Hobby Roulette: The Harp

I have a very tumultuous relationship with my harp.  First, there is the aesthetic joy.   Harps are beautiful, and Lyon and Healy harps are incredible.  The lines are magnificent, the wood is divine, and the scrolling artwork on the soundboard is breathtaking.  They are smooth and sturdy, feel sensuous against the skin, and my particular model has a brass crown and feet like a badass bath tub - if only I could find them.

The next layer is the guilt.  I've always been pretty piss-poor at practicing, when it comes to music.  I love to play, and feel I am transcending this mortal coil when I sing or play a particularly moving please in an ensemble.  This means that while at home, by myself, I feel kind of. . . lackluster.  It embarrasses me to make mistakes if there are humans around to hear them, and sometimes even when I'm all by myself.


Can you imagine the pressure of this magnificent creature, staring at you accusingly whenever you walk through a room?

Why don't you practice more?

You know, my strings wouldn't break so much if you tuned me every day. Twice.

What's the point of having a handcarved sitka spruce soundboard if no one ever plucks the strings?

Oh, my life. . . why am I even here?

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I COST?



 Our relationship status: It's complicated.

On the one hand, it hurts my back to play.

On the other, there is nothing as satisfying as playing the last arpeggio on the last note of a well executed song.

On the other hand, I am handicapped by my persevering inability to read the bass clef.  I can only memorize songs - never play them from a book fluidly.  It has to be fully memorized for me to play without starts and stops.  It is, as they say, frustrating.  I currently know two songs.  Le bummer.

On the other hand: What is my problem?  This is why I can't have nice things.  Because I agonize over them.  I feel guilty for spending my own money that I worked hard for.  What?

The third and most important thing is: the joy of making music.  I played the other night for a while and it was glorious.  I finally got my new strings in, and replaced them and tuned them, and then I sat down and played.  I love it.  It's calming, it's beautiful, and the harp is its own accompaniment. 

Can you guess what happened next?

Remind me to order a new F-string.  Because the one that broke?  Right in the middle of all dang everything.

Of Being Published, and tour de fleece, and sealing wax (or knitting)

My boss just called me at home to tell me the column I wrote for a semi-local magazine "is amazing". He said it was "Amazing". I said "OH BOY!" only partially because for dinner I have had two hot dogs and two glasses of wine. If they put any part of the column up on the magazine's website, I'll be sure to link it here so y'all can take a peek, but I am very excited.

What else is new, you might ask?

Superwash Merino in Black Magic Woman colorway, from Crown Mountain Farms.

Well, Tour de Fleece is going pretty well. For the non-spinners among you, here is a link to the 2010 Tour de Fleece entry on the Yarn Harlot's blog (blessed be her name). I haven't set any goals for myself, except to spin every day. So far I have missed only one, and I've been enjoying myself immensely. I have noticed a little soreness in my left hand and a little stiffness in the ankle region, but I haven't yet discovered whether that is work or leisure related.

Undyed Corriedale from CMF.

I've been finding very creative places to hang my yarn to dry. 

We had a wonderful time at my cousin's wedding to his wonderful wife!  I haven't asked Christopher how he feels about being pictured on the blog, so here is this picture.

Guess which feet are mine!

My knitting projects are going well, but nothing new has been finished since last I wrote.  I did finally block my Emily capelet, but I still have to take photos of it on me.  By which I mean I have to bribe someone to take photos of me wearing it and making us look good.

My Hemlock Ring Shawl and I had a minor disagreement, but that will be an entry all on its own.  Look forward to it!

Am I FIRED?

Because I'm pretty sure I've been a blogging under-achiever.  Rule #1 of blogging: Post every day.  Just can't seem to get the hang.

Anywho, lots is new here!  Christopher and Louis and I have moved from our winter rental into my aunt and uncle's beautiful, natural-light-filled, feng-shui-winning house.  It's a relief to be here, even though it looked a lot better before we moved all of our stuff in.  We're still unpacking, but mostly I just want to tuck everything unnecessary away and out of sight!

Crafting news is up and down.  I've been doing less spinning because since the move, Rosa is making a clunking nose when the whorl revolves. . . need to post an S.O.S. on Ravelry!  But, before the move I spun up most of my 8 oz. of pencil-drafted corriedale from Crown Mountain Farms. Spins like a dream, plies like a dream, now I just need a dry day to come along so I can wash and dry it!  I am considering (if I have enough yardage) spinning up the rest of it, as well as the natural coloured corriedale, to make the Daybreak Shawl by Stephen West.

My sweater is coming alone well, and is a dream to work on - bless your merino fibers, Madelinetosh, I just wub you in every way.  The only problem I am having with it is that I can't put down my Hemlock Ring (Shawl) for long enough to work on my sweater!  Amber Trinket on gold Addi Lace needles is just a sensual experience, and I can't get enough.  Plus, three consecutive rows of stockinette stitch at approximately 600 stitches per row makes for a lot of mindless knitting between lace rows.

Last night I cast on Christopher's Discover Sock from Cat Bordhi's P.F.F.I.S.K (long title, I'm sleepy, sue me).  I love this method of sock construction, and don't anticipate having second sock syndrome the same way I would if I was faced with the horrors of GUSSETS and SHORT ROW DRAMA.  I can't make short rows un-gappy in less than a DK weight, this is a failure on my part - I admit it.

In a week, we'll be going to New York for my cousin's wedding to his wonderful fiancée!  Starting to get excited, but I need to practice doing my hair, because I'm not good at it.  My papa was teasing me the other day about that, actually.  He said, "But you're such a good knitter! Shouldn't hair be easy?"  I'm trying not to think about how slippy and annoying it would be to try knitting with human hair.  You think bamboo is bad?  Puh-leez!

In other exciting news, I just got this game:

So I'm gonna go try that.  I'll post photos to accompany this post later, as soon as I've got some natural light to take them in!  I just can't make flash photos work for knitting.  Anyone have any tips and tricks about that?

Bless me, readers, for I have sinned. . .

It's been a month since my last entry.  A lot has been going on.  Everyone's home,  recovering and improving, but it was a family game of musical chairs at the hospital for pretty much the entire month of May.  I'm praying that everything will be calm for a little while at least, so we can all rest up.  There's nothing like driving to the hospital every day to make me think about stopping in at one of the churches along the way.  Just for a minute.  No matter what my faith.  My jealousy of religious persons is a topic for another time.

What's new with me?

I've been crafting.  I've been listening to a lot of podcasts and audiobooks - the latest Sookie Stackhouse novel, and lots of Stitch It podcasts. Meghan is just wonderful, and so crafty, and she gets so much done. I find it so soothing to listen to her talk about moving while I'm freaking out about moving.

I've been preparing mentally to move, and a little bit practically by going through stuff and throwing out what I can.  This morning I washed and put away all of the pots and pans that won't be leaving with us when we move out of this house and into my aunt and uncle's house for the summer.

I ordered yarn and fiber, since last I posted, and they have arrived!

I ordered five skeins of Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Iris, for the Vine Yoke Cardigan.

AND

I ordered a bunch of stuff from Crown Mountain Farms.  Do you KNOW what that MEANS?  It means. . . that I have beautiful, lovely, scrumptious fiber to play with.

BUNDLE OF JOY

Before Sunset BFL

Black Magic Woman Superwash Merino

Nirvana Corriedale

undyed Corriedale

That big box of fluff is like. . . the ultimate squee.  I've only spun the Nirvana Corriedale so far, but it is just lovely.  I got that colorway in the pencil roving, and while I do like it, it needs almost no drafting. . .  I thought that would be nice, but it takes away from the experience a little.  I can basically spin even singles from it with my eyes closed.

On the culinary side of things, a couple of weeks ago, I made a Gooey Butter Cake, inspired by the Knitmoregirls Podcast. Eating it was. . . an experience.  I knew from the comments on the recipe that there was a healthy version, so I looked it up and made it this morning.  It's really not up to par.  A gooey butter cake needs two sticks of butter, not one teaspoon.  I'll suffer through this version (it's not bad enough that I won't eat it), but I've learned my lesson.  Gooey Butter Cake needs butter.

It's a beautiful morning!

Beautiful!  The air is clear, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and between the houses I can see the ocean sparkling a couple of blocks away. . .






And I have an ear infection.  I may or may not have CAUSED IT MYSELF by pulling on my itchy ear last night like a foolish fussy baby.  Since then I have been mainly deaf (it sounds like I'm underwater in an aluminum can), and in a stupid amount of pain.

And I just burned my only full-hand oven mitt to A CRISP by turning on the wrong burner.  What am I, a hundred?  Do I need to be put in a home?  How do people USE these ovens that don't have flame?  How am I supposed to KNOW which burner is on when nothing burns?!

On the plus side, my inability to function like a normal human no matter how much I really, really, really want to (CAN I GO FOR A WALK YET?) has been beneficial to the craft department. 

• I have been spinning some, when I get too antsy for bed (thanks, Sudafed) but can't actually exercise.  It's like a low impact, low effort stationary bicycle.  I also may or may not have had a tax-return related Fiber Ordering Accident, based on the beautiful colors at Crown Mountain Farms.  Plus, you can get a pound of undyed wool there for less than $30.  That's like. . . half a sweater.  Purrfect.

• I also cast on a scarlet Ice Queen with bronze beads for my darling friend who should have something lacy and beautiful in her life - she's been having a rough time the last couple months, although she is very brave and strong <3

• I cast on the Juneberry Triangle out of Cascade's gorgeously shiny Ultra Pima cotton.  The yarn was going to be a tank top originally, but I can get tank tops at Target (unless they continue to, as it seems, have anti-gay political leanings.  SERIOUSLY, TARGET?  GROW THE EFF UP.  And do you hear me, rest of the country who hasn't caught on yet?  What do you think, this is the dark ages and this kind of bullsh*t discrimination is even vaguely socially/morally/ethically acceptable?).   Anyway, I need a prayer shawl much more urgently.  Deep breaths.  Cultivate my Zen mind and all that.

• I made a wee tiny ribbed arm cuff for my mum, whose medication makes her skin quite sensitive to scratches and things.  I used a tiny bit of the lovely dove gray extra Baby Cashmerino that I used for Karen's Mitts lo, those weeks ago.  I've only made one so far because I need her to try it on!

• I cast off the Emily capelet and am bereft without it.  It came out beautifully, and I should block it today while the air is clear and dry.  The buttons are perfect, and I'm SO excited about it.  Also, Madelinetosh DK yarn?  Not a single complaint.  Except that it would be excessive of me to swear of knitting with nothing else forever and ever amen.  As soon as the credit from my Eat.Sleep.Knit lotto tickets registers, I shall have to order more Madelinetosh and begin the Great Sweatering.  Which will probably be the Vine Yoke cardigan by Ysolda Teague (who I love).

• I cast off (did I post this already?) Chris' Beer Gloves, which are now drying.  The fingers are uneven - so sue me, I can't count consecutive purl rows, ok?  But it's Malabrigo, so it blocks however I darn well tell it to block. The fingers look even now, and that's what counts.

And now, I am getting back in bed where things are not quite as flammable as they appear to be in the kitchen.  Louie, it turns out, goes all rabbit-loaf big-eyes when the house is full of smoke.  Who knew?  She's fine now.  Just a regular rabbit loaf, sans the terror.

Knitting is my anti-drug.

Knitting may be my anti-drug, but I took a break from knitting earlier to take my cough syrup with codeine.  Then I slept for five hours.  Good morning!  You know, sometimes you get sick.  And then you get better.  And then you get worse.  And then the doctor tells you you have a sinus infection and you get a bunch worse after you start taking the medicine (how is that fair?) and then you miss more work and you feel a bit like an idiot . . . especially if you spent the whole first half of the day wearing bunny ears. 

I know antibiotics say you might get dizzy on them, but hot damn.  I'm pretty accustomed to being dizzy, but I just feel totally disoriented.

But that's besides the point.  The point is. . . I love knitting.  Also, spinning.  I just watched this fantastic video about Navajo Plying, and now I finally understand what all the fuss is about!  I could never figure out from descriptions what Navajo Plying actually was, and now I do.  And now I'm obsessed, but I don't have any singles spun up, so I can't try it.  Ho hum.

In other news, my projects are coming along quite well!  Ready for a wee photo dump? :>

Handspun natural (Corriedale, I think?) from Sheryl at Spin A Bit!

Chris' Beer Gloves from Son of Stitch and Bitch, out of Malabrigo in the Pearl Ten colorway

My second Discovery Sock using Cat Bordhi's latest crazy sock method (no heel turning! Hooray!) Also, Knit Picks stroll sock yarn?  Love the long repeats, and the yarn turns so soft and nice after washing!

Sweet, sweet Emily.  I'm putting off finishing this because the pattern and the yarn (Madelinetosh DK in Malachite) is just too wonderful - I don't want the project to be over!

Handspun from Spunky Eclectic  . . I can't find the label but I'm sure it's here somewhere!

Latest (possibly unwise) purchase.  The most beautiful crochet hook (but I don't really know how to crochet)

The Hemlock Ring Blanket, out of Madelinetosh Merino Light in Amber Trinket.

Well, that's all for me.  I suspect I'll be watching another episode of Doc Martin (my new favorite show!) and then partaking of the sweet nectar of the poppy, and sleeping a whole lot. 

On Having the Flu: Part 2

10.  Spend Friday dosed with ibuprofen and benadryl, sleep hazily.  Text your sister back non-nonsensical things.  Watch everything some more.  Do not want to eat, but do it anyway.  Eat the Tamiflu, sleep.

11. Saturday - Happy Weekend!  This day will be like every other.  Perhaps lose hope and cry hysterically while on the phone with your mother.  Mothers are very brave about this.

12. Sunday - yet a (nother) day of rest.  Keep resting.  Knit some, because your hands don't hurt as much as they did.  Become ambitious and try to sit in a chair while watching a show with your spouse.  End up watching from kitchen floor, because chairs are too something and you feel dizzy.  A half hour show is better in this case than a full hour.

13. Monday you should call out sick from work again.  I know you think you should go, but honey - you can't sit in a chair.  Monday you shower standing up without a hint of fainting, and feel triumphant.

14. Tuesday you go back to work.  Everyone yells welcome back.  You feel hung over, and wonder how you spent the last week sleeping but feel quite un-rested.  If you are lucky, your workplace is a loud one, because you are still coughing up a lot of goo.  Get rid of it.

I forgot to mention this step, from the early days of being sick.  Don't forget it, because it is important.  Decide you are sad and lonely and need a hug.  Hug your dog.  Or, if you are dumb, take your rabbit out of her crate for a good old fashioned snuggle-fest and then flop her feebly back into her cage when she bites your armpit and breaks the skin.  Rabbits are not fully domesticated. . . do not forget this.  On pain of painful armpit puncture.

In other news, have made new discovery.  Yarn store is between office of therapist and home.  I did need buttons.  I may not have needed all this new yarn, but here it is. 

In other other news, super secret very late birthday present is complete.  I. . . may have overreached.  It seems to me a bit in the way of a macaroni valentine, but. . . I will report on my findings.

A Tutorial: On Having the Flu

The set-up:  Be completely unprepared.  Get both flu vaccines when they are kindly offered by your town.  Be aware that flu season is over.  Be in good health and reasonably good cheer, and try hard to get enough sleep.

The steps:

1.  On a Tuesday evening, say, begin to feel a little scratchy in your throat and chest.  Fear a cold!  Retreat to bed early and take a lot of Vitamin C.
2. Repeat in the morning.  Everyone else goes to work with colds, so get to work!  Mope around all day feeling shitty and making zombie noises.  Ask to leave a little early, retreat to bed with a runny nose, a cough, chest congestion, and a fever.  Eat way more Vitamin C.  Whine a little.  Watch most of the first season of Weeds.
3.  Have alarming fever-dreams about trying to keep your suburban marijuana business thriving, while ensuring all of your dealers are behaving.  Toss, turn, sweat.  Wake up and drink all the water.  Toss, turn, sweat some more.  Take a shower in the middle of the night.*

*In fact, until all symptoms disappear, take all the showers.  Four a day should do it.  In your weakened state lying in the bottom of the shower like a fetal shrimp while being pelted with hot water is your happy place.  This is the only time the weird sinus pains will cease, and you will lack the willpower to get out of the shower before the hot water has run out.  Don't even think about showering standing up - it's not a good idea.

3a. In the morning, call out from work.  A plus: You won't even feel guilty about it this time! A minus: That is because you can barely get out of bed, your everything hurts, and you are miserable and pathetic and too tired even to whine about it.  Your hands hurt too much to knit.  They hurt too much to knit.  Your hands. . . . . they hurt too much to knit.


4.  Thank the people who bring you food and leave it on your doorstep, without actually approaching within five feet of them.  Wave through the screen door, with your hair all crazy like that girl from The Ring.  This cannot be avoided - you are taking all the showers, yet have no energy to brush your hair.  It's a look, go with it.

5. Watch all the things Netflix has to offer, and sometimes things on hulu.  Try to read, but you may be too dumb.  Watch puppy videos on youtube. 

6. Cancel any immediate appointments.  Hope that Boyfriend will be home soon with Benadryl and tissues, because you have been through TWO rolls of toilet-paper-as-tissues in ONE day.  Stick tissues up nose if you must.

7.  Optimistically reserve a place at the writing workshop you want to go to on Sunday.  It's only Thursday, right?  You'll be all better by Sunday. . . right?!

8.  After watching four hours of a documentary about the Circus, have scary circus fever dreams.  Freak out a little bit when you realize your fever is rising a degree every two hours.  Deliriously try to call and make an appointment at your doctor's office at 2:30 in the morning.

9.  It is now Friday.  Go to the doctor after they call you back during their foolish business hours (9 am? why so late?).  Get nose swabbed.  Find out you have the flu.  Shake fist at sky and go sit outside so no one else will catch your plague while you wait for your ride. 

To be continued.  Too tired to keep typing.

Photo Bucket

Tent tags at work, all in a row.

Chris' knives (gorgeous <3) on display at the big craft show.

What I did all week - taped cables with electrical tape and seized blocks on!

I uh. . .I mean.  Look at this.  How could I not share batritos with you? Disclaimer: I don't know this girl, or these bat babies.

I haven't done much home crafting this week, mainly because my hands have been hurting after hand-sewing all day every day at work.  So I don't have much to say on that front, except that:

Karen got her gloves!  And boy, does she take a fab theme photo ;D  Steampunk ftw!

I can't talk right now. . .

I'm knitting with Madelinetosh.

And I'm in love.  The Emily Capelet is a wonderful project - not quite a sweater, but also not something tiny and fiddly like most of the projects I've been working on in recent months.

What's new around here, you ask?  Well, Spring tricked us into getting our hopes up - what else is new, New England.  Friday it was beautiful and sunny with a high of 67 degrees.  Today it snowed.  It's a good thing I have my yarn to console me.  And the gorgeous veggie and turkey bacon frittatta I just took out of the oven.  I did grab a couple of fabulous Bullmastiff moments for you, though.

Basking.

Not super sure about horses.  I guess she's used to being the biggest dog around, or something?

My love.

Now I really do have to go - I have a date to snuggle with some stunning green Merino.

This is how I felt, yesterday.  Part of the reason for this terrible stress was that my beautiful sister gave me a $50 gift card to Eat Sleep Knit, and I knew what project I was buying for.  I bravely narrowed down the brands, judging by skein length and composition, and then I. . . had to choose a Madelinetosh colorway.  I don't know if you've ever tried to do that but it is very difficult.  Like... I want to eat those colors with my mind.  Especially because - do you see how they're photographed?  True colors, good lighting, and bundled up like toffees?  In the end, I chose the Malachite colorway, for use on the Emily Capelet by Ysolda Teague.  I was torn, originally, between getting a neutral (my heart pitter-pats for Fawn and Alabaster), and a brighter color.  But most of my clothes are neutral because I am a chicken, so that green is necessary to keep me from looking like some kind of a Sepia cartoon character.

Partway through the stress of decision-making, I pulled out the shoe-box from under my bed, took out my Malabrigos, and clutched them to me, palpating and sniffing.  Fondling and wriggling.  Sometimes I make them scoot like inchwarms - end to end, stretch out again!  end to end, stretch out again!
Such is the life of someone who has recently discovered that wool is not all the worst-feeling, hive-inducing thing on the face of the earth.  I put the yarns on my face.

Christopher decided to join the fun, and then threw yarns onto me from my living-room stash (I'm like a squirrel - they're everywhere!)  His aim was true, thank goodness, and none of them hit me in the face.  That would have made me even grumpier.  I told him if he was going to decorate me, he had to get my phone, because Hipstamatic needed to bear witness to the ennui of the yarn intelligentsia.  He obeyed, and now the event is chronicled.  He asked what was wrong, and I said, "Can't you see?  I have all these yarns, and I can't knit them all at once!"

Eventually, I placed my order.  I was worried the yarn shop might think I was racially profiling (not really, this is just a totally contrived excuse), so I also ordered a skein of Malabrigo Silky Merino in Teal Feather.  I already have one skein, and plan on making a cropped Leisl sweater (also by Ysolda Teague) with the pair of them. 

This is a weird thing about my Malabrigo skeins.  I have single skeins.  What I really want is to live out the rest of my days in a sweater made from it.  But I am not brave enough to make that kind of financial commitment, so I have skeins of worsted in Verde Esperanza, Purple Mystery, and Pearl Ten.  I have Silky Merino in Pollen, and Teal Feather.  And I have Sock, in Solis.  And there they lie in wait, for me to think of the perfect (small) projects.  The Handmaiden SeaSilk (gotta love yarn store sales) lives in that box with them, and I have no idea what to do with that either. 

Well, that's all for now.  Gotta go fetch Karen's Cashmerino Mitts out of the wool wash and set them gently to block.  They came out so sweet, and that pattern uses exactly one ball of Cashmerino DK at my gauge!

Projects and Productivity

Karen's Mitts are coming along nicely! 

Somehow, I feel like alternating projects keeps me more productive overall.  I'm still working on my super-secret project, but I can tell you that if I try to do a large amount of colorwork in a small amount of time, my standards become a little lax.  The longer I wiggle all those little strands around, the more I get distracted and - yes - impatient.  I haven't got a good system yet, is part of the problem.

So right now, I am working on:
Karen's Mitts!
My secret belated project
My Bamboo Snood (we've been fighting)
Spinning my undyed BFL/Corriedale
My Laminaria lace shawl.  It's not that I don't want to work on it, it's just that I'm intimidated.

I just finished:
My Discovery Sock!  It's fantastic, and I love the method of sock construction.  If you're curious or want to try out an alternative sock method, the book is called Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters by Cat Bordhi.  I plan on casting on the second sock soon, and I don't feel any twinges about that!  Somehow, knowing that I won't have to turn a heel or pick up gusset stitches seems to have cleared up my SSS (Second Sock Syndrome).

Yesterday, Christopher and I went on a grand adventure!  Well, we went on an adventure.  He drove, because I was intimidated by driving my car around the rotary.  We picked up the spare key for my car at the dealership, and then went on our first trip to BJs together!  Don't take that the wrong way, you dirty birds.  You know what I mean.  The store, where you buy freakish amounts of food.  We invested in many meal-staples, and while (the bill) was a bit overwhelming, I think we'll be set for a while.  We have a freezer full of stuff now, and I won't have to cry and go to the store every single time I want to make dinner - hooray!

He lets me ride in the cart. It's true love. I got out when it started to get too heavy, because I love him too.

It's FRIDAY

And I am lying in bed, melting, at 8:45.  I would be embarrassed, if I wasn't so sleepy and well-fed.

One of the sewing machines at work.

The awesome chain-link pattern that wouldn't fit over my heel and had to be frogged.

The cutest booties ever, made by my aunt Becky.

In the mail today I got yarn for a new project - Mitts for Miss Karen, my college roommate.  It feels so weird to say "college roommate" in the past tense.  Her previous set of mitts have gone walkabout, so I am going to make her a new set.  Finally - a chance to knit with Baby Cashmerino! :D

Now, I will leave you wondering - did I really sign off to go to bed at 9:03 PM?  I'll never tell. . .

Driving Around

I've been driving around all week - in both senses.  I've been driving my car, and it's been going pretty well! And I've also been driving my spinning wheel around and around.  I've got a full 4 oz. of merino ready to ply, and I'm crossing my fingers that it will be enough for a pair of socks or mitts! The whole weight of fiber thing confuzzles me, although I'm sure I'll get the hang of it.

Newly plied and snuggled into an Ugg.

 Continued the next morning: I plied it!  My pre-plying left me a little uneven lengthwise and I had to scoot some single-strands from bobbin to bobbin, but it came out wonderfully.  By wonderfully, I mean I love it.  I don't mean that it's perfect or particularly even, or even completely plied in all the fuzziest places.  But that's how I like it!










The colorway is called Mud Season - it's 100% Merino, from Spunky Eclectic's fiber of the month club.  My mum (or Santa by way of my mum?) got me a membership a couple of years ago, and I could never keep up with just my one tiny (lace-sized, I now know) drop spindle.  So I have all these beautiful little 4 oz. bags of hand-dyed fiber, and I keep picking them up and squeezing them.  What to spin next?!





In knitting news, my super-secret project which is SO belated for my mom's birthday is going well.  I'm not going to tell details now, but it should be done soon and then I will post pictures!

My Discovery Sock from Cat Bordhi's Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters is aliiiive! I read comments on ravelry and heard in podcasts that many people had trouble getting the toe-to-heel relationship right, and the socks just didn't come out well.  And there is a scary part, where you knit up the foot of the sock and close it right up with no ankle opening, and cannot try it on.  But I opened up the ankle and started knitting up - and voila!  A well-fitted, perfectly functional sock.  I'm going to make a few rows of the Chainmail pattern on the cuff, because it's beautiful.  And then onward to the next sock!  When I got the book and realized the construction of the sock (key words: no gusset, no picking up stitches, no heel turning) I had a feeling that we were sole mates.  Sole mates: see what I did there?

In non-crafting news, Christopher has decided that he is going to train Louie to be better about being picked up.  I told him that if he is going to clean up her anger-poops that she leaves on the floor after these events, he can go right ahead.  But in all seriousness, it's going pretty well.  He has a firm grip, and she seems pretty calm when she's actually in his arms (to which I can relate).  It's the picking up and putting down that freak her out.  But she's been relaxing faster afterward, and I would love to be able to maneuver her when needed - taking her to the vet is not a pretty thing.  And the vet is my dad, so I feel bad when he has to wrestle a wee, delicate, ferociously kicking beasty.

If you're wondering about my awesome (obnoxious?) photos this time, I found the iPhone App Hipstamatic, and can't stop taking weirdly filtered photos.  There are other lense and film options, but I like this spooky vintage look, and I'm going to use it for now.  How do you feel about it?

The laundry calls.

Morning Matters

Welp, I burned my barley.  I'm still making tea out of it though, and it's tasty - though burned.

I forgot that there is a big hill on the way to my parents house and now I only have my car which makes me verreh nervous.  Pray for me.

Also, I'm posting this, but don't be scared;  I have no plans to do these things.  My car is blue, not sponsored, and I'm sure that one has something extra under the hood. But - much more reassuring than the crash test video!

Whirlwind of a Week

First order of business: A confession.

I am a winter creature.  I love the snow, my body temperature adjusts swiftly, and I love to actually feel cold enough to snuggle in under a quilt.  I love the way snow looks, I love to eat it with maple syrup, I love to build forts, and watch dogs cavort in a winter wonderland.
The confession: I am so done with this.  It's been weeks and weeks since we've had clear ground, which would be fine if the snow was nice.  But it's solid ice for at least a quarter of an inch everywhere, whether on the road or the sidewalk or covering what used to be nice fluffy snow.

So now that that is out of the way, here are things that happened during my whirlwind of a week!

In chronological order, here are the events!


Friday night I had my spinning lesson.  Sheryl is the sweetest lady, and a wonderful teacher.  Her dog is a big snuggle, and her family is fun.  I learned how to ply and asked all my questions.  She said I was a natural (awww shucks!).

Saturday: I went car shopping with my Papa.  And fell in love, unfortunately, with the genus of car, rather than the species.  That is to say that I tried all of the Subarus, and could not make up my mind.  Practical and well-built Forester (high clearance, lots of space) or Sexy Impreza.

My car, from its listing.

Ladies and gentlemen, on Sunday I bought the sexy standard transmission critter.  I still wake up in the night terrified that I made the wrong choice.  The Forester is built like a brick, drives fantastically, and is well-within my comfort zone.   But all embarrassing red-light stalls aside, I've quite enjoyed practicing this new, well, hobby.  Skill.  And I've always loved the feel of riding in a manual transmission car.  It's one of the few acceleration/deceleration sensations that my stomach does get along with.  Also, it's pretty practical.  It's smaller but the trunk is not very small. And it's all AWD all the time, so as a winter-driving sedan, it's about as good as it gets.  I saw one towing a trailer during the (most recent) snow storm the other day. And it has good crash-test ratings, but for the love of cupcakes do not watch the video on youtube.  A good rating does not necessarily make for a reassuring video (THE DUMMIE'S HEAD ALWAYS COMES OFF?) and may or may not have led me to call my dad at 4 in the morning panicked, the night after I signed the papers.  Luckily, he's good for emergencies and has a very calming doctor voice.

Monday we picked up the car, and brought it home to my parents house!  Just before we left, Sheryl of Spin A Bit called to tell me the mail carrier couldn't get up the driveway to drop off the wheel, but it was ready to be picked up from the Post Office!

Tuesday: Snow Storm Again.  Christopher and I had a lovely evening sitting around together, and I made homemade sloppy joes.  I pout about not having my wheel, and drink red wine.  I bought the wine as a conciliatory offering to myself, since I didn't have my wheel.  But once the bottle is open I realized I'm going to have to work hard on it.  I'm not a good drinker, and if it stayed tasty for two weeks, that's how long it might take me to drink a whole bottle of wine.  And Chris doesn't drink, so I can't hardly expect him to save me!

Wednesday the roads were still crap, it was sleeting, and I left work early so my aunt could work on my back.  She does many various therapies, including some cranio-sacral.  She tells me I mustn't knit.  I try to be strong.  I drink more wine, while not knitting.  I read instead, and watch Coffee Prince.
I ice my back.

Thursday the roads are finally clear(ish).  My dad (who is awesome) takes my car to get inspected: crack in the mirror means no good!  Chris and I drive my new car (with it's rejection sticker) to pick up the spinning wheel!  It's all wrapped up in New Zealand newspaper pages.  I get some beautiful fiber as a bonus, because Sheryl is delightful (and I think that's her policy).  We bring home wheel, fiber, and niddy noddy.  I squeal excessively the whole ride back, clapping my hands like a fool, and fog the windows - also because it is 16 degrees outside.  Brrr.

Lou is prepared to supervise.  Also, the polar bears on that blanket.

After dropping off my car at my parents house (where it was being fostered briefly) we come home and set it up while watching an episode of Lie to Me.  My hands get tired and Christopher screws in the tiny screws for me because he is the best.  Louie tries to drag the instructions inside her crate like the raptor from the opening of Jurassic Park (but way cuter!)  I spin for a few minutes, and then realize it's 11:30 and I have work in the morning.  To bed!

This very morning, my mom (who is wonderful) takes my car to have its mirror fixed, and gets it re-inspected.  It's good to go, and now I just have to send in various thingies by mail and have pictures taken for the insurance.  Oh, and learn to drive it.  After work, I go to the dollar store and buy what seems to be an unfinished basket for Lou to gnaw.  After arriving home, I bite it and find that it tastes like it's been bleached.  It has our keys in it instead.

Liz comes over, and is very brave going out driving with me.  She's a very calm friend.  Just right for embarrassing repetitive stalls at intersections.  We drive around.  I come home with my car (Izzy is her name) and here I am.  Drinking red wine, eating a sloppy joe, and supervising romp-time for Louie.  I spun a bit on my wheel first, of course.  I ice my back.  Speaking of, I must sign off because this position is rough on the sore shoulder.

Wish me luck roasting barley.  I am craving some barley tea, and must roast my own due to tragic lack of Asian grocery.

More pictures will be forthcoming, with more spinning wheel details!  But right now. . . I'm gonna go make some tea and spin ;D