Nice Recovery

All night and morning I turned the problem at work over in my mind.  I was all set to confront the person, but then the problem was slightly less bad and it wasn't worth the possible increase in bullying.  Will continue to hold steady but I have some speeches prepared if I have to engage.  One has lepers.

On the way home I went to the library, discovered my special request had arrived (Old Man's War) and also rented a video ("Dancing at Lughnasa").  I have been enjoying being part of a book club even if it is only on the knitting forum.  Friday is library day - if it is there, I should use it.  Made a trip to the grocery store next; I want to make crock pot lasagna this week.  It might be wierd but it should be edible.  Last adventure was to Kohl's to spend a $10 gift card.  I didn't really have a plan but ended up with some cutting boards (bamboo, set of 3) that I can put to good use.  The only one at home is a pull out from the cupboard and is likely original along with that 40's contact paper.  Finally I can have a dedicated soap board!

Galen is helping type the blog today - he is laying across my arms as I try to type.  It's pretty annoying... he must be thoroughly recovered from his dental surgery two weeks ago.  I know he is sure a bottomless pit as far as kibble is concerned.

Baby cockatiels are hale & hearty, covered in yellow fluff and sporting crops full to bursting.  I think they might just make it.

Put in a good row on Catkin today at lunch, the end is near at last.  Unfortunately this is one of the fiddliest parts of the pattern, which is saying something as this is one of the most difficult patterns I've worked in some time... possibly ever.

Moving Forward

I'm making it through each day, getting up, going to work, checking FaceBook & Ravelry and finding things to smile about. 

I'm taking pleasure in showing more attention to some of the other pets (Kiwi parrot particularly) to remind them that I love them and to remind myself all is not lost.  Kiwi is looking thin, but I am making mixed veggies and keeping the dish extra full and hope to see a positive improvement soon.  She has been a good bird for almost 10 years now and deserves to be spoiled.

Finished reading "The Hobbit" during a lazy Sunday in bed this morning; soon I plan to go see the new movie. 

The new term of the Harry Potter knitting group (soar, Ravenclaw!) starts on Jan 1 and I have spent a lot of time on the forums visiting, reminiscing and planning projects for the next term.  I have some lofty goals and a lot of yarn at my disposal.

Hope you are all well out there in internet land.

Vacation: Day 1

Yesterday had a definite knitting & TV theme to it, as most everything I did was knit and watch Hulu plus. I found a great show called Circus and watched the first few episodes.  It is heartwarming, fascinating, funny and poignant in turns.

I knit an Acorn for Quidditch. It was a fast and easy knit and I think I will make a bunch of them.  The pattern is so easy I can memorize it and make acorns every time I need to fill a little time with knitting or have a small amount of yarn.  I bet they would make great cat toys.

I also knit a Corgi washcloth for Muggle Studies class.  It is a washcloth for people which sports a corgi, not a washcloth for washing  your corgi.  Sorry.  It went surprisingly quickly (although not as quickly as my regular diamond shaped ones) and I bet I can finish the coordinating one (for Potions) today.

In the morning I finished Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire and it was a fun read.  Starting book 5 on Sunday!

Having a day where I didn't have to go anywhere was wonderful; I can't remember the last one.   I haven't had a Monday off in a while and I work on Sundays so it seems like I have to be "up and at ' em" every single day.  Today I think a dogwalk is in order if it stays cool. 

School's In

I am taking an online class through Coursera and it started today. I watched 4 videos under 15 minutes each and am exhausted. Ironically, now that the instructor can't see me, I was not working on any knitting.  Maybe tomorrow.

Flipping Pages

Not too much going on at Chez Pickyknitter these days.  I go to work, I come home, I play Diablo 3 with friends online, I talk to the parrot and I read.  I've been reading a lot this last few weeks and enjoying in immensely. 

In fact, I think I will sweep the house a bit and read some more.  I am back on Don Quixote... we'll see how long I can stick with it. I have it on my Nook (e-reader) at home and an analog (paperback) copy at work, so it is everywhere I go.

Lazy Weekend, Continued

I think I will do a little knitting and watch a movie tonight, so perhaps there will be a picture of the shawl to post tomorrow. I really need to find a new knitting store or make knitting dates to reconnect with my old friends. My social world has shrunk to work-WoW-gardening Sunday and it is just not enough.  I saw a blog post from a knitter the other day and there was a picture from a knitting store of a work table & stock wall and a bunch of happy knitters. I felt an actual visceral reaction of longing for old times at Knit & Stitch. *le sigh*


Another beautifully quiet day today. Did some gardening in the morning, brushed Dozer until the lawn was white with underfur, took him for a jaunt around the block (5th day running) and then played some WoW.  The sparrows were out collecting beakfuls of soft clean fur within 5 minutes of the end of the brushing session.  Those undercoat rakes are amazing. 

Picked up my eReader to start something new and ended up restarting a book I have read twice already this year, The Winter Sea.  It is a romance & historical romance set in present day Scotland and 17th C Scotland with a dash of  inherited memory as a barely believable subplot.

Iris the baby cockatiel and Billy are still sort of cohabitating - he won't let her in his cage so she lives on top of it for now. She is flighted and talented at it and the birds are banished from that room now so they are safe... if a little lonely. Time to go inside, grab my knitting, pour a glass of water and find a cheerful movie.

Imbolc

Yesterday was Imbolc and for the return of the light I lit a candle, made some incense and let the dog in / out of the yard a hundred times (well, 2). I resisted buying another rabbit, although they were very soft and on sale.

Progress continues on the Vernal Equinox shawl; at this rate I will have it done by then! I love the yarn so much that I may switch to it for every future project.

Finished another book, this time _American Gods_ by Neil Gaiman. It is a little difficult to describe, but was absolutely absorbing. If you like weird, Neil's your man.

Sitting Pretty

I have been parrot sitting this week and it has been wonderful. The 5:30 am "Hell-ohhhhh" is adorable and she even called out "Hey, hon" when I was in another room. I see now why greys are so popular.

I finished _Dracula_ at long, long last and it moved pretty fast - for the last three pages at least. I also finished listening to an audio book lecture series called "History of Fantasy" and that was good fun for a week of commuting. My 'to read' list is much longer now! Many of his observations had me saying, yes, yes, that is obvious, but there were a few very good points I had not considered before. I am still reading The Last Samurai (not related to the movie) and finished a quick teen novel that was a free download. A brain-expanding week!

Also keeping me entertained during parrot snuggling time were some movies - "The King's Speech", "Jeeves & Wooster, season 4" and "The Last Samurai" (yes, that one). "TKS" was particularly excellent - I think it will earn a place in my drawer of movies next to "Gosford Park".

Not much to report in the home garden. A weeding / pruning / harvesting / deadheading day needs to be arranged post-haste. The tomato is growing, the lavender is blooming, the sunflowers are opening, the lettuces are bolting... spring has sprung.

Knit a few rows on a simple scarf while listening to the audio book before work / at luch, but still no serious knitting progress to report. The knitting mojo is still gone; it's going on two years now. I have thought about pulling out a cross stitch project of an evening, but haven't made any actual progress. Same for weaving - I stare at cones of yarn but do not approach the warping board. The cats are pleased with my increased petting schedule, however.

Slogging...

I am still reading _Dracula_. How anyone ever finished this book, much less encouraged enough other people to read it to make it a "classic", is beyond me.

Speed Knitting

An action shot of the second blue - with - a - cable wristlet... if posing on a stuffed sloth can be called "action". You can see how vibrant, attractive and engaging our cubes are at work. My computer is right under the sloth's bum. Three cables down and 5 to go and then I will have warm and snug wrists at work. I still love the yarn, the color and the pattern, so I guess I should just enjoy the knitting while it lasts. I am eyeing this yarn in another colorway to make a sister sock / wristlet set.

Reading in _Barnaby Rudge_ continues. It makes _PNP_ look like a real page turner in comparison. So far some people have talked about talking, a man looked suspicious and then rode away, and someone else is bleeding. Whee.

It was another beautiful day in the mid 60s F; sunny and calm. I need to pack my sneakers so that I can resume walking at lunchtime. When I left work at 6:30 I could feel the water in the air and there was a lovely bright full moon to watch over my commute.

Moody Monday

A weird day today; unproductive in some ways and productive in others.

• I didn't go to the beach, but I did catch up on my sleep debt.
• I didn't overhaul the garden, but I did finish _Pride & Prejudice_ at long last.
• I didn't cook any fancy food, but I did eat at home and not "out".
• I didn't get bird cages cleaned, but I did snuggle some cockatiels and the pionus.
• I didn't go to see "The King's Speech", but I did put a couple of levels on one of my WoW characters.
• I didn't go to knitting night, but I did put a few more rows on the 2nd blue wristlet.

My level of energy to go out and do "stuff" was tempered by a dandy of a headache that started in the middle of the night and still hasn't really gone away. I left my Excedrin at work and my Advil is missing... I had to resort to coffee and Vicodin and am feeling a little better. Less nauseous anyway.

The next book in the queue is now _Barnaby Rudge_ by Charles Dickens. It is the theme book for the Dickens Festival this weekend. I doubt I can finish it by then, but it will be fun to explore.

Back to work in the morning!

Book Review - _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_

Summary: This book is about a guy with a boat. It can go underwater. His name is Captain Nemo. My favorite part was when they all nearly died under the iceberg because then it would be over sooner. But they lived. If I had a boat, I would do what they all did. But not go under the South Pole because you could get stuck.

This was a fun little read that I actually enjoyed quite a lot. Verne's style (or maybe the narrator's style?) is alternately annoying! really annoying! with far too many exclamation points! and boring, with long lists of mind numbing detail, but the actual story was interesting. There is drama within the characters, among the characters and between the characters and the environment. Ned Land = "need land" & Conseil = "consomme" becuase I wanted to make him into a clear soup by the end!

I longed to have picture book of sea life by my side while I was reading, or maybe little pop up fish icons whenever I came to the long lists of the various sea creatures they encounter. Why the author was so dead set on classifying every. single. fish. in its scientific denotation is a mystery to me. Also mysterious: where was the spinning / weaving mill that made all the sea-fiber clothing? Why didn't Ned and the boys slaughter the crew and claim the Nautilus for their own when they were vulnerable after the South Pole debacle? Why did he make such a big point about the mysterious language and origins of Captain Nemo and then drop it partway through, unresolved? Why is the ending so lame?

Next up on the reading list is _Bertie Wooster and the Lizard King_ and then I think _Around the World in 80 Days_. Pretty much anything to avoid _Pride & Prejudice_.

New Socks and More

Today at lunch I finished the blue - with - a - cable socks (no picture, of course). I am diving straight into the matching blue - with -a - cable wristlets, although I managed to twist the cast on row and had to rip them back. I hope for better progress tomorrow. Two socks used only 2/3 of the yarn, so I should have some very respectable wristlets out of the last 30 gr. I wandered through a drawer of half forgotten remainder sock yarn balls and have the urge to mend the socks and then make more wristlets to match.

There was some lovely rain yesterday and today - thankfully it started well after gardening morning was over. It was nice to knit and watch cooking shows at Ruth's and listen to it pour down outside, though! We have had quite a wet fall and now winter, but I am still charmed by the smell, the sound, the feel of the rain coming down. I also appreciate how it waters the lettuces in the garden. I have been trying to eat a little more responsibly this last couple of weeks; more salad, more healthy snacks, less fast food and more home cooked food. This week's big project is stuffed peppers. I am also cutting out pork and beef & focusing more on poultry, fish and vegetarian alternatives. Watching those cooking shows was entertaining and inspiring!

I am back to reading _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ by Jules Verne (tr. by F P Walter) and it is still intriguing. Yesterday we watched a documentary on colossal squid (bigger than the giant ones) and Saturday I saw the Redlands Bowl production of "The Little Mermaid" ballet - so it has been a very aquatic week here. I am still bothered by the fact that the characters is 2oK LUtS wear clothes spun and woven from the filaments of undersea creatures, but there does not seem to be a spinning / weaving mill anywhere on board. Martha said to suspend my disbelief, but it is difficult!

Time to sign off - a cat is using my nylon-clad leg as a scratch post and that is just not as much fun as you would think.

Charming

Well, there has not been any knitting yet this weekend but it has been pleasant all the same. I am in love with my new e-reader and zipping along through _Pride & Prejudice_. The story so far: some people like other people, and some people think they don't like other people, but they really do. I can check my email, update FB, play number place, listen to music, and READ on the little contraption. The adventure of the evening is to install iTunes and see what free items they offer.

Today was cool but nice during our morning gardening time; the expected rain held off until it was time for our ice cream date. But it wasn't too cold even then, and not the least bit windy, so I call that a win. Dozer is soaking wet now, but lying on a nice dry mat to make up for it. Until I get up and do it, I forget how nice it is to walk. Made a stop at the pet store for a flashy new dog lead and some bird food. That should keep us happy for a while.

The returned baby cockatiel is surely going to be a male - he is strutting, whistling and chattering all sorts of nonsense. Interestingly, much of the chatter was learned from the father bird before s.. er HE left for his new home. I suppose that shouldn't be so shocking... but I am glad he didn't forget us. Little Mustardseed (their very first baby, hatched in April) is still very sweet and snuggly. She wants to be with only me and will never get enough head-scratching; definitely a throwback to her grandmother Dante (my first 'tiel).

Sounds like it is time to shift the laundry and I will refresh my tea. I will log in to WoW and say hi to all my chese nips - I love my nook so well that I haven't even thought about Azeroth this weekend.

Splurge!

I swear I only slowed down at the bookstore to breathe in the atmosphere and this hopped in the car. But no matter the case, I am blowing off our work party in favor of cuddling up with some tea and "Pride & Prejudice"

Won't Martha be proud?

Plugged In

Got the power turned back on today. Some sobbing was required. Also, quite a bit of money-flinging. They began by telling me it would be Tuesday since I paid on line last night, so I call it a win.

Came home from work around noon and had some quality porch time. I, Beaker and "The Time Traveler's Wife" enjoyed the day. I finally got engrossed and ended up finishing it. Not a bad little read. I can't imagine how they made a movie of it, though.

Then the power was back on and it was time for more beer (cold this time), a movie and WoW at the same time. With the lights on! Sleepy now. I did get up at 4:30 this morning.

Still would like to drive to Santa Clara tomorrow for the last day of CNCH, but the wallet is empty. And I need to run around turning on all the lights, glorying in electricity. Had an offer to go to Faire... I'll see how I feel in the morning.

Baby cockatiel is still growing. I can see the eyelid forming, the pinfeathers forming, the size increasing. She is huge. I wonder if the Violet's 'normal' markings will override Hamlet's 'pied' markings, and if his 'normal' color will override her 'whiteface' color. It would be something else to get a 'normal' appearing bird out of such lovely parents.

Boring ass blog post today. But from home!

I Swear

I finally drew the short (?) straw and am on a jury. It goes a lot slower than "Law & Order", let me tell you. But the coffee is hot, sweet and free and the lunch break was long enough to let me go home and open a package of holiday cookies that came in the mail today *yum* and take Dozer dog for walkies. And who doesn't love $15 / day?

I brought my smallest, dullest nonmetallic tatting shuttle and worked on a bit of lace edging I have been chipping away at over the year. I am calling it done; it can be fudged into a circle (and I ran out of bobbin thread). The last time I picked it up, I realized I had forgotten what I was doing, but when I dragged it out last night I cracked open some tatting books and finally remembered how to handle the ball and shuttle method *whew* I also brought my current book, Gargantua and Pantagruel by Rabelais. It is not a great choice for light reading in fits and starts. Tomorrow is all about the late start. I think I will be able to squeeze in 10 minutes to tell the quilting ladies that I can't attend. It stinks, because we were going to finish up the last bit of Christie's quilt and take it off the bars. I was going to get pictures! Oh well, I will ask them to deliver it to Julia so we can put the binding on. Maybe I will even leave them the camera.

PBS has been running episodes of a show on Appalachians (sp?) and I recommend it to everyone. I stopped for the music and stayed for the people, the history and the life. And more music. Maybe this weekend I will work on getting the turntable up and going and paw thru the Bill Monroe records I got from Grandpa's collection.

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.

MS4 PT2

It's not like I don't have 3 shawls in the works right now and one more that needs to be test-knit immediately.

It's not like I have 3 sweaters in progress, one of which is maybe an hour from being done and then delivered to the recipient.

It's not like I have 4 pairs of socks in various stages of disarray spread around in yarn totes all over the house.

I don't even have any idea what the MS4 will look like (duh). But I. Must. Start. It. on Friday when the first portion is released. I have no yarn, no beads, no plan. But knitting must occur. Luckily (Cheryl are you paying attention?) I can download the portions of the pattern and then knit them at my "leisure", whatever that is. There is no award that I know of for finishing on time, except that I would have a new shawl in time for autumn.

Well, I guess I have a little bit of a plan - I can finish spinning the "Ophelia" roving I got at the bead show, ply it off the bobbin and then start spinning some lacewieght yarn out of all that Cormo I bought last November at Torrance and then this July at Lambtown. I have an idea of the colorway I want (I did not buy it from The Loopy Ewe. Yet). Where beads will come from is another question entirely. Maybe I will make the foray into Tustin to check out the selection at ... the place next to Kragen, or maybe I will swing by Redlands to see if The Enchanted Unicorn has any (yes. I will call ahead).

I have been knitting like the wind on "That Scottish Shawl" while listening to "Memoirs of a Geisha" on cd. It is, like, totally engrossing. Audiobooks make a far better accompaniment to knitting than TV does. I also feel like my brain is working more by imagining the scenes. I am now only a couple hours away from starting the next section. I mean to take pictures, but the shawl lives in the bedroom while the camera hangs out with the laptop in the trunk of the car. (Don't rob me).

Maybe I will get all of those projects done by Friday.

It's a Mystery

Yesterday I started (and finished) a book I received over the holidays, Three Bags Full. It was pretty interesting and a fun read. I have to say that I was mildly annoyed about one flock having 4 rams and no wethers, but I am not a sheep-grower. All in all I give it one hoof up.

Today I browsed through (Denise's copy of) Hand Woolcombing and Spinning. He is extremely detailed. Extremely. It might be a fun challenge to try and be as precise and see the difference it makes in my spinning. I need to return the book and invest in one of my own.

In other news, I am one sock down of the "Bejeweled" pair that I am working for Mandy. There is nothing better to knit in the world than a pair of ankle socks. No kidding. They knit up in a snap. Big fluffy Mountain Colors yarn on size 2 needles doesn't hurt either. The colorway is just gorgeous (I have misplaced the ball band) and I think I will make a secret s-c-a-r-f out of the remainder.

The garden is growing, tomatoes are ripening, bell peppers have been eaten, and lettuce is giving up the ghost. The last two weeks of searing afternoons tried to burn everything to a crisp and nearly succeeded. Today has been warm and overcast (=humid) but rather cooler than the last two weeks.

Off to pizza night at the yarn store!