More Stuff

I'm still feeling like dog poo, but a teeny tiny bit better than yesterday. I even found the energy to knit a little bit today, yay! Hopefully that'll make up for not knitting at all last night- I just didn't have the motivation or energy. I finally got the sock needles I had been waiting forever for on Monday, woot! I had planned to cast on some socks when I got them- I even had my beautiful skein of Sarah's yarn all balled and ready to go. Sadly, I can't start a new project without feeling guilty, so socks will have to wait patiently until I finish the wedding shawl. Tomorrow is my one day off from blogging this year. Thanks, leap year! I guess that means I'll see you all on Saturday. Hopefully taking the day off doesn't throw off the awesome blogging juju I've had so far.

Stuff

I'm sick with a crappy head cold, and it's driving me crazy. I have very little patience, and it sure is being tested by the Monsterette. I have no energy to do much of anything, and haven't even felt much like knitting. Really, I'd like to have spent the day in bed, but that doesn't really happen with a two-year-old to take care of. (She's also still a bit sick.) I've been watching some tv, made some more stitch markers (I'll put them up in the shop soon), and ran an errand. Really, I just want The Hubbster to come home and put Monsterette to bed so I can curl up on the couch and knit in peace. See you tomorrow...

Ten on Tuesday

Ten Movies That You've Intended to Watch, but Haven't 1. Breakfast At Tiffany's 2. Marie Antoinette 3. This is Spinal Tap 4. Hairspray 5. Big Trouble in Little China (seen parts of it) 6. A bunch of MST3K 7. A handful of Hitchcock films 8. The Big Lebowski 9. A Clockwork Orange 10. Starsky & Hutch (the new one)

Stitch Markers

I'm slowly venturing into making and selling stitch markers in my Etsy shop. Right now, there is only one set listed, but I have plans to make more, hopefully this week! I do love the tiger tail stitch markers, they're nice and thin, and flexible. I made myself a set of these to use, as well, and really love them. The star beads are so cool! I'll be making myself more sets, too. They really are great! Of course, there's still earrings up in the shop, too. Go buy stuff!

What's Knitting

Alright, some WIP's! I'm going to try to do this once a week. Not sure if it'll always be on Sundays, though. First off, the scarf I'm making for The Knitter Project: You can read my blog post that talks about this more here. I'm almost done with this, just a little bit more, then I'm going to add fringe. Then it'll be shipped off for the show, and hopefully I'll have it back before it's gets cold again! I also finished my Waves in the Sky scarf: I, uh, guess I never blogged about this one, besides mentioning the yarn and my plan for it. But it's done! It's very sqooshy and dense, and promises to be nice and cozy! It reminds me of the sky here in New Mexico, with a few fluffy white clouds on a bright blue background. I like it! The new Fetching gloves haven't moved and inch since I finished all but the thumb on the first. I'm still very mad at the yarn. I never told you about this scarf, either: I started this one for the Malabrigo Cast-On Week on Ravelry back in November. It's a basic scribble lace scarf with Malabrigo and some random bamboo stuff I got at the LYS. I haven't worked on this in months! I like it so far, though. Last but definitely not least, my Major Knitting Undertaking that I was guilted into: The story: I had decided a few weeks ago to knit my sister-in-law a wedding shawl as a bridal shower gift. The shower is in mid-March, and I decided that I didn't want to take on such a big project, with such a short deadline. Not decided, of course, before telling my mother-in-law about it. Yesterday, she asked how the knitting on it was coming, and I just blurted out, "pretty good...". She's very excited about it, apparently. After I got off the phone, I told the Hubbster I had to go to the yarn store, and came back with six balls of a sport-weight, winter white, superwash wool. (I decided on superwash because it's just cruel to give someone something white that they have to hand wash.) I'm using the Convertible pattern from Knitty, and it's actually not too bad. It's going quickly, and it's pretty enjoyable knitting. Hopefully I'll have it done in time, although at this rate, I should have no problem. Keep your fingers crossed for me, and send some good knitting vibes! Oh, and that cute little stitch marker you can see up there in the last picture was part of a wonderful little set from Sarah. I thought they looked so great with this project, and they're the perfect size, too! Thanks, Sarah!

Gaming!

ETA: I once again was too tired blogging last night, and hit "save" instead of "publish". Sorry! Hubbster, Erin, and I started a new role-playing game tonight! Last week we rolled up our characters for a Serenity rpg, and this week we played! Erin was running the show, and she did a great job. We got into a bar brawl, hosted a high-stakes poker game that went terribly wrong, tried to figure out the mystery behind the security guard, and developed some character relationships. All in all, a great night. Right now, though, i'm exhausted, and going to bed. Tomorrow I'll fill you in on my gigantic knitting undertaking that I've let myself be guilted into! YAY!

Hubbster Thinks I'm Nuts

I was printing off some magnets of the Monsterette for my sister today, and had some extra room on the sheet. I decided to make some fibery love magnets for myself! Here's what I got: They make me giggle, and I love them! Especially that llama. He looks so lovable. Sheep you tomorrow!

FCS3

Alright! I've been wanting to do another Favorite Color Swap for quite some time now, and it's finally here! I'm very excited. Last time around I had almost 100 participants- hopefully this time I can break 100! Go check it out and sign up. It'll make me happy, and it's a really fun swap! See you there!

Ten on Tuesday...On Wednesday

Ten Things I Love 1. My family and friends. They all rock my face off. 2. Crafty stuff! Knitting, crochet, spinning, sewing, woodwork... There are so many crafty things I love to do! 3. Milk chocolate. 4. The Christmas season. 5. Playing games. 6. curling up with a good book. 7. A good, hot, cup of tea. 8. Driving by myself, cranking up the stereo and singing along. This is a bit of a luxury with a two-year-old. 9. The internet. I'm a little bit addicted. 10. My blog readers! Seriously, you guys are great. You all rock my face off, too. Hard to keep it at just ten! See ya!

Just be sure to agree on a safe word.

Taken from the Crummy Church Signs blog. I can't stop laughing about this one! Ten on Tuesday will be Ten on Wednesday this week, because it's not up yet.

It's Takes A Special Kind of Asshole...

...to steal toddler laundry. I'm still hopeful it was accidental and will be returned. Probably not, though, and I'm quite pissed about it. That's fucked up. Really, who does that?! Moving on, before I get too ranty... Life otherwise is going well. I've gotten some lovely fiber I ordered from Etsy- you can see it here. I haven't had time to take a picture yet, sorry! Spinning has been going well, I spun up the wee sample that Enchanted Knoll Farm sent along. It was some merino- definitely a different experience than what I've been spinning! fun, though. What the hell am I going to do with a few yards of yarn, though? another cell phone cozy, I guess, or a trim on something. We'll see. I've been resisting the temptation to cast on a new knitting or crochet project. I'd really like to, but I'm not. I have a ton of stuff on the needles- stuff that's been on the needles for too long! I'm trying to get that finished up before I start new things. I know I said this before, too, but I'm going to start blogging once a week about stuff on the needles, for some accountability! I'll try to keep my sidebar updated, too, for you non-raveling folks who care. (Do you care? Should I just take that part out?) Getting ready for a long overdue Favorite Color Swap, too! Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to open it up for sign-ups. Which leads me to a question! I'll make it a poll, because those are fun, but you can leave an opinion in the comments, too. I've been toying with the idea of asking for a $1 optional donation from swap participants. Now, I know this is a bit odd, but I work really hard on my swap! Last time there were over 140 people, and I take into consideration everyone's hobbies and locations to match them, as well as allergies, three different price ranges, and their shipping preferences. I take the time to make little color-coded cards, hand match them, and put all the information into a database. The money would go to extra packages (if they are needed- I've always had plenty of angels) and prizes. Everyone who donates get an extra entry for prize drawings per dollar. What do you think? If you think it's okay, what could I say that makes it seem like I'm not begging for moneys? Thanks in advance, yo!

Another Scarf

I finished this scarf the other day, and it is great! So cozy and cuddly and soft: It is exactly one skein of Lion Brand Homespun, one of the very few 100% acrylic yarns I not only tolerate, but really like. Some people think it's a pain to knit with, but I love it. This particular scarf was knit on size 11 US needles in a simple 1x1 ribbing. It's quite long, great for multi-wraps: I love the fringe also, although if I do fringe with Homespun, I have a method. I hate how quickly the stuff frays, and I get horrid images of yarn dreadlocks at the end of my scarf. To prevent this, I knot all the ends really tightly, and then trim close to the knot (and below it, obviously). It's held up really well in one of my other Homespun scarves, and even if it did come out, you could always re-tie the knot and trim it up. Anyways, a great scarf, another for my arsenal! (Yes, my scarf collection is an arsenal. Maybe someday I'll explain why. Maybe not.)

Valentine's Goodies

The Hubbster has always gotten me awesome gifts. I know the people at the LYS swoon over him, simply because he buys be knitting goodies. Good ones, too! He's very educated, and even can buy me yarn for a specific project. He'll even look through my ravelry queue! This Valentine's Day was no exception, and he wonderfully picked up on my new obsession of spinning. Look at this: This, my friends, is eight ounces of some super lush alpaca fiber. The color is jet black, and all natural. Ooooh, it is so frickin' soft. I want to wrap myself in it and roll around and drool. Awesome. I can hardly wait to spin it up! He also got me the new One Skein Wonders book, which is awesome. Lots of stuff in there that I want to make! It's a signed copy, too. How awesome is that?! My Hubbster rocks my face off. Isn't he great? More goodies are here, too, and I have a finished object to show off! Tomorrow...

The Day After

Valentine's Day has come and gone. Now, I do think it is a bit of a cheesy holiday, but it is still fun to celebrate love. (Before some of you get all worked up and tell me Hallmark created the holiday, it's not true. Go check out this! Hallmark just banks on it.) I try to get nice, thoughtful gifts for Valentine's- this year, Hubbster got some much needed new slippers, and some swanky satin pajama pants. He kind of looks like Hef in them... Anyways. I got some very lovely gifts too, but those deserve their very own post! So, more on that tomorrow. At any rate, I hope you all had a great day yesterday, even if you just spent it loving yourself. (Erin, quit giggling! Not like that!) I'm off to get caught up on email, blogs, and Ravelry- I'm almost two whole days behind!

Goodies!

ETA: Apparently, I was too tired when I blogged last night, and saved this as a draft instead of posting. Sorry. We've gotten our tax refunds back, and gotten a few new goodies to enjoy. Namely, a swanky new PS3! I've gotten a second controller for moi with a cute pink cover, too. It really is a ton of fun, and the picture quality is awesome, especially on our newish HDTV (Christmas bonus purchase). More goodies definitely to come, and then the rest is being saved for some vacationing and other stuff throughout the year. Yaay for goodies! Sorry for the lame blog post, we're out of town and the computer I'm on sucks majorly. Time for bed!

I Hate USPS

So, I've been waiting on bated breath for an order from KnitPicks- some of the oh-so-pretty Harmony sock needles. I was very excited to come home yesterday afternoon to find that treasured little slip of paper in my box- there was a package for me in the office! I giddily walked in and asked for it with a smile on my face. It wasn't there. I pouted. I figured that it accidentally got taken back to the post office, and it would turn up today. when I got home, the postal worker was there, but not the one from yesterday. (Apparently, our regular is on a break.) He was very nice, and called the lady who worked our route yesterday to ask what happened to it. She said that the apartment number wasn't on it, and the apartment office said it wasn't valid, so she took it back to be returned to sender. I almost cried. I asked if I could go the post office and see if they still had it- he said I could, but it might not be there. I rushed over and asked them very nicely to check- no dice. Or needles, for that matter. I almost cried again. I sadly drove back home, wishing I could spend the evening knitting away on some socks. I called KnitPicks customer service. Thank goodness that they were wonderful, otherwise I probably would have cried! She was very nice, and said a replacement would ship out tomorrow. So, I guess I'll be waiting a bit longer for my lovely new needles. I suppose while I wait I can ball up some yarn and pick a pattern. I'm still pissed at the apartment office and the USPS, though. (Well, I have to be pissed at someone!) And that's the way the cookie crumbles. (That may replace "see you tomorrow!" for awhile. What do you think?)

Ten on Tuesday

This week's Ten on Tuesday is "10 Things You Dislike About Politics". I don't think I can really do a decent list, so instead, I'm going to tell a story. During the 2004 election, Hubbster and I lived in a great little apartment in Uptown Minneapolis. The building was at a major interesection, and very close to the freeway entrance. Starting about two weeks before the election, there was a group of people who decided to express their political views on that same corner. You know the type- loud and obnoxious, with large, homemade signage, prepared for the long haul with thermoses full of hot beverages. This, in itself, is mildly annoying, but that's not the half of it. These people were there early. I mean, buttcrack of dawn early. Before the sun is up early. Painfully early. All of the morning traffic, from about 6 am on, got to see these people. Now, I could maybe deal with some shouting outside of my window at 6 in the morning. Maybe. This, though, was not just some raucous yelling. Oh no, these people had signs which instructed driver-byes to honk. HONK, people. At 6 am. Lawd, I was more than pissed. After about the third morning, I decided something needed to be done. I jumped on the internet and found the Minneapolis noise ordinance laws. I printed them out, and highlighted the section that dealt with this particular situation. (If you're curious, it's illegal to honk your horn for no reason in Minneapolis, and illegal to cause people to do so.) I wrote a note on the back stating I would call the cops if they kept it up, and put it in an envelope. We handed it to them with a smile on our way out that morning. They moved to a different corner, and we slept better all the way up to election day.

More Robins

For some reason, I just can't seem to get robins off the brain! I decided to branch out a bit more into the world of amigurumi, and this is what I got: I must say, though, that this robin is particularly cheeky. After only a few photos, it tweeted something at me angrily (sorry there's no translation, I don't speak tweet) and turned to leave: I was rather shocked by the wee bird's attitude, especially because it's made of wool and stuffing. All I could do when it jumped up onto the planter was stammer and take another photo: Shortly after this picture was taken, the little robin sighed (well, I think he did), tweeted what I assumed was goodbye, and flew off into the warm afternoon breeze. Who knows where he his heading? I do hope he ends up happy in his new home, wherever that may be. If you want to make your own cheeky bird, here is the pattern. I wish mine had that same fat, rotund look as hers, though. Oh well, he's gone now. See you tomorrow!

Ugh.

It's late, I'm tired. Had a long day. Fought with self-printing business cards. What a nightmare! All in all, though, a good day. Better post tomorrow. Nighters.

Tagged...

Lil' Knitter tagged me for a "7 things" meme, but I've already done two (you can find them here and here). Instead, I decided to steal a little quiz from her blog. Let me know if you do it, too! You're the time of day right around sunrise, when the sky is still a pale bluish gray. The streets are empty, and the grass and leaves are a little bit sparkly with dew. You are the sound of a few chirpy birds outside the window. You are quiet, peaceful, and contemplative. If you move slowly, it's not because you're lazy – it's because you know there's no reason to rush. You move like a relaxed cat, pausing for deep stretches that make your muscles feel alive. You are long sips of tea or coffee (out of a mug that's held with both hands) that slowly warm your insides just as the sun is brightening the sky. Funny, because I am not a morning person at all. See you tomorrow! (Are you guys sick of me saying that? Do I need a new slogan?)

At A Loss

I really don't know what to do right now. (Well, okay right this minute I'm blogging, but what then?) Monsterette is napping, I've eaten lunch. I don't feel much like sitting out in the cold and working on earrings. Do I spin? Knit? Play video games? Veg on the couch? I feel like I should be doing something, being productive, I'm just not sure. I kind of feel like starting a new project, but I don't know if I feel like going through the efforts to find something new to start. Besides, I have a ton of stuff on the needles right now. Of course, I don't think I really feel like working on any of that. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll just go sit on the couch until something comes to me... See you tomorrow.

Spinning Yarn

Quite some time ago, I got a big ol' box of roving (unspun wool) from Destash! for $10. there was a ton of roving- orange, red, purple, natural, and a beautiful bluey-purpley-green bunch. Included was a very basic drop spindle, and I decided to try spinning. Well, it sucked. I could not get it. Frustrated, I shoved the whole box into my closet and left it there to marinate for a good long while. I really didn't give it another thought. Fast-forward to last week: I've been becoming increasingly jealous of the gorgeous handspun yarns I've seen all over bloglandia. The box in my closet started to call to me, "Hey, you know I'm here! All the tools you need to make some beautiful handspun of your own! C'mon..." I resisted a lot. I went in and punched the box a few times, and told it to shut up before I tossed it out. The box called my bluff, though, knowing I would never be able to bring myself to toss out perfectly good wool. The most that would ever happen is the box would be relocated to a new home, and be happily emptied of it's pretty contents. I finally gave in. I solicited some help from the ever-so wonderful Eva, and on her recommendation, picked up a book. I flipped through it, intrigued, and found some great tips for beginning to spin. Armed with new found knowledge and an idea of what I wanted, I excitedly voyaged to the Local Yarn Store. Upon arriving, I headed straight for the little nook dedicated to spinning, and started to look at the spindles. (I did hear the siren call of the already spun woolens and silks and alpacas, but I resisted. I was on A Mission.) I checked the balance of a few that caught my eye, admired the beauty of the Navajo spindles. A very helpful and friendly employee helped me make a decision, and talked to me a lot about the process. I finally decided on a beautiful low-whorl, perfect for drop or supported spinning, and able to handle lots of fibers and spin a good range of yarn weights. The spindle was handmade by a woodworker in Magdalena, New Mexico, and really is a work of art: Armed with my new spindle, book, and the aforementioned box of roving, I sat down on the couch. I sighed. I read through the instructions on starting a few more times, and cautiously started. I sucked still! What the fuck?! I went out and smoked a cigarette, and could hear that stupid box laughing at me. Determined not to let the box make a fool of me, I went back in. I took a deep breath. I read the instructions some more. I started to spin. The beginning was iffy at best, but I was doing it. I was spinning! Progress was made, mistakes in technique slowly corrected, speed increased. After only a few nights, I could fill my spindle in less than an hour of spinning time. I still have a huge bag of this red roving to work through, but so far I have a nice 60 gram ball of yarn. That I made. That I made. The process is a lot of fun, but still very soothing and relaxing. There will definitely be more in my future. I've already been browsing Etsy for hand-dyed roving in beautiful colors, and daydreaming about a collection of beautiful spindles and someday having the room for a spinning wheel. All in all, I'm definitely feeling the spinning love. See you tomorrow!

Perfect Day Yarn

A week or so ago, I traded a pair of my earrings for some super yummy sock yarn from Sarah over at Perfect Day Yarns. This is her Free Verse Sock yarn, and is called Purple Over Cane: I so love it! The color is a one-of-a-kind over dye, but she has some absolutely gorgeous colors in her shop. For non-sock knitters, she also does worsted and lace weight yarn! (Be patient with her, though, if the shop is low- she just had hand surgery!) What's totally cool, too, is that a good portion of her colorways are inspired by poems. Isn't that a great idea?! The only reason I haven't started knitting it is I'm waiting on a set of the Harmony sock needles from KnitPicks. Soon, though, soon... Thanks so much, Sarah! Anyone else want to do a swap? J.P. Has been pushing me to start doing a "Works in Progress" day- I think I may be doing "Show-and-Tell" day, either on Sunday or Saturday- we'll see what day I get to it this week! See you tomorrow...

Ten on Tuesday

10 Things I Can Do Instead of Watching TV Since the writer's strike, I have been watching less TV, but not by much. Here is what I could be doing instead, even though some of these I do while watching TV... 1. Read more books! I don't have nearly as much time to read as I used to. Pre-Monsterette, if I was into a book, I could curl up on the couch all day with it! now I'm lucky to get 15 minutes bofore I fall asleep. 2. Knit, crochet, sew...Yeah, I do these while watching TV, but it is nice to just revel in quiet, or good music, and really focus on what I'm doing. 3. Play games. Hubbster and I love board games, card games, things like that. I know we'd do more of it if we weren't watching TV! 4. Work through that Netflix queue a little faster than 1-2 movies a week. 5. Go out and do stuff. Yesterday I took Monsterette to the mall, and we had a blast! Added bonus: She took a solid three hour nap afterwards. I'd love to do this more, with Hubbster along, too! 6. Video games! This kind of has gone the way of reading books. 7. Get organized. I love to organize things, and there are some things around the apartment that seriously need it. Most nights, though, I opt for vegging out. 8. Maintain pen pals. I used to love to write to my pen pals from all over the place! I miss that. (Want to be my pen pal?) 9. Spend more time on the internet. I know, it's kind of lame, but it's honest. 10. Clean. I know I'm guilty of waiting until the end of a program to do the dishes or fold the laundry. I bet you are, too! Don't lie! See you all tomorrow!

Silly Stuff

I know I mentioned my spinning a few days ago, but the weather has been too crappy for pictures. The rumors are true, though, I am spinning yarn! Between that, working on the wholesale order, amigurumi, and trying to find inspiration for the latest Project Spectrum, I've stumbled upon a few silly blogs for you to check out! First up: The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. Good stuff. Second: Crummy Church Signs. I always wonder about some of the church signs I see, if I'm the only one who thinks they're crazy sometimes. I guess not! Third: Passive/Aggressive Notes. This shit is too funny. That's all for today, folks! See you tomorrow!

WE WON THE SUPERBOWL BI*CHES! Cake Recipe

Yes, the Giants just beat the Patriots to win the Superbowl. I am BEYOND EXCITED! For non-football fans out there, the Patriots have won every single game this season. Every. Single. Game. EXCEPT THE SUPERBOWL, BECAUSE THE GIANTS KICKED YOUR ASS!!! Ohmigawd. I'm so proud of my boys. *sniff* Alright, before I keep on, I'm going to give you guys the most awesomest (and super easy!) chocolate cake recipe ever, perfect to celebrate with. (Or drown your sorrows. I was prepared, either way.) I actually got this recipe from Dave, so if you like it, go thank him! Super Easy Chocolate Cake Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get out a 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Dry Ingredients 1 1/2 C. Flour 1 C. Sugar 1 tsp. Baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 3 Tbsp. cocoa ( I like to do about 4, for rich chocolate taste.) Wet Ingredients 1/3 C. Cooking oil (NOT olive oil, I use regular old vegetable oil.) 1 Tbsp. Vinegar (yep.) 1 tsp. Vanilla 1 C. Cold water Mix dry ingredients in the pan. Make three indents: pour the oil, vinegar, and vanilla into separate holes. Pour the water gently over all. Mix well with a fork; do not beat. I like to pour in a good half cup of chocolate chips at this point, but that's entirely up to you. It makes it nice and gooey, though! Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Take it out and let it cool until you can no longer stand not to eat it (about 20 minutes, here). you can frost it with icing, melt chocolate chips on top, serve it with some ice cream, or eat it plain. either way, it's delicious! ********* On a side note, this is also a vegan recipe, if you just make as-is (no chocolate chips or icing). See you tomorrow- I'm going to go jump around some more!

Crazy Happy Crochet Fun!!

So, I've been obsessing about amigurumi, which are small, simple, crocheted "dolls". Since I'm not very good at crocheting (or following crochet instructions, for that matter), I decided to start with something small. I finished this little guy in about 2 hours last night: This is a Gabu. You can find the free pattern here, if you want to make your own! Very simple, and kind of fun to do. I need to get some eyes, though, if I'm going to be making more amigurumi. Yes, there will be more. Now I just need to figure out what to do with them! I really kind of love him. He's cute, and his wee little beady (well, buttony) eyes watch me from his perch above the computer. Cute, huh? Tomorrow: Spinning! Mine, even! WOO!

Things Are...

...looking up. (That's a dumb expression, the more I think about it.) The car is all better, I'm working on a wholesale order (squee!) for my earrings. Kitty found her way back home, and we're sleeping better (damn was that cat noisy!). I'm a little sad about the cat, but we're thinking of getting one soon, one that's already fixed. And, uh, doesn't belong to someone else. The taxes were done last night- A good hour on the computer and two Mike's Hard Lemonades later, we're all e-filed and patiently awaiting a chunk of cash from The Man. Capital One increased my credit limit by $300 (I'm avoiding the yarn store). Knitting is cruising along. Seems like life is paying us back for all the crappy things that happened! Maybe I should go buy a lottery ticket? See you tomorrow!