The Scarf

Okay, first I have to start with the car.  Oh, poor Roxy.  She was more of a mess than I thought.  I'd hoped the noise she was making was because the bushings were going bad.  But upon examination by a qualified mechanic, whom I trust, it turns out there was much more wrong with her than that.  So she got new ball joints and control arms and new wheel bearings and new transmission lines.  And I am out a small fortune that I'll be paying off for six months or more.  Which is less than fun but I will deal.

Second I have to say that I ended up getting sent home from work today.  It's actually pretty cool when you have a headache bad enough that your boss notices and tells you to get out and go home and get better.  Now, granted, she needs me to come in tomorrow so she'd rather I went rested so that I didn't have to cal in tomorrow, but still.  There's a lot of things that are crappy about my job, but the people, and the family atmosphere in our little office, isn't one of them.  

But after pain relievers and a good long nap, I woke up feeling 95% better and that was awesome.  I was able to eat, and that helped even more.  And then, I sat down and finished the scarf I'd been working on. I'm keeping it and I love it a lot.

So, I adore it.  And it's actually brighter than what is usual for me.  I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I do.  But because I do, I have no qualms about keeping it, even though I usually feel guilty about making stuff for myself.

It was super easy too.  I only had to frog it twice before I figured out that a simple basket weave pattern would both show off the yarn and give it texture and excitement.  It's color change yarn, and it happened to work out that the number of stitches I used meant it self-stripped.  Which, I think, is awesome.  

Pattern time!  In case anyone cares to give this a go.
I used Hikoo by skacel Simplicity for the yarn.  It's a DK weight, but I used size US 8 needles (5 mm).  It gives the yarn a bit more stretch.

CO 50 (or any multiple of five)

Row 1: K 5, P 5 to end
Row 2: P 5, K 5 to end
Row 3: rep row 1
Row 4: rep row 2
Row 5: rep row 1
Row 6: P 5, K 5 to end
Row 7: K 5, P 5 to end
Row 8: rep row 6
Row 9: rep row 7
Row 10: rep row 6

And yep, that's it.  Repeat these 10 rows till desired length, bind off, and you'll have alternating blocks of stockinette and reverse stockinette that are 5 stitches wide and 5 rows tall.  It means that this scarf is basically reversible, because whichever side is showing is the right side.  I love that in scarves.  

Okay, yeah, super easy pattern right?  Sometimes, simple is better.  Not always, but in this case, I definitely let the yarn do the work and I didn't want to muck it up with complicated stitches.  Besides, reversible! :D

Knits Like A Dream

My new needles arrived!  Yay!

I was so excited to open them up.  I was like a kid at Christmas.  Really.  They're pretty and the cables are nice and it's just a really lovely set.  Of course, I couldn't wait to use them and I immediately set up the size 8's so that I could replace the circular needle on the scarf I'm working on.  

First thing is they connect really easily to the cable, and the join is really smooth.  Since they are, in fact, Addi turbos, the finish on the needles is really sleek.  The yarn just slides right along and really, it's wonderful.

I'm telling you, this was one of the best purchases I ever made.

I'm loving this scarf, and I've been convinced to keep it for myself.  I'm just over the 75% done mark, and I think I may finish it this week instead of doing other things I should because I really want to get it done.  Then I have my hat, so there's that.  And the BFF's afghan to finish as well.  Now that I have this stellar set of needles, things will be easier and I intend to get working on those two projects.

I'm also making a baby blanket, for a new baby that will arrive at the end of May, and I am absolutely loving that one as well.  The yarn is simply fantastic, and I can't wait to finish that and show off pictures. :)

In other yarning news, the BFF has decided she wants to give it a try again.  I'm super excited about that.  We tried knitting a few years ago, but she didn't really take to it.  We're going to try crocheting this time, and we'll have a wine and learning night in the near future.  I love sharing my yarn knowledge, and I love teaching people the art, so I can barely wait. I want her to love it, and nervous she won't, but I know she'll give it a good try.  And that, in and of itself, will be fun.

Serendipity

So, last weekend I bought a couple of hanks of rainbow yarn with the intent to make a scarf.  This past Friday, I finally got a chance to sit down and yarn, and I started on the scarf because I didn't want to work on the hat.  After a couple of attempts, and frogging about three patterns, I decided on a simple basket weave.  I fell in love with it pretty quickly.  On Saturday, I worked on it some more, and as I neared the end of the first hank of yarn, I realized I didn't have enough.  In fact, I had nowhere near enough.  

I contemplated my options for a while.  I had enough for a cowl-ish neck warmer, and I could do that instead.  I didn't really want to buy more.  But then I got an email from my LYS saying it was birthday sale weekend, and everything in the entire store was 20% off on Sunday and Monday.  Well, that decided it, and I went to the yarn store on Sunday and bought two more hanks.

It's color change yarn, a variegated that basically self-stripes.  That was, in part, due to the number of stitches and rows in my pattern.  But it's fantastic.  But I discovered it had a very set pattern of colors.  So when I went to join the second ball of yarn, I had a decision to make.  I could just join on where it started, and the color pattern would change a bit.  But it would be clear where each new ball joined in.  Ultimately, I decided that wasn't something I wanted, so when I joined the second ball, I had to pull out a bunch until I got to the right section of color.  I wound that into a mini-ball, and then started knitting again, thinking I would join that little bit at the end or figure out where it went in the grand scheme of things.  

I went to the store and got two more hanks, and I wound them into balls last night.  And when I was done, I discovered something magical and utterly fantastic.  I chose all four hanks at random, just picked the same colorway and dye lot, but didn't examine the hanks too closely.  But, as I said, wound up into balls I saw something amazing.  The two hanks that I had bought, along with the little bit from the second hank, all end on the color where the next one begins.  It's perfect.

The ball I'm working on now ends in green.   There's a ball that starts with green and ends in purple.  The little bit left over starts in purple and end in yellow.  And the last ball stars in yellow and ends in purple.  That will be be the last ball I put on and, as an added bonus, it ends in purple which was the color that started the scarf.  

It won't be a perfect match for number of rows and the like.  But it will be a general match and that is just awesome.  It was a serendipitous series of events.  The yarn gods were with me.  Or something.  But it's awesome and I'm really happy about it.  

The pattern is relatively simple, with just a bit of variation to keep me interested.  And the color changes give an additional excitement to working on the project.  And I'm loving it.  

Also, I've gotten back into Ravelry, a social media site for yarners, and that's exciting too.  I joined about five and half years ago, but it fell by the wayside.  But I'm back there now, and that's fun.  Though as I was adding in some of my projects, I realized that I am sadly lacking in pictures of completed work.  I was going to be better about that, but it seems I've seriously slacked on it.  So that's another goal for me, to take the pictures of the completed works!

Anyway, after a bad few days, where nothing seemed to be going my way, and my temper was getting the better of me, and so was my sadness, it was really awesome to end the weekend on a lovely yarn note.  

Poor Sis

Sis is sick.  Way sicker than she's been in a long time.  It started with the sniffles, and then of course, got worse.  She started throwing up, and everything was bad.  The doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis and sinusitis.  But unfortunately, she was also still throwing up.  Because she couldn't keep anything down, she got really dehydrated.  With the sickness, and the dehydration, and the throwing up, there came a migraine.  But she couldn't do anything to combat the migraine because of all the other things.  

We ended up in the emergency room Thursday night because the pain was so very bad.

After an insanely long wait, during which she was crying and begging me to take her home, she was finally seen by the doctor.  Two hours, a half a liter of saline, some anti-nausea meds, and something for the pain later, and it was like she was a brand new person.  The pain was gone, and she was tired, but acting like herself again.  

She's getting better every day.  Still very sick, but she's better than she was two days ago. 

Which is why the relatives are still arriving today instead of cancelling their trip.  

So yes, house is going to be invaded again.  But with Sis sick, it's going to fall to me to pick up the Sis slack.  So, you know, socializing.  But fortunately, everyone is pretty able to entertain themselves so I don't have to chase after anyone or keep them occupied.  

It's still too cold, but I'm dealing as best I can.  

Knitting on a scarf right now, because now that the interesting part of the hat is done, it's sort of boring.  I'm trying to decide if I want to put some sort of patterning in or not.  Until I decide, it's sitting on the table and waiting.  When I get my new needles (I ordered a very exciting set of interchangeable needles from Addi and I can't freaking wait to get them!) it'll be the thing I work on.  One of the needles I have on the hat right now I don't like, so that, and trying to decide on pattern, is my excuse for leaving it as it is.  Since the needles may be arriving as early as next week, I'll have to make some decisions soon.  Until then, it can sit and I can work on the scarf.

It's not anything complicated, just a simple basket weave pattern, but the yarn changes color and that's always fun.  As I go along, I keep thinking, oh, I'll just do it until the next color comes up.   But at least it gives it a little flavor.  lol.  I didn't buy enough yarn, sadly.  But I just today got an email from my LYS saying that their big birthday sale is going on tomorrow, so I figure I'll pop over there and get some more, and 20% off to boot!  That's a good thing.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Too Cold and Other Stuff

I thought I was pretty inured to the cold.  I've lived here my entire life, it's always been like this, I thought I was used to it.  But this below zero weather?  Yeah, I've had enough. It's too dang cold.  Can I have my 20s back please?  

Brub is being sworn in today, and he'll officially be a lawyer.  I have to go to work, so sadly I won't get to watch, but Tato and Mum are going and Tato agreed to take pictures if he could.  It's a big deal, and I'm proud of Brub.  

I've implemented a time budget!  Can you believe it?  Finally!  lol.  Okay, so it's still a little, shall we say, flexible.  I think it needs to be because you know what happens when I make plans.  But I've got all the important things in there, the things I need and want to do.  And largely it consists of: when I get home from work I do X on a certain day.  It's been working for a few days.  So I'm going to keep at it.  Today, being Wednesday, means that when I get home, I write.  

Now the computer is near the window, and that makes things a big chilly, but I will deal.  I have my fingerless mitts, slippers, and a wrap.  So I think I'll be able to work.  As long as my brain doesn't freeze, that is.

Mondays means writing or reading, depending on what needs to get done.  Tuesdays are reserved for reading/reviewing.  Wednesdays I write.  Thursdays I yarn (and will be continuing work on my hat).  Fridays are more of a free day, in which I will do one of the three depending on either what needs to get done or what I feel like doing.  Saturdays there's sister time, but after that (or before) there is reading and/or writing.  And on Sundays is another free sort of day, where I read, write and/or yarn, again depending on what needs to get done and what I feel like.  So far, it's been working pretty well, though this past Saturday and Sunday got switched.  I'm going to try very hard to continue on this way.  

It works well in the regard that I can view it as rewards as well.  If I'm in the mood to yarn, but I need to read or write instead, then I tell myself, get through this, get your stuff done, and then you can yarn on this day.  I'm finding it to be a good motivation.  

So that's the report from my corner.  I'm freezing, but I'm doing okay.

How about you all?  Things going well with you?

Open Knitting

Okay, so, yeah.  I haven't done so well with the posting.  *shakes head*  I'm going to try to be better.

Remember some number of months ago, when I said I bought yarn for me, to make a hat for me?  Well, I started the hat and then decided I hated the pattern, and it languished for quite a while, doing nothing.  Yesterday, I decided to pull the yarn out again and to start over.  I knew what I wanted, I knew I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so with a little research, I decided to make up my own pattern.

Yeah, we know how that works for me.

But this time it's actually working!  

I've always made hats from the brim up.  You cast on a certain number of stitches, work the ribbing so it fits your head, then knit even until you get to a certain point, and start decreasing.  It's a tried and true method and it works really well.

Except I knew that wouldn't work so well for what I want.  Something slouchy and floppy, but fit to my head, and in the yarn that I have (which is a DK weight) and....I just couldn't find a pattern.  I was worried that if I started at the brim, I wouldn't have the right number of stitches or that, when I got to the decreases, I wouldn't know exactly how and when to decrease.  But, as usual, the internet is a glorious place.  

I thought it would be easy enough to knit it from the top down, start at the crown and increase to a certain point, and then knit even until I'm ready to do the brim. I figured at that point, I'd have to do some decreases and then work the ribbing.  

But I'm mathily challenged, and I was worried.  Fortunately, I found a (basically) no math hat that starts at the top.  It's just counting, and I'm good at counting.  So it doesn't matter what size yarn and needles you use.  You just count, and keep going until it reaches the size you want, and then you can just go on with the knitting.  This I can do.  So I started it this morning, and it's actually working like it's supposed to!

I used Judy's Magic Cast on to begin, so there's no hole at the top.  It's an awesome method, and I've used it before to make toe-up socks.  (Well, to start a few.  Never actually finished *blushes*) I started with eight stitches, and then increased the way the no math hat told me to. I haven't gotten very far yet, but it's going along wonderfully.  And I am very pleased.

Now, the title of this post?  Well, my LYS has open knitting on Saturday's from 1-3.  You just go and knit and have fun.  The only stipulation, and I think it's common courtesy, is that you're either knitting one of their projects or with yarn you bought there.  Since the yarn I'm using is some I did buy there....well, today, I think I'm going to go.  

I'm a huge introvert, and it's a scary prospect.  And honestly, I might chicken out when the times comes.  But I love the idea, just sitting and chatting and knitting with other knitters so...I'm going to try.  Because I think it would be fun.  

Wish me luck!

Snowflakes

The snow is falling.

Round these parts, we've barely gotten a couple of inches, and some of that melted away before new stuff fell.  Basically, we're rocking the powdered sugar coating that I love so much.  Roads are just wet so they aren't treacherous, and the houses and grass and trees look very pretty.  It's cold, really cold, but I have thick blood having grown up with it and never straying far, so after the initial shock of it, I'm happy.

A few hours west of here is a different story.  They got about six feet of snow in basically 24 hours.  Since I'm only (barely) five four, it would be way over my head.  I'm just grateful that didn't dump on us.

But it's put me in the mind of snowflakes, and so I've been making a few.  The first one didn't turn out like I wanted, so I have to do that over.  But I've got a few more drying now, so we'll see how they go.  

It's fun, if slightly painstaking, work.  As you can imagine, it takes delicate yarn and a tiny hook.  And I don't even do it with as thin a thread and tiny a hook as it could be done.  Maybe should be done.  Instead, I use fingering weight, and a size B hook.  It's still pretty dainty.  But they are rather quick to work up.  Then it involves pinning them out in the right shape, and painting them with a glue and water mixture so they hold their shape.  

A couple will eventually be taking trips.  But the majority?  They'll be hung up along with my other decorations.  And that, I'm super excited about.  I can't wait.  I'll share pictures when they're complete!

Playtime!

The BFF and I are having one of our night tonight.  It's been a bit since we got together--she hasn't even seen my hair yet--and with it being her birthday week, it was the perfect opportunity.  

We're having dinner at our diner, followed by prezzies, wine, and playtime.  We'll get a little bit drunk while we chat, and write, and do our respective things.  I love our playtime.  It's always recharging for me.

She's already decided on waffles for dinner.  Which makes  me grin because it's a fun deviation from the norm.  And she's feeling a little poorly, but I was assured that waffles and wine not only cure sickness but promote creativeness.  It's going to be a good night.

Now, I totally cheated on the BFF's birthday present.  The blanket isn't done, nowhere near, and she knew it all all along.  She knew I was making it, and she knew she wouldn't get it on time.  So she's getting some other things instead.  But it's a cheat, and I feel a bit bad about it.  She's already forgiven me for that, but...I still feel a bit bad.  

At any rate, it's going to be a great start to a great weekend!

Hope y'all have a lovely weekend!!

Being Me

So you may have noticed that I haven't been around in a bit.

I meant to post.  I really did.  But, you know, I didn't.  So there's no excuse for that, not really.  I just...haven't.

Anyway!  To fill you in on what's been going on...

Went to the BFF's new place last Friday, and I made her dinner and we also baked cookies. The oven was a little bit possessed and there was a bit of cookie burnage, but we managed to own that bitch and 96% of the cookies were full of awesome. It's just a cute little place, and it feels like her.  It's nice, and I fucking love her back door (get your mind out of the gutter, people!  lol)  Her kitty, Cersei, attacked the crap out of me.  It was so damn cute I don't even have words.  My hand was all chewed up, but I forgave her.  But it was awesome to have BFF time.  And I really loved giving her prezzies, one of which was her very own bob!

I had two days off this week and it was...not all it was cracked up to be.  Unfortunately.  Monday, I woke up with a migraine, and they suck donkey balls, and I was extra super pissed because it was a day I already had the day off of work.  At any rate, pills, and coffee, and unfortunately a little bit getting sick, took care of that, and the afternoon was mine. 

Tuesday I got bad news (and I was very sad), followed immediately by good news.  And also the Flash Fic Holiday Blog Hop sign up went live!  It's super exciting.  We've had quite a few sign ups so far, and I'm just thrilled about that.  And I really, really can't wait to see all the different stories that people come up with.  I think it's going to be so fun to see what's the same and what's different.  So Tuesday was just a roller coaster of emotion, and that made me tired.  It was mostly good, though.  

I've been yarning a bit.  I wanted to get the mitts done BEFORE I went to the BFF's but, yeah, that didn't happen.  But now I'm nearly done, so she really will have them in time for winter.  Her birthday present on the other hand?  Nowhere near done.  And since her birthday is like, in less than three weeks, well...let's put it this way.  I already told her it might be late.  She loves me so it'll be forgiven.  But I still really fucking love it, and she will too.  

And so, yeah, that's pretty much it.  Work is still work.  I've been writing, and reading, and yarning.  So basically, I've just been being me.  There were some low points, and I was really low, but mostly it was good.  

And  now it's Friday night, and I'm chilling and happy.  And I'm about to make tea.  And enjoy the holy hell out of my weekend.  

Sister Time!

So, Sis and I had extra sister time this past weekend.  Started with dinner out on Friday night, just because.  Then Saturday we hit the craft store and then had lunch out.  It was really good food.  Both times.  

While at the craft store, Sis bought a ginormous crochet hook.  The biggest they make.  And really fat yarn.  And then, she crocheted a wrap while I crocheted on a blanket and we watched West Wing.

 Comparison of one strand of the fat yarn, next to a single strand of regular, standard medium weight yarn.  Huge right?  Ginormous.  But that's okay, because it works up really quick.

 See how big this freaking hook is?  Do you remember my really big knitting needles?  It's about the same size, roughly an inch in diameter.  And you can see how it all works up, how big the stitches are.  How quickly you can make a 36" by 25" wrap.

And this?  This is the wrap.  Which is so warm and cozy it's ridiculous. And also mine.  Did I mention that part?  No?  Well it is!  She made it just for me!  Technically, she gave it to me as my birthday present, and said she did better than I did (yes, she did.  It only took her six and a half months, instead of the 11 months it took me for the first time, and the 10 it took me the second time)  And it's mine, and Sis made it for me.  For me!  Some actually yarned for me!

CAL Update

Okay, yeah, more CAL stuff.  This is what has been going on so far:

--I had to make some decisions right off that bat.  And decisions are sometimes tricky for me, because I end up second guessing.  I'm always wondering if I should choose a different path, if another choice would have been better.  Especially when it's something I have to commit to and shouldn't change later.  So!  The first thing I had to do was choose which color was A, B, and C.  This is a very individualized sort of thing, and the choice is left up to the yarner as to which color gets assigned to which letter.  I hemmed and hawed for a while, rearranging and second guessing.  But in the end, I decided the lightest color would be A, the medium color B, and the darkest color C.  .

--Since this is a mystery scarf, there are three options to choose from in each stage for the pattern.  I know I wasn't going to choose option A--it was just singles and doubles, nothing exciting.  So I skipped right over that.  Option B was interesting, with a combination of colors, but I sort of didn't like the way it looked.  So then it was obvious I would be doing option C (which, incidentally, was labeled intermediate skill, but I don't know why as it was super easy).  

Thus decided, color and pattern, I commenced yarning.

--When I was studying the options, I realized that the "blocks" of pattern would all end up measuring the same.  Pretty ingenious way of getting all the different pattern stitches to fit together.  So, having decided on option C, I picked up color A and started going to town.  Roughly an hour later, my first block was complete.  I'm not sure if all the blocks will go as quickly, it all depends on the pattern of course, but it would be nice if the only took an hour or two each.

--Since it's six weeks long, there are six blocks.  Again, I'm not sure if they'll all be the same length (I do know they'll be the same width) but if they are, then the scarf will be about seven and a half feet long.  In my opinion, that's a wonderful thing.  I personally like them long.  

--I'm very anxious and excited to see what's next up in the mystery scarf CAL!  I'm sort of peeved I must wait.  But it's something to look forward to.  

CAL

So I signed up to do a online Crochet-a-long.

What happened was this:

I'm not sure how I got on the mailing list, but it was yarn stuff so even though I didn't care too much about the emails, and I just looked at them and deleted them, I didn't unsubcribe.  And I got one for the CAL/KAL a couple of times and ignored it.  But a couple of weeks ago, I actually clicked, just to see and well, it snagged my attention.  Because, you see, Caron is doing something very special with it's United line of yarns.  A part of the price of every skein goes to Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and that right there tugged on my heartstrings.  How can that not be a worthy cause, right?  So I looked some more and I realized, it's a mystery CAL.  As in, I know it's a scarf, but I don't have the pattern.  In fact, the pattern comes piecemeal, with choices, every week, so the scarf will be truly unique.

Except...

Today was the first day of the CAL, and as I'm sitting here late Tuesday night writing this to go up Wednesday, I did not receive my first email with the first clue and the first piece of the pattern.  I checked out the forum, and a few other people seemed to have had the same problem.  I emailed the people to see what the problem was, but I haven't heard back yet.  So I'm a little upset, because I wanted to get started, and kind of aggravated as well.  

And speaking of the forum, that's the other thing.  I lurk, I'm a lurker, and I don't often get involved with things.  But it's part of my goal to actually engage in the forum in regards to this.  To ignore the shy, and to actually comment and be involved.  I even made a single post already there!  Go Me!  

I'm excited about this.  I'm excited about watching it take shape as I work on it in pieces, each choice each week, shaping the final product.  I'm even excited (and also nervous) about being involved online.  So I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for that first email, so I can get started.  Hopefully, it'll get sorted out tomorrow (today) and I'll be able to work on it after dinner out with a friend.  

Yay!

**update 1000 hours--the issue has been sorted out and I have now received the first clue.  Next week there should be no issues.  After dinner out, I will be starting on the first part of the pattern.  Woo!**

Ren Faire Recap

So yesterday kind of got away from me, what with the napping and all (*G*) and it wasn't until later in the evening that I realized I hadn't put up my Renaissance Faire recap post.  *shakes head*

We got a tiny bit lost on the way there, because the directions were shitty and we thought we were looking for a landmark that we weren't going to see because we came in from a slightly different direction.  Thankfully the GPS on the phone sorted us out and we were good to go.  We arrived only two minutes late.  Now really, there is no "late" because it's an all day affair and people come and go as they please but...

Anyway, we wandered.  We ate.  We saw all sorts of stuff.  Like the caber toss, and the pipe and drum band.  The queen and her court.  Pretty people in pretty clothes and talented artisans at work.  I spent too much money but most of it was on Tato for his birthday later this week.  But the rest was on me.  :)

It was a gorgeous day, and we had a really great time just wandering.  Sis and Toby were ready to go before I was, but we meandered slowly back toward the front gate, and Toby bought a hat, and then they were really ready to go so I conceded.  It ended up that it was a good thing, because we hadn't been gone more than twenty minutes before the sky opened up and let loose a deluge.  We would have gotten soaked.  And I'm sure a great many people did.

The only sad part was that the plot bunnies didn't seem to be out playing on Saturday at all.  I got nothing, or nearly nothing.  It's a rare occurrence, and it was a bit disappointing. But if I'm honest, as I look back on it now, there are few things I could work with...

But it was great, we had a fantastic time,  and I'm so glad we went.  I'd love to go again before it closed for the summer, but I just can't afford it.  *sad face*  Oh well, there's always next year!

Anticipation

Sometimes anticipation is half the fun.  That build up to the actual even, the excitement, makes it all the sweeter when it actually happens.  

Sometimes, though?  Not so much.

I have half a mind to drag Sis to the Ren Faire this weekend instead of next.  There is very little holding me back.  If my new shirt arrives today like it's maybe going to, I don't know what will keep me from doing it.  Except...yeah, the special events of next weekend's Highland Fling are better and more fun that this weekend's pirate theme.  

Except I really, really, really want to go.  

I tried on my dress the other night and was surprised to find that it is now ever so slightly too big.  I knew I'd been losing a bit of weight, which is great.  My clothes were definitely fitting better.  But that dress?  Well, it's not like I can just run out and get a new one.  First of all, it was hella expensive, because it was handmade, and since I only wear it maybe twice a year, it is still practically new.  On the one hand, I can actually breathe in it (the top has boning, like a corset) and that's pretty fabulous.  On the other hand there are...certain parts of my anatomy, that no longer stay where they are supposed to and the result is less than flattering.  There are some tricks that I can do, and a little sewing perhaps, that will make it fit better.  It'll get me through this year, at any rate.  If I keep losing weight, we'll have to reevaluate for next year.

At any rate, I'm horrible at waiting, and the anticipation is nearly going to kill me :)

I'll just have to distract myself this weekend with words.  I've got work much work to be done on that front and that is a good thing.  

Good Times Ahead

Every summer, in a little town not to far away, there is a Renaissance Festival.  The "shire" comes alive with entertainers and vendors and he hillside is transformed into a wonderful flurry of activity and fun.  

Sis and I are headed there next weekend and I can't wait.

We have a fantastic time, just her and I.  We wander at a lazy pace, we see what we want to see, stop when we want to stop, and just enjoy ourselves.  It gets fairly crowded as the day moves on but weirdly, in this one instance, I don't get freaked by all the people.  That's not to say that I don't sometimes need a moment in the quiet, but that's easy to find if I need it.

Yeah, I'm one of those people that does the whole dress up thing.  I have a pretty dress, skirt, and top.  I do up my hairs. I feel pretty when I dress up.  I don't even mind that Sis decidedly does not dress up.  lol.

It's even shaping up to be nice weather, though since it's still 11 days out, that could change.  But as it looks now, it'll be not terribly hot and a bit cloudy, but no rain.  Just how I like it.

And oh, the plot bunnies that run rampant at the Ren Fest are always freaking thrilling to see.  I'll end up staring into space a lot as my mind works, but Sis will keep my feet on the path.

The theme that weekend is Highland Fling, and there will be extra Scottish bits about.  Music and highland games and other little bits that we're both looking forward to.

I'm very excited.  Positively giddy with anticipation.  I can't wait!

Glorious Day

So Sis and I were up and out a reasonable hour this morning.  Found the new location of yarn store without trouble, walked up to the front door to see Lucy (the bulldog) and the owner's son on the wee porch.  Lucy loves people and went nuts.  I gave her lots of pets and told her she was a sweet girl.  I called her by name, which the owner's son thought was funny.  "Oh, so you've been here before huh?"

It's got a different layout inside, but I even like it better.  Still a great little place and lots of new yarns.  I actually fell back on one of my favorites Rowan (I got the color Seasalter) and a couple of balls of Marmot by Berroco (in colorway Spinel).  It's all for me.  I swear up and down.  The Rowan will be made into a hat because I don't have one yet (crazy, because I've made a bunch of them) that's all slouchy so that if I have my hair all down my back or up in a bun, I can wear it no matter what.  And the other is super soft and lovely to the touch, so that's going to be a short scarf/neck warmer.  Also for me.  

I also spent a stupid amount of money on needles, but they are my favorite kind, Addi Turbo, and I needed the sizes so I got them.  I'm well pleased but I have to avoid some frivolous shopping for a while.

After shopping, we went to Target real quick so Sis could pick up some stuff.  And then we went to lunch.  Oh my god.  The food was so good and I ate way too much, and so did Sis and it was all "UUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!" when we were done but it was worth it.  

And then I came home and took a nap.  And that right there was seriously awesome.

But now I'm awake and even though I need to make things that are other, you know, like the BFF's other mitts, or even the shawl I started for myself and didn't finish (I'm frogging that and starting over) I'm going to sit down in a minute and make either the hat or the neck warmer.  Probably the hat.  Cause fun.  I'm going to find something to watch and spend the rest of the evening/night yarning.  It's going to be great.  

Hello July!

I'm honestly not sure at all where June went.  Seriously.  The year is half over.  How in the heck did that happen??

I've had a crazy couple of weeks, and I sort of still feel a bit...discombobulated.  But I'm working getting those things sorted out so that I can feel more settled.  I have plans to just relax and hang out on the Fourth and I am very much looking forward to that.  I need a little downtime and the BFF is going to help with that.

In other news, there's not much to reports.  I still love yarn and coffee and reading.  I'm still working on a bunch of different things.  I'm still writing.  I'm still me underneath all the crazy the world has thrown at me lately and that is a very good thing.

Oh but fun news!  The baby was born yesterday, and he sent me an email this morning thanking me very much for his blanket and to tell me he loves it very much.  :D  He's beautiful, and mama and baby are both doing well.  

Feeling A Little Lost

It feels like there's been a lot going on in my life, but when I look back on it...well, not so much.  So I think that I'm going to have to chalk it up to feeling a little lost.  And now that I'm aware of it, I need to get it back on track, right?

Not this upcoming weekend, but the one after that, there's a road trip.  Nephew is finally getting christened.  And as much as I adore that adorable little bug--he really does have the best smile on the face of the planet--I'm not looking forward to that trip at all.  That's part of the unsettled feeling I'm having, I think.  Because, if I'm being starkly honest, I don't do well when my routine is upset.  Traveling, spending the night in a hotel, being surrounded by a fuckton of strangers...yeah, this is not ideal for me.

To combat the lost and the unsettled, I've come up with a list of things that I intend to work on:

--I need to get the yarn out again.  A few weeks ago, I put together the squares on that lapghan and I started working on the border, but now that it's all together, it's too hot on my lap to work on.  So that's siting on the back of my futon so I don't forget it, but it's not getting worked on right now.  Other than that, there is very little that I've done.  Yarning grounds me, and I need some grounding, so, there will be yarning in my near future.

--I have a short story brewing in my head, and I'd like to get it done in time to submit it for a sub call.  I very much intend to try.  But at the same time, I'm not getting myself all worked up about it if I don't.  There's not much time, and I haven't actually started it beyond a few sentences, but I think that I can do it.  

--I've been reading a lot, and some of it has been to review.  I'm really having a great time doing that.  It's a bit of a challenge, and sometimes I have to remind myself to be a bit more objective, but it's fun.  And the crew over at Joyfully Jay is pretty fantastic.  Plus, I'm not going to lie, free books are awesome.  That being said, I need to manage my time a little bit better there, so that's why this is on the list.  Manage my reading and reviewing time better.

All in all though, things have been pretty okay.  There are some dark days and some gray moment.  They are a little more frequent than they've been in the past.  Hence the feeling a little lost.  But now that I've recognized the issue, I can work on making it better for me.

Fabulous Yarn

Oh, yarn shopping, how I love thee!

First, it always amuses the crap out of me when the owner, Beth, recognizes me.  I don't actually go into my LYS that often, only every couple of months or so.  The last time I was there I think it was October or something.  It's expensive, it's high-end yarn, so I only go when I want to get the really good stuff or I have a little extra walking around money, and decide to splurge.  But there was a sale, for people who are "loyal" customers, so I had to go check it out.

It was fun to talk to Beth.  She told me that she's moving to a new location soon, that's actually really close to the one where she is.  Her landlord is pretty much a dick, and when she saw this new house to move to, she was like yep, gonna move.  It's pretty much the same size as where she is now, but laid out a little bit better.  And she won't have to deal with the gross landlord anymore.  

I've been wanting to go back and get more of this really fabulous yarn called Kodiak.  It's by Berroco.  It's warm, but so light and lofty that when you wrap it 'round yourself, it almost feels like you're not wearing anything.  And it's just fabulous to the touch.  (Ask Alder, she knows)  So I got some for me, to make me a shawl.  Only I didn't think it through all the way, and I got two colors, and once I got home, I was all..."Oh damn.  What was I thinking?  This isn't going to work the way I thought it was."

Last night, I thought I came up with a solution, but, no, I didn't like it when I started it.  So I frogged it. And left it lying on the futon.  Then I went about putzing around on the webz, reading, writing, talking to the BFF...and inspiration struck.  I'm not entirely certain if I'm going to be happy with the results of what I intend to do though.  The problem that, if I start it that way, then I'm going to be committed.  And it's not something I can change after the fact.  As much as I want to get going on that, and do it up, I think I might have to let the idea percolate some more.  The other option, that just occurred to me actually, is just to make a rectangular shaped wrap.  And then it can be a lapghan or a shoulder wrap.  And I can maybe do some fun and chunky cables.  I'll definitely have to think on that.

In the meantime, today, I'm going to put on the Dinosaurs, cause it's been awhile, and knit a pair of fingerless mitts.  The easy peasy version.  

Stuff and Things

I haven't posted in days because I didn't want to wallow in the hurt and the anger, and sadly, that was all I could think about.  I was hurt, and I was angry and upset and a whole gamut of emotions, and I just didn't want to spew that all over here.  But now I'm better, or getting there, and so I can talk about other things.

The weather was aboslutely glorious here yesterday and I drove home with the top down on the convertible and loved every second of it.  It's been rainy and overcast today, but it hasn't dampened my mood overly much.  I think it's actually Spring now, and that makes me happy.  That's not to say that we aren't going to get a few cold days and/or a sprinkling of snow, but still.  It's much better than the bitter cold of the winter.

Brub is going to graduate law school in a couple of weeks.  I'm thrilled for him and so excited.  He's even already got a job lined up.  That's my Brub, so smart!

I haven't yarned in weeks.  Been too focused on other things.  But now that I'm getting some of those settled, I'll be able to get back to that soon.  As usual, I have many a thing in the queue.  Not the least of which is a baby blanket.  I'm going to crochet it, just so I can get it done faster.  I'm still debating on patterns though.

And as this goes up, I'm finishing the first draft on a novella.

That's all the news from my quarter.  Hope you've all been doing well!