Somewhere, Ford Cruller is crying.

So...yesterday, I put on a pan of bacon to cook, set the timer for ten minutes, and went upstairs to grab my camera to take some pics for Etsy.


Good news is, apparently if something catches on fire, my oven shuts itself off and locks the door until it cools. It must have happened pretty fast, because the timer never actually went off, and the pan is perfectly fine, since I'd thought to line it with foil. The top three inches of the oven are not quite as happy:














Not to mention the door:

Thankfully, it's just the inner glass that's cracked, and as it turns out, this house has one seriously kick-ass attic fan.

It was only as the house was clearing out that we realized 'Wait, the house was so full of smoke, it looked like an 80's hair band music video...why is it so damned quiet?'. And thus we went out and bought new smoke alarms, having remembered that ours are wired into something that no longer works and we couldn't just slap new batteries in them.

In other news, I have had this German Technopop cover of 'Take Me Home Country Roads' stuck in my head for four days now. I've even managed to get it stuck in other people's heads. It may be the audio equipment of a computer virus. And it is made of awesome.

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Now playing: Die Inselfeger - Country Roads (Tränen-in-die-Augen Mix)
via FoxyTunes

Making a note here - HUGE SUCCESS

*whew*

Yesterday afternoon I got a call that one of the knitting teachers at work had needed to cancel, so I stepped in for her. (since I'd knit the sample and made the adjustments to the pattern anyway...) Fun, but a bit exhausting after a full day of work. I think it went well, though. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and more importantly, seemed to get the hang of fair isle okay. And heck, a little extra money here and there never hurt.

However, the 10-hour day at work on top of the furniture moving yesterday means that about all that I can move right now is my fingers. Fortunately, that's all I really need to be able to move to eat and knit.

Good on you, Ann Norling!

Well, the handwarmer pattern is almost ready to go forth into the wide world and bring pack some spare change. I had a friend do a test-knit, and she pointed out a few things I'd kind of skimmed over (like the dimensions of the different sizes...oh, details), so I just need to fix those and get my little hand up to be added to the list to sell patterns through Ravelry.

The Top-Down Raglan class at work got me in the mood to start back in on the cardigan I put on hold to finish the Christmas knitting. I really prefer the Woolworks free fill-in-the-blank pattern I'm using to the Ann Norling pattern the class is doing, though. I made the kids' version as a store display, and there were a few bits where I really had to re-read the pattern a couple of times to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to. Not a bad pattern, just oddly phrased in places. Most of her patterns are like that - there's just something a little odd. Like the one we have where the picture has the camera datestamp on it. My boss is convinced that Ann Norling is just printing these patterns out at home and assembling everything on her dining room table. You know what? If she is, more power to her. I just wish my dining room table was clear enough to pull off something like that.

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Now playing: Peter, Paul and Mary - 500 Miles
via FoxyTunes

Next coat...

Almost forgot, got the first coat of actual colors on the minis the other night:

Tiwaz says that so far, the beetle is looking disturbingly life-like.  I give full credit to the mica topcoat.  I've mostly been focusing on the creatures, as they're the most urgently needed (in the sense of 'someday when everyones schedules aren't totally fucked over, we might need those'), but I've got a nice base coat on the shield and the sorceress's cape as well.

Knit, knit, knit, CROSS-STITCH!!!

I'm finally starting to reach the end of the knitting backlog.  Got both of the remaining pairs of handwarmers done, and the socks are coming along nicely.  I really need to get the handwarmer pattern all polished and posted - it's not going to be a free one, though.  Assorted reasons lead me to believe that I should charge a little something for it - not much, probably only 50 cents to a dollar.  I'd feel a little silly selling them if I was handing out the pattern for free, and well, quite frankly, I could use the ego boost of people buying something I've designed.

(Yes, I know I designed and/or wrote several patterns for sale at work, but I don't actually get credit for those.  Or more importantly, money.)

However, as the Christmas crafting winds down, other holidays loom before me.  Namely, a shitload of birthdays.  I've got ideas for most of them, it's just a matter of gathering the necessary time and/or money.  In particular, I've got a couple of very interesting cross-stitch/embroidery ideas in mind. (wow, I'm getting some mileage out of my forward slash in this post, aren't I?).  There's a couple of neat things I ran through Dark Lilac before they took their pattern generator down, and the rest I should be able to cobble together okay, as they're mostly text.  

All of this, of course, being dependent on getting the last of this Christmas stuff finished up soon.

Sigh......

New Year, New Stuff

Well, got my first comic of the New Year posted.  Hopefully, I can keep this up as at least a weekly occurrance.  I've got my next two weeks done too, so that's a good start.  I figure I can manage to come up with 52 funny things to say within the space of a year.  I could probably do more in terms of ideas, but unless I become an overnight success with merchandising and such, I don't think I can  afford the time to do more than one a week.  Now I just need to get my website looking a little more user-friendly, maybe integrate this blog into it.

Also used my Christmas money to get started on a new hobby - soldered jewelry.  Here's my first two pieces:

Nothing overwhelming, certainly, but I really enjoy it and it seemed to come pretty easily to me (with some help from my dad, Mr. Certified Welder, of course.)  Each one seems to come out better than the last, so while I've got some stuff now that I'd feel pretty good about wearing myself or giving as gifts, I think by next week I should be up to a point of feeling like I can sell them.  I know that sounded odd, but what I mean is that I've got the framing down but I'm not feeling secure in my soldered jump rings - stuff for myself or people I know, I can fix if the ring fails.

And I got the first coat of primer on the minis I (well, we technically, but they're basically all mine until they're painted) got for Christmas:

Now I just need to figure out where the hell I put my X-Acto, remove the flashing, and I can get really dug in.  I'm thinking of doing the dungeon vermin first, as it's the monsters that we need the most for our campaigns.

Race to the finish line

Caution - I don't think anyone's going to have time to read my blog until after Christmas, but just in case, I've made certain parts a bit hard to read as something of a spoiler protection.

Well, I figure there's no time to get every project done in time, so I've finished the ones for the out-of-towners, and I'm going to make sure all the others are at least started, so I can wrap the projects with a picture of the pattern and everyone will know I didn't just flake, and know what things are going to look like.

So I'll have a pair of socks, two hats, a two and a half pairs of handwarmers, a pair of slippers, a couple of plushies, a small pile of cellphone charms, sleep pants, possibly some more earrings, and a sweater that the freaking yarn hasn't actually arrived for yet (seriously - this is two years running!  I order the yarn to make the sweater back in October, and it just never arrives.  Last year's was discontinued, I can't wait to hear the excuse for this one)

Then there's also rewiring the plug that fell off of the tree (shouldn't be too hard, but it's the downside of the pre-lit tree), wrapping everything, and I think I was supposed to make cookies. I don't know anymore, my caffeine level has dropped slightly below rational thought, but still holding above motor control.

Christmas Looming...

Bleh.

Eight days of crafting time left.  I sort of hope we get more snow tomorrow so I can just tuck in for the day and get some quality crafting time in. (of course, I'll probably need to go get a few extra supplies, so....)

There are ends to sew in, knitting projects to finish, bits to be sewn together, jewelry to finish, prints to be made, inks to be heat-set, items to be pre-washed before wrapping, patterns to finish, etc, etc, etc.  I'm a little glad that not all of the relatives are going to be able to make it in for Christmas, since it gives me until New Year's to finish up their stuff.

I'm supremely confident that I can get everything done, but there's gonna be one hell of a crash Christmas evening when I fall over from exhaustion.

Updates

I added my twitter to the sidebar - I do tend to talk to myself a lot, I feel a bit less silly talking to the internet rather than sitting here talking to the cat, especially as the cat has a tendency to wander off a bit.

The pickles are all done.  And nearly all eaten.  Needless to say, they turned out well.  We're already planning all the vegetables we'd like to plant to pickle for next year.

We need to plant some onions, too.  I keep running out, and it's so nice and snowy outside, onion soup sounds so very very tasty.

NaNoWriMo Fail

Once again, I did not complete NaNoWriMo.  November is really never a good time for me - it's usually when I start panicking about getting the Christmas crafting done, not to mention that I had a craft show to prepare for this year and the brief possibility of hosting Thanksgiving.

However, on a brief spin through Wikipedia trying to recall if James Bond works for MI5 or MI6, I happened to read up on all the other MI agencies.  Most of them were wartime sort of things and are now defunct, but....there was never an MI13.  At least not one anyone knows about.  I think I have next year's NaNoWriMo idea.  Or a kick-ass Hellsing fanfic.  Or Torchwood. Must...resist...fanfic...save...good ideas...for original works...and stop...talking like Captain Kirk.

Hello, Winter!

Yay!  First snow of the season.

Looked very crisp and snuggly this morning, too bad I had to go to work.  Fortunately, the pavement was warm enough that the roads were just wet rather than icy.  Meant a nice slow day with plenty of time to work on the store samples, at least.

Got some pickles started, as well.  They were the leftover radishes from the Thanksgiving relish tray, and I'm hoping to have the pickles done in time for the Christmas relish tray.  I'm doing tsukemono-style pickles, sliced thinly and pressed with salt.  If everyone likes them well enough, I may be able to get a bit of a subsidy to buy a proper tsukemono press instead of using two stacking tupperware containers with weights in one.  

In progress

Thought I'd post a few in-progress paintings that I'm working on for the show next week:

This one is going to probably be the most heavily reworked.  I don't know what the hell I was thinking here, trying to just paint a checkered tablecloth without doing a few sketches first.  The perspective problems just make me cringe.



This one is just an abstract, it's almost done, I just have a few details to add.  I found an entire package of metal leaf that's going to be going to a good cause  - my painting instructor would be so proud.

I think this one's self-explanatory.   He may get a friend looking for his bucket depending on my time constraints.

Novels and Knitting

Well, NaNoWriMo is going fairly well so far.  It helps that this year I had a setting planned out.  I'd actually started to write a story in this setting several years ago, but I'd been writing it all longhand between classes, and and some point the envelope I was keeping my pages in kind of vanished somewhere and is still probably floating around campus.  I still had all my setting and character notes, though, so I'm using them to start over from scratch.  

I'm also coming along well on getting some stock together for the craft show next weekend.  I have high hopes of actually selling some of my paintings, and I've got some jewelry pieces I'm pretty proud of, too.  I'm thinking that I'm going to change my policy and go ahead and put stuff that I'm working on to sell in my Ravelry notebook.  After all, most of them are original patterns, I could be selling the patterns through Ravelry, or be getting some attention focused on my Etsy store.  which reminds me, I need to get to work finishing up my tags and business cards for next weekend.  I'm pretty excited about the whole thing - every now and then I need a little validation that my college degree is somwhat useful.

And now a brief political message...

That is all...
(images CC from wikimedia, poster generated by diy.despair.com)

And this is why I waited to register to vote.

In the last two hours, I have had THREE political poll phone calls. They've got four minutes, and then the next one gets immediately answered with "I'll vote for whoever will shut the hell up and let me get back to what I was doing!"

Updates all around

Well, I just finished going through my Ravelry notebook and taking some fresh pictures to update my projects in progress. The big one to update is the hat I'm working on - it's an original design, and I'm really very pleased with how it's turning out. Took a little while to get the hang of the shaping in double-knitting, but it looks pretty good, and I think I've explained it nicely in the pattern. I'm actually pleased enough that I think people might be willing to pay money for it.

The felted satchel for Tiwaz is coming along nicely as well - I'd hoped to have it done for our aniversary, but I don't think I'll quite have it done by then. Definitely before Thanksgiving, though. Now that we have a washer and drier, I have a bit of a backlog of things that need felting anyway - best to just set aside a day for it.

And, of course, we're heading dangerously into NaNoWriMo time again. I'm thinking this year I'll actually prepare a bit, try working up some character profiles and such. I've got two pages of a comic that I drew as part of an art project, and I'm thinking that might be a good jumping off point for me this year - I essentially drew a trailer, no plot really involved, just a hook. I don't even think there was any dialog, just character introductions. I've got my author page all updated, though, and I just need to grab this year's badges and fix my sidebar links.

Another thing to add to the list of things I can only do when no one is watching...

Seriously, since when can I make an omelet? Without fail, every time, it turns into scrambled eggs. I don't even know what possessed me to try today. Perhaps Cooking Mama really can improve your cooking skills...or maybe it's that I've simply never tried when there was no one else home to whom I could show the perfect, perfect cheese omelet.

Starting the Christmas Crafting

Well, the Christmas crafting has begun in earnest. So far I've got one original pattern I'm working on, and two more projects I'm working on from other patterns. I'm trying to do smaller projects and not take on too much, possibly famous last words.

The Triumph of Planned Obsolescence

Last week we were getting ready to leave the house, and the garage door opener wouldn't work. This has happened before, and turned out to be a broken spring that time, but we could tell all the springs were intact this time. So, we tried running it again, paying closer attention to the actual opener, and found that while the motor was running and the chain was hooked in properly, the chain was not moving. A few days later when we had the time, we opened the opener up and had my dad take a look at it, thinking that it was just a gear not catching...


And by 'not catching', of course, we mean 'made of nylon and shredded to bits where it rubs against the metal gear'. There is no way to fix this gear, and replacing it would be exceptionally awkward - assuming we could find or fabricate the right gear to begin with.

The next step, then, was to look up the model and see what sort of warranty it might have had on it. As it turns out, this model is no longer made, so no one would have been able to do anything for us even if the warranty still applied, but here's the kicker - the opener originally came with a ten-year warranty....

Ten years exactly. On the one hand, I am incredibly pissed off because we have had rain every day but one since this happened . On the other hand, somewhere out there is an engineer/industrial designer who really knows their estimated material lives.

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Now playing: Jonathan Coulton (Portal) - Still Alive
via FoxyTunes

Best laid plans of mice and men are all f***ed up by cats.

So I woke up this morning all "I'm gonna write, and do some painting, and clean the kitchen, and get that hat pattern posted", but then I opened my bedroom door and found this:

So the cat got dumped out on her fuzzy little butt, I cleaned up the trail of shredded toilet paper, found where she'd hidden the toilet paper roll holder, and now I'm going to eat and play World of Warcraft, because it's all gloomy outside and that just sucked up my will to do something productive for the next few hours.

Recipe: Caprese Salad Extreme

A deli near my house makes a truly awesome caprese salad, but it doesn't seem to be something they make every day, so as my contribution on the Fourth, I sort of reverse-engineered it and added a few touches of my own:

1 1/2 lb mozzarella (the nice fresh squishy stuff or the little balls)
3/4 lb cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
6 whole sundried tomatoes, chopped
5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or about one-third to half the tube if you buy the stuff I always get)
1/4 large onion, very thinly sliced
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped (or a big heaping spoonful of the pre-chopped stuff)
1 teaspoon"Italian Seasoning" (I like the Paul Prudhomme Pizza and Pasta Magic)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Oregano and red pepper flakes to taste

Whisk together everything except the onion, cheese, and cherry tomatoes in a large NON-METALLIC bowl (found that out the hard way with previous tomato-based salads). Cut the cheese into cubes and stir in thoroughly, letting rest for a moment. Cut the stems out of the cherry tomatoes and add (if that hard little stem part doesn't bother you like it does me, just stab them a couple of times before tossing them in), followed by onion. Mix thoroughly. For best flavor, cover and let it rest in the fridge overnight before serving.

Of Heroes and Villians

When Heath Ledger died, I went 'oh, that's too bad.' Having seen The Dark Knight, I now feel his death as a great personal loss. This was not campy clownish Joker, this was pure Frank Miller-esque chaos given human form Joker, and it was amazing. I honestly don't think that the next Batman movie can possibly be as good, simply because the Joker is really your classic top-shelf Batman villain, and I don't think anyone else could play him. Honestly, if you define a superhero by his villains, then Batman really is near the top (I'm sorry, but Dr. Strange still wins the villain contest. I mean, Shuma-freaking-Gorath!)

The whole movie was amazing - we went to see it at this awesome theater that's pretty small but very 'golden age of Hollywood' themed and serves actual food and booze. It was like watching it in a big room full of friends - we all cheered and laughed out loud and screamed and when it was over the whole audience burst into applause. I'm kinda glad we didn't go to the IMAX theater for the opening, because I think it just would have been too much for me at that time of morning -I would have been too shaky to drive the half-hour home. (Though I do look forward to going out there to see it again, as I've heard that some scenes were actually filmed especially for IMAX)

And then we went to IHOP, and the waitress asked as we'd finished off our pancakes and waffles, were we interested in dessert.....

The fruits of my rummaging

So excited about the results of my thrift store rounds - the big winner of the day (not counting the furniture at my friend's garage sale) was an old ammo case I found at Salvation Army. It smells really strange inside - sort of like fireworks, but not quite. I thought maybe it was some other kind of munition, but the only one I could think of was cordite, and I've been informed that a) it smells more like marzipan, b) was mostly used by the British army, and c) doesn't seem to have been used since WWII. I seem to have just been reading too many pre-1940 books lately.

As a co-worker pointed out, it was probably used in Vietnam, so someone may have been storing 'smoking materials' in it as well as the ammo. But it doesn't have that 'art professor's office' smell, either. Doesn't really matter, since it's getting scrubbed out to within an inch of its life so I can use it as a lunchbox.

The other big 'woot' moment came from the cheap-ass Scrabble game I got. At first I thought I'd make something cool out of them for my Etsy store, but then I got to thinking, and I honestly think they'd sell better to just sell the tiles as supplies.

Oh, and someone from Geek Crafts spotted my Mona Kitty t-shirt on Craftster, and they're going to feature it on Wednesday! Happy happy joy joy! There's my ego satisfied for at *least* the rest of the week ^_^

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Now playing: Beatles - Across The Universe
via FoxyTunes

Odd thoughts...

Where does the government get those markers to black out documents? Because the brand-new Sharpie I'm using can only do the tabs on three file folders, tops, before I have to let it sit and rest. Are they using special markers, or is there some technique I don't have down?

Always nice to feel like I've added a little awesome to the world:

I'd made a painting of Hello Kitty as the Mona Lisa for my latest swap, and everyone loved it so much that I cleaned up one of my concept drawings and made a screen at work. I now know what every girl I know is getting for Christmas ^_^. It looks a little blotchy because I had some glow-in-the-dark screenprinting ink that came with the kit I bought off the clearance rack that had sort of congealed too much to be usable on its own. So, I mixed it in with the opaque white in hopes that the glowiness would still work - which it does, but I can't get a decent picture of it in the dark. Now to go find my iron and heat-set this baby so I can wear it tomorrow!

I hope my partner finds her camera cable soon so she can post some pictures of the rest of her package - I wasn't able to get very good pictures before I sent (I was in a hurry because I thought I was running late, but it turned out I sent two days early)

"Get your car in the basement..."

I kid you not, the weather girl honestly just said this. I mean, there's a big storm, hail, gas storage facility hit by lightning and on fire (which is why I just came back from running out into the storm to fill my gas tank up), and this weather girl is currently in the process of warning people on the OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE about their weather. I know damn well and good that none of them get this station. And she always makes a point of breaking in on CSI, too.

And don't think I'm being condescending referring to her as the weather girl. I looked up her qualifications once, she's not actually a meteorologist. I've actually signed a petition to get this woman pulled off the air.

Memorial Day Goodies

Ah, it was nice to have a day off. Lots of things I'd been meaning to get around to. Between all of us, we managed to get the living room cleaned, new fan installed (I can't believe what a difference a better light makes - I'm all pumped to start painting the living room now!), bought fabric for dining room curtains, and made some truly fantastic burgers.

I'm actually so pleased with how the burgers turned out, I'm glad I wrote down everything I put in them. I'm going to try to work out some more specific measurements than 'some' and 'a couple of splashes', and maybe post the recipe in the next few days. I think with an egg and something to act as filler (my first thought is bread crumbs, my second thought panko or crushed bagel/pita chips) it would make an incredible meatloaf as well


I'm really loving the fabric I got for the curtains - I'm starting to wish I'd maybe gotten a little more to re-do the chairs, but I don't know that it would be sturdy enough for that purpose. It looks wonderful with the curtain rod (pictured), and it's going to go really nicely with the cobalt blue I've got picked out for the final coat on the walls. I'm starting to think maybe I should just do the cobalt as a wash over the cadet blue I've got going in there at the moment. Something to maybe try out on a piece of scrap wood, see how it turns out.






I also found some nice fabric for some 'around the house' shorts for Tiwaz. It's hard sometimes to find a nice masculine looking fabric that isn't obviously for someone under 12. (Not that I don't think he'd wear Star Wars or Transformers shorts, - hell, not that I wouldn't - I'm just saying...)



I also got a few things for the latest swap I've joined. I'm pretty excited about the projects I'm working on, trying out a few new techniques and such. Don't want to go into too much detail in case my partner is checking my blog, but I've got the supplies for all but one of my projects, and I'm really looking forward to finishing up the big project. I'm trading a friend some shrinky-dinks for the supplies I need to get it done, as I discovered this weekend that somehow she has managed to get through life thus far without never knowing the joys of shrinky-dinks. This is a state of affairs that I simply cannot allow to continue. I'm sure she will enjoy them thoroughly, and promptly use them to create something far cooler than I could have come up with, just because she's kind of awesome like that at times.

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Now playing: Dean Gray - Ashanti's Letterbomb
via FoxyTunes

Potayto, Potahto

So my assignment at work today was basically 'fit ten pounds of potatoes into this five-pound bag'. Turns out it's an easy enough task to accomplish, but when you're done, a lot of potatoes are going to be very pissed off at you. Fortunately, enough of the 'potatoes' have given me crap that I don't care quite so much if they're pissed off anymore. After all, you can't make an omelette without breaking a few potatoes...er...eggs. I probably should have had a better lunch.

You get what you pay for...

So I found out today that GameTap is offering Psychonauts as a free download. My first thought was 'great! I almost paid $15 for the XBox version'. My second thought, about an hour into the game, was 'oh yeah...I really hated trying to play the demo on the PC'. I just can't find a comfortable button layout to play this game using the keyboard, I really need to get it in a version I can play with a controller. Oh well, something to add to my Wists.

I've been doing good on non-jewelry items for Etsy as well, got a few notecard sets lined up, and a few scarves and hats are ready for their close-ups. If time allows this week, I'm thinking of maybe putting a pattern up in pdf format - although Ravelry added a function to sell patterns through them. I'm going to have to do a little research into their shopping mechanism to see which way I want to go with that.

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Now playing: Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
via FoxyTunes

I Miss Coffee...

Well, that drawing I wanted went up on eBay today - I got the first bid in, and was instantly outbid all the way up to my limit. I honestly didn't think for a moment that I'd be able to get it, but at the very least I was hoping to keep the lead for a full minute. And this is why I don't buy much off of eBay. Believe me, it's not for lack of trying some days.

Regardless, I've been on an Etsy restocking spree lately. Mostly jewelry, which I love making, but I really don't feel like that's what I want to focus on - it seems like such a large percentage of Etsy is jewelry. Ideally, I want a variety of types of items in my store until such time as someone actually buys something from me. I just don't seem to be able to get a good grasp on what exactly Etsy shoppers are looking for, I guess. I'm thinking of putting a few strategic ads out on Project Wonderful, but I want to get my shop a little fuller first. I've got a few knit items I'm finishing up, another painting I'm working on, and a cute linoleum block that I'm planning to use to print notecards, but it seems like there should be more I could get together.

And that's where the lack of coffee comes in. I love coffee so much, and somehow other forms of caffeine just don't seem to give me the mental energy, just physical. Of course, I don't know that I'd feel quite so strongly on the matter if I wasn't allergic, but still, every time I hit a creative block, I find myself thinking 'well, one cup wouldn't hurt...I've got antihistamines...'.

Oh well, I'll just drown my sorrows with yarn - I'm nowhere near having used up enough to fulfill my New Year's resolution yet.

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Now playing: Electric Light Orchestra - Turn To Stone
via FoxyTunes

multi-talented cat

As I awkwardly type this, all eleven pounds Miss Minerva is carefully perched on my kneecap, cleaning her own butt. I have no idea when she suddenly developed a sense of balance, as earlier today, she tripped over a rug in the living room. I shall attempt to get the hell off of me and continue later...

A faint glimmer of garden...

In hopes of actually having a garden this year, I picked up one of those little greenhouse thingies at the grocery store and seeded it Sunday night:

The chamomile has already sprouted nicely, and it looks like the basil is close behind. I'm hoping that at some point in the next couple of weeks, it'll stop raining long enough for me to get out in the backyard and actually get a place ready to transplant these guys when they get big enough. I maybe should have thought about that before I started the plants, but if worse comes to worse, I can always transfer them into larger pots for a bit to buy some more time.

Except the catnip...somehow, it doesn't seem like that great of an idea to have a big pot full of catnip anywhere inside, unless I wanted potting soil all over the carpet and the cat permanently stoned.






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Now playing: Jill Tracy - Evil Night Together
via FoxyTunes

Little touches of awesome

Several random bits of minor awesomeness this week:

Yesterday I went to the Sonic near my office for lunch, and the carhop that served me was actually on roller skates! I've never actually seen a carhop on skates before.

I have had several random people at both jobs tell me I have a very nice voice. I feel like I should finish those flash lip-sync tests now >_<.

I've been using Google Maps' Street View to make note of particularly awesome houses in the name of working up a house plan of my own. I wish I'd known when they came by to do my street, I totally would have put a 'Hi, Google!' sign in my front yard or trimmed the bushes into something vaguely obscene.

I heard about Doodle Day (a fund raiser for Neurofibromatosis), and would really like to bid on this Sandman doodle. I know there's no way I could afford it, but it's one of those things that I just have to try for or I'd be kicking myself later. Seriously, it's because it sounded like a good charity... *shifty glance*

And the new Weezer CD should be out in time for my birthday!

So Far, So Good

Well, the new job is going well so far - I don't seem to be suffering from any reduction in crafting time (although sleep has been another matter - it's going to take me about a week to adjust to having 'grown-up job' hours). We'll see how long I can keep up the full seven-day workweek between the two jobs, though. I do dearly love me some employee discount on crafty goodness...

It may not have been the brightest idea, but I think I can at least keep up the two job situation long enough to get together the money to get my car fixed (I got the insurance payment, but with the monthly paychecks, it ended up having to go towards other bills). I just can't seem to shake this odd feeling, though, and I can't really pin down just what the feeling is to figure out the source other than just another bout of low-thyroid induced paranoia.

I have a few more goodies to go up on Etsy when I have a moment and a charged camera battery and some clue on how to display them. Actually, I've had a couple of ideas, just a matter of getting the shots set up right. And then there's the waiting with bated breath to see if any of my bids on Alchemy are accepted - someone actually needs a cat bow-tie! I may have to make a batch to put up for sale and take the opportunity to really proof the pattern.

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Now playing: "Weird Al" Yankovic - White & Nerdy (Parody of "Ridin'" By Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone)
via FoxyTunes

New/Old project

So we were over at my parents' for Easter, and discovered that Little Kitty Dude has seriously outgrown his Kitty Pi. Even all curled up into a ball, he still sleeps on top of it rather than in it anymore. If I'd known he was going to turn out to be Humongo-Cat, I'd have made it larger to begin with, but as it stands, I suppose I'll just have to make him a new one. Fortunately, I've got two skeins of Kureyon in colors that'll go with their living room, and I've got a few other assorted shades of green wools that I can stripe in if it looks like the Kureyon's not going to be enough. If my calculations are correct, I'm going to have to make this thing the size of my kitchen table (pre-felted - he's not quite *that* big....yet...)

Fortunately, my cousin picked up her cat from her folks, so the new kitty will be needing a bed and can make use of Kitty Pi Mark I. I'd thought about grabbing it for Miss Dummy-Fuzzbutt, but she seems to insist on pink.

Damned girly-ass cat.

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Now playing: Bright Eyes - First Day of My Life
via FoxyTunes

a difficult choice...

So, the new DeVotchKa album came out Tuesday. I have enough money in my iTunes account to buy the whole album, but on the other hand, I really want to have the physical disk, with all the bookletty goodness. Is it a little sad that I'd kind of like to buy both? I suppose I shall just skip lunch for a few days and use the money to run out and pick it up...ever hopeful that a store around here will have it, now that I think about it, since the only way I've ever been able to get any of their albums has been at their shows.....

If I could just figure out how the hell to redeem my credit card points since they decided to go fuck around with the rewards program, I could resolve the dilemma in nothing flat. Oh well, I suppose I'd snap if I didn't have minor things like this to get all my worrying out of the way over.

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Now playing: Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
via FoxyTunes

Holy crap, yes!

Sometime in the dark of the last two days, Etsy brought Alchemy back up!!!!!11

Woo-hoo, I'm off to browse for potential shoppers!

There's a reason I had eye surgery...

So today I got a cute little metal bead of a skull garlanded in roses. I don't have a picture, but you can see the bead here. So, seeing as how it's lead-free pewter and miniature, my first impulse is to paint it. It's seriously tiny - maybe 10mm, tops - but it's not like I've never painted little tiny whites and pupils on a tiny pewter head before ;)

I'm not going to paint the whole thing - just the roses and leaves. Then a clear coat, and I think it'll look really cute as a cellphone charm. Either that, or I'll have to buy another one and turn them into earrings.

The topic of painting small pewter things of course brings to mind the recent passing of Gary Gygax. It's odd to think what an influence someone I never actually met in person has had on my life. Hell, my friends and I played D&D instead of going to prom, and it was my quest for a decent gaming group in college that led to meeting my husband. Kind of scary to think that tabletop gaming may actually have *improved* my social skills.

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Now playing: Marlene Dietrich - Lili Marlene
via FoxyTunes

In like a lion and a lamb?

Interesting weather this week - we've started March off with sunny clear skies and temperatures suddenly in the 70s - with straightline winds topping 30 mph. I honestly don't know if that counts as 'lion' or 'lamb'. I lean towards 'lion', since it's supposed to snow tomorrow. Yeah, 70s one day, snow the next. Gotta love midwestern weather.

So the satchel for her nibs is just about done - I just need to find my ironing board and put in some interfacing in the flap to reinforce where the snap is going, then attach the handle and it's done.

Hooray!

So happy - I need to go through my calender and start writing in all the awesome movies I want to see this summer.

Hellboy II Trailer


I'm just so freaking happy Johann is in this one - he's my favorite BPRD character (though I've heard rumours about Lobster Johnson in the next movie...)

Slowly going insane...

So, turns out the little satchel I'm making was supposed to be for tomorrow, not next Saturday. Could've sworn the kiddo's birthday wasn't until next week, or I wouldn't have said I'd have the bag done in time. Not that it's going slowly, but since I work all weekend, I don't think it'll be done until Tuesday at the earliest. Here's a few in-progress photos:







As for the insanity, while sewing tonight, I found myself meowing the theme to Bonanza... I really need to fix my iPod.

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Now playing: They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse in Your Soul
via FoxyTunes

I haven't had nearly enough to drink today...

I'm still so worked up over my car that I can tell I'm not getting to sleep anytime soon.

I was out shopping earlier, and in the 15 minutes or so I was in the store, some asshole whacked the side of my poor little pumpkinmobile with his truck door. Then he came out while I was still on the phone to the insurance company, got all belligerent when my mom went to talk to him, and drove off.

And I even got a photo on my cellphone of how nicely his door matched up with the dent.

To give you an idea of just how bad this is, when the nice police officer (God, I love my local police - they're always so nice) showed up, he looked at the side of my car and went 'Jeez, what did he hit that with?' We're not just talking scratched paint, I've got a ****ing FOLD in my rear passenger-side door. I mean, it could be worse, the door still works and the glass didn't get cracked or anything, but still - and the man was just such an ass.

Anyway, the officer said that if no one actually saw the guy hit the car, there wasn't much they could do, so tomorrow I'll be calling the corporate office of the grocery store next door to the lot where my car was parked and see if their cameras extend over that far. If nothing else, I've gotten a paper trail started with the police, so it's one less thing my insurance company can raise as an objection to paying out to get my car fixed.

*deep breath*

Okay, so the reason I was at the store in the first place was shopping for supplies for an adorable satchel my mom's commisioned for a friend's little girl (which as an aside back to the car, means mom felt guilty about being the reason I was there, so she said she'll cover the deductable). This bag is going to be so incredibly cute - she starts preschool this year, so I'm making it kid-sized, but big enough for her to carry stuff like a couple of coloring books and crayons and whatever the heck else a kid takes to preschool. Also, I got a few supplies I needed for some plushies I'm planning on putting up on etsy soon.

Now for some fortified hot tea and a little mindless websurfing to calm down enough to sleep at some point tonight.

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Now playing: Alice Cooper - Steven
via FoxyTunes

Yarn Review: Himalaya Recycled Sari Silk

I'm liking this yarn, but not loving it. I think the finished piece is going to turn out fairly impressive, but the actual process of working with it has been a bit wearing. For some reason, the concept of knitting with television static comes to mind. A certain amount of slubs, knots, etc. were to be expected as the nature of the beast, being recycled and handspun, but the bits of straw I keep picking out of the yarn have been slightly offputting. Also, I was really not prepared for the amount of shed/fuzz that's being produced.

Overall, I think I'd work with it again for something special, but it's not something I'd use for just anything. Final judgment will be reserved for seeing how the finished hat washes - I have to admit to a few qualms concerning the colorfastness, but it's not like it's coming off on my hands or needles like some yarns I've used.

Let there be light - please!

Odd phenomenon lately - seems like everywhere I go, light bulbs burn out in my wake. We've got three out at work, five at home, and the streetlight on the corner goes out every time I go past it. It seems odd that so many light bulbs that were all last changed at different times would all go out at the same time.

I got a pack of bulbs on my way home last night, but I'm thinking that perhaps certain rooms would benefit from fancier bulbs. I wish I had my craft area a little better defined, so I'd know where to spring for the full-spectrum/true-color bulbs.

Also, it's snowing again.

Failure to Prepare

So during my lunch, I went to the pastry shop down the way to get my usual Italian soda. They were of course busy, and when the girl got me my soda, she apologized for the wait because, and I quote 'we just weren't prepared for this'.

We're talking about a pastry and chocolate shop here. And they weren't expecting a big rush on Valentine's Day? Of course, these are the same people who regularly run out of quiche (their main lunch menu item). If we just had the money, Tiwaz could totally blow them out of the water. Ooh, the dessert tonight...it pays, marrying a pastry chef!

In actual, to the point, crafting news, I'm very excited - I've actually gotten a list together of art fairs coming up, and I swear, this year I will actually make the deadlines for submission. I'm terrible about forgetting about fairs and gallery shows until a few weeks before they open, well after the submission deadlines. And as a happy coincidence, my favorite art-supply store is having a massive sale this month. I mean *massive* - buy one get three free canvases and 30% off my favored brand of paint.

I don't even care if I sell any of my work, it's just the thought of having some of my pieces in a real honest-to-God non-student show.

eBay has its uses...

Funny the things that suddenly bother you in the middle of the night.

I recently traded in my Stratocaster for an acoustic, and for some reason about an hour ago it started nagging at the back of my mind that I really had no idea if I'd gotten a good deal on the trade or not. So, I nipped over to eBay and looked up my model - turns out I got a fairly good deal for it (it was a modern Mexican), and they threw in a hard case for the acoustic.

I've always had good luck with that music store in the past, don't know why that was bothering me, other than I've managed to take care of most of the other stuff I was worrying about and needed something new to keep the list full.


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Now playing: DeVotchKa - Miette
via FoxyTunes

Delays

So frustrating - I got the stuff for my swap package done, but I won't be able to mail it until Monday. It's all just sitting there tormenting me. I almost want to post a few teaser pics on Craftster, but since my swap partner's one of the organizers, I don't want to taunt her too much.

Oh well, gives me a chance to get some decent pictures before I send for once - might even get creative and make a small extra just to pass the time.

Or, you know, I suppose I could send Tiwaz out to mail it for me - but the weather's gotten nasty enough, we're really trying to not venture out any more than we have to. Maybe if it's cleared up by Friday...

Changing my policy?

My original policy on Ravelry was that I wouldn't post any projects that were finished before I joined, and I wouldn't post anything that was going to be for etsy. I'm starting to reconsider that second part of the policy, though. It seems like at the moment, about two thirds of my projects are being made with the hope of selling them, and while I certainly wouldn't post every single individual item that I'm making on there, I am giving consideration to posting the prototypes for the patterns that I plan to sell on etsy.

I'm just not sure if I'm comfortable with the minor self-promotion involved. Maybe I should just stick with the free patterns, and hope that people will follow the links on here to buy the other patterns.

Maybe I should look up some designers on Ravelry and see what they've done with works/listings

Up yours, global warming

Yesterday was beautiful, sunny and 60 degrees. Today, it suddenly snowed about an inch.

And here I sit, icing my rotator cuff.

On the bright side, got my sewing machine safely home and all set up. I'm going to do a few tests with my chosen fabric tonight to check my thread choice, maybe work on a mini version out of muslin to test the pattern I've worked out. I'm seriously pumped - I've got the book, the bookmark is just drying, all that's left is the bag, and that's maybe two days of work all together.

Hooray for early sending!

Damn, Damn, *Damn*

No sign of the sewing machine. Got everything else done, I just need to do the bag and of course the machine has vanished. This wouldn't be all that big of a problem, but my swap partner's allergic to wool, so I can't just whip something up and felt it, and I'm not sure if I'll get my paycheck in time to just go buy a plain one to gussy up.

And it's not like I can borrow mom's machine. There's a reason she got me my machine for Christmas last year - nobody wants to use her machine. Except maybe as a doorstop. Even then, I imagine I'd trip over it and hurt myself. It tears thread to bits every three feet, the thing jams trying to sew two pieces of muslin together - something is horribly and profoundly wrong with that contraption.

Well, fingers crossed, maybe mine is still at mom's.

Damned Jinxification

Well, spoke too soon. Somehow, I seem to have misplaced my sewing machine. I thought I knew right where it was, but it turned out to be some of my photography equipment.

Words can not express just how much I don't want to have to sew a tote bag by hand. I've got tomorrow off, hopefully I can find my machine then - if not, I'm going to have to change my plan and just buy a basic bag to revamp rather than starting from scratch.

Fortunately, everything else is okay - just a little shopping I've got to do, and a touch of inspiration to wait for.

Daily Dose of Awesome

So, I'm all in for the Reading Rainbow Round 4 Swap on Craftster, and in my various and sundry travels through the interwebs preparing my swap package, I discovered that the Barnes and Noble website has at least one HP Lovecraft short story collection listed under the category "Religious Fiction"

That is just freaking awesome.

Also, not to jinx myself (ah, crap, I can feel it jinxing already), but this is the furthest ahead I've ever been on a swap. Granted, we only have to send three items, but I've already got two just about done, so at least there's only the one area that can *seriously* go wrong.

Geek ahoy!

I am the biggest geek ever. This short, fuzzy video clip should not make me go all tingly and tear up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RllSZW_YLk8

Back into the black hole...

So day before last, mom brought over a WoW game card for us. (she and my cousin recently lapsed back into the game, and decided they needed Tiwaz and me as well) After spending an entire day upgrading my computer, re-installing WoW, getting all the updates, and upgrading my character to Burning Crusade, I logged in.

I spent the next 15 minutes getting repeatedly one-shot killed by a couple of undead in the Southshore graveyard as I was attempting to hearth. Way to remind me why I stopped playing.

So, I got everyone else to come join me on my nice safe, happy PvE (normal) server.

I've got a lot of other games I should really be trying to get through, but World of Warcraft does have the advantage of providing me with some truly quality knitting time. Between griffin flights, boats, zeppelins, and trains, there's a lot of downtime where I don't feel justified in actually leaving the computer, so the knitting basket just goes next to the chair.

I've actually got two new patterns I'm just polishing up - they were supposed to be Christmas presents for co-workers, but since we got a new printer for Christmas, I've told them there's a slight delay while I type them up and format them nicely rather than giving them xeroxed handwritten sheets. I'll give them a chance to make the patterns first before I actually post them. (Well, one - the other one had enough time put into it that I'll actually be selling it on Etsy. But not for too much.)


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Now playing: Weezer - Simple Pages
via FoxyTunes

Resolved!

So, my three resolutions for the New Year:

1. Keep the house cleaner so that guests coming over doesn't require a three-day sleep-free cleaning marathon, just a bit of tidying and a quick vacuum.

2. Get six months' worth of house payments saved and in an interest-bearing account

3. No more yarn may be bought until I meet one of two conditions:
a) sell $50 worth of stuff on Etsy
b) completely use up the contents of one yarn tote.

But where did they get all the awesome to build it?

This may be the single most awesome thing I've ever heard of. I really really hope this isn't a joke.

http://www.snakeplisskenmemorialplayground.com/

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Now playing: Alice Cooper - Can't Sleep - Clowns Will Eat Me
via FoxyTunes

Wist pruning

Ah, my favorite time of year - going through the Wist to see what I can delete. Did pretty good this year - six things. Technically, seven, but one turned out to be the wrong size so I'll have to wait to see if I can exchange it before I remove it from the Wists.

Not like I have much else to do tonight, after all. Thanks to this miserable cold, my boss sent me home early, and at this point I can barely type. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to go in tomorrow. Granted, this may not seem like such a terrible thing to most people, but I'm paid hourly, and I have no sick time allowance, so if I can't get in tomorrow, there's about the week's groceries worth of wages I'll be missing out on. Not to mention there'll just be more to do later. I wish there was some way to bring some of this stuff home with me, but I suppose that's not really compatible with the whole 'hourly wage' thing.

White Christmas FTW!

And it just keeps snowing...

Well, everything went off surprisingly well - I managed to get all the gifts ready, everyone liked them, between me and Tiwaz we managed to get the house whipped into company shape, and dinner went off without a hitch.

The downside of course, is that the lack of sleep required to accomplish this feat wore me down so much that I've caught some nasty bug that either my uncle or one of my cousins brought along for the ride.

Doesn't matter, though, because now I can finally get back to working on personal projects. I've got a pile of stuff to finish up for etsy, not to mention two original designs I'm working on. If the yarn would just finally arrive...

Somebody did not enjoy her bath.

I can only describe the reaction to the cat bathing as being a fine example of whatever passes for mouthing off like a trucker to a cat. Glad I wasn't the one on the front line for this round, at least.

This is getting cropped and resized as my new user icon for at least three different places.

Gearing up for Christmas, gearing down for driving (ha ha)

Well, I figured out how to guarantee a white Christmas - wait until the second week in December to start your Christmas shopping >_<. We had snow, then a round of ice, and now a few more inches of snow on top. I'm glad I took the trouble to clear all the ice off the driveway, or it would be a real bitch now. Of course the roads in our little town are beautiful and clear and dry (I swear, one of these years I'm going to drop off some cookies at the road maintenance office - they're just awesome) but once you hit the city limits, all the neighboring towns have done a craptastic job.

I don't really have that much shopping left, since I braved the freezing rain last weekend to shop (seriously, why does the weather only do this on my days off?), so I suppose the snow is actually a plus because it'll force me to stay inside and get the present knitting finished.

And the cleaning.

And the painting.

Inviting all the in-town relatives for Christmas Eve dinner was sort of a spur of the moment thing, and I probably should have given it a little more thought as to the general company-readiness of our dining room, but I think it was a good idea in the grand scheme of things. I really have to have deadlines to get anything done, so if I hadn't invited everyone over, the dining room and main bathroom would probably be sitting there with half-removed wallpaper until next summer.

Various and sundry annoyances

What the hell is with jeans? Why do people think they're comfortable? Are they just completely different body shapes than I am? They're always too tight in front, but then incredibly loose at the back waist. There's never enough difference between the waist and hip measurements. I know of a store that's been advertising stretch jeans, maybe those will work.

Also, I hate it when I'm mad at someone, and not only can they not tell, when I explain to them that I'm angry, they just completely don't understand why I'm upset with them. I guess there's really no point in staying mad if they can't comprehend what's going on, but it annoys me.



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Now playing: Marilyn Manson - Personal Jesus
via FoxyTunes

A sudden revelation

In the course of conversation tonight, the question arose: "What is the opposite of a lisp?"

After some consideration, we determined the answer to be : "A bad German accent."

Seriously, try it out.

Just your little answer for the day to a question you've probably never thought of.

Stuff and Things Part 2

I can't believe how far behind I am on my writing. Not even a thousand words yet. I think my problem was that I was trying to write in order, though. I'm just going to write jigsaw-puzzle style like I normally do and go back and fill the necessary gaps later. The point is to get it all down, not to keep everything bottlenecked in my head until I forget half of it waiting to get one chapter out of the way first.

The knitting is going well, though. Almost got the pedicure socks finished, got the next Christmas project lined up, and my local chapter of Church of Craft has a charity crafting project that should help me clear out that stash of cheap acrylic I've had hanging around pretty much since I learned to knit. What exactly is it with that? For some reason, every knitter or crocheter seems to have a stash somewhere in the back of a closet of really cheap nasty acrylic, usually that they got from someone else right after they learned. I know one of my friends has a truly vintage stash of Sears brand Orlon yarn she got from her grandmother-in-law, and I've got stuff I must've bought when I was about ten, because it still has a Ben Franklin price sticker on it, and I can't think of the last time I saw one of those.

But I digress.

We're going to be making squares for the San Diego Wildfire Blanket Project, and so far it's been a pretty good stashbuster - I've gotten three done since Saturday. It's a good chance to try out some different stitch patterns - I'm even thinking about getting out the hook and seeing just how much attention I was paying when my great-aunt tried to teach me to crochet.

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Now playing: Feist - Brandy Alexander
via FoxyTunes

stuff and things

Miserable day - I forgot to tell Tiwaz that I was working late, but fortunately (ergh?) any annoyance on his part was quickly dispelled by me tripping as I got out of the car and scraping the hell out of my knees and hands. We got the kitty back, but she's still a little buggy. We're going to hope that the stuff the vet put on her is just taking a few days to work, if not, we're just going to have to board her again and possibly just toss that couch the neighbors gave us.

Fortunately, all my yarn and crafty supplies are being kept well isolated from the cat and surrounded by citronella oil, so there shouldn't be a problem there. In fact, I've already almost got one of my Christmas presents finished. May be a record, finishing any knitting for Christmas before Thanksgiving.

And of course, I almost completely forgot that today was November first. I'm really not liking my original idea for my story, I think I'm going to go for something completely from scratch. I think I'll take a day or two to get some basic notes/outline on paper and then sit down and get some serious writing done on my day off.

Lost a rug, gained my sanity

At long last, we seem to have found the favored place the cat has been sitting to clean herself, and thus the breeding ground for the continual waves of fleas she's been suffering from. Unfortunately, said place was under the living room rug.

Fortunately, it wasn't a very expensive rug, I'd been thinking about replacing it anyway, and we've got a rubbish skip at the moment since we're remodeling, so the rug went straight out. The living room carpet under the rug has been thoroughly shampooed with bleach, the couch that sits on the rug has gotten the same treatment, and everything's been doused with salt to keep the little buggies from returning. My skin is so dried out and peeling from all the cleaning, I don't think I'll need a costume tomorrow.

This means that finally, at long last, I can knit freely anywhere in the house! With any luck, I'll have my etsy shop restocked before Thanksgiving, and maybe get a rough draft going of a pattern for one of the sweater designs I'm working on. Hooray!

NaNoWriMo Looming...

I'm giving serious thought to participating in NaNoWriMo this year, because I actually remembered it before November 15th this time. The question is mostly what to write.

I have tons of stories already started, but one of the requirements is that you start from scratch. I'm leaning towards writing something set in my failed D&D setting. I have background notes and NPCs that could be converted easily into main characters, which I suppose would count as outline/character profiles, which are allowed. Maybe it would even help me fix the setting so we could actually run a game in it sucessfully.

On the other hand, maybe I should start completely from scratch, or even work on a Dr. Who novel (I know somewhere in my bookmarks are the submission guidelines for Dr. Who novels - wouldn't it be cool if I actually managed to get one published?)

Regardless, it'll be a bit of a challenge for me - I don't normally write in chronological order.

Witches in Space?

I had some of that ''just-add-hot-water" spiced cider today, and it got me thinking about one of my favorite books as a child. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the hell the title is.

The cider reminded me because the book was about a little witch
(well, warlock) named Witchard who lived with his aunts who were very traditional witches, and part of the story involved him going to the grocery store and buying all the ingredients to make an instant powdered version of their witches' brew. I think he and the little girl witch (who I want to say was named 'Witchina') ended up going into space at some point as well. It's been a while since I read the story.

It probably came out about the same time as the 'Little Vampire' books, because I associate the two. Anyway, if this sounds at all familiar to any of you, could you maybe let me know if you recall the title? It's really bugging me.

That time of year...

Well, it's official - I just got my Christmas knitting started.

I've got a couple of things I'm doing for my Etsy store, but I'm working on a few presents already, and planning a few more. With any luck, the patterns for some of the planned stuff will turn out nice enough that I might submit one to Knitty.

At the very least, I'll share here ;)

Back to hating the cat/neighbor

Despite being treated by the vet and shaved, I found three fleas on Miss Dummy-Fuzzbutt this evening (in retrospect, perhaps she should have been shave, then treated, but that's really too much kindness to ask from the universe at the moment.)

And of course, the cat was rolling all over the yarn I just bought today for stuff I was actually intending to sell. Needless to say, no sleep for me tonight as I scrub thoroughly, prepare to fumigate the couch, and stand ready to vacuum as soon as The Boy wakes up. (I'll be nice and not wake him up with the vacuum). All available advice leads me to believe that if I just stick the yarn in the freezer for a few hours, it should nip any possible flea problem in the bud. I can't tell you how tempting it is to do the same to the cat...seriously, has anyone looked into cryogenics as a chemical-free flea treatment?

Socky socky sock sock

The socks that I started for my *husband* (giggle) are coming along nicely. Maybe a little too nicely. My boss was severely eyeing them up at work. No one's really made anything out of the Rustic Wool yet, so everyone's been oohing and ahhing over how they're turning out. Also, I think everyone's a little impressed that I just sat down and started knitting a pair of socks, no pattern needed.

On the designing front, one of the other girls just headed out on vacation, and wanted a simple poncho pattern to knit in the round on the plane. So, partly to help and partly to show off, I whipped off a simple pattern with a few sketches. She was feeling up to the challenge of being a pattern guinea pig, so we'll see what the poncho looks like when she gets back.

Yarn withdrawal

Again with the cat.

She's a very pretty cat, perfectly sweet and loving, and the dumbest m***********g animal on God's green Earth. She is also, at the moment, covered in nasty little bugs.

I hate the little bugs.

Because of them, I cannot get my clothing moved over to my new house. More importantly, I don't want to move my craft supplies over, as I'm pretty sure she will want to lie on them and cover them in cat hair and little bugs.

In her defense, the little bugs are not her fault. We have scrubbed and treated the cat to within an inch of her life, and when the little bugs kept returning despite her lack of outdoors time, we realized the source of the problem.

You see, a month or two ago, my parents' neighbors generously gave us an awesome red leather reclining couch and matching chair. Free of charge, all we had to do was get them hauled off (I believe the exact reasoning was something along the lines of 'I went out and bought myself a new car and now the wife wants new furniture in exchange for not killing me in my sleep')

These are the same people whose cats and dog have been suffering from a three-month flea problem, and whose oldest son counted over 40 individual bug bites on his legs last week from an extended 360 session in the basement with said cats.

They gave us a giant red leather-covered flea nest.

Blankets with smallpox would have been easier to clean up after. I really wanted to have a nice relaxing week after the wedding getting my stuff moved in and arranging the house, but such was not to be.

I fear our only option is to shave the cat and fumigate the couch.

(well, the only option that The Boy will sign off on, at least.)

Finish line in sight

Two days until the wedding, and I've almost got everything finished up. The purse for the flower girl was finished yesterday at work, the wrap got finished tonight, I think the bridesmaids' necklaces are done, and I've got one of the handkerchiefs done. All that's left is the other handkerchief and the cape for miss flower girl.

In theory.

I swear, there's something I'm forgetting that has to be done before the wedding. No idea what, when, why, where, or how.

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Now playing: DeVotchKa - Queen Of The Surface Streets
via FoxyTunes

Fun with bathing cats

So yesterday was bath day for Miss Dummy-Fuzzbutt. Things did not go well.

First, she got me across the top of the foot while I was trying to set her in the tub (the *dry* tub, I might add), then she gouged me in the hand a couple of times once the water started. I'm a bit of a bleeder, so that meant that as I'm trying to scrub the cat, I'm ending up smearing blood all over her nice white fur.

As the grand finale, I turned the faucet over to the shower hose, thinking that I'd be able to get her rinsed off faster that way. Instead, it frightened her so badly that she suddenly lost bladder control. So of course, then after I finally got the cat rinsed, I had to scrub and disinfect the tub.

I grow to loathe the cat.

Then I went home and gave my mom's kitten a bath. I plonked him chest-deep into a sink of warm water, soaped him up, rinsed him off, and got nothing but a mild 'are you done *yet*' sort of noise out of him.

So Tired...

Nothing like a deadline to finish a pile of projects by to help you find piles more projects you want to work on. My Ravelry queue's been taking a beating as I find more and more things I want to knit, but of course I can't start on them until I get all the projects for the wedding done.

Seriously, I don't know how those 'bridezilla' girls do it - the only people I know who would follow orders like that are too incompetent to be of any use, and the people who are actually useful are too busy being useful.

Secret Agent Cat

We couldn't have Little Kitty Dude showing up to the party tomorrow underdressed, so I whipped up a little something for him to wear. He loves the silly thing, wore it all evening without a peep out of him.

Presenting... Secret Agent Cat! (go on, sing the chorus of the song, you know you want to)
Here's my first draft of the pattern, I'll work it over a bit and see if I can refine it a bit when I have the time.

Materials:
black yarn (I used Paton's Classic Wool Merino, left over from the Kitty Pi)
size 5 needles
crochet hook
Velcro
darning needle
measuring tape
very compliant cat

Instructions:

• Measure cat's neck (or dog's, I guess).
• Cast on 5
• Work in garter stitch, slipping first stitch of each row, until piece measures 1/2 of neck measurement.
• k2tog, k1, k2tog
• knit row
• purl row
• Continue in stockinette, increasing one stitch at the beginning and end of every knit row until 11 stitches are on the needle.
• Bind off knitwise
• Cast on 11
• purl
• work in stockinette, decreasing first and last stitches of each knit row until 3 stitches remain, ending with a knit row
• purl
• knit
• Using crochet hook, remove each stitch from the needle, pull through the base stitches of the other triangle, and place back on needle
• kfb, k1, kfb
• continue in garter stitch until band is long enough to go around cat's neck comfortably with some overlap and bind off.
  
• (optional) Cast on 3, work 7 rows stockinette. Bind off and sew around center of bow
• (if you were making this for a female cat, you could put something shiny here instead)
• Sew in ends, block, tack down edges of bow, and attach Velcro to each end.
• Sneak up on cat (preferably while sleeping) and attach collar to cat.

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Now playing: Regina Spektor - On the Radio
via FoxyTunes

Got my invite!

Woo-hoo! I got my Ravelry invite last night, and I'm busily adding all my in-progress projects. I just wish it worked with Photobucket instead of Flickr, since I already have a bunch of stuff on my Photobucket account to use with Craftster.

At a loss for words

I just returned from an Alice Cooper concert.

The phrase 'made of awesome' is bandied about an awful lot these days, but there is simply no other way to describe it.

This was not a 'concert', it was a show. With pomp and fireworks, and a story - a story of vampire babies and straitjackets and gallows. There's a reason Salvador Dali liked Alice Cooper.

Hoo-ah!

Woo-hoo! New job...no, better job. It combines yarn, kitties, and computers. The only way this job could be better is if it involved free beer. Oh, wait...I'll get an employee discount at all the other shops in the same plaza...which includes the really fancy wine store next door.

Regardless, I now work in a craft boutique - no longer must I feel guilty about buying expensive, interesting yarns, because A) I get a discount and B) I have to try out the fancy yarns so I can help customers decide if it's the right yarn for them. And, I can knit at work.

I love my new job.

Also, I'm just getting the big project done for my swap, it seems I didn't lose quite as much time as I was afraid of, I should only be a week behind schedule, and my partner had some stuff come up too, so we just sort of moved our personal send date XD. I still wish I'd been able to find the 'edible ball bearings', but it seems they're something of an elusive confection.

The lost weekend...

Gah.

Between the flat tire and the miserable cold I picked up Thurdsay night (I blame the neighbor children), I got nothing useful done this weekend. Well, one useful thing - I got a new tire, after two days of calling around for the best price and to make sure I got one with the right profile and tread (go ahead, ask me what kind of tires my car takes - I dare you).

Between the ever-approaching deadline and the difficulty I had finding one of the supplies, I got nothing done on my swap items because I couldn't chance messing something up under the influence of cold medicine. And of course, the same went for getting any work done on the house, only with the added perk of not having transportation readily available. Fortunately, I had enough of a lead time on my projects that I should be able to have everything finished up just in time for the deadline. I was looking forward to sending early for once, but oh well.

Also, I started in on a little knitting project to keep my hands busy, because I figured if I messed it up too badly due to general out-of-it-ness, at least I could fix it at my leisure. I've decided to reverse-engineer Ginny's shrug from the end of Order of the Phoenix. As it turned out, I even had yarn about the right color. I made a few sketches and I'm keeping copious notes, since if it turns out right, I'll certainly be sharing it. It's a dual adventure - I've never reverse-engineered a pattern before, and looking at my notes on the cable pattern, this will be the first chart I've ever had to do.

The finish line in sight...

I finally got the supplies for the big project for my swap (well, most of them - they said the last bit would be in today, but I had a flat so I couldn't get to the store before it closed), so I can get going on that. I'm about done with most of the other projects, I keep having to make lists on little bits of paper to keep track of them, though. I keep thinking I need one more project, but I've got all three, plus a little something for my partner's hubby, and a couple of little store-bought goodies to round things off.

I'm mostly excited because all four projects are projects/techniques I've never done before, so my partner's going to be completely surprised. Hopefully in a good way.

Even at my current pace, I still need to pick things up. One person in the swap's already sent, and though we've got two weeks, I can feel the deadline looming as my free time dwindles. On the bright side, the dwindling free time is because I've already gotten a nibble on one of my job applications. So, fingers crossed on all counts.

Just had to share

Got the latest issue of New Avengers - in case anyone was wondering, apparently the sound of being hit in the head with Wolverine is 'chuck'.

That's right, not 'by Wolverine', 'with Wolverine'.

I suspect that several pages of next issue will be devoted to getting Dr. Strange to wake up, as I imagine getting hit in the head with Wolverine hurts like hell, even if you're the Sorcerer Supreme.

A break from crafting

So, I needed a break to get my long-distance vision back after all the close-up crafting, so we went out to see Transformers.

Holy Crap.

Halfway through the movie, my hands went tingly from overexposure to pure weapons-grade awesomeness.

I officially forgive DreamWorks for Mouse Hunt.

Some people compain, I know, that the movie is like a two-hour GM commercial - to them, I say "Did you not know you're watching a movie based on a cartoon based on a toy line that started out as resprayed Japanese Diaclone figures?" (and it was way more subtle than the sudden Chrysler ad in the middle of Fantastic Four) Hell, as far as I'm concerned, it was perfectly keeping in spirit with the series. The only improvement I can think of would have been if my model of car had been one of the Autobots ;D

Seriously - two of my friends have Scion Xbs, and it's something of an ongoing battle of coolness. Being able to go 'HA! My car's an Autobot!' totally would have won. Really, they should do the toy line to cover the entire GM product line. I'd buy one. Several, probably. I really love my car. And Transformers.

I'm totally painting over that crappy sports team logo in my garage with the Autobot insignia.

And I'm Off...My Rocker

Finally got my ducks in a row supply-wise, and I'm crafting away. Part of my problem was figuring out the right names for the supplies I needed >_< . Turns out one of the supplies wasn't at Radio Shack at all - I had to go look for fencing supplies instead (the kind with swords). I had to order a few things online, but I've got backup plans should their shipping be delayed - helped me get up the minimum order for some other things I needed to buy, too.

So far, I'm really pleased with what I've got done. I was a litttle worried at first about pulling it off, but it's *adorable* - I've been running around like an idiot making everyone in the general vicinity ooh and ahh over my handiwork (and for that matter, my eyesight). Sooooooo excited to be able to show off the finished products. I can see that my big problem with this swap will be keeping myself from going overboard.

Damn this free time!

I guess I should get to work on some etsy stuff as well - every little bit helps, I suppose.

Getting my craft on

Got my swap partner last night - waiting for a little more info from her before I get too far into the crafting, but I've got a huge list of ideas to pare down ;)

I'm actually a little concerned that some of the ideas may be forcibly pared down by my amazing Frank Lloyd Wright-like knack for coming up with projects that evidently aren't technically feasible. I'm pretty sure it can be done, I just don't seem to know the right name for the materials to find a place to buy them. Or maybe the people at my local Radio Shack are just idiots and don't know what the hell I'm talking about. It's a toss up.

Keeping Busy

I got a great deal on some chunky Wool-Ease, so I thought I'd whip up a sweater for myself. I started this Monday, the picture is from last night.



Chunky wool + big needles = fast sweater, I suppose. It's my own pattern, so fingers crossed that it turns out okay. Damn, I need a better camera.

The signups for the Dr. Who/Torchwood swap close tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to getting my partner and getting my craft on. I've already gotten a full page of craft ideas, and I'm starting a little preliminary post-stalking to get an idea of anything that would go over universally well.

Kicking it Old School

Damn
Damn
Damn
Damn

I get woken up this morning by my manager calling to tell me that the owner heard I was applying for other jobs, so he's firing me for being 'unhappy' (a direct quote). Because apparently, being unemployed was supposed to cheer me up. I'm pretty sure I know the *actual* reason he fired me, but I can't prove anything in that direction so I don't want to put anything out there in words.

So, after going around a few places and handing out resumes, I got stuck in to tearing out the Room of Evil in my basement. Very therapeutic. I put on my wellies, the boy got out his fully functional German War Hammer, and the two of us just started beating/kicking the everliving f*** out of the basement walls.

On the bright side, I can really focus on my artwork and stuff for etsy now, and I just signed up last night for another Dr. Who swap. Onwards and upwards.