the quacking fiber addict

“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.”
Elie Wiesel

Emmos (who needs to update her blog! *hint hint*) and I spent most of the day together. We met at the EPL at noon and went on to find varnish. What does varnish have to do with the EPL?

Absolutely nothing. But the EPL is right next to the Eugene Bus Station, ah ha, where my bus route ends.

We needed varnish for the new furniture Emmos got so she'd actually have furniture next weekend for TheBon's bridal shower. Emmos ended up buying kits* from an Oregon company to finish and assemble a dining set (4 chairs and a table). And since Emmos works for a chemical company, they have a ventilation room specifically for use in painting. Cool, huh?

So, after we had the varnish (and a new brush) in hand we got to work. Here's Emmos with the pieces of wood laid out; which she'd spent most of the morning sanding and varnishing, incidentally:


And just as we were really getting into the swing of things, one of Emmos' co-workers showed up to coat a Mother's Day present. I asked him to take a picture of us, just because, and here you can see us:


After that, well, our day becomes more secretive. We went shopping for many things, gifts and the like. Emmos gave me a Maidenhair Fern, with it's own little pink pot, as a "thank you" for helping her with the dirty-work (apparently I sand wood like a fiend). Here it is, keeping Lapis company and showing off the overflowing state of my desk:


Emmos and I are plotting to go back to the Indoor Garden store to, ahem, "get a plant for her office." The fact that I have the hots for one of the clerks has nothing to do with it. Though, I was glad to have met with him Emmos around - we had a debate earlier on the worthiness of American men, and he won my argument for me. Kudos to nice guys.

Anyway. Right. Shopping. I got stuff I've been wanting - like a doggy "waste bag dispenser" to take on walks with Charlie (yes, I am such a spoiled American). But, to make up for the fact that I am, in fact, buying dog poop bags I got the biodegradable ones. Ha! I turned down the cooler dispenser with the "larger" bags, so neider.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I also found the last of my little things for Penny. I'm very excited and can't wait to send the blanket off on Monday. I'll walk with Charlie to the post office, I think, since Mum and Dad aren't due back from Portland until that evening.

And that's about everything. I'm looking forward to knitting on my spencer-bolero-thing for a bit...

---
*because there is a sudden hardwood chair shortage in the PNW, it seems.

Labels: friends

I have to say that the pattern was fun, but I hate stockinette heels. Next time, I'll just change it. The yarn was lovely, and even though I knit it from the inside and outside of the skein - the stripes matched up perfectly. Until the heels. Then they reversed for a short period. But the socks went back to matching after the insteps, so I'm happy, and the weird arches are growing on me. TheBon was kind enough to take a couple of shots for me (she even reminded me, too):



Pattern Specs:

• The Pattern: Monkey (from Knitty)
• Knitting Start Date: April 15, 2007
• Finish Date: April 26, 2007
• The Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, "African Grey"
• The Needles: 2 Addi Turbo 24" US 1 circular needles
• The Size: 8"/ Women's M
• Knitting Technique: Continental, 2 socks on 2 circs
  

So, yay, they're done, but I kinda miss working on them. I need to cast on another pair of socks (just to have to tote around, if not for any other reason), but I'm having trouble choosing a pattern. (suggestions are always welcome)

Umm, quick timeline, before I pass out from exhaustion:

1. I finally fell asleep after 4 am (it was one of those horrible things where I couldn't sleep because I needed to sleep)
2. I got up at 7:45 am exactly (eugh)
3. I arrived at TheBon's appt at 8:30-ish.
4. We went to meet with the seamstress that's altering TheBon's gown. She was very personable and seemed quite competent and sensible. She agreed with TheBon's request to remove her train. The gown's gonna be gorgeous.
5. We went and got breakfast and then skiddadled over to VRC (local mall) to look for men's ties for the Best Man. After dawdling in the knitting section at Barnes and Noble (my fault) and a massive hunt (3 stores!!), we admitted defeat. Men don't wear ties very often in Eugene.
6. We got lunch, TheBon photographed my socks and we ended up parting ways
7. At 2:30 pm, I arrived home and collapsed. I was woken later for The Move stuff.
8. We watched The Prestige again. It made much more sense this time, and I had to admit that the film editing might be the best I've seen. It was very tight.
9. And here I sit, typing, ready for bed. So, nightnight.

(also, yep, we watched the deleted scenes, and outakes, of The Boondock Saints - very funny!)

Labels: finished object, friends, socks, update

“It is a good and gentle religion, but inconvenient.”
Mark Twain

TheBon brought it to my attention that it sounded (from yesterday's post) as though I had been unbearably rude during the Good Friday service. I was not. In fact, I think I was very well behaved. I did not make any disparaging remarks* until we left the church (I have Views about being rude/ disruptive during any religious ceremony, or in any place of worship). After we left I did, I admit, make some angry comments to Emmos about the service (practically in Parseltongue, I was hissing so much). And the congregates that I mentioned who were offended bloody well shouldn't have been listening in on our conversation, anyway. Eavesdropping isn't good manners, so pfft to them. It wasn't as if I stood in the middle of the church and screamed that they were all anti-Semites and should be ashamed of themselves (which I'm not implying, stop villianizing me :P).

TheBon and I met today (supposedly for Guild, but we were all by ourselves) where she practically scolded me. I explained what happened and then we got into a debate about modern Theology. In the end, we agreed on the fact that it's all f*cked because no one seems to want to get along. Seriously, would it kill them?**

The merits of Paganism were also discussed and set aside. Too impractical.

And, I feel I should mention that I'm in a much better mood now, anyway. I even smiled at the Starbuck's barrista when she wished me a "Happy Easter" and wished her the same as I walked away.

See? I'm not that bitchy. Not really.

Today was a long day. Everyone was cranky (including me) because nothing seemed to be working right. My beloved Kitchen Aid stopped working. I nearly cried, and it was the fact that I was near tears for a couple of hours that finally prompted Dad to start working on the thing.

I admit I was very upset when I confronted him after several failed attempts to get the thing started. 4 plugs and no go, and I was edging on hysterics. I need my Kitchen Aid. Dad insisted that nothing had been done to it whilst I was away, and that it had to be my fault that it wasn't working.

This theory didn't fly, nor was it received well.

"You're taking this really badly," he remarked. An hour later, he finally admitted to me that it had been left on the back porch, w/o any covering by the painters, while I was gone. Fabulous. Eventually it started working again (after 3 tearful hours), and I calmed down a bit.

By that time I had to leave to go to Guild. And, well, TheBon and I got lots of knitting done on our socks - her Jaywalkers and my second Spock. The toe of mine is completely done and the buttonhole gusset has been picked up. Just 9 rows to go, some ends to weave end, buttons to put on and I'll be done.

Woot :D And that is all, before I manage to offend anyone else...

*although I did make a couple of faces at Emmos, who returned them - we were mostly nonplussed by a certain pastor's "meditations" about modern heroes.

**I include the Jews in this - particularly some people I've met who won't so much as talk to non-Jews, or have called me a heretic for suggesting that Palestinians have as much right to Israeli land as Jewish settlers.

Labels: comparative religions, friends, guild

1. Never give Emmos a chance to listen to Blue Grass.
2. Never take a Jew to a Good Friday Service. Particularly when said Jew is a Classicist.
   
3. Never take 2 Classicists/ Costume Historians to a movie like 300
4. Never let said Classicists/ Costume Historians sit together, or next to an equally snarky/ sarcastic friend at said movie.
5. Never give said Classicists/ Costume Historians pen and paper after the movie.
   

Emmos came and picked me up last night to grab dinner before St M's choral recital/ Good Friday service. We ate, but still had time to waste so we went to Prince Puckler's ice cream parlor. Outside the shop was a Blue Grass band playing. A crowd had gathered around, eating ice cream. Emmos and I followed suit. Once some of the crowd has dispersed, I snapped a shot:


Emmos (and I) were enjoying the performance so much, we were late to the service. Which, all things considered, may have been a good thing. That way I missed two of the sermons. The chorus sang beautifully, there's no doubt of that. But, several times the only thing stopping me from storming out in a righteous rage was the fact that Emmos was blocking my escape and that we had (foolishly) chosen to sit in the 4th row. Bloody hell. Literally.

I'm actually a very patient person when it comes to comparative religions (hey, I support a woman's right to wear the Veil, or marry a polygamist, should she choose it). But, having been accused of "killing Jesus" (oh, yes, I have), my tolerance runs low around Easter (it's a sore spot for so many reasons). I especially don't like listening to people declaring that the Jews ordered the crucification of Jesus - if only because as a Classicist I can honestly declare that it was the Romans who had a crucification-fixation and that the Jews were, oh yeah, under Rome's boot at the time. They weren't telling the Romans what to do. That's like saying that the Iraqi insurgents are telling US forces what to do in Iraq.

It's also unfair to my mind to accuse the Jews of killing of Jesus (and several of the disciples) when the Jews were the ones who hid the Christians from the Romans during those 300 years of persecution.

Anyway. It's a sore spot, and this is not the place to poke at it. I admit that by the end of the service last night I was a bit.. frothy. I know I offended several congregates with my comments to Emmos about the complete historical inaccuracy, flagrant prejudice and (well, let's omit this bit) of John's Gospel. We left fairly quickly.

Now, before you scold me for walking into a Good Friday service and being offended, let us remember that I went to listen to St M (who invited me) and her choir's performance of several Motats. I admit that I was reluctant, but didn't want to offend anyone (St M's is also in the choir). So, I went.

And, in all fairness, I managed not to disrupt the service, snicker (unlike Emmos), or catcall (or whatever that was) during the final hymn. So, neider.

From there, we went to see the movie 300. Oh. My. First impressions?

I am so amazed we weren't kicked out, attacked, or that someone didn't at least dump their popcorn on our heads. Admittedly, the two guys sitting behind me (who were taking the movie entirely TOO seriously) started kicking my seat everything time St M or I shrieked with laughter, made a loud (sarcastic) comment, or collapsed into giggles. I was thus forced to move to the other side of Emmos, which only made the 3 of us louder.

It was... well. Highly amusing doesn't even cover it. I'm astounded at the fact that there were Ninjas, Bedouin, Olephants, War Rhinoceroi, and Cave Trolls at the Battle of Thermopylae. How this was omitted in my Greek History classes, I just don't know. I'm gonna have to confront the professor about that.

And Xerxes? Well. My. The gold-encrusted Speedo was soooo Persian, I just can't tell you. St M and I were frankly speechless at the costumes in the movie (mostly because we were cackling too hard to form words).

Now, let this not discourage you. The movie wasn't aalll bad. Stephieface was right, the man-flesh was extremely tasty. Emmos was particularly taken with the thighs. St M and I were both pleased with Faramir's transformation into Dilios (can't find a picture, sorry). Who knew?

After the movie, as we casually escaped the theater (amid some nasty glances), we started to list everything we could think of that was just plain wrong about the movie. When we got to Emmos' home, we wrote it down:


The list? One page, front and back, filled. St M has promised to post it to her blog this week. After that, we watched Little Miss Sunshine (which I've already reviewed, and still like). The girls found it amusing. Today, we were lazy. We went to several thrift stores and finally to The Knit Shop.

Twas good. Emmos spent her store credit. I met one of the Charity Blanket Swap participants (she doesn't have a blog, so no link). And, that's about it. I'm giving up because my connexion keeps dying (you would not believe the swear words I'm letting fly) and I'm sick of trying to work with it.

Labels: friends, movie review

I was so doozy last night that I didn't manage to post the other half of my evening. I am such a ditz. Yesterday, St M came over and had our "alternative" Seder with us, I received my Knit Picks Cotlin (snarl), and the geometry is kicking my ass (hence the title of last night's post).

How is the geometry kicking my ass?? Do you remember back to the days when A*2 + B*2 = C*2? I do. Trying to apply such logic to knitting (specifically the instep decreases on a sock) is futile, idiotic, and insane all at once. I was near tears by the time I decided that I was not going to look at the damn Spox pattern for another 24 hours.

Then, this morning, hahaha. I had the crazy I idea to try something different. No, I am not going to explain it. It would take too long, and it brings back painful memories.

Anyway, that's the condensed second half of last night's post.

Onto tonight's post. Here's tonight's quote:

“Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.”
Oscar Wilde

The story of my life.

Moving on. Today I received my Handdyed Roving Swap parcel. Since I have too many photos, I'm going to direct you to the pictures on Flickr. After that (and battling the bloody Spox pattern) I went to Homework Club. Or so I thought. Apparently (although we hadn't been told) it was cancelled. Emmos took me, instead, to see her workplace. We then went on to dinner and the EWES. A local spinner we (the "babies", *snark*) all really like was this week's hostess. Here's Emmos, laughing, with her wheel:


(I spun the hand-dyed roving I received from girlbotgoods). I'd say C's first EWES hostessing gig went well, as Emmos and I didn't leave until after 10. We got there at 7. Twas lots of fun. Emmos offered to show me the "scenic" route home, and we proceeded to get lost. So, I got home at 11 pm after lots of star-gazing on some rural highway. I didn't care, it was fun.

Mum wanted to watch Casino Royale again, so I cast on a new project. I made it through the first 30 mins before I saw this:


I am very annoyed. I usually really like Knit Picks. I've been pleased with their lace and sock yarns. This, though, is really unacceptable. It's just awful, and I'm going to have to cut the entire mess out and weave in the ends. Joy.

It was as I stomped upstairs that I decided that, damn it, I needed to knit something for myself that required no shaping and yarn I knew wouldn't give me a headache. Mum's shawl is out of the question. The Queen of Cups nearly reduced me to tears. My silk pullover is beautiful but the yarn has slubs that I have to watch for (or else regret it eternally). The Spox, it turns out, are too big for me and are going to go to Mum.

So. I am casting on SOMETHING tomorrow with my Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace. I've wound it and know for CERTAIN that there are no knots, slubs, weird ends, or general ickyness.

This isn't Startitis. It's self-preservation.

Labels: designing, friends, handspun, idiocy, insanity, knitting

“Human life is as evanescent as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.”
Samuel Butler (doesn't exactly relate to this post, but I liked it, so here it is)

TheBon came over to dye the cloths for her place-settings today. We think it was successful, hard to tell when they're still wet, though. Hopefully (cross you're fingers for her, y'all! please?), they'll be exactly what she wants/ needs.

After that we went to "Guild" (it's really just TheBon, Emmos, St M and I at this point). TheBon had to leave early, after which St M let it drop that she had been on a date with so-and-so. HA! I might have startled the sorority chicks sitting nearby with my jubilant, "I KNEW it!", but it's so gratifying to be right every so often. Emmos was puzzled, because she hadn't met the man in question. St M distracted us, and it took us 3 tries to hear everything. Well. We shall have to wait and see.

Okay, this might seem weird, but both Emmos and I are just not dating right now (blarg) (unless you count our "date" with each other a last week...), TheBon is getting married, I think D is anti-dating right now, L is engaged, and so I really only have St M to focus my Jewish-mother instincts on. Pity her, I suppose.

Moving on. I finished knitting the left spock today - I just need to find buttons for it. I had trouble, I realised, because I changed the number of buttons and the gauge to a wonky number. S'all my fault. But, writing out the pattern should be much easier now. (I also cast on the right spock).

And, guess what?, today is Flash Your Stash day! Woot. It took me four photographs (I don't have a large surface to lay it all out on...), but I got most of it (who wants to see a pic of Electra's or Shawn's fleeces again, anyway??). Here we go. First, the lace and sock yarns:




I counted everything, and discovered to my own amazement (and joy!) that I have:

• 142 balls/ skeins/ cones of yarn
• 20 lbs of fiber (including fleeces)

Not too bad, eh? I saw worse numbers on Craftster. I admit that a month ago my stash was a terrifying creature, but I cut it in half... mwahaha. I also set up a stash management spreadsheet on Google documents. I'm hoping it'll help me keep track of everything - I put in the yarn, amount, and intended projects. And, below that, all the spinning fiber.

And, as a closing note: if you can catch the Deserts episode of Planet Earth, there's a bit on Guanaco. Really, really cool. I explained to Dad how cool they were, and how their undercoats were collected on cacti, fences, etc across Chile, etc.

Labels: cast on, friends, guild, stash

“If I do dream, would all my wealth would wake me! If I do wake, some planet strike me down, that I may slumber in eternal sleep!”
William Shakespeare

Let's see, I have three movie reviews for you. Plus too many pictures and too little sleep. Yippee, this is gonna be strange. First things first, I'll answer Tamara's questions:

1. Yep, the whole darn house (yet I still have a cardboard window). Bloody &^$#, this is insane, I tell you.
2. The whole family is expected to move. I say expected, because I retain some hope that I might actually finally get hired for one of the jobs I've applied for and get to stay in Eugene.
3. The family (Mum, Dad, Emmett and quite possibly I) are planning to move to Olympia, WA.
4. Mr Fishy will be mine until I am forced to give him up (i.e. I get taken abroad by the Peace Corps or join the French Foreign Legion... hey, is that still around?). Dad'll definitely take him, since he's the one who feeds him for me when I'm away, anyway.

Next, per Laural's question about The Last Mimzy. Okay, bear in mind that I am very critical of movies. I wasn't impressed, nor was I enthralled. Emmos seemed to enjoy it, but agreed with me that the editing was atrocious (very choppy and a lot of things we left unexplained), the plot thin, the research nonexistant about the Pacific Northwest, and some of the acting weak (other than, of course, Rainn Wilson who saved many a scene). It was also a bit trite. It would be alright for children, I suppose. It wasn't bad, just mediocre. If you want something light and fluffy, it's a good movie to rent. That said, don't spend $8+ on an adult ticket to see it.

I know, I'm cruel.

Anyway. After that, Emmos and I went to Barnes & Noble to try and get a copy of Cast Off. Nada. Apparently they're still in transit. A copy has been reserved for me. We spent a good hour laughing ourselves silly over some of the more esoteric knitting books released recently. We were finally kicked out (well, nearly) and went home (well, Emmos').

After getting into sleep over mode, we put on The Black Dahlia. After less than half an hour, I made Emmos change it to An Inconvenient Truth. It was that bad. If it had been in B&W I might have forgiven the flagrantly film noir style of story-telling (protagonist narration, for G-d's sake), melodrama, character angst, and just plain campy-ness (because then it would have actually been a film noir, and really you can't get away with certain facial expressions in colour). Several things were left unexplained (read above comments on bad editing), and the fight scenes were so obviously choreographed that I actually wondered if the cast was going to suddenly break into song and dance a la Gangs of New York.

I was very disappointed, since I am a hardcore fan of nearly every actor in the movie, but it was bad. It also didn't "grab" you the way a good movie should. Paying attention to a film shouldn't be difficult, I'm sorry. But, since I am not a professional film critic, I doubt you want my full (read: lengthy and unflattering) opinion.

Back to An Inconvenient Truth. I liked it. Some of it was pointedly manipulative, but most of it was interesting, to the point, and caught you within the first five minutes. Emmos loved the graphs. I liked the pictures (I'm pathetic, I know) of the glaciers and suchlike. But, the point was made whether or not you like/ dislike Gore, dis/agree with him, despise him, or have issues with his home in --- (I have no idea where he lives, alright?).

After the 3 movies (well, 2.15 movies, technically) Emmos and I went to bed well after 1 am. Emmos then woke me at 10 am (hrrmph) and we went to get milk. She got me to try Cocoa Puffs (*shudder* oh, the sugar!) for breakfast. Then we found out that Emmos' plan for the day was shot, for various reasons. I ended up staying over for a bit and helped with the garden. We turned weeds like this:









Once it started to get cloudy and very windy, we gave up for the day. Well, I had given up some time before since my cramps had returned and I was feeling decidedly peaky. But, much was achieved, and Emmos was pleased. We then, on the way to my home, stopped at a furniture store and found a chair for Emmos to refinish and reupholster. We stopped at the nearby animal rescue store where I found two knitting magazines (from 1952 and 1961). I remembered that there was a slim chance that Creative Hands would be open (twice I had gotten there after closing, hrmph, but 10 minutes before the closing time), so we decided to try them out. On the way, Emmos showed me the warehouse her grandfather had owned and nearly burnt down:


We annoyed the young men working in the Xtreme Sports store inside, but eh. After wandering around inside (just because) we went on our way. And, wonder of wonders!, the shop was open:


St M and I had tried on Monday, and Emmos and I had tried last night before the movie. Third time's the charm, I guess. The selection is interesting. They have some spinning and knitting supplies (more felting than anything), but since it's a local shop and they carry locally produced products I got a single batt of rose coloured wool (does that count? it shouldn't, it's only 2 oz). It's so pretty. After that we hit "that Greek place" in 5th street for an extremely late lunch, but wow were they yummy. Great gyros.

And the last stop, before I got to collapse at home, was Econo Sales fabrics so we could find fabric for Emmos to put on the chair tonight. After an hour of looking (Emmos can be so damn picky I tell you), I finally found a great satin damask in pale sage. We got a yard, a new foam cushion cut, and lining. Emmos was already planning to get her Mum's staple gun on the way home to fix the seat up tonight. I can't wait to see it, I think I'll like the chair a bit more, then (I didn't like the form, I admit it).

Once I finally got home, I collapsed and napped for a bit. After dinner, I cast on for the reformed version of the Spox. I'm using my Panda Wool I got from Purlescence Yarns. No picture, sorry, since I want to publish this one. And that's everything. Now I need to check my email, I am so woefully behind.

Labels: cast on, friends, movie review, socks

snark·y /ˈsnɑrki/ [snahr-kee]
–adjective, snark·i·er, snark·i·est. Chiefly British Slang.
testy or irritable; short.
[Origin: 1910–15; dial. snark to nag, find fault with (appar. identical with snark, snork to snort, snore, prob. D, LG snorken to snore) + -y1]

Since the Monday Night Knitters (aka Madame DeFarge's Knitters) have been kicked out of our previous venue, Perugino's, we've been a bit adrift. Many other venues were considered, but most have seating limitations, early hours, or other problems. This evening, we tried the 5th Street Market. Which turned out to be a bust, since everything closed at 7 pm. Joy. It was decided that we'd all move over to Cozmic Pizza, and try again there.

In all fairness, we had been warned that it was Open Mike Night at Cozmic Pizza. But, I think we were all expecting badly written (and performed) poetry, and not karaoke. At first, we were politely distasteful. Then we (well, about half of us, including St M and I) got really loud and really snarky. A couple of times we sang along, off-key, and others we critiqued the singers' skills, etc. And we laughed. A lot. And loudly.

At the time it was funny. Right now I'm worried about the damage we might have done to some of the "performers" egos. At one point, A asked if St M and I were drunk because we were laughing so hard. But, really, who wouldn't laugh when two teenagers are trying to since songs older than they are? (and not succeeding in the slightest, either)

We all left right about when the love songs started up. After getting home, I wound off last night's Aurora into a skein and plied the other bobbin-full. As of tonight, I have 6 skeins done:


I'm getting closer and closer to have a sweater's worth of yarn. Yay! Then I get to design a sweater... Hrm.

Well, that's about it. Not really. But I don't want to write any more. Quickly - I got some really gorgeous lace for the edge of "that Judaica thing" (rejoice!) and some matching blue braiding. It's gonna rock, I think. Hopefully my karma isn't in the negatives after tonight, and it'll work out.

Labels: friends, handspun, knitting, Monday Night Knitters

“There ought to be a room in every house to swear in.”
Mark Twain

I just let off a string of words I shouldn't even know. Today was just one of those verdamnt long days (and, look, a German curse). I let myself relax and completely ignore all the complete insanity around the house yesterday. Today I tried to fix some of it. Stupid idea.

Even worse, I tried to get things done.

I can be quite idiotic when I put my mind to it, honestly.

I cleaned up the disgusting mess that was the front room, as St M was coming over, so she could have a clean floor to lay out her fabric on. It took me over half an hour to vacuum a nearly empty living room. Seriously, that is the level of nasty the males have left everywhere.

3 damn weeks, and they've made a mess that I can't even describe.

Anyway. I got the front room clean. I brought out my spinning wheel and other bits and bobs I'd need to get a start on the Solstice-Equinox Challenge. As I was grabbing things from my stash, I paused. What the heck was that??

A hahaha. The pile of yarn and needle rolls I had been digging in had, oh you'll love this, GIANT FREAKING PANES OF GLASS lying in them. Apparently, whilst I was cleaning the front room one of the workmen had broken my bedroom window. Yes... BROKEN.

Had anyone told me? No. Cuz, hell, why would I notice something like this:


I mean, c'mon, it's such a paltry little thing. Right-O. I came storming downstairs, pissed off (there were shards of glass in my yarn, dammit), and Dad just shrugged, "Oh, yeah, J mentioned that."

"Oh," I said, trying not to hit him, "Did he?"

MEN.

I am so seriously considering the positive aspects of lesbianism right now, you have no idea.

Anyway. *Breathing*. I went on, after all this, to go and clean the kitchen. I don't want to think of what's been growing in there. I found two opened cans of food that had been left out on the counter for so long...

(shudder)

((and the men wonder why we have ants? and they treat me like I'm stupid.))

It took me about an hour, but I got the kitchen almost clean. I say almost, since we're out of sponges (I think, since everything's been boxed up, I have no idea) and I had to use a dish towel. Also, the fact that the kitchen is also in the middle of the renovation process... oy. I got it clean enough to cook a decent meal (which I still need to clean up) when St M showed up. I took a break from cleaning, and we went to other "feminine" pastimes:


She's cutting out a cotehardie (no pattern!) and I was spinning for the Challenge. I got all the singles spun before I had to make dinner. I got dinner made and somehow a table and chairs were rustled up. Dinner went relatively well, I guess. Don't get me started.

We set up the sewing machine on the table for St M to sew up her cotehardie while I got the yarn ready to ply. Hereupon I made one of the stupidest mistakes I've ever made with yarn preparation. Somehow I convinced myself that it'd be easier to wind the singles with a thread and beads on and ply it on itself than to just ply it with the thread and beads.

Right.

I am beyond stupid.

By about an hour ago I was nearly shrieking with frustration - everyone got as far away as possible. So, finally, I gave it up (I have 2/3 of it plied, and that's bloody well enough - I'll give my target some other stuff to make up for this) and went to work on "that-" verdamnt "Judaica thing." I got a line and a half embroidered tonight. Yay, me.

If you've made it thus far, I need an opinion. I am so damn sick of working on "that Judaica thing". It's been as difficult as the bloody Challenge, and not half so satisfying. The pattern calls for handknit lace around the edge with a handknit braid over the seam. I have taken near three months to get this far. Should I just attach bought lace and braiding, so the recipient can finally have the verdamnt thing?

I just want it done. Is that so wrong?

And, and look, it's 42F out and I have a broken window. Lucky verdamnt me.

Labels: costume construction, family, friends, The Move

I'll buy my love some flannel, I'll make my love a shroud
And every stitch I put in it, the tears they will pour down
With every stitch I put in it, how the tears will flow
Cruel fate has put an end to his growing
Anon/ traditional

I have no idea why, but this ballad appeals to me tonight.

Anyway. The Tea Cozy Hat is finished. TheBon kindly offered to photograph it for me, and the tiny bit of yarn that I had left once it was finished (eep!):





Can you tell which one was taken by me and the other by TheBon? I bet you can, her's doesn't suck ;D

And back to business. Lemme see, lemme see. Quick update:

• I still need to make that soup
• La Primavera stole is coming along nicely. Alas, I might need more yarn... Oy.
• An accord has been reached with the parents. The finally agree that the possibility of me not getting hired at MoC will not cause the Apocalypse. We have agreed that my tickets to SF WILL be bought tomorrow, come Hell or high water. Seriously. I don't care if I have to stand down Satan himself at this point.
• The Corset-A-Long starts tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.
• 22 participants in the Hogwarts Houses Swap
• I am a bad organizer, or was, for the Handspun Swap. I'm not nagging enough, I admit it.
• I just may have to strangle Bon's MIL
• Rome and Extras kick @ss this season
• The Guild is going to start meeting at Starbucks now, instead of on campus.
• And my foot is feeling much better now, thank you everyone, and hopefully I shall somehow manage to make it to 100 mi by April 1 despite my recent bipedal issues.

Nightnight.

Labels: finished object, friends, guild, handspun

• No, I do not want to lend my laptop to a woman who couldn't access the internet without a map and two Sherpas.
• No, I do not want to cancel my travel plans. Just because, somehow, possibly, I might get hired for that cashier's job at the local market. No, I'm sorry. My family and traveling-friend are more important to me than a place that won't give me a week's vacation.
• No, I do not want to listen to loud, off-key, tone-deaf daveners (but, I did. I deeply believe in performing mitzvot and the fact that most Jews can't sing). No, I shall not stay for refreshments (thank Hashem my ankle swelled up during the morning service, else we wouldn't have ever escaped).
• And, no, dammit, I want to keep my Tea Cozy Hat for myself. If I had known that it would be so popular, I'd have hid it.

No pictures tonight. No quote. I'm stressed, annoyed, and my foot hurts.

Labels: family, friends, update