Blog #37, A For Reals #37 This Time

So really, this post is about one thing and one thing only.

I did my gauge swatch for my February Lady Sweater. I have no idea what size needle I used, it is an Addi whose numbers have worn off, but. I have achieved gauge. Exactly. On the first try.

And, I am wishing I had enough of the Lorna's Laces in red to do it in red. It's a great red. I might need a sweater out of it.

The planets must be in perfect alignment or something.

Blog #36, In Which Bettie Realizes That She Can't Count, aka Sequence Numbers, Properly

No. Please. No fainting. I know, two posts in less than 24 hours, whassupwiththat? Good question. I have no clue. But it's almost 4 am and I am wide awake. Actually I was wide awake about 2 hours ago. I only just got out of the bed. And upon exiting the bedroom, door left slighly ajar, almost tripped over Mr. Fluffiepants. Like he forgot how to push doors open or something. I don't understand this. He knows how to open doors, I've seen him do it. Maybe he was being thoughtful and considerate. Yeah, right.

So I am participating in the Ravelympics. In which we cast on during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and attempt to have said project finished by the end of closing ceremonies. I am doing the February Lady Sweater. I forget who did the pattern and am too lazy to leave the 'puter and find out. But it is based, or perhaps I should say 'unvented' from Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater. But sized for 'a grown-ass woman', as it says on the pattern. It's a free pattern off of Ravelry. I am using some of the Lorna's Laces green yarn that I got at the warehouse sale. I have done the math about 6 times now. And considered and re-considered which size, how much ease or negative ease I want and all of that good stuff. The yarn is pink. Very pink. I loves it. I believe I will be swatching today at knit group. Swatching is what we do for training. Will there be pictures? I can guarantee that they will taken, whether or not I actually decide to apply myself and post here remains to be seen. Heh. I am tres lame.

Oh crap. I almost forgot. Bernie is dead. I turn him on and I don't even get the mechanical-whining-motor-trying-to-go-kind of noise. He's not even trying anymore. I turn him on and hit the gas, and...... nothing. Just flat-out, straight-up, dead quiet. I am planning on giving him a little rest, and then trying again, but man, it don't look good. Anyone wanna gimme a thousand bucks or so for my Tacsew?

Blog #37, I Think. But Really? I've Lost Track.

So today? My mail carrier? Or are we still using mail man? Though if you think about it, that's a little redundant. But I digress. It is now 4:49 pee em. On Saturday. Waaaaaaaay later than when the mail is supposed to arrive. The mail should be waiting for me when I get home. Who cares? You might ask. Well I do and I will tell you why. In he/she's little mail cart thingey, they carry not just the neighborhoods' mail, but, and this would be the most important bit, discs #5 and #6 of season 2 of the NEW DR. WHO. Yes, I'm yelling. Deal. I was all psyched up to watch another 3 or more episodes tonight. Netflix promised! And now, the mail carrier had to get up all in the way and not bring me my mail. Asshat. What the heck am I supposed to do after dinner now? Sheeesh.

And lest we think that this post is nothing but me kvetching about the mail carrier, I would like to mention the vast amounts of garter stitch projects I have been finishing during the whole process. Which may, or may not eventually be posted here. Since figuring out how to post pictures, I have found it to be a bit of a pain in the ass and don't do it much.

Blog #30-something.

I am tres lame. It's been over a month since the last blog entry. And James and Joe have come and gone. Joe is, adorable. But even more to the point, he found a hat in my apartment, that I knit, that fits him perfectly and that he loves! Ahha! Something to knit Joe for Christmas! Suh-weet! And James loves the yarn and slipper pattern for his man slippers. The boy has excellent taste, they are Malabrigo. God I frakking hate spell check! I know Malabrigo isn't a word, that's why it's capitalized, asshats!

So I just finished watching the first episode of Season 5 of Project Runway. They did the whole grocery store thing from season 1 again. Which, of course, has me thinking, WWBD? What would Bettie do? I know what she wouldn't do, and that would be going for the obvious choice of a tablecloth or napkins or paper towels or trash bags. Too predictable. I can't believe that anyone used those things. Duh. And they are, most of them, quite young this time around. Lots of 25-27 year olds. Whatever. I hope I am not bored like I was with last season. I didn't even watch the last 2-3 episodes. Once fashion week happened, I saw all of their shows on line and really didn't even care who won. I know who's clothes I liked and that's all I cared about apparently.

I haz a date tomorrow. Must. Find. Cute. Outfit.

Blog #33, or How I Got My First Sunburn Of The Season

Yesterday was WWKIP day. I wore sunscreen, but clearly SPF 15 was not enough. I wore sleeveless, because I knew I would get some color, and didn't want farmer tan. Believe me, I have seen hard-core farmer tan up close. It's not a look I wish to duplicate. I had one Grandfather who was a farmer. I don't think he ever went out with less coverage than a short-sleeved shirt. But I had seen him in a tank. We are talking skin as white as the new fallen snow, right next to skin that had spent every summer of it's 60 some odd years in short sleeves out on a tractor. With no canopy. I do not wish to duplicate this look. So yeah, I am a little bit crunchy in places this morning. I have been slathering myself with body butter.

But other than that, WWKIP day was lovely! That stands for World Wide Knit In Public day.

Blog #32 Gah! 17 Day Until My Gays Are Here!!!

Well, part of them anyways. James and Joe will be here June 27th through July 3rd. Just in time for ALL of Taste of Chicago! ( insert sarcasm here ) But, much more importantly, they will be here for PRIDE!!! And if you don't know what that means, then clearly you have no gay friends and should go make some. It sounds as though James has mapped out each and every meal, based on the restaurants he missed most. The thing that might throw that off is that there are literally bunches of new places littering Andersonville that he hasn't seen yet. I haven't been to any of the new places to have an opinion one way or the other. Either way, I doubt that we will want for places to eat.

My birthday was May 26th. See birthday greeting comments below with post # 31. I got all kinds of goodies and much fun was had. Mom and Dad got me a drum carder! I am busy carding the rainbow fleece Mom and I got at Crazy Girl Knits. I am thinking it will probably want to be a baby sweater. Don't ask me for who, I have no idea. I just think a little baby sized rainbow sweater would be adorable. It's got a lot of second cuts in it though. But I have always kind of liked the slightly "rustic" look in some yarns. Then I have 15 oz. of Lorna's Laces roving to spin. And 4 bumps of two different colors of roving from Crazy Girl Knits. Then. We start on the Finn Wool fleeces from Wee Croft Finn Sheep. That should give me all of the right kinds of practice before launching into the Alex shawl. I do need to do a lace sampler. And maybe another shawl or two knitwise, before doing Alex. Especially since I haven't really done much lace at all.

I have been doing a lot of alterations lately. And I still have to copy that jacket that I got the discoloration out of. Then at least I can get it put back together. I have a whole stack of easy summer tops cut out for myself. I should whip those up. I have been wearing the same boring assortment of summer clothes for the last 3 summers with no real changes. BORING. It's not for lack of fabric, that's for damn sure.

Alex went to the vet the other day. They drew blood, did a full work up. He is all good. Yay! He is said to be in very good shape for his age. Though I got a bit of a tsk-tsk 'cause he re-gained a half a pound. I was actually relieved that he gained a little bit back. I think under 18 lbs. looks a little scrawny on him. His is rather big boned you know.


Oh yeah. And I have someone to barter massages for sewing with. Life it good.

Blog #31, aka, A Few Random Thoughts

#1 I think I have reached some kind of critical mass level with the knitting. I got me a swell new Ravelry tote bag. Yes, I was totally stalking the store and clicking "refresh" all afternoon that Saturday....and I gots me a tote bag!!! It is the perfect size. The straps are the perfect length. It is huge. I could fit my whole life into this bag if I wanted to. And therein, lies the problem. I have turned it into my knitting bag, duh. But instead of carrying a purse also, I have started chucking all of the purse crap into my knitting(?) bag. This would seem to me, to indicate some kind of new found level of extreme-ness. Or maybe I just think about junk too much.

#2 Alex needs to retire to Scottsdale. He was doing beautifully when it had gotten warmer, but now that it is plummeting down into the 40's at night, he is all stiff and crunchy again. He was all tucked in under my bed all evening. I finally went and crawled halfway under the bed to give him a little kitty hip rub. That seemed to perk him up quite a bit. He came out for a pill and a snack. He is now napping peacefully on his chair in the mudroom/enclosed back porch. Poor booger. Perhaps I can find him a home for retired kitties......maybe a heating pad would help.

#3 I just finished a market bag. It was way fun to knit. Good beer knitting too. Huge, open weave, and if one screws up, who cares? It's a market bag!