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.

----------------
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.

Busy busy busy

*sigh*

As I come in sight of making the deadline for my craft swap, my boss had her baby so now I rush furiously to finish the baby jacket. Good thing I was already doing good on the swap. I probably could've just bought something for the little guy, but all of her other kids have stuff I knit for them, and besides, the general climate at work right now is in some deperate need of sucking up.

I love how the stuff for my swap is turning out - I just wish I'd had the time to drive out to the import store to pick up a few exotic sweets to tuck in the package, too. Maybe I can find someplace closer that sells them, but I've barely had time to pause to gas up my car lately, let alone go nosing through a specialty food shop. I hope my swap partner will be impressed - I feel bad that I'm not sending her very many items, but I've definitely gone for quality over quantity in this swap.

Crunch time

Kwehhhhh.....

I'm down to five projects to finish up for Christmas:

-T-shirt to be stenciled
-2 DS cases to knit
-Hip flask to be enamelled
-Fez to be knit and felted.

I've got one of the DS cases almost done, the fez is getting there, and I've got the materials for everything else. Just a matter of getting the shopping and baking and cleaning done to have time to work on them all >_<

Financial Dilemma

I've just completed my first self-designed piece (well, the first that wasn't just a bunch of rectangles sewn together), and I'm faced with a dilemma as I work on transcribing the pattern.

The part of me that likes to help people thinks I should go post it for all to see.

The part of me that likes those silly little things like coffee made by other people and having a full tank of gas in the car thinks I should draft it up nicely into PDF format and sell it for a dollar a pop.

And then that last little nagging voice says that it's a piece of crap that I'd have to pay other people to take off my hands. At least I can tell that one to **** off.

Wii Acquisition

I feel somewhat gleeful after hearing that certain people camped out overnight to get a Wii, while my fiance and I went out at about 8 am on the 19th and were home and playing by 11. There was a brief moment of worry when we saw the line, but as it turned out, they had 70 Wiis available. Our position in line?
Yep, that's right, number 37! (Face and company name obscured just in case, since he took the day off and I'm not sure if he told them the real reason or not). To give a more tangible idea of how long we were waiting:






This is all the further I got on my veteran's scarf - I cast on in the car, it was a 30-minute drive to the store and back. All in all, it just goes to show how well things can go when everyone stays calm. And now no-one has to suffer Wii-thdrawl on Turkey Day ;)

Revised Knitting Agenda

Well, I finished up a few things, and changed my mind on others - here's the revised to-do list, as posted on Craftster:

• Two pairs of socks
• Cross-stitch wall hanging
  
• Sweater vest
• Shawl/wrap
  
• Dog sweater
  
• Mistake rib scarf
  
• Gun cozy (it's a long story...)

A Special Kind of Messed-Up

I have officially reached a unique kind of high or low (not sure which). I managed to mess up a project so badly that I cut my hair. Fifteen years of knitting, I've never had a project go so horribly wrong that I felt the need to cut my hair. Especially not a seed-stitch scarf. I blame my two-day long barometric-pressure induced headache.

Under Pressure

GAAAAAAAH!

Okay, I sort of forgot that the presenty goodness has to be done for the future in-laws by Thanksgiving. I think this year, I'm going to be thankful that I was so paranoid about going blind as a child that I taught myself to knit without looking so I can knit non-stop even while watching tv or doing other things. I wonder if a person can learn to sleep-knit?