My August Creation

I meant to write, I really did, but every spare moment was tied up making this.

I finished at 10:30 pm 8/31... 90 minutes before the cutoff time. Whew.

Storm Warning

My little shawl made it in under the wire yesterday for Camp Loopy. 

This was a super fiddly pattern, although clearly written. My downfall was taking this project (with beads, lace AND cables concurrently) to events that I was trying to watch, like baseball games. 

I LOVE it.

Spring Has Sprung

The Vernal Equinox shawl is done and all blocked out. It is still a bit small, but did a nice job warming my shoulders at a play on Saturday night. I should weigh it, weigh the remainder of the yarn and see if I can knit another... or maybe a matching scarf.

Rising Signs

I think I am at about the zenith of my energy, judged by what I managed to pack into this week (and by what missed the cut). There was work (!), gardening, wool washing, spinning, visiting and dogwalking... sometimes all at the same time. I want to overload my schedule something fierce, but am trying the best I can to only make committments that I can actually keep.Today Fran and I carpooled to the Freeway Lace Guild lace meeting. We stayed for a little bit and then hit the road, stopping by Garden Gate in Covina, Needles and Niceties in Upland and then Michael's to top it all off. Temptation was great (really great) but somehow I managed to resist and came home with nothing but some free cross stitch magazines from the lace meeting trade table and some kumquats. mmmm kumquats. GG is mostly a needlepoint / tapestry store and is just adorable. Fran found her fabric straight away and I admired all the beautiful work. NN is mostly a cross stitch store with a decent yarn selection and getting me out of there was not an easy task. Cross stitch has come a long way and I was dizzy with all the beautiful things there were to see and to create. All in all it was a good day with a good friend. "Detour Days" can go either way, but this was a pleasant one. It sure beat going from car parts store to car parts store. YMMV.Knitting progress is being made on the "Uncloudy Day" socks. #2 is about 3/4 done and I am getting antsy to wear them before it gets any warmer! Great progress was made in the car on our way to the lace guild meeting today. I thought I had a picture of them but it must be on another disk. Cross stitch, quilting, reading and WOW-playing have been sidetracked by production spinning (I dream in brown romney), but I know they will be there when the energy shifts again.I have been washing wool like a madwoman in order to get it shipped to the processor and out of storage. It is slow going but I am trying to keep the quality high as they have a new "WYSIWYG" policy. I figure the fiber is not making me any money (or sweaters) by hiding in the garage. I also like to entertain the neighbors by sorting and picking fleece in the front yard. No way am I bringing that mohair fleece inside. You can smell it from 20 paces (I counted).On Friday I joined Denise at her booth at the Farmers' Market in Riverside (8-12 in the Sears parking lot on Arlington) and helped her demo spinning and fiber arts. There is still time to submit handspun / knitted / lace items to the upcoming fair, so I will get on that in the next month or so. I carved out a little time between *cough cough* midnight and 2am this week to watch "Ring of Bright Water". It is a movie about a man and his otter that I saw once when I was small. Only bits remained in memory, but the story was the same and it was still a pleasure. Except for one part. But we won't talk about that. DestashingThe Flickr folder has been updated. Thank you for your interest! I will add fiber and fleece as I unearth and evaluate it.Time to wrap it up for the day. I highly recommend the link to Desked over in the sidebar. If I started a "link of the week" feature, that would be the current one.

Catching Up

Howdy All! Sorry that posts have been thin on the ground. I have had some motivation issues and didn't want to (leave the house) whine about it. Right now I am back in the world and sending out resumes. Woot! I also made it to another soap show this weekend (3 for 3 weekends) and am desperate to get into the one next weekend.

But sometimes I do get out. A smattering of pictures:

Snowdrops that I thought were toast

Picture of lace from the Winter Lace Conference.

Progress being made on That Scottish Stole. This is the knitted-on border.

High Octane

"What Valentine's Candy?"

It has been one heck of a week. When I come out from under my rock, I come OUT. I joined an online social networking site this week and have found some long lost friends. Suddenly I crave updates about everyone ("no phone calls, please"). I want to put my best face forward on the site (much like I try to do on the blog)(no, really) and focus on the happy positive things, but as I read about friends who have grown up, created careers, marriages, kids and everything else I am left feeling inadequate and sad-sad-sad. I feel left out and left behind. Can I grieve for the loss of the images I had of these friends as they were in high school? college? Are they putting their best face forward too?

Anyway.

I have been at the Winter Lace Conference this weekend and am having a good time. A spot opened up in the class I would have wanted to attend and I found myself winding bobbins until 1am last night. The project is well underway and going swimmingly. It is nice to visit with friends, but I was really ready for some quite time at the end of the day. The commute is a killer but worth it to relax with the furry family and bring the rabbit inside (it has been freezing the last few nights). I will take pictures of my lacy progress tomorrow when I have something to show!

I thought I had more, exciting news, but I was apparently deluding myself. Hope you all have a great V-Day / Black Saturday and stay warm and dry.

Bring Chocolate

It never feels like I have been away long, and then I look at the date of the last post. Yikes! I have been keeping somewhat busy in the meantime...

Mandy's sweater needs only the second half of the second sleeve seamed in. I tried it on the other day and my head fit through the proper opening, so that is a huge relief. Everybody pray for a cold spell so she can wear it! There is one skein of the yarn left over, so I might be talked into making a matching hat, but no one should hold their breath. It might go on the "for sale" area of Ravelry.

I took pictures yesterday of the finished Red Fish yarn and the MS4 project, but managed to leave the camera in my knitting bag, so no pictures on today's post. Tomorrow for sure. I am done through clue 2. Clue 3 will be released in the morning. Today I actually picked up and worked on the Mirepoix bodice project that has been in a holding pattern. Since I am so close to done with the purple sweater, I am rewarding myself with work on a sweater for me. OOOH, that link is to a knit-a-long. I will have to join!

While I was looking for some stash wool to spin on the wheel (now that the Red Fish roving is done), I found some dyed BFL that was gifted to me but is not a colorway that I would have picked out. I decided to spin it anyway (maybe I could re-gift the yarn) when I realized this would be a good yarn with which to practice my long-draw technique. So I watched "Born Into Brothels" and argued with the roving. By the end, we were reaching a truce. I think if I keep practicing, I will keep getting better. Funny how that happens.

Lucky the Mouse is still doing well. I feed him by hand to keep him tame - it works for the guinea pigs and the rabbit. In fact, they go a little nuts if I walk past or open the fridge without giving them something. I have to watch my fingers when I give them banana. They go, well, bananas. They drew the line at mushrooms, though.

Even though I am putting together a happy post, I have been feeling rather low these last few days. My cooking-cleaning-laundry-gardening phase seems to have ebbed away and I am left with restlessness mixed with lack of motivation. The only useful things are that I am still making it to all my appointments / committments (the ones that don't slip my mind, at least) and working on projects in progress, not starting new ones (except for spinning through the stash, but that is ongoing and keeps me from buying new yarn). I have been getting up late and getting started with my workday late (such as it is) and feeling like I am slogging through mud at the same time. I have also been sad about lost relationsips and such... but am not willing to go looking for another one. When we were in resting pose at yoga last night I imagined meeting someone new and immediately felt anxious. Heart pounding, can't breathe, freaking out and running away anxious. So I backed off that little exercise.

I am sure that I will be on an upswing soon, but it would be nice to know when. It was about this same time last year that things started to fall apart mentally, emotionally, and ultimately relationship-ly with Mr. Fixit, so I don't know if the season change is what makes me sad, or what. I love fall, so it was (is) particulary odd that I have felt so unbalanced at this time for the last 2 years.

I will keep knitting.

Where the Antelope Roam (Really)

Yesterday was a fun day at the Knit N Stitch open house. There were knitters, movies, snacks, spinning and the wall o' sheep. We are going to have private spinning lessons at Knit N Stitch, so I was trying to do a little interest-raising with the demo. Darling Cheryl and I made up the RiverSpinners contingent. I made some progress on the Red Fish roving - it is about half done now. I finally decided to spin it all up and then chain (Navajo) ply it. The colors naturally blend due to the way it was dyed, and I think 3 separate singles will dull it too much. Chain plying will allow the colors to sort of stay together. There is no plan yet for a finished object... I tend to get 200 - 700 yards out of 4oz of roving, which is not enough for the shawls I have patterns for, nor a sweater, but too much for a pair of socks.

Progress is good on the MS4 stole. I am about halfway done with clue #2 and the beading is going faster. I just bought more beads and I think I will need more before I see the end. Guesses on the theme (on the Yahoo group and on Ravelry) are all over the board - aliens? genies? roses? geisha? cards? My personal guess right now is sperm, but I don't think it will hold up. I am still working just one side a time, both to keep on schedule and to maximize stole length before I have to restock yarn and beads.

Someone *finally* was murdered in "The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers", but I am giving up on it anyway. Sorry, Lillian. I have moved on to "The City of Fallen Angels" which is set in Venice, but hopes are not high at this time.

I actually attended yoga this week (slow deep stretch), which was nice. However, I was still a nervous wreck afterward. Apparently I am wound more tightly than I knew! I will head off to another class this afternoon. The teacher training program starts in October and I hope to be in it. We will have pilates at the yoga studio soon - I may have to give that a whirl. I really need to be more active - knitting is fun but not full of cardio.

Weaving has been taking a back seat this last couple of weeks, which means I am not finishing things that will bring income to my little house. I have some tension and guilt about that. I suppose it would be alleviated if I sat. and. wove. After yoga, I think. The problem is that I would always rather be knitting! I have a blanket commission waiting in the wings and the silk for the scarves is sitting around looking longingly at me.

I had a little bit of a sad / frustrated morning. I hate it when my opionin / input is solicited and then mocked. Sigh. And then something made me think of Mr. Fixit which always brings a little twinge - although the rate of twinging has been reduced to once a month or so. I realized a few weeks ago that I no longer think about what I would do if he wanted to come back.... not that I don't miss being in a relationship but I suppose I have fully accepted that he won't be coming back so I don't have to imagine dealing with the scenario. It just takes me a long time to get over things. I am still not ready to deal with looking for / dating / getting to know / starting to trust anyone new, but I kinda miss having someone to go out and do things with.

It might be time for another week in Wyoming.

Lady Luck

I had to halt progress on the MS4 project this morning when I just could not find the last little tiny box of beads I picked up last week. Twice through the knitting bag, four times through the car, and yet nothing. I stopped by Knit n Stitch to see if I left them there last night... and found the box of beads (slightly smashed) in the parking lot right where my car was yesterday. Yesterday! None are broken, the box is intact - none escaped. I am pleased and amazed. And then when I was in saying Hi, the other store called back to say that the beads they had on order (and which I had reserved at 10:05 this morning) arrived later that morning and I can come get them any time. It is a grand day!

I made some progress, meanwhile, on That Scottish Shawl. It keeps me on my toes.

But the best best best news of today? I went to the grocery store. I am now up to my ears in bananas, strawberries, ceral and pb&j makings. Life is good again.

Knitting the Night Away

Thank you for the kind words about little Bindi-bunny. I tried to do right by him, and he is missed. Here is a picture of him the day he came home. Toothpaste included for scale. He had gro-o-o-o-o-wn since then. Bindi is the Hindu word for the dot some people wear on their third eye (between the eyebrows), and he had a teeny one in exactly the right place (and a white smudge on his nose). Fran helped me finish my first piece of Hungarian tape lace (a kind of bobbin lace). It took about 16 hours from start to finish. We watched a lot of "Law and Order". The design is by Louise Colgan and I used #50 DMC Cordonnet in Ecru. There are 3 more pieces in the series and we will start #2 next week when she returns from the bobbin lace cruise.

Here is an in-progress shot of That Scottish Shawl . It shows the last bit of the center section and the first bit of the right hand side. I added another 4 rows tonight at the knitting store... every little bit counts. The yarn is a beautiful dusty green, which did not photograph very well.Firsa tried to help with the photo shoot by subduing the rampaging knitting needle. Silly girl.I am making progress on the MS4 Stole. I am off to the bead store tomorrow for a refill. The yarn is the same type as the one above. The beads are 6/0 mill hill, and either a shiny gray or actual hematite (the jury is out). They sort of blend in and they sort of stand out. I am about midway through clue one (which we will knit twice). And closer...I also made it to the library today for more audiobooks. I already knew the first rule of lace knitting - don't watch a movie in Chinese with the subtitles on. This weekend I learned the corollary - don't watch a silent movie. I had to watch intently to get the few words and could not depend on chatter to guide me. Geez.

All righty - off to do some more knitting!

I Should Have Known...

...that it was in the blood. Remember the picture of the shack from a few days ago? Check out this comment from my aunt: Did you know that the chicken coop was also a goat shed? Or also held sheep, since Great-grandpa also had sheep. The stanchions are still in place. I am SOOOOOO moving there and running sheep. I only need 3 or so. Let's see... a Finn for wool, milk and lambs, a romney for wool and a cormo for wool. And maybe a shetland (moorit of course) to keep everyone else on their feet. And the best part? Now I have an excuse to get an Anatolian Shepherd dog. Bwah ha ha.

The first MS4 clue comes out tomorrow. I am excited. I also have no yarn and no beads. Timely I am not. Oh, I have some stash laceweight, but it is all earmarked for other projects or there is not enough yardage. DUH! *smacks forehead* I have an entire cone of 8/2 silk... nope. That belongs to the business and is set aside for weaving. Forget I said anything. I keep eyeing that Cormo roving though...



I finished listening to "Memoirs of a Geisha" this morning and enjoyed it thoroughly. The ending was very happy and tidy (almost too much so). I will swing by the library tomorrow to see what other gems they have. I also have a couple of netflix to watch, although it is difficult to read subtitles and knit lace at the same time. It is OK for spinning, though. I watch so many movies in Chinese that I sometimes think I don't have to read the subtitles, but it is never really true. I hate overdubbing in English (with the solitary exception of "Steamboy" which is about a japanese boy in London).

I also finished the center section of That Scottish Shawl this morning and embarked on the right hand side. It now requires my full attention (good luck), but is a satisfying knit. I love the yarn and the color (Alpaca With a Twist "fino" and Sea Glass). It has been a week of project monogamy, which is quite nice. Who woulda thunk?

Well, I am literally the only customer left at the coffeeshop at 9pm on a Thursday. How wierd is that? I should flit from table to table.

Thought for today: They always look like angels when they are sleeping.

Surf's Up

Here are the Calamity socks. The yarn is Yarn Pirate BFL (from the Booty Club) in the "Calamity" colorway. They are knit in plain ol' stockinette, but I added a cute little cable up both sides of each leg and finished with a picot hem for the cuff. Discovery of the week: the library has free wifi. It seems like a no-brainer, but how often does anyone go to a library anymore? So here I am. I took my test for the city and still have hours left on the meter.

Thanks for the kind words on the lace projects. The answer as to how long the heart took is 34 hours (I kept track, as a lark). I still have to do the filling, but the tape is done, done, done. I will have to remember to email Louise a picture today.

I am still "between opportunities" although I am helping at the yoga studio and have some savings, so I am not destitute. I have spent most of this week weaving like a madwoman (and reading the Harry Potter book. Page 415 explains why not all hallows are deathly.) in an effort to get the dishtowels off the loom and up for sale. I am about 2 away from the end. I have been eating at home (not going out) and not buying yarn, so both I and my checkbook are feeling good. I finished another pair of socks last night, but am trying to spread out the pictures.

Tomorrow I have a yoga office meeting, my appointment with the shrink, and then my day is my own until 5:45 when it is yoga time. I think I will finally get my buns up to the museum and check out the Sam Maloof exhibit. Unless, of course, I get called for an interview somewhere. Keep the fingers crossed!

I Told You So

Here is the Heart. It is nearly done. Since this picture I started the next (last) braid and can finish it in one night if I stop weaving long enough.
Here is the Moon (in-progress). It is done now and waiting to be framed. You can see all the cute bobbins in this shot. I am still "between opportunities" (although I am working at the yoga studio) and am applying for things left and right. Must have sent a half dozen resumes or more just tonight. I am taking the buckshot approach - send them everywhere and hope one hits. I take the test for the City of Riverside on Thursday. I have been weaving like a woman possessed, because once I get the dishtowels off the loom and do the finishing, I can put them up for sale at the yoga studio. They are coming out really nice. Some are tabby, but I have been playing with twills too. I am making them with handspun, organic, naturally colored cotton singles on a millspun 2 ply warp.

Today's big adventures included going to the grocery store, making butter and going to yoga class. The rationale to buying heavy cream for my coffee is that I can use 1/2 of the cream to make butter - then the cream does not go bad and I don't have a bunch of butter beginning to taste like the inside of the freezer. Genius! AND I got to read the first few paragraphs of the newest Harry Potter book while I was shaking the cream. By the way - is there any other kind of hallows than a deathly one?

Not a lot of knitting progress (unless you count the 40 minutes of knitting on the swamp sock that I managed while the computer was booting up tonight). I can sell weaving, not knitting.

A Relief... And a Worry

Well, I am a free and easy administrative assistant now. No more bursting into tears, stress headaches, or queasy tummy. Well, a little queasy when I think about the rent. But I am smart and talented and will find a better position. Happier, anyway. And I love having the fishies at home again. They will love being fed on the weekends for a change.

The lace conference last weekend was spectacular. I set up the soap booth, sold some soap, took the Milanese lace class by day, tatted in the evenings, and even watched a little "Law & Order" on cable. Yay, cable!

I am working on Louise's second project - the Heart. The moon, by the way, is still finished but unmounted. One of the ladies brought in her finished one and I want to display mine the same way - in between 2 pieces of glass that were framed together. Anyway, in 3 days I managed to work up one side of the heart, turn the corner, and work partway up the other side. I have been working diligently on it since and finished the second braid. Just the third braid /last turn and the filling to go! The next class with Louise is in June - it seems like forever to wait. I have her permission to work on the Torchon lace fan design, so perhaps I will have something to fan myself with during the June workshop. Louise said I may not start the next Milanese project on my own, no matter how much I suck up. So the Fleur-de-Lis is on hold for me until I see her again. I have the thread though (and it was free).

I bought a small book on tatting and on page 16 I found the answers to all my questions - how to read a pattern and how to connect rings and chains. I am almost finished with my first squiggle that actually looks like lace and not a jumble of bits. Formerly I could make chains, and I could make rings, but not put them together. This is the second year I have been next to the tatting teacher in the vending room, and one of my roomies is an excellent tatter. It was like taking two workshops in one weekend.

I finally hit the point in making lace where I can see what is happening, figure out what the threads are doing, and anticipate how to move them to get a desired effect. During the last project I felt like I was just moving the bobbins where I was told to. My lace tensioning is getting better, and my body tension is going down.

In the sprit of "finishitis" I have a bunch of projects that need my attention. I need to blindstitch and quilt the quilt so I can use it now that it is cold and drizzly here again. I also need to sit myself down and seam that sweater I finished in December. I need to finish tinking back the green Icarus shawl so I can fix the mistake, finish it, and turn it into the shop for display. These are all things I can manage. I also want to get back into weaving (remember how much I loved it?) and get some dishtowels up for sale at the yoga studio. 9 yards of warp did not seem that much at the time. Now it seems like an eternity. I found the battery charger to the camera and will take a bunch of pictures tonight of projects that have been pending. Scout's honor. For real this time. I promise.

I am headed to a rabbit show with Denise this weekend. This time I know that I need to bring a furry friend of my own so that I do not come home with any new ones. I don't know yet if it will be Mr. Whiskers or Seamus MacCavy, but it will be nice to have a lap warmer for the afternoon.

One more thing checked off my to-do list - I managed to pay my library fine and checked out the new Harry Potter book and some audio book. I feel like an honest citizen. Except for the dog license issue, which we will not bring up.

Revelations

I never would have believed it a year ago, but there does come a point where tinking lace is therapeutic. I made an error in the green Icarus shawl last week, and didn't notice it for 2 or 3 rows. Then I happily picked up the shawl yesterday, knit two rows, and looked down. Now the error was 4 or 5 rows back. It was in the k2tog, yo, k1, yo, psso spot, and maybe I could have dropped the stitches and fixed and maybe I could not. I tried, made a mess, put the mystery stitches on a holder and started tinking away. It is slow going, but not as difficult or frustrating as it was in my first couple of lace projects.

We had a sub in yoga last night, and instead of slow deep stretch we had active intense deep stretch and I am all sore today, mostly in my shoulders. We spent a lot of time in down dog. It was a great class - just a big change.

I finished the Tuscany socks last night (ok, ok, I still have to bind off) and worked 2" on the second Dahlia sock. That will be about it for knitting until Tuesday - what with tidying the house, running errands, making soap, and being at the Lace Conference all weekend. I really miss spinning. I need to carve out some quality time with the wheel soon.

PS. It snowed here at work today. There were only 827 flakes, but it was most assuredly snow and not drizzle. They bounced. Two days ago it was 80 degrees.

Quiltin' Time

So I went to quilting last night, hat in hand, and was welcomed back into the fold. I sewed the border on the top piece (the last of the piecing), we cut the batting and the backing, I sewed all around, and then we magically turned it inside out. Congratulations! It's a quilt! I still have to blindstich the hole shut, iron the edges, and do the actual quilting (not piecing), but that should only take an evening. I feel very accomplished. Julie had pictures of quilts at the last quilt show, and showed off some of her new projects. I am all ready to start a new one - as soon as the other one is Really Finished and I have some pin money for more fabric.

Tonight I made some soap for our show this weekend and did some more applying. Good Lisa. Now I can go home and watch "24" with no guilt. And my little herd of hedgehogs (soaps) is growing.

Knitting is coming along - the Tuscany sock #2 is 55% done or so, and it knits up fast. The Dahlia sock #2 has the leg stitches picked up and the leg pattern begun. The Swamp sock #1 has the heel decreases done, but I have to pick up and work the increases. Whew. I am riding this finishing wave as far as it will take me.

I still keep my tatting close to me, perhaps that will be my lunch project for tomorrow. I also need to get the treadles tied up on the counterbalance loom and get that going. And finish setting up my pillow for the lace workshop this weekend.

I better get moving!

This and Tat

I had a lazy weekend. I was not amazingly productive, but I managed to attend open spinning and the Riverspinners meeting successfully. We learned how to tat and I had a great time. I had managed to forget just about everything I had learned at this time last year, but had it all straightened out by the end of the afternoon. I even practiced a little at lunch today. It will be nice when I can put it together and make something instead of a long chain or a bouquet of loops. When I got home I played some Chocolatier (I finished the game with a new high score) and tottered off to bed.

Sunday was amazingly lazy - I watched "The Tempest" and "As You Like It" and a bunch of "24"s and knitted on the Dahlia sock. The production of "The Tempest" had Andrew Sachs in it - the same Andrew Sachs who played Manuel in "Fawlty Towers". I kept expecting to hear him say "No Meester Fawlty" but alas, no. I made chicken and wee small potatoes for lunch and the potatoes were amazing. There were yellow, red and purple ones (purple all the way through!) and I just threw them, quartered, into a tin with some olive oil and seasoning and turned them several times. I don't know how long they were in there, but they were divine when they came out.

This is a short work week for me - I am taking off Friday and Monday so I can attend the Winter Lace Conference. It seems like I have been waiting forever! This year they are closing the vendor hall while classes are in session, so I get to do both things (as I have been droning on and on about. Sorry). At some point this week I am also going to be adding more hours at the yoga studio as a way to be helpful, be with nice people, and earn some pin money. Tonight is quilting night, and while I have not done my homework (from what? October?), I plan on going and finishing the piecing. Really, there is like one day's worth of work left. I need to hurry before it is no longer quilt weather! I have been in a finishing-projects mood lately and must make the most of it before "startitis" starts again.

Everything except work has been going swimmingly. I am happy about activities, following up on promises, not hiding under a rock, working on projects, finishing projects, making plans, and thinking about my future. What a nice change. Maybe I will even start to look around at boys soon. Well, don't get your hopes up in that department. I daren't go off my medication, though. Which is also a nice change - the time I took meds in the past, I went off them as soon as I started to feel better, which was a Big Mistake. I think the sunny warm weather has been good for me too.

Just for Mandy: I washed 13 pairs of knitted socks this weekend!

I'm Right Here

I am still here, just drained of all energy and motivation. Having a rough time at work and it is making my anxiety level go off the charts. I am not used to that. Maybe the shrink will give me a RX for a Valium drip tomorrow.

Not much to report in the crafting department. I managed a little sock knitting on Sunday and that is about it. OH! I did finish my lace moon on Friday night and unpinned it on Sunday afternoon. I am mighty proud. I believe I start winding bobbins for the heart tonight. Hard to believe the Winter Lace Conference is next weekend already! The way work is going, I am highly motivated to do more spinning / dyeing / weaving and get it onto the Soap Plantation website for sale, although when I come home I feel wrung out and helpless.

The Dickens Festival was fun and soap sales were strong on Saturday. I always enjoy the actors, the music, the other vendors and the outfits people wear. I even enjoy meeting people who have stumbled upon the event on their way to the library. We looked adorable in our Victorian outfits and tried to stay warm with blankets, shawls, capes and all the soup we could manage. Sunday was drizzly, then rainy, then windy and rainy, so we called it a day and packed up around 10. Our tent cover was a smashing success and we were clever enough to remove it from the tent on Saturday afternoon, so it remained safe and dry in its container.

With a surprise free afternoon, I watched the first episodes of "Weeds", which were entertaining. I can't watch "24" right now because it makes me anxious and upset. I also watched "The Merchant of Venice" with Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes and Al Pacino. I have never seen it before nor read the play, so I was expanding my horizons a bit. I really liked the production. I also managed to squeeze in "The Departed" which was OK too. I can't really tell Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio apart, so spent part of the movie very, very confused. It was gory and violent but not suspenseful. I hate suspenseful.

Today's goal is to make it through the work day, go use the wifi at the coffee depot in the evening, and then go to lacing at Fran's. A rewarding plan. I can do it.

By Request & Applying Myself

...or maybe not. I thought the picture of my lace was in my files, but it must be on the CD I left at home. Sorry. Soon. The moon will be finished tonight - gods willing.

I am spending today applying for more jobs. Turned in my resume at the temp place I used to work for, and am working on the Riverside County website now. I am using a shotgun approach here - apply for everydamnthing.

My therapist was pleased with my positive job hunting outlook. I said, I know I can work, I know I can get a job. It's relationships I can't handle.

Come see us at the Dickens Festival this weekend! Look for the gorgeous blue and yellow striped tent cover.

Mooning

I finished the moon last night! Well, except for the optional filling, which I began. It requires a lot of sewings, but I need the practice. It is really fun putting the beads on, which I never thought I would say. I should be able to finish it on Friday. Then let the bobbin winding (for the heart) begin! I think I am beginning to retain some of the techniques. I just have to keep working on projects to reinforce them. That's how I finally became proficient at knitting - I stopped letting myself take a long break from it.

Yesterday did not hold a massive amount of knitting. I think I added about 2 rows to the Swamp Socks and that was it. I did not take a lunch because I had a therapy appointment in the afternoon, and after that I went to the coffee shop and sent out my resume like a woman possessed. I also sewed some more on the giant tent cover for Dickens. I hope that no one judges us on our sewing ability.

I have borrowed season 2 of "24" and spent last night (after soap and lace) yelling at the tv - "Just drive away! why are you getting out of the car? why are you running away from the people on the street who can call the police?" But I like Jack. I don't think they planned on it, but the things he does are hilarious.

Tonight is sock class and yoga. A pleasant evening if I can find some clean yoga clothes, otherwise it will be me and "24" again.