Look at Meme!

Meme

"The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer."

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?



2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?


3) Snacks I enjoy:



4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:


5) Places I have lived:



6) Jobs I have had:



7) Bloggers I am tagging who you will enjoy getting to know better:

4 Stomachs - Yarn Ruminations

I got my first pair of Claudia's Handpaints for socks for Sean. I'm not that impressed, really. I was intrigued for quite a while, because 6 months ago or so a boy came into the shop and he was knitting a pair of socks with the Claudia's and they felt all squishy and great. So I was into trying it out, even though I've never really been into the colors (it's really amazing, the difference between different people's color senses and preferences, isn't it?) There's nothing wrong with the colors, per se, it's just that they don't really do it for me. BUT - This blue stuff works for Sean, since he's not really into wearing colors, it was the craziest I could convince him to go. Crazy stuff right here.






















So - the yarn isn't excitingly squishy or anything. I think I probably won't be making any more Claudia's purchases. I'll have to try the Art Yarns merino sock stuff next. They've got a lovely, boring black and gray combo that is right up Sean's alley. Oy. I might have to splash some green dye onto it, just so I don't shoot myself. Sean likes green and black. Together even. I think it'll be an acceptable compromise.















I knitted for TWO Fucking hours waiting at the doctor's today. A clinic, actually. I asked if this wait time was usual, the reply was in the affirmative. Come on people, get it together. Why schedule people if they're going to have to wait that long? It makes no sense. I had an appointment too.

Ummm... Yeah, I lost my knitting mojo for a little while there. I barely finished the second baby bootie of this pair, and at the time of this posting, I haven't even bothered to take pictures or mark it as "finished" on Ravelry. I think the heat last week sucked me dry. I was excited to cast on Sean's sock though. Plain socks are so nice and comforting, so quick. So very sock-like and small and portable. You know what they're going to be when they're done. You know how big they will be. They are socks. But after 2 hours of staring at this color in the waiting room, I'm a little tired of it. Oh well. I also lost it ( the knitting urge) because I'm bored (kind of) with my shawl - though I had thoughts of returning to it this morning - and because I had to rip my spiral socks, and I think I might have t rip some more of them too. They're a little tighter than I'd like at the calf. I am an essentially lazy knitter. I like things to be right, but if I have to go back to do them, I don't always do it right away. Or ever. So the spirals sit.

I really want to get some black and bright yellow Shibui and make striped socks for Sean. I had some black and yellow Regia I was going to use for the purpose (self-striping, cool) but I realized I couldn't handle how the yarn feels. It was not very soft, even after washing. I like soft and smooth and not feeling like rough plastic.

Ok. Yarn ruminations over.

For now.

You might notice something over in the sidebar - bottle cap earrings! I love my bottle cap earrings so much that I decided I had to make some and let people buy them from me.



















They take a long time to make, actually. Just so you know, in case you ever bought a pair in Mexico for 5 bucks, that's like highway robbery. So now you can go feel guilty.

Cheers!

Socks are no friend of mine

Not for the next 4 months at least. I think I might have to boycott knitting for a while. It was like 80 degrees last night at 12 pm, and this afternoon it was 100 in Oakland, 92/95 in Berkeley.


Ugh. The. I'm officially on the ice cream/water diet.

Minimalism

I like to do non-traditional Haikus. You know, the kind that aren't actually Haiku.

"Driving in Oakland"
a poem by yours truly


left side burnt
80 degrees
sunscreen & sweat
try to idle in the shade
"fucking prozzies."





























...


I love Trader Joe's. It is so freakishly cheap.

And congratulations to Winter Foliage! You came out on the right side of the coin flip to win the book!

Oh, Ireland

The word "Ireland" kept running through my head as I knit my buttony neck warmer. So Ireland I shall call it. I blame it on the greens. I absolutely adore this cowl! It was so special to knit with yarn I'd spun my very own self. I feel like the little red hen, except not so put-upon. The yarn is soft enough to be around my neck, though I know it'd be too scratchy for some. I'd really like to make more of these. If I give them away, I'll either make it with even smoother and more soft fiber/yarn, or sew in a lining. I really want to make more of these. I kept admiring it and feeling it every other row or so. I like how the stripes happened, and I like the sort of rustic look the yarn has.

A few more details on Ravelry.

Lately I really have had quick obsessions come upon me! Urchin, baby booties, now this. Ah well. It was cool to knit this guy for several reasons, one of which was because I realized that in a yarn this weight... a sweater would go really quickly! I might cast on for a Seamless Hyrbid at the end of the month. I'll be on a bit of a vacation for a week, and it might be the perfect opportunity. This is the most optimistic I've ever felt about a sweater.

In other news - I can't believe only one person has jumped on the offer of a FREE BOOK, and no one seems to want FREE YARN! It's even PURPLE!

Well, I'm off to dream of projects and enjoy the sun. Have an excellent Friday and weekend!

I've always had a high opinion of myself...

but it was very gratifying to know that I'm worth over 1.5 million in my weight in gold! Thanks to Pneuma for that fun tidbit.

So, I did the equivalent of swatching with my spinning, and have decided that if any of you readers would like a little skein of free yarn, you can have it!
























Disclaimer - it's very amateur, and at 66 yds, is probably best for some little embellishment. First commenter gets it- one skein of 50/50 alpaca/merino drafted with regular old wool with some angelina. On my to-do list is taking a spinning class...

























I am so pleased! I went to Article Pract yesterday and actually came out with exactly what I went in for, even after fondling the Malabrigo lace and carrying around some Habu lace. I put them both down, and got the brilliant idea to ask them if they keep back-stock of these buttons:
























Some person cuts them off of clothes, puts them on paper-clips, and sells them. Button re-use, brilliant!

I was really pleased to find theses butterfly ones, because they're the right shade of brown, and I think I'm going to do a butterfly motif on my handspun cowl, but... I really love these triangular ones, and I think I might end up going with them on the cowl after all.
























Aren't the star buttons great? I think they're kind of tacky (shiny plastic gold), but irresistible. I bought them because - where the hell else would I find them? So- buttons, no yarn - amazing.
























I started the cowl yesterday - It's really cool to work with yarn I made myself. I love the texture - it's rustic, but not rough. It definitely feels different knitted up than when in a hank. I think I will end up sewing a silk lining to the inside, but I'll wait to decide till I'm done knitting it. I really like watching the stripes happen. I had an idea for the design, but changed it after I'd knitted an inch or so. I'm glad I ripped, I'm much happier with what's going on now. It's good to swatch, even though I hate ripping. I'm pretty lazy - there's a lot I will live with.

Blogger is annoying me - I've uploaded 2 pictures today that it has been pleased to rotate for me. Sorry for the neck craning this might induce.

I had such an awesome drawing session last night! I had a friend pose for me, and it was really a luxury to be able to work on one pose for over an hour. The drawing is not complete, but the beauty of it is I can have her take the pose again and continue! Brilliant - something I don't get from art class.

If you spin, you should check out Krista's shop - she's been coming up with some new colorways, this one in particular slays me - I love these greens, they're awesome. The roving spins up beautifully. I also love this guy and this one too.

Book

So, I was busy getting lost in Target last night, when all of a sudden I did espy a very excellent knitting story! I really liked this book - it's got substance, and when Sean brought it home for me last year as a surprise, I read it in one sitting. Whether or not you read it in one sitting will be up to you!

























To win, leave me a comment that includes your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you should this book be your destiny. In the comment you leave, tell me if you believe in destiny, and why you do or why you don't. Examples are welcome! Deadline is 11.59 pm Sunday May 11 2008.