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.

Whizzing in April

Where did the month go? I really did try to post on Tuesday. Really I did. Thank you all for your kind words about the Petal sweater. I have worn it quite a lot and enjoy it every time. I think that pattern will get made several more times.
The AZ Handweaver's Conference "Fibers Through Time" was great fun. I sold soap, met great people, got a bunch of spinning done, and scored an affordable warping board. There was a gallery for items made by the guild members and they were amazing. I am all motivated to submit something next time. Here are Sharon and Jo, my vendor neighbors (I will link to websites when I remember to put the addresses near the laptop bag).
Here is an antler handle basket from the gallery. I loved this. This bikini and cover up were just adorable. They won a prize of some sort. This red vest (handwoven) was my favorite item. It was much redder in person. The combination of weave structures piqued my interest.
Me and the soap booth!

Galen, my fat cat. That is a box that copy paper comes in. He can sure spread out!
I got to visit with my aunt, uncle, cousins and grandma in Phoenix on my way to and from Tucson. We had some birthday cake, played some Boggle, and had a slideshow of the handweaver's conference pictures. And more spinning was accomplished.

It was a good weekend. I can't really remember what I have done this week - it is a blur of yoga, netflix, and spinning gray yarn. A lot of gray yarn. There is a Riverspinners meeting tomorrow, I saw the shrink today, the weather has been great, and I think I am going to go home and bake cookies. The garden is growing (although I may lose the pansies) and I have been refereeing the aphids vs ladybugs showdown on the rosebushes. A good life.

By Popular Demand

Petal is done! Dream in Color Classy yarn, colorway "Petal Shower", purchased at The Loopy Ewe. Pattern is "Perfect Sweater".

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.

Exciting Stuff

Things here are still par for the new and impoved course. Yoga is going well, and helping at the studios is going well. We are still taking sign-ups for the yoga retreat in Hawaii in May. I hope I win the lottery before then!

Knitting is being accomplished - I have been chipping away at Mandy's sweater again, and worked on the Uncloudy Day socks. In face, I took them to go see The Bladerunners at the Coffee Depot (with Pacific Ocean Bluegrass) last weekend. It was a good time. The ginger ale was superb and I splurged on a cd. I don't know if it was a good value - it is amazingly depressing. I mean, Morrissey could take lessons from this disc. I guess I like the new stuff (with the new guys) better than the old stuff (with the former guys).

I finished my second library book yesterday. It was "The Terror" by Dan Simmons. A great read - I think I managed 600 pages yesterday (of 800). It is a fictionalized account of a real mid-19th century British polar expedition. I probably don't have to add "doomed" as a qualifier there. It was pretty much the way they all went. But it was riveting, a page turner, and made ya think too. It was loads better than "Sea-Cursed" (my other library book), a collection of short stories about the sea - all wierd, scary, or gross in some way. There were only a couple I really enjoyed. There are some good authors in it, though: Clive Barker; Roger Zelazny; Roald Dahl, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allen Poe (who had a cameo in "The Terror", now that I think about it).

I am mentally gearing up for my trip to the AZ Handweaver's Conference next weekend. I am going to augment my adventure with a visit to the family in Phoenix. It will be short, but I am sure we will have a good time.

Lazy Day

Did a little reading, brushed the dogs, went to the shrink, met Ruth for lunch, watered the housesitting plants. How did it get to be 3:30??????

Off to the bank.

Boring is Not Bad

The ankle is feeling much better. I can move it in 3 of 4 directions and am (mentally) comfortable enough in yoga to do modified asanas without feeling like it is wimpy. I love this new and improved yoga-every-day practice; I can actually feel the muscles in my arms these days. We had a restorative class in Hatha yesterday, so I felt refreshed for Ashtanga afterwards. It was *amazing*. I felt calm and centered and focused like never before. My standing balances were good, my breathing was good, my mind was clear. I might have to do that before every Ashtanga session from now on.

The job hunt is going slowly. There were no responses from last week's resumes. I think this afternoon I will spend some time sending out more, although I kinda like not having a real job. I feel like I am independently wealthy and am SO happy. I had a dream last night that I was back at the old job and it was less than pleasant.

One sleeve down and one sleeve to go on Petal. Might get that done today, too. I finished the first Swamp sock last night and it might never get a mate. I am so sick of the colorway.

Still Boring

I decided that my plan for yesterday was to slide down the porch steps and twist my ankle. Right before yoga and on the day of the hip workshop. Sigh. But I muddled through class and workshop with heavy modifications. It feels good today - but not good enough for Ashtanga this morning.

Petal is all done except for setting in the sleeves. It rained and hailed last night, which motivated me to wear it today. Now it is sunny and warming up. Sigh.

Today is wide open and I am taking it easy. Maybe I will finish sorthing the fleece with which I was gifted last Thursday. It was a pet sheep (boo) shorn by the owners (boo) and it is a naturally black / silver / brown (yay) finewool (yay). I am saving all I can for spinning and some for felting. Some is just trash. I will have to ask for next year's clip - I will even pay for a good shearer to come in. I forgot how much I love the feel of a fresh greasy fleece. It feels like sun and rain and happy sheep.

When You're Having Fun

I can't believe I haven't posted since Monday. Where has the week gone? I am still all yoga all the time and loving it. This weekend is the hip opening workshop (there is still time to sign up - hint hint) and I finally decided to go. I am going to try very hard to relax for the rest of the weekend.

I worked on the Petal sweater this week and have seamed the sleeves and am working on the neckline. Soon I will have to face setting in the sleeves.

Not much else to report except that I raked the backyard on Monday. Whee.

Yogini

Not much concrete to report on - knitting is going, but nothing is getting near the finish point. Weaving is on hold until I spin some more, and my spinning mojo is AWOL. The lace heart just needs the filing, but there has been no mojo to do that either. Even my library books are due tomorrow and I have not finished them.

About the only thing I have been making progress on in yoga and training to be the fill-in office manager while Jessa and Martena are in India. I am excited (and a little nervous). I tried a class in a new-to-me type of yoga this week - Viniyoga. It is centered around the breath and is traditionally a one teacher one student type of class. It was challenging in that I was suddenly faced with something new and all my "am I doing it right? what was that thing again? am I breathing in or out? do I look ok 'cuz I feel ridiculous?" feelings. But I liked it and will go back. I have gotten complacent / comfortable / confident in my regular classes (perhaps unreasonably) and going to something new really highlighted that for me. I tried to be more open and focused on my own practice tonight, instead of comparing myself to others (favorably or not). In fact, in class tonight I really kept my ujjayi breath for most of the practice, whether or not I was happy in the asanas. This is an improvement.

I am massively motivated (rightthisminuteanyway) to attend one of the teacher training classes now - either here or in India (or both, if I hit the lottery). It's not that I want to become a teacher, but I enjoy diving into new projects.

Contented

Back at the coffeeshop, and it is bluegrass night with the Bladerunners . Yay! I thought I wouldn't see them until the concert at the Downtown Coffee Depot on 3/22. They are really quite talented. I have bluegrass, the laptop, my cute yoga shirt, my knitting and I don't know that I need anything else in the world. It can finally do things because I like them and not because I am killing time hoping Mr. Fixit will come back (actually, I haven't felt that way in a month or more in case you think I am still mooning 24 hours a day. I am down to 30 minutes or so).

I *cough cough* started a new pair of socks while my computer was booting up tonight. They are only one row long so far. I am sick of looking at the Swamp Socks. I should call them the Creature from the Green Lagoon socks. I loved the yarn in the skein, but I don't care for it in the sock.

I have put in a couple rows on the green Icarus shawl this week. Maybe someday I will get to chart 2. It is only 8 rows away, I think. The burgundy Icaurus has been languishing, waiting for lace knitting night to resume.

Lots of reading has been accomplished. One Man's Wilderness, about Dick Proennke, is a great read (there is also a dvd, called Alone in the Wilderness). At age 51, he moved to the middle of nowhere in Alaska, built himself a log cabin (in 10 days) and then lived there for the next 30 years. The documentary shows up on PBS sometimes, and back in December it was a gift during a pledge drive, so I snapped it up.

Weaving has been on hold for the last day until I can get some more cotton spun up. That is tomorrow's project. No pictures of the finished cloths, or the new ones, but here is the loom:

Yoga is becoming a bigger and bigger part of my routine (and I am trying to keep to a routine, getting up early, going to bed on time, so that when I get a new job I don't have to readjust to "normal" hours). I went almost every day for the last two weeks, and today I got sucked into the power hour. It did not kill me, but it was a near thing. Ask me again when I wake up tomorrow and my shoulders are stiff. I don't know that it is having an effect on my calmness and link with spirit yet, but it is good to get out of the house and get moving. And it is awesome when Martha reads to us.

The dogs are pleased that we have been going for walks - twice a day - for the last 3 days. They don't know how long it will last, but are enjoying it fully. Huh. Kindof like dating.

Still no news on the job front, but I keeping a positive attitude about it. I would rather be slightly worried about not having a job than be bursting into tears three times a day at the old one.

Fly on the Wall

I am at the coffeeshop. All the tables are taken. I am balancing the laptop on a barstool, leaning against a wall in the scary corner. But I have a connection and electricity, so I am happy.

There is a lot of good news to share. My unemployment claim has been approved, so I don't have to worry about making the rent. I have to keep looking for a job, but I was doing that anyway (in fact I have sent out 2 resumes tonight and am going to a walk in tomorrow).

I have been going to yoga almost every day for the past week. I feel great, although a little tight and sore from being away so long. I figure if I am working to earn free yoga, I had better go!

There has been very little knitting, but I did finish all the cotton towels and have already sold a couple. They came out really cute. I even managed to ziz zag hem the edges. Woot. I warped the loom again this weekend and started spinning this afternoon for the next batch.

These are the "Tuscany" socks. The yarn is Fiesta Boomerang in the colorway "misty morning". I put a Van Dyke lace pattern up the instep and front of the leg, which doesn't show well on the blockers. I loved this yarn. It would be great for a sweater. It is a 10 ply, so it is very round. These are the "Dahlia" socks. They are Yarn Pirate merino yarn in the "Dahlia" colorway (I am so original). I used a k3, p1 rib on the legs and cuffs which is my new favorite stitch pattern. They are both done now. The second sock has only one giant swirl going all the way around. I used the same number of stitches, same needles (aught), and same pattern. Wierd.

The sock blockers came from The Loopy Ewe (see sidebar). You can get them singly now, if you want.

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!

Keep on Movin'

Nothing to see here.

Yesterday I managed sock knitting class and yoga and went home to fill in some forms for city applications. Woo. Watched a show on spontaneous human combustion and added an inch to the Dahlia sock.

Tonight is groceries, picking up soap, more applying, and interviewing for a part time gig at the yoga studio. No deep thoughts for the blog, just trying to slog thru the days. Funnily, the after-work time seems to fly by.

Tomorrow you are all invited to open spinning, and on Saturday the Riverspinners are having our meeting and a tatting workshop. C'mon down!

The staff here at Plantation Productions is sending out feelers for our 2009 cruise - how many people would be interested in a week or so of lace knitting?

Crazy Time

I. hate. my. job.

I like knitting, but there is no time. There has to be a happy medium somewhere. Or better yet, be independently wealthy and spend all day knitting and petting the dogs. They would like that.

I did everything on my to-do list yesterday - and that NEVER happens. I usually put twice as much stuff on as I need to, just so I will do half of it. I voted, I went to the grocery store, I went to the coffee shop to use their wifi on the job hunt, and I went to Fran's to wind bobbins for Conference next week. They are all done now and we watched an interesting show on VH1 about the history of black music in America. After I came home I managed to watch and episode of "A bit of Fry and Laurie" and knit a few rows on the Dahlia sock #1. I like knitting.

Today is sock knitting class, yoga, and more time at the coffee shop. There are other things on the list, but doing them all will mean no sleeping tonight, so I will do what I can and then turn in and get a good night's sleep.

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.

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.

All Quiet...

I got to scamper off from work early yesterday and deliver a proposal in Pomona. Lucky for me, it was practically on the way to Brea, where I had to go after work anyway! So I was early to go pick out my thread for the bobbin lace project I will be doing at the Winter Lace Conference. I am pleased with my choices and also to have that chore out of the way. Now I can start winding bobbins.

There was a flurry of finishing in the knitting department yesterday. I worked in the ends of the Watermelon Tourmaline socks, so those are done by any standards. I sewed down the picot hems of the Calamity socks and remembered (after I was done) that I did not make an effort to keep the yarn loose while I did so, and had socks that were too tight at the top to go over my heels. Some un-working in ends and futzing with the hem were in order and they are now wearable. I finished the first Tuscany sock, but couldn't find my scissors to cut them from the skein so I have to take 10 seconds to do that before I can start sock #2. I also added a couple rows to Mandy's sweater (see how responsible I am?). I have been sneaking rows onto the green Icarus shawl and am close to moving on to chart 2, where the really lacy part begins. It will feel like real progress to do something besides "k7, shuffle, k7 shuffle" for 210 rows or more.

I watched a show on PBS last night about the man who invented the lobotomy. Scary, sad, and amazing on many levels. Even I drew the line at the fact that he lobotomized a 4 year old. The whole icepick in the eye socket was amazing - it takes a special (not the good kind) of person to think that is a good idea. Basically it sounded like he was pithing people. I am glad I am crazy now and not in the 40s. Speaking of which, I did not have my appointment today, as my therapist was snowed in. I have had a good week, so I am OK with that (I think), but I will see her Tuesday and Friday next week.

I continue to listen to "Thank You, Jeeves" in the car and am enjoying it immensely. I have got to start looking on half.com for used audiobooks, though. $30 a pop (well, $20 after coupon) adds up fast. Anything that makes me laugh out loud during the day is OK by me.

I am going with Denise to the rabbit show this weekend. I think it will be fun and different. I might just bring my spinning wheel and get some work done. Or a spindle. There are lots of things I could be spindling. The rest of the wool for the gray sweater, for example. The one that was supposed to be done by Autumn of 2006. Yes, 06. Sigh. All I have left to do are 1/3 of two sleeves (knit at the same time on one circular), the sewing up, and the collar.

Also on the docket for the weekend are 2 soap making sessions, a lace making session, and I would like to get my butt to yoga on Sunday. I missed my Wednesday night class two weeks in a row and was glad to be there this week.

Ecal, Ecal, Ecal

So I went over to Fran's for lace night last night, and instead of knitted lace (we are working on Icarus shawls), we worked on bobbin lace. Fran worked on her Iris and I plugged away at my moon. It has been in progress for over a year and I really need the pillow free for my classes in February. I laced, and laced, and laced, threw out pairs, whined and struggled with the turn, and laced, and laced, and brought pairs back in, and turned in around 10pm. But before I left, I took a moment to admire my handiwork.

Then the world stopped.

Way back, way back the last time I worked on it, I finished the arches and resumed the cloth stitch in preparation for the turn. But I didn't notice that I was supposed to rearrange the bobbins and put the metallics back in the middle instead of over on the edge. It didn't say it in the pattern and I had my previous work under a cover cloth to keep the threads from sticking on the pins. So now I have hours and hours of work (well, maybe 5 or 6 hours) that have to be un-laced and redone. And I was so close to the end! At least I saw it when there was still time to fix it, and not when it was off the pillow.

I know what I am doing on Sunday.

Good and Boring

Another good but not very thrilling if you are a blog reader kind of day yesterday (and today too). Actually, it is just shaping up to be that kind of week.

Used some coupons over at Borders and picked up "Fawlty Towers", a couple bluegrass cds (why are they always in the clearance bin?) and a Jeeves & Wooster audiobook. I think that will keep me entertained no matter where I am for quite a while. I looked at my little pile at the checkout and said - this is my life. A little odd, a little old fashioned, a little intellectual, and that is the way I like it. No reality tv for me! Well, not since "Temptation Island" anyway.

Knitted a few more rows on the shetland shawl. It is called "Legends of the Shetland Seas" but I am going to call mine "That Scottish Shawl" after the play by Shakespeare. The pattern is surprisingly easy, especially considering how much angsting I was doing. I just have to look at it one piece at a time, and the instructions are set up that way. No looking ahead and getting freaked out allowed. It's just knitting. It can't hurt me. The yarn is absolutely fantastic (Alpaca with a Twist "Fino", an alpaca/silk blend) and it is warm and soft and cushy. I hate to put it down. It is the same yarn I made the Adamas shawl out of (somewhere in the archives there is a post called "blockhead" with pictures). I chose the "seaglass" colorway and I think it suits a sea-themed shawl well.

I also put in a few rows on the green Icarus for good measure, and worked on Mandy's sweater today. Everything will get done eventually. I resisted all sock knitting yesterday. I need to find my little hanging scale to divvy up the yarn for the Tuscany socks.

Things are good today. It is cloudy but not drizzly, cold but not windy, pretty calm at work, and the cats got fed. I had some technicolor nightmares last night (including a plane crashing outside the building we were in), complete with sound effects, and didn't sleep very well, but am perky now. I had some Deep Thoughts about relationships and why they work or end and that made me feel some empathy for Mr. Fixit. Specifically, I realized that there are things about my job that I really like and there are things that make me want to run screaming from the room. The stuff I can't stand is outweighing the stuff that is rewarding, and I am going to have to move on. It makes an interesting parallel to why relationships work or don't (I think, anyway). Sometimes you just have to choose, and you have to live with that choice.

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.

Are We There Yet?

Well, I came back. Fortunately my appt was an hour later than normal, so it is only 3 hours until quittin' time. Plus 15 minutes to clean the fishtank.

I made a detour to the market last night and bought food and potted daffodils. Yay! I made dinner, watched some PBS, and knitted away, happy as a clam. I had a little accident and *cough* startedanewproject but it kept me from burning down the office or moving to Mexico, so I am not upset with myself.

Tonight is spinning night - you are all invited - and I think I will bring my wheel for a change. It needs some exercise.

Then I have NOTHING planned for the weekend. I am so excited. I was thinking about it today, and might take Dozer-dog to a dog park or dog beach, but I am not telling him and getting his hopes up. I could stay home and read, or snooze, or weave, or clean, or wash the car (that might not be optional at this point), or spin, or watch tv, or go to the knitting store, or go to yoga, or any number of other things. It will be a surprise to everyone, including me. I should go to the farmer's market Saturday, and do some job hunting, but even that is fun.

Slog Slog Slog

This craptastic work week continues. Even I get depressed going on about it. I think I will find $1.65 in pennies (to buy a coffee) and spend some more time job surfing at the Coffee Depot. And I am going to tempt fate and go to the grocery store tonight and make real food for the first time all week. I miss salad.

I had a good time at the OC knitter's gathering. I was not quite as boisterous as usual, but I did go (!), I did talk (!) and I did knit (on the sweater!). Somehow we managed to seat ourselves by project color - I was at the purple table. A couple of times I leapt up to run over and pet someone's project :) only at a knitting group.... There were some great yarns out and about. Anne had a whole bagful of samples that she acquired at TNNA, so I got to pet some of the yarns everybody has been buzzing about. I recommend the Paca Peds. I also did a spot of grocery shopping and then braved the mighty winds to go back home. They were vicious in OC, but non-existent in Riverside until a couple hours later, when it woke me up. That is some serious wind.

I can hardly wait to go to my session tomorrow. I have desperately needed a shoulder to cry (whine) on this week. Even my trip to the psychiatrist yesterday was unfulfilling - I hate the days she is running behind and we have to fast forward our check-in. It may be one of those days where I don't feel well enough to come back to work afterward.

Lemmings

The 3 OC knitting groups (or maybe 3 of the OC knitting groups) are converging on the Whole Foods in Tustin(ish) tonight, and I managed to snag a spot. I have been looking forward to it for a week now and it is going to be a great time, which I sorely need after this miserable excuse for a week. I love the WF, there is a Peet's Coffee across the street, I am going to meet fresh knitters, and I heard a rumor there will be man knitters too. Maybe I should have worn something more alluring than my Steelers hoodie. I feel like a gian piece of Mac-n-Cheese. But I am snuggly and warm, which is a good tradeoff.

Last night I went home, made some tomato soup, and watched a dvd of historic car races. Yes, it reminded me of summer with Mr. Fixit, but they were all good and happy memories. No sad mooning for me! Over that, anyway. I also got some knitting done, but did not push myself. Progress on Mandy's sweater continues at lunchtimes, and I will work on it tonight at the knit together. I can add about 1/2"-3/4" (4-6 rows) in an hour.

It was difficult to go to sleep, not bcs I wasn't tired, but bcs I knew the sooner I went to bed, the sooner the next workday would arrive, and maybe, just maybe, if I stayed up all night it would never be tomorrow. Then this morning I had to drag myself kicking and wailing out of the house and into the car.

OK, wish me luck at knitting night!

Crappy Crappy Day

Apologies to Don McLean. Big ones.

Just a quick note before I go home and drink. Job researching did get accomplished yesterday. And a good thing too, as today sucked. Big time.

OK, drinky poos are calling.

No ReEgrets

Sorry, no exciting birds at the post office today. I have found a new route - through the construction zone - that adds maybe 5-8 minutes to my trip. I approve.

I know I have said it before, but I am really done here at work. It is like I work in Opposite-Land. Everything I say, do, or am told is the opposite of what I think I am saying, doing, or hearing. Instead of finding someone to take over the proposal part of my job, they found another person to make more proposals come in, and now I have to do them for two people instead of none. And acted surprised when I freaked out. It is time to move on. I am setting a goal date of 2/22/07 to be out of here. Sooner would be fine too, if the right opportunity arises. So it is off to troll for positions tonight. Is there anything fun available over at LAUSD?

Before all that mess, it was a mostly good weekend. Friday we made soap for a bit (including a new scent - Apricot-Mango - which is spectacular) and then I think I did some chores or went to bed early. Saturday was our Riverspinners meeting in the afternoon (I spun on my charkha) and some weaving before and after. And I walked (!) to the store to get some dinner fixin's. I need to do that every time! Sunday I was felled by a headache that advil just did not touch. Ow.

There was a small amount of knitting. Mostly it was a weaving and spinning weekend. I realized that I can get smaller blocks of color by spinning a puff of one color after another on the same spindle, instead of filling the whole spindle with one color. Duh. So I worked on some brown-white-green-white-brown (etc) naturally colored cotton dishtowels. It worked like a charm. I also read more deeply into "Learning to Weave" and toodled around with a twill pattern on the next dishtowel. Imagine my surprise and delight when it came out like I hoped! Well, mostly like I hoped. But if you saw it, you would say, "look at that nice pattern you added there", I promise. Also, my charkha spinning has improved greatly, as I spin several times a week instead of a couple of times a year :) Who ever knew that practicing would lead to improvement?

So except for my piece of crap job, I remain a happy camper. Tonight is scheduled to be yoga night, but I may spend all evening at the coffee place using their wifi connection to hunt down a new gig. Remind me to call the optometrist and dentist this week.

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.

Stashed Away

So, when we last left our hero (that would be me)(quit giggling), I was bemoaning the need for some red socks. Last night I went home and on a whim I opened the sock yarn stash drawer. Much to my surprise and delight, there were 2 skeins of RED sock yarn right on top pile. I am now going to knit like mad on the socks in progress that are hogging the size 1 needles so I can free them up and get moving on the red socks.

Pair that up with the fact that I got the "Bit of Fry and Laurie" dvd the day after I posted about it, and I am starting to get drunk with power. I feel the need to post about the lotto next and then buy one ticket.

Yesterday I was in pain from a pulled something in my shoulder and did not stay for yoga. I chatted with everyone, managed to fold some blankets (I love folding the blankets; it satisfies my OCD), and then went home to take it easy. I did a small amount of knitting, I watched some "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" and I was out like a light by 8:30. I believe Dr. House will be visiting tonight. Other plans include setting out the trash bins and making some spice cake. Oh wait, I should hold off and bring it to the Riverspinners meeting. I was wondering what I was going to do for a snack-to-share.

I have been caught up and somewhat bored at work this week and have been Ravelry-ing like a woman possessed. I love to read the forums. I apparently do not love to take pictures of my projects. Today at lunch I worked in the ends to 3 pairs of socks that have been waiting for a while now. They are now ready for pictures and being worn soon. Today was so warm that I actually regretted wearing wool socks. I might need to keep a backup pair of regular socks in my drawer.

Interesting sighting today - there was an egret at the post office. The grassy median, to be more specific. It was quite the elegant sight, and had a look of "I am lost, but I am not going to ask for directions". I figure it has been displaced from the little canal by the air force base, as they are doing construction there. I love that little canal - I always see ducks, egrets, ground squirrels, and lots of redwinged blackbirds.

Keeping Busy... Not

Well, I never thought that this would happen, but not only have I been caught up at work for over a week, I am wandering around looking for things to do. Not obviously, of course, or I might get assigned something I don't like :) Even the fishtank is clean.

Same old same old in crafting land - making progress on the sweater. Tonight my sock class is cancelled so I am going to take a little time to weave before checking in the yoga class tonight. I tweaked my neck at some point this week, so I don't think I will stay. I think I will take a bubble bath and / or put the heating pad on my shoulder.

I made ziti again last night. Here is my quick and easy, no fuss ziti recipe. I stole it off a cooking show and modified a bit. If it is easy enough for me to make, anybody can make it!

1 bag ziti (16 oz)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (25 oz)
1 hunk mozzarella cheese (8-16 oz)
ground beef (1/2 lb)

Make the meatballs - put the ground beef into a bowl and add salt, garlic, onion powder, pepper, oregano, or anything you prefer. Mash together well. Pinch off little bits of meat and roll into balls. I like them to be about the size of a marble. In a skillet, heat some oil and fry the little meatballs. Drain on paper towels.

Make the ziti - in a large pan heat water and add ziti when it starts to boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring often to prevent sticking, and drain when the zitis are al dente (or really soft, if you prefer)

Cut the cheese into slices and set aside. The first time I made it, I used 8oz and it was not quite enough. Last night I used 16 oz and couldn't use it all. I think 12 oz is the magic number. I cut it in hunks the other time and did not get total cheese coverage. Slices was better.

In an oven safe casserole, layer the ingredients (sauce, ziti, meatballs, cheese) until they are all in the dish or you run out of room. Put in the oven at 350 ish for 30 minutes or so until the top is nice and brown.

Pour a nice glass of merlot and enjoy!

Quiet Day

A quiet day today and not much to report. I ran some errands and did a little weaving last night before my massage appointment. I like weaving. I like watching the fabric appear as if by magic, and at an amazingly speedy rate. I like advancing the warp and watching the spindle empty of yarn. In knitting, sometimes it feels like I will never get to the end of a skein. And joining is easier in weaving too!

Progress continues on the purple sweater. It makes good lunch hour knitting. I can't get away from it and it is the perfect complement to listening to the radio. I was getting dressed this morning and decided I need a pair of red socks. There was just an ocean of brown and blue in my sock drawer today. I did NOT buy yarn for them online, but rather started a list of "things I could buy but should really make as I have the fiber and the dye". So red socks is at the top. And I miss spinning for myself. Even though I have been spinning, and I have been knitting, I have not been spinning any yarn that I then knit with. So sad.

No big plans for the week except for a RiverSpinners meeting on Saturday afternoon. I will get some spinning done and I will bring the table loom and cotton fabric for show and tell. Whee! Next week there is a big knitting gathering at the Whole Foods I was talking about yesterday - I am trying to get a place. It would be nice to meet a single, available male knitter. Or three. Or even a man-who-likes-knitters-and-shops-at-Whole Foods. And if nothing else, there is a Peet's Coffee right across the parking lot (the nearest one to me, actually).

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.

Scampering Off

I guess there is still time for one more post before the weekend is upon us. I am still having a good week and am looking forward to the weekend. I am going to a museum on Saturday and Sunday is loom assembly day. Other than that I am keeping it open. If I book too many obligations I get antsy and end up doing none of them. It is nice feeling good again and I would like to keep it that way! I received a couple more "House" dvds in the mail and I bought a couple books at Borders ("The Complete Sherlock Holmes" being one of them), so I think I can keep myself occupied. Maybe I will go crazy and pick up an audiobook at the library.

I discovered yesterday that I can *finally* listen to bluegrass music again without falling apart. I have been avoiding music-with-words, especially bluegrass, which tends to be maudlin, because every single song I hear seemed to remind me of Mr. Fixit in some way or another. It is nice to be able to channel hop on the radio and belt out tunes at the top of my voice. I don't take the words personally anymore.

Knitting progress on Mandy's sweater is good and knitting the patterned part in the round is MUCH easier than flat, where I had to read the pattern from the other direction and reverse the symbols in my head at the same time. It will be nice to have it done and see it on a real person.

I have been finishing up a few knitted UFOs around the house (on the sly) and starting a couple more things (also on the sly), so I must be getting back to normal. I just don't feel right if I don't have far too many things going on, but I am really enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling of finishing a project and wearing it around. Maybe later this year I will even dig into the box of unfinished cross-stitch pictures. There are a bunch that I adore that are in a half completed (or more)(or less) state. It would be fun to see them framed and up on the wall.

I guess there is one more goal for the week - to organize the wool / yarn / dye stash and get dyeing so I will have some more roving and yarn for sale! It will be so much easier when I know what needs to be dyed /spun and what is ready to go out the door. I am feeling like cooking up some fun springtime colors.

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.

Looking Back

I made up a 2007 retrospective:

Socks finished: 12 pair Socks in progress: 3 1/2 pair
Sweaters finished: 1 Sweaters in progress: 2
Shawls finished: 1 Shawls in progress: 2
Scarves finished: 3
Mittens finished: 2 pair

Those are all the projects I am copping to in the knitting department. I have a bobbin lace project and two weaving projects in progress. As soon as Mandy's sweater is done, I can decide if I want to finish things up or start new things. Or both *bwahaha*

Looking forward, I think 2008 needs to be "The Year of Spinning and Dyeing from the Stash all the Yarns I Want to Buy in the Store". I did an acceptable job of not adding to the stash (unduly) last year, but I did not do much to reduce the piles of fleece. At least if it is changed into yarn, it will take up less volume.

Time to go home early. Whee!

Weekend Plans

Knitting. Knitting. More knitting. Oh, and maybe some "House" :) The GLASG meeting (and holiday party) is Saturday from 9-2 and I will be there with soap, if anyone cares to come smell. The soap. I think I will bring some spinning to do - it has been sorely neglected because it is easier to knit under the covers than to spin under the covers. The Spinning Studio (we really need a catchier name) will be open from 6-9 tonight (Friday). I am going to bring my charkha and video for some practice and maybe instruction.

I have been chipping away at Mandy's sweater. It is a sea of "wisteria". I have been spoiled with variegated and handpainted yarns lo these many years. I am still at an easy section of the pattern, so it is my stoplight knitting. It just should not take me 5 months to finish a sweater! Thank the gods that I did the sleeves first or she would be getting a very funny looking vest.

I realized the other day that I still have not seamed / sewn Petal together. I am a process knitter, as soon as the knitting portion is done, I lose interest. Maybe finishing it should be my reward after I finish the other one.

Icarus is going slowly - it is my Tuesday night lace class project, so I only knit at the speed of my student so that it is easy to demonstrate the tricky bits. Slow is OK. I started a second one here a while back, and it is AWOL, so I may tidy up the yarn areas and look for it to work on.

I am putting off the Irtfa'a project for a little while longer - I want to make one in black of course, but I was thinking that one in barn owl colors would be neat too. Rich reds, browns, and grays for the top portion and light browns and creams for the lower portion and border.

I worked on my milanese lace moon over the long weekend and finished the arch section. I am ready for the uber-scary scroll turn and then the sewings to join the beginning and end and then the filling and then the framing. Whee! Then I can start the torchon fan and in February start the milanese heart at the Winter Lace Conference. Lacing is not difficult, but I can't stir up the passion for it that knitting and spinning do, so it is hard to get motivated. It is one of those hobbies (like tatting, weaving and quiliting) that I only do when I am with someone else that does it or at a guild meeting. If I worked harder and was more secure in my skills, I might do it more often on my own.

I go to see the therapist today. I used to think poorly of people who saw a therapist every day, many times a week, even weekly, but I think I may need to become one of them. My appointments are erratic (esp bcs of the holidays) and 10 days is just too long to go without.

Yoga continues on Wednesdays. That is all I can manage right now and I just have to be OK with that, although I think I can squeeze in a class on Sunday this week. I like the stories and books excerpts that Martha chooses for us. They always seem very appropriate to things in my life that week. Either she is amazing (well, duh) or I have a lot of issues to choose from.

Blue Christmas

...and it isn't even my holiday! The dogs got Christmas morning canned food and I made french toast for myself. We settled in to watch "House" and do some knitting. Well - I knit and they kept my feet warm.

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!

Cloudy

I feel kindof funny this afternoon, like there is a big depressing *something* that is looming over me, when in reality I have the evening to myself. There should be a "House" dvd in the mailbox, I can put a pie in the oven, I can let the rabbit hop around the kitchen and freak out the cats. Those are all good things. I am even going to get a haircut tonight (don't get excited, it is just a trim). It is cloudy, gray, and drizzly this afternoon and that may have something to do with it. Perhaps i need a poinsetta in my future. Every year I buy one, and every year I keep it alive until July when we have a heatwave, and then I have to get another. I always think it will last the whole year. I can keep things alive - my secretary's day chrysanthemum is 3 years old and doing fine.

I had to rip out Mandy's sweater body yesterday, as there was a twist in it. Sigh. It is all the more frustrating because I checked 3 or 4 times that the cast on row was not twisted before I joined the first time. I rejoined today and knit several rows at lunch. Now I am checking it every 8 stitches to make sure it is still right. I put in my lucky stitch markers and I am hoping for the best.

I delivered the blue scarf last night and Danny put it on. That is a high knitting compliment! I stayed for yoga class and had a nice, stretchy time. I tweaked something in my knee, but have been babying it today and it should feel better soon. I can still only manage to make it to yoga once a week lately, but at least I can do that! It always makes me feel good before (to see everyone) and after (on that yoga high), but there is a place in the middle of class where I sometimes get cranky and frustrated. But I breathe and breathe and breathe some more and it always passes. If only I could remember to do that in "real life" too.

I have been all caught up at work and that is a very odd feeling. I like having some backlog. It is the same reason I always have some pet "works in progress" in the knitting pile. If everything is finished and there is nothing on the needles I think the universe might just stop! Maybe it makes me feel useful and needed to have projects pending.

Satisfied

Fran and I had a good time at lace knitting last night and put in another 5 good, solid rows on our Icarus shawls. Ending on an up note is nice. She made the most adorable gingerbread house - I can't remember ever meeting someone who has. We also had some excellent chattiness and made plans for our lace day this weekend.

I finished the blue scarf and washed it last night. It is here with me at work, drying, so I can gift it tonight.

Used my 40% off coupon at Borders and scored the very last copy of "Carnivale" season 1 - it was hiding in a display. I love multi layered shows like that which have lots of symbols, only some of which are explained. It lends an air of mystery. I was watching "House" the other day and Chase's dad was the guest; it drove me nuts trying to figure out where I knew that voice from. It is Lodz from "Carnivale". Then when I was watching the credits for "Cannonball Run" I saw Adrienne Barbeau's name, and a little bell jingled in my head. The connection got made last night - she is in "Carnivale" too. What a small acting world.

I am pretty caught up at work, which makes me happy. It is nice not to be buried and hopelessly behind all the time. My policy of working much less is still in effect, and still working out. The fishies are on a diet (which they are not so happy about), but they were getting pretty darn chubby. Maybe I should get a little shark type fish to chase them around.

Soapy Sales and More

So as you may know, Mandy and I have a soap business and, as it is the holiday soap-gifting season, we set up shop at the Downtown Festival of the Lights and at the Knit N Stitch open house this weekend. It was a good time, and we have plenty of holiday soap left for your stocking stuffer selections. In addition to the regular inventory, we made up special holiday scents including: Gingerbread, Peppermint, Eggnog, Mulled Cider, Applejack, Creme Brulee and Chocolate Mint (that one is so good that someone took and ate the tester for it last night). We have peppermint snowflake guest soaps and gingerbread men soaps. They are just too cute. We also have adorable Christmas / Holiday cards from Ruth at The Dizzy Ewe. And if you buy four soaps, you get a free guinea pig!

In other news, I am still feeling OK about life and Mr. Fixit. I still miss many things (and don't miss some others), but I don't beat myself up about it or take it personally anymore. Watching a lot of "House, MD" helps, as does snuggling under the covers and sleeping in. In between episodes of "House" I did quite a lot of sock handwashing - I found pairs that I forgot I knit. You might think that means I have too many, but I think it means I just need to keep them clean and in the sock drawer in a more organized fashion. Or grow more feet.

I knit very diligently on the blue scarf at the KNS open house and that evening at the soap booth (until I couldn't feel my fingers), and it is nearly, nearly done. Maybe I can churn out the last few rows today at lunch. Next on the list is a full-scale attack on Mandy's sweater. She is going to be able to wear it at Christmas dinner if it kills me.

I had a nice visit and Thai lunch with Rose on Saturday. Petsitting gifts were delivered, and general catching up was accomplished. It is nice to enjoy being around people / my friends again.

I took some time one evening this weekend and browsed around the Mission Galleria, seeing what I could see. I picked up a CD of "Pictures at an Exhibition" and "The Firebird" for $2 which totally made my day, and I found some small stocking stuffer items. They had one spinning wheel, but upon close examination it turned out to be a decoration piece only - the knob to adjust the mother of all is merely stuck on (not an actual wooden screw) and the flyer did not have the hollow bit where the yarn goes through - it was a solid piece of metal. Otherwise it was a very handsome saxony style wheel. Someone with a metal shop, who also doesn't care about adjusting their tension, might enjoy fixing it up. I saw a gift Mr. Fixit would have liked, but I don't think he deserves anything nice from me. So there.

She'll Fly True

Yesterday was a pretty good day. After 6 weeks, I am finally getting some distance from my grief of losing Mr. Fixit. I don't want to forget the fun times and the happy feelings that we had, but I am tired of feeling sad. I don't think that being sad doesn't have a place, but I am just exhausted from it. I can't always make everything right all the time just through force of will.

I have been feeling like seeing friends and going to activities again (finally), which my therapist tells me is a good sign. I like the feeling that I want to see people and do things, instead of feeling adverse to them or resentful that I have to do things in order to push through my sadness. I went to knitting night last night at Knit & Stitch where Other Lisa and I started our sock class. I also got some good knitting in on the blue scarf. The end is in sight.

Yoga class was after that, and I had a really good time. Part of me is sad / guilty that I am not able to go to yoga 4 or 5 times a week anymore, and part of me is forgiving and happy just to make it on Wednesdays. All I can do is all I can do and there is no point in making myself upset about it. We did a couple poses that were really relaxing to me for the first time. I don't know if I came into them differently, or if I had some amazing release, but it was sure nice to just feel comfortable in the stretch and not worried that I was going to fall.

I finished off the night huddled in two shirts and under a blanket and 3 cats, trying to keep warm and watched "House, MD" late into the night. Or early into the morning, depending. It got to be wayyyy past bedtime and I was just really, really awake. I don't know if it was extra energy from the backbends we did in yoga, or something else, but I was tempted to just stay up the entire night and knit and do laundry. I am on Season 2 of "House" and they seem to have softened Hugh Laurie's character quite a bit. I hope it does not last - I like him sarcastic and cranky. Reminds me of me.

Tonight is a night at home, with no errands to do or activities to host or attend. I am planning on some cooking, some chores, some laundry, and watching "Cannonball Run".

And Now For Something Completely Different...

The quilt-in-progress. You can see the gray fabric for the backing off the side.

Some of the guinea pigs who need homes. How many can I sign you up for? There are 3 girls and one boy (the brown one in the center).

The body of the Petal sweater. This was taken before the arms were done.

The arm of Mandy's sweater. Both arms are done and the body is started.

Coming Up For Air

This week is going better than last week, when I was in the maelstrom, but shiny happy it is not. Oh, I have a job, car, house, pets, knitting stash (and I am grateful), but I am just trudging through the days.

I actually picked up the blue scarf and knit on it for a while in the waiting room today, and that made me happy. It really needs to be finished and gifted away. Ditto with Mandy's sweater. Saturday is an open house at Knit N Stitch, and I plan on wandering over and getting in some good, focused knitting time. They had movie night last Friday ("White Christmas") and I had a lot of fun visiting and working on Petal.

Speaking of which, Petal's pieces are done and I just have to wash & block it, sew the bits together, and add the collar/ neckline hem. So close and yet so far!

Woozy

I am back. I did not have a good time. The highlight of my trip was getting an IV on Tuesday night to rehydrate after being violently ill for half the day. Then I was quarantined in my cabin for 2 days (but I escaped for dinner, which was pretty darn tasty). I am still a bit unsteady on land due to being rocked on ship all week. I kind of like the feeling - like being drunk but without the hangover. But I also feel like I will fall off my chair at any moment. I did watch a lot of movies, some of which were surprisingly good: "Evan Almighty", "Night at the Museum", "Pirates: End of the World", "No Reservations", "Ratatouille", "Ocean's 11 (and 13)", and "We are Marshall".

Some knitting did occur. I finished the first sleeve of Petal and have made good progress on sleeve number two. Tonight is movie night at Knit N Stitch ("White Christmas"), and I will take one of my pending projects to work on. Tomorrow is the RiverSpinners Holiday party and the plan is to finish spinning up the Ashland Bay roving in the "seamist" colorway. I don't know what it will be yet, but I love to look at it. It is a grayish-bluish-greenish-goldish-silverish merino / silk blend and I adore it.

I also got a little reading done. Diana Gabaldon's new book "Lord John and the Hand of Devils" came out last week and my Borders had one copy left. If you like historical fiction and mysteries, give it a try.

My friend Anne's guinea pigs are rooming with me temporarily, and they are just adorable. There are 4 babies that are just a few weeks old and they are cute beyond words. I wish I could keep them all, but I think Mr. Whiskers (my GP) would be jealous. Does anyone need a furry friend? We also stopped by the bird store to board her parrots for the week, and it was a narrow miss on me adding another feathered friend to the flock. But I like the birds I have and need to spend more time with them, not get a new one.

And last but certainly not least, a boisterous "shout out" to my friend Rose who watched my pets for me while I was away. Everyone was fat and happy when I came home, the mail was in, and the place was still standing. She is a real trooper.