Thursday, April 30, 2009

Commence Happy Dance

Well, I've been sorted into my #1 (and only) choice, Slytherin for the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup.  [Side Note: Which I'm pretty sure also qualifies me for my "geek" merit badge ...]Anywho, I'm looking forward to the motivation that this group will provide to actually finish a knitted object sometime soon.  Oh, and making some like-minded knitting friends will be nice too!
They are going to post a list of "classes" tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to casting on for something interesting and new.  I'll be looking for patterns that use the same size needles as ones already tied up in other projects, you know, so I'll be forced to finish it to get the needles back.  I'm tricky like that with the self-motivating ;-)
P.S. Dark Mark Drawers! [Because I've posted them everywhere else already today, haha!]

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Dear Blog,

Dear Blog,

Missing you!

--Me

Sometimes life gets away from me and I have to spend time catching up, and the blogging time suffers.  But no more!  I am super-dee-duper excited to get sorted into a Hogwarts house in the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup (HPKCHC), which should be happening any time now.  I will have PLENTY of blog fodder from the competitions, and I've got a few things up my sleeves now as well.  Secret things.

I am participating in my first-ever swap on ravelry and I've already knitted some reducio-ed things for my spoilee.  I'd also like to include something for his/her little one(s).  I have really enjoyed the blog-stalking and ravelry-stalking!  It's fun to see how much you can learn about a person without interacting with them.  

And speaking of sleeves (no really, I said sleeves somewhere up there ...) I really must use some of my time off tomorrow to sew that second sleeve into my gathered pullover.  Really. 

Finally, some whining:  Something happened to my US 1 dpns, something bad :-(  I'm down to 4 of the original 10, and they just keep breaking.  What's wrong with me?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Can't escape the gravity!

Sooo, I'm maybe a bit enthralled with Guitar Hero World Tour at the moment.  I'm becoming quite a drummer, and I just can't seem to put the sticks down.  At least not long enough to pick up the other sticks, you know, the ones used for knitting?  
So far, what I lack in 'natural rhythm' I'm making up for in obsessive practice.  There has to be a breakthrough moment where it all gels and I'm drumming like a pro, so I'm working towards that.
This might not be a very interesting blog post for anyone who hasn't played this game, so I'll wait patiently while you go pick one up ...
...
... (and for any karaoke fans out there, it has a microphone and scrolling words and everything!)

Aaand in other news, I've signed up for a swap on ravelry!  It's centered around tiny things, tiny socks, and the Herbology theme.  Yes, it's Potter related too!  I'll be knitting a mini sock and something else tiny while also including my swap partner's house colors as well as something Herbology-ish.  This is my very first swap, so I'm a little nervous about living up to expectations etc.  I mean, there are far better knitters out there than I'll ever be. 
I also have to rustle up some goodies to go with it, but I'll have to wait until I know who will be receiving them (personalization.  WANT.)  

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

*pop*

Here is the front left side of my Soap Bubble wrap (a leeetle too much flash).
I like the bubble details a lot (even if they require much "paying attention").  It looks pretty wonky now, but I don't think I made any errors.  Hopefully everything will block out alright when it's done.  [Side Note: If I did make any errors, they're getting chalked up to 'character' or 'rustic charm'.  Whichever one means I'm not ripping it all out, no matter what.]
I was just trying to be artsy with the camera.  This is a little garter stitch road (a.k.a. the border) trailing off in the distance (a.k.a. the end of the dining room table).  

I'm nearing completion on the back of the sweater and it's at a stage where it's impossibly wide due to the fact that the sleeves are being knitted at the same time through the clever use of the backwards loop cast on.  It's so scrunched up that I didn't bother to take a picture.  

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Gettin' Goin' in the Garden


I don't know where that kitchy/cheesy title came from, but once I said it out loud I knew it was a keeper.  Sorry.

These are my floppy Freesias, being held up with kitchen twine and sticks.  
And the wide angle effect.  It looks a lot more 'finished' now with all that bark there.  I should have put the garden hose away, but you don't mind do you?
My raised planter bed, full of pine tree related junk.  I could spend a week picking out those little pollen related thingies, but I just don't stock that particular brand of crazy.
This is Pete, the garden gnome who protects the plants, wards off neighborhood cats, and gives nosy pigeons a sharp jab with that pick-ax (at least I hope he does, because they deserve it).  Pete is very pleased with himself and his work in the garden.  Verrry pleased :-)
Here we have a Brandywine tomato plant, looking the way they are supposed to when they are alive and cared for by a nursery during the delicate seedling stage.  Mine are all long since deceased.  So I bought this one at the nursery too.
This Jalapeno plant was on sale at the nursery, so I figured "eh, why not.  Peppers are pretty hard to kill aren't they?"  This concerned the staff.  But, here it is, completely alive and producing flowers like crazy!  There are little wee pepper buds forming inside the flowers, hopefully to become full grown, fiery fruits.  It took a little battering by the wind, but it seems to be doing ok.
And finally, the neat little row of swiss chard.  When they get about 2" high I'll thin them out to about a foot apart.  I should be able to keep 8 plants that way, allowing for a few of each color.  [Side Note: I'm not completely sure that I even like swiss chard, but I was drawn to the bright colors on the seed packet.  Magenta!  Gold!  Red!  White!  Pathetic.  If they ever make shiny seed packets I'll be in real trouble!]


A list:

  1. It's April. 
  2. It's been April for a while now, and yet no April blog posts?  Oops.
  3. I'm convinced that wallpaper removal is destined to be my own private circle of hell, ala the Alighieri construct.
  4. The swiss chard is sprouting!  I haven't killed it yet, so we're doing pretty well here.
  5. Happy Belated Birthday to Fred and George (April 1, how fitting)!
  6. I've decided that it's ok to reference fictional characters as if they are real people.  Sometimes. 
  7. My bubble wrap ... wrap has a back and some sleeve progress now.  I will take pictures of many things for the next post.  When it is not 1 AM.
  8. I am convinced that I went to bed with a breathe right strip on my nose last night, but I woke up without it.  Curious.  I hope it isn't stuck to the sheets!
  9. Nope, I guess this list ends at 8.