Wednesday, December 16, 2009

I had a dream....

And it was about weaving. Like, I was actually talking about doing weaving, and then CraftyCoug and I were in a room with bunches of looms. And, me, (IRL) not knowing a dang thing about weaving, was like "Oh, it can't be too hard" and started getting an explanation as to how it all works from a clerk in the room.

point 1: I do not know anything about weaving. period. So how did my brain go about creating an explanation that not only made sense, but appeared to *work* in the dreamscapes?

point 2: Why the HELL would I even consider taking on a new hobby when there is only 8 more knitting days left til christmas??

point 3: Apparently in my dream world, looms are not that expensive. *cough cough* and I bought one immediately.

Honestly. For me to have a "real life" dream is weird enough. But my brain being able to dissect weaving and give me an explanation that was plausible is just CRAZY!

hehe. Craftycoug, apparently we have some shopping to do.

Friday, December 4, 2009

The New Rules for Holidays

I am not one to say "blah blah blah consumerism is evil"...Heck, I WORK in retail! I did not participate in Black Friday per se, but I do still buy things.

Here is my plan. It's called the 3/50 Project and you simply Choose 3 local business (*cough* yarn shops...*cough*) and spend $50 per month. If we all do this, we will be putting our money back in our local economies. And we will be doing a part of the business needed to save these businesses from closing their doors forever.

Granted, two of my family members are getting hand knit gifts this holiday season. But now I know what I should do for the rest. They will receive useful gifts bought from local businesses. That way, we can all feel good about what we've done this season.

Won't you join me? It only takes one person to make a difference. I charge you to be that person.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Window Wisdom




Scary to think that a retail setting would actually have something so wise on the window.

But it's true. I wish you a happy day!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Let it be known that I did not drag my ass out of bed on a Saturday morning at 7 am in order to be the ONLY ONE to show up to the knitting club. Screw this, I'm going home. Someone else can take over catering to these students...

*grumpy*

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Hate Your Umbrella Swift?

go here

Kristin Rengren (author of Vintage Baby Knits) has done an amazing job rounding up a few models of the squirrel cage swift, which works a lil differently from an umbrella swift.

The info is great, and worth a look if you find that you don't like the way your umbrella swift works.

Thanks Kristin!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

No, Christmas Knitting Hasn't Started....



I have been doing things, mind you. I have been working on the test knit. I am through the torso, and am now shaping the shoulders. Then it's just sleeves and a hood!

Then I started swatching for my dad's Gansey, by Martin Storey. Fourth Photo down on the side scroll, with the guy holding a canteen. :P(rav link)

I somehow managed to get today off. Weird, I know. Tomorrow I am taking a personal holiday so that I can go visit Jared Flood (BrooklynTweed for a book signing and talk. I am so excited! :D

Tonight I am going to go to a knit group thing down the street from me. I really want to get some knitting done in a group setting.

Hopefully all is well with you.

Friday, October 23, 2009

ZOMG VACATION!!!!!1!!!

It's official. I will be taking a 1 week vacation at the end of February. You know what that means....Stitches WEST!!!! Yes, for the first time ever, I am going to Stitches West. I bought my airline tickets tonight, and now just need to wait til Monday to register for a class that I want to take, and then wait *oh-so-patiently* to hop on that plane and go have some fun with my Bestest Friend Evar and her family.

I am so freaking excited, I might just bounce out of this seat!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Peanut Butter Frosting

Just so I Don't Forget....

As per Loopy Ewe Blog

Peanut Butter Frosting (from allrecipes.com, with modifications based on some of the reviews. This frosting is way too good.)

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
1 heaping cup of creamy peanut butter
2-4 Tbl. milk
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add powedered sugar gradually, beating the whole time. Add vanilla and then the milk as needed (1 Tbl. at a time.) When well mixed, turn up the speed and whip for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Electric Monkeys

In the mail yesterday: An electric bill for bunches of money

In the mail today: An electric bill for less money for an apartment we are no longer tied to.

This means: Either the idiots at the company didn't bother to cancel the account when we moved out FOUR months ago, our apartment manager did not get the account transferred and canceled the way she wanted, OR the Electric Monkeys are trying to steal out moneys.

Either way, I am slightly perturbed. But since the electric bills are NOT in my name, I am UNABLE to call them tomorrow to try to straighten it all out. Instead, I must wait for LB to find time, inclination and some other stuff in order to get it done.

I am swearing up a storm on the inside. And on the outside I am watching Penn and Teller's Bullshit, and knitting in the hopes that I don't kill someone.

meh. Back to knitting

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Soynuts and Slave Labor

I have been working hard all day around the house. Did two loads of dishes, and am waiting for the third to be done. Laundry loads have been completed. (though I have to say, laundry is not done until it is put away. Hence the piles on the bed for LB to put away from yesterday. ONE BASKET. I just need one empty basket for doing my hang-dry loads. Is that too much to ask?)

I made 4 loaves of banana bread. One for mom, one for me, one for my favorite lead of all time, and then another that will be frozen for later. I am waiting until LB gets home so that I can make a few loaves of Pumpkin bread. If I play my cards right, he will have picked up butter to facilitate the bread-making.

Next up: MUFFINS! I have a box of FiberOne muffin mix, and am considering making some muffins.

Of course, this is a silly idea, simply for the fact that I am working towards losing weight, and while the muffins are healthy and fiber-y, they are probably not necessary in addition to the banana walnut bread. Nevermind the fact that baking is fun, keeps me out of trouble, and is a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon. (wait....so is knitting...)

In knitting, I have finished the decreases for waist shaping on the Test Knit, and am contemplating my navel regarding the fact that I haven't gotten further on it. yep. Still haven't started my Christmas knitting. It may end up that the in-laws don't get hand-knitted gifts, and instead get the stuff that was peripherally involved in the knitting ideas....Meh. We'll see how much time I have once this is done.

New amazing podcast! Social Knitworking. They combine three of my favourite things in one podcast! 1)Drinking! 2)Knitting! 3) Complete Nerdtopia!

Back to baking!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Throw me in that Briar Patch!

http://www.pieknits.com/blog/2009/10/recipe_chocolate-stuffed.html

Chocolate pb cup stuffed cookie/Brownies! *drool*

Okay, the news:
-I've lost a few pounds (being 2.4 if you're counting) since starting my workouts on the 30th September. I feel better, both about myself, and in health. But it is still hard getting up so early to work out.

-I have still not started my Christmas Knitting. Me, being a monogamous knitter, can only work on one project at a time, and I am still working on my test knit. It's nice, and the fabric is yay...it's just....400 stitches is hard...

-No spinning. I need to procure a seat of the correct height so that I can sit comfortably.

-New podcast! Crafternoon Tea with GrannyG

Yay!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

TechKnitter does it again!

http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2009/09/some-ideas-just-make-you-say-wow.html

Gawd, there is so much amazing stuff in this post. Please. I think I need to lie down.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Blood Demons

Sorry for the relative silence. Brother and SIL were in town last week, so I wasn't able to update much. We went to see Wicked. It was yay. Did the Seattle Underground Tour, which was amusing (no photos allowed).

Started back up on my regular schedule for work yesterday. Got up at 5 am and walked to the gym. Worked out after getting my locker assigned. Then went to bum around campus til it was time to clock in. Nothing has changed at work. It is the stocking/being bored as per usual. Got off work, had a voicemail from Mom.

Dad had been complaining about being short of breath for the past few weeks. Originally it was thought that maybe his bout of pneumonia had caused some scar tissue. And then the docs decided that since he just turned 60, it must be his heart acting up (it wasn't.) Dad went back in yesterday for some more tests. He called Mom at about 6:30 and told her that he would be spending the night in the hospital. He has pulmonary embolisms. Little Blood clot demons in his lungs. He is on blood thinners for the moment.

But: The treatment for said thing is lowfat diet and exercise. If you can't breathe to exercise, how does this work? He is already on a low fat diet. (my mom lived through 2 kids and the 90s. hello) What else can be done to treat it?

Mom was a lil freaked when I talked to her. I was a little freaked, but decided to steel my nerves, since it was caught before it caused *REALLY BAD* stuff. But still. And to top it all off, I am still going to work today.

*sigh*

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Please HELP!

Due to some personal stuff that has happened, I am calling all knitters and readers of this blog to come out and support Miss Violet (yes, of Lime n Violet fame) She needs money and support to be able to get out of a bad situation, and it's our job to help.

For as long as it takes, I am putting 100% of the sales from my Etsy shop towards her fight for independence.

Please, if you can spare it, help her out. She's brought so much joy to us knitters, that we need to pull together to make sure she can keep doing it!

Remember, pandorasslave.etsy.com There is a link on the sidebar as well (maybe two)

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Happy Sunday!

Hello everyone.

Unfortunately, this is a really short post, as I race around trying to get ready to go.

This week my brother and sister in law visit from Japan. I will be otherwise engaged in entertaining them, and also working (nope. didn't take any days off for while they are here...what? They will sleep til noon anyways...)

I have made progress on the Classic Hooded Jacket for the test knit. I love Ultra Alpaca. It is so squooshy. And the slight halo it has will make it feel even more cozy.

Did anyone go to WWSIPD? I did not, but at least I got my hair dyed, and cleaned up the house for the visit of the siblings.

back to the race. Have a wonderful week!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mags and Bags

September is always a great month for knitters and spinners everywhere, because the new Fall magazines hit the stands. Case in point:



Do you see that? 6 magazines! 6!

-The Knitter Issue 9
-Knitting September 09
-Interweave Knits Weekend
-Simply Knitting Issue 58
-Yarn Forward Issue 17
-Spin-Off Fall 09

And to top it all off? I got my new tote bag from Twist Collective!

It's soooooo cool!

Oh yeah. And there was progress on the Test Knit:



Ribbing done, now onto crazy amounts of decreasing and then some plain knitting.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

WWSIPD!

Holy Crap. They've thought of everything! World Wide Spin in Public Day

Is it bad, that I want to go just to play on other peoples wheels? I would go, but I have this thing about A) Being a crap beginner spinner B) Not wanting to risk getting roving wet in Seattle Sunshine

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

OMFG Best Spinning Toy EVAR!!!!!

Check this out. Spinning in a car, or on a plane! Freaking cool. Spin N'RIde!

The original video is on Susan's Blog. I have uploaded it here merely to spread the joy...not to invoke copyright infringement. (i love you Susan!)

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Candied BACON!!!




Guess what we did last night?

Yes, candied bacon. Pig candy. Nom nom nom. Granted, it's for a house warming party, but...still tasty.

FO: Central Park Hoodie





The Stats:

Started: December 26th 2008
Finished: August 30th 2009
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie (rav link) from Knitscene Fall 2006, also available from the Interweave Store
Yarn Used:BunkyBoBos' BunkyBoBos Worsted Wool in the Poseidon Colorway (a special request) Browse BunkyBoBo's Etsy Shop.
Yardage:I ordered 8 skeins, totaling 1760 yards, and still have roughly a little less than 2 skeins left. Of course, I did do a few modifications. (skeins were 220 yds)
Size Made: I did the 42" and then had a 1/2 stitch/inch larger gauge for the tiny amount of positive ease I wanted.
Modifications: Are all outlined on my Rav Page. Here are the highlights:
-1/2 stitch/inch larger gauge to allow a little bit of positive ease
-lengthened the ribbing sections to 5"
-lengthened body before armhole shaping to 15" instead of the 14.5" (partially because I felt 14.5 was a silly number, and partially because I knew I wanted the hoodie to be longer, so I was adding length in the place that made sense.)
-Continued the central back cable all the way up the hood. Found instructions to adjust shaping here. (Look at Feb 27th post "Hood Accompli")
-Zipper instead of buttons (a two way separating zipper)
Would I do it again?:Yes. The pattern is easy, interesting enough, and well designed. I think I would do it again, but this time, not make the sleeves so long (I wanted to wear them cuffed so I made them really long, but for general use, I think the ribbing is nice enough). I would also go back and do some pockets. Hoodies need pockets, and Ravelry has a few free patterns for pockets for the CPH.

Thank you, thank you, I DID make a sweater. (*cough cough* so much for NaKniSweMoDo, huh?)

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Photographing Lace

Elemmaciltur (if Knitters Uncensored fame) has blog posted the most amazing analysis of how he photographs lace! If only he would do a full set of these posts explaining how to photograph other knit items

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Jeremy Clarkson and the Sheep

"I was then distracted by the sheep. I’ve always thought that a sheep was a sheep. But no. There was one that had been fitted with the head from a buffalo. There were vicious wolf sheep with spiky horns for stabbing ramblers. (I’m definitely getting some of those.) And then there was a sheep with quite the largest testicles I’ve ever seen. They would have looked ridiculous on even a brontosaurus. I swear each one was 2ft in diameter. If the RSPCA wasn’t looking, you could have used them as space hoppers."

-Jeremy Clarkson (as forwarded to me by Librarian Boyfriend)
Times Online Post

Friday, September 4, 2009

Wisdom on Ravelry

”I will be told by no-one how a woman has to behave. Not by a man and certainly not by a feminist.” -DannyKay

Damn skippy. That's all I've got to say.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Later, I Promise

There will be FO photos of the Central Park Hoodie later. I promise. I need to get photos of it before I go posting. In the meantime, I would like to share this cute vid with you.



Oh, and I cast on for the Luna Moth Shawl for my mom's Christmas present. I have to say, either I am reading this pattern really *REALLY* wrong, or it is the easiest shawl pattern EVAR. (I like charts....*beam*) It inspires me to cast on a shawl for the MIL....after I complete this one, of course.

Yarn from WEBS should be arriving soon for my dad's Gansey (Martin Storey) It's the 4th picture down on the sliding bar of photos, the man holding the.....canteen??. The pattern was included as an extra with the August 09 Simply Knitting Mag. My brother will be getting an Escher-esque scarf, the Cubic (Rav link). I haven't exactly decided what the in-laws will be receiving. Well, I know my sister in law will be getting either yarn or a felted bag. But the rest of them I have no idea.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Ahem

I would just like to announce: I got a 3.4 in my class. Before the final, my average was a 2.333 (two wrong tests and a screw job of a TA will do that). This means that I SCHOOLED the final!!!

******SQUEEEEEEE******

Ahem. Back to knitting. TYVM

Monday, August 17, 2009

There is a word for this...

I finished the hood on the Central Park Hoodie. It is so pretty I could cry. I went to pick up the stitches for the button band....I don't have a circ long enough. I could have sworn that I had at least one 60" length cord for my Knitpicks interchangeables...

*screams into hands* I really wanted to have this done before I started the next assignment for test knitting! *cries* Now I have to wait to see if I can get one quickly from KnitPicks....

**sigh**

....which begs the question....what do I knit on until then? (3+ days without knitting?!?! Unthinkable!)

Saturday, August 15, 2009

FO: Vine Lace Toe Up Socks Test Knit






They are done! So let me explain, I was test knitting for the lovely Phoenix Bess. I can really only include pictures, so here you go. But let me say, I LOVED knitting these and helping make the pattern better (i hope)

These are a present for my Mother, since she helped me move out of our old place and get everything carted up to the new place. Socks are a good payment, right?

Obviously, since I was a test knit, I didn't do any mods to the pattern. The yarn is Regia Sockotta (which ends up looking like Fair Isle in pastels if you do it in stockinette)

Next up, back to working on the Central Park Hoodie. I am to the point of the hood where I need to start the decreases. You may recall (or not) that I decided to continue the center back cables up the hood and now they will continue over the top and meet up with the front band. So I had to search for an explanation of how to modify the pattern in order to be able to make this happen. I did find the most amazing explanation ever. It's at Random Threads, the second post on this page, titled "Hood Acompli". It's so spectacular, I can't even speak.

Back to knitting!

Friday, August 14, 2009

And now for something completely different....

Ah, Monty Python. I think I will be making a shawl next. A crazy ass intricately laced shawl. Something that would make lesser brains melt (hehe). I am gonna make a shawl. Yep. A big 'un.....

......Just as soon as I finish the CPH. (srsly...it needs to be done)

Friday, August 7, 2009

SOCK SUMMITEERS!!!!

Someone, anyone, bring me back a skein of something. Don't care what. I just want a skein!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Drive by Blogging!

Hi guys, just wanted to update after my week of hell.

The moving is done! There are boxes Everywhere in the new apartment. We have done zero unpacking.

I got the cleaning done on the old apartment. It SPARKLES dangit.

The test I was stressing about? Turns out the guy gave us the WRONG test! Test for a completely different class! Wtf. So I get to retake it on Monday. Oh joy. *grimace*
And I worked until midnight last night doing inventory

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Review Compensations

A question was asked via Fleegle's Blog regarding the ethical dilemma of being compensated for writing reviews for a yarn shop.

Let me first say that I agree that there should be a disclaimer that states compensation took place for a review. But let me also say that if one thinks that a "famous blogger" is doing reviews out of the goodness of their heart, then they must be foolish, because no one does anything for free anymore.

Let me explain. I, being a not-very-well-known blogger, do reviews and am able to share my real opinions because I am not on anyone else's payroll. However, I have no compunction about accepting a yarn for free as a payment for reviewing it. This does not of course mean that my review would be all flowers and sunshine. But once one is on a payroll, the words in the review must be carefully chosen.

For example: Knitter's Review is sent dozens if not hundreds of submissions for review every month. Big name yarn companies along with smaller time ones all vie for the chance to be reviewed by Clara Parkes. Keep in mind, that Clara Parkes does explain that this occurs. And if you read her reviews carefully, you can find whether or not she liked a yarn. She has a disclaimer that explains that any yarn submitted for review will be reviewed honestly. Big Name Blogger, but still honest reviews, despite COMPENSATION.

Back to Fleegle's Post, there is absolutely no reason that she should not be able to have a disclaimer stating that there was compensation for the review. My feeling is that the shop owner did not do any proper research before making a statement like that.

What do you think?

Weird

Okay, for the past few days, the weather.com program on my G1 has said that Monday is supposed to be 96 degress. (OMFG HOT DEATH DOOM)

Go to Weather.com now and it says 88. Go to google weather, and it says that it'll be 88 on Monday.

My phone still says 96 degrees.


So I wonder how warm it's really gonna be?

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Token Response

Earlier (10 am-ish)

Basketball Player from Conference: Did that hurt? (motioning to my labret piercing)
ME: Nope. Piercings are fun
BPC: Got your nipples pierced?
ME: (a little annoyed) Nope. Having one of those ripped out SUCKS!
BPC: What else do you have pierced? (insert icky gross eyebrow raise)
ME: Use your imagination. I'm not saying anything


LATER (MUCH later)

BPC: Do you go to school here?
ME: Nope. I graduated
BPC: Oh, I was gonna ask you for your number
ME: How OLD are you?
BPC: uh.....19
me:I'm twice your age
BPC: OMG, I..uh...(runa)

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Yes, I Know, I Know....

It has been a long-as* time since I wrote anything. And I am sorry. Really. It's just that, I have a full time job, (which is, granted, cut to 35 hours per week over the summer), I did just start doing classes again (to work towards the Business MBA program...just prereqs right now, mind you...), and am also test knitting a pattern. I am so busy, my poor little head is spinning.

In the midst of all the studying, knitting, and working, there is also that fun word: HOUSE HUNTING. More correctly, we were looking at townhouses for rent. We had decided that we definitely needed another room. (*cough cough* CRAFT ROOM) and also wanted a little more space for our ever-increasing amounts of stuff (mainly books..and mainly mine, thankyouverymuch).

We did find a place. And it is wonderful. And, no, it is not a townhouse. Apparently we are really good tenants (no duh) and our apartment manager pulled all sorts of strings to get us a 2 br/2 bath, up one floor and down the hall, for the about the same price we are paying now. The square footage is roughly 100 sq ft larger than our current place, and OMG you'll have to see the living room! It's HUGE! It's got room for a dining table! So we are scooting around trying to get all of the deposits taken care of. I am collecting boxes from work so that I can start packing the non-essentials, since we need to be out of the current place by the 31st.

Oh, and I have a midterm on Monday for my Microeconomics class. And the test pattern needs to be complete a little before the end of the month. I am crazy busy.

Rest assured, I love you guys and will try to get some pictures up here just as soon as we move!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy 4th

I am making chili. And surfing the internets.... Found something cool http://www.knittingoutloud.com/big_masonDixon.html because I can't get enough knitting, there are audiobooks from the Mason Dixon ladies!!!! mwahahaha.

Haven't decided if I am going to do the Tour de Fleece, which is supposed to mean spinning up yarn, and then making something out of it in a certain time span. I think my time span is a little less than a month, but I could be wrong, since I have no idea when the Tour de France ends...*hangs head in shame*. I dunno. I have enough stash to start spinning. hehe. But if we move, I don't want to take apart the wheel and bobbins and then cart a half spun fleece to another location.

And no, we don't have any plans for the 4th of July. Just sitting down and vegging out

edit: I just looked it up, and Tour de Fleece is July 4th-July 26th. Hmm...what can I spin up in that time? *looks at stash*

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Sleep Deprived and Grumpy

The reason for this is quite simple. I went to be at a decent hour last night. Roughly 9ish, because I must be awake at 6:30 every morning for my class. 10pm: Someone either across the hall or above us decides to start moving in....AT 10 FREAKING PM!!!! Bang bang crash boom drop a piano bang crash slamming door! At one point I seriously thought they drop-kicked a hyena it was such a terrible noise! I swear to god, they must be vampires or something, because NOONE moves into an apartment at night, making noise til 4 am!!!

So that coloured my night, to say the least. And then I started hearing random noises. First there was water dripping into a sink. And I checked all the sinks and the tub. No water droplets. Then there was a hissing snakey sound from the living. No rattlers...I'm on the 5th floor for pete's sake. And then, trust me, this is the best part...Ishityounot, there was a sound of someone hitting their head against the bedroom wall. Now, keep in mind that the wall in question meets with a stairwell. And there was no blood. I checked. So what the hell was that?

I got to sleep around 4:15 am. I was up at 6:30. Hence the grumpiness. And get this. I was just watching season 2 episode 3 of True Blood, and the people above and slightly to the left of my apartment decided that now was an opportune time to have loud raucous sex, but, you see, the loudness comes, not from happy noises, but because the bed is hitting the wall above me. Actually, come to think of it, the girl is making a sound that resembles a tree being sawed down. :/

I want to move. really really bad. I want to not have people surrounding my living space. I want to have a house with no neighbours.

And I am still grumpy.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

I Did 2 Cool Things Today

1) Set up a bar hop with my favorite person from work (who happens to be leaving to go home to Britain on Saturday....*pouty face*) Tomorrow we shall go drinking! Huzzah!

2) Procured 3 books on my "to buy" list for under $60, two of which were used, but in serviceable condition:
-The Ashford Book of Spinning
-Design it, Knit it, by Debbie Bliss
-Knitting and Tea, by Jane Gottelier

How cool is that?! Oh, and I am now 1.3 inches into that blankity blank scarf for Father's Day.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Guess What Just Made Me Laugh for 1:20 straight!

Namaste!!!

You may recall a few months back that I finally broke down and bought the Namaste Newport bag in Eggplant.

Those evil mavens of niftiness have done it again. I must own the Hermosa!

80 degrees, and I'm knitting with Wool and Alpaca

Okay, Father's Day is a little over a week away. I have started this (rav link) TWICE. First time, was with Elann Sierra Aran (ZOMG scratchy and not scarf appropriate...will subsequently be made into a Sack Boy ala Alan Dart) so it was ripped.



See This? Scarf BAAAAADDDD....Sackboy, GOOD!


Then I started it in Berroco Ultra Alpaca (much softer, though not as soft as the LAST scarf I made Papa, which was out of Misti Alpaca...) then the gauge revolted. It was terrible, loose, floppy, and just plain ugly. It was clearly not meant to be. I am now one repeat into the whole thing. I have to say, that no, after one repeat, I do not have the pattern memorized.

In other news, I am officially set to take a class over the summer. I got my paperwork turned in and everything. And depending on how this job goes, I may consider using the tuition exemption program to get my MBA. I'm not exactly sure how one goes about doing that, but I have a feeling getting an MBA for the cost of books is much more desirable than just dropping the rent thing and going back full time. I'm patient....sort of.

It is after 8pm, and the outside temperature is 77 degrees. Ambient inside temp? 81. My poor kitty is laying on the floor in a pile of melted fur. And I am still knitting (well, typing, but you get the idea).

I received my copy of Whimsical Little Knits in the mail today by Ysolda Teague. I had already downloaded the digital version, but I love how the book actually does the photos justice. (no offense to the digital lovers, but seriously..I'm running a 2 year old Dell laptop with an aging screen.) I will certainly be knitting both the Cairn hat and gloves and most likely a Mousie for my darling kittie.

Back to the knitting. I leave you with a photo of something I truly wish was occurring right now. Snow.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

What Do You Think?

I contacted an Etsy seller on the 14th of April regarding purchasing two pounds of Jacob fleece, washed. I have still not received either a listing or the fleece. My issue is that I am the only one that is starting conversations. First, the seller was mistaken at being able to find a white fleece, which turned out to be a Shetland. This was not mentioned until I asked how it was going (two weeks later). Utter radio silence until I contacted again last week to see how long it was going to be (and to remind the seller that I was allotting money from my next paycheck in the hopes that they might get their rear in gear). Memorial Day weekend, the seller was supposed to be able to get everything figured out. I have heard nothing since the 31st, which was more "I just got back from [blah] with [blah] I will get to it this week."

How much is too much? The contact started LAST MONTH! If I were a seller interested in making a sale, 1)I would be continuing a conversation with the interested party to let them know what was going on when I ran into the FIRST issue. 2) I would have given a better time frame as to when this transaction listing could take place than "sometime"

I am frustrated. And granted, I don't expect the world to be perfect, but there has to be a breaking point where I tell the seller to keep their damn fleece because I have lost interest. In sales, regardless of how hard it is, or what the item is, communication is the most important thing. I should have been informed of these issues without me having to contact the seller to see what's going on!

I am annoyed, and I am not sure how to approach the seller about these issues without coming across as irate. I want the seller to understand that my issue isn't really the time it is taking to procure the fiber, but the lack of communication. Should I just message the person and tell them to forget about it?

Monday, May 25, 2009

Learn a Few More Chords!

A guy down the alley way from us has been doing guitar stuff for the past 15 hours. I kid you not. He started last night at about 8:30.

The issue is, he is only playing about 1/16 of a song. 4 chords. that's all. No real music going on, although you can almost imagine that there is supposed to be the rest of a song to follow.

Okay, when even I know when he's messed up, obviously there is an issue. I've heard the same 4 chords and the same five measures about 400000000000 billion times!!!

Make the pain stop (oh, and by the way, it's too warm to close the window, so I really can't escape....)

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Things I've Done Instead of Knit

1) Laundry
2) Cycling
3) Cooking food
4) Clean the living room
5) THINK about reorganizing my stash according to yarn weight
6) Pull the yarn out, and then stare at it for an hour
7) Put yarn back in assorted storage devices, and pretend it never happened
8) Research recipes for a secret profit making project
9) Nap
10)Look for colors to do the Endpaper Mitts (Eunny Jang) in

Yes, I really do intend to knit, spin and repaint my nails, most likely in that order. It'll happen eventually...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

7 Days to End Knitting Procrastination

This post is the most important advice to ever be put in the Blog-o-Sphere. Go and read Laylock's Wisdom and also grab the free pdf download for some awesome gift tags! ("Knit Love" on the sidebar)

Derya rocks my world!

Podcasts of Yayness

Found some podcasts while reading through my Google Reader. Check it out. (Yes, my Juice podcast aggregator is working overtime for me!)


Stitch It! Knitting Spinning and Yay
Knitmore Girls Mainly Knitting
High Fiber Diet All things fibery
Knaked Knits
Brass Needles Sci Fi Geek Out and Knitting
She Knits

I have some more stuff to listen to when I walk to work! Yay!

Friday, May 15, 2009

LYS TOUR 2009-The Damage So Far...

Two days have elapsed in Puget Sound. All I have been doing is trying to get to all 23 shops in the Local Yarn Store Tour of 2009. Out of 23, I have 9 left to do, and 2 days to get them done. It shall be!

Okay, so the damage so far. I limited myself to a total of $50 per day on this tour. (Trust me, the allowance was necessary considering how INSANE I went last year...)

Here is what I have so far:









Okay, through the list, I bought:

-Two skeins of Cascade Yarns Kid Seta, one in shade 407 (the black one) and shade 403 (the pale aqua color)....Don't you love shade numbers? How descriptive!
-One skein of Socks that Rock Lightweight in the Tricoter/LYS 2009 colorway, and exclusive shade dyed up for Tricoter.
-One skein of Rio De La Plata kettle dyed sock yarn in Medieval Blue (shade code SS15) for some MAN socks for my dad for father's day.
-2 skeins of SchoppelWolle(german for Wool Shop, in case you didn't guess...) Zauberball in the black, grey, white schema. Probably going to be a scarf.
-The big purple fluffy thing? That 2.27 POUNDS of top done up by Foxglove Fiberarts in the Black Currant colorway (bought from Main Street Yarns. I have to mention it because it's so damn cool!) 20% silk, 80% New Zealand Merino, and oh so pretty. Makes a nice pillow, too. :D
-A Darning Egg by Darn It!
-A bottle of Soak Flora scent (what?! I was out of it!)
-A tee shirt that says "Got Yarn?" on it
-The Spinner's Companion by Bobbie Irwin
-Color in Spinning by Deb Menz

And yes, I did technically stay within budget. Never you mind that poundage of top for spinning...that wasn't my purchase...I just HAPPENED to be in the right place at the right time to benefit from it.

Oh, and apparently Miss Pixel has adopted the darning egg as a toy. I must break her of this habit.

More damage tomorrow! I can almost guarantee it!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

From Last Night

"The new transformers movie can have Optimus Prime reading the phone book for all I care. I'm still gonna see it!"


We went to go see the new Star Trek movie last night (it's fine, don't hold a grudge. The movie was well done, and had a few nods to the original series. I liked it).

Afterwards we were discussing upcoming movies, and Transformers came up. Hence the quote. Yes, these are the type of people I hang out with. :D

Thursday, May 7, 2009

FO: Crazy Mom Monkeys



Crazy Mom Monkeys

Pattern: Los Monos Locos
Made For: Mother, for Mother's Day 2009
Yarn: Yarn Lust All That Glitters sock in Emerald 1 skein (really, I had left overs...) 63% Superwash Merino, 20% Silk, 15% Nylon and 2% Silver
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace 2.5 mm (US 1) 47"
Mods: I used a Turkish Cast on to do these two at a time. For the pattern, I just used the chart from the original Monkeys Pattern by Cookie A. For the ribbing, I required a little more elasticity, so I chose to do 2x2 ribbing, because the twisted rib has less elasticity.

All in all, I am very please with the way this yarn and pattern behaved. Gorgeous color, and also a great and easy to do pattern. Five stars. Buy Yarn Lust's stuff. It's great!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Kindle DX

Okay, two things of note:

1) I love the idea of a native pdf reader (for knitting patterns), but it is too big. The landscape view is a nice addition though.

2) the boy in the park? He's on UW campus. Watch the video and you will see the cherry blossom trees of the Quad. Hooray for college?

That said, if they shrink the size a lil bit, I will buy one.

Sure Am Glad It's Raining

LB got a sad call this morning. His uncle passed away in the night. That was the last link to Father's side of the family. I feel sad. I mean, yes, I am still a relatively newcomer to this family, but still. He was family. Even to me. I hope LB's dad is doing okay.

In other news, CraftyCoug was able to complete one sock for me so far. Just 15 inches left of the first skein of Reynolds Sea Wool. special huh?

And I am 3.5 inches into the cuffs for the Crazy Mom Monkeys. Just a few more repeats of the lace pattern to go! Yay!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Captain Resourceful and the Dirt Demolishers

Okay guys. It only took me about two hours to thoroughly scour the first fleece (Monette's) courtesy of Schoonover Farms, from a Craigslist ad. Here is a before picture.



And here are the after shots. Damn, that's some CLEAN fiber!





It is no longer brown, but a gorgeous silvery gray color. Let me first say that the scouring method used for this first fleece was:

1)Hot water from the tap into the tub, about halfway full. Add Palmolive (green apple scent, just to be cute) until the water turns a shade of green. Swish water around so the dish soap is evenly distributed. Put on rubber gloves (mine happen to be hot pink....don't ask) and lay the fleece on top of the water. Gently smoosh down the fleece until completely submerged. Hang around for 20 minutes. Push the fleece to the back of the tub, and unplug the drain. As the water drained, I squeezed out more water, as gently as possible to avoid felting. Then I gathered up the fleece and tossed it into a dish tub I had from dyeing.

2) Repeat the bath 2 more times. Seriously, until the water is less like mud and more like water (fleeces are dirty, what can I say?)

3) Refill tub with hot tap water (mine was most likely 120 degrees. My barista hands tell me so...) minus the soap. Add the fleece back in. Press under. Let sit for 15 minutes, then gather the fleece and drain the water.

4) In the last rinse bath, I added some Soak to the mix, just to condition the fleece and make it smell like flowers (what? It was Flora scent!)

5) The fleece was then removed from the water after about 15 minutes, and then place on a big bath towel. I then stomped on the towel, just like I do with knitwear. Then I laid out a clean dry towel onto my drying rack, and put up the sweater catch on the other side, and spread the fleece out evenly to dry.

Okay, so what happened? It started to torrentially RAIN! *grrr* Which means the fleece is still not dry, despite being in my 75+ degree apartment for 24 hours. Well, it's at least drying...

Fast forward to today. I had a moment of inspiration while trolling Ravelry looking for fiber prep solutions. Keeping in mind that this is a Shetland fleece, and I am nowhere near deciding what I want the finished product to be, I decided it would be best for me to get both wool combs and wool cards. The issue? Wool combs can run you upwards of $40. Wool combs? Closer to $70 if you're lucky. What did I do? Went to the pet store.

$15.03 later, and one trip to PetSmart, and I have two sets of soft dog slicker brushes (which look strikingly similar to wool carders...) and two sets of dog combs, one which has tines of two heights, and the other with a single row all the same height.



Yes, that brand does say Bargain Hound. What can I say....at 97 cents per comb, I couldn't resist (clearance is a good thing) and the orange carders were $2.99 a pop. Not bad, huh?

For those of you with champagne tastes, I did find a tutorial for making wool combs by hand on the cheap. Go here. Wool Cards on the other hand require carding cloth, which is sold by the inch and is special order. As soon as I figure out how to make it by hand, rest assured I will share the secret. But until then, hit your pet store for some cheaper alternatives for fiber prep. I do warn you. Real wool combs and carders are bigger and are meant to handle larger capacities of fiber at one go, but I am still happy to trade a few minutes of time in exchange for keeping more of my money for actual fiber. :D

I can't wait til that fleece is done so I can test the fiber prep angle and decide which way I would like to process the fleeces. Oh that, and so I can wash the other fleece (which is currently sitting in a plastic bag in the box it was mailed to me in.) I need another drying rack.

In other news, I went to the Container Store and got some more underbed totes to put the rest of the newly acquired yarn into. And also, some lavender scented cedar balls. All of it was on sale for the Spring Sale. I spent $30. Including tax. How cool is that? I will, of course, need to go back to get a few more totes for storing the fleeces. Preferably before the sale ends on Sunday.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Shetland Scour, Super Powers!

Okay, so the Shetland fleeces I bought off of Craigslist Seattle showed up today. Let me tell you, they certainly SMELL like FARM. It's a great and refreshing smell. Granted, I am insane, and do not purport to be anywhere near the level of sanity required to realize that a new spinner with a raw fleece may not be a wise idea.

Okay, so here we go. I'm off to scour some fleeces.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Shop Update

Hey guys, check out the shop! (see the link on the right? --> )

I just put up a couple of books and magazines for sale for a destash. Feel free to check it out!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Sleepy

I have spent most of the week fighting off LB's plague syndrome (he has a cold, lovingly dubbed the Monkey Cough, not the Swine flu or whatever other epidemic the media is harping on). I am exhausted. I do not sleep well. I am actually kind of perturbed.

Wednesdays are the usual day that I can get away with knitting a few rows while on shift. Unfortunately, this past Wednesday was spent doing the inventory audit (making sure all the stuff was on the list for the real inventory). Let me tell you what a waste of time that was! We removed things from the list (despite my dissent) that we subsequently got in stock yesterday when our order came in. For goodness sakes, doesn't that seem freaking counter-intuitive? Again with the system being retarded, and my poor foolish lead following blindly.

Anyways, we finished inventory in record time. Partially due to my forethough of writing numbers of things onto their cases, so we didn't waste time counting them and opening all the boxes, and partially because we had *gasp* STAFFING! It was amazing. We had four student employees come in.

The down side is that I should have gotten overtime because I went in early. The sad part is, we were done so early, I could have LEFT an hour early. No overtime for me. *sigh* I really could use the money. This debt thing isn't going away on its own you know.

At any rate, it's sunny out today, unfortunately, I cannot enjoy it. I went to doctor x yesterday morning to see why the hell I have a jaw infection (yes, my diagnosis was correct) and got put on some super broad spectrum antibiotics. Joy. Trouble is, increased sun sensitivity. And I was already allergic to the sun. *sigh* The good thing is, the infection should be cleared by the time I go in for that root canal and crown thing.

Oh. and I need to find a pair of less-than-$50 handcarders. Any ideas?

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Twisty Twisty


Look what I made! Yes, it actually resembles yarn. I am still getting the hang of drafting the fiber while treadling steady. It's more complicated than I thought, but when I was concentrating, I did make something that resembled a single ply.

Fiber: brown Louet 100% wool from the Drop Spindle Kit
Wheel: Ashford Kiwi
Ratio: 5.5:1

Sunday Plan

The deal for today is that I will work on the Crazy Monkeys for mom. As a reward, once every hour or two, I will play with my spinning wheel. (I found a deal for some raw fleece, and wish to be a decent spinner before I take the plunge of buying a few pounds of fleece...)

I would like to get the heel turned on these socks today, and that way I can work on the Central Park Hoodie for a little bit as well.

I got some new yarn. The yarn I put on order a few months ago finally got shipped to Weaving Works, so I went to pick that up (Universal Yarns Classic Worsted Long Print). In keeping with my "No Use Credit" thing, I paid in cash for the lot. Then I checked the sale bins. There was Austermann Step in there! You know, the yarn that has Aloe and Jojoba oil in it? Yep. Got two skeins at half price. *squeee* I had been wanting to play with it, but couldn't justify the cost of the one skein, especially since I hadn't seen any colors I really liked. Dude, one of the skeins knits up into something that resembles tiger stripes! Yay!

In addition, I picked up the new Knit.1 Spring/Summer 2009 (click to get the pictures), (which I am annoyed to report is not currently listed in Ravelry...they have the patterns set up, but no photos). I wish to do the Double-Sided Scarf (third row down, first photo, scarf on the right)(in purple and black, naturally). Nothing like justifying the purchase of 2 skeins of Kidsilk Haze, huh? When my budget allows, I will buy that. Other patterns in that issue: I am thoroughly amused by the ottoman cover (second row from the bottom, last photo). The rockstar story line has one decent shirt (the leaf yoke top, fourth row down, last photo) and the rest seems contrived. I kind of like the Rib and Ridge Stripe Cardigan (second row down, first photo), but feel that it would do better in a thinner yarn. The sock patterns are interesting, and created by some of my favorite people (Grumperina, Cookie A, Yarnissima, and Cat Bordhi of course). Rest assured that when I am a different shape than I am currently, I will certainly knit the Surplice Wrap (second row up, first photo).

Hmmm. While perusing the Knit.1 site, it appears that the magazine was not supposed to go on sale until May 5th. Bad juju. Oops, I guess someone at the LYS made a boo boo.

I also received the new Interweave Knits mag on Friday. The first thing that really struck me when I opened up the magazine wasn't really anything to do with Interweave. It was the big ad on page 25 saying that Euroflax Linen is now being treated with a compound to soften the yarn up a little more. Holy crap. That's awesome, because having to soak the yarn in the skein with conditioner before knitting with it was easy enough to do, but it took time out of my knitting with it. *beam* I can't wait to see how well this works up!

[Back to the magazine] First things first! Techknitter has a first article! It's well written (as can be expected) and it is all about jogless stripes. Let me say, I have been reading the TechKnitting blog for a few years now, and am so excited to see that all the goodness is getting printed in Interweave. It's about damn time! I totally squee'd when I read on the blog that this was to occur, so you can understand just how much I was squeeing when I was actually reading the magazine. Please buy Interweave Knits, if only for this article!

Second, the articles, as usual, are decent, and share a little info that you might not have known before. But let's talk about the Patterns! From the "New Heirloom" section, I will certainly be doing the Great Gatsby dress Mari Lynn Patrick designs things that are simply delicious.



Annie Modesitt's Laura's Cardigan is a design where I like the shaping but hate the coloring. It will be something I knit in another color. Well done, though.



I really like the color and shape of the Grotto Wrap by Karen Kendrickhand, but if you look closely at the first photo, the sleeves are too short for the model. Make sure you double check the desired length before binding off those sleeves!



In the "Forever Lace" section, I was excited to learn that I could do the OneShot Lace Hat with a single skein that I had sitting around. Anything that used less than 200 yards makes me happy. The Luminarie Lace skirt (another Annie Modesitt) is pretty, and may be a good thing for when I am bored out of my skull from doing socks.



All in all, I was pleased with the patterns for the Summer Interweave (usually fall is when the really good patterns come out)

Well, which ones will you be knitting?

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Something He Said To Me...

I was just reading through the Entrepreneurial Dreams ravelry thread about "what are you escaping from?" and it struck me.

I have a job, sure. But as my lead said to me "This is just a paycheck. Don't take anything personal here. It's just a way to get a paycheck." Keep in mind, this lead is entirely too young and too new to be this jaded. But definitely had a point. It is just a job. I am using them for health insurance to pay for my insulin, and I am making sure I can pay rent and food costs. It is simply a means to get somewhere else. My job will provide me with one class per quarter. Great! And it helps me get to where I am going....

Trouble is, I have no idea where I am going now. I'd like to up and quit and simply open that yarn shop. Unfortunately, my logical side is saying that I should go back to school and get an MBA first. I know that 60% of small businesses fail. I know I need a plan B. It just so happens that my plan B involves me investing my time in school before doing the dream job.

What do you think? Shop or school?

Monday, April 20, 2009

90% done!!!



I seamed up the CPH yesterday. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. I mean, realistically, Mattress stitch isn't hard. I just obsess about things (you can thank my dad for that trait).





Miss Pixel decided that I required her help, of course. Such a cute kitty.

And yes, I did start the hood, then promptly mis-crossed a cable, so as soon as I am back to that section, I will be dropping some stitches in order to make it right. My biggest worry right now is that I will not complete this sweater before summer comes, due to some gift knitting that must be accomplished.

The Monkeys for Mother's Day are coming along nicely. I am one repeat into the pattern on the instep. I have decided that Father shall also receive socks for Father's Day...it's just a matter of getting measurements. Oh, and his will be made out of Regia bamboo color, because dad seems to think wool might be too warm for summer. :P

Stopped over at the Fiber Gallery yesterday. I needed to pick up coil-less safety pins in order to mark where to pick up stitches for the hood and the button bands. And then I promptly fell into a wool pile. I had completely forgotten that they were having an anniversary sale, and that I was to avoid yarn shops for that very reason. The good news is, I spent less than LB thought I would. I came home with some Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine in a cornflower blue color. And then some Cascade Pastaza (llama and wool, who can argue?). Oh. And I bought the Namaste Newport bag that I have been eyeing. They had it in Eggplant. Yes, I have a purple purse now. All in all, it was a fun day. And I even updated my stash on ravelry in order to reflect my recent purchases. Go me.




Off to work now. Hopefully it will be a slow day and I can get some knitting done. :)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Only A Hood To Go!

I finished the other sleeve last night, and they are both blocking now. The next thing on the list is to sew it all up so I can do the hood. Good thing mattress stitch isn't as hard as it looks, right? Of course, the sewing up won't really get done til Sunday, I think. Of course I will work on it the other few days, but I think it'll be a two weekend project. On the bright side, I hope to have a Central Park Hoodie that is actually wearable by May! I have decided to do a zipper closure, simply because, it might be a pain in the butt to insert, but I think the years of use I will be getting out of this sweater will make it well worth the wait.

I have decided to do Crazy Monkeys for my mom for Mother's Day. For those who do not know, Crazy Monkeys are Jennifer O'Sullivan's toe up adaptation of the Cookie A Monkey Pattern available on Knitty. Now, unlike some people, I love Cookie A patterns because of their seeming complexity. Makes me feel quite clever to execute one of the patterns despite the fact that they are written out completely in the pattern. I wish to feel clever.

Yarn chosen for this project is Yarn Lust All That Glitters sock yarn in Emerald This stuff SPARKLES. And since Mom likes shiny (much like her daughter...) I thought this would be fitting.

The surprising thing about this pattern is that I got gauge on the first try. So, you KNOW that means that there will be some sort of horrible gauge war once the socks are on the needles. :P Oh well. It's worth it. This stuff is squooshy.

Now, because I have no other photos to share, here is a picture of my breakfast this morning: Pastry Puffins and coffee

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

*sigh*

My lead is an abrasive power hungry monster who delights in ordering people around who happen to know how to do their job...better than she does.

I hate my job *still*

Pretties!

Let me show you what I have done! I finished the first sleeve on the Central Park Hoodie, and am now working on the second one. The funny part about it is that I had used a TINY bit more than one skein of yarn. I got to where you start binding off, and had to attach another ball. *giggles*




I am still happy about this last weekend. It was so much fun! Hopefully that happiness will get me through the rest of the week.

OH! And I took a class last night, called "How to Start Your Own Business" aka Business Plan 101. As it turns out, I have been doing everything right. I had been invesigating the market, and deciding what my target market would be, and also discovered that I have a mind for business. Maybe getting an MBA isn't such a bad idea. Of course, the tuition hike still may affect the Masters programs....

Anyways, go me! :D

Monday, April 13, 2009

Glorious Weekend of Fibery Goodness

It was so great to have CraftyCoug out here! We played, knit, shopped for yarn, knit some more, dyed some yarn, etc. And it was splendid!

First of all, I bought plenty more yarn. Get this, I only spent a total of $60. From Fiber Gallery, I bought some undyed Corriedale top, so stay tuned to see how this goes in dyeing and spinning. :D Then we went to Weaving Works and I got Classic Elite Miracle alpaca tencel blend. And then some SWTC Therapi (I am interesting in working with rock yarn now, apparently) in a lovely olivey green tone.

At Bad Woman, I bought some Cascade Heritage sock yarn in a glorious red and black gothy skein of goodness. And also some Reynolds Sea Wool (no pictures, sorry) that has no part of the sea in it. ;P

Over the weekend, we both decided that I must be wholly incapable of knitting myself socks...so I gave CraftyCoug some yarn (Reynolds Sea Wool, and also my orange n yellow Sassy Stripes) so that she can make me socks. Hehe. (and now that I think of it, I believe I forgot to give her foot measurements...oops)

It was so much fun! And then on Saturday we dyed up some yarn. Hers turned out darker than she wanted, and mine turned out a paler shade than was expected. It was special. But the yarn is up on Etsy now, 100% baby alpaca. :D



Pretty, yes? Please buy it!

Anyways, back to the rat races, as I work early today. And then I have an entrepreneurship class, and then other stuff.

Have a splendid day!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Is it time yet?

I am almost done with the ribbing for the first sleeve of the Central Park Hoodie. Almost. Trouble is, I am bored out of my mind. And the weather is getting warmer. Who wants to work with wool?

I did add the Leyburn Socks to my queue for Mother's Day knitting (which I should start almost immediately). And my Father will receive a pair of Lifestyle socks (with a rib pattern) for Father's day.

Yes, my plate is full. But you know what? THIS WEEKEND IS GONNA ROCK!!!!!!! CraftyCoug is coming out to visit me, and she is gonna stay over the whole weekend!!! So not only do I get to flash back to my school days with sleepovers, but we also get to dye yarn! *squeeee* And do things that don't really cost money, since we are both broke. It's gonna be so nifty!!!

Of course, the apartment needs some cleaning before anything else can happen. And Pixel will be annoyed with the rearranging of the furniture to accomodate the futon. Oh well. She'll live.

Gawd. I am so excited!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

fall down go boom

I may have just ordered a sweaters' worth of Malabrigo worsted.....for cheap.....

*cough* Dizzysheep.com

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Shop Update




Yes, there is actually yarn in Pandora's Box of Fibers....

Please take a look. And, as always, alchemy is welcome, and I can provide you more yarn if you so choose.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Dangit WEBS!

freaking sale of doom up. I have in my cart, three sweaters worth of yarn, and a pair of socks. All for roughly $110.

Trouble is, I can't really buy it. And I won't buy it. But, OH THE TEMPTATION!!!

Webs is evil. 'nuff said.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Gut Feeling

I am sorry, but with the weather the way it is, and the way that I've been feeling lately, I can't help but think that today will be the culmination of all the bad that has happened in the past two weeks. And it's making me feel really ill.

I have my meeting today, regarding the counseling. Of course, I have little faith in the system. And of course, this may result in me turning in notice anyways.

I did finish dyeing 3 colorways last night for the shop I hope to be able to do more over the weekend. And then begins the hunt for names for the colorways. It's always a fun and creative process.

If there are any deities left in the Western world, I'd like them to give me a little help here. Possibly a big yarn commission, or a job offer from one of the 52 places I've applied so far...*crosses fingers*

Also, I am looking for volunteer knitters to help decorate my current place of employment with knitting. I was thinking we'd all choose a semi solid yarn and then a pattern out of Barbara Walker's encyclopedias. Anyone want to help?

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Good News, Or "That's It, I'm Gonna Be A Dentist!"

Okay, so guess what I did today! yep. Dropped $600 on dental work. I did get the crown of doom put in (it was only a year old, and the damn thing FELL OUT! AHem. New year, new dentist. BTW, never go to Derakshani in Bellevue. Punk) So, new dentist, puts it in, after an hour of making sure it was absolutely perfect. At this point, I really appreciate careful dentistry. Then we discussed my treatment plan. You see, I am still of the mindset that this job that I am in is gonna be the death of me. So I suggested that we do the most important stuff in the next two months, that way, when summer is here, I can skip on over to a new job, and not worry about dentistry for a few months.

They had extra time, so they asked if I wanted to get one of the more pressing fillings done. Cost? Still in budget. So I agreed. 20 minutes later, a perfectly matching porcelain filling on number 6. cool. And they are able to get me in again in April for the rest of the pressing fillings (2). Okay, so my patient portion was a goodly chunk. Just imagine being the dentist! that's gotta pay the bills and then some! (perhaps this is why golfing was listed as one of her hobbies...those 9 irons aren't cheap!) So that's it. I'm gonna study to become a dentist.

It makes me happy that the University is actually paying for my smile. In more ways than one. :D

Rewind. Before leaving for my appointment, I set some sock yarn to soak in wetting bath so that I could spend the afternoon dyeing. And dye I have. I have one colorway done. All handpainted and purty (pictures to follow, once it has dried and been reskeined.) I have colors picked out for the second one.

BTW: Costco plastic wrap? EXCELLENT for microwave dyeing. In fact, it was so easy and clean! *squee*

So I will finish dyeing those up, and hopefully be able to update the Etsy shop next week. (have to wait for new niddy noddy to show up. So midweek, I think)

oh, and the job still sucks. No matter what they tell you.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Backpedaling is the New Black

So. In my meeting today:

"we never said you'd have cut hours or lose your benefits! That must have been a miscommunication! Oh, and I understand you don't like your new location. But just give it a chance, and we will work with you. Here's some sunshine and posies to make it all better"

Okay...so the last sentence didn't happen. But it should have. there was a WHOLE LOT of apologies and silliness, which I think was instituted by the Union jumping down management's throat. Go union. I knew those dues were worth something.

Oh, and I sold another sweater's worth of yarn. Thanks guys, you just paid for some it-really-can't-wait dental work. I appreciate how much you guys wanted to help.

I still wanna quit my job. But at least know I can bide my time until i am actually ready to move somewhere else. Let me tell you though, I am still applying like crazy to other places. It's just that there is less....urgency, I suppose.

Hooray. Oh, and tomorrow I get to take the day off in order to go get a crown put in. oh squee.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Guitar Hero is Silly

Am currently sitting in front of the tv, half-paying attention to Librarian Boyfriend playing Guitar Hero Metallica. It makes me laugh. The animation is terrible and the songs are great...when played by the band. :D

Will be turning in notice tomorrow, I think. It freaks me out, but I think i will better be able to concentrate on changing careers once this bag of cement rocks is off my sinking boat. And the bonus will be that I will have time free to go to all the career fairs happening around Seattle. YAY!

gawd. It's gonna be hard. But they did bring this upon themselves, I think.

Union Contract makes good

I am working 8 hours today. Mini blessing in a sea of screwed-up-ed-ness. This buys me a little time to figure out my next *uber mature* move.

I want to be done with this, but I also really like having a job. really a lot. Strange, isn't it?

And so, I go to work today, keep my head down, and pray for rain.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

In the Darkest of Times

There is still the Rockin Sock Club. I received my March shipment. Now, I am not one for mauves and browns, but damn, this is pretty. And I fully respect Stephanie Pearl-McPhee for her use of picot edges and rosebuds.

I will knit these. As soon as I finish selling all my yarn.

I don't suppose that I can use this as a method of achieving my goal to reduce my stash size. I am too depressed to think about it.

Mom took me out to lunch today, and then we went up to get her new glasses. I talked to her regarding my situation with the JOB. She agrees that I should be turning in notice before I become jaded at being screwed out of hours and insurance. I think I am making the right decision. But it's so scary. Because as soon as notice is given, it's.....PERMANENT. No going back, no safety net. Nothing. And that's what's really getting to me.

I am selling my possessions to afford rent the next few months. I wake up, apply online for jobs, search for opportunities and job fairs. I look at the mountains of yarn that I am saying goodbye to. I stare into the box of undyed yarns that I must take care of. I look at my Etsy shop and pray that it'll be enough. And then I think about my collection of rare books, and think about how I can sell them.

But at least I still have BMFA Rockin Sock Club to look forward to. Since it was paid for when the times were good, hopefully it will inspire those good times to return.

In the meantime, I will knit.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

It seems to me...

...that people should use logic and assume that they will have to pay shipping. Just a thought. I have had four people message me regarding yarns I am selling, and then when I message them back with the cost of shipping, they act surprised. "$10 for malabrigo? I thought the shipping was included with that price!" Jesus Christ. I am already selling at a loss, simply because I need the money. Of course shipping is calculated AFTER I am told what is desired.

I wish I didn't need to sell all my yarn. This is just silly.

the Gist of It

I have been informed that my position is being eliminated. As a "courtesy" they are offering me a position in a crappier location. I smiled last night, but will be giving my two weeks notice, because they are going to put me on part time no benefits. I can't survive like that.

I am a little freaked out right now.

Thank you for buying my stash. By the way, I still have an Etsy shop, and there will be an update of more yarn dyeings ASAP.

Pandorasslave.etsy.com

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

The Great Stash Sale, Continued

All of the yarn that I am not legally obligated to keep is now up on the Ravelry stash trade page here

Please give my yarn a good home.

I have spent the past 6 hours crying about it, but when it comes down to it. A place to live, and insulin to survive are much more important.

thanks.

Monday, March 23, 2009

The Great Stash Sale

Please email me at alisiadragoon at gmail dot com, tell me what yarn you want. I will send you a paypal invoice. Prices listed are the price for the yarn. Shipping is gonna be $4, regardless of how much you buy. Please buy lots. Paypal only please.

1)A Swell Yarn Shop Duet Sock yarn
Yarn weight: DK / 8 ply (11 wpi)
Amount stashed: 1 skein = 360.0 yards (329.2 m)
Dye lot: hand paint
Colorway:Lizard Scales
Color family: Green
Price: $20


2)Alpaca with a Twist, Baby Twist Jumbo Hanks
DK / 8 ply (11 wpi) SOLD
Amount stashed:2 skeins =1098.0 yards (1004.0 m)
Dye lot:79191
Colorway:2004-Fireworks
Color family:Red-purple
Price: $36


3)Alpaca with a Twist Fino
Yarn weight:Lace / 2 ply
Amount stashed:1 skein = 875.0 yards (800.1 m)
Dye lot:8661
Colorway:0500-Pearl Black
Color family:Black
Price: $15


4) Alpaca With a Twist Fino
Yarn weight:Lace / 2 ply
Amount stashed:1 skein = 875.0 yards (800.1 m)
Dye lot:9344
Colorway:2000-Plum Wine
Color family:Red-purple
Price: $15


5) Bamboo Merino
Yarn weight:Sport / 5 ply (12 wpi)
Amount stashed:2 skeins =218.7 yards (200.0 m)
Purchased at:yarn shop under kyoto station,japan
Dye lot:763
Colorway:15-pale green
Color family:Green
Price: $10


6)Berrocco Softwist
Yarn weight:Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)
Amount stashed:1 skein = 100.0 yards (91.4 m)
Dye lot:79123
Colorway:9474-cornflower blue
Color family:Blue
Price: $10


7) Berrocco Ultra Alpaca
Yarn weight:Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)
Amount stashed:2 skeins =430.0 yards (393.2 m)
Dye lot:704
Colorway:6245-Black
Color family:Black
Price: $15


8)Berrocco Ultra Alpaca
Yarn weight:Worsted / 10 ply (9 wpi)
Amount stashed:8 skeins =1720.0 yards (1572.8 m)
Dye lot:702
Colorway:6289 Charcoal
Color family:Gray
Price: $55



9)BMFS Socks That Rock Lightweight
Yarn weight:Fingering / 4 ply (14 wpi) SOLD
Amount stashed: 2 skeins =720.0 yards (658.4 m)
Colorway:Lapis
Color family:Blue-green
Price: $30



10)Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca and Silk
Yarn weight:DK / 8 ply (11 wpi)
Amount stashed:1 skein = 146.0 yards (133.5 m)
Dye lot:9893
Colorway:139-Teal
Color family:Blue-green
Price:$8



There will be more posted once my emotional batteries have recharged. Please. I know the economy sucks, but if you can spare the money, please buy these things from me.