Charged

Correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t the fine line between sanity and madness gotten finer?
- George Price

~*~

Today will be a hard day for me. Last night was an incredibly emotionally charged night, and while many things were discussed, nothing was resolved. Only, we did at least acknowledge that there were issues to be resolved. (Oh - this is relationship issues, if you wondered or didn’t want to assume.) That’s a start. But when the issues are mainly that he needs to figure out what he wants out of “us” then there’s not much that I can do about it. I know what I want. And I hate the fear that comes of not knowing if he will decide he wants the same thing.

But. Moving on.

There was no writing last night. Nor knitting. And no new pictures. But since I feel sorry for you having to wade through posts with no pictures, here is an old-ish picture of Suzy.

~*~

There’s so much comedy on television. Does that cause comedy in the streets?
- Dick Cavett

~*~

Normally today I would do a Friday Fiver, but it looks like it would be too emotionally charged for me to do while I need to keep my focus up for work. It has questions like “what’s the last thing you threw away?” and “I could have been _____.” So I’m passing on that today.

As a last note on the blog before the weekend, however, I will say that everyone sure seems to take a lot of showers when they have writer’s block! I guess it would be easy to tell whose writing is going well - the people with dirty hair have been typing away while the people who are squeaky clean have been blocked! Heh, at least that made me laugh yesterday. I have a very good group of blog readers.

Thanks, guys.

Read More...

Summary only...

For the Sheriff

Lorraine, this is for you:

"Suzy, get off my laundry." - me

And for those who aren't insane, NaNo (aka NaNoWriMo aka National Novel Writing Month) is where a bunch of people who "wanted to write a novel someday" sit down and actually do it. The goal is to write 50,000 words in one month - namely, this one. November.

I have done this twice already, once successfully and once less so. It's actually quite amusing.

So, many apologies, but the majority of my posts this month will be about NaNo. I will try to keep the kitty pictures flowing. And the knitting pictures, too. (Speaking of knitting, I am into Chart #2 on the second half of the Swan Lake/Mystery Stole. I do not know why I decided to finish this stole in the same month that I decided to write a huge amount of words, but there you go. Both must be done this month. Pictures to come.)

"Laundry? I don't see any laundry, Mom. Just a nice kitty bed." - Suzy

Read More...

Summary only...

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.

Read More...

Summary only...

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.

Read More...

Summary only...

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.

Read More...

Summary only...

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.)

Read More...

Summary only...

Fill In The Blanks

Imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality.
~ Jules de Gaultier

~*~

So, last week I mentioned my various packages and showed off pictures of yarn. Today, I don’t have pictures, but I can tell you about my new package of books. We shall do this in a blog-reader interactive style post today, just for kicks.

Fill in the blanks (circle one):

I was ____________ and joined the Writer’s Digest Book Club.

1. silly
2. responsible
3. impulsive

The books I got _________________.

1. show that I’m serious about writing
2. make some interesting statements about me
3. are cause for concern

Buying research books rather than looking the topics up online or at the library is good because _____________.

1. it supports the writing industry
2. hard copies in your own private library ensure the best access to information at all hours
3. it’s harder to trace questionable research

(And, a Suzy picture for those of you who skim blog posts looking for the kitty…)

The human mind treats a new idea the same way the body treats a strange protein; it rejects it.
~ P. B. Medawar

So, the books that I actually did get were the following:

Roget’s Super Thesaurus, 3rd Edition. - A good, basic reference book that I don’t didn’t have a copy of.

The Writer’s Guide to Places. - Since my travel budget isn’t as large as I would like, I decided that this was a good - if sadly homebound - alternative.

Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy. - (by Orson Scott Card) Ever since I’d read this one as a library book, I’d intended to buy it. Now is as good a time as any.

Howdunnit: A Book Of Poisons. - The book (of this bunch) that I am the most interested in, and the one that I ran from room to room, showing off with eyes aglow once the package was opened. It has all sorts of information about poisons, including the natural kind and the man-made kind. It talks about things from arsenic to hemlock, from snake venom (and many kinds) to spider bites.

My parents had very mixed reactions to me running up to them and saying, “I got a book on poisons!” My mom nabbed the book and started flipping through it, lingering on the plants section of the book. (Don’t plant lily of the valley if you have people in the house who put things in their mouths. That stuff is very deadly. Like, ‘don’t bother with an antidote because it works so fast’ deadly.) My dad, on the other hand, gave me a strange look and started teasing me. I’m still not 100% sure that he knows what to make of this writer-thing I’ve become.

She really liked my yarn-shoot. She thought it was a kitty-play-fest.

Read More...

Summary only...

Spincerely Mine

Okay, okay. I did say that my ‘Around the Blog’ from yesterday was going to be short. There are lots of blogs I read these days. But due to reader request, here is one more… Charlie, the wonderful gal who also loves dragons, did indeed post this month. She has a fun little exercise with homophones.

Isn’t this yummy fiber? I just love it. It’s from Tamara’s (aka Spincerely Yours,) Etsy store. Love love love. I can’t wait to spin it up. It’s a merino/tencel blend, and looks softer and shinier than anything I’ve spun before, with the exception of the silk I used to make my feather & fan scarf. (But silk is also a touch hard on the hands, or at least my hands, and I’ve never had that problem with wool.)

I think I will have to practice spinning on my alpaca roving/top/whatever just to get back in the swing of things. The only thing I’ve spun lately is pencil roving, and so I haven’t really gotten practice drafting. And drafting is the thing that I have the most trouble with, so is the thing I need the most practice on. Argh. Don’t wanna wait. But I think I have to.

Miss Suzy watched with interest as I set out the fiber for the photo shoot. She also seemed to like the colors, or perhaps the smells. Or maybe just the tissue paper. But whatever the reason, she was very attentive. She even let me get my photos taken without disturbing my fiber.

Of course, she thought it was hers.

Read More...

Summary only...

Randomosity

The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it’s unfamiliar territory.
- Paul Fix

~*~

(My Thursday Thirteen is over here...)

So, it seems that I have joind a cult. This greatly amuses me. I would tell you more about it, but since the (two) founders have dubbed it the “Ambiguities,” I doubt there is much I can say to explain it.

~*~

In more a definable line of thought, Paperback Writer (aka Lynn Viehl, aka S.L. Viehl, et al) has written up a post on Cast Balancing. More good ideas from PBW. My thoughts, as posted in the comments, are:

Very good ideas, all, and since I’m plotting out a new story this will be very helpful. (Of course, a large number of the cast will die in the first chapter or three, but they might as well be a balanced cast before they die, eh?)

So, more work for me to do for CP. Not that I didn’t already plan on doing more work - but this is at least work with a purpose.

~*~

~*~

I have been working on the Mystery Stole (which is no longer a mystery, but is the Swan Lake stole) and have finally finished Clue #2. I still love the pattern, and love the yarn, and the beading, and will be knitting on it more. But hopefully I will be writing a lot more too, and so the stole won’t get finished as quickly as it otherwise might.

At the moment, I only have two knitting projects on the needles (which is odd given that I have had more than that going for a long time now). (Oh - and not counting the project or so that I have abandoned. Like the worsted-weight socks. Not a smart idea in coastal California. Maybe if I lived in the Sierras, or something, but… no. They will probably be ripped back eventually. Maybe the yarn will be made into a hat.)

~*~

I’m not sure what other randomness I can get into at the moment. So I’ll leave you with some cuteness:

… a picture of some of the front-yard kittens. These aren’t the bittiest ones, but they’re still young. And adorable! And in need of spaying/neutering so that we don’t find ourselves up to our ears in kitties.

Read More...

Summary only...

Turn Around, Bright Eyes

And I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And if you only hold me tight
We’ll be holding on forever

~*~

Okay, okay, so it wasn’t a total eclipse of the heart. (Those that don’t get the reference, go here.)

It was a total eclipse of the moon. Last night, around 2:30 PDT, I looked out my window and saw that the previously incandescent moon was half eaten. (Yes, I got up at 2:30 in the morning on a work night so that I could see the moon vanish into the Earth’s shadow. So I’m an astronomy geek at heart. So sue me.)

Anyway, it’s not often that you are in a good spot to see a total eclipse. So, I wanted to see this one. And it was worth it. My whole family got up (or stayed up) and went outside to watch. Earlier that evening, you could have read a book by the light of the moon; after the moon was fully eclipsed, we practically needed a flashlight to find our way in off the porch.

I just wish we had a telescope set up. It was really cool to see as it was, but that would have been neater. Though, it was also fun watching the eclipse reflected in the pool. The slight ripples along the surface of the water mixed with the slowly creeping shadow… very nice.

The biggest problem was our back porch cat was so very friendly, and we were so very preoccupied, that he started nipping at my toes to get attention.

Speaking of cats… My Suzy has been taking lessons from Mayhem. She has determined that Addis (circular sock needles, for the uninitiated) taste very good.

‘Mmmm… yummy.’

Read More...

Summary only...

New Projects and Lots of Pics

Okay… there are two new projects that will debut today. The first is socks, and you won’t have to wait very long for them. The second is a thought for the blog I had yesterday, and it will appear on my Wordpress blog after lunch.

But… socks!

These are Wendy’s Cabletini socks, and I’m knitting them in the lovely Spunky Eclectic yarn that I was gifted by Barbara of Romancing the Yarn. Due to the color, I’m dubbing them my Mangotini socks. Now I just need to find a martini glass, and I’ll have the perfect photo op for them.

Also, I’ve been told that it’s been too long since I had hedgie in a photo. So, here he is! He’s been bored and lonely, and is very glad to be back in a photo.

But Mom, these don’t taste at all like mango…

Read More...

Summary only...

Writing Weds ~ 8.22.07

Nothing much to say, writing-wise. I know: this is bad of me. I should have progress. I should have updates.

Well, I have done things. I have been working on the AD crit for Phoenix. I have been ... um. Yeah. Not so much in the writing department.

To distract you, here is a Suzy picture! Yay for cute cats!

Also, I cast off my Icarus shawl last night! I'm very excited about that, even though it took me well over an hour to do so. (Non-pointy bamboo needles aren't the best for knitting lace. Especially the bind off. Just so you know.) I expect to block it tonight, since I am so excited and long to have it done, and I will have pictures once I have blocked it. Not until then. Sorry. You'll just have to wait.

That's all for now. Happy hump day!

Read More...

Summary only...

Minis!

The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish.
- Robert Jackson

Isn't is cute! It's a little mini sock on a mini sock-blocker that I got from Felt Up Designs. It's using leftovers of the Lana Grossa that I made the Blood Diamond socks with. I actually used US1 needles instead of the US0's that were called for, mainly because I don't have US0's. And the sock could be a little bulkier, so I might use US2's next time I knit one. I also knit a shorter leg than was called for, because I thought that - using larger needles - I might have too long a sock. Next time I won't worry about that.

And in case you want perspective, here's the sock with Suzy. So you can see just how mini it is. (She also thinks it's yummy. But she likes the metal keychain part better than the sock itself.)

That's what I did last night. I didn't knit the Baby P Blanket at all. Nor did I touch either the MS3 or Icarus. And my Mini Monkeys are patiently waiting until this weekend when they will get to come out and play.

Over the weekend I also made those stitch markers. They were fun. I think I'm going to swap the ones I've been using on the MS3 for one of the sets of red ones... the ones currently in use are for a size 7-ish needle, while the red set is for the needle I am actually using for the MS3. The other set of red markers and the set of blue markers are slated as gifts, so I won't be using those. But they were still fun to make.

Hope your Tuesday is going well!

Read More...

Summary only...

Strings and Sealing Wax

Before we get to today's Friday Fiver, may I say that I had nothing to do with the title of it? Because I HATE Puff the Magic Dragon. With a passion. It makes me miserable and I always cry. Depressing and sad and pointless and I even had problems when we went to Hawaii because we saw a place called Hanalei which of course made me think of the song and so I got sad and...

That's enough of that run-on sentence. Instead of thinking of the depressingness that is kids growing up and losing the magic of childhood we will look at cute kitties.

Friday Fiver: A dragon lives forever but not so little boys

1. What is your local lake/river/sea?
The Pacific Ocean.

2. Do you believe in dragons and unicorns?
le sigh. If I say yes, people will think I mean literal dragons and unicorns. If I say no, then I'm denying the fantasy author within me. Can I just say "to each his own" and leave it at that?

3. What is your favorite fruit?
Peaches. Or kiwi. Or cherries. Or ... Do I really have to pick just one?

4. Do you smoke?
No. Unless I get really mad, and then it comes out my ears.

5. Friday fill-in: Together they would BE MISERABLE AND CRY! WAAAAAAH!

(I told you. I hate that song.)

Hey, Mom, thanks for the snack! I needed more fiber in my diet.

Read More...

Summary only...

Around The Blog 7.30.07

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
~Thomas Jefferson

I don't have much of my own content planned for today, so we'll go looking for interesting things Around The Blog. Before we set off on our tour, however, here's a cute picture of Suzy, munching my bookmark as I'm trying to read. (It's a non-fiction about the Knights Templar, because I've always been interested in them and finally decided to try to find out more about them. The only problem is sorting fact from fiction, even in supposedly non-fiction books.)

Go visit L-Squared at Dog's Eye View for some awesome pictures and discussions on leader dogs (otherwise known as guide dogs). I won yarn at Romancing The Yarn, where a month-long yarn giveaway has been taking place. Zarzuela has a new baby sister, Mim is jamming, Mayhem is stealing her mom's Addi's, and PBW has a list of things to make your writing life easier. Amanda has proven how much you can knit when you want to by finishing her entire Icarus in the amount of time it took me to knit Chart 3 and half of Chart 4.

Spincerely has double-decker flowers, which are not to be confused with double-decker buses. LA doesn't like scheduling her blogs, Holly Lisle is having a sale on her Clinics (through today; I only just found out about it), and Neither Hip Nor Funky has radioactive lemonade. The guinea pigs are cold (forgot that it's winter where they live). Melanie has finished her Sockapalooza socks, and Sian does Audrey Hepburn.

Hope you're all having a good Monday!

Read More...

Summary only...

Back - I Hope

So I should be back to the BlogWorld now. Yay! This past week has been crazy, but I think the craziness has calmed down. So I should be back. And I'm supposed to have pictures, but I forgot them at home. So they will have to wait.

(Except for this one which I have been saving for just such an emergency.)

I have also been tagged to do the 8 Random Facts MEME, and while I have done 7 random facts already (and could therefore just add one, and call it done) I'll see what I can do. They will probably be short random facts, however.

1. I hate licorice.
2. I don't like horror movies.
3. "Reclaiming" negative words (nigger, ho, bitch, etc) seems pointless and stupid to me, not empowering.
4. I like sweet wines.
5. When I was young, I OD'd on pink clothing.
6. I tend toward depression on a semi-regular basis, but I can only stay depressed for a short time before I have had enough and stop.
7. I don't like sourdough bread much.
8. You don't want to get me mad. I can be super frosty when mad, and I hold a Grudge. (with a capital "g" which rhymes with "p" which stands for pool... sorry, got The Music Man on the brain.)
   

Read More...

Summary only...

Too Busy To Blog

No opera plot can be sensible, for people do not sing when they are feeling sensible.
- WH Auden

If it's not the show, it's the move (company, not personal). But whatever the cause, I have no time.

So, have a picture or two to keep yourself occupied instead.

Read More...

Summary only...

A Brief Pawse

I know that I'm waaaay behind Brigitte and Chris on this one, but when they posted paw pictures I didn't have a cat to take paw pictures of. Now I do. So here they are.

*pat*


such a cute widdle paw!

She was trying to help me knit, however. Which meant very little progress on my part, and very much playing on hers. I did get a few more inches on the baby blanket since the last photo...

I think I'll be able to get it done by the time the baby's born. (At least I hope I will.) I still love the pattern. And even thought I think I've flubbed it a time or two, I can't tell where. So I doubt Mrs. P will notice, and I know Baby P won't.

Look! Isn't the pattern great?

Suzy didn't like me ignoring her to photograph it, though. Just like she didn't like me ignoring her to knit it. She tried to eat my hand, the yarn, my shirt, my elbow, my camera... But she's so cute. Who can get mad at her?

Not me.

Read More...

Summary only...

Socks and Suzy

Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it.
~Stephen Leacock

And for me, just show me something pretty or let me feel something with a great texture and I'm likely to be sold, if I can justify the purchase at all. Like... YARN! Whee!

The TOFUtsies yarn was so soft when I bought it that I got two skeins right away, without testing it at all first. And while it's a bit splitty at times, it makes a fabric so soft and fun that it's worth it. (Just be careful which cast on you use, because it does have a tendency to un-ply itself if you use a long-tail cast on.)

Here is the current progress of the first Summer of Socks sock pair:

One nice thing about starting socks at the top and working your way down is that foot-modeled socks look better this way than toe-up. But... does anyone who's been following my socks preferences notice anything about this sock? It has two of my previously disliked features: it is cuff-down, and knit on dpns. And yet I love it. Go figure. I guess knitting preferences change just like anything else. (Though it could just be the pattern or the yarn or the combination.)

Hedgie's still trying to do his duty as a sock model, but it's harder with cuff-down socks. They don't make quite as nice a cave.

Suzy, on the other hand, does not play nice with socks. Look how ferocious she is! The attack-cat in action!

Rawr!

Read More...

Summary only...