Nupp Zombie!

I won't share a picture of the Firmaments Lace Shawl as it doesn't look all that different from last time (I've finished two more repeats of the same section). Instead, I'll share something new.

Clearly, when I need a break from lace knitting, the answer is to do more lace knitting, no?



Behold, the Peacock Tail and Leaf Scarf from Knitted Lace of Estonia by Nancy Bush. I can't seem to take a good picture of the nupps but trust me, they're there. Five of them in every repeat and I've finished 30 out of 32 repeats.



They really are quite addictive and I find myself looking forward to them each time. Granted, that might also have something to do with the fact that they are at the midway point of each repeat so they kind of divide up the work a bit.

Also on the needles are another pair of Hourglass, this time for myself.

Actual Knitting Content

I have been knitting, I swear. For whatever reason, I just haven't been able to motivate myself to blog about it until now.

Around the beginning of May, I started knitting a circular lace shawl. In one month, this is how far I've gotten.



Not bad, huh? I've got about four repeats of the last chart left before I start the border. I'm only on the second 50g skein of KnitPicks Shadow. Lace weight is amazing.

An even greater yarn conservation method is to knit with something that's not yarn. When sorting through some old shirts for donation or rags, I decided to cut some up and knit a market bag.



It only took me two nights which is good because it was kind of hell on my hands. Granted, I also stopped as soon as it was anywhere close to a reasonable size.

To make the strips, I cut the hem off the bottom of a shirt completely. I then cut around the whole shirt in a spiral ~1/2 in. wide all the way up to the armholes. At least, that was my intention. There's a reason most of the stripes are pretty short and it wasn't the shirt's fault. Fat girl=plenty of t-shirt material.

I used US13 needles. Instead of fiddling with knitting a handle, I cut three more strips and braided them together and then tied them through a yarn over on each end of the opening. I'm not entirely thrilled with it and might at least go back and knit an i-cord to fasten to it in a similar manner as the braid.

Belated Geek Pride

In honor of my new t-shirt coming and finishing a pair of Rose's Wristwarmers in the appropriate needle size (last time I used US3 instead of US4) and in a yarn closer to the original color, I'm celebrating Geek Pride Day a couple of days late.

In keeping with the theme, I must pass along a video that a friend shared with me yesterday.

It Came Out Of Nowhere

I bought this shirt. Either you're really going to get it or you're not the same flavor of geek as me.

It Came Out Of Nowhere

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All the Small Things

I have a new love. It is a BBC choir drama named after a Blink 182 song. No, I am making this up.

The show is called All the Small Things and it's quite addictive. Bryan Dick has a very amusing smirk and extremely pretty hair (he's the red head with the waves). My favorite song so far is this version of "God Only Knows".



For complete and utter crack, though, see this version of "What's My Age Again".



Possibly one of the oddest things to come of this is that it's made me realize that Enema Of The State came out 10 years ago. Whoa.

I Just Gotta Finish this Level

I have been knitting but I don't feel like talking about it so instead I'm going to share random stuff from the Internet.

First: Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcake Recipe I haven't tried the recipe yet myself but they sound freaking delicious.

Second: Dalek Dresses

Behold, geekery at it's hottest. The Doctor Who Easter Special gave me my fix, but this gives me a smile to get through the news that the next special isn't until November. The tiny Torchwood S3 will help, too, if they ever set a date. For those of you that get a bit tired of my ranting on about British SciFi, sorry. Although, with there not being a new season this year, now would be a perfect time to catch up. Just saying.

Third: Super-geeky love song from which I totally cribbed the post title (Give it until 1:09 before it really gets going)

Pure and Utter Madness

This weekend was spent knitting like a mad woman. Cast on for the first round of Sock Madness Thursday night and finished Sunday morning. Two and a half days! The crazy open afterthought heel was pretty fun, especially grafting 63 stitches at the end. I like the Kitchener stitch. It gives me a sense of accomplishment.

The yarn is Malabrigo Sock in Abril and I used US1.5 needles. I know that part of the reason this went so quickly is that the leg is a little shorter than I usually would make it. The heel also made it quicker as there were far fewer gusset decreases than you normally would have when using a heel flap.

After the marathon sock knitting, I went back to the pigs. I now actually have seven done (one has been sent off to my mom already) and I have two more bodies done. I'm going to go buy another skein of the light pink yarn tonight and I'd like to get the rest of the bodies done either tonight or tomorrow night. Then it's all down to the itty, bitty parts and sewing them on.

Whatever my next project is, I think I need it to be something decidedly less girly. All this pink and purple is messing with me. Black or charcoal gray sweater, perhaps.

Insanity, Party of One

Pig count: ~6.5 (I have the seventh body completely finished and stuffed but it has no other body parts other than eyes).

The pigs are on hold, though. I signed up for Sock Madness again this year and this time I won't have a 46-52 hour work week standing in my way. I stayed up a little too late last night and got this far

The heel is quite the interesting construction. It's an afterthought, but left open so you can try it on as you go. I thought that it looked like a ski mask for my heel. We'll see if I find it so charming when it's time to go back and pick up the stitches to finish.

I'll probably end up going out in round 2 or 3 (or maybe even round 1 as a handful of people have actually finished both socks already) but it's kind of cool to see the unique designs that people have come up with.

This Little Piggy Went to Market . . .

I got a phone call from my mother asking me if, since I knit her a mouse, could I find a pattern for a pig. And then make ten to twelve of them. This explains so much about me.

My mom's on the community theater board and each spring they have a fundraiser dinner and they use the upcoming summer musical as the theme. This year, they're doing Li'l Abner so they wanted pigs for decoration/door prizes.

Fortunately, the popularity of amigurumi and the awesomeness that is Ravelry made it very easy to find a pattern and I've already got one done. Still, I think this proves I love my mother very much.

. . . and then Buffy staked Edward. The End.

I think I need this t-shirt. Joss, could this happen in the comics? You already put in Rose and Ten. This would just make me think you were even more awesome. Because that's what you need, is another adoring fan, I know.

Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!

I finished the plain socks that would not end.



I wore them today and they were pretty comfortable. My feet were very comfortable when I learned about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith. I'm not certain how to feel about this. I like when people play around with Shakespeare (see 10 Things I Hate About You, Hamlet 2), I like retelling of classic fairy tales. It could make for a thrilling read. I'm going to go think about Colin Firth's head being ripped off and get back to you.

Zombies Attack!

Someone hacked road signs in Austin, TX, having them read things like "Caution! Zombies Ahead!!!", "Nazi Zombies! Run!!!", and my personal favorite, "Run for Cold Climates". Clearly, we're all safe from zombie attack here in Minnesota. I feel comforted now.

Hacked Construction Signs Warn of Zombie Attack in Austin

It's Something

Behold, my first finished object of 2009!



It's the same pattern I used to make myself a hat from Drops and I kind of love knitting it. I don't even mind doing the picot hem because I find the results to be utterly darling. This time, I knit it in Patons Kroy and I think the results came out quite nicely. I'm going to wash it and then send it off to my mom. She's excited.

Not much else is new. The job is going well and I'm glad that I decided to renew my lease for another six months. Even if I had found a place in time, I would have had to move in the bitter wind and cold that we have been experiencing in Minnesota.

Didn't Realize I Had Half of This Stuff

I decided to steal a meme from Selana that Pinky also stole.

1. Grab your iPod or other MP3 player and randomize your songs.
2. Type the first line/phrase of the first 20-40 songs that come up (you can skip one if the first line is, say, the actual title of the song).
3. Anyone can try and guess the title of the song by commenting on this note.
4. When the title has been guessed, bold out the lyric and add the name of the person who guessed it.
5. NO cheating by using search engines to find answers.

Some kind of odd things came up so take your best stab at it.

1. She's not a girl that misses much - "Happiness is a Warm Gun by The Beatles (PinkPorcupine)
2. Your pentagram is down below our floor - "Pentagram" by Cake (PinkPorcupine)
3. Sit back, matter of fact, teasing, toying, turning, chatting
4. You've been a juvenile with a dolphin smile
5. Back seat of your family station wagon
6. If you knew what I know, you wouldn't go see her
7. Can't you hear me calling your name, girl? - "Red Rain" by The White Stripes (greenwillow77)
8. Found a way to break away from the one you say that you love
9. Sulking, walking round the city after dark
10. I slipped away, I slipped on a little white lie
11. Wanted: Single f, under 33, must enjoy the sun, must enjoy the sea
12. It's not as if New York City burnt down to the ground when you drove away
13. For the benefit of Mr. Kite, there will be a show tonight on trampoline
14. The rain is here and you, my dear, are still my friend
15. You try to play cool like you just don't care
16. Can't wait forever is all that you said before you stood up
17. Well, I've roamed about this Earth with just a suitcase in my hand - "Love Don't Roam" by Neil Hannon (greenwillow77)
18. A heart that's full up like a landfill
19. Oh comely, I will be with you when you lose your brain
20. Our love is sweeter than strings
21. They led you to this hiding place
22. I hear the bells down in the canyons
23. The colored lights, they brightly shine
24. With a map of the endtimes I can follow a straight line to the old Mary Martin Show
25. All of these lines across my face tell you the story of who I am
26. Every single night, the same arrangement, I go out and fight the fight - "Going Through the Motions" by The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
27. Leaf by leaf and page by page, throw this book away
28. There used to be a lot of things that I didn't know
29. Let's get together and talk about the modern age
30. Honey, honey, up in the trees, fields of flowers deep in his dreams
31. If you'd say goodbye to me tonight there would still be music left to write
32. I saw her again last night and you know that I shouldn't
33. I wish I'd see a field below, I wish I'd here a rooster crow
34. Hey there, Bret, I see you looking down
35. The storm is coming but I don't mind
36. Now somewhere in the black mining hills of Dakota there lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon - "Rocky Raccoon" by The Beatles (greenwillow77)
37. The cat calls through the night and two chicks in the parking lot crack wise on the price of fame
38. I've heard of an ox, a professor from Quox, no longer permitted to teach
39. My prayer is to linger with you at the end of the day in a dream that's divine
40. Christmas bells are ringing, Christmas bells are ringing, Christmas bells are ringing out of town, Santa Fe

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish everyone a great start to 2009. I've finally emerged from hiding away at my parents' house after almost two weeks. While there, I managed to knit a pair of socks as a last minute part of my mom's Christmas gift. She did open up a package on Christmas Eve with one finished sock and one ball of yarn but I managed to finish a few days later. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of them before I left again.

On Christmas Day, we went to my aunt and uncle's house and had a pretty good time. The Wii has become the great entertainment equalizer at family events and this time Mario Kart was the game of choice. I can only beat members of my immediate family. We have very little video game experience and I think our hand eye coordination could use some work.

This year, my grandma made aprons for all of her grandchildren. This is a picture of all of us except my step-cousin who spends Christmas day with her mom. The one above is of my sister and me.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

It's also feeling a ton like Christmas. I've been unemployed again for a few weeks but that will end again after the beginning of the new year. I got a call with an offer Friday afternoon while I was packing to head out to my parents' house and it was like a huge weight being lifted off my chest. I wish anyone in a similar situation all kinds of luck.

Also on Friday, I cast on a sock as last minute Christmas gift and I'm about 3/4 the way done with the first one. I have a feeling one completed sock and one still on the needles will be going in the box.

Yesterday, my sister and I went to our grandma's house to make krumkake, pizzelles, and rosettes. Grandma supervised while we turned out piles of fried and baked goods. I had one rosette slip off the iron into the batter bowl, Erin burned one krumkake, and we both managed to have pizzelles that oozed over the patterned parts of the iron but we still produced plenty of treats for Christmas day. Tomorrow, we're going to arm ourselves with YouTube videos and our other grandma's phone number as we attempt to make lefse.

Now, I'm off to continue my futile attempt to finish a pair of socks by Christmas Eve. Stop laughing.

Craftiness to an Unhealthy Degree

Being at my parents' house gives me access to my mom's leftover acrylic, much of which is from the 70s and 80s. Combine that with my recent but basic knowledge of crochet and you get this:

It's my '70s-Inspired Crocheted Monstrosity. It's nowhere near being a monstrosity but it's on its way. I never thought I'd be caught dead crocheting a gigantic acrylic granny square. My inner fine-gauge-knitting fiber squad is screaming for help. My tiny ironic hipster is cackling with glee.

Another project I made this weekend was a mouse for my mom.

It's for her to use as a prop when she sings a version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas"--a.k.a. "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"--set to chopsticks. The levels of kitsch and quirk are high in my family.

ETA: I used Monty, a free pattern from Berroco, for the mouse. I used Wool Ease held double for the body instead of a bulky weight. I also stitched on the eyes and nose instead of using French knots because I was using some scrap sport weight for them and the French knots would have disappeared into the fabric.

Feeling a Little Sepia

There's a quiz going around the internet on what shade your rainbow is. Here's mine:

Your rainbow is shaded brown and gray.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What this says about you: You are a deep thinking person. You appreciate tradition and wisdom that comes with age. You feel closer to people when you understand their imperfections. You depend on modern technology and may feel uncomfortable without it.

Find the colors of your rainbow at spacefem.com.

I would say that this is pretty accurate, especially appreciating tradition and depending on modern technology. I am a walking contradiction.

I went shopping again today and my grandma wants to go somewhere tomorrow, too. My family is exhausting. It's a damned good thing that I love them.

Black Friday

I got talked into going shopping at Ridgedale today. I'm not entirely certain how this happened. We didn't leave my parents' house until around 9 so we weren't really dealing with the doorbusting craziness. The Target near there wasn't too bad although the mall did get a little too much to handle by the time we were done.

My mother decided that I needed new clothes for "professional reasons" so she bought me a few separates to use as suits for interviews. I really do appreciate this a lot because it's one less thing for me to worry about if I have any job developments coming up. It was also kind of fun helping my parents pick out my sister's Christmas presents.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a happy day with lots of good food and fun times. Also? Watching your parents do the hula hoop on the Wii Fit is possibly one of the best things to ever happen. If only we could have talked Grandma into it.