Easily Influenced

I'm finding that on these incredibly awesome cold medicines, I am highly susceptible to the power of suggestion. I'm also very willing to do things for my friends.

Please, dearest friends, don't start asking for yarn. I have things I need it all for and can't give it away.

Anyways. Sitting here working on the draft for my knit thing and Caitzilla asked to see pictures of the Scotty hat.

So I'm going to break my own rule and post pictures that include my own head. Shocking.

Funny... The hat actually looks better now that it's had time to sit. Very strange. I may not rip it back at all.

And because someone will comment: the mess on the couch is my attempt to organize my stash, and the box on the background is sitting on my mini-fridge because I've been trying to clean. Bronchitis makes it harder than it should be.

Also for your viewing pleasure: the crocheted slouchy hat I've dubbed "Purple Thing".

Much cuter on me when my hair isn't mussed.

And a blast from the past: the "Pink Thing" cowl I crocheted out of.... yes it was Christmas yarn.

No, no picture of it on me, because orange and pink, at least that very serious pink, and the pumpkin orange I'm wearing would clash horribly, and I'm too... er... what was the word I wanted... too out of it to change.

So, back to working on this:

Because it's technically only halfway done, and it's super simple for my addled brain to concentrate on. This picture was actually taken with a flash, so the colours are... well they're actually a little bit washed out, to be honest. Much richer in person. I'm loving it so much and can't wait to knit another one. Which is an odd thing to say about k1p1 ribbing, but there you have it. I'm entertained by the pretty colours.

So there you go, Caitzilla, your request has been fulfilled. Here's hoping I made sense. Back to movies and knitting and trying to ignore the odd taste in my mouth from the antibiotics.

She's Down for the Count Folks!

Bronchitis. Official. Have stuff. Taking it. Going to knit easy stuff. Sleep. Watch movies or something. Should get some pictures of stuff taken.

Maybe later, when I have more brains in.

--Update--

Blech. Antibiotics side effect: change in taste. My mouth feels like I've been chewing on kitty litter. Or... what's that stuff... Like I've had a flouride treatment. That icky dentist tray that always gets filled with icky powdery feeling paste.

Thinking I deserve some homemade mac and cheese for this.

Almost Normal

Whatever plague I caught is almost gone. Just dealing with the leftovers. And yes, I am very well aware that it's 2 in the morning where I'm at. There was a scary noise that woke me up and I can't identify the cause so I'm very very awake at this point. Had it been a certain blue box, or a vampire, or a lycanthrope of some flavour, I would be off enjoying my new life. It wasn't any of those, so I'm decidedly "freaked the frak out" as those crazy kids are wont to say (or something, it's too early and too late, at the same time, to try to make much more sense than I am making right now).

I finished the Scotty hat and... I don't like it. It's the acrylic, I know it is. As much as I like the fact that I can wear that hat, it doesn't drape properly because of the yarn. I could, and probably should, wash it a few times to soften it and get it so that it'll do its thing properly, but I almost can't be bothered. I'm tempted to just rip the whole thing, seams and all, and figure out something else to do with that swack of blue. Not sure yet. Don't want to do anything hasty, you know.

Been working on the Noro scarf still. The colour changes are getting more intriguing. I don't think they're for me, but I like them nonetheless. I'm planning out the next one I'm going to make already. Starting to wonder if I'm mad, but I know any other process knitter... heck any other knitter knows what I'm going through. "This thing was so much fun and so beautiful and easy that I must make more!" It's like socks. (Speaking of, I have lots more socks to cast on... blimey).

Spindle has been fully painted. It was varnished last night, and should get shafted in the next couple days. Then a test spin by the artisan, and it will be winging its way out to me. Then I get to pick out and purchase my first fluffy stuff! Exciting! I am going to learn to be tri-craftual! Even though technically I'm try-craftual already: I'll try any craft at least once.

What do I have already? Cross stitch, sewing, beading, small box loom weaving, friendship bracelets, crochet, knitting... now spinning. Amazing. The last three seem to have been able to hold my interest the longest. Here's hoping for a long and glorious future of creating!

Still Zombiefied

The garter stitch is done, now I'm fighting the seams: garter stitch to bind off edge. Unfortunately I got one seam done yesterday, and then had all kinds of craziness happen with the illness. I'm... not sure what went on... Still woozy. I missed all of today. I remember waking up a couple times, only enough to take more of the green goo...

Everything is still fuzzy. I'm going to get soup. And something to drink.... probably coffee or something. I can't think properly.

Zombiefied

So I got sent home for being plague ridden today. Very sick. Partying with the green fairy that is the deliciousness that is NyQuil. Left me kinda woogy (yes that's a technical term). I'm being entertained by garter stitch....

Garter stitch.

Rows and rows and rows of knit.

And I'm delighted by it. Must be the short rows.

And the green goo.

MMMMMMM goo.

So yeah, almost done Scotty's Hat, the pattern someone linked to me on Ravelry, and using up the Demon Sweater leftovers. But there's so much left....

I'm going back to being woogy and knitting endless garter stitch.... for the next, um... hang on..... 9 rows. Sorry, had to count.

One Hundred!

Break out the champagne and mourning wear! Woo one hundred posts! Yay I did it! I'm keeping up with my blog and getting the knitting stuff out there so I don't drive the rest of the human race that comes into contact with me absolutely bonkers with my obsession/compulsion! Hooray!

Why the mourning? Because I just added up everything I spent this month on yarn and fibrey things. I am WAY off course and have to go on a yarn diet. For the sake of my budget, my ability to eat, and my ability to get to work. I have to stop. Time to make do with what I have, and finish a whole bunch of things I have started. Time to be good, and responsible, and do what's necessary before what's fun.

They can pry my yarn club out of my cold dead fingers though. There is no way in any definition of anything that I'm giving that up now. You hear me Christa? I love your work so much I'm willing to give up all kinds of necessities for you.

Doesn't help that my only utility bill is getting way out of whack because the pricing is some serious bullmalarky. I'll get that sorted though.

Started making a hat similar to the one Scotty wore in the newest Star Trek movie. Promised myself I wasn't going to cast it on, but there it is. Nice soothing garter stitch with the occasional interesting short row thrown in. It's going to be massive, and it's going to chew nicely through that whack of blue acrylic I have hanging around.

Finished another Christmas present for Step-mum, but it's going out to her early for sizing purposes. I have to know if what I did fits right to make sure the other two are also perfect. Shoot, if I need to cast something on, I should be casting those on. I'm a doofus! **checks time** I'll do it in the morning. When there's light.

Ripped and re-started Dad's Christmas present again. This is the 5th incarnation.... no, I tell a lie, it's the 6th. Dad, please stop being so hard to knit for. I'm kidding, of course. I just have to pick patterns I like the first time. This one is turning out lovely; subtle, masculine, goes with anything. It's going to be soft and squooshy and warm. And not wool. That's very important.

Note to self: If you finish things,you'll get the cables back from them and then can move on to other projects that need to be on longer straights but not psychotically long ones (what was I thinking getting 40" cables for my KnitPicks interchangables?)

So anyways. It's official. One Hundred Posts and a yarn diet....

One that will start right after I've gotten the stuff for the swap...

Boy is it a good thing that I don't have a credit card.

Sweet Mother of Pearl

Oh my good gods. I have been so very very remiss in keeping myself healthy. Especially my upper body. I feel better now that I've been to the gym a second time, but holy monkies ow.

Dear Triceps:

No, I don't hate you. Really. No, seriously, I don't. This is for your own good. It builds character. It hurts me more than it hurts you. I still love you, I promise.

Now stop hurting.

Love,
Me

Had a nice lady at the gym take time away from her busy schedule to quickly walk me through the machines and my goals and appropriate weight levels. I think I underestimated my abilities on some of them. No I don't want to injure myself, but the last three reps (out of twelve) should be a push.... and on too many machines they weren't. Especially the leg lifty things. No, I don't remember the name, but 90 is too light. I have to go up one bar weight level. Thingie. No, I don't know what it's actually called. (I probably do, but I can't think of it right now, and I'm imagining my Dad reading this and doing that "oh dear lord" face/sigh thing he does... it makes me laugh).

Anywho!

On track for being more awesome and healthy. Three months I want to see some results, and then I get to stick with it, to infinity and beyond!

Cast on a new project last night. I know I shouldn't have but it was too tempting. I'm bad and should finish stuff. More on knitting later.

Checking In

Been AWOL for a bit, changing over to a new schedule and basically living life.

Princess got me signed up for the gym. I'm doing healthy things for myself and so I'll get to deal with my body being all pissy about that. But it's good for me in the long run. Lord knows my father will be singing her praises.

Haven't been knitting because I've been off. Decided to crochet something instead. Made a hat. TOH made comments about it like it was Jayne's hat from Firefly. Can't figure out if that means he likes it or not. It's comfy, and purple, and it fits me (for once) so I'm keeping it, and if anyone thinks it's ugly, then that's their beef.

Got my prize from NGY in the mail last week. Took it in to work so everyone could experience the wibbly-wobblyness of it. Wore the glasses for a couple hours. That was fun. Got all kinds of looks. It's nice being odd.

Hoping random fandom shows up soon. Plus the other yarns I ordered for various other purposes. Have to get stuff mailed off soon, too. Can't keep making excuses. Got people expecting stuff.

Oh and I have to pick up circular sock needles. Going to do a bit of a self-made knit along thingie for socks. Going to see if anyone else might be interested, too. Love Ravelry for that. Can always find friends there.

Actually trying to keep this short. That's about all. Oh, note to self, let my family know I'm not dead, and really try harder not to fall off the face of the planet so much, k? Thanks me.

Self-Esteem/Ego Trip

It hurts being so awesome, sometimes.

I hope you know what I'm talking about. Those moments where you weild your particular skill with such precision and elann and dexterity that you just blow everyone off the field of combat. That moment where you pull something off that others deemed impossible. That instant where you feel absolutely in control, powerful, intelligent... like a super hero.

Then someone throws a little speck of kryptonite into the icing on your awesome cake...

You're still awesome. You still totally rock. You just did something no one else did; that changed the mind of the person you did it for.... but because you couldn't put forth that laaaaast little bit... You know you're going to hit the bitter part of the bittersweet victory.

Take tonight. Have a guy on the phone. Fix his internet issue. No one else did. Months of calls in, and a technician in his home, able to see the issue, and they didn't fix it. I remote in to the trouble system, figure out that he's using the wrong connection, get him on the right connection and rock his internet world.... but can I fix his e-mail problem? No. Is that going to be held against me? Yes.

I am so awesome. But I'm not perfect.

Thank heavens for that by the way. Being perfect would suck. It would mean less opportunities to learn, and then life would be boring. I wouldn't have anything interesting to knit, because I would know it all already.

Dull!

I'll stay signed up for my lifetime supply of Not Perfect But Ready And Willing To Learn, thank you very much.

Quick Update

Middle of my nice little weekend away and I figured I'd pop in here for a quick little update.

Sock progress was made on the second of Step-Mum's socks. I have decided unequivocally to send them off to her early to make sure she can size them for me. I have to know if they will fit so I can make sure the other two pairs are perfect (they're using Blue Moon Fibre Arts yarns, so I'm going to be more particular about them).

I have to remember to pick up a couple sets of circular needles. One of the many lovely ladies in the NGY/Cluster Cuss gangs I frequent on Ravelry suggested I look into the HiyaHiya Sharps. So next paycheque a couple of those will be making their way over to me. Just think... two at a time, toe up on magic loop. I'm turning into a machine.

Another reminder: tweak the outline for the knitting guide, and let Our Lady of Nerdy Yarn know what I'm planning. Additional: order those skeins of bulky weight for the booklet thingie. Yay for combining hobbies! Knitting, Crochet and writing.

Oh and check Etsy for an update on the spindle... and budget for fibre.

I love me, but boy am I an expensive date.

In still other news: (crud send Princess a note) I'm going to be taking Princess up on her offer to be gym buddies. I figure I can get in on the membership deal she mentioned and do something good for myself. I'm not healthy right now, and I have to get healthy. I'd much rather get healthy and spend time with a really cool person who is turning out to be a really good friend (making me eat my words notwithstanding).

So much for just a quick update, huh?

The Demon Sweater has been delivered, and, as I expected, received well, and will be used for it's intended purpose: a basement/weekend sweater. The Other Half noted the seams I was so disappointed with, and it's even bigger on him than I had expected. Next time: not quite so wide in the shoulders, and add a little to the overall length... In fact, scrap that pattern entirely and whip up something that actually suits him a little better: vertical patterns, cables, probably a cardigan, maybe even a big shawl collar if I'm doing it in bulky weight so it could pass as a jacket. Hell, buy those dang leather patches and sew them on to the elbows even. But not that horizontal striping shallow scoop neck ever again. Totally doesn't suit.

Hence why no action shots.

That sweater will, hopefully, be unconsciously relegated to exactly where it belongs, where it was made for; the back of the chair in the man cave for those occasions where he might get a bit nippy and need an extra layer for his arms.

The socks went over better, and three cheers for the cold weather that's going to be rolling in soon so they can see some use!

Bed time for me. Long, long, long day tomorrow.

It's gonna be so worth it.