmas presents? Does anyone like the stuff I knit as much as I do? Stay tuned!

HI KIRSTEN!!! HI SECRET PALS!!!

Hm

Now where is my SP 5? I've been wondering where she is! Are you still out there??

I'm back

And really tired. The hotel room had the obligatory heater/ac unit under the window. It kept blowing the curtain straight out and for some reason I kept waking up and seeing that. Did not get much sleep.

We got to see an old friend and colleague, with her new baby and husband, we got to go to IKEA (I got some tasty furry slippers for about $2), and the meeting went well. All in all, a good time - but I am glad to be home.

Friday I'm off to visit Dad & co so I've got a couple of days to relax.

Best news is, the YARN came! It's really pretty.

Current WIPs - Jaywalker footie (pattern from Grumperina, it's really very lovely and a quick knit after I saw how the pattern works and remembered to use stitch markers). This weekend I knit to just past the gusset decreases and then frogged back to the 1" of ribbing and reknit. Actually today I reknit it - most of it on the plane, a tiny bit watching that godawful miniseries about the category 7 storm (bad wardrobe! obligatory "destruction of Statue of Liberty" scene!).

So, it's in a LL's sock yarn in a colour called Pioneer. It's really very lovely and easy to knit. I can't wait to finish it!

But I have GOT to start Clapotis - these will be my two projects this weekend during all my travel.

Good night tonight

Yesterday was stupid, mostly difficult production issues.

A current city project in Nashville is the painting and display of 40 or so 10-foot electric guitars. They are painted by local artists with a country music theme. Most of them are brilliant. My favorite is on Commerce Street by the Ryman Auditorium - it's The Carter Family guitar, with "Keep On the Sunny Side" painted on it. I have to remember to take a picture of it before they take them down. Last year it was painted catfish. It's fun to take the kids in your life out on a hunt to find all the guitars/catfish/whatever. "Keep On the Sunny Side" is my all-time favorite song. Ever.

Today I'm packed and ready to go! Debating the issue of whether to bring one suitcase and not check it or pack a carry on and check my big bag. I have four knitting projects with me - that Garnstudio Silke Tweed that is calling to me, the scarf, Second sock, and a hank of LLs sock yarn to make some footies.

A good thing happened. A friend came over and we went through my stash (don't ask!). He suggested giving away what I'm tired of or don't want to knit anymore. So I have 12 balls of yarn to give my stepmom, who is learning to knit. AND I have more room in my copper tub for more yarn, because THAT is what it's all about, baby!

A bad thing happened. My first ever finished pair of socks, that matched and were happy and everything else, were made from LL's Shepherd Sport, which is superwash wool. I put them in the washing machine yesterday, then the dryer. One sock came out great. The other has a rather large hole - 1" x 1" - on the top of the foot. I think they snagged something. I'm going to have to pull out the sock from the hole down and reknit half the instep and the toe. No worries, I've got a ton of yarn left from those two skeins. I don't think it was a moth - it's cold here and I put them on at least once the day before I washed them, and they were fine. I think the yarn must have been frazzed.

Oh well. There is a place where I accidentally knitted into the stitch below and then couldn't fix, and at least I will get to rip that back and fix it. Whoo hoo!

Pleh

IIIIIIIII AM HAVING A BAD DAY.

I think I'm dying

Coughing really bad today, doesn't seem like asthma so much as coughing something UP. BLECH!!! Which is actually a good sign - that my asthma isn't killing me.

No yarn yet. That is killing me! I just realized this morning that the colors in the LL's Safari colorway are the same as my kitty Fiona.(1-2-3 Awwww.)

My mom put her house on the market today, we'll see how it goes. She says there is nothing better for keeping Great Pyrenees dog slobber off the sliding glass door than Glad Press-n-Seal. Then you just peel it off when someone comes to see the house.

Crappity crap crap. Cough. Cough. Cough.

I started a hat for Nephew 2 to match the braided Toddle scarf shown below. It's basic ribbing on the edge and stockinette (I was worried I didn't have enough yarn of this dye lot to make a cabled hat). I'm trying to think of something clever to do with the decreases. I would *like* to figure a way to just sort of knit straight with 4 sections of decreases that will be cleverly hidden in seams at the top. I've seen a lot of kids hats this way - but usually they are double-knitted and it's not at all clear to me how to make it work. Basically I am thinking of doing the decreases in pairs at 12, 3, 6 and 9 and then seaming it so the decrease stitches become the selvedge that is hidden in the seam and the hat is sort of a pyramid on top (but not pointy).

Will have to apply all the measly powers of my spatial perception and intellect to this. When you think in 2d all the time it's sometimes hard to make the jump to three-dimensional items. My paintings are generally pretty flat because of this. Here's one I dug out this morning.