tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65745847581179585392024-03-21T10:34:59.721-03:00The Nemo KnitsWell, it's pretty self-explanatory, isn't it?Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-12011325980176350362008-12-06T23:51:00.005-04:002008-12-07T00:12:35.723-04:00Crunch TimeSo I'm in the middle of a knitting frenzy, as odd as that may sound (though to those of you who knit, that's probably 'not at all'). Christmas is soon (kinda snuck up on me - where the hell did November go??) and I have a zillion projects on the go. The optimist in me says I'll totally get them done in time, but the realist part of me is going "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!! LACEWEIGHT SCARF?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! BULKY YARN! BIG NEEDLES! NOTHING BIGGER THAN A HAT! GO! GO! GO!"<br /><br />It's craziness.<br /><br />In the meantime I've managed to finish a few things, some of which will actually be given out as gifts.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3247/3009454078_80cbb98104.jpg?v=0"><br />Yoga socks for mom. The color is a little off (have I mentioned I hate my camera?) but you get the idea. For the observant among you, yes that is single crochet around the heel. If I were to do these again I would use a ribbing pattern for the whole thing, instead of stockinette - they would fit better and the crochet wouldn't be necessary, since the heel wouldn't curl like that.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/3014015557_c22f14c042.jpg?v=0"><br />Another beret, using the same pattern as the other one I made except with the brim a little wider, and the body a little shorter. I originally was making this for myself but once again, Nat mentioned she reaaaally liked it... And to be honest she looks damn cute in it once again, so I gave it to her. (I do borrow it from time to time...) I was planning to make her a matching scarf for Christmas but I determined that I didn't have the time to finish if I was going to make anything else for other people, and since I have other gifts for Nat I decided to put the scarf on hold.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/3059966448_418e861abb.jpg?v=0"><br />This photo is proof that my camera blows all kinds of chunks. The color is not even close to accurate, so here's a picture of the yarn so you can kinda imagine the result.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3014016483_a394cf623f_m.jpg"><br />I made this one for myself (and actually kept it), to match my blue winter coat. I'm impressed at myself for this one, apparently I've gotten better at eyeballing sizes - this hat fits perfectly, even though I started decreasing at 4.5 inches instead of 5.5. If I'd kept going it would be much too big. So yay me!<br /><br />I also made a neckwarmer for my grandmother out of a fuzzy chenille yarn that reminded me of leopard print. There is no photographic evidence of this because I am a moron and forgot to take a picture of the yarn or the work. I still need to sew some buttons on it though, so once I do that I'll take pics.<br /><br />So here's what needs to get done before Christmas: a scarf in pink laceweight mohair for my aunt (currently at about 50% completion), a beret for Danielle out of a purple and black boucle (probably going to hibernate this till after Christmas as boucle is hard as f#$! to work with), a hat for my uncle, another hat for Harry (I never know what to call him... 'stepdad'? 'My mom's husband'? Whatever.) and a bunch of i-cord bracelets for some girl friends. Crystal's mittens have been put on hold, as have the slippers - I know, I know, priorities, but they'll understand.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-77644883716299418622008-10-11T14:47:00.004-03:002008-10-11T21:22:03.016-03:00The FO ParadeAnd we're back! With FOs!<br /><br />In the past couple months my knitting education has continued, especially since it is no longer hotter than the seventh level of <span style="font-style:italic;">hell</span> in the apartment (next year: air conditioning. Seriously.) And since I haven't posted in such a long time, it stands to reason that I would have a lot of finished stuff to show off. So without further ado here is the FO Parade!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2714822347_c7e900d91d.jpg?v=0"><br />Finished Little Leaf hat. It turned out a bit big for a newborn, but babies' heads grow fast and winter is coming quickly. The baby this is meant for is due in about a month, so I'm thinking this hat will see some fair usage. This is the project that made my mom click in that I was actually a knitter and actually making pretty, useful things. (Now she won't stop hounding me for a Sunday Market shawl. Too bad for her, I don't think I could survive another one quite so soon. I'm planning a Moebius wrap for her for Christmas.)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2748349058_a67994d426.jpg?v=0"><br />Kitty ears hat, here modeled by Nathalie. This one is so so, I kinda wish I'd done it in the round with a three-needle bind off instead of my half-assed seaming. It also ended up way too big for the person I intended to give it to, so it's sitting in the workbin doing nothing right now.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/2806241809_8c15e78836.jpg?v=0"><br />Same pattern as Rusty, this one was for a girl from work who was moving away. She really wanted one "like the one you made for Sam", and at the time I was trying to get this Manos yarn to become something it didn't really want to be, so I frogged that and just did this instead. I'm not entirely happy with the fringe, it stayed curly and I didn't have the patience to block it. But she liked it so, I guess it's ok. (The ladybug button is kind of an inside joke, and my way of wishing her luck.)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2806239613_85baea8857.jpg?v=0"><br />A couple cup sleeves I crocheted. That's right, crocheted. Chris taught me single, half double and double crochet, and these were my practice runs on single crochet. So, will I be trading in my needles for hooks?... Yeah not likely. Sure it's faster, but it cramps my fingers and I don't like the look as much as knitting. Also for some reason it makes me nervous that you're not building on a solid object, but on a chain of loops not really anchored to anything. But at least now if a knit pattern requires me to finish off with crochet I can do it.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/2927515089_4669f1c493.jpg?v=0"><br />Armwarmers for Chibi, modified with eyelets around the wrist so I could put a ribbon in. (Apparently I can't tie a bow to save my life. Who knew!)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2927514157_8d4247ce52.jpg?v=0"><br />Now this I am still pretty darn proud of. I finished this two days ago and dang it, I felt pretty damn smart. It's a beret I made for Nat, using the Freedom Spirit I still had at the bottom of my stash that was doing nothing. I originally cast it on for myself but she mentioned she liked that yarn a lot, so I decided she could have it. And then she put it on and looked so friggin' cute so that sealed it. (She made me a pretty pretty set of stitch markers in exchange, so everyone is happy!) I'm casting on a set of fingerless mitts to match with the last skein. This hat used exactly one ball, with maybe a yard left over. I did a happy dance. Pics of her wearing it will be taken soon.<br /><br />So what is next for the Nemo?<br /><br />Well, I picked up another skein of Manos del Uruguay at the Farmers' Market a couple weeks ago, because it immediately made me think of my mother. I made her some yoga socks (no heels, no toes so she can still have a good grip on the floor) and they are almost done, all they need is single crochet around the heel slit. They're a little big so they might get felted a tad before she gets them.<br /><br />Then my friend Crystal requested some mittens, and I will most likely use my leftover Patons Rumor for that, though I'm kind of on the fence about it since it is mostly acrylic (and the alpaca sheds like a bitch). But unless I can find a really nice bulky red wool, that's what I plan to use.<br /><br />And today my grandmother said she'd like some thick wool socks to keep her feet warm in winter, so we took a trip to Cricket Cove. Then we decided to make that felted clogs instead, and she ended up buying not only the yarn, but also the needles and the pattern so I could make them for her. It was a bit expensive and I feel bad she paid that much, but she wouldn't let me foot the bill even for the needles and pattern. So I'll be making her those, out of Alafoss Lopi wool. Everyone says that pattern is simple once you get the hang of it, but the instructions look a little daunting... Oh well, nothing like a challenge! (That had a little bit of an ominous feel to it, didn't it? Sort of like famous last words.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-2090937461402456582008-07-28T00:08:00.003-03:002008-07-28T00:48:47.656-03:00Feelin' Groovy<span style="font-style: italic;">Hello lamppost, whatcha knowin'? I've come to watch your flowers growin'!</span><br /><br />Today's been a really good day. And I mean, a <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span> day. I woke up feeling rested, which I never do, and got early leave from work after about an hour. Then a couple of my coworkers came and hung out here at the apartment for a couple hours, and one of them, Marc-Andre, plugged up my hard drive in my new computer. And that means I have all my files back! I'm so excited! I didn't realize how much music I actually listened to until I had nothing at all.<br /><br />I don't actually have time to do a full-blown progress post like I was planning to, with pictures of the frogged hat and hermit crabs and whatnot, but here are two things I did want to put up:<br /><br />1. Finally. Finished. The Sunday Market shawl. OH MY GOD.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3222/2700833403_91c9d93a37.jpg?v=0"><br /><br />The laddering process was fun, but it took for-goddamn-ever.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2701644026_e79a5fe989.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />Totally worth it though. It came out looking amazing. I gave it to my friend Elise for her birthday (which meant staying up till 3 am to finish the ladders, but whatevs) and she really liked it.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2700834081_a0dffe9cc5.jpg?v=0"><br /><br /><br />2. Baby hat ftw:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/2709224032_b7e0b9dd2a.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />That's totally not the right color, but whatever. It's almost done. Which is good because I just got a whole whack of books with baby knitting patterns, and there are babies popping up all over the place around me, so I've got some knittin' to do!<br /><br /><br />That's it for tonight. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ceeeeeeeelia, you're breakin' my heart, you're shakin' my confidence daillyyyyyyyy... Ohh Ceceeeeelia, I'm down on my knees, I'm begging you please to come home!</span><br /><br />(It's funny to me that that song makes me so happy. It's about a chick cheating on her boyfriend.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-69666619399998574692008-07-20T23:35:00.005-03:002008-07-28T00:38:43.700-03:00Do Not Adjust Your SetSo my computer decided it couldn't take the heat anymore (literally), and kicked the proverbial bucket. In order to fully comprehend the impact this has had on me, let me tell you about my computer.<br /><br />My computer is named Deep Thought. It was named after the second most powerful computer in the Universe (according to Douglas Adams). It was most definitely <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> the second most powerful computer in... well anywhere except maybe the room it was in, and only then if there were less than two other computers present. It was, however, a huge improvement on my previous computer, which I had dubbed The Millenium Falcon. The MF was a hunk of junk. State of the art when we bought it, sure, in ... 1990? Something like that? 2GB hard drive, 33.6k dial up modem, ran Windows 95... Took about two hours to download one song, and even then you could only store about twenty on the thing before it began acting like a constipated elephant.<br /><br />So when I got my first job, wage-slaving it at Toys R Us at 16, I saved up and bought myself a brand spankin' new computer. 80GB hard drive, Windows XP when it was still the New Thing, DVD drive and CD+RW drive... Not a super fancy video card or sound card, but enough at the time to do what I wanted it to do.<br /><br />That computer has been with me for just about, oh... six years now? It moved to Montreal with me. It moved back to Moncton with me two years later. It's had parts taken out, put back in, it's had Windows reinstalled and all kinds of things have gone wrong with it. For a while now it's been ailing, the motherboard wasn't quite what it used to be and I think that reinstalling a maybe not-so-legit copy of Windows on it wasn't quite a smart thing to do (I blame the ex-boyfriend for that, I told him to use my copy but nooo, that wasn't good enough for him... But that's another story). So it's been stuck on Service Pack 1, with no Windows updates available because it wouldn't clear the genuine software verification, I couldn't run more than two programs at once without everything slowing way down and some programs would just not run at all. If I needed to restart the computer, I had to shut it all the way down, power it off and unplug it, leave it alone for about a half hour and then <span style="font-style: italic;">maybe</span> it would come back on if it felt like it. So instead I just left it on. All the time.<br /><br />So when I got home last week and found it powered off, alarm bells started blaring in my mind. And sure enough, no amount of trying would get my poor computer to power back on.<br /><br />It kinda sucked for timing, too, cause I'd been meaning to blog about a <span style="font-style: italic;">bunch</span> of things that had been happening that week, and now all the pictures are stuck on that hard drive. My mom gave me her computer, which is in much better shape than Deep Thought was and is now purring happily in my living room, but - and let me stress the importance of this - <span style="font-style: italic;">I have no files on this thing.</span> No music. No pictures. No saved text files with appointment times, bookmarks, resumes, what have you.<br /><br />I feel almost naked, and I am going into severe music withdrawal.<br /><br />So the point of all this is, until I can get my hard drive slaved to this computer, I can't write about all the stuff I wanted to write about. So let's just pretend there are some pretty pictures here of the hat I made then frogged, the new yarn I got, the scarf I'm making for a coworker, the baby hat I'm halfway done with, the hermit crabs from the beach, the necklace I bought at the market...<br /><br />Or better yet, I'll save all those for a future post. How's that?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, and PS. Deep Thought will not go unremembered. My friends and I are planning to take it apart and use the innards for art.</span>Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-64076954877406153162008-06-29T23:49:00.004-03:002008-06-30T22:06:11.539-03:00Playing Catch-UpHey there, long time no blog! June is always kind of a busy month for me, what with birthdays and graduations and stuff like that (we've had grads something like five years in a row, starting with my high school grad, through my cousin's, my brother's, my other cousin's, my mom's partner's daughters, and this year three of my friends graduated university... Congrats to them, I'm super proud of them). So here's a quick recap of the stuff that happened in June!<br /><br />First, there were birthdays. My mom's is on the 16th and mine is on the 18th, so we had a few parties. My grandmother had us over for supper, and made me a zucchini-chocolate-chip cake with cream cheese icing, my special request. It was really good (of course it was, otherwise I wouldn't have requested it!)<br /><br />The gang all pitched in to get me a kickass present (thanks again, guys!):<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2579544998_a6dbdd39f4.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />A ball winder! I was so excited. That night we had supper at a pub I love here in Moncton and then we came back here, hung out and played Guitar Hero while a little drunk on Jello margarita shooters that Brian brought (thanks, Brian!) I showed everyone (repeatedly) how to use the ball winder. I don't think I've ever done anything as much fun as drunken wool winding:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2578714641_a3b5a9e42d.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />That's just from that one night! Then on the actual day of my birthday I was told by Nat not to come home early cause she had to have time to plan her birthday surprise for me. Turns out she'd bought a lemon pie for me, because my favorite dessert is lemon meringue pie, and she'd been trying to make the meringue. I guess our beater isn't fast enough though, so she ended up making me cinnamon raisin French toast instead - which were super good, and we still had pie afterwards, so I was super happy! She'd also gotten organic snickerdoodles. (So, logically, yellow round thing with slices taken out of it + small round thing = Pac-Man picture.)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2622741077_bea6ecbb27.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />(We have a thing about making food in the shape of Pac-Man:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2622895763_aa92be1389.jpg?v=0" /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/2483857813_6f03fe4593.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />See? We were <span style="font-style: italic;">especially</span> proud of the pancakes. Kudos go to Nat for those. My roommate is awesome.)<br /><br />She also got me the Flight of the Conchords CD, a pineapple lip gloss and the best birthday card ever. Handmade, handpainted, and it made me cry and laugh at the same time. (I do believe I snorted.)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3030/2623564900_04e273eb0d.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br /><br />Now onto knitting news! (Cause, you know, that stuff about the ball winder had <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing </span>to do with knitting.)<br /><br />I finished the Fingerless Gloves of Doom, Take II. No, I don't have a picture because I'm an idiot and didn't take any yet. No, I can't take one now because they're in my locker at work. No, I'm not wearing them so much there - I started bringing a blanket to my desk instead cause dang it, that place is getting colder every damn day.<br /><br />I worked a little on my Sunday Market shawl. I made about... oh... two inches' worth of progress. Plain stockinette is <span style="font-style: italic;">boring</span>. So to liven it up, I decided to try continental knitting instead of English style. I can't do the purls yet, but the knits go so much faster! It's easier on tiny needles than on my 13s, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.<br /><br />Speaking of tiny needles, I wound up my odd lot of Fleece artist and cast on my very first lace project, the Butterfly Lace Stole from Knit N Style magazine:<br /><br /><img src="http://www.knitnstyle.com/images/june08/10.jpg" /><br /><br />I cast on using size 3 needles instead of the suggested size 6, which means that I am totally disregarding gauge, which is reckless and dumb what with the not knowing the yardage on that skein, but... I don't really <span style="font-style: italic;">care</span>. If it's too big, it's a shawl. If it's too small, it's a scarf. If it's useless but pretty, it's wall art. <span style="font-style: italic;">So there.</span><br /><br />I also kind of went book-crazy. Chapters is having this sale right now where if you buy 3 books, you get the 4th free... So... Here's what I got:<br /><br />Yarn Harlot's <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Knitting-Rules-Yarn-Harlot-Unravels-Stephanie-Pearl-mcphee/9781580178341-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527knitting+rules%2527&sterm=knitting+rules+-+Books">Knitting Rules!</a>, which I <span style="font-style: italic;">devoured</span> and loved every bit of. Great book, super helpful.<br /><a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Knitting-New-Scarves-Distinctly-Modern-Lynne-Barr-Tyllie-Barbosa/9781584796336-item.html?ref=Books%3a+Search+Top+Sellers">Knitting New Scarves</a> by Lynne Barr, which has a few so-so designs but a also few <span style="font-style: italic;">really freaking great</span> ones.<br />Judith Durrant's <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Designer-One-skein-Wonders-World-Judith-Durant/9781580176880-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527one+skein+wonder%2527">One-Skein Wonders</a>. Some super cute stuff in this one, and y'all know I've got plenty of just-one-skeinage.<br />Jackie Pawlowski's <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Field-Guide-Knitting-How-Identify-Jackie-Pawlowski/9781594741586-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527field+guide+to+knitting%2527&sterm=field+guide+to+knitting+-+Books">Field Guide to Knitting</a>, for the impressive stitch and edging library.<br /><a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Creepy-Cute-Crochet-Zombies-Ninjas-Christen-Haden/9781594742323-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527creepy+cute%2527&sterm=creepy+cute+-+Books">Creepy Cute Crochet</a> by Christen Haden. I don't crochet but it looks like I'm gonna damn well have to start.<br /><br />The astute among you will have noticed that that is five books, not four. Well, that would be because I got three other books, but they're not knitting books. I got 'Fragile Things' by Neil Gaiman, which is a short story anthology that I am really liking so far, 'Those Left Behind' in hardcover which is the first Serenity comic book, and <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Pops-Icy-Treats-Grown-Ups-Krystina-Castella/9781594742538-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527castella%2527">this gem</a>, 'POPS!' by Krystina Castella, which is super awesome recipes for frozen pops and desserts, classy-style. It is unbelievably cute, and I might just have to go back for her cupcake book.<br /><br />And finally, I have yet to mention here that my good friend Chris (the instigator of the Get Nemo a Yarn Winder Movement) has started teaching some beginners' knitting classes at Cricket Cove! Yay Chris! I'm super psyched for him, and I know his students are in good hands. Congrats Chris!<br /><br />Whew! That's it for now. I will hopefully return soon with pictures of my knitting endeavors!Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-78677772802594425342008-06-18T00:00:00.002-03:002008-06-18T00:01:34.698-03:00Party Hats On... NOW!Yay, I'm now officially 22!<br /><br />That is all.<br /><br /><br />(I might post later today. Maybe. If I'm not drunk.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-66233002218695411702008-05-28T22:05:00.004-03:002008-05-28T22:23:09.569-03:00Quick FO And Some SillinessYep, you read that right! A real, honest-to-goodness FO. Sure, it's a simple one, but whatever.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/2529284865_294b5ed981.jpg?v=0" /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/2529285349_d21d35baa0.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br /><br />Easy peasy lemon squeezy handwarmers. I used size 7 needles and about half a skein of my red Manos Del Uruguay 100% Wool. I especially like how the stockinette looks in this gauge, it makes a really nice fabric:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3138/2530095366_3f71b0b82c.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />Nathalie called them my 'Fingerless Gloves of Doom', so that is what they are. These aren't even worked in the round, that's how lazy I am. But my hands were cold at work all the time, so I figured quick and easy was the ticket. Actually, these ended up going to a coworker, so my hands are still cold at work... Which is why I cast on a second pair, this time with ribbing at the top so it doesn't curl. (Duh, stockinette curls, you'd think I'd have caught on by now...)<br /><br />Progress on the second pair:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2532762624_7dca64567e.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />This pair is done in Twilleys of Stamford 'Freedom Spirit', in a purple/green colorway which I guess is called 'Zest' (it doesn't say that on my skeins, but Ravelry says that's what it's called, so... Yeah.)<br /><br />And now for some very silly things.<br /><br />First up is a picture of my friend Tom, "cosplaying" as the Prince of All Cosmos with the help of a couch cushion and a knitting needle:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2530094956_9012449fea.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />And finally, this is what happens when Chris decides he wants to use the camera, but he isn't sure which button does what. (This was hilarious to watch.)<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2530095896_3e439e4464_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2530096414_0faff030e6_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2286/2530097604_6f04fcc613_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2133/2530098100_29d9bd7135_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2530099164_d0412469db_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3250/2529283127_2f607496d3_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3107/2530100620_529ba7ae20_m.jpg" /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2248/2530101130_2cb4d708f1_m.jpg" /><br /><br />My friends are <span style="font-style: italic;">awesome</span>.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-4197813366585187832008-05-23T00:58:00.003-03:002008-05-23T01:15:33.440-03:00Ten Signs You've Been Watching Too Much Veronica Mars10. You start narrating everything in your head.<br /><br />9. You treat every single detail as if it's super important. A receipt from Wal-Mart in the garbage? That <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> be a clue!<br /><br />8. You have freaky ass dreams about <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0012942/">Logan Echolls</a> refusing to sell you a voodoo doll. (Actually, that's if you watch too much Veronica Mars... and are also crazy.)<br /><br />7. You cannot get that <span style="font-style: italic;">god damned</span> Dandy Warhols song out of your head.<br /><br />6. Your knitting blog reminds you of that one episode where Beaver wasn't invited to the shooting range his dad and brother were going to, cause he said "Guess I'll just sit here and knit something then." (That line was <span style="font-style: italic;">hilarious</span>.)<br /><br />5. You learn that <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0230655/">Jason Dohring</a> is in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0955346/">Moonlight</a>, playing a <span style="font-style: italic;">vampire P.I.</span> no less, and despite the clip you find on YouTube being <span style="font-style: italic;">incredibly</span> cheesy, you immediately resolve to watch it anyway.<br /><br />4. You're <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> humming 'We Used To Be Friends'.<br /><br />3. You finish watching Season 1, and instead of waiting for the next download to finish, you race to take the bus to Wal-Mart a half hour before they close to buy Season 2.<br /><br />2. At work, you suddenly find yourself emulating <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068338/">Kristen Bell</a>'s voice and mannerisms.<br /><br />1. You really, <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> wanna be a P.I. now.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-3247128163545478632008-05-11T19:07:00.002-03:002008-05-11T19:50:06.040-03:00The Great Cake Caper... Heehee, caper. I like that word. Caper. It makes everything sound like so much fun, even if it was just making a cake. Although, to be fair, it was a pretty intense cake project.<br /><br />My friend Natalie (not my roommate, another one... I know like five. They do get confusing) was turning 25 and having an 80s themed party. It was a lot of fun - we all dressed up, we played Singstar and Guitar Hero 80s, and we watched Interview with the Vampire (which, okay, is not an 80s movie, but we enjoyed it all the same, dammit.) Some choice pictures:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2340/2484673278_6b5567c9cf.jpg?v=0" /><br />The birthday girl with her tiara, courtesy of me and Nathalie!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3277/2483799687_540f279c2b.jpg?v=0" /><br />I think my favorite part of this one is how fierce Nathalie looks with that guitar controller.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2484615302_7154f35deb.jpg?v=0" /><br />Chris didn't dress up so much - that polo <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> from the 80s, but it still needed something else. Enter Elise and the rad Flock of Seagulls hairdo.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/2483857813_6f03fe4593.jpg?v=0" /><br />Pac-Man nacho dip by Elise.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/2484673408_6d89a95978.jpg?v=0" /><br />Charles getting into the spirit of his 'chezzy rocker' outfit.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/2484714400_b5af1e3c6c.jpg?v=0" /><br />Nathalie went the Madonna route with her costume.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2045/2484673314_5a2cb42f1d.jpg?v=0" /><br />I am told this is very 80s... I think it's nifty, anyway.<br /><br />I decided I would provide the birthday cake, and that it would be a red velvet 'bloody' cake. Now somewhere along the way I learned that Natalie didn't like chocolate, so... well, red velvet was out, since it's a chocolate-flavored cake. It kinda screwed with my ideas on what to do decoration wise. But then inspiration hit - probably from watching wayyyy too much Buffy - what about a coffin cake? Vanilla, with gray-tinged icing, and slightly ajar, with raspberry coulis leaking out of it. Not 80s, no. But still <span style="font-style: italic;">wicked cool</span>. So Nat and I pumped ourselves up with lots and lots of 80s music and set to work.<br /><br />My roommate helped me hardcore with this project - it was my design and all, but most of the actual decoration work was hers. All I really did was make the mix, pour it in a square pan, and turn the oven on. Then I made the gray icing, but she did supervise that - as she frequently reminds me, she's taken entire courses on how to mix colors, so she knows much more than I do about that. Then Nat cut the cake in a coffin shape, and we baked a separate, thinner layer for the lid and cut <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> to shape. We cut out a hollow in the cake, about half an inch deep, and smushed a bunch of raspberries with a tiny bit of sugar, and filled the hollow with them. We iced the sides and the rim of the hollow, then put the lid on top - slightly open, and iced that. Then we used more of the raspberry mush to have it overflowing out the side that was open, and over the side of the plate as if something had crawled out of the coffin trailing blood. Nat used green icing and some sugar roses to decorate the top and sides of the coffin, and I put a gummy spider on one side of it and one in the trail of blood. The end result was exactly what I wanted, and a big hit at the party - it tasted pretty darn good, too. (Progress pictures are coming - as soon as Nat unloads her camera!)<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/2483839967_3000c3415b.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />We made cupcakes to match, since the cake ended up pretty small:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3200/2483882845_2eabdb7681.jpg?v=0" /><br />Note the gummy spiders and smushed raspberry 'blood'.<br /><br /><br />It was Charles's birthday the day after, so we made him special <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2484614892_24d4c73f69.jpg?v=0">boobie cupcakes</a> (linked in case you don't want to see cartoony boobies). He liked them.<br /><br /><br />All and all, a good time was had by all. (Except maybe for poor Nick, who is severely allergic to Jake, Natalie's cat. Poor thing.)<br /><br /><br />On the knitting front, I haven't really gotten anything done. I had kind of a long week, with work (my company moved buildings this week, it's a mess), and scriptwriting, and the cake-planning and shopping, plus yesterday I had a bellydancing workshop and dinner-and-show event for my teacher's 10-year anniversary of dancing. It was a lot of fun, but... this weekend tired me right out.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-52550085602208893722008-05-03T22:05:00.005-03:002008-05-03T22:48:18.910-03:00To The Yarn Shop We WentOk. Uh... Yeah. Still here. Yarn? Yes.<br /><br />My friends and I went to <a href="http://www.thewoolworks.com/">London-Wul</a> last Thursday. I'd already been once before with my roommate, and we wanted to take Chris there cause, in Nat's words, 'he would shit a brick'. Here in Moncton we have about three places we can go for yarn: Wal-Mart, Michaels and Cricket Cove. Wal-Mart and Michaels carry mostly commercial, acrylic yarns, and we've (well, at least I've) kinda... <span style="font-style: italic;">graduated </span>from those. Cricket Cove is awesome for fancier yarns, and I love going there, but they are still quite small and they don't carry handspun (and... I'm a sucker for handspun.) London-Wul, however, is not just a yarn shop, it's also Heidi Wulfraat's workshop, where she spins and dyes really gorgeous yarns. They also have pretty hand-turned needles, and they have a bunch of commercial yarn too - some that Cricket Cove doesn't have. It's really worth the trip - about a 15 minute drive from where we are - just to see the place. It's smack in the middle of nowhere, it's gorgeous, it's big but it feels cozy, there are birdies and a gorgeous huuuuuge super shy dog... There are big wood sheep outside with the heads cut out so you can take pictures with your face in a sheep. Chris. Was gonna. Shit. A brick.<span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br />The plan was to blindfold him and drive him there without telling him where we were taking him (how, I do not know - it's not like he'd have let us drive his car) and then un-blindfold him once inside the store (and hopefully the owners/staff wouldn't call the cops on us. "There's some... weird people in the store... I think they've kidnapped some guy."). The plan was flawed, first because of that car thing, and second because... well... he'd already heard of the place. We still wanted to be there when he went, though, just to see his face. So Nat, Chris, his girlfriend Danielle (remember her? the one who looked adorable in the slouchy hat?), their friend Valerie (a non-knitter, poor girl) and myself piled in Chris's car and moseyed on over to Lakeburn.<br /><br />(Well. We had breakfast at Cora's on the way. It was good... except for my honeydew melon, which was <span style="font-style: italic;">crunchy</span>. That was somewhat less than pleasant.)<br /><br />Anyway. Chris's reaction did not disappoint, and a good time was had by all. Even Valerie, who said she didn't know the first thing about knitting, kept getting excited by the pretty yarn. (That's the first step... Insert evil cackle here.) Here's my portion of the haul:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3056/2459815058_bddc843ce3_m.jpg" /><br />Dazzle ribbon yarn by Estelle, with which I have cast on a bellydancing fringe belt.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2013/2459815308_94ebb6fb5a_m.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3243/2371300398_51a795771c_m.jpg" /><br />Two skeins of handspun, handdyed polwarth wool. The green and blue one I actually already had from my last visit there, but I hadn't posted about it (see: wanting to surprise Chris.) The pink and white one I was kinda looking at, and then someone behind me said, Oh, nice, strawberries and cream! and the idea latched itself firmly in my brain, and I went 'yoink!' and promptly bought it. Not sure I would have if that idea hadn't taken root, but I'm glad I did.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3029/2459815194_12989fa77d_m.jpg" /><br />This... this is something special. It's an 'odd lot', and the tag says... <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing</span>. Seriously. All I know is that it is dyed by the Fleece Artist, but it doesn't match any of their colorways; it's 110g; it's a two-ply, but not quite laceweight (or at least, a bigger gauge laceweight than my Knitpicks Shimmer); and it's <span style="font-style: italic;">gorgeous</span>. Fiber content? Yardage? Suggested gauge and needle size? <span style="font-style: italic;">What on earth I'm gonna do with it?</span> I have no idea! The yarn feels like it could be mostly wool, maybe merino, and it's a little bit hazy like alpaca, but hell, don't quote me on that.<br /><br />Anyway. All in all, I'd consider our expedition to London-Wul a resounding success, if not entirely healthy for my credit card. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go smell my Fleece Artist - it still smells like the yarn shop...Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-81098008935181845502008-04-26T23:28:00.002-03:002008-04-26T23:32:15.144-03:00TattooAs promised:<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3220/2443902861_0aeac3dda9.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />This is the just-done pic, taken right when I got home with it. It's red and kinda swollen and all, and the color looks off till it heals, but I like it a lot :) A lot of people are asking me what it is. It's a peacock. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Not</span> a turkey.) They do seem to realize it when they look closely at the feathers, though... I'm thinking when it's not so red anymore it'll look more like a peacock.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-73644078174884760362008-04-26T00:12:00.002-03:002008-04-26T00:25:19.019-03:00RandomnessI've been taking a little knitting break, only knitting at work a little bit, and I haven't done any at home at all in the past couple weeks. I think it's because I've kind of lost interest in all the projects I have on the needles at the moment, but I don't want to start anything new right now, either. I at least want to free up a stitch holder or two before I start something new. Hopefully this week I'll feel more like working on my Sunday Market shawl - which looks really good so far in the Silk Garden, I love the colors and feel. I also have a fringe belt planned out in my colorful ribbon yarn for a friend of mine who bellydances, which would mean ripping out one of the versions of the Holi belt that I still have on a stitch holder.<br /><br />I went to the library the other day and picked up a bunch of books... I got a book on crochet, which hopefully I'll be able to use to teach myself the basics. I also got 'Knitting for Peace' which I'd been meaning to read, but I'm sorta glad I didn't buy it, to be honest. It's an alright book, but not quite worth the cover price to me. I got 'Charted Knitting Designs' by Barbara G. Walker as well, and I'm thinking I'll actually go ahead and purchase my own copy of that one - it's gorgeous. (And then I went a little crazy and checked out a book on Macrame along with the rest. I don't know, it sounded like fun at the time.)<br /><br />And now for the big news: I got tattooed today! It was my very first, a henna-style peacock on my left ankle, and I'm really happy with the result. The colors look weird right now because it's not healed, but it's a reddish-brown so it even looks like henna. It hurt like a bitch, too - right on the bone... Like, it was bad enough when he was doing the outline on the skin, it was like he was just scratching me with a needle, but then when he got to the ankle bone and the bone was vibrating... Well that sucked. But it didn't take too long and I took it like a big girl, no whining or anything. It helped that Nat was there distracting me (I don't know how we got on the subject, but she discouraged me from 'knitting on the beach' this summer, because the work would get all sandy and smelly. The tattoo artist was like, "Knitting... on the beach? Geez, that's the first time I've heard <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>.")<br /><br />Pictures soon when the roommie unloads them off her camera :DNemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-80736847994627773322008-04-19T23:36:00.003-03:002008-04-19T23:50:55.112-03:00Nothing BetterIs there any better treat for a knitter than finding someone who likes the stuff you've made enough to wear it? I'm ecstatic right now. My friend Danielle was just here and tried on the Slouch beret, and because she has beautiful curly hair with lots of body, it fit her <span style="font-style: italic;">perfectly</span>. Here she is modeling it and looking adorable:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2426154077_ebcbb029ee_m.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2396/2426968184_4460f5a3be_m.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />There are no words to properly describe how happy I am that she not only looked good in it, she liked it enough to wear it. So I happily gave it to her. And then I found these:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2417/2426154585_2aaf465e20_m.jpg" /><br /><br />Little almost-steampunk ragamuffin wristwarmers that I'd made wayyy back in ... January or so, they didn't fit me very well - too big, I have tiny midget hands. Here modeled by Chel, for whose hands these could have been custom made, and who liked them enough to take them as a gift! Two FOs to good homes in one evening! It's so encouraging.<br /><br /><br />My latest expedition to Cricket Cove resulted in my acquisition of these beauties:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2426968046_08e48a47a0_m.jpg" /><br />More Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool, this time in a beautiful variegated red, and<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2426967874_2f8aa7a3b5_m.jpg" /><br />Noro Silk Garden.<br /><br />I ended up frogging what I already had of the Sunday Market shawl in the Kureyon, for a few reasons. First, the thing was so wide I would've run out of yarn way before it was even close to long enough for a shawl. Second, I found the yarn too stiff for a shawl. And third, after the pretty purple and the vibrant pink and the gorgeous green was this ugly, ugly stripe of... <span style="font-style: italic;">Cheeto </span>orange. Euurgh. Chris said I should just cut it and join the yarn again when the orange was over, but since I already didn't have enough yarn to make it long enough... I figured I'd save the Kureyon for something else, where the orange wouldn't bother me so much, and cast the Sunday Market shawl in the Silk Garden instead. There's still orange in this colorway, but much more muted and elegant, less... day-glo.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-57662303822599714962008-04-10T11:03:00.002-03:002008-04-10T11:26:06.144-03:00... Is This Thing Still On?Bad blogger. Bad, bad blogger. For <span style="font-style: italic;">shame</span>.<br /><br /><br />So! What's new at Chez Nemo. Well, I learned casting on and joining in the round on DPNs, which went rather well. I decided to cast on the same hat pattern again, this time using smaller gauge yarn (Moda Dea 'Tweedle Dee' in Cinnamon Twist, which means self-shading beret! Yay! The yarn is also incredibly cushy.) That should technically fix the problem, provided I also don't make the body too long. I did not poke myself in the eye this time around, but I will say that I am not a big fan of purling on DPNs in the first row with splitty yarn. It took me about an hour to finish that first round. And then I put it down and haven't picked it back up yet. I'll get around to it. Sometime.<br /><br />I have also figured out that sadly, the acrylic content in the Gigantic Hat is way outnumbering the natural fiber content, and so... no felting. Damn. I really really hate having that amount of yarn go to waste. And yes, it was good for practice, but... I would've really liked to have a pretty red hat. Oh well.<br /><br />I also cast on for a <a href="http://knitfish.livejournal.com/51964.html">Sunday Market Shawl</a>, which is so pretty it really should not be this easy to make. I am using Noro Kureyon (finally!) and size 13 needles, which is about three sizes bigger than she recommends (although she does say that if you are a tight knitter going up two sizes or so is a good idea - I just went three up instead of two...) So far it looks fine to me, and I did want it to be quite loose and not too overly warm. I like the Kureyon so far, the striping amuses me to no end, but it is kinda hard on the fingers... There are still a couple twigs stuck in the fiber here and there, and the fiber is a little irritating, but the end result is so going to be worth it, I can tell.<br /><br /><br />And on a completely different note, I want to tell you about this show I went to the other day. We went to see a band called <a href="http://myspace.com/thenewcities">The New Cities</a> at the Paramount Lounge here in Moncton, and I had a freaking blast. It's a six-man band from Montreal (or Trois-Rivieres, depending who you ask, but... whatever.) There were maybe... 25 people there, which kinda sucked for them, but they still went all out and gave an amazing show. They're really good, very energetic, and I love their sound. They're also super friendly - my friends and I bought posters and I decided I wanted them to sign it, so we went around asking each one to sign. They were so nice, they each actually hung around and talked to us, and I had as much fun doing that as I did watching the show. (I especially liked the drummer, he was <span style="font-style: italic;">such</span> a cutie. Actually they're all cute, but... he was the <span style="font-style: italic;">cutest</span>. Yes, I sound like a third-grader, shut up.) I bought their EP and I am super excited that they're coming out with an album this summer, so... Yeah. Check them out and give them some love!Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-74978525566770751982008-04-01T00:30:00.002-03:002008-04-01T00:55:55.043-03:00How To Make A Hat1. Finish a project you really wanted to be able to wear when you were done (see: slouchy beret, last post.) Notice that it is way, way, way too big. Accept roommie's suggestion that it might felt, but feel too nervous to actually go through with the felting process since you invested so much time and energy into the project, and the only thing worse than a too big hat is a too small hat. Decide instead to stall for time, and to cast on another hat. Put on Firefly to watch while you're doing that.<br /><br />2. Figure out what was wrong with the pattern you used last time. Determine that the rim had too many stitches, and that the body was too long, with decreases too slow. Decide to cast on fewer stitches.<br /><br />3. Pick a yarn. Any yarn. That nice gray one will do. Sure it's much thinner than the one you used before, and it'll make for a totally different tension, but it's sooo pretty! Use same needles anyway. Gauge? We don't need no stinkin' gauge!<br /><br />4. Cast on 60 stitches instead of the 66 the pattern calls for, on a 60cm circular needle. Realize there is no way in hell that will ever make it all the way around the cable, and that 60 stitches in that small a yarn might make a good hat for... oh... a two-month-old. Decide (rightly enough) that your head is not two-month-old-sized, and go for more stitches. Pick an arbitrary number - 80 sounds good, right? Sure.<br /><br />5. Mutter and curse when you see that even 80 stitches ain't making it all the way around that circ. Make a mental note to buy 16" circs at some point in the future, and why make 24" circs anyway when a regular adult head is 22"? Take out the DPNs (thankfully the same size as used in the casting on), and divide the stitches onto three of them.<br /><br />6. Realize you are totally clueless as to how to join something in the round on DPNs. On a circ, the concept is pretty dumbass-proof, but on DPNs? Um. Stare blankly at your pretty bamboo needles with the pretty, pretty yarn all cast on and ready to go.<br /><br />7. Go to knittinghelp.com. Watch the video for circular knitting on DPNs. Boggle a little bit, then try what you <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> it is she's doing. Fiddle with that for a while, then poke yourself in the eye with a DPN while trying to join. (That last bit is optional, but <span style="font-style: italic;">loads of fun</span>!)<br /><br />8. <s>Throw DPNs across the room</s> Put DPNs gently aside and rewind your yarn. Pick up a scarf you've been procrastinating on, made with pink bulky yarn and crappy plastic straight needles. Pine for a gray wool beret the whole time you're working on that. Optional: chant 'Learning curve. I'll get better. Learning curve. I'll get better.' to keep from flipping out.<br /><br />9. Look at your computer and see that it is 11:30. Feel better that at least it's not too late and you'll get a full night's sleep. Then open up your phone to check your messages, and see that the computer has <span style="font-style: italic;">once again</span> switched the time back an hour. Curse loudly and violently.<br /><br /><br />Okay, so that last step isn't part of the hatmaking "process" (such as it is). But goddamn, am I getting sick of this happening. My computer is still on the old daylight savings schedule, so no matter how many times I fix it, every week or so it'll go, "Hey! I have the wrong time! Better fix that!" and changes back an hour. And I can't download the patch to fix that, because Windows doesn't recognize my version as genuine! It's enough to make me foam at the mouth. Stupid piece of go-se.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-78730547920544020502008-03-29T23:51:00.004-03:002008-03-30T00:06:40.021-03:00Rare FO SightingWhoa, whoa, <span style="font-style: italic;">what</span>?! Nemo <span style="font-style: italic;">actually finished something</span>?! Which project was it? The Holi belt? the Rangoli tam? that Sakura scarf that's been sitting on a stitch holder for <span style="font-style: italic;">a month</span>?!<br /><br /><br /><br />Nope! New project! New tam, actually. Using <a href="http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/">Crazy Aunt Purl</a>'s easy beret recipe, modified for size 8 and 10.5 needles, using a skein and change of Patons Rumor in Duberry Heather. Pictures:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2088/2371301624_8e29670da9_m.jpg" /><br />Look Ma! DPNs!<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/2372178708_5ef2082fde_m.jpg" /><br />Showed this one to a non-knitter and they said "... That's a hat...?"<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2371343985_5cd90e5b1b_m.jpg" /><br />Blocking! Yes I am actually <span style="font-style: italic;">blocking something</span>.<br /><br />The pattern was quick and easy and fun. I'd never used DPNs before, and Chris's advice ('think of them as just a bunch of cable needles') really helped. I am loving the bamboo, too - I'd have dropped so many stitches on metal or plastics. I used my Addi Turbos for the brim, I do quite like them as well. The yarn is very nice and soft, though I wish it weren't quite so hairy.<br /><br />The verdict on the FO, though? Well, the jury is still out. I tried it on unblocked, and... Well I'm not sure if I just made a <span style="font-style: italic;">gigantic, ridiculous-looking mushroom</span> or if I just look like crap with this kind of hat. The roommie is housesitting again so she's not here to tell me. I'm gonna wait till it's dry (that last shot is of it blocking with a plate in it, in the sink) and then try it again. Maybe bring it to work and ask the girls what they think. And yes there is a gaping hole in the top - I decided I was sick of decreasing and to hell with it, the stitches can be pulled together tight, right? Um. Yeah. Not quite. But I don't mind so much. (I'm more worried about the possibility of the whole thing being a complete failure, to be honest.)<br /><br /><br />In other news, if you want to have a laugh, try explaining a ball winder and swift to a non-knitter, very dirty-minded family. Somehow they ended up with, and this is a direct quote: "The balls whack the skank, and you can do it with your elbow, too."<br /><br />Yeah, I don't know either.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-11749059838653408772008-03-22T22:23:00.003-03:002008-03-22T22:51:49.760-03:00Holi Hai!Happy Holi everyone!<br /><br />I posted a while back about Holi, and how I wanted to celebrate it. (Quick refresher - Holi is the Spring festival of colors, celebrated in India by throwing colored powder or water at each other, most often while wearing white clothing so the colors show. I can't run around a call center throwing powder at everyone, so my plan was to get some colorful stickers and stick them on people.) Well, I didn't finish the Holi belt - actually, I finished zero of three incarnations of it - but my amazing roommie came through for me and lent me a white blouse and a gorgeous colorful scarf for the occasion. Then I got these:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/2352719993_806051fc05.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />which were perfect. Little colorful hands, like I smeared a handful of powder on someone! How cute!<br /><br />So today I celebrated by running around sticking those things on <span style="font-style: italic;">everyone</span>, yelling 'Happy Holi!' (and then explaining what it was about). It was quite fun actually. I think the only person who enjoyed it as much as I did was the one person who actually knew what the holiday <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> (he's Hindi). The look on his face was priceless when I got him. I also listened to 'Holi Re' on repeat on my mp3 player. And just so you guys don't think I'm making this up and have gone off the deep end, I went on YouTube and hunted up a bunch of Holi videos for y'all. These are just the Bollywood ones, song-and-dance numbers from movies, but if you put in 'Holi' in the search on YouTube you can find some news coverage and other assorted stuff.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G87UyGSJGB4">Holi Ke Din</a> from Sholay.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3RvV8qe9Ak">Let's Play Holi</a> from Waqt.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVXE4wvHz3A">Holi Khele Raghuveera Awadh Mein</a> from Baghbaan.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm17BPGvZSc">Rang Barse</a> from Silsila.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-wreJoMvMI&feature=related"> Holi Holi Holi</a> from Meri Jung.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLuUem8dcRE">Soni Soni</a> from Mohabbatein (this one has Shah Rukh in it, so pay attention...!)<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63qI1utlMsE">Holi Re</a> from Mangal Pandey (which is what I've been listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">all day</span>.)<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZExSYYJboE">Holi Aai Re</a> from Mashaal.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJk3rq71TpQ">Ayi Hai Holi</a> from Ilaka.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IPqvVxXMQ&feature=related">Aayo Phagun</a> and y'all I don't even know what movie that's from, but I'm putting it up here because the quality is <span style="font-style: italic;">hilariously awful</span>.<br /><br /><br />And now I will go celebrate some more - in the form of cherry cheesecake my grandmother made for me!Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-68849306559359241902008-03-16T00:10:00.007-03:002008-03-16T01:32:15.405-03:00Longest. Post. Ever. Seriously.The thing about slacking off on blogging is that when I get back to it, I have a lot to catch up on. So this post is gonna be a bit long-winded.<br /><br />Let's start by getting the bad news out of the way. In point-form, because I am a dork.<br /><br /><ul><li>I had to frog the Celtic Cable scarf. I dropped a stitch somewhere in the second pattern repetition... in the middle of the Saxon braid... and I wasn't using a lifeline. (Hubris much?) I probably could've laddered it, but let's be frank, I'm not that good at laddering stitches even in plain stockinette, so I said #$@! this and ripped it. (Actually I said a lot more than just #$@!, I'm sure the neighbors were scandalized.) I'll recast it at some point.</li></ul><ul><li>The bib was also frogged, since I'm not so sure about using a satiny acrylic for a baby bib... I'll hold off on that and see if I can find a nice cotton, though I doubt I'll get the same chocolate-brown color.</li></ul><ul><li>Still more frogging: I frogged Kaitlan's Rangoli tam, having figured out that yes, it does bother me that I knit the rim inside out and thus the cables don't line up properly.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Boys are stupid. Let's leave it at that.</li></ul><ul><li>So when they were writing the third season of Buffy, do you think they just went, Oh, let's turn all Buffy's friends/family/acquaintances into <span style="font-style: italic;">raging arseholes</span>? (Show's still good, it's just... I kinda wanna punch Willow, Buffy's mom, and <span style="font-style: italic;">especially</span> Xander in the face.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Oh my GOD there are dirty dishes in the sink <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span> I swear I just <span style="font-style: italic;">did them</span> and what is the DEAL with all these spoons and no forks?!</li></ul><br />Right. Now that that's out of the way... The good.<br /><br />My mum called me the other day to tell me that she'd bought me a new mattress, and they are apparently delivering it on Thursday. My current mattress is old, and uncomfortable, and causes me a lot of back pain, so this is Really Good News. The caveat being, my room has to be clean and clutter-free for the delivery on Thursday. (Let me put this into perspective for you: I have lived in this apartment for six months. I have not unpacked the boxes in my room. Stuff has been piling up in jumbled heaps. It is... The Disaster Area. This is quite normal for me, but perhaps not conductive to mattress delivery... especially if I can't even get the door all the way open.) I am taking this as good news, since a clean room would probably be a good thing.<br /><br />My mum also said she would take me to London-Wul as an Easter treat, and - her words - get me 'some wool... as a gift'. MY MOM RULES.<br /><br />Yesterday I went to Cricket Cove, and expanded my needle collection by a lot. I got some bamboo 8's, and double-pointed bamboo 10.5's and 8's, and circular Addi Turbo 8's with a 24-inch cable. (Yes, I realize I now have three different pairs of size 8's. Sshhh.) I also found this gem:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2334978568_a273f7442e.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />That is 12-ply 100% Cashmere, y'all. It is the most gorgeous, soft, cushy, squishy, <span style="font-style: italic;">yummy</span> yarn I have ever seen. The colors are gorgeous. Trust me, that photo does not do it justice. The <a href="http://handmaiden.ca/kit_quickhat.html">pattern</a> it came with is also adorable, and really easy, and done on size 13's so it just <span style="font-style: italic;">flies</span> off the needles.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2335814625_c8edd03fc9.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />I am maybe in love with this kit. (At 36$, it's probably a good thing I got the last one of this colorway... Otherwise, helloooo bankruptcy.)<br /><br />Nathalie the GENIUS fixed my computer monitor, sort of. See it's this old CRT that has seen better days, and when you power it on it'll go black for a while, then really light, then power off, or get white lines through it... When it warms up it works fine, but there's a like, 20-minute span where you have to hit the side of it for it to get to a point where you can see what you're doing. And when I say hit I don't mean 'gently tap' like my friends think when I tell them to hit the monitor. I mean 'really unleash your frustrations on the thing'. But then Nathalie - my awesome roommate and UNCONTESTED GENIUS - said, What if you just leave the screen saver on and don't power off the monitor? Well <span style="font-style: italic;">hot damn</span>, it worked. I just leave a blank screen saver on all night, and in the morning I wiggle the mouse and voila! The monitor works! (Someone remind me to get Nathalie a cake or something.)<br /><br />Nat and I had a pretty darn good weekend, which included me getting seasons 4 and 5 of Buffy on sale, the world's best waiter, amazing sweet potato fries with curry dip (y'all, seriously, go eat at the Old Triangle. Get Mike to wait on you if you can. That guy is <span style="font-style: italic;">awesome</span>.) and a lot of Guitar Hero 3. Crystal even came over to play, it was fun.<br /><br />And then today was the Knit-In, which Nat and I attended and thoroughly enjoyed. What a day we had though, let me tell you. See when we signed up we didn't really think of <span style="font-style: italic;">where</span> Saunders Country Inn was in relation to us and <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> we were gonna get there. "Oh, we'll just cab it!" said we, foolishly assuming it'd be a relatively short drive. Well. Let's just say Saunders Country Inn is not exactly next door, yes? It took us about a half hour to get there, but dang did we ever luck out on the cabbie we got. This guy was hilarious. He kept telling us stories of how he freaks out the drunk people he gets after clubs close. Like, one drunk passed out in the passenger seat without telling him where to go, so the guy drove a block, stopped the car, shook the drunk guy awake and said, "Ok buddy, we're here, now what part of Halifax did you say you wanted to go?" Then he did this hilarious imitation of the drunk guy freaking out, before he looked around and said, "Wait a minute, we're still in Moncton! Don't freak me out like that man!" to which the cabbie replied, "Well now that you're awake, tell me where you <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> want me to drive you."<br /><br />Hilarious. I just couldn't stop laughing, and he kept telling us more stories. Eventually we got to the inn, and I looked at the meter... $38.50. Ouch. And we didn't have a ride home, either, so I mentioned how we were gonna need a ride back... So he says, "Ok, tell you what. Just give me 30 for the ride here, I'll give you my cell number and when you need to get back just call me." How nice is that?! (We ended up getting a ride from one of the other knitters, which I feel bad about because we didn't tip him... I was expecting to do it on the way home. I left a message on his voicemail, though. I hope he calls back. If anyone deserves a tip, that guy does.)<br /><br />The Knit-In itself was really nice. I met the lovely K of <a href="http://ladybugs.seventybyheart.net/">Ladybugs and Yarn</a> (and she showed me what I was doing wrong with the long-tail cast-on... As predicted, I am a dumbass and was making a dumbass mistake that was easily fixed!) I was the youngest person there, but I didn't feel weird about it at all. I recast the Rangoli tam, worked on that for a bit, then worked on my Handmaiden cashmere kit for a bit. I met some nice people, saw some gorgeous projects, and had a good time with my best friend. (Also, they served us chocolate cake.<span style="font-style: italic;"> What more do I need</span>.)<br /><br />I picked up these beauties:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2336291332_035f7c0784.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />Manos del Uruguay 100% Wool. Just gorgeous, I had a hard time picking just one color. Nat got three skeins of a really nice red with subtle pink variegation, it's beautiful.<br /><br />One of the very nice and generous Cricket Cove staffers drove me and Nat back home. We helped them bring back the stock they'd brought from the store, and some new stock, and I just had to take a picture of the trunk of the car:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3185/2336290632_6e2218e5bf.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />That's all yarn, and there were two more garbage bags full of it in the backseat with us. (K and I both took pictures of this momentous event. You can identify bloggers by the <span style="font-style: italic;">crazy</span>, I guess.)<br /><br />Right, 1:12 am and the towels should be done in the dryer. If you made it through this whole post... pat yourself on the back.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-29109262531296239312008-03-12T23:35:00.003-03:002008-03-12T23:38:39.387-03:00I Need More Hands...No new knitting at the moment, as the roommie and I are busy...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ix4fitKbWgoYzq9LS85PH8dREIrmyZ7cdAuUxdEAHNXub3PzXeb0GT8NPyfEANA1KvQgJNoIwXJUOfORYBeP5VeBOFJdhMAK1uarBcLFeDLC9K6apuqI52MW2iWA847QdGTXOtkso7rI/s1600-h/IM000084.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ix4fitKbWgoYzq9LS85PH8dREIrmyZ7cdAuUxdEAHNXub3PzXeb0GT8NPyfEANA1KvQgJNoIwXJUOfORYBeP5VeBOFJdhMAK1uarBcLFeDLC9K6apuqI52MW2iWA847QdGTXOtkso7rI/s320/IM000084.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5177049739364234082" border="0" /></a><br />Guitar Hero 3. Seven day rental.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />See you in seven days.<br /><br /><br />(Okay, I'm exaggerating. The Knit In is on Saturday, and I will <span style="font-style: italic;">definitely</span> be posting something then.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-91086778290057025182008-03-09T01:46:00.002-04:002008-03-09T03:07:30.953-03:00Ten ThingsMy shift at work is changing, which means I finish at 7:30 instead of 10, which is <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>... But it means that my days off have changed, and instead of having Sunday and Monday off I have Thursday and Friday. So right now I am on day five of what I thought was an eight day stretch with no days off, but I learned today is really a <span style="font-style: italic;">nine</span>-day stretch. Oy. Plus my back hurts, and I bought myself some muscle analgesic... but I can't reach to put it on. (Damn stubby arms.)<br /><br />So to keep my mood up, here are Ten Things I am happy about today.<br /><br />1. Season 2 of Buffy. Specifically, Angel, Spike and Oz.<br /><br />2. Roses on the coffee table. I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked these up because they were pretty... They're making me think of spring.<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2366/2319722833_fc0796326f_m.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/2319722859_ee73e169f7_m.jpg" /><br /><br />3. Dumbass-proof Olivieri noodles and sauce means I had three-cheese tortellini with rosée sauce for supper tonight, and will have it for lunch tomorrow. Yum!<br /><br />4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V3L0ZK/ref=s9_asin_title_2_subs_c4_6_65_4_4-qvfp_g1-2785_g1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=0133GFV7A1PXAC4DWR7P&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278841901&pf_rd_i=507846">Kate Nash</a>. I stumbled upon her video for 'Pumpkin Soup' last night, and since then I've had that and 'Foundations' stuck in my head. I really like her style.<br /><br />5. Not being homeless, especially tonight when it's pouring rain and hail and pretty darn cold. I'm feeling pretty grateful for my heaters and that roof over my head right about now.<br /><br />6. Nathalie is finally coming back to the apartment tomorrow! She's been housesitting for her parents for six weeks, and it'll be nice to have her back in the apartment. Especially since I'm done work a lot earlier now and we can actually hang out.<br /><br />7. Knitting. I am apparently the Queen of Cables. Check it:<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2319723339_f909a04a03_m.jpg" /><br /><img src="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23915523@N04/2320535204/" /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/2319723579_51c08eefd0_m.jpg" /><br /><br />That is a Saxon Braid cable in the middle, and the pictures show one repeat of the sixteen-row pattern for the <a href="http://www.kraemeryarns.com/patterns/pdfs/CelticCableScarf.pdf">Celtic Cable Scarf</a>. I am pretty dadgum proud of this, especially since the first few rows looked really crappy and I wasn't sure if the yarn was right for it... But once you have a few rows done, it starts to look okay, then when you see the whole repeat, it just pops. I can't wait to see what consecutive repeats look like.<br />(We'll just gloss over the fact that I screwed up the side border on the right...:)<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/2320535958_eec378579c_m.jpg" /><br /><br />8. Laughing at myself. This morning I wanted to plug in my mp3 player to load it, so I sat on the edge of my computer chair and leaned down to plug the USB cable... and the chair sliiiiiiiiid out from under me, I landed on my butt on the floor and the chair rolled into the hall. I laughed myself silly for ten minutes straight. I wish someone had been there to see it.<br /><br />9. My Harmony cable needles from <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com">KnitPicks</a>. I said it before, and I'll say it again... those things rule. (See point 7, above.)<br /><br />10. My paid time off request for the Knit In on the 15th was approved, so while I am enjoying myself with my extra day off on Saturday, knitting and whatnot... I'm still being paid! Paid to knit! Does it <span style="font-style: italic;">get</span> any better than that?Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-24367801997226537682008-03-08T00:39:00.003-04:002008-03-08T01:10:03.176-04:00My Knitting BadgesI stumbled upon <a href="http://www.cast-on.com/?page_id=123">this page</a> a while back, and I think it is a really cute idea. So, in no particular order, here are the badges that I feel I have earned for myself.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Mnemosyne_dreamer/talking.jpg" /><br />The Proselytize Knitting badge: <span style="font-style: italic;">"A requirement for all Knitting Scouts, the recipient must do his or her bit to present knitting in a positive light, whilst at the same time avoiding all references to “hipness”, grandmothers, and yoga."</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Well, it's a requirement, right? I mostly deserve this one. I talk and talk about knitting and yarn, and most of the time people seem to go "Oh, that's pretty neat!" I do lose points for mentioning my grandmother, I guess.<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Mnemosyne_dreamer/unneccessaryobjects.jpg" /><br />The I've Knit Items With No Conceivable Practical Application Badge: <span style="font-style: italic;">Recipients are those “special” campers who have knit items which somehow missed the mark of their intended application. There are probably more who are deserving of this badge than one would expect.</span><br /><br />I really hope, given yesterday's post, that not too many of you are surprised that I am awarding myself this. The story behind this one goes, I was trying to knit my preggy friend some baby booties. My first attempt was successful, but they were made of Red Heart super saver acrylic yarn in bright red - not the prettiest things ever. So I bought some baby-weight yarn, a pretty variegated one with bright pastel shades, and cast on. The yarn had a much smaller gauge, so I figured I'd up the number of rows to make it long enough - but I didn't make it <span style="font-style: italic;">wider</span>, so I ended up with this really misshapen... thing. It looked like a golf club cover... that a fairy threw up. Needless to say I did not bother knitting the second one...<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Mnemosyne_dreamer/macgyver1.jpg" /><br />The MacGyver Badge (Level One): <span style="font-style: italic;">The recipient must demonstrate clever use of a non-knitting tool in a knitting-related scenario. For instance, recipient has used paper clips as stitch markers, or successfully whittled and then utilized bamboo skewers as dpns.</span><br /><br />The paper clip thing, for starters. And I've used a pen as a cable needle... It worked less than amazingly, but still decently enough for what I was doing (of course, I realized afterwards that I had a dpn I could've used... Again: <span style="font-style: italic;">dumbass</span>.)<br /><br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v46/Mnemosyne_dreamer/novelty_yarn.jpg" /><br />The Inordinately Fond of Novelty Yarn Badge: <span style="font-style: italic;">In which the recipient professes an arguably unhealthy affinity for yarn with slubs, sparkles, spangles, fur, feathery bits, and an unconscionable proportion of man-made fibre. Recipient makes no apology for the preference.</span><br /><br />Uh, you've <span style="font-style: italic;">seen</span> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23915523@N04/sets/72157604046345990/">the stash</a>, right?<br /><br /><br />And I have also decided to award myself two badges that aren't on that page (read: that I made up myself while bored at work).<br /><br />The Eagle-Eye Badge (Level One): The recipient can instantly differentiate a knitted item from a crocheted item, at a distance of up to five feet. <span style="font-style: italic;">(I did this on the street today - there was a girl walking towards me on the sidewalk, and at about five or so feet I thought, That hat is crocheted!)</span> The knitter is comfortable reading his/her own simple knitting, able to spot where a mistake has been made and quickly correct it. He/she will also openly gawk at anyone wearing a store-bought knitted item, and be able to recognize the pattern used, often muttering under their breath: "Geez, I could make that. And I could probably make it better." (Disregarding, of course, that it would be much less cost-effective, not to mention the amount of time it would take.)<br /><br /><br />The Yarn Hoarding Badge: Do I really need to explain this one?<br /><br /><br />(And in case you're wondering, the Eagle-Eye Level Two, the way I see it, consists of a knitter being able to read someone else's knitting, including cable and lace patterns; able to guesstimate gauge closely enough to do it on the fly when needed; and who, just by looking at a piece of knitting, can tell the type of fibre used, the weight of the yarn and possibly even the size needles used. Yeah, <span style="font-style: italic;">I am not there yet</span>.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-90066410200256498562008-03-07T02:41:00.002-04:002008-03-07T03:17:29.594-04:00And Now For Something Completely DifferentIt has been stated before that I... am a dumbass.<br /><br />I know this. This is not news to me. I don't think I'm particularly stupid, but sometimes I just do stupid things. And then I call myself a dumbass. It happens, you know? If you look over to the left, you will read the sentence in my profile that goes like this: "... book-smart but street-stupid". That's what I mean, I know things and I'm intelligent when it comes to academics, but sometimes the street smarts just aren't there. I think everyone has their 'Oh damn, that was stupid of me' moments. I... just have them more frequently and publicly.<br /><br />Like when I answer the phone and I mispronounce my own name. "Hi, my name is <span style="font-style: italic;">Eeuuuwwioe</span> and I... um. Can I help you...?" <span style="font-style: italic;">Who does that?!</span> This happens to me surprisingly often... (Actually when I do that it reminds me of this guy I once met, Keith? He was French, and had a really thick accent. He had trouble with the 'th' sound, so he could never pronounce his own name. "Hi, I'm Keit'," he would say. It was adorable.)<br /><br />Er... where was I? Oh yes. Dumbass. Right.<br /><br /><br />The worst part is almost anytime I do something stupid, I both a) know I'm doing something dumb but apparently can't stop myself from doing it, and b) make a big deal out of how stupid what I just did was, thus drawing attention to it, which in turn makes it worse. And I do this all the time. Like, excessively so. Even mice know to stop reaching for the treat when it shocks them... My friends think it's funny, and it's a quirk of mine they've gotten used to.<br /><br /><br />Now understand I'm not talking about anything overly serious here. At most I mean something like, putting a chair in front of the cupboard to reach the high shelf... before opening the cupboard door, and then struggling with the door while standing on the chair and wondering why it won't open. (I did this when I was six. My mom sat there and just stared, and wondered how the hell I had taught myself to read when I <span style="font-style: italic;">couldn't even open a cupboard door</span>. True story.)<br /><br />I promise I have a point.<br /><br />See, I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I watched the first season while knitting the <span style="font-style: italic;">Neverending Scarf from Hell</span> (look back a few posts and you'll see the one I mean), and while at first glance I just kinda went, "Well it's nice but I don't see what the big deal is about"... when I finished I realized I was hooked and wanted to watch the 2nd season <span style="font-style: italic;">now, now NOW.</span> (Also, David Boreanaz? I never saw what the big deal with him was, either, and then I started watching Buffy... and a little light went on in my head. And today I watched part of season 2 and Spike showed up. Yum.)<br /><br />So I watched the first three episodes of Season 2, with the aforementioned Spike appearance, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Now when I like something the first thing I usually do is run to Wikipedia and find out all I possibly can about it. Can anyone see where this is going? Anyone? Bueller?<br /><br />Spoilers, right.<br /><br />Below is the paragraph detailing the second season, with the spoilers edited out and replaced with what I am pretty sure is an accurate transcribing of what the intelligent part of my brain was yelling out to me at the time.<br /><br />"The emotional stakes are raised in the second season. New vampires, Spike and a weakened Drusilla, come to town [Hey hey, that was humongous spoiler!]. Xander [Maybe you shouldn't be reading this!], while Willow [WHY ARE YOU STILL READING YOU TWIT!]. Buffy [AARRGHH!] Angel. Consequentially, she [WHAT! WHY?!?!]. He [That's it. I give up on you.]. Buffy [Consider this my two weeks' notice.]."<br /><br />At least I stopped before I read the third season...<br /><br />(What? Knitting? Oh yeah, right. Um. Cast on for a bib. Slacking off on scarves. More news when I have 'em.)Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-52117170046731590722008-03-05T01:27:00.003-04:002008-03-05T02:11:48.301-04:00I'm Picking Up Good (Yarn) VibrationsI'm on a little bit of a yarn high tonight. Chris just came over with my order from KnitPicks, and <span style="font-style: italic;">oh my gosh it is just gorgeous</span>. I cannot believe so much yarn, so much <span style="font-style: italic;">beautiful</span> yarn, cost so little. Combine that with the fact that last night I found more orange Wildwood yarn for the Holi belt, <span style="font-style: italic;">of the same dye lot</span>, and some very very pretty pink beads for Sakura, and you have a slightly overwhelmed Nemo. It's a wonder I'm not hyperventilating.<br /><br /><br />If you want to see what I got, I will point you over to my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23915523@N04/sets/72157604050387231/">Flickr set</a>. (While you're there, check out the full <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/23915523@N04/sets/72157604046345990/">stash</a>!) Not pictured there are my new <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/Options+Harmony+Wood+Cable+Knitting+Needles_ND90347.html">cable needles</a>. Those things are so awesome! I'm also especially happy I got the Shimmer yarn (those hanks of brown/gold lace weight). They are soooo soft and pretty. Too bad the pink/yellow one was sold out.<br /><br />Now here's where my good yarn karma steps in. I was kinda bummed that I only got two skeins each of the Wool of the Andes (the blueberry, pumpkin and avocado yarns), because they had less yardage than I thought (yeah, why didn't I check on the site before ordering?<span style="font-style: italic;"> Because I am a dumbass.</span>) They're beautiful, but what am I gonna make with two skeins? Not a whole heck of a lot. Well. It turns out, that tam pattern I'm making for Kaitlan? It's designed for 'just under two skeins of Knitpicks' Wool of the Andes'. HA! How frickin' awesome is that! I can make three more of these doohickeys! Which is good, because I love that hat. I hope it turns out well, is all.<br /><br />Also, last night I went to Chapters and got a really awesome book called <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Super-Stitches-Knitting-Essential-Techniques-Karen-Hemingway/9780823099573-item.html">Super Stitches Knitting</a>. I swear, I cannot put this thing down. I'll pick it up, flip randomly, and go "Ooooohhh, this is pretty... And this one... ohh that's nice... This'll be great for when I want a new project!" and then I put it down. And then twenty seconds later I'm flipping through it again, oohing and aahing.<br /><br /><br />And in case you didn't already think I was completely obsessed, this morning I was looking at some drop-spindle techniques for spinning yarn... And well...<br /><br />I kinda wanna try it.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-8842881522240019952008-03-02T16:51:00.004-04:002008-03-16T00:04:17.344-03:00Ring Around The Rosie...I am super excited. Check it out:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2414/2305639142_021fd92dd9.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />That, my friends, is circular knitting by yours truly. That's right, I am breaking away from the rectangle! I am embracing the circle! I am <span style="font-style: italic;">enjoying</span> the circle, even! I'm pretty freaking proud of myself for this. It's just k2 p2 rib so far, but soon it will (hopefully) be <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/9738857@N02/747280273">this</a>. Yeah, wish me luck on this one, mkay?<br /><br />This project so far is a learning experience, not just in circular knitting but also in casting on. I usually use a backwards loop cast-on, which I have learned is basically the redheaded stepchild of the cast-on family. The problem with a backwards loop cast-on is that when you start knitting the first row, you end up with a length of yarn between your needles that gets longer with every stitch you knit, until you end the row and it becomes tail yarn. I will attempt to illustrate (if you are a non-knitter, I guarantee you will not give two shits about this and you may as well skip it):<br /><br />You start with a slip-knot.<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/2305663210_07257f42d5.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />Then you wrap the yarn around your thumb and pick up the loop with the needle, so you end up with this:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2022/2304866735_b6c9c8eb5d.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />Tighten, and you have a stitch. Lather, rinse, repeat.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2228/2304867621_fdbba3c158.jpg?v=0%C3%88" /><br /><br />With me so far? Ok, so when you start knitting, this is what happens:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/2305666264_ccdf7f6b06.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />The knitted stitches are on the right, and the unknitted stitches are on the left. That long strand in the middle, on flat knitting, is not a big deal - you knit the first row, and when you're done you just have a longer tail than what you started with. No problem. But with circular knitting... That doesn't work, cause you're knitting a circle and joining the first stitch with the last stitch. So basically, that annoying length of yarn would be there the whole time you were knitting. I thought pulling on it would get rid of it, but it didn't, so I had to rip everything off my circs and try again.<br /><br />So I went to Knitting Help, and learned the long-tail cast-on (the thumb method, because the regular method just <span style="font-style: italic;">does not work</span> for me. I end up with a bunch of twisty stitches and the working yarn like four stitches behind where I need it to be. Clearly I am doing something wrong, but there's nobody around to correct me, so thumb method it is.) It works like a charm, the join is really nice - I'd heard horror stories of lumpy joins and was worried, but woohoo, mine looks good! - and I am loving not having to turn the work at every end of row. I even McGuyver'd myself a stitch marker out of a paperclip.<br /><br />So Crystal is here and apparently she will aid in the Great Cleaning of Nemo's Room, and it looks like I ain't getting out of it. Wish me luck.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6574584758117958539.post-51346157739821501212008-03-01T02:11:00.002-04:002008-03-01T02:37:57.800-04:00Argh.Okay, so I fail at beaded knitting so far. The silk is fraying, the dropped stitches don't look the way I want them to and the beads just end up looking lost on them. So I'm rethinking the whole concept, I'll probably end up not doing any dropped stitches at all and just doing the whole thing in garter stitch. In the meantime to stop the silk from fraying too much, I'm gonna practice my beading technique on something else. But I can't do that until I start another beaded project, which I figure I'll do when I get the laceweight I ordered from Knitpicks. If I have time to make the Holi belt after I get that so that I can wear it for Holi, then awesome, I'll make it. But in case I can't, I cast on a different one, out of Sean Sheep Wildwood yarn in bright orange:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2291956360_0b91b0afe6.jpg?v=0" /><br />The color is actually a lot brighter than that... blame the crappy camera.<br /><br />I'm using a no-frills garter stitch and drop stitch sequence, no beads. It's the same kind of yarn as I'm using for Sakura, but I could only find one ball of the orange, so I'm a little bit worried about having enough to finish the belt. So I guess this weekend it's off yarn-hunting for more orange, or for another alternative for the Holi belt... I'd use something else from my stash but none of it is bright and colorful enough for my tastes, except the Noro Kureyon:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2054/2291954678_8d894dfe1c.jpg?v=0" /><br /><br />I don't want to use the Noro since I already have a project planned out for it (plus it's felting wool, not quite the texture I want for this project). The Wildwood has shiny nylon thread through it, which is why I like it for this project. I hope I can find some more.<br /><br /><br />I still love the Recycled Silk though, even if it is fraying to high heaven. (Which is mostly my fault anyway for frogging and recasting and refrogging and recasting and... so on.) The best part is finding the little bits of red silk buried in the pink - a red sari is usually a bridal sari. It tickles me that I'm knitting bits of someone's wedding dress.<br /><br />I'm slowly chugging along on Sakura, and I frogged Cuddles (...again) and recast it using my 9s instead of the 13s, they were too big for the yarn and the scarf was too unsubstantial. I seriously have to get spare size 9s, I use them for <span style="font-style: italic;">everything</span>... But if I'm gonna get more needles I think I'll get myself some wooden ones instead of these plastic jobbies. My 9s are the needles my grandmother gave me when she first tried to teach me to knit, they're these cheapie plastic ones and they are way too long but dammit, they are my favorite size (width) needle that I own, so... yeah. I keep switching projects back and forth from stitch holders just so I can keep using them.<br /><br /><br /><br />I just finished watching Matusalem, which is a French movie made in Quebec with Marc Labreche in it... (when he was still hot). It was one of my two favorite movies growing up, along with La Grenouille et la Baleine which I <span style="font-style: italic;">cannot find anywhere</span> which makes me sad. It's about pirates and ghosts and it is incredibly campy, but man do I love that movie. There's this one line in it that makes me giggle every damn time no matter how many times I've watched the movie, even though I know the line is coming. I even start laughing ahead of time because I know he's gonna say it soon. (I'd write the line down, but... it really wouldn't make any sense to anyone.)<br /><br />I know I had a point... But I can't think of it now. Clearly it is time for me to go to sleep.Nemohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08208010608855326059noreply@blogger.com0