Saturday randomness...

• I'm entering the 2010 Ravelympics on Ravelry.com. I'm not quite sure how the medals are awarded, but I don't really care either. I'm entering the Aerial Unwind, Felting Freestyle, Hat Halfpipe, Lace Luge, Mitten Moguls, Short Track Shawls, Single Skein Speed Skate, SnowCross, Sock Hockey, Stash Compulsory Dance, and WIPs-Dancing - all with yarn I already have languishing in my possession. I hope to end the two weeks with lots of finished objects and a greatly reduced stash. Another good thing is that most of the projects are small and I am working every day for the duration, so - with luck and lack of busy lesson plans - I'll be able to do quite a lot of work while subbing.



• OMG! My dad just came in with a package from Virginia. The mail man must have just left it at our front door. It's from a guy who owns a plant nursery up there and we bought a bunch of trees and plants from him to landscape part of the farm last summer. We're pretty neighborly with him and his wife, although they aren't really neighbors in the strictest sense of the word because they live quite a few miles away. We send them pink grapefruit from our tree every few months because we don't eat them and they love the stuff. Well, they just sent us a huge package of vegetable relish of some sort (can't really tell by looking and we haven't opened the jar yet), fresh pressed apple juice (!!! like in a big Mason jar!!! It's AMAZING!!!), dried apples, dried pears, dried summer squash slices, dried cantaloupe, dried pinto beans, and dried cayenne peppers! What an unexpected treat!!!



• In other news: I'm preparing the garden beds for the Spring planting... We'll see how much of that I'll be able to get done before it will be too late to try to plant anything. We have volunteers from last year coming up all over the place... So far some sort of winter squash (too early to tell what), some parsley, a carrot (how that happened, idk because they didn't flower last year and it's obviously recent growth), lettuce and mustard greens. What I'll be planting is tbd, dependent on how late it's getting and how much time it will need before harvest compared to how long I plan on sticking around here after school lets out first week of June.

In other news...

I find I'm quickly becoming addicted to Publix's Greenwise Organic Light Chocolate Soymilk. I used to hate everything soy (because it tasted funny to me), but in recent months, I've found I like a lot of it... even tofu when it's prepared correctly. I stay away from the more processed soy products, simply because they are processed and packed with salt. But this chocolate soymilk is seriously delicious. Unlike Silk Chocolate Soymilk, which to me still tastes like chocolate-flavored soy juice, this stuff is thick and creamy - like chocolate milk should be. I think it's the Dutch chocolate that does it...

Wow!

Fillings went fine.

I was linked to this today by a friend. It is an impressive rant calling the Republicans on their hypocrisy and corruption. It's awesome! Usually something this vehement would get me all stirred up and pissed off at the Republicans too, but this time that didn't happen. I'm just a bit blown away...

In unrelated news, I saw "Inglorious Basterds" last weekend. Meant to mention that before. I liked it okay... Wasn't the greatest movie ever, but wasn't the worst either and it had some good moments. I thought all the actors, with the possible exception of Mike Myers (while I generally love him, all I could think of during his scene was his SNL sketches and other goofy movies... I suspect it was the make-up they had on him), did an amazing job. The movie did pique my interest in learning a bit more about the Nazi higher-ups. Got as far as the people who were in the bunker at the end before I was just too disgusted to go further. Sick, sick people. Like we didn't know that. I think looking at these people as human beings makes them all the more monstrous and horrible rather than looking at them in more abstracted ways, as many movies do.

(Pardon my language below. It couldn't be avoided.) Did not know this: Hitler probably carried on some kind of highly inappropriate relationship with his niece Geli for a number of years, beginning in her teens, which ended with her suicide at the age of 23. He started seeing Ava Braun socially when she was only 17, and she tried to kill herself twice at 20 and 23 respectively for reasons that are unknown to history, but possibly the attempts were staged to manipulate Hitler, who was still reeling from Geli's death when she made her first attempt. When Adolf and Ava finally did kill themselves, Ava was only 33... Hitler also had his German Shepherd, her four puppies (less than a month old) and Ava's two Scottie dogs killed the night before Ava and he committed suicide. This seriously bums me out. It wasn't the dogs' fault who owned them... and... and... puppies! Hitler also saw another German movie actress who killed herself, or was murdered by Gestapo (it was never clear apparently), when she was 31. So, on top of being a mass-murdering fuckhead, a racist and bigot to the nth degree, a megalomaniac, and head of the original fucking Nazis (and I'm sure I'm leaving out a number of horrible things that he was here, but for the sake of brevity, let's just leave it at that), he also very likely was an incestuous pedo, who killed his own dogs and drove women to suicide. Just when you think Adolf Hitler couldn't get more fucked up as a person, he does. Seriously, NO ONE should EVER be compared to this guy.

Home and getting ready for Autumn...

I got home late last night from my very long vacation. I had never been away from home for so long before. Two whole months. It's strange to be back. Good, but strange.

There will be pictures and details of the trip just as soon as I can figure out how to transfer the photos from the laptop to the desktop. Hopefully, it will be done by the end of the weekend or certainly early next week at the latest. *crosses fingers*

Seasons are changing, whether I can feel it in the air yet or not. The garden is totally finished for the warm season. I need to get to work on it for the cool season garden, but I have a few weeks yet until it becomes imperative. My dad has given me a headstart by getting rid of all the weeds that had invaded the planting beds while we were out of town.

I'm getting ready for another school year of subbing. Not signed up for classes myself yet, but at least I've figured out what program I want to do. The Grad Certificate program at USF for Social Science Education. *nods* For sure.

I may have two cavities in two of my bottom-right molars. I've never had cavities before. Must go to the dentist. *sighs* This is what I get for not going to the dentist for 8+ years... although I think the blame truly lies with the bout of acid reflux I suffered earlier this year and last. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Also, in much, much brighter news, it's almost time for more Supernatural. Based on this preview, I have a sneaky notion that this season just might kill me with its awesomeness.

Also, the gag reel from last season is out on YouTube. I lol'd a lot!



Season 4 will be out on DVD on September 1st. WOOT!!!

Random update...

Moved my doctor appointment up to today (well, yesterday now) because my acid reflux went a little nutz Sunday night. Still no closer to really having that under control, thanks to prescription drugs being crazy expensive and health insurance choosing not to cover anything since not having it won't kill me, but it was still good to discuss the findings (or not-findings) of the ultrasound I had last month in greater depth. Nothing to worry about there, and the chances that the pains are being caused by something life-threatening like some sort of cancer or serious like chronic appendicitis are pretty well diminished to as near to non-existent as possible without a hell of a lot more scans (just to be 100% sure)... so that's good.

Also the bursitis is improving as quickly as can be expected... It's just something that takes months and months to heal. He gave me some more tips to help it along. The stretching has been helping. I also need to minimize how much I drive as much as possible and adjust my car's seat a bit so that as little pressure as possible is put on my hip. I might also buy one of those posture support things for my car and one for home use and another for work because most of those "ergonomic" chairs at work are ironically painful to sit in, even for a few minutes, but not as painful as standing for over 7 hours straight. I need to get a new computer chair for home too. Really, really need to do that. I've found that using a straight-backed dining chair to sit in while spinning also helps because it's higher and straighter than my computer chair or any of the chairs in the living room. I might be able to return to more regular spinning... although not at the pace at which I used to work, where I was spinning about 6 ounces a day or more. Half an ounce a day, max, if I'm careful and cautious about it. But that's much better than nothing at all.

My left-over lung yuckiness from my cold is almost entirely gone. YAY!

Also, I've officially lost 10 pounds in the past year! \o/ This is a very good thing. I don't want to loose weight quickly, I just want to be headed in that direction - loosing, rather than gaining - without having to be working out like crazy or depriving myself of things I want to eat. It's working so far! Also, my doctor was able to discuss this with me, and express that if I could loose another 20 over the next few years, he'd consider that a perfectly healthy weight for me, BMI be damned, without offending me at any point. He's the first medical professional I've ever seen who has managed to do that. Kudos to him.

On to another random observation: I'm really liking Cupid on ABC. It's on late, at 10pm. But it's kind of a delightful light sort of show. A nice balance to all the heavy drama I tend to watch. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance if you would. It's cute... Fairly predictable if you know anything about Classical mythology, but still cute.

I'm coming out of my warmer weather induced desire to knit with nothing but cotton and now I want to make a shawl. Lace. Soon. I've got a hankering because several times this winter and spring I've wished for a proper shawl for times when a sweater is just too much and bare arms are just way too cold. Laminaria maybe? With cheap merino lace yarn from KnitPicks, I'm thinking? I would do the Danish Wrap Shawl that I've been wanting to make forever but I don't yet have the variety of appropriate handspun yarn I'll need for that, so it will have to keep waiting.

A Sunday of randomness and gardening...

Gardening first... It was supposed to rain this afternoon, but it's 4pm and it still hasn't. Maybe tonight... But I've been out in the garden off and on since about 9 this morning getting as much done as I could. I moved bricks around to line the edges of the vegetable bed, and I planted the yellow summer squash seedlings in with the mustard greens that are going to seed right now. I also watered everything, thinned the parsnips, which seem to be just starting to really grow, and picked about 4 gallon-sized bags worth of mustard greens. We've got so much of that stuff, but it's yummy, so that's good. I also threw some annual seeds in the dirt of the flower beds in the front yard. With luck and water and sunshine, in a few weeks, there will be some marigolds, cosmos, zinnias and calendula coming up out there. I like those flowers because they do very well here and pretty much take care of themselves, freeing up more time for me to spend on the veggies out back.

On to the randomness:

• I got my first paycheck on Friday. \o/ Not a fabulous one, there was only one day's worth of work on it and the next one will be much better, but still, paycheck! *dances*


• I ordered myself a pair of handcarders today. Schacht brand. Made in the USA with some really nice features for longevity. I figured I'd use my Christmas money and a few dollars from my first paycheck on them before I forgot that I had Christmas money sitting in my account with a directive from my aunt to "buy something frivolous." Useful but unusual and expensive was about as frivolous as I could get. LOL!


• When the handcarders get here, I'll finally be able to start tackling the four pounds of raw llama fiber my friend Tareena sent me. YAY! \o/


• I'm annoyed with Lane Bryant. They sent my the clothes I ordered to Virginia, even though they had said they had fixed the address label and the order was certainly being sent to Florida before it left their facility. They obviously lied. Supposedly, it has now been forwarded through the US mail, but it still hasn't arrived and it's been more than a week. There were some really cute outfits in that order for work, and now they've sold out of my size, so if this is lost in the mail, refund or not, I'm S.O.L. Grrrrrr...


• I want to make strawberry jam. This sounds like the most wonderful idea to me.


• I haven't worked on Jensen's socks in days. However, I did make myself a steering wheel cover for my car. I finished it last night. Pictures will eventually be forthcoming.

Yay! Yarn! And Pie!

I made pie tonight... Pumpkin pie... Two of them. With this recipe. I didn't have any evaporated milk on hand, so I made some myself on the stove... Took about an hour and a half to slowly boil 3 cups of milk down to 1 1/2 cups... Next time, I'll just run out to the 24-hour Super Walmart. Still. YUM!







I spilled the filling of one of them just a bit, so that's what the darker places are on the crust edges.

I just tried the first piece... It's very custard-like and the pumpkin flavor isn't very strong (although it still tastes good), and I added an extra 1/2 cup of pumpkin. I may need to strain the pumpkin better, or it could be because my pie crusts weren't large enough for the entire filling. I made the same amount as the recipe calls for, but the pie crusts weren't deep enough for it all. Deep dish pie crusts are obviously a must.

And I finally uploaded pictures of the yarn I made for Jensen and Jared's socks.

Jensen's color... worsted weight, superwash merino:




The main color for both pairs of socks... worsted weight, superwash merino-alpaca:




Jared's color... worsted weight, superwash bfl:




I also just uploaded the pictures I took the weekend before last when I went out to a park in Pasco County with my mom and her friends from dog training class. They have a doberman. A very well trained doberman. Far better than our Maxie.

Maxie:

Come on up for the risin'...

I've been watching Inauguration festivities coverage on CNN all day. I'm very much looking forward to Tuesday, though I won't be able to watch the Inaugural coverage live because I'll be in training to be a sub on Tuesday (O.O FIRST DAY!!! O.O) Right now, I'm listening to Springsteen singing with a gospel choir on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (points to subject line)...

Earlier today, one of the CNN correspondents got a bit... editorial... I guess, and said that there's the Washington Monument and there's the Lincoln Memorial, and the reason that it's the Lincoln Memorial and not the Lincoln Monument is because Lincoln is a more human figure in the American imagination and not this distant figure of the past like Washington. Ahem. *rolls eyes a bit* Acktuly, it's the Washington Monument because its construction was planned during Washington's lifetime and he knew it was to be built before he died, and it's the Lincoln Memorial because its construction was planned after Lincoln's untimely death, so he never knew that it would be built. Really, these are technical terms and have nothing to do with the historical figures' place or characterization in the collective American consciousness. See, I paid attention to the tour guides during my eighth grade trip to DC.

Now for the real reason I wanted to post something this evening...

I've been spinning this weekend. For Jared and Jensen's socks.

These first two photos are of the yarn I've made for Jared. It's custom dyed superwash wool from Blue Faced Leicester sheep.




I wanted a dark midnight blue-vaguely purple in certain light sort of color. Since it was hand-dyed, and hand-dyed things can never be completely and uniformly solid, there were some bits that didn't take the dye as completely as others, making some bits appear more gray than blue. To me, it sort of looks the way wispy clouds do in the night sky, so it works for me.

The last two pictures are of the batts I bought for Jensen (to be clear, both pictures are of the same wool, just at different angles to show what I'm talking about with the lighting). This is the first time that I've spun fiber from batts instead of roving, and I actually found that the batts were much fluffier than I expected they would be. The color is gorgeous and hard to capture. The pictures don't do it justice, but I did try. It shifts from periwinkle blue to a spring sky blue kind of color, depending on the light, but always it's a very deep, strong kind of blue. It sort of reminds me of Forget-Me-Nots. And it's superwash Merino.




I've spun about half of the amount I bought for Jensen, but that's drying after being set right now and so a picture wouldn't show the color at all accurately so I haven't bothered to take one yet. Will do that asap...

Randomness...

I drove home last Friday. It was a long day. And my birthday was Saturday. It was a good day. I went out to lunch with some friends and to the movies. In the evening we had pizza and watched reruns on tv.

Yesterday, I posted more/better pictures of the things I made for holiday presents to my Ravelry account. There were a few things I realized I never took any pictures of... I think I need a "D'oh!" graphic to put on there for when I do that. I really hate not having some kind of picture to put up...

I've been sick since at least Saturday (went out for my birthday in spite of it because I wasn't going to let a pesky thing like being sick ruin an otherwise perfectly good day). I'm feeling significantly better today, but still not quite 100%. It's just a cold... or a mild flu... or something. I'm mostly just tired and feeling a vague malaise now, all other symptoms having thankfully subsided.

I've been keeping busy by spinning and looking for sock patterns. I can't remember if I said before, but I'm going to tackle socks yet again. To make for the boys from Supernatural. Yes, I am. I got that superwash roving I ordered and plan to employ it well. I've got the first ounce of the BFL I ordered spun and plied, and I'm waiting to see what weight it's spun up to before continuing. I need a worsted for the socks I want to make. It's ribbed and stretchy and also the pattern is written for Jensen's size... and hopefully it won't be difficult to upsize this pattern to fit Jared. So... yeah...

Oh! Ilana! Before I forget, thank you once again for the lovely things you sent me for the holidays. I unpacked yesterday and I found a little sample of roving in the bottom of the bag you made for me which I had missed before. What is it a sample of? It's very pretty.

Today, I ordered a flawless ironstone teapot on etsy, which I'm really excited about, and bought a new stainless steel tea kettle at Target. Our old enamel one, which I've not liked for a while now because I realized that the inside is Teflon, had gotten a chip in the enamel and had started to rust on the outside, so yeah... New one...

Tomorrow, I want to make biscuits. I got this fantastic recipe while I was in South Carolina for Cat Head biscuits. I need to find where I wrote it down though... But it's basically a buttermilk biscuit that one doesn't need to roll out and cut, so they're really quick and easy to make.

40 Motivational Speeches in 2 minutes...

To inspire those of you who might need it in getting all holiday preparations done before Chanukah/Yule/Christmas (or perhaps just to make you smile through the stress):

Because I'm not tired yet...

(though I hope to be shortly) and I'm trying to distract myself from the fact that the roving I ordered did not work out for me to spin (I am allergic to Louet brand roving... who knew?), but I'm sure Ilana will enjoy it and have better luck... I'm going to ramble a bit about things not very important in the grand scheme, but currently relevant to myself... Jewelry, fashion, colors and the coalescence thereof...

So... I have an awesome blouse I bought a few months ago. I had a coupon for a free $30 at Lane Bryant, I needed several shirts for the High Holy Days, it fit well, the color wasn't vile, I bought it. It was about $11 after discounts were applied. I love shopping wins. Plus it's 100% cotton, no petroleum-based synthetics - FTTW! I didn't think much of it at the time, it was just something I could buy to fill an immediate need and hole in my wardrobe. I have since fallen in love with it. It's a midnight sky blue. It has... not Swiss dots (since those are embroidered in) but something very close to them woven into the fabric and ever so slightly puffed sleeves. It goes with my coral necklace that I asked my sister to make for me because such color combos are IN according to the people who decide these things, as portrayed in the film and novel "The Devil Wears Prada." (Also, they say that bold, "statement" jewelry is the thing. And will continue to be the thing for at least the next year.) I am in love. Honestly, it is my favorite outfit right now and I fully intend to wear it half to death before Spring when it might be out of style. *nods sagely*

The coral necklace came to me one day in July. I was gazing at some coral beads in a bead shop and I thought I usually hate wearing such a bold red, but omg, those would make a pretty necklace! But I wavered on it for a few weeks and didn't buy the beads until almost September because until then I didn't have a vision of what I might want the necklace to look like. But I did buy them and had them sent to my sister and told her I just had to have some fabulous 18" long necklace made with them (and maybe some silver spacers). And she, being the talented, totally genius lapidary artist she is, did just that, as you can see by following the hotlink above. (If anyone reading this feels they must have one just like it, please do contact her through that page and inquire. She is always happy to make additional copies of an item, and I'm fairly certain she still has some of the same beads left.)

And what happens... Bright red is one of the "top" "IT" colors of the Fall '08/Winter '09 fashion season according to Pantone, who are apparently those IT people ultimately responsible for the why fashion colors are significant/cerulean sweater scene in "The Devil Wears Prada." I didn't know that at all going in. I just thought, omg, I love those red coral beads! Must have! Because I don't really pay attention to things like that until clothes are in stores and people are wearing them. I buy what I like because I like it. Or I buy what I don't totally like but find acceptable at the time because I need something for a specific purpose. I don't usually plan ahead. Especially accessories, which are almost always an after thought, if they're thought of at all.

So because I called the red so well for something I just had to have for the Fall/Winter this year... not really caring, except that I sorta do, I'm trying to figure out what I just have to have made for the Spring/Summer in '09... This is what happens now that I fully intend to take advantage of the fact that my sister is a jewelry-making goddess... I found some lovely deep sky blue turquoise 6mm rounds at Michaels (on clearance, the silly people!) the other day. Snatched those up and am now plotting. I have no idea what I want done with them, but they are so very pretty... I may go back and buy more... Maybe a really long, loopy, drapey necklace...? I dunno...

I also want a hamsa necklace SO bad! I don't have one! I find that shocking and wrong! I don't know what color I'll have that put together with when I find a pendant... Maybe many colors? In a trade-bead sort of look, except not because I'm not terribly fond of trade-beads... Although, maybe evil-eye beads? I dunno yet... I still haven't been able to find a hamsa in stores, only online, and they tend to be kinda pricy... like as much as I usually pay for all the beads and/or finished necklace altogether... and I find that shocking and wrong too... Because apparently, "ethnic" inspired jewelry of the Middle Eastern/African/Asian/Indian variety is going to be the thing in fashion jewelry (in addition to the bold stuff) this next year... So where are the hamsas in stores? Because we wants it precious, yeas, we do...

To continue the list of jewelry-wants, I'm coveting my mom's pearl necklace that she got from Lara... If Lara has another 26 pearls left, I might just have to ask her to make yet another one for me... Mom let me wear it because it was required for an outfit I wore to synagogue several weeks ago, and it looked so good and I felt to very chic! So now, I want one myself... Although, I'm sure Mom will let me borrow it anytime because she's awesome like that...

Just to note, colors I'm really feeling good about right now (in no particular order): true red, aqua, robin's egg, Tiffany blue, London topaz, midnight sky blue (although apparently Pantone is calling it "Twilight Blue"), indigo, navy, autumn sky blue, turquoise, aubergine, amethyst, bottle green, slightly-on-the-blue-side grass green, forest green...

Meanwhile, I need to go back to the drawing board for some of my planned Holiday gifts, revise and start the search for appropriate roving again... Ah, well... I'm sure it will work out. I'm thinking now black, white and gray Shetland will serve for my immediate needs and I'll worry about colored rovings once those are squared away.

Stash knit-down... and other things...

So... I've been trying to get rid of things, rather than continuing to accumulate, and cleaning out things. I feel like I'm cleaning up my burrow, getting ready to hibernate for the winter, and maybe I am. I've been busy this week. Perhaps it's a way to procrastinate? Since I'm usually too tired by the time I'm done to even think about studying for the GKT which is on Saturday... I dunno... I will get around to looking at it at some point. I'm not terribly worried about the GKT though. After all, I graduated with a GPA above 3.0. Could something called the General Knowledge Test be that great a challenge? The math, perhaps, because I suck at math, and will review some of that before Saturday, but I'm not terribly worried at all about the essay or verbal sections...

So, yes... Procrastinating...

I've been mending things that I come across. Two pillowcases with ripped seams, shirts and pants that were missing buttons and various other sundries. Nothing makes me feel more productive than taking something that was unusable because it was in want of repair and making it useful again...

I also got rid of a whole bunch of tea... My tea cupboard looks terribly bare now. I had a lot of old tea hanging around though. Got rid of everything that had artificial flavors 'cuz why when there's so many good natural flavors in the world? And I got rid of everything that was out of date. I had stuff that's marked "best if used by Jan 05" in there! o.O That was awhile ago, you know. *sighs* So yeah... very little in the way of tea in there now. Maybe 15 kinds? (LOL! Can you tell I'm a tea person in extremis?)

I've been going through my yarn stash and allocating some for certain projects so I can use it up and some for distribution to friends who are new to knitting and don't have a stash yet. I've got a lot of yarn! Only a fraction of it is in my Ravelry stash. I should maybe list some of it there as being up for trade or sale because seriously some of this stuff I will never use. This is not to say that I don't want more yarn. All fiber addicts know that you always want more yarn. And it's not that I have so much that I have no where to store new stuff - because I can always find more room for the good stuff. It's just that I have so much that I don't want and so much that needs making into useful items. So I'm trying to knit-down and give away my stash as much as I can.

I've also been looking at old projects of all sorts.

• I frogged a headband tonight. I decided the pattern was too fussy. I want to do something else with the yarn. (Cotlin from KnitPicks.) Not sure what, since both of the other patterns I have which use one ball of this yarn aren't things I'd like to make either... For now, it's going in the stash. It's too nice to use for something I don't like...



• I've been working on two 1864 Ladies' Winter Shawls that I started several years ago and which have been lying around half-finished ever since. I have only the fringes to finish on those now.



• I also picked up and have been working on an embroidery project that I put aside many, many years ago. In fact, I can't remember when I started it exactly. I know I put it down because working with a tiny needle like that for hours on end for many days in a row makes my tendinitis act up (this time, I'm being more careful) and it got so bad that I had to wear a brace for three weeks straight. I think that was my Freshman year of college. Which would be... like 6... 7 years ago? Something scary like that... But I've picked it up again. I find that some of it might be out of alignment and I might need to rip out some of it and fix it. Right now, I'm basting in guidelines so that I can better judge if things need drastic correction. I'm very willing to do that if necessary because when this is done, it will be so pretty (if I do say so myself)! It's my own design. A cross-stitch castle surrounded by rose bushes at the top, and two cross-stitch dragons passant facing each other at the bottom. In between, a little verse in fanciful script and bands of stitching... like a band sampler, I guess. The only band that I have done right now is the two-tone double-herringbone. It's all on light blue linen. Very pretty. I originally meant to make it for a young cousin when she first got her own bedroom - princess themed - when she was about 2, but she's much older now, so I think I'll keep it instead. I'll post pictures soon.

Once the old projects are done, I'll pick up the more recent ones which are now hibernating - like the Hey Teach sweater I started about a month ago. And maybe I'll finally get around to painting the mural I've got sketched on the walls in the bathroom...

Randomly - I really like the version of As You Like It with Bryce Dallas Howard that was done last year...Check it out if you haven't seen it. Shakespeare in late 19th-century Japan with some people in western clothes and some people in Japanese. It is very interesting. I love unexpected adaptations of Shakespeare... That things like that work just goes to show Shakespeare's eternal genius.

I seriously enjoy these lines:

Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head;
And this our life exempt from public haunt
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones and good in every thing.
I would not change it.

Speaking of Shakespeare... Even if you don't watch Doctor Who (and you should if you don't), you'll probably still find this funny (though of course, it is funnier if you do watch Doctor Who). I laugh myself silly every time I watch it and I think I've seen it at least 100 times now. Catherine Tate, for those who don't know, played "Donna Noble," the most recent of the Doctor's companions. David Tennant plays the 10th Doctor. In this video, Catherine Tate plays "Lauren Cooper," an obnoxious British schoolgirl who likes to drive her teachers crazy. It's a sketch kinda like the reoccurring sketches on SNL. Anyway... Watch...

New Knitty, New Day!

I slept most of today because my brother was freaking the hell out over the end of the world due to the particle accelerator outside Geneva and that made me freak out too and stay up to watch the sunrise. I hate it when this happens. My sleeping was already messed up, but now it's just really messed up. I think I'm going to try to see if I can take a nap sometime tonight, get up early in the AM and stay up all tomorrow like normal people do, and then I'll sleep normally tomorrow night. I really need a job so I can't do stuff like this anymore... Working on that. I went to see Prof. M yesterday to visit and to ask if she'd be a reference for me, which she was more than happy to do. Now, I just need to get a copy of my transcript, and get ahold of my next door neighbor, who's a neurosurgeon and so very diffiuclt lately to catch at home, to be my other reference, and I can send in the job application. Mission tonight, write an e-mail to my neighbor and order a transcript online if possible.

Anyway, a new Knitty was published today.

There are pretty patterns...

I especially like Versatility... It's like Wisp and Convertible, both of which I also like. Never made Convertible, but I did make Wisp... I just need buttons for it and to block it again because I screwed it up the first time.

Camden is interesting... I like the long fingerless mitts being able to be attached to the short-sleeved sweater. Makes it very versatile. And using KnitPicks yarn makes it much cheaper to make than most of the sweater patterns at Knitty...

Kinetic is fascinating!

Slither? I wants it, precious, yeas... I'm probably more likely to make these than something like Camden because it takes less time (I would hope)... Although I probably won't end up making either simply because I'm lucky if I ever finish anything for myself. LOL! Like many knitters, I make things for other people with much higher frequency than I make things for myself.

Hug is whimsical and delightful, if slightly disturbing... And Tatiana is also whimsical and made of love, but impractical for me since I'd never get any use out of them

Waves of Grain is so beautiful! I love it! I also love Abby. So pretty (and handspun)! I'd love to make either of these for my sister Lara. I think they would suit her so well! I think she'd also love Maple, and it's so on my list for the next time I just have to felt something and am brave enough to try colorwork again...

Garden Gate is gorgeous! But I'm no where near brave enough to attempt them. Baroque, though, looks exciting, and I am seriously tempted to try making those.

I definitely think I can find some handspun in my stash to make Oncleows with! Too cute!! And perhaps I'll be more likely to wear shorter skirts and capris more often to show them off.

OpArt! Is so on my list of things to make for my niece! I know Tim Burton will eventually come into her life, and this is wonderfully Tim Burton-esque without being so scary. LOL!

And cool features...

I think I need this from Knitty's list of Cool Stuff: Bramble. My friend Laura would freak out if she got one of these for her birthday! :D And OMG - look at these cute things at this person's Etsy!

Awesome 1840's knitted nightcap, translated pattern. YAY! :D

And silk reeling... tempting, very interesting, but I think I've got enough fiber related hobbies at the moment.

Must pimp...

I just got a package from my sister, Lara, containing all the things my mom and I ordered from her last week. It is all SO BEAUTIFUL! OMG! I'm like falling over with the pretty. *happy squeal*

So, seriously, if you like jewelry and pretty things (or you know someone who does), or you need one of those aromatherapy eye pillows to help with headaches, cramps, nausea or insomnia (they can be heated in the microwave, chilled in the freezer or used at room temperature), she's your gal! Check out her stuff at her etsy store, Eternal Autumn. She also takes custom orders of all sorts - whatever you want. Just message her through her etsy store. She's always happy to consult.

Here are the pieces I got if you're curious... Apples in Autumn, Persephone's Pomegranate, Fallen But Not Forgotten, and an aromatherapy pillow. My mom got two pieces (which I WANTED!): Art Nouveau Innocence and Ice Siren of the Arctic Seas.

YAY!

I finally found some Borax (at Food Lion) and so the ants will soon be out of the kitchen. The cinnamon trick helped but now they're just in the dishwasher (of all places).

I'm in such a good mood today. I hope you all are having a good day. The sun is shinning here and I was feeling like crap the last two days, and today I feel so much better. I don't know if it's the change in weather or what, but I'm going with it.

I was driving home from the store and Corinne Bailey Rae singing "Put Your Records On" came on the radio. The image of Ianto Jones rocking out to this song inexplicably came into my head unbidden, and I couldn't stop laughing. If you know this song and you watch Torchwood, sit back and picture that for a moment if you would: Ianto rocking out to "Put Your Reconds On" (location of said rocking out is up to you). I hope you enjoy the visual as much as I did.

Have a lovely, lovely day, my dears!

Tendinitis, terrible thunder storms, road rage, ruined yarn and still mostly a nice day...

Can't remember if i wrote on here or not... I'm afflicted with tendinitis at the moment, due to too much knitting too fast. really, it was only one day of too much too fast, over a week ago, and still, can't tempt it apparently. It was feeling better, so I forgot to wear my brace when i went out today, drove all afternoon and so now it's back again. and the brace is making capitalizations and typing in general rather hit or miss. but it doesn't hurt to type, since typing wasn't what caused the injury, the muscles and tendons don't move in quite the same way. Driving didn't either, but it hurts after doing a lot of it because i guess i hold my wrist at an odd angle while driving.

it's been horribly stormy all day and into the night. the roads are wet and visibility is questionable sometimes. so i was driving home from the citrus park area, turning right onto a road where you can't turn right on red because visibility to the left is obscured by the odd angle of the intersection, even on a good and bright day, let alone a rainy, totally dark night and there are two signs that say so, plain as day, one hanging next to the traffic signal and one right next to where the cars stop in the turn lane. So I'm waiting... waiting... and waiting some more for the green light. A white truck pulls up behind me, starts honking his horn after i don't move (cuz... uh... waiting, like the sign says to), and then some more, and then he just leans on it. Then the cars behind him start up. i don't know, maybe they didn't care it was a no-right-turn-on-red stop either, or they couldn't see the sign from where they were or they were honking at the asshole to stop his whinging. *sighs* Well, i went because i could actually see well enough to tell that the road was clear, because the guy was being so damn insistent and as i was speeding up to the speed limit, the white truck guy sped around and past me, after getting up on my bumper, honking his horn and flipping me the bird, and i could see the profile of his face, he was yelling at me. i know he couldn't see me because of the dark and the angle of the street lights, but i flipped it right back at him and told him to go fuck himself. i was pissed. I don't get pissed often, but when i do, watch the fuck out. i tried to speed up and catch him, but maria, my friend who was in the passenger seat, told me not to and to let him go, so i did. i didn't want to, but i did. i was hoping for a red light ahead of us so i could pull up right behind him and lean on my horn, danger be damned. he needed to feel my wrath. but alas, no. he sped off into the night, at what had to be about 55 or 60 mph (in a 45 zone), judging by how fast he was accelerating compared to me, weaving in and out between other cars, at night, with rain coming down and the roads slick. Him = Not Too Smart! no one needs to go somewhere that much, i don't care what. so, I'm hoping and praying karma kitty catches up with him and he either gets a fat ticket or wraps his truck around a tree for his rude and reckless behavior. something tells me he needs to be told by the universe to slow the fuck down and maybe a nice little accident will knock his head loose from his ass. who knows? the rest of us might get that lucky...

*sighs* so I came home and, in my idle rage, I looked up some hoodoo curses. There's nothing i can possibly do that wouldn't possibly kill him, since I don't have anything personal of his to make him sick... Pretty my only curse option would be to bury an effigy meant to represent him in a graveyard, and if it worked, he'd die in a karmicly appropriate sort of way. and that, now that I've calmed down, seems a bit extreme. No joke...

... But! i did finally remember to link this HooDoo website I've found quite useful for answering questions about Supernatural in the right hand column. Fascinating stuff, that... I think it's very interesting that, unlike other similar belief systems where magic and spellwork is a major part of it, cursing with malicious intent seems to be a recognized and not-at-all-discouraged part of hoodoo... in fact, it seems to be a rather large component. And the negativity doesn't get reflected back onto the person who works such curses... The curses seem to be regarded as fully deserved by those who are cursed. Hoodoo seems rather unique in this respect. Perhaps the system works this way to give individuals that feel they've been wronged activities to perform in order to have their grievances redressed, to channel their rage constructively without resorting to actual violent action, but at the same time acknowedging that they have every right to be angry and want revenge... I don't know... random, spontaneous thoughts...

Also, at the moment I want to get some witch bottles for my windows, just because... I'm curious though if I'm supposed to put anything in them if i just put them in the windows. it only says what to put in them if they are to by buried under a threshold. i guess they're kinda like dream catchers, in that they capture non-corporeal things that might want to do harm, but they're glass and sparkly instead of made of string and pretty woven things...

So when i got home (and part of why by the time i got on the computer i was still pissed enough to look up curses), i found all my good yarn that had been in closed bags on what i thought was (and up til now had proven to be) an inaccessible shelf pulled down and ripped apart and wound all around the living room by the cats. I'm mean, really, this had all been up there for an entire year and none of the cats even attempted to get to the shelf before because it's at a very odd angle from all the places they could jump. But tonight, at least one of them got adventurous. Probably Amaya. :/ Not cool, man! So I had to clean all that up. The good news is that only two balls are now ruined to the point where i can't use them for what they had been intended. unfortunately they were two that i really needed and will be rather costly to replace (well, really any of them would be somewhat costly to replace). so I'm thinking of not replacing them and using/doing something else. i was lucky that the two balls of Kidsilk Haze survived, as well as the one Cotton Wool and one Felted Tweed were mostly undamaged. even so, the Calmer, which was intended for Susan's Christmas present, and the Summer Tweed, which had been intended to finish Zinzi's long over-due Dashing mitts, are broken up with huge sections shredded or the fibers are so weakened by cat teeth that they just can't be used. *sighs* so frustrating. so i don't know what I'll do about the calmer yet, but i came across an interesting pattern last week that i think i might be able to do for zinzi's mitts and they'll work out even better than the previous idea. Maybe with Andean Silk, Main Line, or Shine Worsted. I'm leaning more toward the Shine Worsted because it's a cotton-blend... because I'm afraid of triggering an allergic reactions for her with some of the animal-derived fibers (it's why i picked the summer tweed, which is cotton-silk, in the first place). Just in case. Obviously, I've been thinking about this... So perhaps the incident with the cats was a fortunate accident. So, Miss Zinzi, if you're reading this, what colors would you prefer? Purples still your cup o' tea? If so, then perhaps the Crocus, Wisteria or Bachelor Buttons of the Shine Worsted yarn? If not, then please, what colors are you feeling for your mitts?

Overall, however, today was a good day. Went out with Maria and Laura for pizza, then to the bookstore for studying for GRE/GKT/State Department tests respectively... got some of that done (*shifty eyes*), checked out magazines, and then got more pizza at Mellow Mushroom for dinner... Today was a pizza kind of day. Veggie pizza. *nods sagely*

This is scary...

I've never seen Annie Hall, though I've heard of it... And I've been told before that when I write, I'm funny like Woody Allen... but I don't like Woody Allen... He married his step-daughter and that's freakin' weird, man!

Your Love Life is Like Annie Hall

"A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies." You believe that love (if you even believe in love!) is a very complicated thing. Maybe love is pain. Or maybe it's all a big therapy session. You're still figuring it out. Your love style: Brainy and a bit neurotic Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Realistic and reflective

What Movie Is Your Love Life Like?

And since I am one...

You are 73% Capricorn

How Capricorn Are You?

But I think I'm more of a Capricorn than just 73%... I just don't believe traditional status symbols are the best kind of status symbols, so I don't want an Italian sports car or $400 shoes... Also, I've seen it debated that Capricorns are actually very superstitious, they just don't usually admit to it...

And to bring it all together, I took this one:

You Should Be With a Water Sign!

Your best match is a Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces Why? You crave intimacy and connection in your relationship And while most guys can't open up enough for you, a Water Sign can Not that you're whole relationship will be soul gazing A Water Sign matches your goofy sense of humor - and desire to help others.

What Sign Guy Should You Date?

Damn... why am I not surprised?

Random stuff

I think I might have figured out the origin of "May Day" as an expression of distress in vernacular English... I haven't looked it up cause I haven't the time just now (right in the middle of critical school work), but I have to write it down or it will drive me crazy...

I think "May Day" is a corruption of the French "m'aidez," which means "help me!" in French.

Anybody reading this know for sure? I'm really curious...

(Told you it was random.)

Mmmm....

Theraflu is a wonderful thing 'cause Nyquil just doesn't do it for me anymore... I only wish that it didn't have enough acetaminophen in it to bring down a horse... I exaggerate, but seriously it's got 1000 milligrams a dose. That's a lot, especially considering the evidence of liver damage from high dosages... I need to get some more if and when I go out tomorrow though because I only have one packet left. They do have some types without acetaminophen, I think. Anything to make the headache and the sore throat go away... Oh and I can't remember the brand, but these things are called "Shower Soothers." They're like bath fizzies, except that they are used in the shower instead and smell of wintergreen and eucalyptus and other stuff that help with congestion. They are really nice and work pretty well.

To catalogue my symptoms for the record (skip this paragraph if you don't want to hear about them. I tried not to be graphic.): as of 4:30 am on February 9th, I have relatively minor sinus pressure and related minor headache, probably due to congestion... possibly some minor upper repertory congestion that is breaking up causing me to cough, and visibly inflamed tonsils, uvula and surrounding tissue resulting in a persistent "scratchy throat" feeling. All this has persisted since around 12 midnight yesterday. I've found that gargling the Theraflu before swallowing helps (although it does taste completely nasty). Previous symptoms of stomach virus have entirely disappeared.

For now, I'm off to gargle some salt water. Heard that it helps. Tips and advice are welcome...

... In other news:

I've figured out how to use my spinning wheel now. (Woo!) I've done about three balls of what is right now Corriedale lace-weight singles (averaging 22 wpi) over the last three days. I may eventually ply it all into something that will be (I think) around a dk weight 2-ply. It depends what I decide to make with it. I've got a few options and ideas at this point.

I also continue to work on the twilight hood and the heartwarmer. I've put down the heartwarmer for the time being though, trying to get the twilight hood done. I've got only a few dozen rows left on it. I'll finish it tomorrow or the next day probably with no problems.

Still working on the garden. When the sun comes up, I'll lay out more row plans. I've got the tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, and eggplant already laid out, and the approximate areas for the corn. I'm also getting the herb garden ready. The basil will go in the ground next week when the tomato, eggplant and pepper seedlings are ready to be planted, followed by the peanuts, sweet marjoram, and milk weed along the front walk for the butterflies. By the end of February, with Joe's help, the sweet corn will be planted, as well as everything else we'll be growing this season (yellow squash, cucumbers, okra, green beans, maybe field corn). For the rest of the season, I'll be adding other herbs and trying to get the silly pond in shape... I probably should have planned it out a bit better, but I can't see how I could have. It will look a lot better once there are plants in it and around it and the mulch is down.

School is going well. I've got about three weeks til the midterm exam. Not really worried at this point...

Can't think of anything else until this darned virus goes away...

an e-mail fwd I recieved & knitting news

THE SEAMSTRESS

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?"

The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and thatshe needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with pearls. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a silver thimble ringed with sapphires. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes."

The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?"

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with Mel Gibson. "Is this your husband?" the Lord asked. "Yes," cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to Mel Gibson, you would have come up with Tom Cruise. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to Mel Gibson."

The moral of this story is: Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others.

That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

*****

In other news, I can't figure out gauge for this knitting project (Belle Epoque) with the yarn I have... According to the yarn company (Sugar 'n Cream), the gauge should be identical to the one the original was knitted in (which has been discontinued)... but it is not, in practice. Even if I made the smallest size with this yarn, it would still be too big around by about 7 inches... For now, I am giving up on it and moving on. I've started on Mrs. Beeton for myself (I found the rest of the supplies I needed for it this weekend) and a 19th century hood pattern for Susan to sell on her site. Wish me luck!