Knitcroblo Week- Day 3

The prompt:
How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.


The response:
Now, here is where I can say I think I have grown as a knitter. In the past year I have really gotten better at stash management. I'm not saying my stash is perfectly organized or that I can lay my hands on the exact yarn I need immediately, but I can at least say that all my yarns are in bins and organized by weight. What's more, I have 95% of them stashed on ravelry, which makes it very easy to figure out what yarn I'm going to use when I'm pattern surfing.

Los Libros del 50 Book Challenge

Alguien me ha comentado que debo incluir un "mini-review" cuando hablo de los libros que he leído. Pues, aquí tienes:

Todos los Nancy Drew:
¿Qué puedo decir? Es cierto que los libros son iguales y  suele recurrir a fórmulas...pero me encantan. Nancy es una verdadera Dama.

Burro Genius
Es un cuento muy triste. Victor Villaseñor ha sufrido mucho en manos de sus maestros a quiénes no les gustan "los mexicanos." Y lo peor es que yo sé que hoy en día todavía existe maestros malos como los que conocía Victor. Me pongo muy triste/enojada saberlo.

En fin:
Libro #15

Es un libro muy importante para todos, y hay una edición en inglés si quieres leerlo. Los indocumentados son seres humanos y los debemos tratar con respeto y dignidad. No los podemos ingnorar ni tratarlos como criminales.

Knicroblo Week Day 2

The prompt:

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

Wouldn't I just love to say that I have grown leaps and bounds as a knitter/crocheter? Alas, this is not that case. I am still a lover of the garter stitch. I do not push myself to try new things. Perhaps it's because I'm more of a process knitter. So even though I feel like I have moved more towards the "product" end of the "what kind of knitter are you?" scale, I still prefer simplicity. I don't want to deal with fidgety projects. Sad. But true.

Let It Begin! Knitting and Crochet Blog Week Day 1 (LATE)

Just because I'm not knitting at the moment, doesn't mean I can't write about it! (But it's short and sweet)


The Prompt:
Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.


Yarn #1
Actually, my best all time favoriteist yarn that has never failed me is Lion Brand Cotton Ease. It s cost effective, easy to care for and is a pleasure to knit with. What more do you need from a yarn? 


Yarn #2
I think it was mentioned that we should pick a yarn we love and a yarn we hate. I really haven't met a yarn that I actually detested beyond reason, so let me tell you about a yarn with which I have a love hate relationship: Red Heart. So many colors, so easily attainable. But acrylic and difficult to block without destroying it.

Nothing New. Still No Knitting.

Sorry, folks. I don't know what's going on. I guess I'm just more interested in reading right now. I finished book #14 yesterday.

So if I were to keep up this reading pace, I would definitely read at least 50 books this year...but who knows how long the reading kick will last. In two months I could be knitting up a storm.

I do have a little project I'm working on for Crafting Poetry, but I don't have to finish it 'til Thursday so I'll be putting it off for a bit. Besides, Offspring borrowed my camera for Spring Break and hasn't returned it. 

Friday Fill-In 3/25/11

1. Why does it happen that there is always one that I have no answer for?

2. 2+2 is equal to 4.

3. My favorite breakfast includes coffee and oatmeal.

4. Como Agua Para Chocolate was the last book I read in Spanish. 

5. I am SO glad it's Friday.

6. Nothing would make me feel better right now (I'm in a great mood and feeling fine. No reason for complaints.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Starbuck's and Triunfo del Amor, tomorrow my plans include being lazy and Sunday, I want to laze about a little more!


Have a great week-end, everyone! Next week is Knit Crochet Blog Week. If I don't feel like knitting, I can at least blog about it, eh?

Back To Work

And it hasn't been horrible. Only 9 more weeks left.

I hope I get my knitting mojo back, soon. I kind of miss it...but nothing has really appealed to me enough cast on. I've got so much knitting lying around that I never use. (Hmmmm, I need to do another give away.)

I *have* managed to finish two books:
#12

Such a wonderful book. I can't believe I've never read it before! The movie follows pretty closely, but it's not as good as the book.

#13


I'm gonna *have* to read about the damn bungalow. Hubadub is driving me crazy. I started reading The Haunted Showboat and in he came.."Sooo, what happened in the Bungalow?"

Grrr. ;-)

Sorry I haven't been commenting on ya'll's blogs. I'm reading, I just can't muster up much gumption to do anything!

Friday Fill-In 3/18/11 and How I Spent My Spring Break

1. I love to go to Starbuck's on Fridays because it means the weekend is finally here.

2. It's not the quantity it’s the quality!

3. The last thing I had to eat was a piece of matzah with vegan margarine.

4. A clean house is no longer essential.

5. Please take a moment to be grateful.

6. (Drawing a blank) have brought you this far.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Starbuck's, tomorrow my plans include seeing Offspring briefly when she stops through on her way home from the beach and Sunday, I want to savor my last day off work!


So far this week I have

• not cleaned the house.
• not knitted anything.
• not finished reading anything.
• not accomplished anything.

I don't know whether this is good or bad.

Spring Break 2011

The original plan:

• Knit, knit, knit.
• Clean and straighten the house.
• Read, read, read.

So far I have:

• Sat slack-jawed in front of the TV.
• Run errands with Offspring.

Wonder if I can turn this thing around.

Today's Ten on Tuesday list is interesting. 

10 Kinds of Pie

1. Apple
2. Pumpkin
3. Pecan
4. Key Lime
5. Cherry
6. Blueberry
7. Peach
8. Mince
9. Chicken Pot
10. Humble

Friday Fill-In 3/12/11 with a Side of Sunday Mish Mash

1. Oh gross! I thought it was something tasty.

2. (Drawing a blank) well THAT's off my bucket list!

3. No, I don't have an answer for this one, either.

4. I love my family with all my heart and soul.

5. And then there were none.

6. I can't forget cat food.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sitting on my butt, tomorrow my plans include being lazy and Sunday, I want to continue to be lazy!

• It's Spring Break here at Casa de Lazy, but despite what I just said about my plans I do want to try to be a little productive. I friend just loaned Sink Reflections (by the FlyLady) to me and I want to try to do a little organizing this week...but still make time for lazing about of course.
• The pictures coming out of Japan are just heart-breaking. It is going to be a very long time before things are back to "normal" for so many thousands of people.
• My sister in law recently mentioned that she likes scarves. Squeee! Now I have someone to knit scarves for!
• I've got two scarves on the needles. Not sure if they will both go to SIL or if I will be selfish.
• Offspring is coming to visit tomorrow (Actually she's just stopping for a night on her way to the beach.
• I cleaned out my truck today. My house is a wreck, but my truck is clean.
• I finished book number 11 for the year:
  
• I can't decide what to read next. I'm thinking The Secret of the Golden Pavilion. Hubadub keeps asking me when I'm going to read The Bungalow Mystery just to annoy me. Every time he saw me with The Mystery of the Fire Dragon he'd say "I sure wish I knew what happened in the bungalow." Grrr.

Official Entry Post Crafting Poetry-March 2011

Put 'em here, folks!

Pretend This Is a Fabulous Title (And That This Is More Than a Mish Mash Post)

• I did actually do some knitting this week-end. I finished this scarf and actually have it blocking, too. I don't have any photographic evidence, but just believe me.
• As soon as I sign off here I'll be casting on Edgy. I've got Forest Canopy Shawl in my queue and I love making shawls, but once I'm done with them I never know what to do with them.
• I finished another Nancy Drew. The Hidden Staircase makes book #10. (I like what Bubblesknits had to say: Reading is reading. Kid's books count.) I was going to go on to Nancy Drew #3 (The Bungalow Mystery), but The Mystery of the Fire Dragon appealed to me more. Hubadub is making fun of me and being all "you can't read them out of order" melodramatic.
• Rango is a good movie. It's like Western meets Dalí meets Hunter S. Thompson. Not a typical kiddie Pixar type cartoon. 
• Sometimes I think I should put the blog to rest, but then I realize it's a great little record of my life (and diminishing writing skills.) I had just thought this morning that I should give it up and then read this. Many thanks to Moonfrog for reminding me why I blog.
• And I think that's all for now.

Friday Fill-In 3/4/11

1. Bring your favorite dessert.


2. Tips and fees are included.


3. Spring Break is exactly what I need.


4. Well, you see, my knitting mojo is on vacation and that's why I haven't had any knitting content.


5. Spring will be here soon!


6. But what if I don't want to go to Scranton? (I had no idea what to put here.)


7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Starbuck's, Telenovelas and reading (maybe a little yarn craft), tomorrow my plans include walking with Hubadub and reading and Sunday, I want to laze about!


I have finished book #9 for the year: A Nancy Drew. The first Nancy Drew as a matter of fact: The Secret of the Old Clock. I loved reading it. If only people were as polite as they are in Nancy Drew books. Definitely not difficult reading and certainly the writing is a little dull (though I wouldn't call it "bad"), but I found it to be kind of a page turner. Almost every chapter ended on a cliffhanger (granted it was not a very tall cliff, but still.)




Now I am very torn: Do I read the series in order or read the ones that appeal to me at any given time? They are all so formulaic that I'm sure it really doesn't matter, but reading it in order I may be able to see the "evolution" of Nancy a little better. What do you think?

I'm also thinking that with this children's book kick I'm on, I really shouldn't count them as whole books for the purpose of "outdoing" myself. Counting in halves could be annoying, so I guess I'll just have to get over it and either count kid's books as whole books or read more groan [sic] up books. Again, gentle reader I ask: What do you think?

PS: I am sitting down this week-end and knitting something. It might just be a dishcloth, but I *will* knit something!

It's Here!

Wanna join? Just click on the banner for more info.

I'm so excited! I hope it jump starts my blogging (and knitting) again. I met so many nice people last year.

A Quickie Post

Book #8 of 2011 (And it's a grown up book, too!)



I absolutely loved this book. Oftentimes, non-fiction can be a bit dry and....boring. Not so with this book. The author really gives a great insight to the history of women in America though the lives of the two women primarily responsible for bringing Nancy Drew to life. I only read a few Nancy Drews when I was young and they didn't make a lasting impression on me, but after reading this book I find I want to go back and read them all....even if they are bland 1950's revisions of the originals.

February Winner

Drum roll please.....



Freemiki!!!!!!!!

Ten on Tuesday 3/1/11

10 Things to Like About the Month of March.

hmmmm...

1. Dr. Suess' Birthday.
2. My Birthday
3. Spring
4. Spring Break
5. Kites
6. March Madness (I do not follow College Basketball, but I always get interested during March Madness.)

And that's all I got. How's that for a boring (incomplete) post?