NaBloPoMo and Monthly Wrap-Up

Whew! I did it. I posted every day. Maybe not very well, but I did it.

I like the idea of NaBloPoMo. (Heck, I like the idea of a lot of things.) It's my execution of NaBloPoMo that bothers me.

I guess there are bloggers out that that can write a perfect post right of the top of their head. Without thinking the words flow and the perfect balance of humor, wit and thought-provoking frankness just magically happens.

Not so with me.  I tend to just run off at the mouth/fingers. A more stream of consciousness "hey everybody here's some brain vomit for you to read" kind of style. The quality of writing in my blog can attest to that. Sooo, writing a post every day can be kind of tough. For the most part I don't have anything different to say from day to day. I try to avoid the "I had oatmeal then went to work then came home my day was dull the end" kind of post....maybe I don't avoid it entirely, but I try.

Writing a relatively good post takes me some time. Usually, I start a post and let it percolate for a few days (or weeks, or months.) I'll sit down every once and a while and read, edit and tweak. When I'm pretty sure it's passable (high standard of quality for my readers, yes? Wow, I love you guys...reading this drivel and commenting. I can't thank you enough) I'll go ahead and schedule it to publish.

At the beginning of November I had some of those posts ready to go. Around the middle of the month the somewhat edited posts ran out and I began sitting down and just typing whatever came to mind. (That usually means whining and complaining.) I'm sure you already figured that out.

There really is something to be said for planning posts. The trouble with that of course is that after a while, it seems like you aren't really blogging about real life events. If I want to tell you about something that happened on Tuesday, I really should tell you at least by Thursday. Keep things current, ya know? Sure, planning posts can really keep me focused, but if my blog is about life then there is no way I will achieve 100%  focused, on topic posts. Sadly, my life does not want to say focused and on topic.

As for November's goals...I met them all! I really needed to, as well. I was headed for a melt-down (and still almost had one.)  I'm glad I stopped and took the time for me. I should make those standard goals for every month.

Monday Mish Mash

I haven't done one of these in a while. It's time for a mish mash.

• Why did it take me so long to try a CHIBI needle?
• Back to the old grind today...but only for three weeks, then it's two weeks off. Teacher schedules aren't too shabby.
• Is it just me or are there some really maudlin Christmas songs out there? (I'll Be Home for Christmas and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas come to mind.)
• I decorated for Chanukah...if you count putting blue and white lights on the mantel with two menorahs as "decorating." 

• Kittens are really cute, which is good 'cause they can also be annoying. (I discovered a chewed up circular needle yesterday.)
  
• My feet were cold all weekend. I made slippers. I didn't seam them very well, though. I used some Red Heart Super saver from the stash and size 8 needles (5.0 mm.) Now my toes are nice and toasty.

• In retrospect, I should have done the crochet cardigan I'm working on in one piece up to the armholes. Oh well, live and learn.
• I saw the latest Harry Potter with the family over the holidays. I'm a little sad that the series is ending (I haven't read the book...yet), but it will live on through HPKCHC. ;-)
• I'm going to be kind of glad when NaBloPoMo is over. The challenge is fun, but I don't really have that much to say (which I'm sure you have all noticed.)
• Football breaks my heart.

The Kindle Debate

I suddenly decided that I want a Kindle. I have been railing against Kindle for at least a year. I swear, I'm a book gal. I want pages to turn; dog ears to create. I don't like the thought of curling up with a good...electronic device (er...that didn't come out right.) But here's the thing: When I go anywhere, I'm packing tons of books. Hubadub goes to bed earlier than I do. He can't sleep when my beside lamp is on and I can't read in the dark (I've tried book lamps with varying degrees of success.) Someone told me a kindle could solve this problem.

Reasons to buy a Kindle:
1. Traveling light. Fewer books.
2. Read at night.
3. I like new toys.
4. Green factor. No books to pile up in landfills when I'm gone.
5. Knit while reading. (As soon as I can knit without looking)

Reasons not to buy a Kindle:
1. I already have too many print books that I haven't read.
2. Kindle edition books aren't that much less expensive than print books. (I found one Kindle edition that was actually a few cents more!)
3. I like to own my books. I like to know they are mine; that I will not wake up and find them gone.

While I'm talking about Kindle, I'll report on Book #23.

Summer of the Sky Blue Bikini by Jill Ross Klevin
Typical late 70's teen dilemma romance from the series I mentioned a few days ago: The guy or the in crowd?

If I'm not careful, it's going to be really hard to "outdo" myself next year.

A 50 Book Milestone (And Knitting Stuff)

In 2008 I read 16 books.
In 2009 I read 12.
2010 has been a banner year (and it's not over yet!)

I give you books #19, #20, #21 and #22:

#19
Suzy Who? by Winifred Madison
Back in the late 70's early 80's there was a series of marketed-to-teens romance novels. Oh my gosh I loved them. I still remember the girl who introduced me to them (Thank you, Susan!) and I begged my parents for two boxed sets for the holidays that year. Yes, I still have most of them and yes, I plan on reading a lot of them during the YA Read Along next year. Since I can't wait until next year, I'm re-reading the ones with the late 70's copyrights. Saccharine sweet brain candy. You can't get any better than that when you want to escape reality.

#20
Border-line Personalities: A New Generation of Latinas Dish on Sex, Sass, & Cultural Shifting edited by Robyn Moreno and Michelle Herrera Mulligan
Now you know where that ¿Quién soy yo? post came from. :-)

#21
I'm Christy by Maud Johnson
Another from the series I mentioned above. Apparently this is the first in a series about Christy and Mike. I have not read the other two; in fact, I didn't even know they existed until this week! Like Suzy Who? this is fun brain candy.

#22
Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd
Trashy romance...'nuff said.

(Amazing what a week off from work and bad literary taste can accomplish, eh?)

Ok. Now for some knitting stuff. I found this at mamakass' blog Knits in a Lively Breeze. It reminds me of the book thingy going on over on facebook (You know, the one where you bold the books you've read and put the ones you started but didn't finish in italics?) So, what would your list look like?

Bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing:

• Afghan
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire
• Shawl
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down
• Socks: toe-up
• Knitting with camel yarn
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Tip-down
• Hat
• Knitting with silk
• Moebius band knitting
• Participating in a KAL
• Sweater
• Drop stitch patterns
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• Slip-stitch patterns
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• Domino knitting (modular knitting)
• Twisted stitch patterns
• Knitting with bamboo yarn
• Two end knitting
• Charity Knitting
• Knitting with soy yarn
• Cardigan
• Toy/Doll Clothing
• Knitting with circular needles
• Baby items
• Knitting with your own handspun yarn
• Slippers
• Graffiti knitting: knitting items on, or to be left on the street
• Continental knitting
• Designing knitted garments
• Cable stitch patterns
• Lace patterns
• Publishing a knitting book
• Scarf
• Teaching a child to knit
• Knitting to make money
• Button holes
• Knitting with alpaca
• Fair Isle knitting
• Norwegian knitting
• Household items: dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…
• knitting socks- or other small tubular items- on two circulars
• Dyeing with plant colours
• Knitting items for a wedding
• Olympic Knitting
• Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• Knitting with dpns
• Holiday related knitting
• Teaching a male how to knit
• Bobbles
• Knitting for a living 
• Knitting with cotton
• Knitting smocking
• Dyeing yarn
• Steeks
• Knitting art
• Fulling/Felting
• Knitting with wool
• Textured knitting
• Kitchener BO
• Purses/bags
• Knitting with beads
• Swatching
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac
• Knitting and purling backwards
• Machine knitting
• Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegated yarn
• Stuffed Toys
• Knitting with cashmere
• Darning
• Jewelry
• Knitting with synthetic yarn
• Writing a pattern
• Gloves
• Intarsia
• Knitting with linen
• Knitting for preemies
• Tubular CO
• Free-form knitting
• Short rows
• Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm-warmers
• Pillows
• Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
• Rug
• Knitting on a Loom
• Thrummed knitting
• Knitting a gift
• Knitting for pets
• Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair
• Hair accessories
• Knitting in public

Friday Fill-In 11/26

I ended up having a great time visiting family for Thanksgiving. Hubadub made sure we were only gone one night and Offspring was even able to make it down. Luckily, her prof cancelled her Tuesday class and she wasn't scheduled to work. She had to drive back last night. She works at 6 AM today.



1. Three things I must have on my Thanksgiving table: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

2. Almost everyone sacked out on the couch.

3. This is the first time in years we didn't have blow out games.

4. I need to decorate for Chanukah (which starts Wednesday.)

5. Oh, man, thankfully it's only a couple of weeks until my Christmas break.

6. I want to perfect the art of seaming.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Soy Tu Dueña and knitting, tomorrow my plans include football and knitting and Sunday, I want to enjoy more football and knitting!



This Friday's finish is a simple scarf...that took me forever to finish.



Originally I had cast on for the Acid Pop scarf (which I still love, but perhaps a fingering weight would be better) on July 30th.  Not liking that I decided to do the One-Row Lace Scarf (a great mindless project), which I started August 28th. By most of my WIP standards...I've had some languish for years...this really didn't take me that long to finish. In fact the Kiama I shared with you on Wednesday has been a WIP longer. She'll make it to finish Friday eventually. I'm sure she will never be a frog...just an epic WIP.

OOOPS-Giveaway.

If you've been trying to e-mail me about the December giveaway I have to apologize. There was a typo and the e-mail address is messed up. Sorry. Here's the correct one. I promise.

Ten on (er...) Thursday 11/25

This week's Ten on Tuesday was about Thanksgiving. (Y'all remember that holiday, right? It seems forgotten now, but back in my youth you heard more about it. It seems now we got straight from Halloween to Christmas.)

Anyhoo, I decided to postpone my Tuesday list and do it today. It seemed appropriate.


Ten Things I Love About Thanksgiving

1. Tofurkey
2. Stuffing
3. Vegan Pumpkin pie
4. Football
5. Naps
6. Time off from work
7. Visiting family (some years I'm more up for it than others)
8. Macy's Day Parade
9. Time off from work
10. Naps

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

(Salvaging A) WIP Wednesday

I think I'm beginning to remember why I gave up this project all those years ago:


An only slightly better picture

1. The finished measurements of size small is 39 1/2 inches. I know it's a jacket and there is supposed to be positive ease in a jacket, but I live in the Deep South and it never gets so cold down here that I've got that much stuff on under a jacket.
2. TLC Heathers is closer to a heavy worsted or bulky than just worsted.
3. To get gauge I had to go down to a size G hook and the fabric was quite bulletproof stiff.
4. The gauge swatch lied (bastard. Why do I always believe my swatch?) and the sweater was going to end up being 40" around. That's not going to look like positive ease. It's just going to look too big.

I really want a somewhat textured crochet cardigan, though, so decided to make some adjustments to salvage the project. (And spent the better part of Sunday doing it.)

Obviously, I couldn't just go down a hook size. I had to subtract stitches. While I was at it, I decided to go up a hook size so the fabric would have a little more softness. Subtracting stitches was going to mess up the bobble diamond pattern and I just didn't want to do the math to figure out how to make it work so I could keep them so I just chucked them all together. Honestly, that whole panel just slowed me down anyway. Here's how it looks without the diamonds o' bobbles:


Seriously craptastic photo. Ick.

You get the idea. The sad thing, though, is that temps have been close to 80 this week so I wonder if I'll even get to wear it if I do finish it.

I also did a little work on this WIP:


Can you see the progress? No? It's Kiama and I've finished the sleeve bit and seamed them. I seem to remember  there are some errata for the bottom section, so I guess I'll search for them and get to the bottom eventually.

Isn't odd how we start projects with such enthusiasm? When I stared Kiama I thought "Pshh! I can crank this puppy out in about a week and a half."

Pshh!

On Animal Fibers

I'm still agonizing over buying animal fibers. Like almost everything I do, I'm bad at being a Vegan. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good at the food part, it's the soap, shampoo, lotion, vitamins part that I sometimes slide on ('cause when you need shampoo on a Sunday morning and the health food store is closed...well, you get it.)

And so it is with yarn.

It's just a sad fact that any time something is produced on a large scale, someone has to pay. There is a lot of cruelty in mainstream yarn production and I just don't want to be a part of it.

On the other hand, there is some gorgeous stuff out there and I am weak. Can you say Kauni? How 'bout baby alpaca?

It's not just colors and feel. There's magic, too. Watching lace emerge from blocking is just breathtaking. Can that sort of magic happen with a non-animal fiber? Let's not forget about socks, either. I will admit that my sock knitting experience is far from extensive, but some of my best socks are made with wool yarn. I've tried the Panda Cotton and I just don't like it that much. Luckily, Kala just posted about vegan sock yarn so I've got a few more to try before I completely throw in the towel on sock yarn. (Note: During the time I was writing/tweaking this post Kala also posted about sweater yarn. I swear the woman is reading my mind.)

Emily also mentioned Sarah's Yarns and Jade Sapphire as two companies that are aware of animal cruelty and they might be options for me. (Double points to Sarah's Yarns since it also appears to be shomer shabbos, which I am not, but somehow I feel the need to support folks who are.)

About the only thing I can say for sure right now is that I as really proud of myself for going a year without buying yarn. Now I want to be able so say I'm a cruelty-free knitter. (Next step: Cruelty-free and Eco-friendly.)

You may ignore the next little bit as it is more a note-to-self sort of thing. Must.make.list.

Cruelty-Free Yarns (Tested and approved)
Cotton Ease
TLC Cotton Plus
Caron Simply Soft

Cruelty-Free Yarns to Try
Berroc Comfort (including sockweight)
Tatamy Tweed
KnitPicks Comfy
KnitPicks Shine
Panda Soy
Cascade Fixation
Sock Candy
Caron Spa

¿Quién soy yo?

Mi bisabuelo vivió un rato en Cuba, pero tuvo que regresar a España.

Pero yo no soy cubana.

Mi abuelo nació en España.

Pero yo no soy española.

Mi hija es mexicana-americana.

Pero yo no soy.

Si no soy española, ¿por qué me afecta tanto el himno nacional de España?
Si no soy cubana, ¿por qué me afectan tanto la rumba y el ritmo caribeño?
Si no soy mexicana, ¿por qué me afectan tanto rancheros y mariachi? (Y más raro, me siento una fuerte conexión espiritual con la Virgen de Guadalupe...¡y soy judia! Pero de veras tal conflicto interno no es tan sorprendente, mi apellido de soltera es de origen judío pero mi abuelo fue Católico.)

¿Quién soy yo?

Yo no sé. Me dicen "No pareces latina/hispana*." ¿Por qué no? ¿Porque no soy morena? ¿Por qué tengo ojos claros?

¿Es posible ser latina/hispana si tu español es terrible...si no entiendes el pretérito ni el imperfecto o si tienes miedo del subjuntivo o si usas "ir" en vez de "venir" o "traer" cuando "llevar" es mejor?

¿Quién soy yo?

Well, Poo Part Deux (Or The Lemming's Lament)

I'm in for the Book Vixen's other reading challenge, too. I'm going to Outdo Myself in 2011.

Let's say I manage 25 books by December 31 (I can't even type that with a straight face.) Since I'm still deluding telling myself that I will read 52 books next year that means more than double the number from 2010. So I guess that means my level would be "I'm on fire!"

Woo hoo! There is nothing like setting yourself up for a fail of epic proportions!

Well, wait a minute. I shouldn't be so down on myself. After all, one of the challenges I'm doing next year is the YA one. Surely I can plow through a lot of those in short order? If you are friends with me on Goodreads you know I've already added 20 books to my "To Read shelf". (If you aren't my friend...won't you be?)

I can do this. I can.

Well, Poo

Look, don't ask how it happened...just accept that it did and let's move on.




I forgot all about Christmas in July.



I guess thinking about Dishcloths In December reminded me.

I think I can still salvage this. This year I will be sending out one ornament and one dishcloth to folks who sign up (up to 10 people.) This year's ornament is Grandma Twinkle done in thread and you decide if you want the Sylvan Star dishcloth or the Crochet Hexagon dishcloth. For the ornament you may choose deep red or natural. All dishcloths will be done in natural colored cotton.

Sign ups end at midnight on November 30th or when the list gets to ten...which ever comes first. Packages will be sent by priority mail with delivery confirmation by December 11th. Sign up by e-mailing me here. Let me know which color ornament you want and which dishcloth. Be sure to include your mailing address.

Sample:

Hey Lazy!
I would like a red ornament and the Sylvan Star dishcloth. My address is 100 Awesome Street Awesomeville, ST 12345. My "real" name is Super Awesome. 

Friday Post Take 2

ooops. I forgot to tell you about a finish:



Hooray socks! Boo crappy pictures!

I don't really think the project counts as a big deal finish since I really didn't work on them that long. It's not like they were languishing or anything.

10kH report
Time noted: 11.66 hours
Total so far: 307.86
Time to go: 9422.26

Didn't I say something about knitting 10 hours per week? So far I have failed. It was a nice thought, but it would end up being one more thing I would have to keep up with.

Friday Fill-In 11/19

1. Why does it still feel warm outside? Criminey, it's almost Thanksgiving!

2. It's important to see the world.

3. Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog.

4. I can't decide which is my favorite holiday because Thanksgiving is pretty awesome, but I always have a nice low-key Chanukah as well. I love lighting the menorah.

5. I am SO ready for a week off from school.

6. We are whatever we make up our minds to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Starbuck's, Soy Tu Dueña and knitting, tomorrow my plans include knitting and football and Sunday, I want to knit some more and watch football!

Lemming Alert

Yes, again...and enabled by the same person! Blast you, Anastacia!

The YA Read Along is a definite hell yes. I'm not so sure about the "Outdo Yourself" Challenge. Outdoing myself is soooo not me....but the lemming in me is waffling.

I know for sure I won't be listing my books ahead of time, but I have an idea of a few books I'll be reading. I'm embarrassed to admit I still have a box of crappy written-for-teens romance books from my youth I can dig through. I guess I wasn't embarrassed enough to NOT admit to it, huh?...seriously, these books are baaaaaad...as you will learn in January.

January! I'm so jazzed about this I can't believe I have to wait until January! WAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess since I'm talking about books I should mention that I have finished book #18.

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne

Deep stuff, don't you think? I'm about halfway through #19 right now. I really want to get to 20 this year. That  would be twice as many and 2009. That's quite an improvement!  And let it be known that I am still telling myself I will read a book a week next year. (Hmmm, maybe I should seriously consider the Outdo Yourself challenge....)

WIP Wednesday

Normally I don't "do" WIP Wednesday. Seeing the same WIP every Wednesday would get kind of boring and I'm too embarrassed to make my slow crafting speed so public. However, since it is Wednesday and I do have a WIP, I thought I would share. After all, this is a crafting blog...not a whine-because-I-want-to-be-a-hermit-and-no-one-understands-blog.

I do need to warn you, though most of you know it already, that the picture is horrid. Fall/Winter sucks for so many reasons, but most especially because of lighting...or lack thereof.



Wowzers this is bad. I promise I took lots of  pictures on TWO cameras, but I couldn't get anything much better than this.

What is it you ask? It's a crocheted sweater jacket. Here's the ravelry link. I expect this will take me a while to finish, but I hope it's worth it. I tried making this about 15 (!) years ago and just got bored. I hope I don't wimp out this time around.

May I also share with you a crappy picture of my Milo in progress?



Or maybe I can distract you with...

CATS!



I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will have an FO for Friday...I make no promises about the pictures, though.

Oatmeal and Desperation

I found a crock pot oatmeal recipe. It wasn't so bad. I added a handful a pecans right before I ate it. Just thought I'd share the recipe I used.

Hubadub called his mom and told him NEITHER of us was coming for Thanksgiving. Dammit, he just can't get it. Worse, he suggested we go visit Offspring (out of town) for the holiday. I'm ready to tear my hair out. I have clearly said to him "I want to be alone. In my house, surrounded by my stuff. I want you to go visit your parents and let me be alone." He still can't get it. I know he's worried that I'm getting depressed and that's why I want to be alone (and I think that is very sweet of him, but the truth is, being around people is what's depressing me.)

And I'm sorry there has been no knitting content. I'm one tubular cast off away from being done with a pair of socks and I started on a crochet jacket. I'm just too lazy to take pictures. There are a couple of things I want to cast on, too. I can tell I'm sort of running out of things to blog about. Thanks for sticking with me, even during the boring bits.

How 'bout a Ten on Tuesday List?


10 Movies You'd Like to See in the Theater
1. Nothing really.
2. Movies are loud.
3. I'd rather be at home.
4. Though I do like popcorn.
5. Especially salty popcorn.
6. I don't need butter, though.
7. I guess I could see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows...but I haven't read the book yet.
8. Other than that, I can't think of any movies I want to see.
9. Which is odd because there are usually a lot of movies I want to see this time of year.
10. I can't even think of something for the tenth slot.

Keeping It Simple

I'm still thinking about the Ten on Tuesday from a couple weeks ago. When I wrote the original list, I was just typing whatever came to mind (my usual blogging style, eh? Heaven forbid I write drafts and edit like real writers do.)

But the truth is, I really could to with a little simplifying. Here are some small things I could do that would make my life a little easier:

• Make a crock-pot full of oatmeal Sunday evening, then I won't have to make it every morning. 
• Buy five pairs of gray pants, 5 white shirts and a few black cardigans: together they will make a stellar work uniform. No more figuring out what to wear. (Our school colors are black and silver.)
• Write stuff down. I waste a lot of time trying to remember what it is I needed to do (this list is an example. I had a lot more ideas, but I didn't write them down. Now I can't remember what other great things I could do to make my life easier.)

For the record, I'm still a little irritated. Hubadub and I spent Thursday-Sunday at the beach. Just me, him, his four gaming buddies and one other wife. I forgot every pattern I wanted to work on, brought book two of  a series instead of book one and generally did not have fun. He has today off. I will be at work.

Now Hubadub is talking about visiting his parents for Thanksgiving. I hope he has a good time because I am NOT going. I want to be alone, in my own home, in my own bed and by myself.

Irritated

I love my husband dearly, but after 16 years there is something he just can't seem to "get."

Basically I am a solitary person. I like quiet. I especially like it because when you teach, you don't get it during the day. Teaching is basically 7 hours of chatter, bells ringing, PA interruptions, tapping pencils...NOISE. It's kids in your face all vying for your attention, interrupting every two seconds. I see over 150 people (students and teachers) per day. I am "on" for 7 hours. I'm standing in front of a throng of teens who want...well, I don't know.

Starting back to school is always tough for me. After 8 weeks of staying quietly alone during the day, I go back to the NOISE and the PEOPLE and the CHAOS. By November I just need to be alone for a few days. Unfortunately, about this time Hubadub wants to visit family or have a huge gaming week-end. He can't seem to get that when I get a long week-end, I don't want to go any where. I don't want to spend the week leading up to it doing laundry and doing all those little things that need to be done. I don't want to get up at the butt-crack of dawn and go somewhere. I don't want to be in a strange house surrounded by people (even if it is family), and NOISE and TVs and CHAOS. I want to be alone. I want to be quiet. I want to knit. I want to recharge. I don't want to make small talk. I don't want to have to put on a bra every day. I don't want to have to entertain people.

Every year for 16 years I have explained this to my husband, and every year I end up spending Veteran's Day  and Thanksgiving doing something. I go back to work just as frazzled and tired as before. By Christmas I feel like I'm step away from a complete meltdown. Why can't I make Hubadub see that I don't love him less, I just need a day or two with no one around?

Dearest Knitting and Crochet

Now that we are back together again I wanted to let you know that I will never push you away again. Without you, I am lonely and not myself. When I don't have you in my life, nothing is the same. I'm cranky. There is a sadness I can't shake.

I don't know why I sometimes tell myself I don't need you. And you are so patient and always take me back. No one else would put up with my indecisive ways. Thank you so much for being the special crafts that you are.

From now on I promise you that when that small devil voice inside me starts trying to convince me that I can live without you...I will resist. I don't want to ever be away from you again.

Love,
me

Friday Fill-Ins and Frogs

This part you know:




1. When pigs fly there will be less bacon in the world.

2. OMG seriously?!

3. Call me Ishmael.

4. People sometimes suck if you know what I mean.

5. The most entertaining person in my life is Hubadub because he's hilarious.

6. Soooo who's next?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Soy Tu Dueña and knitting, tomorrow my plans include knitting and football and Sunday, I want to knit!


This one I tried once before (sort-of.) I think I shall resurrect it.


Actually, I will begin the resurrection with a frog. I've decided to take this cardigan:



And frog it so the yarn can be reborn as this blanket.

Or maybe this one.

I don't know...this one is pretty nice, too.

Of course, I could be selfish and use the yarn to make Acer. I've also got a couple of  vintage* crochet patterns that I could use the yarn for. Aaaargh! Too many options! Let's just say the only sure thing is the sweater will be frogged and the yarn repurposed.

I hope next week will be a Finishing Friday and not a Frogging Friday!

*I don't think they are vintage because I bought them new (and they were published in my own lifetime), but apparently some folks would find them old and quaint. I'm not pleased by this turn of events, but I'll have to adjust to getting old.

Can I Still Call It Startitis?

Now that the knitting mojo has returned, the floodgates seem to have been opened. There are so many things I want to get started on. So much so that I'm mentally going through my stash and even considering buying the yarn if need be. I haven't actually started, so I don't think it's really "startitis" but you get the picture. So here's what I'm fired up about (at least this week.)

• Liesl by Ysolda Teague- I've got some Cotton Ease that I think would be good for a little Spring sweater.
• Not on Ravelry bobble sweater: Sorry, I can't link to it. It's from a book that I bought over a decade(!) ago. I made one of these sweaters around then, but then gave it to my sister. I want to make another one (in two colors) and I'm willing to buy the yarn, too!
• Grrlfriend Market bag- Yes, I've already made one, but I really want to make one for my sister-in-law. I'll be seeing her at Thanksgiving. If I can finish one before then, I'll save on postage! ;-)
• Edgy- This has been in my queue since July 7 and I'm pretty sure I had every intention of starting it that week...well, you know how it goes.
• Diamond Clusters- The rav link shows the sweater, but I don't like the way it is listed. There are two separate patterns in the leaflet.
• Cordelle-I have loved this pattern for months and even started it with some Wool-Ease sportweight, but my gut tells me a nice blockable wool or alpaca would be better....but again, I am torn about purchasing animal fibers. :-(
• Ribbons and Serenity: No babies in my future (or Offspring's) but I NEED to make these. (Like a Honeycomb is also terribly appealing.)

In addition to the patterns I'm fired up about, I've also come across some patterns I want to Knit/Crochet before I die. A knitterly Bucket List if you will. I'm sure I'll fall in and out of love with some and add many others. I should mention that few of these are on my Ravelry Queue. Go Figure. (Note to self: try to figure out exactly why you put stuff in your Ravelry Queue.)

• C3 Crochet Crop Cardigan
• Sliding Leaves
• Midsummer Night's Dream
• Knee-high socks

Working on My Labels

Ok, this is kind of stupid, but if you happen to be on the actual blog (not on a reader) look to your right...scroll down a bit....yeah, right there! See my label "cloud"? What stands out the most?

"Knitting" and "Life the Universe and Everything".

What does that mean?

I knit a lot and blog about nothing.

I've got to fix this.

I want the following labels to stand out: Knitting, Crochet, FO's, WIPs. Don't you think that would let any passerby think "Oh! A fiberyibery animal lives here." (An aside: I was going for Winnie the Pooh when I wrote that.)

I guess I better start crocheting a bit more, finishing things more often and report on my WIPs more consistently.

I've also started consolidating some labels. I created the new label "Oy Vey" and put my "stupid me", "sigh" "HTML Dummy" and "Bitchin' and Moanin'" posts into that category.

I'm undecided about consolidating some labels, though. For instance, last year I created the label "NaBloPoMo '09" and I created a new label for this year. If you go to the the NaBloPoMo site, you will see that any month can be NaBloPoMo month (and I might be participating more often next year, not just in November.) Sooo, perhaps I should just use a simple "NaBloPoMo" label. Theeen someone stopping by my neck of the 100 Cyberacre Wood would think "Oh! A fiberyibery, dedicated blogger-doggery animal lives here."

Lemmings Anonymous

Hi. I'm Sara and I'm a lemming. I will sign up for anything just because everyone else is or just because there is a button I can put on my sidebar. My latest lemming move?

I joined...

The Hive (duhn duhn duhn!)

The Hive is basically a social networking site for crafters. I just couldn't resist.

Pluuuus I read about this via Anastacia's blog:


Please click on the image for more info.

I know this is something Offspring would LOVE (and she could recommend a couple of books.) She is quite obsessed with royalty and courtesans and mistresses (note to self: Have a heart to heart with Offspring. Between the penis epiphany and this particular obsession I wonder if I should be a bit concerned...) Not to mention that I am going to again try to read a book a week next year.

Also while clicking around on Anastacia's blog I wound up here at the mother lode of things you can join. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find a "Sitting On My Ass Saturday." Maybe I should just start that one.

And since I'm Lemming-ing, I might as well throw in a Ten on Tuesday List...

Top Ten Dream Vacations (In no particular order)

1. Sitting on the couch, in my jammies, knitting with no interruptions.
2. Madrid, Spain with Hubadub (not students)
3. Seville, Spain with Hubadub (not students)
4. Santiago de Compostela to meet the Spanish cousins.
5. Oaxaca, Mexico
6. Puebla Mexico
7. Hawaii
8. Paris with Hubadub (not students)
9. The Grand Canyon
10. Alaskan Cruise

The Weekend Report

I spent most of my weekend dividing my time among several activities: knitting, watching TV and vegging out in front of the computer.

Oh, and I made pretty good progress on a sock:



I'm calling them my Cheez-It, Guacamole and Beans socks. I think you can figure out why.

I can also add a notch to my belt for book #17 of my 50+2 Book Challenge. I had kind of hoped for 20 books this year, and I know there is still some time, but I can't figure out what to read next so I'm not going to get my hopes up.

#17 Translation Nation by Héctor Tobar
From the epilogue:

"I am in a two-stoplight town in the Alabama hill country, in the heart of the Bible Belt and Crimson Tide football mania, listening to an old-fashioned, heated argument between Cubans like the ones I've heard in Little Havana in Miami, but the moment very quickly loses its sense of strangeness and cultural dissonance. This is what America is like now-- North America, I mean, the United States. The craziness of cubanos and mexicanos and guatemaltecos can find you just about anywhere." 

Other than the socks and the book, I have nothing more to report. Such is he content of  the posts during NaBloPoMo.

I shall distract you with a picture of Arnold cat:

Conversations with Offspring-Part Deux

Episode I can be found here.

Mother is quietly drifting off to sleep when the cell phone rings. It's Offspring's ring tone. Mother starts awake and runs to answer the phone.

Mother: hel-hello, hello? What's wrong? (Mother's heart begins to race.)

Offspring: Hey, mom! Were you sleeping?

Mother: I'm fine. What's wrong?

Offspring: Oh. Nothing. I just had this epiphany about the penis and I wanted to share.*

Mother: I'm going back to bed. Good night.

*Please allow me to explain. Offspring is studying gender issues and will most likely get her masters in Anthropology with a concentration in said area. She is not (to my knowledge) what the youngun's call "a ho."

Insomnia and Reruns

I can't sleep. I made a Wordle. I'm pretty sure I've done this before. I just can't remember when. That "Monolingual" is annoying, but I'm too lazy to go back and tell Wordle to remove the word and do a screen shot again. I'm pretty proud of myself, I didn't notice any curse words.

Monthly Goals- Addendum to the Addendum (And Other Stuff)

It's NaKniSweMo.

I think I was tempted by this last year and in the end decided not to do it. I'm sure I told myself  "next year."

Well, it's next year. Aaaand it's already the 6th of November. Aaaaand I don't think baby sweaters count.

Buuuut I really like Acer. I wonder if I can join something knowing full well it will be an epic fail on my part. Heaven knows HPKCHC allows for epic fails.

Maybe I should consider ThiAboNaKniSweMo (Think About Knitting a Sweater Month.)

PS: Thanks for blogging about this Wool Durham. I totally need something else to do. ;-)

Catching Up on 10kH Hours (This would be "the other stuff")

Grrrlfriend Market Bag

Total hours (that I actually wrote down): 9.16

10kH Total: 290.04

Blue Lace Socks

Total hours (again, that I actually wrote down: 6.16

New 10kH Total: 296.20

10kH left to go: 9432.92

I think it's going to take me a looooong time to get down to 0. This is going to be an interesting ride. Of course, taking a month (or two) off from knitting does not help. Maybe I should set some goals each week. I wonder if I could manage to knit 10 hours a week. While I doubt I will actually knit 2 hours each week-night, I'm sure I could catch up on the weekends (football season is perfect knitting time.) Let's see...10 hours a week and approximately 7 weeks left in the year would get me 70 hours closer to my goal. Hmmmm, I wonder if I could maybe squeeze in 30 extra hours and make it 100?

Eh. I'll give it a shot.

Friday Fill-In 11/5

1. Sometimes, you just need some time alone.

2. I just get so frustrated about the whole thing.

3. Small victories are still victories.

4. Silence is very enlightening.

5. I keep meaning to blog more (is what I told myself August-October)

6. I haven't been to Santiago de Compostela ...yet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Starbuck's, Soy Tu Dueña and knitting, tomorrow my plans include Alabama vs LSU on TV (and knitting) and Sunday, I want to knit!

A Worthy Contest

I recently received an e-mail from Sara over on Wool Durham. She is sponsoring a contest from October 1st  thru December 31. While there are some great prizes, this is one of those contests where everyone is a winner. Even if you don't win, you know you've done something for the greater good. How awesome is that? If you need more info, just click on the banner. It will take you straight to the contest page.

Now I'm off to start a baby blanket.

50 Book Challenge #16

In my last 50 Book Update I mentioned getting to 17 this year. Well, here is #16 and it's barely November. And I'm almost finished with #17 (I'll report soon, I promise.) Dare I hope for 20?

I gotta tell ya, I really admire the folks that read 50 books in a year. I read quickly, but it just seems too sedentary to me. I'm too twitchy to sit for long periods of time and read. I should probably look into audio books so I can knit while I listen.

#16 Monolingual Americans: Why We Can't Learn Foreign Languages.
The author explores how since 1980 (When former senator Paul Simon wrote The Tongue Tied American) we have focused on Foreign Language education "reform", yet still failed.

Ten on Tuesday 11/2/10

It's been a while since I've done a Ten on Tuesday. I think it's perfect for helping me stick to my NaBloPoMo pledge.

Ten Ways to Simplify Your Life

1. Don't give homework.
2. Only give multiple choice quizzes and tests.
3. Aw, heck, give 'em all As (Seriously, I've got parents requesting conferences and tutoring for Bs.)
4. Only grade groupwork (42 papers to grade is so much easier than 150.)
5. Don't commit to anything.
6. Wear wrinkled clothes.
7. Eat off paper plates.
8. Knit only seamless projects.
9. I guess not having pets would simplify things a bit...but....I like having my cats.
10. Not having a kid would really simplify things, but I like having Offspring around.

Monthly Goals- Addendum

Participate in NaBloPoMo. ('Cause I'm  a glutton for punishment.)

Monthly Goals-November

I'm so hit and miss with these things. Maybe one day I'll be more consistent.

Anyway, on to the goals (which are quite selfish this time around.)

• Make time for me.
• Knit.
• Reconnect.
• Have fun.

Yeah. These will do nicely.