I Won?!

How exciting! MissHSoo of My Hook and Yarn Adventure has awarded me the "Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award"

Thank you! Thank you! Thank You!!! I am really thrilled!

Rules stipulate that I must share 7 facts about myself then pass the award along to 8 other bloggers.

7 Things

1. I am lazy (duh.)
2. I suck at coming up with 7 things about myself.
3. Biscuits are tasty. I like them.
4. I share a birthday with Dr. Seuss.
5. I like pajamas.
6. I have 6 cats 'cause I'm a soft-hearted dumbass.
7. I am really pretty hypersensitive...which is why I'm always amazed that I like blogging so much. You would think that such a sensitive person would not be so willing to put themselves out there so publicly. I guess my inner attention whore is stronger.

8 Fellow Bloggers

1. Witchyknits of Witchyknits4ewe
2. Jen of Wife, Mom, Knitter
3. Swapna of Where is She Now?
4. Tami of Tami's Amis
5. Calophi of Rip it Good
6. Sandy of Sandy's Space
7. Paula of Paula Purls
8. Natalie of Eat, Breathe, Sleep, Create

WIP Wednesday-In Which I Finally Decide On a Book

They're linked!

I've been spending most of my time reading The Land of Oz. It's actually much better than the Wizard of Oz and I find myself wondering how the Wizard has stood the test of time. I also can't get over the vocabulary. I could go into a tirade about the crap kids read and watch today and how Bugs Bunny had more educational value than the stuff on TV...but I think I've subjected you all to enough tirades this week. I'll save it for later.



Since most of my knitting time is being taken up with seekrit knitting I started a new sock specifically for today's post (It's the Traveler pattern.) Oh, the sacrifices I make for the blog. I may have also started a lace scarf, but forgot to photograph it. The green thing is going to be the Tantric Puzzle top eventually. You've got to knit two 12"x42" strips. For most folks that would equate to Chinese water torture, but I don't think there is such a thing as tedious knitting.

I leave you with a curious kitteh:

Watcha doin'? I'm all up in yo' grill.

Analyze That

Yes, more introspection. I know y'all just live for these posts. Remember all this introspection has been a result one of the SITS better blog challenge assignments and this article on niche-less blogging. I'm supposed to have a niche. I am stubbornly refusing to get one.

I've already told you why I blog. Today I am going to analyze who I am (at least blog-wise.)

Don't say I didn't warn you. (Is anyone else getting the image of Ian McKellen as Gandalf? "Run, you fools!")

***

Ok. So I need to develop my "who." (Sounds very zen, doesn't it?) Apparently it's pretty easy to do. All I have to do is be myself, be authentic and be engaging.

I.am.so.screwed.

Being myself
I edit the hell out of myself. Seriously. This post was originally a foul-mouthed diatribe, but I've gone back an rewritten it.

I really hold back about many things. This is a knitting blog, right? So I stay mum: mainly about politics, education, and why everyone should quit expecting us (teachers) to be the sole providers of a child's education. That's sort of mainly your job, mom and dad.

But since I have you here and I feel like running off at the fingers: I kind of think ethics are more important than morals. I don't care what you smoke, what you drink or who you boink. Just be nice and stop saying mean shit...even if someone does have a different opinion than you do.

This may come as a shock, but I am quite religious, sort-of anti feminist and *gasp* a bit conservative. Hmmm, that must be the sound of readers un-following the blog.

PS: I would be quite happy if the world would stop putting conservatives in the "they are dumb fuckers¹" box. I'm not the devil, ok? It kind of hurts my feelings that people think I am. Yeah, some conservatives actually have feelings. 

Authenticity
If I were authentic the name of this blog would be "The F-bombing Yarn Hag."

hmmm....

Engaging
I'm pretty sure "engaging" implies not making people angry. Oh, and staying on topic. In general, keeping people reading and coming back.

Oh look! I finished something! I was going to save it for Friday, but I feel the need to bribe you make amends. See? They are cute little fishies!

Orange...just like the non-vegan snack

Want more crafty content? Stop by tomorrow when I share my WIPs (See? That's ENGAGING. Now you are dying to come back and see the WIPs.)

¹ Sorry, couldn't help that one.

H is for Hooks!

Last week I shared my shameful collection of knitting gadgets.

This week I thought I would reveal my embarrassing collection of hooks.

9

I'm stealing ideas again! This time from Julie at ThreeHuggers.

1. What is the craziest thing you’ve done in the last Year?
I switched jobs. For no reason.

2. What is something that you’ve lost recently?
My will to get dressed.

3. Where does your patience suffer the most?
Hmmm. I really don't have a lot of patience outside the classroom. I can handle a lot of things in the classroom. Outside school all bets are off.

4. Have you ever re-read a book?
Yes. Gone With the Wind, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and most of the YA books I've read this year are re-reads.

5. What is a TV show that you absolutely HATE to miss?
Little House on the Prairie re-runs on Hallmark. Oh, and Bill Kurtis Cold Case Files re-runs on Lifetime.

6. How old do you wish you were?
I'm ok with my age. The older I get the less I give a damn. It's rather liberating.

7. Do you know your neighbors?
No. That involves getting dressed and leaving the house and being *gasp* friendly....pleasant even *shudder.*

8. Do you believe that opposites attract?
Definitely. I feel kind of bad for Hubadub. He ended up with a trashy TV lovin', sloppy, over-thinking slug.

9. Who was the last person that made you laugh?
Hubadub. I think he made a pointed comment about getting dressed.

Do You Want to Be Interviewed?

All the cool kids are doing it and I want to play too! (Plus, when the school year starts I can have some interviews ready to go.)

If you want to be interviewed and are willing to exchange some e-mails for the next couple of weeks, drop me a line. Be sure to put Interview or some such in the subject line. I've got some questions already ready to go and we'll also see where the conversation takes us ;-)

Disclaimer: As with all Lazy projects, this is an "on a whim" project. Finished product my be half-assed and/or late.


I know you want to play now.

Friday Fill-In 6/24/11

1. Getting away quickly is a must for bank robbers.

2. You need coffee to start your day off right.

3. Coffee, tea or coffee...you had me at coffee.

4. Coffee in place of tea. 

5. The lights were twinkly.

6. Choose happiness.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to surfing the 'net maybe reading, tomorrow my plans include knitting and Sunday, I want to knit some more!

Two FO Fridays In a Row!!

And not just one FO, but two and a half! Are you hyperventilating yet?

I say "and a half" because I don't feel right counting the leafy washcloths. They really are such easy and fast knitting. Estella calls it potato-chip knitting. (She got it from the Knitmore girls.)



As a public service I have included a picture of what it looks like pre-block. There is some wrestling involved, but it is worth it.

Seaweed
A looong time ago, heidispins sent me her Reversing Tides pattern and I cast on almost immediately. (Egads! Back in January!) I'm finally finished.


My pictures aren't doing this pattern justice. It is a a really easy 8 row pattern repeat that I had memorized almost immediately. I used fingering weight, but I bet lace weight would be gorgeous as well. All the details are on my rav project page. (I'm too lazy to repeat it all here.)

I'm also using it as part of my self-imposed Craft-a-Poem challenge. Yes, I know I used it in May, too. Let's just move on, shall we?

I found another poem that I thought went with it's "seaweedy" theme.

The Krakenby Lord Alfred Tennyson

Below the thunders of the upper deep,
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides; above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumbered and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages, and will lie
Battening upon huge sea worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.

More potato chip knitting

Do you recognize those jammie pants? 

This is the Le Scarf (Or Le Shawl) pattern on ravelry. Blazingly easy to knit and I found it very addictive. More potato chippy than the leaves, really. Remember how I told you I was too lazy to repeat the seaweed details. Same goes for this one. You can find them on my rav project page.

I'm still waiting for the Friday Fill-In prompts. So stay tuned!

Soap!!!

A couple of weeks ago I started taking stock of all my knitting crap accessories. Vivianne commented (jokingly) that she would gladly take the Brittany needles off my hands. I was more than happy to oblige. In exchange she offered to send me some of her soaps. I tried to be all "oh, no. You don't have to", but deep down I was happy to accept the exchange.

An aside: I don't know why I try to hide my true greedy and me-me-me self.

The soap arrived recently. And it was good. Thus spaketh the Lazy.


Dear Vivianne, I do hope you can forgive me for taking such crappy pics of such wonderful soap.

The first one I tried was the Caramel Kiss. I just love anything caramel-y. It lathered up nicely and afterward my skin didn't feel dry and tight...y'all know what I mean, right? And it smelled so good! Very rich and ...buttery? Sweet isn't the exact scent. I wish I could explain.

I can't say thank you enough, Vivianne!

It's Been A While, But...

I just had a word verification inspiration over on Constantly Knitting.

junkia- a comparative adjective.

I bet my house is junkia than your house.

WIPs and Books

Heeey, they are still color coordinated! (And linked up to their respective owners.)

Perhaps this is best put in a Friday FO post, but I want to begin with a book I finished:

Thanks for recommending this, Kassandra. It really is a great overview of history, but not dry or boring. Quite funny.

I've decided to stop counting how many books I'm reading. Goodreads kind of keeps up with it for me and in all the years I've done the 50 book challenge, I've never actually gotten to 50.

Now for the official part of WIP Wednesday/Yarn Along:

hmmm. I could have straightened that up for you a bit. Sorry 'bout that.

Some of the same, I know. I'm just not really into reading mode right now. By the time you see this, the two balls of yarn will hopefully be on their way to becoming Leafy Washcloths. The goldenrod colored blob is a Green Grocer bag.

Not pictured: Some seekrit knitting for a fellow blogger.

So there you have it, WIPs and Books. I have some FO's, too...but I am saving them for Friday. Now you have to come back.

mwahahahaha!

Analyze This

Last Sunday I asked you all about the SITS girls because I've been quasi-participating in the 31 Days to a better blog challenge. I know I don't really need it since my blog is a paragon of perfection; replete with skillful, witty-with-a-dash-of-snark writing that leaves my public clamoring for more on a daily basis. Sometimes you just have to mingle with the rabble, ya know?

A-hem. I return to reality. Sooo, anyway. One of our assignments is to analyze a top blog in our niche and answer a bunch of questions.

Yeah. Sure.

Hello? Lazy gal here. Analyze? Really? And what the hell is my niche?

I'm struggling with this task.

I've been writing this post for over a week.

I haven't analyzed squat. And I have no idea what my niche is. Is "rambling maniac with a bunch of hang-ups" a niche? I can't even figure out who the hell I really am in real life and I have to figure it out for my blog, too?

My blog is basically a collection of brain droppings (thank you George Carlin.)  Along the way I've recorded a few knitting and crochet projects that I have done.

Here's an article about blogging without a niche that I really loved. (Ok, I mainly loved it because it validates my blog approach.)

So I think this is where I'm going to start: analyzing myself first. Then I'll work on analyzing someone else.

I'll begin with my "why."

I blog because I like meeting people...but not necessarily in real life. You have to get dressed to meet people in real life. Through blogging, ravelry and a few forums I can meet people and still stay in my pajamas. I sort of get to pick the scheduling, too.

I blog because I like to share.

I will quote Kitten a Go-Go (who quoted an article in Time who quoted David McCullogh...did I cover all the acknowledgments?)

The loss of people writing — writing a composition, a letter or a report — is not just the loss for the record.  It’s the loss of the process of working your thoughts out on paper, of having an idea that you would never have if you weren’t [writing]. And that’s a handicap. People [I research] were writing letters every day.  That was calisthenics for the brain.

I really should direct you to Kitten a Go-Go's post. She put it so well.

I'm willing to bet that most of the people I've connected with blog for the very same reasons. I think that's why it's so hard for me to figure out my niche. I'm just here to share and connect.

And I do sort of like the attention.

G is for Gadgets and Gizmos

I had two categories in mind: online gadgets and gizmos (some knitting related and some not) and knitting gadgets and gizmos. I planned to start with the knititng, because I assumed that some sort of yarn craft is why most people are here (secondary to the sparkling wit and wisdom. *snort*.)

Then I started taking pictures.

I had enough material for a post dedicated to kitting gadgets and gizmos alone.

After a while I started to get a little embarrassed. I have a lot of gadgets and gizmos.

It occurred to me that the post was really not going to be that hard to write.

In fact, I don't have to write a word.

Friday Fill-In 6/17/11 Now with FO's!!

1. One of my favorite birthday presents was a coffee maker that I can program to have coffee ready before I even wake up!

2. I blanked out on this one, it was as simple as that.

3. The moon is pretty. (file this one under lame)

4. Being organized includes the places you *can't* see. (which means I'm not organized.) 

5. I was tempted by yarn.

6. See foreign lands and learn something new are some of the things I like to do on vacation. (That doesn't mean I've actually taken a vacation like that....yet.)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to knitting, tomorrow my plans include knitting and vegging out and Sunday, I want to do some more knitting and vegging!


And here are those wildly colored socks that I showed you on Wednesday:



I know my photography takes your breath away. And please accept my apologies for lack of cats.


Pattern: My usual made-up-as-I go plain vanilla 
Yarn: some Knit Picks Dancing that I bought a loooong time ago
Color: Partie
Notes: I made these for the Knitting 19th Century Novels group on Ravelry. I've given my reasons why on the project page. 


It's true that Ravelry had kind of killed the crafting portion of a lot of blogs. My blog included. When you're lazy you don't want to do something twice...which is often what posting the info to Ravelry and writing a blog post feels like.

Yarn Along With a Side of WIP Wednesday

Heeey, that is really cool how those buttons coordinate.....

Well, here are the WIPs and books...for what they're worth. Yes, yes, the same as always. I can't seem to decide which book to really read. I will pick something up, read a paragraph and toss it down. Kind of the same for my WIPs. Pick something up, work a row or two and toss it down. I could easily have included more books.



Ooops. Not pictured: Seaweed scarf and Le Scarf (It hasn't been photographed at all.) The sock is so close to done I might actually have an FO post for Friday. Pretty heady stuff.

Why Socks Rock

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, but I just want to share my love of socks.

1. They are low-risk wearables. I don't invest as much time and yarn in them, and for the most I am pretty happy with every pair I make....and they are always flattering.
2. I don't know what it is, but I just find sock yarn irresistible.
3. In the WIP stage they are fairly portable.
4. Every time I make something, I can't help but think of ways I can improve my knitting "the next time I make it." With sweaters that's just a joke 'cause 99% of the time, I will not make a whole sweater over again. With socks, though, you have to make the second one. A second chance is required!
5. They are seamless. (That's reason enough to love socks.)
6. It is easy to mix and match elements/techniques to make the knitting easier. If you don't like heel flaps, you can substitute a short row heel or vice versa. Don't feel like learning Turkish Cast-on? Just use Judy's magic cast on.
7. Tinking a round or two of  a sock is far less tedious than a on a larger project. (A huge plus for my mistake-making ass.)
8. A plain vanilla sock is mindless knitting. Add the portability factor and you always have the perfect knit-nite project!
9. Whether toe-up or top-down, you can try them on as you go and make adjustments. There is nothing worse than investing hours and hours in a sweater only to discover it doesn't quite fit.
10. They are quieter. Sounds weird, right? What I mean is that sock needles don't make as much noise, so when you are knitting in public you are less likely to distract anyone. Well, they won't be distracted by the noise at least.

F is for Furry Friends

ABC--Now with Misadventures in Craft

I thought F would be perfect for introducing you a little more formally to my 6(!) cats. (Especially since I didn't think you would appreciate a treatise on the cathartic nature of the word "F!ck".) 

I know they are over there on the sidebar. I've written about their preferences. They even guest blogged once! Odd that I've never included their histories, though.

We'll start with Topper. He arrived first.

• Topper is our biggest. A bigun' as we call him. 
• Close to 20 pounds and it's not fat, he's big boned. 
• He is also our gentlest, whiniest and neediest cat. Seriously. He just wants lovin' all the time.
• Topper arrived Fall of '99. One of my student's cat had kittens.
• I managed to get Hubadub to agree to a cat and all he required was that we get the fattest of the litter.
• In a round about way, Topper was the reason we ended up with Arnold.

• This face is the perfect representation of Arnold. He's our nervous nelly. 
• I met Arnold at a local vet's office. You see, at one time Topper was an outdoor cat. I was "treated" to several dead critters during his tenure out of doors. One time a baby bird, barely clinging to life, was left at my back door.
• After a few calls, I found a veterinarian that also cared for wild birds.  Little Nonnie was there and it was love at first sight. The sign on the cage had all kinds of dire warnings: Feral! Keep away from small children! Evil! Vile!
• Again, I somehow managed to talk Hubadub into this cat. We quickly learned that the people at the vet's office were on crack 'cause Arnold was afraid of everything. 
• He is my snuggle baby. 
• In recent months he's begun to show his age (he's a few years older than Topper)--he moves a little slowly and has started losing weight. 

• He's the hardest to photograph. It also occurs to me that he probably weighs  close to what Topper weighs...but he doesn't have the bone structure. He looks more like a super-big potato on teeny, tiny toothpicks.
• Bat is a bastard. He's mean, but needy.
• Bat arrived around the time I got my tubes tied (TMI? Sorry.) I had a pre-op appointment at the hospital where the surgery was to take place. I noticed some custodians outside chasing something. It was a hissing, crazed, scared little kitten. I asked them to find a towel for me. They did and I managed to catch the little guy, wrap him like a burrito and take him home. Hubadub was a bit annoyed, but he took one look at the cat and said "His ears are huge. We should call him "Bat."

Then there's Ash:

• This cat is pure e-bul.
• This is the cat that bit me.

• A student gave Ash to me. I realize now that student hated me.
  
• Ash ADORES Hubadub....he sits down and BOOM! Ash is right there snuggling him.

Bela actually adopted Offspring.

• We spell it "Bela" as in Lugosi. Offspring spells it "Bella" as in (*burp*) Twilight.
• Offspring's roommate  was conveniently allergic to cats so we agreed to foster the cat until Offspring got her own place. This was last Summer.
• Three weeks after Bela arrived we discovered she was pregnant.
• The 4/27 tornado blew away the pet-friendly apartment Offspring had leased for the coming Fall.
• Her new place doesn't take pets. *sigh*

And we round out the list with Chunk.

• Precious, isn't he? He arrived vis C-section, since Offspring managed to be adopted by a cat that needed a C-section. Cats manage to have kittens everyday without outside help and we get one that needs a C-section.
• Since Chunk arrived, Ash has had a playmate and that has made Ash very happy.
• Chunk is the only cat I have gotten to name.

In memoriam:

• You are still missed, girl.

Thoughts? Opinions?

Are any of you over there? Do you use their tips and suggestions? If so, do you feel like it has helped? Have you gained more followers and/or comments?

Friday Fill-In 6/10/11

I'm home after a three-day Spanish immersion workshop and so glad. As a dyed in the wool introvert, those kind of things drain me so much. I was forced to kind of mark all my blogs as read, but I'm back to reading now. Oh! And today is my 16th wedding anniversary. Hubadub and I will be celebrating by going to the movies. Nice and air-conditioned....ooo!  and popcorn!

1. I remember when I first heard Offspring's cry (well, not really. I was kind of drugged up, but I thought it sounded good.)

2. I wish the rain was showering down right now.

3. Most humans annoy the crap out of me and often destroy my faith in humanity (happy thought, eh?)

4. Uhhh. I'm stuck on this one...sound familiar? 

5. I was inspired by ravelry.

6. Where I left my keys?... who knows where!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to RPGing at our house (though I don't play), tomorrow my plans include maybe WWKIP? and Sunday, I want to knit!

Yarn Along 6/8/11

As found on Small Things.



Please do not be deceived and think  I am actually reading all these. Heavens no. I'm not really reading any of them. I'm *supposed* to be reading La Travesía de Enrique and La Vida Loca for a workshop (technically, *was* supposed to read...since I'm writing this on Sunday and when you read this I will probably be on my way home from said workshop.) I only dip into The Land of Oz while waiting in lines or during spare moments. I've read a couple chapters of Storm Front and have been carrying it around in my purse since May. The title-less book is actually my Kindle. Plenty of books on there that I want to read, too.

There has been progress on the sock and scarf, though. Minimal progress....but progress. Quite honestly not one project or book has really captured my attention. Which really annoys me. I'm bored and sitting in front of the TV with nothing to do drives me nuts!

E is for Español (Y Esperanza)

Ya sé que mi español es....pues....terrible, pero por algún motivo quiero escribir este "post" en español.

Y ¿por qué estudio yo español?

Por qué mi abuelo fue de España.

Pero no voy a escribir de me abuelo ni de España. Voy a escribir de esperanza.

Cuando empiezo un proyecto nuevo de suéter, siempre me siento tan feliz, tan contenta....llena de ESPERANZA. Esta vez, yo voy a escoger la lana perfecta en el color más favorecedor. Y voy a terminar con el proyecto. No voy a esconderlo dentro de una caja o debajo de la cama. Cuando cumplir el trabajo de tejer y tejer y tejer.... (yo me faltarán madejas suficientes....tampoco me qudaré con demasiadas) ....tendré el suéter perfecto. Luciré hermosa, flaca. Sin defectos. Todos me van a comentar "¡Qué bonito suéter!" "¡Qué perfecto el punto!" "Muy profesional."

Pero, eso nunca, nunca ocurre.

Escojo un color horrendo. Me pongo aburrida antes de terminar y ....or termino el proyecto y me queda flojo o muy apretado.

Pero un día voy a vencer. Voy a crear el suéter perfecto.

Te lo juro.

Unable to Resist-The ABC of Me

I saw this over on Wool Durham's Blog and wanted to play along. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am a joiner. 


A. Age: Old
B. Bed size: King, but with six cats it feels more like a twin.
C. Chore that you hate: All of them.
D. Dogs: See "B"  above.
E. Essential start to your day: coffee and at least one cat puking.
F. Favorite color: I like them all.
G. Gold or Silver: Gold like my wedding ring: it's the only jewelry I wear.
H. Height: short
I. Instruments you play: none
J. Job title: Teacher
K. Kids: One...and 6 cats
L. Live: happily and fully
M. Mother’s name: begins with A. She doesn't have a middle name which really bothers her because all her siblings have one.
N. Nicknames: Hubadub calls me Shrewbaca sometimes
O. Overnight hospital stays: 1- when Offspring was born
P. Pet peeve: People in general. Sorry humanity; you almost always disappoint me and some jackass is always loud in a public place. Oh! Or someone brings their screaming spawn to a movie.
Q. Quote from a movie: If you hadn't asked I could have given you a million of them.
R. Right or left handed: Right
S. Siblings: Two- and they are much older. I grew up sort of feeling like an only child.
T. Time you wake up: 5ish
U. Underwear: must be loose and comfy...but worn. Commando makes me shudder.
V. Vegetable you hate: ummmm.... none, really.
W. What makes you run late: Ravelry.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: teeth and spine.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Do frozen dinners count?
Z. Zoo animal: Makes me sad. I don't go to zoos.

Tackling the Magazines And Talking to Myself

Another offering in the Stream-of-Consciousness series.

Ok. Let's do the magazines today. Wowzers. Eight packed magazine organizers. Gotta keep that one. Oh, and this one. STOP LOOKING THROUGH THEM. Right. Just chuck 'em. Man, the 80's were cruel. Big, boxy designs. Big, bold block and stripe patterns. Big hair, big shoulder pads. No temptation to keep these. What's this leaflet doing here? Put that in the "don't know what to do with it yet stack." Good. Got 'em organized by title. Wait. I thought I had more issues of this one. Hang on, maybe there are more in the bookcase. I know I've been shoving them here and there all over the house. Might as well go through the leaflets in this book case while I'm looking for the magazines. E-bay is evil. Why did I buy all this? Hell. Seriously? I've been had. Someone managed to get me to pay for junk they didn't even want. They probably got it from someone else who was de-stashing. Well, I'm stopping it right here. It's getting chunked. I am not passing crap on to clutter someone else's house. Jebus! Why did I even get some of these? I don't like anything in them. Oh! Here are all those magazines. I'll put them over here while I finish this shelf. Jeez. If someone were to look at this shelf they would think a designer lived here. How many stitch pattern books do I need? All of them. Not ready to part with them yet...even if the first Barbara Walker treasury *is* the only one I use. Sure got a lot of use out of the Sweater Design in Plain English. *thoughts dripping with sarcasm* Well, now that I've cleared this space, let me see if I can move some books from the other bookshelf.  Looks good. Let's get back to the magazines. Ugh. I can't face this stack. I'll put them here and come back to them at the end of the summer. Ok. Organize by date. How the heck did I end up with two copies of the same issue? Sheesh. Yay! Done, from eight magazine organizers to...just six? That's a little disappointing. Well, anything is better than nothing, I guess. Let's put 'em back in the computer room. Well, this is nice I can fit all but one organizer on one shelf. Now those two won't be shoved back in a corner and I can move this drawer organizer with my needles over a bit. Then put this box here. Aw hell. I forgot about this magazine basket. Let me go through this. Note to self: putting it in pretty basket doesn't make it any more organized. I'll give this basket to Ely tomorrow. Now that it's out of here I've got a little more room. Crud. Forgot about this bin, too. I'm on a roll can't stop now. Hmmm. When did I start this cross stitch. Offspring was in the 2nd grade I think. Eeeep. Get a grip, self. You aren't going to finish it. JUNK IT! Whew! Hey! Now I have an empty bin. Stick some leaflets in it. And those two balls of thread that are sitting there. You're gonna forget about them...shut up, self. Look, if you are really going to get your crap under control, you are going to have to stop buying shit, too. All this chucking isn't going to do a damn bit of good if you bring more crap in. Holy shit snacks I didn't realize this small little house had so many places to put crap. Blergh. The desks drawers. STOP!!! Do no more!!! You can't do it all in one day. It took years to accumulate it. Chill. Do more next week. Oy. Now I have to take these garbage bags out. Ow. I think I hurt my back. Offspring better appreciate this. When I die she won't have to figure out what to do with all my crap.

Today...(A Mish Mash)

• I woke up early. feh.
• I found a forgotten WIP. eeep.
• I deemed a pair of socks "too ugly to work on in public." Yet I plan to wear them in public when they are done. huh?
• I forgot to mail something. ooops.
• I saw X-Men: First Class. awesome! (There was even a knit hat!)
• I ate popcorn. yum!
• Took Offspring to get her nose pierced. cute!
  

Friday Fill-In 6/3/11

1. Hey! I was watching that!

2. _____ kernel of truth.

3. Eat , drink and be merry...but don't allow an animal to suffer.

4. Politically, I'm somewhere in the middle.

5. First thing to note: I like to be left alone for long periods of time.

6. I fall for any distraction.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to listening to Hubadub, Offspring and company RPG-ing, tomorrow my plans include taking Offspring to get her nose pierced and Sunday, I want to knit!

The Urge to Purge

I'm woman on a mission.

After 20 years of collecting I'm ready to admit I have a problem.

I've got too much craft crap. I'm buried under it. It's time to purge.

On Monday I went through two storage bins and culled the fibery herd:


Look at all the acrylic

I pulled out all the "odd balls" (you know, those lone skeins left from a project.) I was brutally honest with myself and got rid of those "bad idea" and "impulse buy" skeins. I packed them up and found a willing art teacher to take them and got them out of my house (I've got connections lol.) I plan another yarn purge in a couple of weeks. Stuff I wasn't ready to part with this week may not look so attractive in 3 weeks.

I also went through a 3-inch binder full of patterns I've printed thinking I would make them. Some of them I printed 5 years ago...twice! (I found duplicates.) The binder also included patterns pulled from magazines (one dated 1994.) Again, brutal honesty was needed. I'm sure there are more patterns I could have dumped, but I didn't have the heart to .... yet. I will revisit those patterns as well.

Next, I plan to tackle my overwhelming magazine collection and drawer-full(!) of notions.

Wow. Being a minimalist knitter is a lot of work. Not to mention all the dust it kicks up. Achoo!

Finally! I Remember Yarn Along

I've been reading about Yarn Along for weeks. For weeks every Wednesday rolled around and I would realize that I (again) forgot to write a Yarn Along post. Well, not this week!

I'm still working on the Seaweed project and I recently started some socks to go with The Wizard of Oz (Part of the 19th Century Novels group on Ravelry.) The picture doesn't show it as well, but the yarn has blue for the land of the Munchkins, a splash of green for the Emerald City, yellow for the land of the Winkies and  red for the land of the Quadlings. I sort of ignore the orange and bemoan the fact that there is no purple for the Gillikins...but really that isn't mentioned in The Wizard of Oz.

I enjoyed The Wizard of Oz so much that I decided to read book 2 -The Land of Oz (where I learned about the Gillikins and purple.)

The Cartoon History of the Universe was a suggestion for Operation Erudition and it is really entertaining.

La Vida Loca is for an immersion workshop I'll be attending next week.

Ripley's is really just pure entertainment reading and in fact, I've already finished it. (So I guess that makes #28)

And my writing really sounds first-gradish, doesn't it?

Yesturday I went to nit nite with my frends. we laffed alot. it was fun. the end.