Shake, Rattle & Roll

Well, I was going to write a post on NaNo prep and all that, but I got distracted. By an earthquake.

Not today, but last night, there was an earthquake which is the biggest one the San Jose bay area has seen since our major 1989 quake. This particular one was a 5.6 magnitude, centered somewhere in Alum Rock.

Anyway, no injuries here, and the thing that made me write about this instead of NaNo (which I am sure you will get sick of by this time next month anyway) is that when the quake hit, I was in a building with lots of other people of varying ages. The quake was big enough in our area to be quite obviously an earthquake.

And how did we react? It was something along the lines of, “oh, hey, this is an earthquake, isn’t it?” There was some discussion among the younger kids as to whether it really was an earthquake, or whether it might instead have been the teens outside playing a practical joke by banging on the metal roll-up door. (Uh, no. Sorry kids. Earthquake.)

It’s like during the big 1989 quake. (That one was a 6.9 / 7.1 quake. And the “6″ part isn’t bigger than the “5″ part of the recent one by a small amount, but by a large amount. If you want more details on earthquake magnitudes, check here or here. They should be able to give you more science-type data. Remind me to find and scan and post a funny comic about earthquake magnitudes.)

Anyway. The 1989 quake. We still were like, “oh, hey, this is an earthquake. It’s still going on. I guess we should go get in a doorway, or something, huh?” And this was during an earthquake strong enough to knock down a section of the Bay Bridge, to collapse a double-decker freeway, and to send the water in our swimming pool sloshing all the way up to the middle of our kitchen window - which itself was already half a floor above ground level. And yet, “oh hey, it’s an earthquake.”

Californians are a weird breed.

~*~

Update: we just (3:54) had a magnitude 3.7 aftershock. And did I duck and cover like a good Girl Scout? No. I sat at my desk looking around and thinking, "Huh, nothing seems to be in danger. But the plastic decorative weird stuff they have on the wall sure makes some neat squeaking sound. I wonder how big this one is?" I maintain: Californians are weird.

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Blog Soup

Your manuscript is both good and original, but the part that is good is not original and the part that is original is not good.
- Samuel Johnson

Eeep! Not a good quote to have as the quote of the day this close to NaNoWriMo. Ah well. We slog along anyway.

~*~

Randomness today. Hence the title, which is supposed to remind you of Stone Soup. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and lo and behold! A blog post!

~*~

Remember a while ago when I was spinning up singles from some lovely heather green pencil roving I have, and Peekaboo was super interested? Well, a little while later I started plying those singles. And guess who was interested in that?

Yup. Peekaboo again. Only - Suzy was interested, too.

~*~

Today is my repeat visit to the doctor to get my finger looked at. The munch-marks look a lot better today than they did yesterday, but the knuckle is still a bit sore and swollen. It doesn’t look nearly as infected as it had before, though, so that’s a very good sign. Yay antibiotics!

~*~

I have 20 scenes worked up for my NaNo piece, and while that’s not nearly the number I was hoping for it is at least more than it could be. I also have a good base for the characters, and - again - while I don’t have as much as I wanted, what I do have is a good start. Plus, I do still have a day and a half or so left. There is something to be said for procrastinating…

~*~

Work is good. Cats are cute. I am happy. M is stressed, but at least he’s not so stressed that he’s ignoring me. Even if I sometimes have to remind him.

Happy nearly Halloween, everyone! Here’s hoping for lots of treats and very few tricks.

Mom… there’s something moving down here! -Suzy

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Without Leave

Sorry for being AWOL last Friday. I was tending to a hurt finger.

Now, there are all kinds of neat reasons why one could have a hurt finger. It could have been used to plug the hole in the dike that kept the water from flooding the town. It could have been injured from knitting or writing too quickly. It could even have been strained from flipping the bird to too many annoying drivers.

But no, mine was hurt because it was munched on by a cat.

A kitten, really. The furball in question is some few months old, and ready to go in for spay/neuter time*. But instead of pulling out the carriers and trying to trap them in those - and accidentally getting any one of the 10+ other cats out front - we thought, “oh, hey! They are all so excited about food, and so used to us by now, that we can just reach down and grab them!”

And so I did.

And so it bit me.

It scratched a fair amount, too, but the bite is the bad part. (I didn’t take pictures, because you really don’t need to be grossed out by it.) Suffice it to say that the first knuckle of my left index finger is still swollen and probably has a minor infection. The nail of same finger was punctured in two places, and there are several other puncture marks and two nice gashes on the ball of the finger. Kitten or not, it has a very efficient mouth for tearing up muscle.

(Right, so we’ll post a pretty picture to distract you from icky injuries.)

Now, the point of this long ramble about me being cat-injured is this: Many of my blog-readers are cat fans. Some of you may have been in situations where you could have been bitten. BUT I don’t know if any of you know just how important it is to SEE A DOCTOR if when you do get bitten by a cat.

Even if this is your indoor cat and so you don’t have to worry about rabies, there is also Cat Scratch disease to worry about. (It’s not only through scratches, though.) Plus, there is just regular infections. Because cats have such sharp teeth, they often leave puncture wounds, which are hard to clean and can easily get infected. Go see a doctor. Get antibiotics.

This site here has some good information on what to do if you are bitten by a cat or a dog. Seriously, people. If this happens to you, take it seriously. We don’t want to hurt the hands that knit, or those that write.

This has been a public service announcement. Thank you for listening. And now… on to the knitting!

There has been much work done on the Swan Lake Stole. I have now finished the first half, and started the second half. This is very exciting news. I also tweaked the pattern to add beads to the eyelet row before the center panel, as shown in the picture below. To do this, I knit the eyelet row as charted, and then on the WS row I placed a bead on every stitch to either side of the YOs. It looks pretty good, if I do say so myself. I had seen someone else on Ravelry do this, and liked it so much that I worked out a mod for it.

And for proof, so that you know I really did start the second half:

*See, Lorraine? I am trying not to turn into the crazy cat lady.

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Week 43 ~ Moongazer

Week 43 ~ Oct 22-28, 2007

Moongazer
by Marianne Mancusi
(futuristic romance)

I really liked this book. Just - really. Liked. It. It wasn't technically the best written book I've come across, but you know what? That doesn't always make for a good read. Sometimes the technical aspects get in the way of the enjoyment.

I picked this one up because I was told that I should consider submitting some of my own work to the SHOMI line, and after reading this one (and Driven [week 42] and Wired [week 44, yet to come]) I seriously think I will. I like the way Moongazer's main character, Skye, has her reality twist all around her in ways that she sometimes recognizes right away, and sometimes doesn't. I like the way that it's written from a first-person POV, and yet there are things that Sky sees but doesn't recognize for what they truly are... yet the astute reader will pick up on them.

This is a romance, in addition to being a science fantasy novel. (Or speculative fiction, whatever you prefer.) It has a few steamy sections, yet nothing that detracts from the story. The romance is a part of the story, instead of the plot being a thinly disguised bridge meant only to get the characters into bed.

I really like some of the twists, but since I would rather encourage others to read this without knowing said twists, I will refrain from mentioning them. Go read it. Then message me, and we can discuss the twists I liked best.

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Swanning Along

I promised pictures today, so let’s jump right into the Swan Lake Stole update!

This is the current progress of the stole. I’m approximately 35% done, and I have a month in which to finish it. Do you think I’ll be able to make it? I’m certainly going to try. This is now my everywhere knitting. It came to work with me for the first time today, and I’m going to knit it on my lunch break. And when I visit M after work (assuming I do, that is) if there is TV knitting time, that’s what I’ll be working on there, too. I had been leaving the MS3 at home because the beads and lace make for a touchy travel knit, but since I’m to the part with the least difficulty and the fewest beads, I figure I can take it places.

(That’s where I am - the long section of cat’s paw lace, for those of you who know the pattern. There are still beads along the edges, but none in the interior of the pattern at this point.)

Also, I am still planning to knit the symmetrical version, because while I love the wings and the idea of a flighted stole, I don’t really want an asymmetrical shape on a stole I plan to keep. I like symmetry in shape - the design inside the shape doesn’t matter as much, but the shape itself I want to match. (Yes, this does mean I plan to knit the two-winged version as well.)

(A close-up with a colored background so that you can actually see the stitch pattern… for all that unblocked lace tends to be a scrunchy and not-very-pretty thing, I think this knit doesn’t look too bad unblocked.)

Anyway, the pattern is now available to the masses here, if you want to buy it. It’s a lovely knit, and so much fun to knit with beads! If nothing else, Melanie (the designer) has gorgeous pictures of her finished shawls up on the site. Go check them out!

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Week 42 ~ Driven

Week 42 ~ Oct 15-21, 2007

Driven
by Eve Kenin
(paranormal romance)

I picked this book up to research the line and see if it was one I could write for. (Side note: yes, I do believe it is. Must get cracking.) I'm not sure that I would have picked it up based on the cover alone, which looks like anime-grown-up. Since I'm not a huge anime fan in itself (nothing against it, though) I am not the target audience for the book's cover. So, I'm glad that I had a recommendation from someone I trust to prompt me to look for this book, because I really enjoyed it.

Driven takes place in the future, in something similar to a nuclear winter. The main character is a trucker, driving shipments to and fro in the frozen northern wastes and saving money in the hopes of moving to the still-warm tropics. There are, of course, plot twists which include a shipment that isn't what it seems, a group of ice-pirates on her trail, and an intense attraction to a man she barely knows.

The attraction is the romance-book sort, for those who shy away from sex scenes. It does get quite steamy in places. However, the romance isn't entirely contrived. There are more emotions at work than just lust between the hero and the heroine. There is even a little peek into the villain's thoughts, and though he is not as fully fleshed out as the bad guy in a longer book would likely be, it is still fun to get a glimpse.

Anyway, this was a fully engaging book. I really enjoyed reading it, and - while the line doesn't automatically imply a sequel - I am curious to read more about the characters. Will I get to? Maybe. Maybe not. But to leave your readers wanting more without feeling cheated is a very good thing.

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On Clinics and Tangents

So, I decided a short while ago that I was having issues finishing my outline because I wasn’t firm enough on my characters. So, the next step was to create better developed characters. The only problem there, was I was having trouble knowing where to start.

Solution: Holly again. I nabbed her “Create a Character Clinic” from her e-store and last night I started working with it. Now, I have barely scratched the surface with the tools that are in this book. (I know, because I’m on chapter 3 or something early.) And yet I have already found some good advice and good character building tools to work with. And that’s a very good thing.

If you have problems with your characters, go check it out. Very good resource.

In more of an update blog post part, I haven’t been working on much lately. I’ve been so tired that it’s hard to focus on much. And oh, it was so hard to get up this morning. I guess I probably stayed up too late. And then of course I’ve been having to get up for work in the mornings. So no sleeping in. But it’s really hard to have to deal with work, and sleep, and food, and visiting with the boyfriend, and the commute. Those of you who are married (or co-habitating) and don’t have to commute to visit with your significant other, feel very lucky. And give said SO a big hug. Because that’s probably the thing that I miss most about having been married before and not being married now. Yes, I like the rest of it, too, but the thing that is the most taken for granted, from what I’ve seen, is the physical presence of just having someone there.

To wake up at night from a bad dream and hear someone breathing softly next to you.

To feel safe when you hop in the shower because there’s another person in the house who can handle emergencies (in theory).

To look up over the morning paper and receive a smile that lets you know you’re loved.

Just to not be alone.

Now - I like my alone time. Don’t get me wrong. But I like to have alone time because I have something to do or am relaxing rather than to have alone time because M is at his home and I am at mine. I don’t like being physically apart when we have our phone conversations at night that run on until one of us is out of battery.

Anyway. That’s totally not where I started this post. But the mind will wander where it will.

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Ye Olde Faire

So, a little over a week ago now is when we went to the Renaissance Faire. It was a lot of fun, and we ended up hanging out with some good friends. That was cool. Plus, we got to see MooNiE and BrooN, which is always a highlight of Faire.

Aaaaand, as you know if you have been following the blog, I made M’s costume last-minute the three nights prior. I think it doesn’t look half bad, if I do say so myself.

I also made my costume, but that one was made over a much more sedate period of time. I’ve had it for a couple of years now, periodically adding bits as I decide they are needed. (The headpiece came later, for example, and the skirt ruffle was added after I decided that the skirt as written in the pattern was too short for me. I think it was meant to be a gypsy skirt, and therefore is supposed to be calf-length rather than ankle-length, but still.)

So, I promised about a week ago that I would provide pictures, and there they are. Us all decked out for Faire. Unfortunately, I only took a very small handful of shots actually AT Faire, and none of the large group of friends I met up with while there. (Ooops.) But maybe that’s because I was having too much fun to remember pictures? Yeah. That must be it.

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Mistakes

Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?
- James Thurber

I think I have finally fixed my mistake with the Hot Cocoa socks, but we shall see. I’ve only gotten a couple of rows past the ribbing; there is still plenty of time to make more mistakes. Before I go into the mistakes I’ve already made, however, here is a cute kitty photo to cheer everyone up:

This is Olivia and her three kittens. Olivia is one of our “front-yard cats,” aka a stray who has adopted us because we feed her. Actually, her mother adopted us, and Olivia just stayed as well. We have since managed to catch and spay/neuter all except for one of the adult cats, and the three current juvenile cats, so that’s quite a relief. When you have in excess of a dozen stray cats that have attached themselves to you, it’s time to take action.

So anyway, Olivia and kittens are living in one of our bathtubs for the moment. Our two house cats (Suzy and Peekaboo) aren’t quite sure what to make of it, but since Olivia and her clan are quiet and not too disruptive, the house cats aren’t as upset as they could be.

Now… on to the socks.

This picture was taken shortly after I cast on the Hot Cocoas for the third time. I figured that if I took a sock-in-progress picture, they would be less likely to mess up. (Right? Please agree with me here…) This third time, I even did a swatch.

I had wanted to check my gauge, and play with the cable pattern a little. (Yes, I know, it’s a very small swatch. But I did one! Maybe the knitting goddess will smile upon me now.)

So, I’ve cast on again. I added some stitches because my gauge was off, and I’ve been concentrating on not holding my stitches too tightly so that the ladders between the needles - which is why I frogged it the second time - aren’t too noticeable. I had originally planned to do the body of the sock in reverse stockinette, because I think M would like the fabric better that way, but that made the ladders even worse. I think he will have to put up with having only the sole of the foot in reverse stockinette. Hopefully that will work.

Suzy is less than impressed.

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Orient Express

So, I discovered another forgotten finished doily not long ago. I had even previously blocked it, and everything. All it lacked was a post, some love, and a home. So here’s a post for it.

This is the “Orient Star” doily from South Maid’s “Special Doilies For Special Times” booklet. I crocheted it at least a year ago - I’m guessing it was finished in 2005. I remember making it, but I have no idea what I was doing at the time I worked on it… Ah well. That’s what Ravelry is for, right?

Suzy, as always, was interested in what I was doing. Never a dull moment in the life of a cat… there’s always something to sniff, something to investigate. In this case, it was a dragon figurine. And, for Charlie, this time I took a picture of the bottom of the figurine, too:

See? A Book Wyrm! It fits me perfectly. This particular one was a gift from my dad last Christmas. Isn’t he great? Knows how to treat a daughter.

I also have been working on the Hot Cocoa Socks again, but this post is already picture-heavy so I’ll write about those later. Maybe Monday. Now that the socks have come out of time-out, I will be working on them some more… I really do like the yarn (KnitPicks Essential) and the needles (KnitPicks Harmony Wood) and so might be knitting them more than the Mangotini socks. (Poor Mangotinis on poor mistreated Addis… I think my tension is fairly tight. The needles have been bent quite a bit due to the way I hold them…)

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Week 41 ~ Lover Unbound

Week 41 ~ Oct 8-14, 2007

Lover Unbound
J.R. Ward
(paranormal romance)

Lover Unbound is the 5^th of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and focuses on Vishous. However, the story is not completely centered on him, spending time to update the reader with the other brothers too. There has been some complaint that not enough time was given to V, but I actually liked the split. Because of the way JR Ward is writing the series, attention must still be paid to the entire brotherhood, even if each story is specific to one pair. Each individual story ties in to the main plot well enough that I don’t have an issue with this division of time.

My biggest problem with the book was with the ending. (Let’s see if I can do this without spoilers…) I had heard rumors that V’s story ended with an unconventional HEA (‘happily ever after’ in romance-speak) and I was glad, because I think that he’s the best of the brothers to deal with that. However, once I reached the ending, it seemed pretty darn conventional to me. I can see where the claim would come that it’s unconventional, but I disagree. (If you want to talk specifics, we can do it via e-mail or something else to avoid spoilers.)

And my favorite part? Probably watching Jane adapt to her new surroundings. Jane, being human, had a lot to get used to. And yet, she did so in a very believable way. She was a strong heroine without being anti-feminine, and she was smart while not being a machine. I really like Jane. My take on Vishous, though, hasn’t changed. I still like him well enough, but he’s not my favorite of the brothers. His book, too, I like without it being a favorite.

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Trick or Type

So, it's that time of year again. The time when the leaves start to turn colors, kids start begging for Halloween costumes, rain starts to fall, and novelists get a manic gleam in their eyes. The time for candy, sweaters, and write-ins.

In other words, National Novel Writing Month is nearly upon us.

I am getting ready, and have been aiming all of my writing tasks towards being prepared for that. I am finishing up critiques that I've had lying around. (Got Phoenix's AD crit finished, and I plan to do Ian's SHOMI chapters ASAP.) I am outlining and plotting and getting into my characters' heads... but not too far, just yet. If I go too far with my outline or get too immersed in the characters' thoughts, it's possible that I'll have a hard time not writing before November 1. Must. Wait.*

Anyone joining me?

~*~

*For NaNoWriMo virgins, the rules state that on November 1 you begin a whole new novel. You can have been planning it for as long as you like, but you don't actually start writing until midnight local time on the first of November. And you stop at midnight local time on the last day of November, assuming that you haven't finished your novel (or 50,000 words) before then. The goal is to finish a 50K novel; most people either aim to finish a longer novel, or to finish the first 50K of their novel. Me? This year I have a project in mind that needs to reach about 85K words, and so my plan is to finish the first 50K next month. It would be lovely, however, to finish the whole thing. Then I'd have more time to revise it before the contest deadline.

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Give Three Cheers And One Cheer More

The world is round; it has no point.
- Adrienne E. Gusoff

~*~

This is what I got up to last night:

Knitting while playing Oblivion on my PC. The only thing that would have made the evening better was if M was with me, or if I didn’t have to go to work the following morning. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. And I made progress, too! (On both the game quests and my knitting.)

This is the current progress. Though the color isn’t quite right in this photo, since it was taken long after the natural light had faded away. It’s a lot closer to the color in the pic below. I really like it.

And yes, I know - this is a tank. And I started it in the fall. If I keep knitting on it at the pace I’m going (which is highly unlikely, but we’ll ignore that fact for argument’s sake) then I will be done with it sometime in the winter. Which is a silly time to complete a project with no sleeves. Ah well. No one said I made any sense at all.

That’s about it for today, I think. Though I am feeling very accomplished already this morning, as I just finished the critique of AD for my friend Phoenix. (Yes, that’s her online handle. I’ll use her real name - or pen name - once she’s published, and not before. Unless she asks.) I’m happy that I got it done - I’ve only been sitting on it for a couple of months now. But, she wants to polish it up for submissions, so it’s about time I finished. Besides, finishing the crit has been on my “to do” list for how many months now?

Yeah. Me? Procrastinate? No never! (Well, hardly ever!) —(link is to a mp3 - music - file)

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Monday, Monday

Well, for those that asked, yes I got the costume finished in time. And yes, I have pictures - but not with me. Sorry. I will get them up as soon as possible.

I have noticed, while restocking the candy dish at my desk, that the chocolate always vanishes fastest. And the peanut butter cups seem to go faster than the other chocolates, with the regular milk chocolate mini-bars going last. The Starburst which I also have in my dish (for color, variety, and cost-effectiveness) sit in the bottom until all of the chocolate is gone. And of the Starburst, the yellow (which is incidentally my favorite) gets taken last. I currently have about 14 yellow Starburst, 3 pink, 3 orange, and 2 red in my dish.

Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.
Laurence J. Peter

‘Huh? Me? Mom, what are you giving me that funny look for?’ ~Suzy

(This is going to be a very random blog day, in case you hadn’t noticed.)

I am still working on all my knitting projects. None of them have new pictures, because frankly none of them have gotten that much progress. I’ve been doing a little bit here, a little bit there, and not much at any one time on any one project. I have been restless lately. I have also been playing Oblivion on the computer. (Mmmmm… Sean Bean as a voice actor…) I know, Oblivion’s been out for quite some time now, but see, I keep starting over and haven’t yet finished the main plotline.

I have been working on my writing projects, too. Making notes for CP (because I don’t want to actually start writing it until November for NaNo) and working on the outline, thinking through my worldbuilding to see if there’s anything that I forgot, or anything that needs to be re-worked to make more trouble for my MCs… I’m also almost done with the edit of AD for Phoenix. Yay! I’m down to about 20 pages in her ms. So I really need to get that done. ASAP.

I really don’t have anything more to say. So I’ll leave you now, and hopefully have some progress and pictures tomorrow. Maybe on Lotus Blossom? I am really liking knitting on a larger scale. I might get some good progress on the tank. We’ll see.

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Forgive My Inanity

That was just too cute. And it makes sense. I say silly, inane things. I am often near a cat. Like this one, who is now learning how to help me sew.

Please excuse the lack of much content today. The piece you see pinned out and being cut in the above picture is for a Ren Faire costume. We are going to Faire this weekend. Saturday, to be precise. Which means I don’t have much more time to sew. As in, whatever I can get done tonight. AFTER a dinner out with M’s dad. Yipes.

(Yipes isn’t at the dinner. It’s at the time left…)

My own fault. I didn’t start sewing until Wednesday night. But then, he never did tell me what he wanted me to make him. So I finally gave up and just started throwing fabric at patterns to see what would fit.

Today, to fill the space, we also have a Friday Fiver:

You bet your life it is

1. What’s your favorite cereal? ~dunno… Honey Bunches of Oats is a good one.

2. What is too gross to eat in the morning? ~steak. Seriously. That’s a dinner food, lunch at the absolute earliest.

3. What time do you go to bed? ~way too late, usually. I should be going to bed at 10:30 (or earlier) to get enough sleep before work. But it’s been more like 11:30… midnight….12:30…. um. Yeah.

4. Where do you put your keys? ~in my pocket. Or on my dresser. Or in my purse. Depends. When are we talking about?

5. What vegetables do you love? ~many of them. Especially cooked carrots and corn on the cob. And boiled veggies that go with corned beef & cabbage (including the cabbage). Yum. Oh, and salads are good too. And perfectly steamed broccoli or green beans or squash. Better to ask what vegetables I don’t like: brussel sprouts and eggplant. Ick. Keep them away from me.

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Sounds Like Sci-Fi To Me

This is too bizzare: A brain-eating amoeba hunts in warm-water lakes. It seems that this critter gets up your nose along with a splash of water, and then eats its way up and into your brain. Being a single-celled organism, amoebas can be hard to detect. And it seems that there is little to no way to stop this guy once it’s made its way up your nose. After two weeks, you’re dead.

Plus, China has its own Loch Ness style monsters. They move as fast as yachts, have huge fins (or is it wings?) and live in a lake supposedly too cold to sustain life.

Right - so that was a different way to start off a Writing Wednesday: with story sparkers. Maybe I’ll make a habit of that? But that would require more research on a regular basis. Maybe I won’t.

Writing-wise, it’s time for more goals. I know, I didn’t actually indicate which of last month’s goals I accomplished. Based on that fact alone, you should know that they didn’t actually get finished, though they did get worked on. (Well, I did do the OWG goals. So that’s good.) Anyway. October goals:

• Finish an outline for CP, which is being used for SHOMI and NaNo.
• Post my chapter to the OWG.
• Critique the chapters my group has posted in the OWG. (1 down already.)
• Edit the chapter of the Naked Project that I’ve been assigned.
• FINALLY finish the edit of AD for Phoenix.

I think that should do it. I’ve got enough NaNo prepwork alone to get me through the month.

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Week 40 ~ Three Bags Full

Week 40 ~ Oct 1-7, 2007

Three Bags Full
Leonie Swann
(sheep mystery)

This is a very cute mystery story, with rather unusual detectives: the sheep belonging to the murdered shepherd. George Glenn has been killed, and his sheep determine to find out how, and then to bring the murderer to justice (even if they don't know what that means).

It's a different take on a murder mystery, and yet very enjoyable. I liked reading it, and the author has a good way of writing by using a different blend of senses than we are used to. Smell has a much higher priority than sight, and many of the common phrases you would expect to find in a book have been tweaked to be of the sheepy persuasion.

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A Circ of Her Own

Remember when Suzy wouldn’t stop playing with my Addis? Well, I found a way to get her to stop. Give her a circ of her own.

It’s actually not an Addi Turbo, nor is it a full circular needle. It’s one of the cables from the KnitPicks Options set. And before anyone gives me a funny look, let me explain. This one was damaged. (Before Suzy got it. Honestly.) The threads on the cable weren’t good: one side was too big and wouldn’t fit in the tip, and the other side was all chewed up so that nothing would screw onto it. I asked the KnitPicks people if I should send it back, but they said to destroy it and they would ship me a new set. They did (very prompt service - I love them) and so I figured that giving the old cord to Suzy was as good a way to destroy it as any. And it keeps her away from my knitting.

In the progress news, my Lotus Blossom tank is the WIP that shows the most forward progress. It looks great so far, though I am slightly concerned that I didn’t order enough yarn. I’ll just cross my fingers and proceed. (I loved math as a kid. But knitty math and I don’t seem to get along as well.)

I’m using my new KnitPics Harmony wood tips on the interchangeable circular needles, and I love the feel of the wood. Same nice point as the Options needles, but with the warm, more organic feel of wood needles. I am so happy with that purchase.

Anyway, about the tank - I’m a couple of rows away from being done with the first repeat. I left the sweater on the larger needles for a few extra rows since I’m going to be adding an inch to the stockinette section, and I figured that a teeny bit of extra room at the bottom wasn’t a bad thing. (If you’re not familiar with the pattern: you start on US 6 needles, then after 9 rows switch to US 5 needles. I waited until row 15 or so to switch, just in case.) I’m really loving the way it’s knitting up, and the way the yarn (KnitPicks Shine Sport in Hydrangea) feels as I go. And someone - I think it was Amanda? or Jessica? - mentioned not too long ago how huge sweater yarn feels after knitting exclusively socks and lace for so long. I must agree. It’s so nice to be working on a project with a more instant gratification! Yay sport-weight yarn! Just imagine how I’d feel about super-bulky yarn…

(Actually, I don’t really like super-bulky yarn. I’ve yet to find a pattern I like for that yarn.)

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