My Inner Teenager...

...cannot stop snickering.

Preview

Thought you might enjoy a peek at the contest prize. Last day to enter is Friday, 31 August, 2007.

Just for Fun

Irony

I created a yahoo account for the specific purpose of being my "public" contact. You know, when "registering" for websites, for my blogger business, etc. I get dozens of emails a day on that email address, not including the ones that are automatically filtered by the spam blocker. (I think the new term for all the mail you want, just not now is Bacn.) Now I almost never get any email on my home address. :-(

Cheese!

First, a WIP:

Another Booga Bag, this time for me, with button hole handles instead of an i-cord strap. It's been ages since I've knit up most of an entire ball of yarn in one evening. It was nice, mindless, barely have to watch it, going round and round, stockinette stitch while watching the movie "Fun With Dick and Jane". Anybody else seen this movie? Am I the only one bothered by it?

SPOILER: I mean, here you have this affluent couple, newly unemployed and having to resort to robbing banks for money. It sounds like an amusing premise and Jim Carey was not overly annoying (neither was Tea Leoni), but it really disturbed me that is couple did not do a single thing to curb their rampant consumerism in the face of their job losses, or even when they were robbing banks to pay the bills. They just went right back to their "American dream" lifestyle without having learned a single lesson. I found that very upsetting.

Moving on. Look what I discovered in my local Trader Joe's yesterday:

Squeaky cheese curds! This was my first time and, OMG, these are so freaking awesome. It was so hard not to eat the whole 10 oz. package. *YUM* I think I'm going to have cheese curds for breakfast.

Finally, I also took the boys to the park yesterday. Here is Isaac pushing Ezra on the swing.

Cute, huh?

The Toe-up Tigers Are Done!

DSC00342.JPG
Originally uploaded by rhymer573

The Toe-Up Tigers Are Done!

I finished them late last night while watching a movie on the TV machine. These were my first ever toe-up socks and the first pair I knitted simultaneously. I really enjoyed this method--no second sock syndrome! Instead of making two separate balls of yarn, I just pulled the yarn from the inside for one sock and the outside for the other. Once I got the hang of keeping the strands separate, it all went smoothly.

Stitch pattern: 5x1 rib
Yarn: Opal Rainforest
Colorway: Tiger (can't you tell?)
Needles: 2 mm

Even thought I have some really amazing sock yarn in my stash I think I'm going to take a break from knitting only socks for now. I'm not sure what to cast on next, however. Either this or this. Or maybe this.

Oh, that reminds me. Isaac, who back in February decided he'd wanted to be a bat for Halloween, told me yesterday that he'd changed his mind and now wants to be a dragon. Luckily, he has a dragon costume already. Also, if he is going to change is mind every 5 minutes, he's going to have to settle for something NOT knitted (hah).

Website Wednesday...

...happens to coincide with Shameless Promotion Day.

Blog Visitors Appreciation Day

Today is Tuesday, August 21--the day I write my 100th blog post. There was a time, not too long ago, that I believed 50 posts was a lot. Now I know better. Even a hundred posts doesn't seem like that many.

I started blogging back in June of 2006, but didn't really get going with it until after I'd changed the name of my blog and made a New Year's resolution to blog more. The first 6 months in the life of my blog saw 3 posts. The following 8 months saw 97. Blogging about knitting (and other things) is almost as fun as knitting itself. In fact, I can't even imagine my life without blogging, I enjoy it so much, and I can't remember what I was doing instead of blogging in the months between Aug of 2006 and Jan of 2007.

Thanks to all the regular readers and occasional visitors to my blog, and thanks for all the wonderful comments (comments are awesome!). Thanks also to my Bloglines subscribers and to everyone who has linked to me from their blogs. You all have made blogging so much fun for me! Here's to the next hundred posts!

Arrgh!

Arrived today--Yarn Pirate booty! It's a beautiful colorway. I can't wait to see how it knits up.

Arrived yesterday:

Sterling silver findings and Swarovski crystal beads for the contest prize. Have you entered yet?

Fashion Forward?

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a fashion trend-setter. I do my best to look presentable with what I can buy at Target or Lane Bryant. Occasionally, I watch What Not To Wear (US version) and I own the book written by the creators of the UK version. I have sort of a loose understanding of what's in style and an even looser understanding of what looks good on my body, but I'm a stay at home mom. My primary goal is to be comfortable while chasing children and managing a household without wearing pajamas all day long.

Imagine my utter surprise when Buzz Feed posted these links. Now check out this, my little felted bag from January. And that's not even the original. I based the dimensions on a tiny purse my friend Jen gave me as a bridesmaid gift when she got married 11 years ago (the strap on it finally gave out and I needed a replacement). I am really on the cutting edge of a new fashion trend or am I just having delusions of grandeur again? Oh dear.


Don't forget to take the poll and leave a comment on yesterday's post to enter the drawing for a set of hand-crafted stitch markers (made with Swarovski crystal beads!).

Short Row Heels

I turned the heels of the toe-up tigers this weekend.

The pattern I was using was from the Summer 2007 Interweave Knits article by Ann Budd. She has you do the YO method of short rowing but frankly, I just couldn't grasp that. Something about doing the YO just hurt my brain, so I thought I'd try the wrap and turn method. I found that to be cumbersome and confusing as well.

So, I got my Google foo Google-fu on and found this post from nonaknits about Japanese short rows, but seriously? When you are knitting socks, do you want to have 9 million little stitch markers cluttering up your heel? Heck, socks are supposed to be a portable project.

Anyway, it was around the time that I was putting on the 8,999,999th little stitch marker that I realized all you're doing to close the gap between turns is a M1 increase and then knitting it together with the turned stitch. That's what all of those methods are about. So, I figured I'd just do that and forget about the stitch markers, or doing YOs or wraps and turns. Guess what. The heels look great. Well, maybe not great, but they sure are good enough.

Anyone out there ever do a short row heel before? What is your favorite method? Take my poll and leave a comment (be sure to include your email address). You could WIN a set of 5 lovely hand-crafted-by-me stitch markers! The winner will be picked by random number generator on September 1st, 2007 and notified by email. Good luck!

***Update 8/14: I will announce the reader on the blog and we'll work out contact information at that point.***

***Update 8/15: A clarification: Only comments left on THIS post will be entered into the contest for the drawing. I figured I'll probably post at least once more before the 1st of Sept.***

Summer Fun

Last Sunday, we went to Lake Compounce. It was miserably hot that day, and dreadfully crowded (a surge of humanity). Mostly I stayed with my sister and one or both of the kids on the beach by the lake while my DH and her BF went on roller coaster rides (I'm just not a roller coaster person). I tried to knit. Here are my SIPs watching the children fight over who gets to own the patch of dirt we were sitting on build sand "castles".

Here is the water slide we were sitting under. Isn't the sky a beautiful shade a blue?

Afterward, we were all hot and dirty but decided to go out for pizza anyway. I tried my hand at Kinnearing my sister and her boyfriend. How come it looks like I said, "pretend I'm not taking a picture"? I totally didn't.

Finally, here are my SIPs today. I'll be turning the heels. How about a haiku?

knitting socks toe-up
goes faster if you can do
two at the same time

Interview Questions (another meme!)

Much thanks to my totally awesome sister who sent me these interview questions.

1) if you had the power to change the world, what would you keep the same and why?

Human beings have made such a mess of things, I think I would have to examine the microcosm to find anything to keep the same.

2) aside from having children, what event or series of events, changed you, made you the person you are today?

There really is no other event or series of events. Becoming a mother is THE life-changing moment. Ask me again in 10 years.

3) if you were a wealthy person and you had to choose three charities to sponsor, which would you choose? Why? And how would you delegate your budget between them?

Hands down, I would give most of my money to La Leche League. Happy, confident, loving mothers beget happy, confident, loving children. I would probably give the rest of the money to organizations working to develop renewable energy resources and to save the earth's rain forests.

4) aside from wishing health and happiness for your children, what are your dreams and expectations for them? What do you think (or hope) they will choose to do with their lives?

Only that they contribute to society in a positive way.

5) you have a passion for knitting. Now that you been doing it for a few years, what do you hope to accomplish in terms of knitting skills, projects, "masterpieces?"

I want to knit a Bohus and am planning that for a project in the not-too-distant future. Also, I would love to knit beautiful, gossamer lace. But I hesitate to start that until the children are older and less distracting.

Would you like to be interviewed for your blog? Let me know in your comments and I will craft custom interview questions for you.

Alan Watts Theater

This popped up recently on Boing Boing, and then again in a link my mom sent me. I thought I'd share.

Cat Update

The cat is not yet toilet trained, but we're getting there. My first choice training method would have been great, but it involved me having to catch him using the litter in the toilet and "show" him to put his paws on the seat, not keep them in the bowl. This presented a couple of problems. I have two little kids and a household to manage. I was rarely able to catch him at the right moment. Also, the few times I DID catch him, I would praise him and pet him and gently move a paw out onto the seat and he would glare at me in the most scornful way. You know that look--cats are very good at it.

So, I decided to get one of these. Doozer is doing well with it so far. Next week I will remove the #2 ring and he will have to start putting his paws on the seat. I am a little anxious about this part since he is very stubborn about this, but I think it will work out alright. I can't wait for this process to be finished. I'm dreadfully tired of all the cat litter in every corner of my bathroom.

Tagged (another meme!)

My baby sister tagged me.

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like.(Check out especially the * starred ones.)Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.)and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers.

1. Look, read, and learn. ****- http://www.neonscent.com/
2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. ****- http://www.bushmackel.com/
3. Don’t let money change ya! ****- http://www.therandomforest.info/
4. Always reply to your comments.***- http://chattiekat.com/
5. Develop your own "voice" don't "borrow" someone else's *** Mizmouthy
6. If you don't have something to say, don't worry your loyal readers will wait **Oldfashionmomma
7. Be yourself, don't be afraid to share who you really are **** http://shibari-confessions.blogspot.com
8. Figure out what you stand for, then try to master it. ** http://mornmeet.blogspot.com/
9. Post pictures when you can * http://akadventuring.blogspot.com
10. Talk about your boobs a lot. ** http://123Valerie.blogspot.com
11. Go ahead, get it off your chest * http://arguablybetteradvice.blogspot.com
12. A reflecting pool, of sorts - http://introspectionandrants.blogspot.com
13. Don't think too hard, just have fun and write from the heart.* http://rachel-lessonslearned.blogspot.com
14. Don't say on a blog anything about anybody you would not say to their face. http://knittinginterrupted.blogspot.com/

If you have already been tagged, ignore this and consider it a warning for future tagging.

I tag Jen D. and livnletlearn

Jaywalkers Done!

I finished the Jaywalkers for my MIL yesterday.

Yarn: Tofutsies
Color: #733
Needles: 2 mm

A fun pattern and an excellent yarn. They are beautiful and soft and I think she will love them.

After I wove in all of the ends, I cast on these (again!) for my FIL.

These were originally going to be Jaywalkers, but that didn't work out. Then they were going to be plain old double ribbed socks. I wasn't too thrilled with that either. Now I am doing two socks at a time in a 5x1 rib. I'm going to call them Toe-up Tigers.

A note on knitting my first two-at-a-time-toe-up pair. I can't help but think they look like boobs.

And now, we return to our regularly scheduled blog

A lot of people out there are knitting socks. I know because I saw you last night, with your teeny tiny DPNs or dangling circulars, and oh so pretty sock yarns. Oh, yes. You're out there.

And why not? Sock knitting is fun, portable, and instantly gratifying. That is, at least until you finish the first sock and start on the second. It's called Second Sock Syndrome, and I'm sure you've heard of it. You may even suffer from it. But now, there's a cure for SSS. It's the Second Sock Swap!

Sign up and you'll "only ever need to complete one sock at a time, and you'll still get pairs, Hooray!"

Check it. (Link via Crafty Crafty, thanks!)

The Harlot Rules!

I just got back from the trip to Madison and (except for a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad thing that happened right after the Harlot finished her talk--we shall not speak of it here) I had a thoroughly enjoyable time. Stephanie is as funny and engaging in person as she is in her books, and I'm so glad I got to meet her.

Here she is, holding my SIP, rubbing it up against the traveling sock. Awesome.

There's Only Room For One Thing Right Now...

Oh my gosh, people. I have so much I want to blog about. I want to tell you how the sidewalk sale at the yarn shop went. I would love to show you the purchases I made and the huge undertaking I am planning. Wouldn't it be fun to see the sumptuous yarns they were selling for 50% off, laying there on the tables, literally glowing in the sun? I have still the photos on my digital camera.

Let's not forget the comments. People have been leaving comments and I haven't been able to respond. Blogger doesn't make it easy to just reply, as you may already know, so I was planning to do one of those "let's answer the comments" posts.

Then there's some haikus to share and some interview questions to answer and at least a dozen other things to post about, but you know what? All I can think about is that today, I am going to see the Harlot in Madison.

SQUEE!!

Can't Blog Right Now...

...too busy getting ready to schlep up to Madison with my children to see the Yarn Harlot tomorrow.