Random Wednesday - Halloween edition

• Lorelei is dressing up as a pirate today. There are very few costume choices for (almost) 3 yo girls since I don't sew. And since we already have a princess dress for dress up (that's still a little too big), I went with the pirate. Lorelei keeps calling herself Captain Feathersword (from Wiggles). I'll try and post some pictures tomorrow.
• In honor of NaBloPoMo, I will try to post every day in November. NaKniSweMo sounds like fun too, but I'm already in the middle of two sweater projects.
• I started a Wallaby for Lorelei last week. It's already about half finished, but there aren't any pictures yet. I'm using Plymouth Encore worsted (in the requested Red color) recommended by the lovely people at the Mannings. I think it's the nicest acrylic (blend) I've ever used. And sweaters for preschoolers knit up super fast. It took me about 2 weeks to knit one sleeve on my sweater, in two weeks Lorelei's sweater is almost finished.
• Damages - I finished watching this show last week and after watching an entire season, I'm still not sure if I even like this show. The acting was great, the story was pretty good, but the way it was told was pretty complicated. I liked the use of flashbacks, but they would show the same scene 20 times without adding any new information. The show hasn't yet been picked up for an additional season, but I guess if it does I'll keep watching.
• I can't believe that November starts tomorrow. I'm not ready for the holidays to be here already. Though I have started planning Lorelei's 3rd birthday party. Blue's Clues, because that seems like an easy cake to make.
• OTN - Lorelei's wallaby (50% complete), my perfect sweater (45%), husband socks (75%). I also have a couple Mason-Dixon baby bibs that need buttons, but they're for a friend who won't give me her address so I'm not in any hurry to finish them.

Have a great Halloween and don't eat too much candy!

Who says Summer is over?

Last week, our local PBS station replayed the Sesame Street episode with Tina Fey. Tina Fey plays a book-loving pirate (a bookaneer). Lorelei is a big fan of pirates and this episode, so we watched it about 4 times last week. Which is fine, I like it too.

BUT (there's always a but...) that episode had Elmo talking about the Beach. For some reason, Lorelei has decided that she loves the beach, even though she doesn't remember the one and only time that she was at the beach (at about 15 months old).

Anyway, Lorelei decided that she needed to go to the beach - so she found a sun hat, put on her sunglasses, and then demanded to know where her wim suit was, so she could go wimming (I guess she has trouble saying "swim"). When I refused, she took off her clothes anyway and wandered around the house in a hat, sunglasses, and her diaper. I'm almost sorry I didn't get a picture of it.

I think it's going to be a long winter.

Time flies ...

How about a little update?

• Took a week vacation. Spent the first three days hanging around the house with Lorelei's dad while Lorelei was at preschool - rollerblading, movies, adult-type activities that we don't get to do with Lorelei around. Spent the rest of the week up in Pennsylvania visiting battlefields and Amish people.
• While I was in PA, I went to the Mannings. Definitely the largest yarn store I've ever been to. I'm hoping to return soon to take a spinning class. I also bought a little bit of yarn - enough for a Lorelei wonderful wallaby.
• I won a contest! I won FKDeb's birthday contest - she sent me enough sock yarn to last me 6 months (I'm slow). Debi's the BEST!
• I finished a sock for Lorelei's dad. Now I just need to make another one.
• I finished the back of the Perfect sweater and I've almost finished the first sleeve. So I'm at about 40% finished.
• I started some baby presents for a friend (I didn't even know she was pregnant until a week after she gave birth - oops!). I'm working on a couple of baby bibs from Mason Dixon knitting and there may also be a hat.
• Fall TV!!

New shows I like (as of right now) - Chuck, Reaper, Dirty Sexy Money, Moonlight (I've only seen 1 episode of DSM and ML, but I like so far)
New shows I don't like - Journeyman, Big Shots (the guys are hot though), Gossip Girl (good show, but not my cup of tea)
New shows I'm undecided - Private Practice (the 2nd episode was better than the first so I'm not giving up on it yet), Pushing Daisies, Back to You (makes me laugh but the kid plot is weird)

Of course there are so many new shows that I have to check out that I'm way behind on everything - my DVR is getting pretty full.

HELP!

I'm having a weird day. Including maybe yelling at some people during a meeting.

So I thought "How nice would it be to go home and watch some Alias?" But I don't have any on DVD.

Question: If I were to buy some Alias on DVD, what season(s) should I buy?

BTW - I've recently watched the entire first 4 seasons in syndication and I watched the fifth season when it first aired, so I think I've already seen every episode.

I need a witty title

Sometimes I feel that I would blog a lot more, if only I could come up with witty titles. I spend so much time trying to figure out what to title my posts, that blogging doesn't seem fun anymore.

But I have things to share today.

Last week, I went to see the Yarn Harlot. There were a ton of people there. I got to the bookstore late (a half hour early) and had to sit way in the back. I couldn't actually see Stephanie, but at least I had a chair. I met some interesting people while waiting a couple of hours to meet Stephanie and I got several compliments on my Cozy.

Just in time for the end of Summer of Socks, I finally finished my beachy jaywalkers. I learned from the first time I made these and made them a little shorter (both in the leg and the foot) so that they fit a lot better. I am totally in love with the colorway, I just want to look at them all day long (and I probably will since I'm wearing them today).

I'm almost to the armholes on the back of my Perfect Sweater. (The color is much, much darker is real-life.)

Oh - and I won FKDebi's birthday contest. Yeah, me! It's been a good week.

And only 5 more days until my vacation.

Avast! It's Random Wednesday

Talk like a Pirate edition

• I finished the first Christmas present (except for the blocking). I'm amazed at myself - it's not even October yet. I have one other present to knit (as of right now), so I think I'm doing pretty well, maties.
• I started the Perfect Sweater. I'm making it in dark blue Casecade 220 and I have maybe 6 inches of the back done.
• A Summer of Socks wrapup will be coming this weekend (the jaywalkers should finally be done soon). I already have plans for a pair of husband socks, so those will be started soon.
• Prison Break started up again this week. I didn't love last season when they were on the run, but this season looks promising.
• Kitchen Nightmares starts tonight. I can't wait. I love watching G. Ram scream at people.
• Shiver me timbers!

Happy Talk like a pirate day!

FO Time!

First, I finished a Branching Out scarf (more picture on flickr). I used some Creative Focus worsted (soft pink) left over from Lorelei's scarf (from 2 years ago, maybe?). This was the first thing that I've actually blocked and I think it turned out pretty well. This may end up being gifted if I can think of anyone who likes pink. I love the pattern so much that I've already started on another one (almost 50% finished).
For my very first scarf, I made a 2x2 ribbed scarf out of some blue acrylic. The reamins of that giant skein of acrylic is still sitting in my stash, so I made a matching hat. It's big and thick and will be perfect for playing in the snow with Lorelei or walking the dog in the winter. Not the prettiest hat, but fully functional.
Finally, I needed an easy project to work on during lunchtime crafting while I was getting ready to turn the heel on my Jaywalker (not something I wanted to do while being social), so I made a ballband dishcloth.

I'm hoping to get my Jaywalkers finished before the end of summer next week. I already have plans for some boy socks after that (for Lorelei's dad).

Random Wednesday

• I finished a ribbed (acrylic) hat to keep my head warm this winter while playing in the snow (should we have any) with Lorelei. It matches the first scarf I ever knit. And still there is yarn left over. It is the skein that never ends.
• I'm about to turn the heel of the second Beachy jaywalker sock. I'm trying to finish it up before the end of Summer of Socks. Which will give me three pairs of socks (1 Lorelei pair, 1 pair of ankle socks, and 1 regular pair of socks).
• I'm about to start knitting some Christmas presents. We'll see how that goes.
• For the last couple of weeks, I've been spending most of my lunch hours knitting with people at work. I'm proud of myself for being so social.
• Lorelei loves pirates. The season premiere of Sesame Street had Tina Fey as a pirate who loves books ( a bookaneer). Lorelei thought it was the greatest episode ever.
• Lorelei also loves baseball. She can't hit or catch and she doesn't throw very well, but that doesn't stop her from wanting to play "baseball" every day.
• September looks to be a busy month. Most importantly, the Yarn Harlot is finally coming to town. Yeah!

Random Wednesday - Aug 29

• I started a new hat. I have a post all about it planned out in my head. Hopefully, it will get written soon.
• Ordered some pins for blocking (along with some yarn). They should arrive any day now and then I'll be able to block my branching out scarf. I also ordered yarn to make a couple more.
• Jaywalkers are still coming along. Slowly.
• Ravelry is still fun. I spent way too much time reading (not posting in) the forums. I also keep adding patterns to my queue.
• We took Lorelei to the Air & Space and Natural History museums over the weekend. She was very excited to see the astronauts (space suits). I didn't even realize she knew what astronauts were. She's a huge fan of airplanes, helicopters, and rockets, so I guess it's not such a stretch that she would like astronauts.
• I finally swatched for my Perfect Sweater. I think I need to buy some new needles and then I'll be able to start.
• I'm eagerly awaiting the new Fall tv season, NFL games, and baseball playoffs (even though my Marlins will not be playing).
• I'm planning my vacation for October. We had originally planned to go to Disney World, but decided to just drive up to Pennsylvania for a couple of days. And go to The Mannings. Is it wrong to plan my vacation around a yarn store?

Rainy Days and Mondays

It's Monday and it's rainy. Is it any wonder that I'm totally unmotivated at work today?

I have been knitting lately. I finished a pair of socks for Lorelei. They're a little tight and they're wool - so she'll probably outgrow them before it's cool enough to wear them. Oh well. At least I'll have a better idea of what I'm doing next time. (I used leftover Opal yarn.)



I also finished a pair of ankle socks for me in Tofutsies. They're really comfortable but the yarn is kind of a pain to use.




If that's not enough, I've also started a Branching Out scarf. This picture is from last week, I'm over half way finished now. The yarn is leftover from Lorelei's scarf - it's wool/alpaca and very hairy.

I'm in!

Ravelry user name TrishS

I feel like I'm cool now. :)

Also, this could be the biggest time suck ever.

Random Wednesday

• I finished Lorelei's socks. That makes 1 complete pair of socks in the Summer of Socks. They are a little tight on her and by the time it's cool enough to wear wool socks she will probably have already outgrown them. Oh well, I'll know better for next time. (Pictures coming soon.)
• The second of the Tofutsies footies is almost to the heel (it's toe-up). Hopefully that will be finished by this weekend.
• Summer of Socks update - 4 and a half complete socks (1 complete pair), learned Judy's magic cast on, tried figure-8 cast on, started using 2 circs instead of DPNs, learned sherman heel. So far this summer has been more about learning new things than finishing.
• Branching out - I started a Branching out scarf last week with some leftover pink wool/alpaca. I got through 1 and 1/2 repeats and then had to rip the whole thing out. Started again and have two complete repeats. It's pretty, but it's a pain to fix mistakes.
• I spent lunchtime with other knitters/crocheters in my office yesterday (most of whom I had never met before). I was very proud of myself for being so social instead of hiding at my desk like usual.

Weird - I thought it would be closer to 100

I am 71% Addicted to Coffee

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Done!

FO: Book 7
Start: 7/25/07 5:00pm
End: 7/27/07 12:30am

It took about 13 hours for me to read it cover to cover. I liked it. The end didn't make me want to throw things, so I'm happy.

Eventually, I want to go back and read all 7 in a row but not for a while - I'm a little HP'ed out.

The goal

My goal for the rest of the week is to finish the first tofutsies sock.

I've finished the first Jaywalker and the first Lorelei sock, so as soon as I finish the first footie, I can start on some second socks. And once I've finished all three pairs of socks, I can start some new stuff. I really want to start some new stuff. Stuff like Branching Out, Adamas, the Perfect Sweater, christmas stockings, hats, more socks.

The Sorting Hat says ...

The sorting hat says that I belong in Hufflepuff!

Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot, and treat them just the same."

Hufflepuff students are friendly, fair-minded, modest, and hard-working. A well-known member was Cedric Digory, who represented Hogwarts in the most recent Triwizard Tournament.

 

Take the most scientific Harry Potter
Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!

FO Friday: Cozy

After nine months, I finally finished Cozy. It almost feels weird not to have it sitting in my knitting basket waiting for me to work on it. I really enjoyed knitting this. I used 8 balls of KnitPicks Andean Silk and it's about 63 inches long, which as you can see is long enough to wrap around me and Lorelei.

Happy Friday!

Summer of Socks Update

We're almost a month into the Summer of Socks, so let's see what I've done.

Finished Socks - 0

Socks in Progress - 3

I tried a couple of new cast on techniques on DPNs. Those didn't work out too well. But then I tried Judy's Magic Cast On with 2 circulars (I tried it with DPNs too but that didn't work for me). I LOVE it. And I'm really liking knitting with 2 circs. I'm also about to try a new short row heel. So, not many (or any) finished socks but lots of learning.

• Jaywalkers - I'm almost to the toe (cuff-down) of the first sock. These have been pushed aside for more exciting projects lately, but I still love them. The beachy colorway is so pretty.
• Tofutsies footies - I recently bought some Tofutsies (because a friend was curious about it and that's the kind of friend I am). The yarn feels lighter and cooler than most of the sock yarn that I have used, so I'm making some ankle socks. I'm doing these toe-up on 2 circulars and I'm almost to the heel on the first one.
• Lorelei socks - Lorelei has been asking me to knit her some purple socks, so I've started. I've only spent a couple minutes working on these so far (usually when she bugs me) so I'm almost finished with cuff (cuff-down) on the first one. I'm sure if I sat down for a couple of hours that I could finish these up quickly. Maybe this weekend (yeah, right!).

I just finished up a big knitting project (pictures soon), so I should be able to finish up at least a couple single socks in the next week or two.

Lorelei Says the Darndest Things (LSTDT) #1

Lorelei's Dad has to work late tonight, so I let Lorelei help choose dinner as we were driving home.

Me: Do you want pizza or chicken nuggets for dinner tonight?
L: Ummm, how about cookies?
Me: No. Pizza or chicken nuggets?
L: Roni pizza.
Me: (huh?) You want macaroni and cheese?
L: No. Roni pizza.
Me: (finally getting it) OH - pepperoni pizza.

Later as we drove by McDonalds.
L: I want to get dinner.
Me: We're on our way home.
L: (Points at McD's) I want to go there.
Me: I thought you wanted pepperoni pizza.
L: No. I want that one tonight.

Found on the Knit List

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Purist. You are an accomplished knitter producing beautiful pieces with a classic feel. You sometimes lament losing half of your local yarn shop to garish novelty yarns. Perhaps you consider fun fur scarves the bane of knitting society and prefer to steer new knitters towards the wool and cotton blends. Some might call you a bit of an elitist but you know that you've been doing this craft long enough to respect the history behind it and honor it with beautiful piece that can last a lifetime. http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!








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