Spin Span Spun

Last night was very productive in the spinning department - finished the last 1.3 oz of "Ophelia" and made a nice 3 ply yarn from it. I was alarmed when finally went to bed and it was... 3 am. Geez. Anyway, it was transformed from this:To this:Project specs are: 4 oz Optim in the "Ophelia" colorway from Chameleon Colorworks. Transformed into 277 yards of a sport (?) weight 3 ply. I wish the deep green made more of a statement in the finished yarn, but overall I am pretty happy with it. It was a pleasant spin.

Next up on the spinning queue (on my Majacraft Millie) is this fiber from Red Fish Dyeworks. It is 4 oz of a silk / superfine merino blend. I love the boldness of the colors, but am in a dither about whether to make it a 2 ply, 3 ply, chained 3 ply, or ???? I don't want the colors to muddy. It is beautifully dyed, but not in clear sections that will spin up one after the other like "ophelia" was.Lucky the Mouseling is still happy. Here he is, later on in the day he was the cats' plaything(they have no interest in him now that he is in jail).And this afternoon, attempting a prison break. Maybe I should rename him Steve (McQueen) McMouse. He eats everything in sight and used my hand as a jungle gym for a while. No wild mouse, this. Latest on the Netflix front - I finally got to see "Death in Holy Orders" all the way through. It is a PBS / BBC adaptation of a P.D. James book. I had seen the first 2/3 twice over the 5 years it has been out, but never the end. Interestingly, Jesse Spencer (Chase on "House") is one of the central characters. Small acting world. This show is sometimes mentioned (somewhat obliquely) in spinning discussions, as one of the murder-ees was staged to have died of a heart attack while knitting, but another woman realized that she was not wearing the right glasses and it proved the key to that mystery.

Tomorrow is the open house over at Knit N Stitch. I have to spiff up my Ashford Traditional and find something (!) to spin as a demo. Oh, the challenges I face....

Wanted: Blog Fodder

The garden is growing. I have had a half dozen extremely flavorful strawberries already. The tomatoes are coming right along. I have been harvesting lettuce leaves every week and have a crisperful now. I hope the lettuces last until the tomatoes are ready! The roses are about done, but they had a good run.

While I have been thinking about / doing yoga office stuff all week, I have been lazy about actually going to class. In fact I am playing hookey right this moment. Tomorrow for sure. I spend a lot of time each day telling everyone how they should come to yoga and about all the different classes and events we have going on in May. I went to slow deep stretch this week, though, and the spot in my back / sacrum that has been bothering me for a YEAR finally popped into place. It was quite a noise, but it feels better now.

I have been playing (far too much) WOW this week and had forgotten how fun it is. Unless I am dying, which was the case this afternoon. Geez, that is frustrating. Mostly playing WOW at the coffee shop makes me long for an internet connection at home. Not until the cat feels better and the job situation is more stable. Or at least until the cat feels better. She has been losing weight over the last couple months and the vet found some elevated levels of bad stuff in her bloodwork, so she got a sub-q shot of cortisone and is on some antibiotics. I have a few choice words for whoever invented giving gritty, cold, nasty tasting fluids to cats. She gets all suspicious when I head for the refrigerator now.

Knitting progress has been slow - mostly I am working on finalizing the "Mermaid" pattern for my lace knitting class. It is in my head and on the notepaper, but not graphed up all nice and neat. Interest in making this project is growing and I look forward to sharing it. Maybe I will even get all fancy and figure out how to make it a download-for-sale. I managed to knit 2 inches too far on both sleeves of the Mirepoix bodice and have ripped them back to the place where the increases were supposed to begin in the first place. I never thought I would love 2x2 ribbing this much. I like the yarn quite a lot - Louet gems sport superwash merino. Especially the superwash part. It makes good tv knitting.

Speaking of which, I have been chipping away at the netflix queue. This week is "The Ferrari Experience" (would have been better on fast forward and mute but did have shiny cars) and "Le Mans" (which I tried to watch with Mr. Fixit once, but I fell asleep pretty early on. Not a lot of talking in that movie). Then there was "The Water's Edge" with Nathan Fillion ("Firefly", "Serenity"). If ever you want to holler at the tv, this is the movie for you. Couple with issues moves to scary run down cabin bordering a lake and in the backwoods. Not really drama, not really horror, not really good. Nathan's character is an idiot, but he himself is dreamy. Also in the pile of movies is "Oklahoma" and "7 Brides for 7 Brothers".

WOW - Whee!

I left the 'puter on all night and it obediently installed 5 hours worth of WOW patches. Then I got to play for a few hours this morning and was happy as a clam (until I started dying). Ahhhh.

Everyone is invited to the Knit Night at Knit 'n' Stitch tomorrow night (see sidebar for address). There will be pizza, salad, drinky-poos, and I heard a rumor about birthday cupcakes*. Bring your crafy project (knitting, crochet, whatever) or just come browse the yarns and find some to add to your stash. They have some lovely sock yarn from Mountain Colors. We will also have "Brigadoon" playing. Every knit night they play a different musical and it is finally my turn to pick again. They ask nicely for a $10 contribution. The fun starts at 6pm!

This week's netflix movies were "Woyzeck" by Werner Herzog and "Crash" (which I have not finished yet). I am not amazingly impressed by either one. Time to watch some more "Weeds: Season 2".

*I may actually have started this rumor.

Yo Yo Yo Yo-Yo

Whew. For someone without a job I sure have been busy. I miss blogging daily and will redouble my efforts.


Thank you for the kind comments. I love comments. Cheryl asked how I find fibery events. Partially it is word of mouth, partially notices on some of my fibery Yahoo groups (Riverspinners, spin-list, spindlers, charkha, spin-events, knitlist, knitlist-ads, knitting-for-sale, here-be-tatters, weaving), partially it is ads in Spin-Off and Handwoven, and partially it is searching online for fiber events.


Life at the yoga studio is great. I am working on our Hunnyfly.com website (yoga clothes and gear) and doing my small part to keep everything shipshape in the office. I love my "coworkers" and most everybody I meet there. It is a pleasure to see them at work, outside work, and in class. I somehow ended up doing the same type of thing I just left, but the difference in my happiness level is astronomical (for the better).

The garden is growing by leaps and bounds (there are pictures, but I left the camera at home, charging). I have been harvesting lettuce, parsley, basil and oregano for the cavies and rabbits, for myself and for drying. I added some more strawberries and a hummingbird-friendly flowery plant, and put cages around the tomatoes. The roses, epiphyllium and geraniums are blooming like crazy, and my aphid problem seems to be under control. You can tell I am really enjoying taking care of the garden. The watering, the weeding, the pruning - it all fills a place in my life that I didn't know was empty.


I have been knitting a little bit - a few rows here and there on the purple sweater, on the swamp socks (I finally frogged #2 and am reknitting it at the correct gauge), on the Scottish Shawl. That last one is a quick knit, despite being shetland lace. I suppose it is because the rows are short, and there are no purling rows. I had a little "yarn accident" and ordered the "Don't Be Blue" sock kit from the Loopy Ewe - available only to those who didn't win the sock club lottery. It came in the mail Wednesday and had yarn, a pattern and some very good goodies. I sat down with my charkha and spun enough spindles of cotton to make at least one more dishtowel - maybe two. I am having fun planning the patterns and colors for this batch. I found TWO POUNDS of green/ white and brown/ white cotton in the closet and it spins like a dream. The weaving is moving right along as long as the spindlefulls of cotton last.


Not much to report in reading material (except that I haven't been and I think some things are overdue), but I did watch "Curse of the Golden Flower", "Le Samurai" and "Steamboy" in the last week or so. I watched "Steamboy" in English and it worked out well as it is set in London of 1866. Patrick Stewart *swoon* does the voiceover for the grandfather. I also received "Akira" but just could not get into it. "Golden Flower" is going on the 'must purchase' list.


I discovered a *fantastic* cookie recipe and have made cookies left and right this week. The whole batch disappeared at the yoga meeting last night, so they must be alright in the eyes (mouths?) of others too.


Oh, and I washed, claybar-ed and waxed the car this week. Shiny.

Snuffelupagus

I have been snuffly and sneezy all week - the last two days particularly. I am not quite sick enough to call off my life, but I am not so well that I feel like being amazingly active. So - not a lot of yoga this week. Tomorrow, though, I am going to Viniyoga in the morning and then two Ashtanga workshops in the afternoon. We'll see if I make it through alive.

The big project for today was picking out plants at the nursery and spending a couple hours this evening putting them in the ground. There are now tomatoes, strawberries, parsley, basil, lettuce, and pansies to add to the one garlic plant and the volunteer oregano. I spent under $30 for all of the plants, a 50# bag of gypsum to make a dent in my clay soil (that might be an oxymoron), and a tiny birdfeeder. I have seeds for some other things around the house somewhere - clary sage, cantaloupe, acorn squash and maybe some morning glory seeds. That can be next week's project.

I finally finished the Petal sweater and it was nippy enough to wear it this morning (it is also nippy this evening, but now it is just me and the petsitting pets, so I will wait until I have a human audience to wear it again). I even dragged out the iron and steamed it. I have no idea what is coming up next on the UFO list. I bet it will be Mandy's sweater. I guess that means I do have an idea. :)

I caught the opening of "The Thomas Crowne Affair (1999)" on the tv the other day, but had to leave for yoga before it was over. I put it on my Netflix queue and have watched it 3 times since Tueday. I think it is going on my (very short) 'movies worth purchasing' list. I have the original on my queue too, but I think I have a bigger crush on Pierce Brosnan than Steve McQueen. Mr. Fixit was forever talking about Mr. McQueen ("Men want to be him and women want to be with him"), but I just don't see the appeal.

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.

I Love a Rainy Day

Wow, I actually spent a weekend out of the house, and made all my obligations for the weekend. And best of all, I had a great time. Friday night and Sunday afternoon Mandy and I made soap like mad in preparation for the Dickens Festival this weekend (see sidebar for link). We will have two new scents to show off - MangoApricot and Amber. Yum. We also have a sewing project - making a new cover for our tent. We found a cute fabric at the store and started pinning and stitching last night. It is so cool (to me) that I have a machine, that works, that I know how to use. I didn't know how to sew at all before last autumn. It makes me motivated to go back to quilting class on Mondays.

Saturday it was up at 4 am to go to Denise's house and pile in the car with the rabbits for a trip to El Centro for a rabbit show. It was really neat. So many rabbits! And guinea pigs (cavies)! And snacks! I even got some knitting done. I am eager to get Olive (the angora rabbit) all groomed and gentled and see if there is a showable bunny under all that wool. Even Mr. Whiskers might be a contender - just have to get him and ear tag. I didn't bring home any rabbits, but I had a little accident and came home with a new guinea pig. At least he was free. He has a fault, so can't be shown, but is a sweetie and might breed show pigs (his sire was showing that day). Denise and I threw around names and decided on Seamus MacCavy. I learned that if I go to another rabbit show without a show animal, I had better bring a pet to hold so I don't bring home anything else!

Sunday I also worked on lace with Fran. She unworked all the wrong stuff in the turn and the cloth stitch back to the arches, and I reworked it all, and went further last night. In fact, I managed to make it all the way to the start/finish. And in only 3 hours (not including chatter and pie breaks)! On Tuesday I will sew it together and work the filling (with beads) and then it will be done, done, done. I am rather pleased. Again, it is amazing how fast lace goes when I sit down and do it.

I managed to work through the 3 movies I had at home this weekend. They were all bad. "Northfork" was dreary and disappointing. The movie was fine (a little wierd) but the blurb portrayed it as more of a comedy and it was not. The story is about removing the last residents from a town that is going to be flooded because a new dam was built. The second movie was "The Machinist", about an insomniac. I had heard it was good, but I found it to be slow and dreary and dark, and when it looked like one person was going to get run through a machine because they didn't do lockout/tagout, I turned it off, took it out, and put it back in the envelope. Not the movie for me. Number 3 was "Dust" with Joseph Fiennes and David (swoon) Wenham. It was the best of the bunch, but still not stellar. A woman tells her life story to a burglar and the story (of wild west men joining the turkish rebels or something) is told in flashback. There was a lot of shooting and thumb-breaking. It might be time to recover with some romantic comedies.

The Longest Day

Wow. I did nothing this weekend. It was great.

Friday was open spinning night, but we all brought knitting. I worked diligently on the Watermelon Tourmaline socks (I. Hate. Feather-and-Fan.) and ate pie. mmmmm. Then it was home and more knitting and settling in to watch "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)" by the Reduced Shakespeare Co. It was pretty funny - very similar to the style of the acting groups at faire (Dogs in Doublets, Sound & Fury). They spend half the show on "Hamlet", which got boring, even though it is my favorite play.

Saturday dawned gorgeous, I made some breakfast, and settled in to watch "24: Season 1" on Mandy's recommendation. I had been studiously avoiding it. I also picked up some lace knitting and made great progress, although it didn't come out to a large % of the finished size. "24" ended up being pretty engaging and I ended up watching the entire season over the weekend. These folks get a hell of a long battery life on their cell phones. And none of them save numbers so they can see the caller name before they pick up. And they are whiny, whiny, whiny. But I enjoyed it and look forward to watching season 2 next weekend. The other project for Saturday was to wash all my handknit socks that were in the pile - whew. It was nice to have a selection to choose from this morning, though.

Sunday was also warm and sunny and a leave-the-door ajar kind of day. I watched "Jay Leno - Certified Car Nut" and finished the Watermelon Tourmaline socks before putting "24" back on. Jay has some really neat cars - steam powered, really old, really fast, really souped up (one has a tank engine in it!), even a jet powered motorcycle. It was fun to watch. I really, really want a Tiger Sunbeam - I was even thinking of cleaning out the garage this weekend (although I did not). I got about 2/3 of the way through a sock ("Tuscany") in Fiesta Boomerang yarn and my own pattern. I love this yarn. It is soft and squashy and beautifully dyed. For good measure I also put about 5 rows on the green Icarus shawl - this is my least favorite project after the WT socks, and I am slogging through it. I will be glad when I can hand it off to the store.

So, I got nothing done outside of some cooking, sweeping, and sock washing. I will try to be more productive this week in the housekeeping arena.

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

I always build some extra time away from the office into my therapist session days. Usually it is afterward. Today I managed to get home in time to weave for 20 glorious minutes before heading back. Well, 18 after I fed the birds and scooped the catbox. I don't know if weaving goes really fast or if time actually stands still when I am at the loom, but I am continually amazed at how much I can get done in a short time. It felt like I was at it for an hour. I bet, as I get better and faster, this amount of progress will seem slow, but I am enjoying it right now. I love switching the shed, I love throwing the shuttle, I love placing the weft and beating it into place. And then I get to do it all over on the other side! I was very hopped up on life and caffeine this morning and verychattyveryquickly at session, and now after a weaving break I feel all calm and smoothed over, but still happy. Spinning and knitting used to do that for me too, until I got to the point where I could do those things on "autopilot" and then my brain would start finding things to think / worry about.

Tonight is a soap night, but there will be weaving when I get home. Tomorrow I plan on making a trip to the farmer's market, having a nice french toast breakfast, making spice cake, washing the car and going to the Riverspinners meeting. Sunday Fran and I have an afternoon of lace planned. I have got to finish my moon before Winter Conference - and that is suddenly very, very soon.

Last night I watched disc one of "All or Nothing at All", a series with Hugh Laurie as a con artist. The show is pretty bad, but he is great. You feel sorry for him at the same time as you know he deserves the hole he has dug himself into.

Mood overview for the week - I am busy, I am productive, I pet the pets, and I am happy with that. Not feeling like there is a hole where Mr. Fixit was has been a long time coming.

Weekend Recap and Soap Schedule

From the comments - we will try to update the Soap Plantation website with our upcoming events this weekend. Meanwhile, I will keep everything posted in the sidebar under "come smell soap". I try to put in links to the events when they are available. We also take suggestions for events if you know of something fun!

From the weekend - I had a spectacular weekend. Pretty much everything went pretty much according to the plan. Friday I bustled about the house and tidied up the front room and the kitchen and did a lot of laundry. I like laundry - it pretty much does itself until you get to the dreaded folding part. It was wet and rainy here most of the weekend, which was fine with me, but the dogs disapproved, especially Miss I Hate Getting My Paws Wet. I was pleased with my tidying progress, although it could always be better. It is amazing to me how much progress I can make in a short amount of time when I buckle down.

Saturday I got it together at a reasonable hour and headed off to the Orange County Museum to see the "Birth of the Cool" exhibit before it closed. It was indeed quite cool. There was music, art, movies, furniture, and more. I really liked the tv show section (I saw "Gerald McBoingBoing"! That took me back...) and the art of Helen Lundberg. She is going on my list of books to look for in the library. I got to see the Soup Can and the Chairman Mao pictures by Andy Warhol, and 3 short movies by Charles and Ray Eames. There was an adjoining exhibit that was more modern, and I was not too keen on that. Performance art is just not my thing. I like my art to look like something and to be somewhat orderly. But I liked getting out and doing something, even if I was on my own, and I am going to resolve to do cultural stuff more often.

On the way home I stopped by the BIG Whole Foods market and had a look see. It is still packed with many tempting goodies, and many people who take up all the parking spaces. I got some grocery staples and made a nice breakfast the next day.

Sunday was weaving day and Denise came by to look at my Walling loom. We managed to get the harnesses working and the treadles tied up, but we are still stumped by the brake assembly. It just does not make any sense. Pictures soon. Really, if I had some clamps or a bungee cord, I could warp it up and start weaving, but it would be nice to have it working propoerly. I also need to go to the store and get a ratchet thingy to tighten all the nuts and bolts. But getting the harnesses working was a major achievement for me - it needed quite a lot of tweaking, and with very little weaving experience, I would never have know what to tweak.

Knitting did occur, although not all of it was responsible on-task knitting. I also got in a few shots of weaving on the table loom while waiting for Denise. I think I will make more progress tonight. I also managed to watch 2 more dvds of "House" *sigh* I don't know what I will do when I am all caught up. I did start reading the Sherlock Holmes books this weekend, tittering at the things they used in "House" and generally enjoying reading. Another thing I don't do enough of.

Today the spectacular-ness is wearing off, but I think that is mostly because I am bored out of my mind here at work. Sigh. There is a new guy, who I am positive I know from somewhere, but I can't place him. It is driving me mad.

Blah

Blah blah blah knitting blah blah blah yoga blah blah blah cats blah blah blah. So predictable.

Just yesterday I posted about Season 1 of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and when I got home it was waiting in my box of Christmas-presents-they-had-to-mail-me-because-I-was-under-a-rock. How cool is that? There was, sadly, no yarn. I popped it right into the tv (after knitting and yoga) and settled in for some knitting. It is definitely the funniest one.

It seems there is no Arts Walk tonight, so I will be home doing chores, tidying up, setting out the trash bins, and then weaving. I have one more disc of the current audio book waiting for me. I have to find out if they save the world or not. It is a Clive Cussler novel, so I bet they will.

Apparently it is supposed to rain this weekend. I am in favor of that. Saturday I have big plans to go to the Orange County Museum of Art and the farmer's market. There is a nascent plan that Denise is going to come over on Sunday and help me finish putting together the floor loom. Even if I don't warp it up right away, it will be reassuring to know it is assembled and ready to rock and roll.

Looking Forward

I have been having a good time lately. Last weekend I warped up the loom and have been weaving industriously with my own charkha-spun cotton singles. I have the ingenious shuttle (from New World Textiles) that allows me to just drop the spindle in and weave away - a good thing because I do not have a bobbin winder. Yet. I am amazed at how much progress I am making, and how much fun I am having. I get all set up in the bird room, and have a book-on-cd playing, cocoa on the table and dogs at my feet. Life is good. And the best part is that soon I will have dishtowels. Special thanks to Denise for nagging me and to Fran for the loan of her warping board.

I watched "The Queen" this weekend, and found it OK. It was well-acted, but I am no Diana-phile, so the whole premise was mildly annoying. I also finished the last season of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie". They are easy on the eyes, but season one was the best. "House" season 3 starts arriving tonight *wheee*.

Some knitting also occurred - on the sweater and on sock #2 of the watermelon tourmaline socks. I finished sock #1 in July and then suffered a sudden bout of second sock syndrome. tonight is sock knitting class at Knit N Stitch, and then on Friday they are having movie night, where I anticipate good sweater progress will be made. Bring on the merlot.

This week's big adventure is to go to the market and get canned goods to pay my library fine for the book I have had since the Hawai'i trip. Then I can get a new book and some books on cd which I will actually read instead of carting around everywhere and not reading.

I had a long talk with myself about Mr. Fixit last night and feel better about the whole mess today. I haven't been posting about it much because everyone is sick of hearing about it and I get a lot of pressure to "get over it" and find someone new. However, it is still difficult for me and I am SO not ready to try dating again. My ususal habit is to have about a year between relationships, and if that is just how long it takes, that is going to be OK. I am sarcastic, standoffish, and impatient with some things, and highly sensitive about others. Highly. That is just how I was made.

Anyway, I should get some work done at some point today. Or at least clean the fishtank.

The Irony

I have been feeling much better this last couple of weeks. I have been chipper, hopeful, forward looking and making future plans. The trouble? I feel like my blogging has become singularly dull. Way duller than it should be. Knitting - movies - Mr Fixt - knitting - movies. I could write less. I could write more. I could write on a theme each day. I could get new hobbies. I could actually take and post pictures (actually, I can take pictures. I can post pictures. The trouble is getting the pictures from the camera to the laptop to a cd to a computer with an internet connection). Or I can be happy the way I am. That sounds good.

On that note, progress continues on Mandy's sweater version 2.o. No twisting this time. Progress was nearly impeded by short-attention-span-itis, as I was all geared up to get distracted by a new sweater project when I looked at the yarn label and realized I am a dork and ordered the wrong weight. So it got sent back and my attention was again focused on the Mandy's sweater.

I have decided I am in love with Hugh Laurie. I have no idea what I will do when I have caught up all the back episodes of "House". Go back to watching "A bit of Fry and Laurie" and "Jeeves and Wooster". I can share my affection between Hugh and Stephen.

My "Winter-Holiday-of-Your-Choice, If Any" shopping is all done. Donations to organizations took care of the whole list in 3 fell swoops. I feel good, no one is getting more "stuff", and there will be no standing in line at the post office. Ahhhhhh. Now the weekend holds nothing but fun: going out tonight with a friend, a trip to the OC Museum of Art, yoga, going to see "Sweeny Todd" with a friend, having a lace day with other friends, more "House" dvds, pie and german chocolate cake. Maybe I can squeeze in some Chocolatier and World of Warcraft, but those are difficult to play while knitting. Dang.

Happy Yule, everyone!

Hidden Talents

I decided to cook this weekend. I spent $20 on groceries and no money at all on eating out. There was T-day cooking: roasted acorn squash, cheesey mashed neeps (turnips), pumpkin bread and cranberry sauce. There was regular eating cooking: scrambled eggs with swiss chard and mushrooms, teriyaki beef, rice, swiss chard and beets one night and salad with seasoned chicken the next. I tried to make potato pancakes out of the mashed turnips, but only got a mess, so I added an egg and called it Turnip Scramble. It could use some sausage, though. It is really fun to cook - I like the domestic feeling. I really like the fact that I get dishes done while things are simmering / baking / sizzling. I have no one to cook for, and that brings me down, but I smash the feeling back into my internal Box of Denial and move on.

I got some knitting done! I disciplined myself and cast on for the body of Mandy's birthday sweater (very overdue). I am translating the pattern for knitting in the round, and have my fingers crossed that the design will come out even. Body, sewing up, neckline. I can do this. Easy Peasy.

I also let myself work on Petal - finishing the body and casting on for the first sleeve. I would work the sleeves at the same time, except that I did not wind the yarn into balls. I am working from the skein, which is draped over a couple of S hooks on the bookcase. It is a fine arrangement for one skein, but I shudder to think what would happen if I were switching from one sleeve to the other and the ends got all twisted up. Bleh. While I finally invested in a ball winder, I was hoping to get a swift from Mr. Fixit for Christmas, and therefore did not get one myself. I guess it is back on the list of things to reward myself with.

I did NOT start any brand new projects, which is good. I also did NOT buy (or inherit) any yarn at the yarn store when I visited on Friday. I did find the yarn for the theoretical rug in the cabinet at home, so that is one hurdle down on that project. Next comes figuring out how much yardage I have and how much warp I need. I worked a little bit on the strap that has been on my inkle loom for... well, I am not exactly sure. Several years, I think. I like beating the weaving into place - it is a good stress release :)

The blue scarf is on hold until I can dig out the other ball of blue yarn, as I have finished ball #1. Hooray for the halfway point! I need to put it back at the top of the priority list and try to get it done before I leave for vacation on Saturday.

I did not work on my quilting homework, although I thought of it often, but I did watch several quilting shows on PBS this weekend. I also managed to watch a disc of "House, MD", one of "Love, Hina", watched some movies on the telly, and re-read all of "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown (of "Da Vinci Code" fame). I even found my missing (and severely overdue) library book, so maybe I can power through that this week too. Maybe when I am knitting on the blue scarf!

Refreshed and Clever

Refreshed
I had a nice restful weekend. Friday I had a very sad day and went home from work at noon. I did some tv watching, some knitting, and some much needed napping. Around 5 it was time to get moving, get dinner, and open the studio for Open Spinning Night. 4 of us had a mighty good time. I plied not one but two 2oz balls of merino/tencel singles (from my own hand-dyed) and started in on some "seamist" top that will possibly become a shawl, or might just replace the mittens I made in this colorway a couple of years ago.


Saturday I made it to the farmer's market bright and early, and scored some turnips, lettuce, tomatoes, pomegranate jelly, and other fun veggies. The egg man was not there, so it was off to Trader Joe's for eggs, milk, pumpkin bread mix, cranberries, stew meat and some other goodies. It feels good to have food in the house again, and better to cook it up. In the afternoon I finished sleeve 2 of Mandy's sweater *yay* and as a reward, wandered over to Knit N Stitch to visit and to cast on a project for me, to work on in my "spare time". I bought a skein of yarn to make presents with, and called it a day. It was nice to visit with Linda.

I watched "Cars" this weekend (twice) and really, really enjoyed it. The animation was great, the storylines were good, and the jokes were funny. I am glad that Mr. Fixit introduced me to racing, as it would not have been as funny without some prior exposure. It made me feel all nostalgic for the pits. Sigh. But I liked the movie and it made me smile so it was a winner. Next up is season one of "House, MD", hopefully in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. Otherwise it is a "Firefly" weekend or I will have to make a trip to the video store. Or I could install myself at the coffee shop and play WoW for 4 days. Yum.

Sunday was the 2nd weekend of the craft fair in Hermosa Beach, and I took my reward project and a good attitude (gasp) with me. We had a better day than last week, so I am glad it is a two weekend show. It was cold and overcast all day, so no toe-dipping occured at the beach. At least not by me. Then it was home to watch PBS and take a nap and work on the reward project some more. It is a soothing knit and trying to work some "cuddly" vibes into it so I will feel safe and warm and comforted when I wear it. I might not take it off.

Clever
I feel clever this morning, as I think I have found the answer to a project. I was drooling over this yarn all week, and today I was doodling around, trying to find the right weight for a sweater (which would get real expensive, real fast). Then I remembered that I have wool. Lots of it. White and natural colored. And dye! You can see where I am going with this - I can destash and reward myself at the same time if I pull out Pearl's fleece (a black romney), spin it to the appropriate grist, and then overdye it in color. Some days I amaze even myself. I think that somewhere in the stash is some black alpaca and some black merino, if I want to blend the romney for added softness.

It's a (Shrink) Wrap

I went to see the new therapist last night. I am pleased and excited and encouraged. I hope it lasts! In addition to listening, making notes, and asking pertinent questions, she is a crocheter and a quilter who has dogs.

I fell asleep with the TV on last night and woke around 2am to see a story about the "Birth of the Cool" art exhibit at the Orange County Museum of Art. They combine furniture, art, and jazz from the "midcentury"" for a full experience. It sounds like fun and runs through Jan 6th.

I have been knitting obediently on Mandy's sweater and think I am closing in on the end of the 2nd sleeve. The blue scarf is still seeing progress, as it is my "knitting at stoplights and while waiting for things" project. Icarus is not a gift, so it is on temporary hold - every time I want to work on it I turn to another project so that they will actually get finished!

I stayed for yoga last night (slow deep stretch) and was glad I did. If my mind started to wander or feel sad, I let it go and focused on breathing again. It is always fun to see "the regulars" and know that they like to see me too. AWWWWWW.

"Cars" (the animated movie) and "Love Hina" arrive in the mailbox tonight, so I plan on feeling cheerful later.

**Edit to add** ... I must have this. I read on a blog that it was designed to go with the Blue Moon Raven Clan colorways. Yum.

Sew Easy

I had a great time at quilting last night. I got all the strips sewn together and the border started last night. My machine is back from the repair shop and runs like a champ. I even got to wind a bobbin last night - so easy! This machine was the top-of-the-line when it was new (1975) and does just what I need it to. We are the same age, so I feel a certain affinity for it besides.

The quilt top is looking great and I procured batting and a piece of fabric for the backing this weekend. There is plenty of material left for a pillow case. I am amazed how quickly this has come together (so far) and really enjoy a 2 hour break from being sad about all the stuff that has been going on lately.

Tonight is lace knitting night and progress on Icarus will continue. My lunchtime knitting absolutely positively will be Mandy's sweater. It is getting colder here (intermittently) and I don't want her to freeze!

Netflix watching has been thin on the ground. I watched "Little Fish" with Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving this weekend and have no idea why I queued it. I moved some anime ("Love Hina") to the top of my queue yesterday in an attempt to find some comedy. I have a very somber queue! Funny (not insipid) movie recommendations are very welcome right about now.

Maybe They Won't Notice

I managed to pull myself together and have a pretty decent weekend after all. Friday I met Ruth and we had dinner and pie. It was awfully yummy - pumpkin cheesecake can smooth over a lot of hurt feelings. Then I finished up some soapmaking, did some laundry, and valiantly tried to watch "Lady Jane" with Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart. I ended up finishing it last night. It is a movie about Jane Dudley, who was briefly Queen of England between the reigns of Edward and Mary, Henry VIII's children. I can't tell you how historically accurate it was, but it was pretty good. A little slow in sections, but not terrible.

Saturday was Lace Day, hosted by the Freeway Lace Guild. I sold some soap and some hedgehog cards, and visited with lacemakers large and small. I worked on the RumRunner sock a bit and drank all the coffee I could find. Some new RiverSpinners came and tried their hand at bobbin lace for the first time; Fran and I were happy to bring them into the fold *bwah ha ha*

Sunday was the Southern CA Handweaver's Day, and it was chock full of goodies as usual. The vendors took up 3 rooms this year. People were very interested in soap, and that is always good for the ego! I saw several friends and acquaintances and had a good time chatting with them all. I drank even more coffee than the day before and in the cacophany of wool offerings, I may have had a minor wool accident. I'm not sayin', and no one took pictures. Laurie Lawson at Capistrano Fiber Arts and Sandy and Elff at Red Fish Dyeworks / The Weaver's Cottage had particulary yummy colorways in both fiber and yarn. Una from Wooly Walkers brought some beautiful felted items for dispay and for sale.

I worked on the RumRunner socks all the way through the leg and was all set to start the cuff ribbing when I realized that my pattern notes (I had done some decreasing on the first sock) were still at home. Drat. Always prepared, I brought out my Icarus shawl-in-progress and soldiered on for a row and a half until it was time to pack up and trot home. With only 2" of k2, p2 ribbing to finish, I should be wearing these socks by the weekend. Whee!

Vacation Recap: Part 1

We arrived in Maui on Sunday night and stayed in Kihei at a lovely little place. I particularly enjoyed watching the birds - even the parking lot birds were interesting! I saw zebra doves, a purple breasted dove, mynahs, sparrows, and a cardinal. We breakfasted at Denny's (outdoors!) and watched the ocean while we ate.

We drove south along the beach until we got to the lava fields, where we could go no further. We visited an 1838 church and graveyard and dipped our toes in the ocean at Makena beach. We also visited Big Beach and the red sand beach. Lunch was found at a roadside taco stand which had great ambiance and fantastic food.

In the afternoon we settled into our room in Ka'anapali. I forget where the rest of the afternoon went - wading in the ocean or a well-deserved nap, I think. We also browsed the brochures and Maui books in the room and discussed what we wanted to do over the week. We walked to the corner store and got some supplies for dinner and then watched "The Claim" which was one of the Netflix I brought. It was okay. I think I ordered it because it has Sarah Polley (from "Go"), but it was a very slow, convoluted story with a lot of poorly defined flashback sections. It was beautifully filmed, but hard to figure out what was going on and unsatisfying in the end. The credits say it was based on Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge" which I have heard of but never read.

PS. there are pictures, apparently I hit publish by mistake. I will try to upload the pictures tonight.