Finally, got the photos to cooperate!

Been trying to get this uploaded to post for days. For some reason, my phone, then my e-mail, then my browser didn't want these photos to go up. *eye roll* Oy, technology!

But here they are!

We start with the new yarn I got for my stash from KnitPicks.com a few days ago:

The Renaissance Sampler:

The Georgian Sampler:

The Victorian Sampler:


All of the colors are much brighter than this. The Renaissance colors were very hard to photograph because they are dark and deep and my lighting sucks. Aubergine, hunter green, burgundy, chocolate... Beautiful colors all!

There's also the sock yarn I got... I needed another $5 to get the free shipping, so the sock yarn pretty much paid for itself. Dolphin and Porchini Gloss Sock Yarn. I'm making Lickity Split tabi socks with it. It seems to be perfect for this pattern. Got gauge with no problem on US 1 needles. But I've gotten much better at the provisional kind of cast-on since the last time I attempted it! So YAY!!! These will take forever to do, but that's how hand-knit socks are... Here's what I had as of last night:



I've also been working on the Pedicure socks from knitty.com, using old-style Cotton Ease by LionBrand.




In other news, the cabin is very nearly finished. I've been charged with picking out everything. So far, for all the things I'm to choose, we're under budget. :D It's a miracle, for sure!

Granite for the bathroom countertops:


Extreme close-up:


My reflection can pretty clearly be seen in these photos. Any pink tones you see are reflected from my shirt that I was wearing at the time. I liked it because while it has a neutral over-all feel to it and at first appears to be a rich brown, when one is looking right at it up close, the abundance of periwinkle and sky blue inclusions become apparent. So it's kinda surprising as well as pretty and subtle... It's called "Sapphire Blue" or "Sapphire Brown" depending on the distributor.

The sink that will go in this granite in my bathroom is this lovely thing:


The light fixture for both bathrooms is the one in the middle in this photo:


Drawer/door pulls/knobs for both bathrooms:



And the fixtures for the sink and shower in my bathroom:



The only thing that could make this bathroom better is if we could get white-painted wood cabinets with bead-board paneling in the doors. But alas, those would be custom cabinets and too much for the budget. So we're going with pre-fab solid oak, natural stained cabinets... I can always paint and alter them later if I really get persnickety about it.

I'm really excited that it's almost done. Now, the only thing I have left to pick out right now is a mattress for my room. I know I'm going with an all-natural latex mattress because the idea of off-gassing beyond freaks me out, not to mention lack of petroleum consumption is always a bonus! These mattresses, contrary to popular belief, are not like the memory foam mattresses, they aren't hot (they actually breathe very well), and if you know where to shop for them, they aren't any more expensive than conventional mattresses of similar quality. 'Cuz let's face it, high quality mattresses are never cheap.

Yarn Quiz

got this from Ilana...

What kind of yarn are you?


You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes |

I've been watching the local news again...

A wooden spear was found by archaeologists in Little Salt Springs in Sarasota, Florida. The spring has no oxygen in it, so things are very well preserved there. The wooden spear has been carbon dated to 12 thousand years ago. According to traditional anthropological thinking, humans did not reach Florida until about 9 thousand years ago. O.O

The archaeologists will be searching the same area of the spring in July to see if they can find more artifacts.

Other interesting recent finds: A prehistoric, 1100 year old canoe has been uncovered in the sand on Weedon Island in Pinellas County (that's near St. Pete and Clearwater). It was found by a local man, who reported the find to authorities at which time professional archaeologist took over the job of uncovering it. It was originally about 45 feet long, the longest ancient canoe ever found in Florida.

Just a reminder:

Made by dodger_winslow on livejournal... who I do not know... but look at the pretteh!

'Cause, seriously, our fandom does Win at Life. It's very true.

In other news, I got my yarn from KnitPicks. It's awesome! And I can't wait to get into it... There will be a post later with pics...

And KnitPicks is evil! OMG! Look they have new lace yarn samplers!! The downside to these is that there are no patterns for each skein, so one would have to come up with their own idea for each different color. Which to me is a major downside.

A Quiz! Yay!

from Ilana...

I got two answers. Apparently this happens sometimes:

My sphere is Guardian (Person of great Love and Altruism), and my class is Defender (Peaceful, yet Potent).

I am a Warden.

To be a Warden is to be the ultimate Guardian. Whether a physical Guardian or an essential Guardian, is up to you. You may be both. To be a physical Guardian is to be a living, breathing testament to the love you carry for a person, or people, whose lives you will always defend if you possibly can. To be an essential Guardian is to be a living, breathing testament to the security that your wards seek, and will look to you for your always kind, always nurturing support.

What kind of Warrior are you?

My sphere is Guardian (Person of great Love and Altruism), and my class is Rogue (Precise and Unhindered).

I am a Protector.

You won't let anything or anyone threaten the ones you love if you have anything to say about it -- and you aren't afraid to back that up by any means possible. You might get your hands dirty in your life. You might do things that more lawful people would question. But there is no doubt in your mind that what you are doing is right, and you will have no regrets. To be a Protector is to shed many layers of "status quo," of "morality," and, to a degree, of honor, in order to dedicate yourself to the protection of your love in any way you can. You are a truly rare breed. You are loved in return for your great dedication by the people who value you. You know how to keep secrets, and uphold your word.

What kind of Warrior are you?

*nerdy squeal*

I found Skyr in the grocery store! *squeal* ... Okay, I will explain, because I'm sure very few people outside of Iceland and maybe Scandinavia and Canada have ever heard of this stuff...

Skyr is the national dish of Iceland according to the Icelandic Tourist Board. It's a very, very soft fat-free cheese. This package that I'm looking at calls it a yogurt, but it's actually a cheese. It's very thick, thicker than the thickest sour cream, but not as thick as cream cheese. It's somewhere in between them. And it taste a little like sour cream or plain yogurt. But it's completely fat-free, and very high in calcium and protein, and always made from skim milk. There are three ingredients in plain skyr: skim milk (preferably unpasteurized cow's or sheep's milk, if we're being strictly traditional), live cultures and rennet. That's it. No sugar, no artificial anything. It is yum! I do like it! Skyr that's made from sheep's milk is naturally sweeter than that made from cow's milk, but I think the idea of cow's milk is probably more palatable to Americans, so the skyr that I found at the grocery store is made from cow's milk.

Next question would be, why am I spazzing out over it? Well, it's a very old kind of cheese and therefore it makes my inner (who am I kidding? there's no "inner" about it!) history geek scream and bounce around for joy. The Vikings pretty much subsisted most of the year on skyr, fish and other dairy products in Iceland. They had some limited types of vegetables (potatoes might be big there now, but they didn't have them in the 9th century - or for some time after the 9th century - obviously) that could be grown, but grain could not be grown there (as it was too cold, even for rye), at least not ever in any quantity, so most if not all of their grain was imported from mainland Europe or the British Isles, and so grain couldn't be as much of a staple of their diet as it was in other parts of Europe. They made bread, beer and porridge out of the grain. Which might be why one of the traditional ways to eat skyr is stirred in equal amounts with porridge. You can take a look at the traditional Icelandic foods listed at wikipedia and see what kinds of fish and meat dishes they ate. I can tell you, I don't think I would want to try most of them ever, even on a dare or if paid. And why they didn't use some of this stuff on Fear Factor, I don't know. 'Cause it's definitely Fear Factor material. Not that I ever watched that show, so maybe they did use some of these things.

Traditionally, skyr keeps well without refrigeration, although, the people who regulate such things in the US recommend refrigeration because there are no preservatives added to it. It does have some sodium, but only that which is naturally occurring in milk.

Skyr came about through innovation and desperation in an environment where everything edible needed to be put to good use. Butter was an excellent way of preserving the fats in milk, and blocks of butter could be and actually were used as a kind of currency (since they were also easy to store, weigh and transport). Viking women would spend a lot of time making heavily salted butter and cheese, which obviously, produced a lot of skim milk and whey. Whey, I'm not sure what they did with it, other than they could have drank it as it was. But the skim milk they could preserve for months at a time very effectively by making it into skyr. And so, they did.

And I finally got to try some today. hee! *blissfully geeked out*

That is all. :D

O.O

I am agog! Look ---->

KnitPicks Summer Yarn Samplers

Would it surpise you if I said I ordered all three? Plus, some sock yarn to make these in order to get free shipping?

In other news, apparently magknits.com has disappeared? I am very sad about this.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!!

I didn't do a thing for it today today, other than tend the garden. But my mom is a science teacher, so she had a great ecological curriculum for today. She taught about the benefits of recycling, hanging laundry to dry outside rather than using a dryer, using reusable bags for groceries rather than paper or plastic, and how solar power works. She said the kids really seemed into it, and she was surprised by the number of kids who said their parents use the reusable bags and hang their laundry out.

Also all the public and charter schools in our county planted at least 38 trees given to them by the forestry service in honor of the 38th Earth Day. Nearly 6,000 trees (FTW! \o/) were planted between 11am - 12pm all over the county by kids and their teachers. Makes me all kinds of happy! The Guinness Book of World Records people were here to monitor the event, and the school system here now holds the record for most trees planted in a day and in a single hour. I hope this becomes a tradition and when they run out of space to plant trees at the schools, they can plant them elsewhere - places where there are erosion problems, etc. - and maybe things other than trees, like mangroves, sea grapes, and sea grasses along the bay and coast to help rebuild the estuaries in Tampa Bay and prevent erosion on the barrier islands, and go on field trips to study various ecosystems and maybe do clean-up projects. That would be cool...

Baby Bathing Suit - All done!

Yay!! I've finished my niece's birthday present. She will be 1 year old in August, so also Yay! for not procrastinating for once.

It's a bathing suit/romper and matching hat. the colors are much brighter than they appear in this photo, but it's the best my camera phone would do...



Well, its finished except for the buttons to hold the straps and also the crochet around the arm and neck holes so that the knitting won't curl, which Susan will kindly do for me when I see her in probably less than a month. Because I might be able to do things like this with needles, but give me a crochet hook and I'm all thumbs!

The hat might need a simple crocheted string thing to tie under the chin, not sure. Because it looks like it won't stay on by itself, though I followed the pattern exactly. But that would be simple to do if necessary I think.

The pattern is here for those who might be interested. Sorry if you click and lionbrand won't let you look at it. They like people to sign up with for their mailing list before they let people into their patterns.

Today was the greatest day of them all...

Okay, so maybe not, but that line from the Smashing Pumpkins song just went through my head when I was trying to think of a title for this post.

But.

Today was AWESOME! Just so you know...

I got to class. A major plus. Afterward I got together with Stacey and we went to the College of Education and got info on their Masters of Arts in Teaching programs in the fields we're interested in. It would be so amazing if she and I get to go through the MAT program together! I think neither of us would feel so alone doing that if we have each other.

After that, we got together with Mia for lunch in the Marshall Center (which is the Student Union), and very soon Chelsea joined us. I was so happy because I haven't seen any of them in months! Even though all of us, with the exception of Stacey, go to school there and are on campus just about everyday. You'd think we would see each other more, but no, we are all so freaking busy and our schedules completely conflict. So YAY!!! we had lunch, then went to the mall to get boba and chocolate (which might be why I'm so hyper now because chocolate turned into chocolate + candy and I's on a SUGAR HIGH right nao), and then Stacey had to head home so we said goodbye to her and then the rest of us headed to the used bookstore near school and moar fun tiemz ensued.

Came home, got my presents from Ilana, and finished Jensen's hat! YAY!!!! *runz arowwnd liek a crazy* (I told you - sugar LOL! *facepalm*) It only took me three days from when I cast on the stitches on Saturday...

Oh, and I has pikturez... Thank God for camera phones, 'cuz I still don't have the computer cable for my digital.

Looks way better on than it does not...


Yes, that is LOST on my tv in the background...


And the other side...


Has a neat little decreased top, it does... See the nice pattern:


And from the front... :D Tha's me...


This hat is so comfy. In my hands, it feels like it might be itchy because the wool is tough, not silky, but then when I put it on, it only feels warm and cosy, not at all itchy, not even on my ears. And if it's not itchy on me, I don't think anyone would find it so.


It's made out of 70% Corriedale wool and 30% mohair, handspun 2-ply that I made from roving from Yarns, Etc. in Greensboro. The hat pattern is the Cashmere Rib Hat by Jessica at Fig & Plum.

Hear my Squeals of Joy!!!

Yay!!! I got my wooly prize from Ilana today!! I danced around the living room looking for something to open the package with. And lo, what do I find upon opening? A lovely skein of lovely green Navajo churro wool, a wooly toy for my kitties and a bar of her yummy shampoo-body bar that she made not too long ago I think. *squeals of joy* The kitties are thusfar skeptical of the wooly toy, but I think it's too cute! The soap looks like a piece of candy, I think, and smells like yummy bread dough (I guess that would be the beer?). And the wool is just yummy! It is a single, I estimate at 188 yards. And I love the color! (What did you dye it with?) Kind of forest-y and mossy, and it changes subtly as I turn it around in the light. And it smells yummy too! Not sure what it smells like, but it's yummy...

Thank you so much, Ilana!!! *big hugs*

Also, my friend Phaedra now has a blogspot blog... It will be linked momentarily in the right-hand column.

And in other news, today was made of awesome! Because I got info on the MAT programs at school, had lunch with Stacey (and got my Supernatural Season 1 DVDs back from her after she had borrowed them and didn't give them back for four months - LOL!), Mia and Chelsea, and then went to the mall for boba and chocolate, then to a bookstore where fun ensued, only to come home to presents from Ilana, and then - to top it all off - I just finished Jensen's hat! (*squeals for joy*) Pictures will be up momentarily...

a meme...

never thought I'd be doing one of these here...

Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules.
3. Share a 6 word philosophy of life
4. Tag 3 other people

1. Ilana done it!
2. Rules.. see above.
3. 6 words? I don't think I can do it in 6 words... I've got one that's 5 words. Facere quod in se est. Do what is in yourself. But that's the best I think I can come up with...
3. Three people to tag... hmm... well, I don't really know anybody on blogger other than Ilana, who already tagged me, and Susan... So Susan! Tag! You're it!

Wheee! A quiz...

Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You?

Magister Mundi sum!
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Ick...

I'm sick... I think I have the flu. Plus, my camera cord that hooks my camera to the computer for transferring of videos and pictures was stolen at the hotel. So I have to wait to get a new one to post all my EyeCon stuff. But never fear, I still had a wonderful time. I adored all the stars. They were all really lovely, kind, gracious people and we were so lucky that they were there. But I'm feeling light-headed, so that's it for now.

Here's one of my favorite videos of Sandy... when she talks about Jared's and her dog, Harley, and I think she also mentions their other dog, Sadie. No spoilers, and her candid kindness and sweetness really comes through in her answer to this question. Really, she's such a nice person! So glad she was there...

I'm home!

Jared did the exorcism for us:



For the eternal squee!!!!

EyeCon... Yes!

Two things...

One... my kitty being adorable, sleeping in the laundry...



Two... I've spun a lot of the stuff I've bought recently, in particular that stuff that I bought for Jared and Jensen's hats.

I need help choosing now. I think that the gray for Jared's is out. The gray that I got, stupidly, is too coarse.

For Jared's I was thinking the green, and for Jensen's the blue-gray. I need help choosing what will go with it. I've got natural black, natural brown and natural white (which is more of a slightly off-white). I'm not sure if it will be for the stripes or for the main color. But let me know what you think...







For further visualization, these are some of the patterns that I'm considering using... The Chocolate and green ribbed hat, the 1x1 Rib Hat, the Watch Cap, and the Simple Ribbed Cap. There are others that don't have pictures. But these are basically the two types, those with fold-up brims and those without. Which do you prefer? Which do you think the boys would prefer? Either way, they will have stripes.

I'm also thinking of making one for Sandy, Jared's fiancee, just because... For her, I'm thinking something with cables... maybe in white? 'Cause wouldn't she look amazing (like she doesn't already!) in a white cabled stocking cap? Something like Anna of Green Cables maybe... Haven't really started looking for patterns for her yet...

That's all... *hugs everyone*

Wheeee!

Today was Amaya's birthday... She is one of my kitties... Behold Her Cute-'n-Tiny-ness:




Also...

Went to the RenFaire this last weekend and the weekend before. Lots of v. interesting stuff... I've got hundreds of pictures. I wish I could post them all, but that's impossible. I will have to figure out what it is that I really want to share. There were hotties playing Human Combat Chess and the jousters were pretty in a young Aragorn kind of way too. There was craziness at the Washing Well Wenches Show, and Bunnies in Peril (it was a magic show). Food was nummy... All in all, it was a good couple of days.

So... EyeCon is coming up...

I have so much to do before this weekend, OMG!

I will be sure to report back as much as possible... No laptop to bring with, so won't be able to do anything until Sunday night at the earliest.

Today...

* I got a haircut. It is super cute! OMG! I wish I could post pictures, but I suck at taking them of myself, so pics from EyeCon will no doubt show... as long as once I've washed it and styled it myself, the cuteness doesn't go phhhhhffffttt!

* I got a pedicure. With nail polish called "Jenson Beach Jade"... Yeah, it's not spelled like "Jensen," and yeah, he's not coming to EyeCon (of which I'm actually glad; I want the boy to go home and relax for the weekend, poor darling), and yeah, it's actually named after a real place somewhere in Florida (as are all the polishes by this company), BUT! It's called Jenson Beach Jade and I love it...

* I bought an extra memory card for my digital camera. I now can take 1800+ photos or 1.5 hours of video. FTW!

Still to do:

* homework
* picking out clothes (especially for the Platinum and PJ Parties!) and packing
* find and fix my slippers (the button fell off of one of them a few weeks ago)
* buying various sundry toiletries that I need to get anyway as I am out
* laundry
* decide what crafty things I'm taking with to keep my fingers busy and out of mischief
* I'm sure a lot of other things I'm not remembering right now...

So busy!

I don't know where this week went, but it's obviously gone now. I did horribly on my Latin test on Thursday. Probably worst grade of the semester (hopefully, will get no worse *knocks wood*). But I will not dwell on things I can't change now...

I went to the RenFaire last weekend, when it rained all day, but I did not care, and also again yesterday... My dad had gotten comp tickets from someone he knew through work and since I didn't get to buy anything while it rained (didn't want any of it to get wet), I wanted to go again before it ended for the year... This week, weather was perfect. Pictures will be forthcoming from both weekends as soon as they are uploaded.

I got a picnic basket and a fox tail... yes, an actual fox tail... yes, PETA would hate me... yes, I hate me a little for it too... but not enough not to get it from one of the leather workers... (Those were all the answers I gave to the questions my mom asked when she saw I had it.) *sighs* ... It's silver. And soft. And hangs off the back of my corset. I like. It's costume swag.

Picnic basket is for picnics at Hillsborough River State Park. Yay!

Other than that, been spinning and working on Sophie's birthday present way ahead of time. Got some of Jared's stuff spun. Ordered some green Corriedale and some gray super-fine Corriedale from coppermoose on ebay. It came a few days ago and I've been working away ever since. Will be nice. I like it a lot already. I think some of the gray will also be used as stripes for Jensen's hat.

Only one week left til EyeCon in Orlando. I'm going with Susan. Jared, his girlfriend Sandy, Samantha Ferris, Alona Tal, Jim Beaver, Chad Lindburg, and several other people from Supernatural will be there. Plus, a lot of Supernatural fans that I've met online from as far away as Australia. I'm very excited about it. There will be much rejoicing.

Still to do:
I have to pick out clothes and shoes... figure out what I'm wearing to the Platinum Party and the PJ Party especially. I need to find/fix my slippers. I also need a haircut and a pedicure... and figure out what crafty things I'm taking with to be working on... and an additional um... memory thing... for the digital camera would probably be wise in case I don't have any way to upload while there and take more than 651 photos... which is possible... it's almost three full days of fannish squee after all...

Also, behold:



Oh lord! I hate Dr. Phil!

Sandy McCoy interview...

Sandy McCoy is quite possibly the most adorable human being on the planet! I want to have lunch with her at some cute sidewalk bistro somewhere and go shopping afterward. OMG!

(Beware that there are spoilers in the interview about season 3 of Supernatural [but only about episodes that have already aired in the US])

Interview can be seen here

*flails as I read the interview*

Also, I so know what her and Jared's "secret" is... I think... I'm 99.999% sure anyway... and will be completely shocked if I'm wrong...

EDIT March 29, 2:20 AM: There is a SPOILER-FREE continuation of the interview here. I flail... full-on... for example, at this:

[Question:] Captain Kirk vs Captain Jack Sparrow

[Sandy:] (She gasps) God! I’m a huge Johnny Depp lover, there’s no contest. Okay, maybe against Jean Luc Picard, because I did love Star Trek: The Next Generation but not Captain Kirk. That would be a toss up, because I love Patrick Stewart also, so that’s where the contest would lie, but Captain Jack Sparrow would still definitely win. How do you not look at him and be in awe. And not just because of his physical appearance, oh gosh, he’s not human. He can’t be. Johnny Depp cannot be human, so he’d win and I’d like to go on record saying that. Even Jared has a man crush on him. He’s great.

Also there is a link to the music video she's in right now... Yes, that's her, the first person you see when it starts playing...

it's a small kind of accomplishment...

I'm watching Pride and Prejudice. The A&E mini. I love it. *sighs*

I've also been working on knitting and spinning today.

I've plied the first of the silk/linen roving. I've got approximately 45 yards out of one ounce, 2-ply. If I keep to that rate, I'll get approximately 722 yards out of the pound I've got. Keep in mind that this is at only 8 to 10 wpi... so pretty good really, I think. This is the first time I've ever tried to spin something of a technically "bulky" weight, as well as the first time I've tackled anything other than wool, and it's a bit uneven, which is fine because that's actually kind of what I'm going for here. I wonder, however, how large a shawl I'll be able to make out of it. Big, do you think?

I'm also working on my niece's birthday present. I'll be giving it to my sister early because I want Sophie to be able to wear it as much as possible before she outgrows it, even though she will only be one in August and the size says it's 18 months (it seems to be a bit small as I'm knitting). I'm making this. I'm using Cotton-Ease and getting the gauge, so yay! I get to use up some of my stash! I've altered the stripes too, and will also be making the matching hat. It's in fuchsia and periwinkle blue. I've got the back done and the front perhaps 1/3 done. And I started on it on Sunday afternoon. I think she will be completely precious (not that she's ever not completely precious) in it.

Roving issues...

First of all, yes, I think the acid dye with the silk/linen will work just fine... I just have to figure out the exact color.

Now, then...

I love the ladies at Yarns, Etc. in Greensboro, but the gray wool roving I got is, on close inspection and in practice, unspinnable in its current state. I have every confidence that when I blend it with the alpaca I have from Ilana (as I've already blended a small amount and tried drafting it) that it will spin perfectly and be completely beautiful. It's wonderfully soft. Not the slightest bit coarse or itchy. I think I could wear it next to the skin even. The problem is that the drum carding didn't remove enough of the noils and vm to draft it as it is. Too many little tangled bits and burrs, and besides that it has A LOT of crimp, which makes it cling to itself and not draft easily at all... I don't have my own cards yet to fix it, only dog slickers, which are only good for processing and blending very small amounts of fiber (any quantity just takes too long and I keep hitting my fingers, causing small scratches and irritation that is so not fun). I don't want this to reflect at all ill on the rovings that the ladies at Yarns, Etc sell. This was an emergency purchase and they were so very kind to accommodate me and get me what I asked them for during a very busy time of year for them. Every other bit of roving I've ever gotten from them has been utter heaven to spin. I just can't use this roving for this particular project. Although I think later this summer it will make some beautiful yarn when I have time to deal with it properly.

So, I'm on a search of ebay for other roving. I just got some delicious silk/linen stuff from coppermoose (I've bought from him many times before and he has incredibly wonderful stuff at very reasonable prices and quick shipping) and I think I will try him first.

On the handcards front, after extensive researching the different brands, I'm thinking the Schacht handcards. (And OMG their wheels are BEAUTIFUL but so expensive, OMG!) They cost a little bit more than most, but not that much more, and they are US made of domestic hardwood, and seem to have a lot of good features for longevity that the others don't have. I need advice on whether the curved or straight ones are better, or what the advantages of each are. I have nowhere near me where I might try them out for myself. Also, the coarsest fiber I ever work with is Corriedale, everything else is stuff like Merino, Shetland, and alpaca... so 72 or 112 points? I know 72 is "all purpose" and 112 is for "fine fibers"... but what exactly constitutes "fine fibers"? Because I know things can get a heck of a lot coarser than Corriedale, and the 72 point hardcards work for that, so... hmmmm...

EternalAutumn's Etsy Store

I'm taking a moment to pimp my sister Lara's new Etsy store. She makes handmade one of a kind jewelry pieces. It is beautiful, high-quality stuff. I can attest to this as I've been gifted with several of her pieces over the years. She tests each piece for strength and durability and if pieces break from use or otherwise, she will fix it for free. Check out her stuff! kthxbai!

Things to learn...

Two posts in one day! Oh, I'm feeling chatty...

There are two things I want to learn this summer...

1.) How to make soap using lye and oils. And how to mill it and add things to it. Yes, this is a very necessary endeavor.

2.) How to shoot... like, a gun... Jason told Susan and I last week that he thinks we should do that. Susan, of course, already knows how to shoot, but I don't. I've never shot a gun. I don't even think I've ever really held one either. And the only ones I've ever seen up close are Jason's rifles and shotguns and my mom's revolver. I don't even know what kind my mom's is. I saw it when I was a little kid, and I, being a good little girl, stayed away from it as I was told. (I just went and asked her about it. It's a .38 Special Official Police Colt. A friend of hers bought it for her at a gun show back in the 70s and she bought it from them. She still has it. It desperately needs to be cleaned and she hasn't fired it in 15+ years. But she took it out and showed it to me. My dad had a bit of a mini-fit over it. LOL!) So, yeah, I think it's an important skill to have... as an American... revolution, rebellion, purpose of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution and all that... to at least know the mechanics of the process. How to handle it, load it, aim, fire, hit what you're trying to hit and not something else, and to clean it...

I told my dad my intentions and he vehemently grumbled about it. He hates guns, as they are for killing and that's about it. Reminding him that he eats meat that has to be killed by someone before he eats it doesn't help. He doesn't see getting steak or chicken from the grocery store and hunting and killing a deer for food as the same freaking kind of thing. Even though, you know, it kind of is... To him, one is okay and perfectly acceptable for civilized human beings, and the other is not something he particularly approves of or would ever participate in... I can't say why he thinks this way and it makes no sense to me. The only thing I can figure is that it's because he's a baby boomer from a Yankee and city-fied family and has an overall gentle demeanor. And that's all well and true, but I still think it's an important skill and one I'd like to add to my repertoire.

I will now go back to watching John Adams for the 50th time since Sunday. This miniseries is kickass! I highly recommend checking it out.

Been busy...

I went on a little trip to South Carolina and Virginia last week during my Spring Break to visit Susan and my brother and sisters and other family there. It was a lot of fun and it felt like a lot longer than just a week with all the things we did. I took lots of pictures (312 to be exact) on my mom's new digital camera, which I borrowed for the occasion.

While in Virginia, I picked out the granite for the countertop in my bathroom in the new cabin. The guy told me that it's called "Green Juparana" but I can't seem to find a picture of that online... In any case, it's got some subtle splotches of sagey green, but is mostly yellow and gold tones, with flecks or red and black in a folded pattern across the surface of the stone... It's very pretty and mirrors the exposed bedrock stone outside where the hill was cut back a bit.

The cabin itself is progressing quickly. The plumbing and electrical things are all done and the interior walls are being finished. The roof is pretty much finished as well. The flooring and ceilings go in next week. We went out and took pictures.

The back:


The front:


The hillside:


The view from the porch:


We also went to the fabric store and got things to make a shirt and a dress for me for EyeCon and a shirt and new dresses for Susan, which I think she mostly needed anyway, but is also making especially for EyeCon. It's in 16 days! Wheeee!

We also went to Yarns, Etc. in Greensboro and I got roving... I think the gray stuff might need to be picked through some more before spinning, but overall it's good stuff from a small farm, so I shan't complain. The blue-gray 30% mohair/70% corriedale is very nice... I've spun some on my Hitchhiker (which is now fixed and working perfectly) and did a simple 2-ply. See here:



And I spun up the last of the black Merino that I had... about 6 1/2 ounces...



I also bought a pound of bleached 50% linen/50% silk roving for a shawl I want to make of my own design, which I typed of before here... I'm going to spin it going for a dk-worsted weight... And I want to try Navajo plying. But first, I think I need to dye this stuff... I want light colors... I want light blue-green and very light, almost-not-there pink and I want to leave some of it natural. I have no idea how to go about achieving these colors though because everytime I've ever tried to dye things before I've been going for deep, dark colors and the only way I know how to get lighter colors is by exhausting the dyebath. Also, I've never dyed roving before, let alone roving that is silk/linen. And I don't want to fuck it up. Although, maybe it might be better to spin it, knit it and dye it afterward when it's all finished so that I can get the color placement exactly as I want it... and maybe even do something like a tie-dyeing effect... I don't know. So. Any help, suggestions or advice you might be able to give me on any of this will be much appreciated.

In other news: This Saturday, I'm going to RenFaire with my friends. It will be awesome...

Woah! We totally heard that, crazylady!

Check this out... This woman is an elected official in Oklahoma, and she thought only 50 people would ever hear what she was saying... I'd say her agenda is the most dangerous and distructive, ladies and gents. Hate destroys lives.

*sighs*

Well, I didn't drive up to South Carolina today. The weather across the entire east coast, just about, is why... It's a mess out there!

Luckily, the bad weather should be passed by very early tomorrow morning, so I'll set out tomorrow instead.

Awesome article...

... about Supernatural... There are no spoilers... at least, nothing specific. It's mostly about how amazing and underrated the show is, and how everyone who liked The X-Files, Charmed, Buffy, or Angel, or any other kickass sci-fi/horror show, will LOVE Supernatural. Seriously, she's not kidding. :D Check it out... Supernatural: How a show manages to succeed despite it's network

*pausing for a moment*

Yeah, this is really important... Watch this, please:



Seriously, y'all...

In other news, there will soon be pix of handspun yarn, just as soon as I can get them uploaded.

Waaaahooo!!! and a *sigh of relief*

Ahem (copied from Team Winchester):

Someone out there loves us...

The CW has announced Supernatural will return with season 4 this fall!

Some quotes:

"First things first -- Supernatural is back! You had us worried there for awhile, CW, what with taking it off the schedule for long periods of time and not promoting it as much as we'd like. But you seem to have realized what a gem you have on your hands, and we're beyond psyched that we'll get a fourth season."- CW Source

"Yes, fans of the Winchester brothers, who are always wary that Supernatural is on the verge of cancellation, can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The network announced that all of these shows are essential to the network's identity and pull in solid ratings, especially among the important demographic of women 18-34."- BuddyTV

"The CW today announced its batch of early pickups for this fall's season, and Supernatural--about a pair of brothers who hunt demons across the country--was one of six shows that has been cleared to return by the network."- TV.com

OMG! I have the cutest niece *ever*!

My sister, Lara, sent me new pictures of my niece, Sophie, today... She is getting cuter and cuter by the day. I love her so much! Look at that little face! Isn't she just the cutest baby you've ever seen?!?!?

Also... I think she has my eyes...

Yay!! I get to go visit her the week after next! Can't wait!

Spring is here! Yay!

Maybe not technically, but as far as the Florida planting season is concerned, it's Spring. Which means that Joe and I planted the garden last Sunday. I have pictures...

Here's the part that has plants that are already visible.

Tomatoes...

Peppers in the foreground, eggplant in the background...

I've got okra intercropped with all that but it hasn't sprouted yet...

We're still acquiring bricks to line the edges and the paths with.

The rest of the garden has, as I said, already been planted and within a month should have green beans, cucumbers, zucchini and yellow summer squash coming up. We're also going to intercrop that part with radishes (because supposedly they are quite good at distracting certain pests) and lettuce. Also, marigolds along the paths...

And in that pot that you can see in the above off to the right, is this:

It's sort of become my pet collard plant... I planted it in October of 2006 and basically forgot that it was there... I never water it, I don't do anything except ocasionally pick off the lower leaves and it just keeps going... So for now, I'm leaving it just as it is...

In our herb patch, the rosemary, oregano, and chives overwintered, and the mint is just beginning to come back.

We planted basil, tarragon, cilantro and dill to replace what did not overwinter... and we'll be adding more, no doubt as the season goes on...

Hey!! Kripke!!! Over here!! You need to see this!

Okay... y'all who don't watch Supernatural, don't need to worry about this. Those who do, you might want to read and add your two cents. Those who can be considered a Power That Be, go read this because it is for you.

An open letter to Eric Kripke (and Ben Edlund and Sera Gamble), airing just some of our collective grievances over the last several episodes, if not the entire third season, in a very coherent and well-thought-out sort of way. Really, Eric, you need to see this. The truth hurts, but I think you'll learn from it in the long run. 'Cause we're kinda pissed you killed off Henricksen. We might not forgive you for that for quite a while. At least until April. So sit on your hands a minute, and read, k? (Lord, I hope Eric reads this... if not, there are people planning to print it and send him a copy... 'cause like I said, we're pretty pissed.)

Also, Bela and Ruby speculation that I think would be really interesting and possibly fix the season.

Thoughts on Supernatural, 3.12: "Jus In Bello"

Obviously, there are ***spoilers*** here. And if you don't watch the show 1.) you should, and 2.) you won't understand any of this, I'm sure.

Onward... (I made this as brief as I could.)

* Bela's not funny. Dean and I are not amused. "... nothing about me." *sighs* I'm sorry, but this is getting old. Boys, darlings, seriously, send Ruby to get her and get the Colt back. Simple as pie. Simpler even. In any case, I'm disliking Bela more and more with every episode that she's in and I don't care what Kripke has up his sleeve concerning her. It can't be that good.

* Henricksen's such a badass. *giggles* If he didn't back it all up as well as he does, clueless as he is about what's really going on, I'd have to say "all icing, no cake." But he's got cake. And he is so all about the condescension when he has things to do. Also, he is like the calm eye in the middle of hurricane in the scene where the police are figuring out just how surrounded and cut off they all are. Check him out. You know, if he had lived through this, I could totally have seen him becoming a hunter... He could have been like the Anti-Gordon, you know. And that would have been really cool! Damn it, Kripke! Why so quick to kill off when you get bored?!?! See, Henricksen is a pretty steady guy. Not many could get possessed and be that... if not okay, at least maintaining afterward. And he learns really fast! Why, Kripke, why?!?!?!

* Nancy is so sweet. What is she doing working in a police station? Then again, it's a little town, so they probably don't have big time criminals to deal with often... if ever... But still, sweet girl... and obviously skilled in First Aid.

* Sam spoke Latin like it was his second language! That is so hot! ... So we're ending exorcisms on "audi nos" in this ep, huh? That's a new one... In fact, this is a new arrangement of the exorcism ritual... And they're ending on different "audi nos"s in each... and not the previously used ending, which was with an invocation of "the Father." Hmm... (You know I'm going to analyze these eventually, right?) Although, in the tape-recorded exorcism there, Jared was so just reading that off a page and had no idea what he was saying... I'm going to assume that there's a reason why they're ending the ritual with "audi nos" here and not with the prescribed invocation because I don't want them to have done that just for time, thinking no one would ever notice. Because there's no way I could have missed that if I'd tried. (Latin geek? Me?)

* You know, this episode is really good with the suspense... I'm on the edge of my seat at every commercial break, going, "No!! Come back here and tell me what happens next!!!"

* "Yay!" for anti-possession charms! Obviously, they've gotten more from Bobby. Also, I love the tattoos! Very nice! I also adore that Nancy is all concerned about them and asks, therefore making it necessary that they show us the tats to begin with. But really, I hearts the tattoos! If I were the type, I'd probably be going to get inked tomorrow, but am not... so will just pet the boys' tats from here...

As to the positioning of the tattoos, I've paused my DVR for closer inspection... Sam's looks crooked. Maybe inverted? Maybe. Because he's standing at the same angle as Dean to the camera, and his is definitely closer to being inverted than pointing upward. Now, the question is was that on purpose or did the make-up ladies make a mistake putting his on? Only time and another glimpse at the boys' flesh will tell...

* "Honestly, I think the world's gonna end bloody. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't fight. We do have choices, and I choose to go down swinging." How very Viking of you, Dean. (Did I mention that I love the Vikings?... um... the Medieval Scandinavian people, not the football team...) Just when I think I can't love you any more than I already do, you say something Viking-ish and I "Guh!" just a little bit more inside.

* Hmmm... Virgin sacrifice. Did not see that one coming... Aww!! Nancy!! Look at her! She's so sweet! She's totally all Iphigenia at Aulus right now! And that would totally make Dean Achilles. The bestest of the bestest of all Greek heroes. Yay!!! *cheers*

* I have to say, Sam's willingness to go with Ruby's plan and not even try any other way without some serious prodding from Dean is rather... worrisome... 'Cause no matter how it turned out in the end, I'm with Dean on this one...

* Oh, Ruby, so pessimistic. "I'm disappointed. Because I tried. I really did. But clearly, I bet on the wrong horse." Oooohhh!! Is she going to want to switch sides now? Has she been all along and she's been like a double-agent? Has she done anything but play them for fools since she showed up? How come none of the demons outside go after her when she leaves? I'm full of questions about Ruby.

* I can't think of a better new Big Bad at the moment. And of course Lilith has got to be in the form of a little girl. Sam and Dean would be expecting a full-grown, probably smokin' hot woman. A little girl would be more likely to pass under their radar until it's too late... Now, we know it won't come to that... 'cause they're The Boys, and they'll eventually figure it out. But I think it's a very interesting way to start this part of the arc.

* You know, I'm really glad that they flip-flopped these episodes. I think it's a really good thing for story flow that "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (where Dean finds out what would happen to him if he dies in fulfillment of the Deal) and "Mystery Spot" (where Sam finds out what would happen to him if Dean dies) are now right next to each other, and then this episode happens where they find out who the new Big Bad is. If this one had been between "Dream a Little Dream" and "Mystery Spot" I think some of the momentum would have been lost.

Evolution is in Florida Public Schools! Thank God!

Hallelujah!

This article is copied in its entirety from the original source... because you know links to articles break or the articles are taken off the site, so. If it still works, click and go there, if not, it's here to read, from Wired Blog Network: Wired Science:

Evolution Wins as Creationists (Accidentally) Switch Sides in Florida
By Brandon Keim February 20, 2008 | 12:59:46 PM
Categories: Education, Evolution

The Florida Board of Education officially upheld evolution yesterday.

The board didn't quite mean to do that, of course. In a 4-3 vote, the Board accepted a proposed curriculum that replaced all references to evolution with the phrase "the scientific theory of evolution." In so doing, the board inadvertently made evolution central to public school science education, and also, almost incidentally, mandated education on just what constitutes a "scientific theory."

Until now, Florida's schools weren't required to teach evolution. The old curriculum guidelines didn't even mention it by name.

That state education officials would approve the new standards was not a foregone conclusion. Since last November, 12 county school boards passed resolutions calling for classroom evolution to be balanced by "alternatives" -- a polite euphemism for religiously orthodox explanations of life. The resolutions were non-binding, but raised fears that that the Board of Education would try to duck controversy by diluting the new standards.

Apart from being illegal, teaching creationism as science is a very bad idea. Students may not be permanently scarred by failing to learn about evolution at an early age -- though the National Academy of Science would surely disagree -- but, they're bound to be stunted if told that evolution and creationism are even remotely equivalent in any scientific sense.

Yesterday's decision is thus great news for Florida -- and perhaps for the nation. Had Florida backed down, Texas -- where a pro-evolution science education official was fired last year, and a curriculum revision is scheduled later this year -- might have followed suit. Together they exert enough purchasing power to drag the nation's textbook manufacturers with them, science be damned.

The 4-3 vote was obtained by including a last-minute amendment to the standards. Suggested last Friday by religious conservatives and dubbed the "academic freedom proposal," the amendment required that the curriculum's references to "evolution" be replaced by the "scientific theory of evolution."

The amendment's supporters called the language change a victory -- and it is, though not in the way they imagine.

Not only will Florida's students learn about evolution; they'll also learn that the scientific definition of a theory is different from the everyday definition, referring not to wild-eyed speculation but to a vast body of observation and testing that confirms a hypothesis so strongly that it might as well be considered fact.

A big thank-you, then, to religious critics of evolution education. The language change will better help Florida's children understand not only evolution, but science itself. (If only this USA Today headline writer had the same education.)

Isn't democracy grand?

Note: People interested in how religious and scientific beliefs need not conflict should check out my Q&A with evangelical theologist Michael Dowd.

Decision: Florida schools must teach evolution [Palm Beach Post]

Evolution joins curriculum [St. Petersburg Times]

Knitting and more knitting...

I'm taking stock of what I've got going and will have going soon here...

So I've got several knitting projects planned... I've got several that are more or less half-finished and will stay that way for a good long while yet... And then, I have two that are almost finished, but aren't.

One is Wisp... which only needs the buttons added and to have the woven-in ends trimmed off, so I really should get to that.

The other is a pair of Dashing mitts for my dear friend Zinzi. Zinzi, poor darling, is in New Haven, Connecticut at Yale... getting her MS degree in Epidemiology and Microbial Disease... She is already an RN, but she wants to be a researcher, so... Yale for grad school. Zinzi is a freakin' genius and I love her to death. I was supposed to have them done for her before she left last August, but that didn't happen... then school got in the way and I was supposed to have them done by the end of January, but that didn't happen either. So I say "poor darling" because not only does she have to endure the awful New Haven winter, but she has to do it with crappy dorm heating and no mitts to keep her hands warm while she's typing out brilliant papers. I would have them done by now, but I have to rip one of them out and redo it because it's the wrong size. And the one that is the right size still needs it's thumb. *sighs* I really need to get to that in the next week or so...

What else do I have on my plate? Well, I've got the yarn for Ice Queen (the blue one there), but I need the beads... and I have the yarn for Twinkle Toes, but I can't make them for myself because I've found that while the yarn might be stretchy, but it's not going to stretch enough that this pattern will fit my feet, so they'll have to go to someone with smaller feet. Ah well, once those are done, that will be a perfect Holiday present for someone...

Stuff that won't get done anytime soon... would be socks for my mom because I can't seem to find them. And Starsky because it's something else that needs to be ripped out, I fear...

And I really want a pair of Pedicure Socks, but I need a substitute yarn because I'm allergic to Patons Classic Merino Wool... something that they use in the fiber processing or their dyes, I think... But anyway, I need a pair of these... Really, I think I dreamed I had a pair last night. If that's not a sign, I don't know what is...

What will get done as soon as I get the supplies because it needs to be finished asap: Hats for the Boys. They won't be done by the time I go to EyeCon, this much I know, because EyeCon is the first weekend in April and I haven't even gotten the roving yet. But I want to do simple knit hats... kinda like this one (except not Abercrombie & Fitch):


or this one (except without all the orange or the... are those moose?):


(Those would be "the Boys" btw.)

I'll probably end up finishing them over the summer and send them to them on the set... That's where they'll need them anyway. It's cold up there in Vancouver, yo.

Mmmm... endorphins...

So I've decided that it's time for me to get out there and exercise again. It's been well over a year since I've done anything significant because school had been kicking my butt. My weight got kinda ridiculous around November or so... but most of that stress-eating-induced increase has gone away by itself, as it tends to do with me. Still, horribly out of shape...

And there's no excuse now that I've graduated, so yesterday, I got on my bike and rode about a mile or so... just to see how that would go. It was nothing... So today, I got a little bit ambitious. I rode my old 3-mile route. Oy! When I got off the bike a minute ago, it felt the same as when I got off my friend Maria's horse last year after not riding one of those in 5 years... although at least this time, my legs held me up and I didn't fall all the way to the ground on spaghetti legs, giggling madly from the endorphin high (Sky [her horse] was so good not to step on me). Still, a bit dizzy and endorphin rush and that last half mile, woah! kicked. my. butt. let me tell you!

Still, it's a good little 3-mile route. Better than I remembered it being. I'm going to have to start going out a little earlier than this though because toward the end mosquitoes come out. And when I get a basket for my bike, I'll be able to stop my the Bearss Groves market sometimes for produce half way through. (YAY!) I already have a nice little shady park-like place to stop and do stretches at the half way point. And let me tell you, that helps so much in preventing sore muscles the next day.

But the biggest reason of all that I'm doing this right now is because I want to look better than I do now for my pictures with Jared Padalecki and other Supernatural stars at EyeCon in April. Fangirl? Me? Why, yes! Thank you for noticing!

Now, the big question will be if I can stand to not only ride my bike 3-miles at least three times a week for the next 6 weeks, but if I can also bring myself to do the 90-minute NYC Ballet workout DVD routine I've got at least twice a week... (I used to do it 4 times a week, but then I didn't have a bike.) There will also be regular gardening chores, beginning this Saturday because it is Spring planting time.

Oh, my. That's a lot. :D This is gonna be a good challenge...

Wish me luck!

... Okay, now I feel like I could ride another 3-miles... but I can't... stupid mosquitoes... oh, endorphins...

In other news... My new HitchHiker!

My HitchHiker arrived! YAY!! *does a dance of joy*

It looks super cool! Everything I could need is attached... The extra different-sized whorls, the orifice hook, the bobbins on the lazy kate, even a little bottle of oil to keep everything lubed up. It's got rubber feet on the bottom so that it won't slip around on the floor (which has always been a problem for me with my full sized Saxony). And I'm really surprised by how light it is and yet how sturdy. It seems to be designed so well! Everything is simply put together, but seems to work seamlessly. There's no extra parts... no fluff or clutter. Everything is compact, has its place and its purpose and is efficient. And yet it's so cute! (How many modern-styled wheels can that be said about? I was so turned off by the look of a lot of the more modern-type wheels because... I don't know. They looked industrial or something.)

So, so cool! I can't wait to try it out!

Now, I just need to find me some roving... *off to do that*

In other news: How cool is this?!?!



I've never seen this sort of thing before... a kick-spindle... Wow!

Addendum: Problems with the HitchHiker... Yeah, is it obvious that my Saxony is a double-drive? This scotch tension thing is complicated. Also, there's a bit of a problem with the flyer hitting the handle. I've sent out the word for help on forums for such things and am waiting for replies... Will keep you posted...

Supernatural next week...

It's that second episode with a Latin title that I was talking about a few weeks ago, Jus In Bello... The "First Look" spoiler clips have just been posted to YouTube for everyone to see, and I'm like this: O.O

So it goes without saying that the rest of this post is full of spoilers, and so are the clips themselves... (So stop reading this now if you don't want to know before it airs.)

There's two clips. The first kinda sets up the second a little bit, but the second one actually has Latin in it. Oh, YUM!

One thing you should probably know about it beforehand though is that Sam and Dean are being held by the FBI at some jail somewhere on a bunch of charges including many, many counts of murder, fraud, breaking and entering, arson, grave desecration, and the list goes on and on... The main agent after them (you'll see him in the first clip) has been trying to catch them since half-way through last season, and he thinks they are extremely dangerous psychopaths... Well, he's half-right. :D





Enjoy! :D

Jensen's in Austrailia... *squee*

Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean Winchester on my favorite tv show, Supernatural, is in Austrialia doing press for the show while it's still on hiatus due to the WGA strike.

The strike, thankfully, ended this week, and production should be starting again soon. We'll get another 5 or 6 episodes for season 3 before the summer hiatus, which will total 17 or 18 for the season. The last two new pre-strike episodes will air Thursday February 14, and Thursday, February 21 on the CW at 9pm ET. Episodes can also be viewed here at the CW website for free (only the last several that have aired), downloaded (at 1.99 per episode) at iTunes and Amazon.com, and the first two seasons can be bought on DVD just about anywhere that's well stocked, as well as online (if one shops around, one can usually find them for $30 each or less).

Unfortunately - *sighs* - the closest areas to you, Ilana, that have CW stations are Clarksburg, WV, Harrisonburg, VA, Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD, and Lancaster, PA... In other words, you're surrounded, but I doubt any of them reach where you are. What a bummer! At least... I'm bummed about it...

Project Laundry List and National Hanging Out Day

Project Laundry List is trying to get just 1 million people in the US to sign a pledge to hang out laundry 80% of the time by April 19, 2008 (National Haning Out Day). You can go here to print out a copy of the pledge form and send it in.

Angie in Baghdad

I know that a lot of people don't like Angelina Jolie for whatever reason they might have for that. But I think she's wonderful and amazing. She's in Baghdad right now trying to get a picture of the refugee crisis in Iraq for UNHCR (which at this time is not officially allowed in the country). There's video and an interview at CNN.com. Check out how poised she is in the midst of all those camera flashes and how much that interview is not about her. She blows me away...