"properly practiced, knitting soothes
the
troubled spirit...
and it doesn't
hurt the untroubled spirit either."
~elizabeth zimmerman
|
Thursday, November 30, 2006
4 comments 
Lists! My Life In (Probably not-at-all) Short, Pithy Statements
Blog Reading: So Far Behind Blogs Not Enough Time In Each Day Bad, Stephanie, Bad Blog Writing: So Behind With Mine Too Many Damn Posts To Read It Ends Today! Yay! Politics: a) I am so mad about this! How backward and archaic is this administration? A head of family planning who does not believe in the planning part and actively endorses and runs dishonest pro-life centers? b) I hate that pro-lifers and neo-cons love to characterize progressives as pro-abortion. Nobody is pro-abortion. We are pro-choice. There is a huge difference, semantics aside. We are pro-controlling our own bodies. Pro-allowing each woman to make the choices that are right for her, her family and her situation. Pro-peronal rights and responsibility. b) Snicker. First Charles Crist snubbed Bush. Then Keith Ellison snubbed Bush. And yesterday Al Malachi snubbed Bush. Do you think that he and his handlers are starting to see a trend here? Knitting: a) No holiday knitting this year by decree of, well, me. I don't have the time, patience, or frankly the willingness, to be knitting at 2am Christmas morning this year. Maybe next year. b) I've actually been accomplishing a lot of knitting (this is, of course, relative--if you bear in mind that I am the slowest knitter in the known universe, then this seems like a lot). I've finished socks for me, a baby hat to replace the pink one for Dylan, and half a baby sock to match the hat. I just haven't taken any pictures lately because I tend to get home pretty late and am tired and hungry when I get there (stupid gym; stupid new "healthier lifestyle"). c) As soon as the baby socks are done, I will be casting on for socks for The Boy. We have yarn selected (Koigu), and a pattern (from Sensational Knitted Socks). I will be trying toe up--pray for me. Things I Want to Knit, But Don't Have a Prayer of Getting to Before I'm Old and Grey a) Fetching -- I so want to make me some of these. Last night we had practically freezing temps here in Southern California -- it was like 40 degrees (F)! (Shuddup, all you cold weather types!) I need me some handwarmers! b) I am in love, love, love with this book and its lovely patterns. Unfortunately I possess neither the book, nor any of the called-for Kochoran. But I so want the vest, Gesta. Want it, want it, want it!! c) I want to make Kate Gilbert's gorgeous Equestrian Blazer from IK Winter. It's pretty ambitious for me, but I still want to do it. d) I should probably finish Clapotis at some point. I'm in the final stretch, on the decrease section. Why don't I want to finish it?? I love the yarn, and the pattern is so pretty. But I have zero motivation. e) I want to make these. All three of them. This is mainly because I'm a huge Elizabeth I fan. We even share a birthday, good ol' Bess and I do. f) I enjoyed (surprisingly, maybe shockingly) working with the KSH for the ISE3 scarf, and I have two skeins from our London trip in Jelly (love it!) that I'm dying to make into a lightweight sweater/pullover of some sort. Like the one from LMKG. Of course, I'd have to get a bunch more of the KSH or a similar yarn. g) I SO badly want to try STR, but I've already gone a bit nuts lately with the sock yarns. I want to get and knit Puck's Mischief and Rooster Rock like nobody's business. Monday, November 20, 2006 0 comments
People, You Must Be Stopped!
Enough with the NaBloMo or whatever it's called. This is out of hand. I just don't have the 24 consecutive hours it would take to catch up on all of your blogs. I appreciate your dedication, I really do. Heaven knows I'm no good at the daily postings. But everytime I check bloglines I have HUNDREDS of unread blog postings. I only have lunchtime to read these. I read fast, but not that fast! I'm sure you can see my dilemma. So, kindly quit it, wouldya!?! P.S. Thanks to Shannon for giving me the tip on fixing my formatting! You're awesome! :) Friday, November 17, 2006 1 comments
You May Have Noticed My New Formatting
This is not intentional. Any web gurus available to help?? People, I am a baby coder. I know enough to go into my blog's code and change colors and some formatting. I can modify html templates at work to make them do most of what I want. What I can't do is figure out how to modify the weblogging women code (below right) so that it's not so wide. If I could make it more in line with the size of the other ring things on this page, I wouldn't have all this trouble!! GRRRRRRR Thursday, November 16, 2006 1 comments
Ephemera--A Loooooong Post
Wow, my first political post on this blog, and I got more comments than any other single post here! And mostly from 'furriners' like those Canadians and British. ;) Truthfully, I was so happy to read the comments from everyone chiming in with a same or similar perspective on the US. Particularly reading comments from abroad that paralleled our situations with theirs (which we seldom consider, seeing as how we have a completely centralized media with a very insular focus). Others shared their hopes that this will indeed be a turning point for the American government. To all those commenters, a huge THANK YOU! I loved reading your comments. I wish I heard from more of you more often (coughattentionwhorecough). Now, on to other things... I got my ISE3 scarf from my pal, the (technically) blogless Sonia!  The colors are closest here, but not 100% accurate. The gold areas are a little more green, with bits of brown and olive. Here's another take, a little bit closer.  The pictures are not great, I know. I received my scarf package when I got home at 11pm on Monday, and haven't been home before 10 the rest of this week. I tried taking this picture in my cubicle. And the other to-do I've been working on...socks! For me! Yeah, I said the next pair would be for The Boy. And I got my whole knitting bag together with all the ingredients to make his socks, and then drove to my parents' house, promptly leaving my knitting bag at home. But, not to be deterred (and to be given a really good excuse to do so), I went to the cute little knit shop down the street from the 'rents' house. I got some Kathmandu DK in this gorgeous piney color with lots of wonderful little tweedy bits.  One down! I'm at the heel turn on the second. I would like to say that I am just that good, but it's really the combination of DK weight yarn and US4 DPNs instead of US1s! I'm such a cheater. The Boy's socks are going to be Koigu on size 1s or 2s, so they will take MUCH longer. Here's a picture of the bottom/gusset/heel area. I just luuuuurve this little heel cup (I have no idea what you actually call it). The pattern is Blueberry Waffle Socks, and it uses this great paired decrease for the heel that creates a really comfortable little heel cup.  I also have a couple of baby things to do. A friend of the family called my mom early this year to tell her she was having a baby (she used to babysit my littlest sisters). She said it was a girl, they had named her, had a girly babyshower. Guess what? It was a boy. And this is what I had given him (the accessories, not the bear, she's mine):  I'm sure little Dylan was very pleased. So now I need to re-knit in blues. Sugar and Cream for easy maintenance (mom is about 20 uears old and I don't see her handwashing baby goods). Then my cousin found out she's having a boy, too. So I need to figure out what to make for her, since she's sort of my favorite cousin. I would love to do a log cabin blanket, maybe with all my many odd skeins of Encore--I have loads of the stuff leftover from lots of other projects. Ach, back to work stuff. Seriously, it's one darn thing after another! Wednesday, November 08, 2006 2 comments
Warning: Political Post Ahead
You know, in case you don't like that kind of thing and want to skip over this one. Note: this should have published much earlier today when it was a bit more relevant. Stupid blogger. I should start by saying that I am a pretty liberal progressive Democrat. I go to a liberal Episcopal church. My whole family is extremely open and accommodating to all walks of life. So is my husband's family (thank goodness!). Therefore, it should come as no great surprise that last night/today have been pretty awesome. The Boy and I sat on the couch till late last night watching the returns, marveling that the Dems were doing so well and nobody had stolen the election yet. (Why, yes, I am a bit cynical. Why do you ask?) I really, honestly believe that this power shift is exactly what this country needs right now. We have had an alarming amount of rights taken from us forcibly. We are hated around the world for being insulting and needlessly aggressive. Far too many people are dying in Iraq--Americans, English, Canadians, other countries willing to send their best and brightest to die for our unjust cause, and most especially (numerically) Iraqis. Our administration chronically intones the need for us to win in Iraq, but refuses to define what that means, or how we will do it. There was no strategy for going into war, and it's become more than clear that there is no strategy for exiting. It is apparent that the president is not concerned with hiring people adequately qualified for the job, but instead hiring friends and those he feels he owes a favor for getting him elected. The government's response to the needs of the American people has been shameful. Particularly in the face of Hurricane Katrina, but also in taxing the middle class till they must live paycheck to paycheck; trying to undercut social security and successfully doing so with medicare; allowing people to die needlessly because there were photo opportunities to be had. There were never any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and they knew it when they told the UN and everyone else that there were. This glorious nation--founded on the principles of peace and justice and escaping the rule of a tyrant--has been dragged backward in time and become a place that none (few?) of us wanted to revisit. A place where racism is acceptable, ignorance is fostered, religion is manipulated, corruption is expected, and the government baldly lies to its citizens, believing them far too stupid or caring to do anything about it. But yesterday the American people overwhelmingly showed the administration that we are NOT stupid, and we do care. Democrats have dominated in the polls, even in scarlet red states. The Dems have taken back the House and are poised to take over the Senate. Yes, Mr. President, there is a mandate; a mandate from the American people for you and yours to shape up or ship out. A mandate to do right by us. It is time for genuine leadership. It is time for our leaders to reflect the wants and needs of their constituents, and not line their own pockets for personal gain. It is time to look at healthcare, ethics reform, election reform and bringing this country back into the 21st century! Tuesday, November 07, 2006 3 comments
For Chappysmom's Calendar Contest
Here is the November picture for my calendar at work.  Aren't they sweet? :) Monday, November 06, 2006 1 comments
Is it a bad thing that the bulk of my vegetable consumption comes from Kung Pao Chicken at Panda Express? Friday, November 03, 2006 0 comments
Dear Women In My Office,
I'm amazed that I need to remind you that we are at work. Not the movies, not a restaurant, not some social event. You really do not need to attend the bathroom in twos and threes. Really, you look odd waiting in the hall for your posse to gather so that you can go into the bathroom together. Are you afraid of starting without the others? It looks weird and is unnatural at work where you should just go in, do your business, and get out ASAP. That is all. Thursday, November 02, 2006 1 comments
A Coupla Things
Hi to those of you who came over from the ISEIII site! To answer a question I've gotten here a couple times from those visitors: The pattern of the lace scarf is called Arches & Columns and was in the pattern-a-day calendar. I think for 2006 (although it could have been 2005; I can check if someone would like me to). I was so pleased with how the scarf turned out! I had a heckuva time working with the KSH, but ultimately it was totally worth it. You can look at this post here to see the goodies from Susan's package, and to read her really sweet comments (thanks, Susan!). And here are a couple more pictures that I took before sending because they made me laugh:  Can you tell how thrilled The Boy is to be my model?  Blocking, under the cat's supervision Ta-ta for now, my dears. I'm not feeling so great, so I'm headed home for the day. |
            Former -Alongs      
 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 October 2007 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 October 2008 |
