Not Shoes and Ships: Yarns and Books

I chose the yarn for the next socks at last, after much picking up and putting down: the red that I got at Belfast Mini-Mills in PEI last summer.

Barely started, but one has to have purse knitting, you know. So that's set. The Christmas knitting is moving along nicely, too; if I know you on Ravelry, it's not for you, and you can see what it is there!

The weather has turned autumnal in the last week or two, reaching decent heights during the day but getting electric-blanket-cool at night (or in this house, electric mattress pad cool). It was lovely out yesterday, and I was anticipating a pleasant half hour after lunch, in the sun. But about a minute after I sat down, I waved a mosquito off my arm (if by "waved" you understand that I mean "tried to swat but missed"), and then no more than a minute later, I killed one* on my sleeve. That was enough, and I went back inside. Humph. Just because I have the zapper doesn't mean I want to need it!
*Possibly the same one, of course; I couldn't tell.

I recently picked up a book that I requested from the library, and as is the case with many of my requests, did not remember where I had read about it or why I decided to request it. I don't request that many romances, either, since while I don't mind reading romances I find that a startling number of them are not that well written, and this was a romance, albeit one with a magical and historical angle. Would this be another that I start, close, and return unfinished?

Well, I haven't really started it yet, but I suspect I'll finish it. Here is the first sentence:

Yes, I think I might like this one! I'll let you know how it goes. (It's called A Lady and Her Magic, by Tammy Falkner, if you can't wait for the report.)

Now what shall I do with my before-bed time tonight? Read? Doctor Who and knitting? Or something else?

Spam spam spam spam

Is anyone else amused by the spam they get?

Not enough to open it, but that's funny! Why they think that "while the last violet loiters by the well" will make me think it's a real e-mail and open it...

Unplanned Knitting Progress

I unexpectedly got some knitting done at work today, and not at lunch, either, but before lunch. Our IT guy was in town from New York, and both he and the head IT guy in England set to work on my computer, which has been unable to print since I got it a month ago (when they switched me from a laptop to a desktop). It took them quite a while, and in the meantime, I got my sock done (or almost--I kitchenered it when I got home).

So yay for that! And what time does that make it? Why, it's time to pick the next sock yarn to use. Hooray! And I have, ah, an embarrassment of riches to choose from. Discounting the Socks That Rock, since I just used that, I have, well. A lot still to choose from.

Twenty-three options, in fact. Ahem.

Yeah. I have a little bit of a problem. (Not that I really think it's a problem.) They're all such nice yarns! The ones I've tried, I know I like, and the ones I haven't tried, I want to try!

So will you excuse me? I have some serious pondering to do tonight.

Almost Too Cute

Right, tonight was stitch and bitch, so I have a crazy cat racing around and not much time before bed. But you must see this from the lolcats today.

 Holy cute, batman!

Sunday Night, Determinedly Cheerful

I should try to blog earlier on Sundays, to avoid the bummer-end-of-weekend tone, which we can all take as read at this point. Still, it was a very nice day today, and I'll try to focus on that.

I bought a fun leather bracelet at a little artist's market (this is the vendor).

 

I picked up a couple of books at the library book sale, and a videotape. I know, just after I talked about cutting back on my videos! But you see, I had to have this one.

You understand why. Mum, we'll watch it next time you're here.

I saw a butterfly, and a semi-not-totally-awful picture of it.

I did some knitting. The Wingspan shawl I was working on has gone into time out. This is my third go at it, and it isn't working quite right, again. I've made the pattern twice, that shouldn't be a problem, and I love the yarn, so why isn't it working? I don't know. Time for it to hibernate. I cast on some Christmas knitting instead. So far, so good. And no pictures, obviously!

Other than that? Cats. A slightly blurry, from-a-safe-distance photo of Miri, monitoring me.

And then my buddy Carlos. He was awake when I entered the room ... but only about 2% awake.

Not that I'm biased, but what a cute guy.

Just Your Average Saturday, with berries and tornadoes

Not that I've actually seen a tornado today, thankfully. But the weather has been rather threatening, and I was wondering if rain was really coming, so I checked the forecast online, and in the Special Weather Statement, after the bit about thunderstorms, I ran across this gem:

THERE IS A MUCH LOWER CHANCE OF TORNADOES... BUT IT IS A CHANCE WORTH MENTIONING.

So that's reassuring. How fortunate that I went raspberry-picking earlier, before that one came up to scare me off.

And, to cut right to the chase, I did not get bitten by mosquitoes this week. I attribute this to my preparation, which was twofold.

On the left, the bug "spray" wipes I picked up this week, and used today. On the right, the bug-zapper that I ordered this week. Naturally, because it arrived today, I got no bites to test it on. Not that I wanted them ... but I'm pretty sure that's why I didn't get bitten. Which actually is fine by me. No bites, more raspberries ... win-win.

And this time I put my camera in my pocket! The field, with berries foreground, and background to the left and right:

Lots of berries. Some over-ripe, some ripe, plenty yet to ripen.

It's art: Sunlight Through Raspberry

They have lots of flowers, too. It's just pretty all around.

I picked for about 45 minutes, ending up with this:

Which made for this:

About the same as last week, almost eight-tenths of a pound. Of pure yum. About half gone already.

Also seen today, the current title-holder of world's cutest sleeper. Doing the wave.

See?

 Fast asleep. Didn't even stir. Can be this cute in his sleep, literally.

Wordy for a Friday Night

I was in Danvers recently (hello, Savers) and learned something exciting: there's going to be a Container Store opening there next month! I love the Container Store, with all its neat organizer-y-things, and the nearest one to me until now has been in Chestnut Hill, which isn't really that convenient. I don't live in or right near Danvers, but it's closer, and that makes me happy. Container Store added to the proximate grouping of Savers, the Used Book Superstore, and Ocean State Job Lot can only be more fun.

Speaking of next month, that would be October, and you know what that means: Apple Festival and Rhinebeck. Yay! Remember back in January (of course you do), when I realized that Apple Festival and Rhinebeck have a buffer weekend this year? Well, now that I am in another new job, and have limited vacation time again, I'm even happier about that than I was. I am going to take one day off for the Fest weekend*, and maybe I'll come in to work later on that Monday morning after Rhinebeck (another hour or two of sleep could make a big difference), but it's the peaceful weekend in between that will help the most. I've put a big note on my calendar: MAKE NO PLANS. Not that I won't do anything at all, but mental health requires that I schedule very very little.
*But man, I wish I got Columbus Day as a holiday. It's been a few years since I worked for a company that gave that one.

While I was at the calendar, I noticed something left over from that last job: the late-night coverage schedule. Wow, I don't miss THAT. (I bet you don't miss me complaining about it, either.)

And speaking of complaining, get ready for a big one. Those of you who aren't hockey fans may not be aware that the NHL is verging on another lockout. The third in less than 20 years! Ridiculous. If the two sides don't come to an accord by Saturday, September 15th, then all bets are off as to when play will resume. Later this calendar year? Later this season? Maybe, maybe not. And the odds of them reaching agreement before then are roughly the same as that of the ice cube in your drink starting the next ice age.

The prospect is, as you might imagine, very painful for me to face. Just today, looking at my calendar, I deleted the note about the Bruins rookie camp that was supposed to start next weekend. I couldn't bring myself to delete the reminder for full camp a week later; even though I'm pretty certain it will go, it isn't official yet, and removing it now seems like giving up hope, even if it's hope I don't really have. Nonsensical, I know.

And whose fault is it? Honestly, I hate and blame both sides in this. Millionaires and multimillionaires squabbling over who gets the bigger share of the pie, grandstanding and firing salvos in the media instead of seriously sitting down and working things out. Everyone knew this deadline was coming, has known for years (since the last lockout, duh), and there has been plenty of time to work it out. Leaving it to the final week (even were they to get it done then) is childish.

And who really suffers? While I admit the possibility that lower-paid fringe players could suffer, and players in other leagues who lose their jobs to roving NHL players could certainly suffer (not something I'd thought about before reading this article), and maybe even owners in weaker markets (though don't they claim they're losing money anyway?), it's all the people on the periphery of the game that I really feel for. The front-office staff and scouts (some of whom will lose their jobs); the announcers and their behind-the-scenes people; the people who work in the stadiums, ushers and concessionaires and security; anyone with a restaurant or bar near a stadium. The ripples go out all over: want to bet some equipment manufacturers aren't going to have layoffs, down the line? That's a lot of sticks that won't be breaking, a lot of pucks that won't fly up into the crowd. I'm going to be very unhappy, don't get me wrong, and will be whining and moaning about it, and more so the longer we go without hockey, but in my more rational moments, it isn't me I'm the most sorry for: it isn't affecting my livelihood.

On the plus side (I'm reaching here), no hockey to watch will leave me with a lot of free time. I've been working on getting rid of some (though not all) of my videocassettes, having realized recently that I have a lot of movies on video that, while they're good movies, are not movies I ever seem to want to watch, and honestly they take up a fair bit of space that I could use better. I don't want to get rid of the VCR, I'm not there yet, but I can get rid of some of the shelf-stealing tapes. I probably took the first baby step toward this a few years back, when I replaced my 6-tape set of the BBC Pride and Prejudice mini-series with the 2-DVD set. Do that a few times, and it adds up. I recently had a 50-dollar gift card burning a hole in my pocket, and I got no less than six DVDs that I really wanted.

A rather random assortment, eh? Some I hadn't owned on tape, some I had, including a much better replacement for Persuasion. I still remember getting the video (it's on the left in the photo below) and thinking for a moment that I'd gotten the wrong one, because who is that on the cover? Who are those people? They're not in the movie I wanted!

And actually, they're not. For some reason, the company thought it would sell better that way, I guess, though it's really misleading. And I'd hate to hear what Anne Elliot thought of that décolletage! The photo on the DVD cover is by far the most risque moment of the movie, and there's no plunging neckline or neck nibbling involved. Whew.

Speaking of Jane Austen, by the way, I was reading a report at work recently that was talking about how a new drug, if launched, will impact the market, and I finally realized what it was reminding me of: in Pride and Prejudice, where Lady Catherine speaks complacently about how her daughter would have been a proficient musician, if she had learned.

Beyond movies to fill my time, there's Doctor Who. I'm finally catching up again, and am now watching the Matt Smith years for the first time. Like the way I reacted to David Tennant, I didn't much like Matt Smith to begin with, basically because he's different (you've probably picked up on the fact that I'm almost never happy about change). And did they have to change the music and look of the intro at the same time? Ugh. Now that I'm getting used to him, I like him better, but I don't think Christopher Eccleston will be dethroned from my Preferred Doctor list any time soon. I do like Amy, and Rory, though it's challenging to avoid current-day news that is a spoiler to me (since I'm a few years behind). Thanks to the library, I'll get caught up in a while.

All right! I think that's all for tonight. I'd say it's enough, wouldn't you? Happy weekend!

Quick and Cute

Awesomeness! Thank you to the Cincinnati Zoo for this great footage of a puppy and a cheetah cub playing. Not only are the interactions great, but the cheetah cub is one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

You?

Random Unconnected Thoughts

Last night I had a headache, and tonight I don't (oh thank the gods), but I've been doing one thing and another tonight and suddenly it's time to be thinking of bed. Sigh.

This week, in the pursuit of almighty prescriptions, I made two doctor's appointments, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. Which meant that today I found myself in a Queen of Hearts state: leave work early yesterday and leave work early tomorrow, but don't leave early today.

At yesterday's appointment, I was parked under a tree that turned out to be dropping acorns. I didn't pay much mind when I walked on them, but when I drove away, I heard them rattling as they rolled off the top of the car!

Today was Wednesday, which means two more work days to the weekend. Ahhh, weekend.

Um. That's all I've got. I'm mere steps from this:

And we don't want that.

The End is Near (of the weekend)

A few more notes at the end of a really good weekend. With no headaches, deo gratias!

The Tardis shawl is blocked and ready for its big reveal at Rhinebeck. And when I say big, I mean big. See?

Fun! Big fun.

I got a blurry picture of Miri last night when she was rolling around on the floor (at a safe distance from me).

Then today, she and Carlos were sleeping by the window, and I got a not-much-better shot of how well they relax.

Champions, both. He has the paw sticking out in space, while her head appears about to fall off. I'm not sure I've ever been that relaxed, myself.

I went to the used bookstore today, and not only did I drop off a few books I've been meaning to donate, and buy one that looked fun, and Wall-E on DVD for $5.99, but I got to see some good are-you-kidding titles.

If you could read one of them, which would you choose?

Not the Usual Sunday Night Itch

Two things are bothering me tonight, which isn't I suppose such a great number, when it's been quite a good day, and tomorrow is a bonus day off (which changes the way a Sunday evening feels tremendously). Yet it's so easy to focus on the bad, isn't it? Particularly when the bad includes that bane of my life, mosquito bites.

As I mentioned yesterday, I killed two mosquitoes that bit me while I was picking raspberries. And two mosquito bites isn't that much, really, but oh, oh how they itch. One is on my upper arm, positioned such that it brushes my torso frequently when I move, and high enough that I switched from a short-sleeved shirt to a sleeveless one earlier today because the rubbing was making it even worse (good thing it's not cold). The red, raised welt is about two inches by an inch, and makes me wish that I had ordered this a week ago. (I ordered it yesterday, but it may not get here before these stop bothering me. I ordered it anyway, because I know there will be more in my life. Unfortunately.)

The other bite is on the side of my hand; imagine giving a cartoon-style hi-YA karate chop, and it's just at the point of impact. It isn't as large or swollen as the other, but if possible it itches more, perhaps because the anatomy of that area provide less room for swelling OUT, and more for pressing-on IN. Whatever the reason, it itches like mad, a good inch in all directions from the center point, and though the anti-itch cream helps a bit, it also washes off every time my hand gets wet. Given that I have done laundry and dishes and other kitchen-work today, and blocked the Tardis shawl, that's a lot of re-applying. Owie owie ow. It's even impairing my knitting: I'm on the second triangle of the Starry Wingspan shawl take 3, but the way I hold the knitting is right against that spot. I keep trying to hold it a different way, and it drifts back to what I'm used. Damned conditioned reflexes.

The other thing bothering me tonight (the two bug bites being the first thing) is a party somewhere in my neighborhood, not close enough to see but absolutely in earshot. I once went to a friend's party that featured a dunk tank, but this party, I'm 99% certain, has instead one of those 'test your strength' machines like they have at carnivals. And either the party is full of strong people, or the machine is not hard to beat. For the last few hours, I've been hearing repeated DINGs*, followed by appreciative crowd noises, over and over. Voices and music and now it sounds like arguing, come on, give it up already, don't let this be an all-night party.
*Kind of like the sound of a car pulling into a gas station, but getting a cheer for it

It's been a good day. I've gotten a lot done, without feeling like it's been all work. But the itching and the dinging are pretty annoying, each in their way.

Of course, if I look around, I can find something to make me smile. Or more accurately, someone.

The baby.

Now, if you will excuse me, I will go back for more itch cream, and maybe some of the chicken salad I made earlier.

Saturday Report, with knitting and raspberries

When I got home last night, there was a U-Haul trailer parked by my building, so I surmised that someone was moving out (just call me Sherlock). A couple of the other owners are subletting*, so someone's tenants are going, though I don't know if that means the owners are moving back in, going to try to sell now, or will get more tenants. (And of course, it wasn't the tenants with the baby, or the ones with the dog, was it? Of course not.) I heard a little bit of moving-things-noises during the evening ("Wait, now we'll have no light tonight, bring that lamp back!"), but not much.
*Rather than try to sell with the market as it's been.

In any case, it's a good thing that I went to bed early last night, as it turned out that they were getting an early start this morning, which I learned when I awoke to the sounds of them going in and out and in and out and in and out of their door, which is right under my bedroom window. With a screen door. That squeaks.

Creeeeeak, squaaaaak, thud. Over and over. They weren't being all that loud, objectively, but when I looked at the clock after a few minutes, and saw 6:56, I groaned. Had to get that early start, didn't you? Ugh. It's hard for me to be objective when someone wakes me before 7 AM on a day off.

So I've been up for a long time. That was, what, eleven-plus hours ago, and it feels like it should be almost bedtime now. I had a leisurely waking-up period, then went out to Petsmart (where I spent $80 but saved $25, not bad) and Trader Joe's. Home again, I decided to wash and lay out one of the shawls I had waiting, the Colonnade Shawl that was my Olympic project. While it was soaking, I decided to get a current picture of the Starry Wingspan that I've been putting aside for other things all summer, but that I've finally been able to get back to this week.

And it's a good thing that I did, since it turns out that I should have been calling this the Mathematically Challenged Shawl instead.

I was trying to adjust the size I was making, but due to a miscalculation back in the mists of time (well, two months ago, anyway), I adjusted my numbers in one spot but not in another. Which meant that instead of all my triangles being the same size, they were getting smaller, which I hadn't noticed until it stared me in the face.

Shit. Ribbit, ribbit.

I still love the yarns, which are Starry Starry Night from Toil & Trouble, and Knitpicks Brava, but I don't think I have enough even together to make the size shawl I want, and I'm tired of guessing and "calculating" only to be wrong. So I stash-dove to find something compatible, which isn't difficult given that these are right in my wheel-house, color-wise. I think this Berocco Ultra Alpaca Tonal will go quite nicely, don't you?

Then I started frogging. Such forgiving yarn, it doesn't look at all tired by my mistakes. In fact, it was rather pretty as it undid.

And I have since restarted.

So far, so good. And the Colonnade is, in fact, laid out and drying.

Tomorrow, I hope to be able to do the Tardis. We'll see if this is dry in the morning.

After I pinned it, I went off to the raspberry-picking. It was a beautiful day, about 75 degrees and mostly sunny, perfect for spending some time outside. The farm gives you a bucket to pick into, and a smaller bucket for bad berries you pick, which get fed to the hens (if you get a buggy berry, they'd rather you brought it back than dropped it on the ground where the bug could get back on the bushes, and who can blame them?). Checking each berry for bugs made the picking slow and meditative, and I had dreams of filling the bucket.

It was lovely, but after a while I started to think of this:

At first, I was just a little jumpy because I was wearing sandals and capris, so a branch or leaf would brush bare skin and make me look for a bug. There were also a lot of bees around, though they had no interest in attacking me, thank heavens. It reminded me of a cartoon I saw on Facebook recently:

(Slightly edited for language, believe it or not.)
However. After killing the second mosquito that was delighted to see me (note: use bug spray next time), I decided that a full bucket was not meant to be, and made my way back to the stand. I didn't do too badly: about eight-tenths of a pound, or $6.35, for this:

That's a quart, not a pint, and they're small berries, so there are a lot of them. Yum, yum. There aren't so many now as there were when I got home.

I also bought their eggs, interested in taste-testing fresh, happy eggs, particularly the green one.

It's a pale green, but very much not brown or white. I wonder if it will taste different? And by the way, it isn't me calling them happy eggs.

And you know, if I was a chicken and got to eat fresh-picked raspberries with fresh bugs in them? I'd be happy, too.

For that matter, I'm pretty happy without eating bugs. I hope you're having a happy Saturday, too.

Say it with me: FRIDAY!

The only thing better than

is the

3-day weekend version. Yes, not just two, but three days of no alarm clock, no major plans, resting and relaxing and reading and knitting and ahhhhhh I feel better already.

I mean, I do have some plans. I plan to read, and knit, and do dishes, and vacuum, and some laundry. I want to go pick raspberries, and buy cat food, and block shawls, and balance the checkbook (electronically speaking). There are plenty of things I'll get done, and some that I probably won't get to, and that's fine.

It's the weekend. It's a long weekend. As long as I don't get a migraine (oh, please, all the gods, take pity on me), I am fine. So fine. Perfectly fine.

What does your weekend look like, at this point?

Random and Sillyness

A couple of random things. First, today, for the second day running, I forgot earrings. The honeymoon with the new job is thus officially declared Over. Get comfortable.


I got a couple of requests for patterns in the knitting I mentioned yesterday, so I went back and added links, if you care about any of that.

Ran across something online that I absolutely adore: a site where you can put in a URL (or text) and it will show you the site translated into another language. What's so awesome about that, you ask? Doesn't it sound functional and prosaic and non-adorable?

 

Not if the language you choose is to sound like the Swedish Chef from the Muppets. Bork!

 

It turns this:

Last night, I finished the Tardis shawl, and I love it! So, so happy.

into this:

Lest neeght, I feenished zee Terdees shevl, und I lufe-a it! Su, su heppy. Bork bork bork!  

I foresee a lot of fun with this! There's Elmer Fudd.

Wast night, I finished the Tawdis shaww, and I wove it! So, so happy. 

Or how about Jive?

Last night, ah' finished da damn Tardis shawl, and ah' love it! Right on! So, so's happy.

Redneck? Cockney? Pig Latin?

Last night, ah finished th' Tardis shawl, an' ah love it! Fry mah hide!

Last night, I finished the Tardis shorl, and I luv it! Blimey! So, right, so happy. 

Astlay ightnay, Iyay inishedfay ethay Ardistay awlshay, andyay Iyay ovelay ityay! Osay, osay appyhay. 

You name it; those and more. Yeah, man. Not enough laughter in the world, but here's some.

Happy Knitter, Finishing Projects

I've been knitting a lot this summer, and lately I feel like I've been finishing a lot, which is a fun feeling, particularly when I am feeling the pangs of start-itis. Starting a new project is enticing, but finishing one is so satisfying!

Last night, I finished the Tardis shawl, and I love it! So, so happy. Can't wait to wash and block it, and with the upcoming three-day weekend, perhaps I will get both that and my YOlympic shawl blocked.

I started the Bigger On The Inside back in May, and would have been finished long ago had I knit nothing else since. However, I did in fact knit:

• The love shawl for my cousin

• A pair of socks, which consumed not just out-in-public time but I-hate-this-yarn-must-get-it-over-with time

•  My YOlympic knitting shawl

• A hat for a friend's raffle

•  And then a second one in the same pattern also for the raffle!

•  Aaannnd then one for my friend's birthday, after she admired the first one in-progress (different pattern, though)

•  As well as candy corn, because she loves it, and I've been meaning to make some for her. Aren't they cute?

 I made a whole bunch, in fact.

 Enough to fill a little cup.

I also have the Wingspan shawl in progress, and the current pair of socks are moving along; I'm more than halfway down the foot of the second sock, as of lunchtime today.

Want to see the Tardis? Blocking will do a lot for it, I think, but here:

Done, done, done! Happy dancing here.