My -intention- is to post actual knitting content today, however my womanly innards are not quite behaving, and I'm half doubled over, whimpering and cursing enough to make some sailors blush. I've already had to call my DM and tell her there's absolutely no way I can work today, which I hate doing cos we have really no backup help right now, but I simply cannot work. Hell, I can hardly sit, never mind stand! So. I've got a shower, made tea and oatmeal, and rubbed mineral ice on all my aching parts.

The lovely Norma, who won the Mom You Always Liked Better award at JenLa's, has thrown down the gauntlet. And I have to agree with her. The festering sore that is the poor grammar usage in bloglandia needs to be stopped. Hopefully, she'll let me in the band.

Speaking of awards, congrats also need to go to Chaos and Mayhem, for winning best couple .. but come on, was there even a question? And also to Trailing Yarn for her Fresh Blood Award, Cara for her Most Enthusiastic Knitter award, Lolly for Project Spectrum winning Best Meme, and to Sandy and Purley Whites for their Keep Blogistan Beautiful awards.

In other random happinesses, Lolly has announced Project Spectrum 2.0! Yippee! I've already signed up. Of course, this might interfere with my Stashalong efforts, but I -should- have enough yarn in stash to manage a knitted project for every two-month grouping.

February / March - Blue, White, Gray : This is the perfect month to work on my Hearstrings Smoke Ring. And maybe my Victoriana Top too. And I can felt another bag with the blue/black wool to give to Neely.
April / May - Green, Yellow, Pink : I have some beautiful green wild-stuff-type yarn that is begging to become a scarf or shawl. And all my baby yarns are pink/yellow/green, so I can work on some baby things.
June / July - Red, Black, Metallics : I can start on red scarves for the Red Scarf project for 2007. I don't think I have a lot else to knit in these colors right now, but I'm sure with some stash-hunting and judicious purchases I can find enough.
August / September - Brown, Orange, Purple : Socks! I have sock yarn in these colors. I'm sure I have other stuff too, but it's hiding in my stash right now. But definitely socks. Oh! And my brown/lilac scarf I've been dying to make.

So, yeah. Project Spectrum 2.0 begins in February, and I'll be beginning with it!

...

Now then. Have I been knitting? Yes I have! I've actually almost completed the back of my dot check tunic sweater, though it's on hold while I frantically work on red scarves for the month.





This was my progress yesterday before I started knitting on it again. It's a variation of the Irish Hiking scarf, because I'm only doing two cables instead of three. I don't know how long the yarn I bought for this scarf will hold out, so I'm making it a little thinner. It's now about twice as long as it was here, about 3' long I'd guess.

I've just discovered a Broadway play I absolutely adore is coming to town this month, so I'm waiting for my husband to respond to me so I can get the go ahead to buy tickets for us and a friend. So while I handle that, I'm going to go find myself some food.

Yikes!

I figured out how much yarn I have, not including the three bags with 'Wild Stuff' makings that I got for Christmas from Jason. I have 32,031 yards of yarn. 18.2 miles. 96093 feet. 1,117,152 inches. 145.6 furlongs. 9.49 parsecs.

Ouch.

Great Balls of Yarn!!!

Okay. I need help. In a huge way, and the Stashalong KAL is going to be that help, I can feel it. I had a huge cleaning push here at Casa Tygher Knits, and can actually see the floor in every room again ... and discovered I had yarn stashed away in places I'd forgotton about. Forgotten Yarn! The horror of it all!

Anyway, I have got to stop buying yarn, and I think the only way I'm going to accomplish that is by being accountable for my stash. Stashalong to the rescue!

Anyway, I'm choosing Option 1 for the moment, but I am borrowing from Option 3 as well, as I have a lot of things I want to get finished.

1. Candleflme Shawl - being knitted as a gift, so this is important to finish soon!
   
2. 'Dotted Check' Tunic Sweater - My first garment, and as such I really want it done before .. you know, march/April, when it won't be terribly wearable for long.
3. Irish Hiking Scarf (my variation) - Being knitted for the Red Scarf Project.
   
4. 3x3 Rib Scarf - Also planned for Red Scarf Project.
5. 'Cat's Eye' Scarf (from Knitter's Winter 2006) - Also for the Red Scarf Project -- All 3 need to be completed by the last week in January if possible.
6. Victoriana Top - Which I won't start until my other sweater is complete.
7. Heartstrings Beaded Smoke Ring - Again, should be finished before the cold weather runs out.
8. Tiny Beaded Scarf - I suddenly have a lot of beaded projects. Ack!
9. 2 pairs of socks - pattern undecided
   
10. Dishcloth KAL's to catch up on, which can be tossed in here and there.
    

I am chosing a 4-month period in which I will buy no yarn .. keeping in mind I can take 1 day off a month -if needed-. I have only one exception that I'm reserving for myself, and it will be used up in the next week or so: I received a Hobby Lobby gift card, and I intend to use it to purchase all the Sugar & Cream I need for the years KAL's from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL, and extra skeins for the Red Scarf Project scarves I'm working on, as I only have 1 ball of each yarn, and that just won't do.

Boughs of haul-y

Ahh, that's right, time for the requisite 'what I got for Christmas' post. Since it's still spread throught the house, it won't be too terribly tough I imagine.

So, without further ado:

• Kitchen stuff: a deep fryer, a mini cuisinart, a fondue fountain and a set of stoneware mixing bowls.
• Halloween stuff (It's my favorite holiday after all!): A silk scarf, a Limoges with's hat, a candle snuffer and a candle holder.
• Other non-knitting stuff: a quilted tree skirt, snowflake earrings, my 2007 Witch's calendar, a pirate devil rubber duckie, the new Loreena McKennit cd (awesome, btw!) and candy in my stocking.

The knitting stuff, which is numerous, includes:

• A box of pale blue Llama/Wool yarn and the pattern to make myself a coat - Yes, I'm actually going to take on such a large project, once I'm closer to done with my sweater.
• 13 balls of dark blue BabyAlpaca/Silk yarn and the pattern to make myself this top. - Not to be started until I'm finished my current sweater.
• 3 balls of pale cream BabyAlpaca/Silk yarn and the pattern to make myself this cowl.
• 4 hanks of handpainted Atacama Alpaca yarn, in colors 506 (pale tan with burgundy and blue and purple) and 513 (brown with burgundy and orange-ish spots). I'm probably going to make a shawls with it, but I'm unsure just yet. I have 220+ yards of each color.
• A stand-up basket lined with fabric to set by my knitting chair.
• A pair of lined baskets for my knitting bookshelf, for yarn storage.
• 2 pairs of Lantern Moon Destiny circular needles: 16" US 6 and 26" US 4. - And oh, are they a delight to knit with!
• A knitted, beaded bracelet kit with pale white beads - for which I have to find size 0000 needles. That's just damned scary. But exciting too!
• Half a dozen balls of Patons' Katrina in Lilac and Ocean. I love this yarn, though I've no idea what I'm making with it!
  

The day before the Day Before Christmas

I've gotta say, first of all, I'm loving the knew new Blogger. I was able to easily add link lists, and have been playing around with it in other ways, and I didn't even have to lose my rings this time. Fan-fucking-tastic! I'm not yet finished I don't think, but I'm close. I'd like to see a three column template available though .. I do better with threes.

Work has, for the most part, slowed down. I've got to work tomorrow, Christmas Eve, but it'll be in the morning, and then it'll be over, and it's money, dontchaknow. Besides, I've got to pick something up for Johnny, and Miss Neely asked me to buy something for her to give to her sort-of ex-husband. She is, of course, paying me back, but since I work there and all, why don't I just make her not have to leave the house. *growl* Ahh, friends, how I love them.

I've almost finished the Booga bag for Brandon's momma. Just have to knit and felt the strap, but the body is done. It's all ratty looking though, so I need to take a sweater stone to it or something .. it's got pills everywhere cos it got out of the pillowcase in the water, and I'm a bit miffed at that. Other than that though, it's looking good, and should have enough size to it for her, once I get a good strap on it. The plan is, to fill the bag with tissue paper and have it look like a gift bag .. maybe she won't realize it's part of the present!

It's cloudy and dreary today, and were it colder I might think it looked like snow. But since I can probably walk out in shorts it's so mild, I don't think we'll get so lucky. Nope, no white christmas for us down here. But that's okay.




Well, I've -got- to get going. I have a 6' I-cord to knit, and pictures to print at CVS, and other such fun things. At least that's the -only- thing I have to go out for today. Everything else is -done-. My tree is drowning in gifts this year, and not everything is there. Jason apparently has gifts hiding in the back bedroom, unwrapped. If I weren't such a good wife, I'd already know what they are. Damn me! I'll return and post pictures of the tree once everything I can wrap is wrapped .. that way I can start loading them in the car, since we head to Brandon's tomorrow after I work and we run out to bring a gift to Mardell, the woman I went to the church concert with momma with.

Speaking of moms, my mom sent Jason and I gift cards to Best Buy, so I can buy my PS2 and he can get his stereo to be able to use the XM I bought for his birthday. She also sent us little spoon lapel pins, because she sometimes doesn't have enough spoons. You can go here to learn more about the 'spoon theory'. Mom has given us a couple of spoons to hold in reserve for her, just in case, and it's making me cry right now just to think about it. Please, read the article at least, and think about someone you know with a chronic illness, and just imagine for one day what it's like to live life with a limited amount of spoons.

Success (And Knitting)

I know, I know. But I have an excuse. First of all, I've been working 30+ hours a week, which is like double what I had been getting when I started the new job. And second, school got massively crazy all at once towards the end of the semester, and I just didn't have time for anything else.

But I have my grades now, and a month off, and now I can focus on relaxing for a month before classes begin again on January 17th.

ART 101 - Art History and Appreciation - A
AST 101 - Solar System Astronomy - A
HIS 101 - Western Civilization to 1689 - A
SPA 101 - Elementary Spanish I - A

That's right, I have a 4.0 currently. Me. Mrs. hasn't been in school in over a decade has a 4.0 GPA. Woohoo! Now I just need to keep it that way.

I'm taking 5 classes next semester, but they shouldn't be too difficult, and I've decided not to try to take Stellar Astronomy considering the issues we had with the text and study guide not matching up. And besides .. it's too cold to be out observing the stars!

ENG 102 - English Composition II - 3.000
PSC 201 - American Government - 3.000
PSC 215 - State and Local Government - 3.000
PSY 201 - General Psychology - 3.000
SPA 102 - Elementary Spanish II - 4.000

One of those Jason is also taking, and one he's already taken, which is nice. The English Comp I have to take for my degree, as despite having a tone of English classes, I don't have another composition class, and the Spanish I also have to take for the credit, but it should be fairly simple to pass, as I had no problem with the first half. Wish me luck!


(There has been knitting of course, but not a lot. I've been working on a felted bag for Brandon's mom for Xmas, and it's fairly mindless knitting. I got a good 5 inches knitted lastnight while we went looking at christmas lights, but since it's black and plain it's not much to see. I'll post maybe when I have something to show off .. like finished product.)

Arrrr.

I don't scare easy. Believe me. No, your bitchy comments aren't getting posted. Why? Because they're bitchy, and I told you so. And frankly I don't have any interest in what you have to say.

Karma? Oh, I know all about it. What part of me saying I'm a Witch did you not understand? I'm well aware of what Karma is, and sadly, you aren't, clearly. So I'm not particularly worried about it, and you can blow smoke all you want dearie.

I'm a pirate now. Whee! I've always wanted to be part of a pirate crew. Maybe now I can find Cap'n Jack .. especially since he releases Tuesday. *purrr*

Just to make certain this is understood: I don't care what you little soccer-mom bitches say to me. Your lives are unimportant to mine. Your words cannot harm me. Nothing you say or do can change my life in any way.

Oh, and 'watching for me' in other swaps? You go right on ahead and waste your energy honey. You won't find me. This experience has ruined it for me. And I've run a swap far greater in scope than this one .. I should have known better.

I promise, there will be knitting content later. And yule tree photos too, since we finally got ours decorated lastnight. I've got to go to work, and then I'm going with my mother-in-law to a Christmas Concert at one of her work-friend's church. Yeah, I'm -such- a horrible, bad person that I go to church concerts with little old ladies that have no one else in the world to visit with. God. I'm just evil.

*laugh* Just had to add .. law of three? Lord and Lady, I'm not a Wiccan. At least have a clue when you -attempt- to attack me.

Gods forbid someone have an opinion that's unpopular.

I've had to set my blog to moderate comments because people seem to think they have a right to trash me. So, those of you that want to be bitchy, be my guest. Your comments will be deleted, unread. Have a nice day.

I don't blog here to be part of a popularity contest, and I'm not apologizing for my 'rude' and 'childish' behavior. I am who I am. Don't like it? Don't read me. I don't really give a damn.

Marco ... Polo!!!

Ugh. I'm so worn out, and the week's not over yet! Gah!

As I said the other day, Marco Polo has arrived safely, and is starting on his way out to another destination tomorrow. I couldn't even get pictures taken before my darling husband, who the swap was for anyway, attacked the packages of candy sent within. But I got some pictures once I wrested everything from his greedy little paws.

Look! A box full of beautiful stuff!

And inside, some -beautiful- fibers. Some utterly beautiful white merino (that hubby is afraid to work with until he gets a little better. He's having some issues with merino not taking spin well for him) and some simply fabulous BFL in a gorgeous colorway that I cannot wait for him to spin so I can knit it up into .. well.. something.

Candy .. that he broke into before I could pull out the camera. Very much his favorites. Thank you!

And finally, some tea, some cocoa and some mints which we both will love!

Thank you thank you thank you Amanda. Everything is much loved and much delighted in, and we have to say that being part of Yarn Aboard 2 has been just a blast!

EDIT: Unfortunately, Amanda of the Yarn Aboard deserves, after her recent comments on her blog and emails to be, no thanks. I entered this swap because I thought it would be fun, not because I wanted another job to do. Getting snippy and bitchy with me because I had the -gall- to not email my husband's thanks to her the moment I got the package is simply rediculous, insensitive, and prompts me to believe that this 'good hearted' woman simply wants to get all these packages back, and isn't really interested in the idea of giving. Gods forbid someone actually have a life. Gods forbid we have trouble going on in our home, in our lives, and not be able to email her immediately. Gods forbid we want to post our thanks for everyone to see, and not simply send an email, which I personally find cold and without a human touch.

So I am no longer a part of Yarn Aboard 2, I do not want to be a part of the contests she has running for it, and will not involve myself in any of this callous, uncaring woman's swaps. Actually, I will probably not involve myself in any further swaps with this bad taste in my mouth.

Behind

I'm trying frantically to catch up on many things. I've been knitting, and am in fact about 2/3 done the sweater back. I've got to sleep though, so will have to post pictures tomorrow, as I have a busy day tomorrow. I also need to post pictures because Marco Polo arrived at our house two days ago, and has been enduring the frazzled state of our home after the holiday and with classes ending soon. I promise pictures though .. they're on the camera, and he's getting ready to head off soon!

http://wicked_stitches.typepad.com/wicked_stitches/2006/11/project_warming.html

Sweater and Sky

I've been forgetting to post my progress, and for a couple days didn't take pictures, so I'm going from just the border done, to having a pattern repetition and a half finished. Woohoo!


This is the progress up until Tuesday .. I was just getting ready to start working the pattern stitch, and finally got around to putting in a lifeline .. I've found they make matters MUCH easier if I miss a mistake.



These two show my progress up until now .. a repetition and a half of the 16-row pattern. I just moved my lifeline up too, so that I can keep more of the finished work in the off chance something awful happens .. like the knitting comes off the end of the needle .. which has almost happened a bunch of times.

It's coming along pretty well, I think. I'm excited now, and working really hard to get it done fast. :)

Ooh, and I remembered my Saturday Sky photos again this week. Look!

Sweater Progress

I started working on my sweater finally! I know it's been a long time coming for be to work on an actual garment .. and I need to start working on some socks too, but I've been being pestered by my mom-in-law to get working on this, so I went ahead lastnight and cast-on. So I figured I'd post my progress thus far, and I'm going to try and make a point of posting my progress every day ... (maybe that will keep me working on it a little more, hmm??)

Casting on - 115 stitches for the back.

Up to the first row of the eyelet stitch border.

A little closer up, showing the first row of eyelets, and getting on past the rest of the garter stitch.

A close up where I ended up lastnight ... starting the 21 rows that make up the stockinette portion of the sweater. This is the only part that's stockinette though, so it should be okay.

The sweater I'm making is from Better Homes and Gardens' book 'Hip Knits', which I picked up at Michael's of all places. I'm knitting it in this beautiful autumnal palette, the yarn is a 50 % mohair/22.5% wool/22.5% silk blend that I bought for myself at SAFF from the nice folks at Brooks Farm.

My Holiday Wishlist

I'm not one to say 'Hey .. buy me this!' .. but there are a few things I -really- want, and so I can show my darling husband at a later date, and maybe get some thoughts from the knitterly folk that actually read this blog, I figured posting here won't be such a bad thing.

So, without further ado:

• Bamboo Circular Needle Set
• Cables Untangled
• Knitting Without Tears
• Knitting Pattern-A-Day Calendar
  
• The Knitting Experience Book 1
• The Knitting Experience Book 2
  
• The Knitting Experience Book 3
• Rosewood Needle Set
• Eco-Spa Bamboo Robe
• Subscriptions to Knitter's and Vogue Knitting
  

• [More to come when I think of it.]
  

Some non-knitting non-content.

Meme

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?
Page 18 doesn't have a paragraph 4 .. it's my art appreciation book.

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?
The printer.

3. What’s the last program you watched on tv?
Umm .. probably either CSI, NCIS or Criminal Minds.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
9:30pm. (which is quite a bit later than it really is. Wow.)

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?
Jason running water in the bathroom.

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
A few hours ago .. walking in from the car after having been to my in-laws' house for dinner.

7. What are you wearing?
A t-shirt and sleep pants. My usual 'at home' garb.

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I'm sure I dreamt, but I don't remember it now.

9. When was the last time you laughed?
When we came home, and saw Isis being cute on the floor as we walked in.

10. What’s on the walls, in the room you’re in right now?
A colored pencil drawing of a ship and a castle from Jason's trip to Europe before I met him, and the Llewelyn Witch's calendar.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
Define strange. No .. really.

12. What do you think about this meme?
It's a meme .. it's already mindless. Why should I think about it?

13. What’s the last film you saw?
In the theater? Uhh ..

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
Knit more, travel more, buy a better house, and take car of my family and friends.

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Uhh .. I have very long toes. Like, small-finger toes. I can use them like fingers to some extent, to pick things up and such.

16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?
Animals would talk.

17. Do you like dancing?
Of course ... even if I look like a dork.

18. George Bush?
*fingers in ears* Lalalalala. (At least I can happily say I didn't vote for him.)

19. What do you want your children’s names to be, girl/boy?
Children? Me? Hehe .. you're joking, right?

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?
As long as they let me have sheep, horses, alpaca, goats and bunnies.

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
Who said I was going to heaven?

22. Who should do this meme?
Anyone who wants to.

Saturday Sky

I actually remembered to take a picture or two .. on the right day!

Oh yes, and isn't this some loverly spam.

Ursula,

Thanks. Call u back,

war

Still Playing Catchup

Chaos' mommy said that someone was wanting people to post pictures of their November calendars, so I'm posting mine.



From the 2006 Llewellyn's Witch's Calendar.


My mousepad calendar (that is too shiney to use as a mousepad, alas.)


The calendar I get every year from the local nuclear power station, that has evacuation routes and safety information and such. But it has pretty pictures, so I keep it.


Last but not least, my november desktop wallpaper, which is a calendar. This woman makes the most beautiful calendar desktop wallpapers usually, and I snag them and use them just because they're so pretty.

Jealousy and Porn and other things.

First of all, Haphazard Knitter has knitting-themed refrigerator word magnets. I'm so jealous!!!

And .. did I promise porn? I think I did. Lemme pull some of it out to add to the drooling of this deliciously hot friday. Really, I mean hot. I think it came close to 80 degrees today. Yes. In November. (Which reminds me, I need to look up the origin/meaning of 'Indian Summer'.)





That is, from top to bottom, some Tiny Toes I got to make a beautiful beaded scarf (picked up at SAFF of course), some Knit Picks Shimmer I have for a shawl I want to make for Larissa, the dear friend that taught me to knit, and the Lorna's Laces Mother Lode sock yarn I got from my Yarn Aboard benefactress, that I'm just looking for the -perfect- sock pattern for. I'm afraid that any of the more detailed patterns might be a bit too much for this beautiful colorway.



I promised a photo of my book stash .. there it is, meager as it is for now. But I've got more on my Amazon Wish List, and a few more coming, thanks to my darling husband. He just purchased himself a spinning wheel, so I get to get books and such. Nice trade, hmm?

NaBloPoMo

http://www.fussy.org/nablopomo.html

A better answer to NaNoWriMo for me, since I have not at all any intention of actually writing a novel. Not at this point in my life at least.

While I'm not an official list participant because I didn't know about the dern thing till today, I'm going to be trying to keep up with this blog (I have another at Livejournal I also neglect, even more than this one!) at least once a day.

One thing. Is it really almost a third if the way through November. Already?

Off to shower and work now. Ugh.

Say Thanks

We all know I'm not a political person. I dislike the whole mess. And I won't deny I dislike the war we're currently embroiled in.

But I do think that regardless of our feelings on the current state of things, we should support the men and women of the armed forces. They are there because they believe in fighting for freedom, and they deserve and have earned our support and respect.

Go to this website, and send a postcard to the troops. You can send as many as you like, and though you can't choose who it goes to, you can be sure whoever gets it will be grateful for the message of love and support, even from a complete stranger.