FaerieLady Knits

Ok it's about danged time...

2006-03-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

My FaerieLady blog has found a new home... on my new domain :-)

http://faerielady.faerieladyfibers.com is up and running for your viewing (dis)pleasure! Feel free to wander on over there, and please blogline/blogroll that blog, as while this one will stay up (have you SEEN what happens to blogger blogs that are closed?? Can we say horrible, horrible stuff...).

I don't want to lose the great people I've come to know through this blog... so please, please update your links!

Love and hugs,

The FaerieLady

No Excuses

2006-03-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

Just life. Two tests (one today, one tomorrow) followed by an algebra exam next Tuesday, have rendered the FaerieLady almost incomprehensible and unable to coherantly string together more than 5 words in a simple sentence. LOL

However, there has been some progress over here at Chez FL...

First off, I re-started the Jaywalker sock, using Opal Rainforest sock yarn in Owl on U.S. size 1s (2.25 mm). I am already diggin' this sock, as I did the substitution for picot and like it a TON of a lot better than I do the ribbing that I worked on the other...

I've also been blending just a teeny bit, and using my carder some. I am also dyeing more Sock ToTs yarns. Other than that, I'm just staying busy and staying sane :-)

Talk atcha laters...

Just Call Me Rotten...

2006-02-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

Spoiled rotten, that is!

I have the most wonderful, outstanding, absolutely AWESOME Secret Pal for the SP7 Exchange. I'm sure that some who still read this lamentable blog know about my prior ordeals with the secret pals exchange from all the angles in which I'm participated (i.e. sending, receiving, and hosting). I've had several very good, sweet, nice, partners... among them the Knitting Diva, Margene, and Heidi. However, I've also been shafted with partners that never emailed, never sent, and never mentioned receiving their goodies.

For me the joy usually resides in the giving... and when you have a shitty recipient, there's not much you can do to make the love spread. However, this time is so different for me as the recipient that I have no clue where to start.

Wanna see?

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OMG. Do you see that?? I couldn't *believe* the size of the box that it all came in, and am so overjoyed that I actually almost fell up the stairs in my hurry to get it inside and get it open! This is the wonderful caring sweet and awesome stuff that came out of that box...

SOCK YARN! Lookit all that sock yarn! *Two* skeins of Opal! How did you know that I have been lusting after that brown? It's called Eule, or Owl, in Opal Rainforest (excuse me if my german is off). I have been lusting after this, and I'm not usually the browns type! The other Opal looks to be a blue self striping, but I can't tell which line it comes from :-) One skein of Regia Strato Color in shades of blue and gray. One skein of Fleece Artist in "Deep Sea Hornpipe" which is a beautiful handpainted yarn in deep blues and grays. Then there's a skein of Cherry Tree Hill in Super Glitz in "Moody Blues", which is blues, black, and has a silver metallic thread running through. Then there are 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces shepherd sock in River, shades of blue and purple.

That's just the sock yarn! There are three sock patterns, the Cabled Glitz Sock, Putting on the Glitz, and Glitzy Lace Sock patterns!

Then two skeins of sportweight Cormo yarn, perfect for dyeing! Total yardage, around 750 yards! Wow!

THREE books! The Knit Stitch, The Purl Stitch, and Folk Socks! All three of which were on my Amazon wish list! Then The Pressed Fairy Book, which is absolutely *hilarious* and "When Why If" by Robin Wood and Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Calendar.

C'mon, you know, you KNOW that I am absolutely spoiled rotten.... and I love EVERY SINGLE THING.

Aninocentangel, you are the bestest most wonderful Secret Pal. I can't believe that you ever thought for a second that I would be anything other than completely, totally overjoyed at receiving this box.

Lookit this!

2006-02-14T21:14:00.000-08:00

First, imagine bright pink and purple splotched roving. Hard to imagine, hmm? Well, there's a picture for your viewing pleasure. Please shield your eyes, as this sucker is BRIGHT. Seriously. It may look a little faded out in the picture, but it's definitely bright.

Tonight, after the first judicious use of the drum carder... it looks like so...

Absolutely scrumptious!

Ok, going to bed now before I stay up waaaay too late playing with my new toy...

Ramblings and other blather

2006-02-14T04:01:00.000-08:00

The Home Front: (i.e. FaerieLady's apartment)
Current situation... mess. Complete and utter disaster area. Fiber orders (base and luxury) have come in and need to be organized. Dyes have been re-situated. Separation of fibers into useable lots for the carder will commence with the arrival of the new (severely discounted, go me!) scale that should be here any day. Other than the fact that I'm missing someone very close to me very much and am trying to find the good thoughts in life anyway, and it's not exactly peachy around here. However, hopefully the carder (which has arrived!) shall help remedy that at least a teensy bit.

The Knitting Front:
I have become slightly inspired by the Rogue pullover that Cassa brought over. She was having problems with grafting the hood, and well I'm a very good grafter. I don't understand why people make it seem like it's harder than it really is... grafting isn't some kind of mysterious thing, and I *hate* the fact that most people are led to believe (and think themselves) that it is confusing or something that should be avoided at any cost. But anyways, she brought over her Rogue (minus the sleeves) because she's taking part in the KO or FO can't remember which, and wants to finish Rogue as her project. Her Rogue is out of Bartlett yarn, which I do have to admit is not one that I would use (however, it was what she had and I do understand THAT one). So, I'll be either starting Rogue, Eris, or another sweater pattern (to be decided later, maybe tomorrow) because while I love the portability of my sock projects, I need something bigger to sink my teeth into.

The pattern so far in the forefront other than Rogue is BPT and Mariah.

Ok, gotta get the kiddo up and head to work... Laters!

The promised pic

2006-02-05T20:18:00.000-08:00

The merino/silk blend that I spun... here's the pic

Specs... approximately 500 yards of two ply light worsted weight. Thinkin' good ol' Clapotis would look great in this. I might fall victim, a year after the fact, and knit myself one. I think it will show off the beautiful color and shine of this handspun.

Laters!

Pictureless Fiber Update

2006-02-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

However, there will be pictures later, I promise!

First... I finished spinning and plied the merino/silk that I had posted a picture about previously. I have one skein drying, one skein needing to be dunked and set out to dry. I really like it. It's between dk and worsted weight plied, a good weight for so many things... I'm thinking about making a mini Clapotis out of it. I'll post a pic of the yarn when it's all dry.

I also spun and plied about half the yarn for a pair of mittenettes for J's mom. She asked for a pair, and I've been completely unmotivated to spin it. The fiber itself is a pain in the ass to spin; it drafts horribly. It's a wool/silk blend, but I have no idea what the wool is. It's definitely *not* merino!

Exciting news... I have a drum carder on the way, and I purchased a website! The website will be up and running when I get 'round to it... I have to figure out the software and I can guarantee that certain people will be asked a lot of stupid questions about it... LOL. Said website will have a subdomain for my blog.

Sock progress... the lace sock is still where it was when I photographed it. The hollyberry sock is past the heel and on the instep. The boot sock is to the heel turning part. I got my match for SockapalOOOza, and she was extremely vague, listing only "surprise me". This is a cause for huge amounts of stress on my part, because I'm terrified that she won't like what I choose. GAH.

Ok, enough. I have an apartment to clean. Laters!

Ok I succumbed

2006-02-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

My Word Cloud

Sock Insanity

2006-01-31T20:30:00.000-08:00

Yes, the FaerieLady has finally fallen off her rocker. Those of you who know me in person know that, for me, the fall is a very short one, considering my ability to hover only a couple inches from the bottom of the cliff *anyway*, however this should prove it to the masses. See pictures below...

Current socks in progress, from left to right:

Blueberry Waffle Socks, yarn is Elann's Peruvian Baby Cashmere held doubled, knitted on U.S. 3s. Three repeats until I turn the heel. Next up, standard cuff down st st sock in Knitpick's Sock Garden in the Hollyberry colorway, knit on U.S. 2s. This sock is FAR more garish in person, however the striping is rather cool. This sock is ready to have the heel turned. Last sock is a lace patterned sock in Elann's Sock It To Me Collection Colori in Highland colorway, second sock about 2 repeats from the toe, knit on U.S. size 1s.

Next up has already been planned... have to finish one of the pairs already started before I can start either of these two...

The red yarn is for the Red Hot Sizzlin' Socks knitalong. I succumbed to that instead of the knitting olympics. That's KnitPicks merino style, needles are casein U.S. size 3s, a gift (RAOK) from Danielle at Poetic Purl many moons ago. The other is the creamy brown Sock ToTs yarn, and that will be knitted up on my fave needles of all time, Brittany Birch, in size 1s.

See, I'm crazy. Completely fruit loops. Tis all good though... LoL!

Laters!

Dyeing for Therapy

2006-01-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

I think I've mentioned before that I dye for therapy purposes. You see, when FL is feeling down and out, I dye something bright and cheerful. When I'm feeling wicked sick, I dye something rich and colorful. When I just feel blah, I dye whatever color comes into my hands first, and in doing all of this, I've come up with beautiful color combinations that are pleasing to my own eyes, as well as the eyes of other people.

Normally if I don't like it, I don't dye it. However after years and years of dyeing, both protein and cellulose (and synthetic) fibers, I've learned that just because I don't like it *right then* doesn't mean I won't like it ever... just that I will like it *better* when spun, and usually even MORE when it's knit. Yeah well. Anyway.

So, take this scenario. I get a message from the Benevolent Dictator asking for a custom colorway. First off, I only DO custom colorways on rare occassions and ONLY for certain people. Not because I don't love doing them, but they usually make me feel stressed out. Does that make sense? Anyway, customs for her never stress me out, although I'm not quite sure why. So using her color choices, this is what's currently steaming.

100% Falkland 56s, absolutely wonderful wool top. I love this top, and it is one of three that I carry on a regular basis. We shall see what it looks like when it comes OUT of the steamer, now won't we?

Oh, and Cassa, the next time you call your chatterings "non-sensical", I might have to poke you with a DPN, ok? LOL Nothin' but love hon...

Laters!

2006-01-24T14:29:00.000-08:00

This picture actually proves that I am not showing you the same sock twice... both socks are done :-) Finished the second sock last night and was too freakin' lazy to upload a picture. Of course, I'm not sure why my legs appear so white in the photo. I'm half Puerto Rican. I don't think there's an area on my body quite that white. Wow. So, ignore the ultra-bright white legs.

These socks, with the mods I wrote about in the entry about them, were actually quite fun and fast to knit. With the exclusion of the stockinette stitch rows (6 of them) they don't have that funky st st look between the cuff and foot. I could have made the socks a wee bit longer, about a 6 inch cuff instead of a 5 inch, if I wanted to, and have yarn left over. However, I'd rather listen to my gut and make it a bit shorter than run out of yarn!

Variety of things

2006-01-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

Here at Chez FaerieLady, it really hasn't been all about knitting. It just seems to be the easiest, least involved, most photogenic thing for me to post about right now.

Seriously. da FaerieLady is a little on the depressed side. Not clinically depressed, no. Just a little down and out about life situations. The dyeing, the knitting, that's all stuff I do because 1. I love it and 2. it's freakin' cheaper than therapy.

You see, the FL is a bit confused and sad. The connections that I've felt with the people in this area have dimished considerably in the past year. What connections I have left are shrinking now, because I work and go to school, as well as have a small child. My friends that have children (there aren't many of them, but they know who they are) are either a. around or b. not around. Unfortunately, of those types, only one of them is around. For that I am thankful... her coming over with her kid allows my kid to have someone to play with for a few hours and frees me up on a weekend to talk to a real functioning adult that I am not related to (i.e. not my parents).

The other people... well, they don't have kids. Or worse... they don't have kids and would like to hang out... but work radically different schedules than mine. I'm sorry, I'm usually in bed hours ago. Tonight I'm staying up, but I will pay for it in the morning when I drag myself out of my bed at the "regular" time so I don't feel like a truck ran me over on Monday morning. That means I'm typically awake and online long before their alarms go off, and offline by the time they are stumbling around getting coffee in order to become civilized people, or they are working when I'm getting home from work and relaxing (i.e. signing on)... or I'm at school that evening and am only online less than 30 minutes before I crash out. So. Damned if I do and damned if I don't.

I also shut down the Pagan study group I've been running for the past three years. Why? Lack of time, effort, motivation, and participation by myself or other members of the group. So. Yet another series of lost connections.

Ah jeez. This wasn't meant to turn into the whine of a baby whoss toys are being taken away. Suck it up Faerie, and get on with it!

Waitaminute! I do have have high notes...

A person near and dear to my heart will be arriving into town in a little over a week for small "break" before having to go to parts unmentionable. I can't wait. That's one of the few things I've been counting the days on, and I can guarantee FL will be counting the hours as the day draws closer.

I'm becoming more involved with the spinning group again, and am actually feeling the motivation to attend, which had been lacking a bit previously. These ladies, for the most part, don't think I'm some kind of pierced and tattoo'd weirdo freak, so I've been relaxing around them a bit. Actually had a quite stimulating conversation last Monday night with someone I do like (quite a lot, her personality is just one of those types) who was spinning a beautiful silk and wool blend.

I have plans to try to start the ball rolling on an official business. Motivation has finally struck. I won't be a big business for a long while, but I'll soon have my own website and a shopping cart actually on the website. It'll take a while to get it the way I want it, but I'll get there. I'm also going to register my business with the state and get a tax i.d. number, and maybe even apply for some of the grants out here available for new small business owners.

Part of that plan includes becoming a Louet sales distributor. The main thing I'm interested in would be their base dyeable yarns, for dyeing and sale, but if I do become a Louet distributor, I will be looking into a fine cloth carder as well. I have fifteen pounds of wool to dye for Rendezvous, and will be placing that order again when my loan checks come in. I want to branch out a little bit and offer some carded batts as well as my usual fiber (Falkland 56's and Merino 64's) and the new ToTs yarns.

Ok that's enough rambling crap for now... I'm sure that's more than most want to know, but I'm not done with it. I might talk more about it later... it's really late now, especially for me. I need to get my lazy ass to bed, or I'm really gonna be hurtin' later!

New sock

2006-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I started this sock last night. Knitting it so fast isn't at all something to be thinking I'm speedy over... it's worsted weight. This yarn is a worsted weight dye your own yarn that I dyed in the ToT technique I'd developed for my sock yarns. I don't know if you can see the ToT graduations in the sock, but it is definitely visible in person. I love it!

It's the Bell Lace sock pattern, which I liberally changed (well, not per se liberally... I didn't change the lace pattern). I eliminated the six rows of stockinette between the pattern rows and the heel flap, substituted the half hankerchief heel, and reversed the directional decreases (they leaned the wrong direction for me) on both the gusset and toe decreases. The cuff is 5 inches, because I didn't want to risk running out of yarn for the second sock.

Laters...

quick post

2006-01-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

The wound skein of light chestnut Sock ToTs. See what I mean? It's gorgeous...

The sock yarn came...

2006-01-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

And four of them didn't make it through the evening, as I promptly dug them out and dyed them. I was aiming for tone on tone colors, which seems to have worked just fine.

The Benevolent Dictator made mention of hawking my sock yarn at Rendezvous here in May, but I have no clue if this stuff would sell. Honestly! I am not a business person. I am a psychology major, not a business major. I am not the type of person to be asking if something would sell or not. Opinions?

Other than that, it's been a quiet weekend over at Chez FaerieLady... I'm gonna go over to my parents' house to do laundry and let my kiddo play with her Nana and Papa, considering that when they are around Momma should be classified as not worthy of her attention when they are around... LOL

Oh, and I'm definitely making a trip to the 24 hour post office. I have to mail two way overdue boxes. Bad FaerieLady, no biscuit!

Laters...

Rambly Stuff

2006-01-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

If you'll ignore the time stamp, it's actually a pretty decent morning... even if it is before 5 am. I woke up at 4, a full 30 minutes earlier than normal, and have been lazing away. I'm taking the moment now to do this because I know I won't have the *time* at work to do this. *shrug*

I've been taking my Jaywalker sock with me to work. My breaks are 15 mnutes and my lunch is 30, so I usually don't work on it during my breaks but do work on it during lunch. It's not a whole lot of time, but slow steady progress is better than no progress, you know? I hope to have this sock completed by Sunday night and the second sock cast on.

The only problem I had was snapping the tip off one of my Birttany Birch size 1 needles. I was pretty pissed about that, but I don't have a spare needle, so I will continue to use the needle and just flip it around so I'm not trying to knit with the broken tip. I won't be able to send it back to Brittany until I get another set of 1s... I have no intention of not knitting socks because of this tip, and size 1s are my primary sock needle size.

Other than that, school has started for this semester and I'm *lovin'* it. My math prof, while he is from Northern Italy, prides himself on his English and is easier to understand than most of the born-'n-raised redneck Okies around here. My online classes are all professors that I am familiar with, having taken other courses taught by them. All in all, I think this will be a great, if busy, semester. I just have to make sure I wear earplugs to keep my brain matter between my ears... if they ooze out, I can't replace the waste!

I still haven't found the missing lace patterned sock. If anyone feels like sending me "find that sock" whammies, I'd very much appreciate it. I want to finish that sock so I can have the needles... as soon as I get the sock yarn from Knitpicks, I'm dyeing up a skein and starting on the 2006 sock list ;-)

Laters.

RAOK and Weird Target

2006-01-11T18:37:00.000-08:00

The beautiful Dani at Poetic Purl sent me a lovely snail mail card. Because the FaerieLady is an ass, or maybe just overworked and undersleeping, I haven't yet thanked her for it. Dani m'dear, thank you so much! I love the card :-)

I have also decided that I, the FaerieLady, must have a target painted on my back. The big "hit me" target. You see, yesterday as I was driving home after work after picking up my mother from work (she doesn't drive) and my daughter from daycare, I stopped at a red light. My wheels were turned to the right and I was looking to see if I could go when a lady in a white Pontiac van bumped into me.

Literally. She musta been going *maybe* five or ten mph. This was a case of her foot slid off the brake!

After getting out and looking (remember, I drive a tank, aka 95 Caprice), I noticed that she didn't even scratch my paint. This lady looked like she was going to come apart at the seams, and admtted to me (and showed me) that she had just recently been to her father's funeral. Ok, I have a heart. Believe me, she did no damage to myself, my passengers, or my car, so I offered to just trade information and go about our merry ways. She gave me a big hug and cried.

Mental note: Women the same age or older than my mother tend to freak me out when they cry. Why? Because I don't know how to deal with it. I am woman enough to admit that!

After exchanging info, she gave me another hug and I gave her the friendly advice of "please go home and rest, relax a little bit. You *don't* need to be on the road in your condition." She agreed with me, and thanked me again.

So. There you have it. I have a target on my back for low-speed crashes. The three good things... she had insurance (if there was damage), she stayed (last guy hit and ran), and there was no damage (last time, both the driver's side front & rear doors and the front quarterpanel were toasted).

There are definite advantages to driving a tank! Second impact in six months. At least this one was much better than the last one!

I hope that lady went home and chilled for a while. She really didn't need to be on the road, and I felt so bad for her.

Later.

Stuff on the way...

2006-01-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

I broke down in a major way and ordered 10 skeins of dye your own sock yarn from Knitpicks... I mean, how could I resist them? I need several different colors, kettle dyed, sock yarns that are tone on tone variegations for sock patterns. I'm not going to use the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn for those socks I mentioned earlier in the Sock Goals for 2006... mainly because I wouldn't be able to see the patterning as much as I want to. However, I dislike 90% on the solid and semi-solid sock yarns, because either the color is *too* solid, or not solid enough. Being the FaerieLady, I have confidence in my power (because I've done it many times before) to produce what I want for my projects.

The other thing I bought?

Witch's Rainbow silk top from The Silkworker. Again... how could I resist? That was basically *made* for me and I *know* it! I watched that top for weeks on her site, and finally snagged it. Go me!

One more SP Thing

2006-01-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, first off... I did get my SP7 match today and I'm very excited! However, I did notice something.

The hostess who sent me the email used my "real" first name. I listed my nickname next to my first name, and that's the only name I answer to. The only people who call me by my real first name I can list on the fingers of one hand, and they are related to me. They are the only ones I allow to call me by that.

I hate my first name. I can't stand it, it drives me batshit. Therefore, not even my SISTERS call me by my first name, they call me by my nickname. Please, please, for the love of whatever Dieties you hold dear, *please* don't call me by my first name. That soooo sets my teeth on edge.

Maybe one day I'll make my nickname legal. Until then, I just prefer to pretend that my legal first name doesn't exist ;-).

Laters!

Secret Pal 7 Questionnaire...

2006-01-07T22:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, FaerieLady failed again at her "resolution" not to sign up for these things. The fact that I hosted the third has since worn off since the wonderful Heidi and her pressies to me through SP5. So. without further ado, this twice burned and very shy person is posting the secret pal questionnaire and hopefully it covers most (if not everything) that my pal wishes to know.

Questionnaire

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand?
Yes, I am a yarn snob. For years, I denied it. However, I've since figured out that knitting with crappy yarn is a horrible experience for me, and I've gotten picky. I also have psoriasis and eczema, so soft and non-scratchy is a definite requirement. Please also note that I am allergic to mohair.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I am a spinner and crocheter. However, I've pretty much moved away from crocheting unless it's to edge a project.

3. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a needle case for my long straights. Everything else ends up in a tupperware tote.

4. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I don't remember how long I've been knitting. I consider myself an intermediate knitter.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Amazon and Knitpicks. Links should still be on my sidebar.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I usually don't use scented items... I work in a perfume free environment. Most scents contain silicone ions, which screws up my job.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
No sweet tooth, amazingly enough. Seems like everyone else in my family has one. I do enjoy some sour candies, but they are rare and far between.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I do a lot of dyework, primarily fiber, but sometimes cottons for quilting. I used to make soy candles, but I don't do that anymore (see scent answer). I do a lot of other stuff, but for some reason I can't remember them all right now. Primarily it's just spinning, dyeing, and knitting right now.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm into rock, alternative, and new age music. I can play MP3s.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My favorite colors are blue (cobalt) and green (broken spruce, emerald green, forest green). Favorite palate is jewels, and I can't stand orange or yellow. I'm learning to live with pastels, but they *still* aren't near my top listing of colors.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I am a single parent of a 5 year old girl. We have one cat, Merlin, who is 8 months old.

12. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves, hats, and mittens. Ponchos are a sign of the devil. LOL

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I like merinos, like Knitpicks Merino Style & dye your own sock yarn. My all time favorite yarn right now is Socks that Rock. I also like silks, silk blends, alpaca, etc. Think soft. LOL

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like.
Mohair. Allergic to it. I also hate Noro. I've not met a Noro yarn that I like, and I've tried most of them.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Socks!

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks!

17. What are you knitting right now?
Two pairs of socks on the needles, one hat, the second of a pair of mittenettes.

18. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Depends. Scarves and sweaters, straights. Socks, Brittany DPNs. I am not too terribly fond of circs.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Brittany Birch all the way baby.

21. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both.

22. How did you learn to knit?
From a book and a website.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
I clean out the frog pond regularly. Oldest UFO is three months old, and it's almost done now.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Um... .no favorite animated character. Favorite animal? Butterflies, hands down.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Winter Solstics

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Pocket Dragons, porcelain Mardi Gras dolls (18-24 inch height, porcelain hands, face, feet), and feathered and beaded masks.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None.

28. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Alchemy and Fleece Artist are both yarns that I haven't had a chance to try yet. Other than that, I usually am patient enough to wait til I can afford to buy what I want.

29. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
Umm. Hrm. Have to think on that one.

30. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes! I wear a woman's 7 1/2 shoe, with a five to six inch cuff, 9 inch ankle, 9 inch foot. When I cast on on size 1s, I cast on 64 stitches normally.

31. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
My birthday just passed... 12/28.

I've been told before that I am extremely hard to buy for, since I have a pretty much non-existent sweet tooth and detest chocolate unless it's on expresso beans. I hope this really isn't the case, but I'm going to let my SP be the judge of that.

No New Year's Resolutions...

2006-01-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

But I do have New Year's Plans... like, knitting plans. Does that count?

I learned a long time ago not to make resolutions, and I'm sure that many other folk have some to the same conclusions using the same logic that I have... there's a difference between "attaining a goal" and "resolving". To resolve requires a different attitude, a different mindset than a "goal".

So... I decided to share the sock knitting goals of 2006 that I, the FaerieLady, have officially set for myself. If I attain them, then YAY! If not, well, that's ok too :-) Besides, this way y'all can really see what kind of sock whore I *really* am. Fastest way to FaerieLady's heart (well, knitting heart!) other than silk and wool fiber is handpainted or hand dyed sock yarn. Preferably pretty stuff that I don't have to dye myself ;-)

1. Jaywalker Socks by Grumperina
Yarn Choice: Socks that Rock in the Lapis colorway.

2, Conwy Socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn Choice: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Tropical Storm

3. Denmark from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush
Yarn Choice: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Amythest Stripe

4. Friday Harbor from Knitting on the Road
Yarn Choice: Koigu KPPPM in variegated greens

5. New England Socks from... you guessed it!
Yarn Choice: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Black Purl

6 the last sock from KotR would be the Traveler's Stocking
Yarn Choice: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Spanish Moss

7. Fancy Silk Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn Choice: Peruvian collection Baby Cashmere in teal

Additions are allowable, acceptable, and in fact encouraged as new socks yarns find themselves taking up space in my closet. Gorgeous sock yarns cry helplessly until they are made into even more gorgeous pairs of socks and appreciated/loved and petted on a daily basis as necessary to restore their fibery equilibrium. Other projects shall be worked around the infamous socks. However, I shall admit that I am a small project and sock yarn slut, and shall follow my whorish leanings and pursue my love of knitting socks on small pointy sticks.

2006-01-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Something mindless and fun . . . .

Bold what is true about you:

APPEARANCE

I am shorter than 5'4.
I am taller than 5'11".
I have many scars.
I tan easily.
I don't shave my legs.
I wish my hair was a different color.

I have a tattoo, or more.
I am self-conscious about my appearance.
I have/had braces.
I wear glasses just to read.
I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger.
I have/had more than 2 piercings.
I have/had piercings in places besides my ears.

I have freckles.

FAMILY/HOME LIFE

I've sworn at my parents.
I've run away from home.
I've been kicked out of the house.
My biological parents are together.
I have a sibling less than one year old.
I want to have kids someday.
I have children.
I've lost a child.

SCHOOL/WORK
I'm in school.
I have a job.
I've fallen asleep at work/school.
I almost always do my homework.
I've missed a week or more of school.
I've been on the Honor Roll within the last 2 years (of school)
I failed more than 1 class last year.
I've stolen something from my job.
I've been fired.
I've skipped school.

EMBARRASSMENT

I've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.
Disney movies still make me cry.
I've peed from laughing.
I've snorted while laughing.
I've laughed so hard I've cried.
I've glued my hand to something.
I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.

I've had my pants rip in public.

HEALTH

I was born with a disease/impairment.
I've gotten stitches.
I've broken a bone.
I've had my tonsils removed.
I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
I've had my wisdom teeth removed.
I've had serious surgery.
I've had chicken pox.
My vision is better than 20/20.

TRAVELING

I've driven over 200 miles in one day.
I've been on a plane.
I've been to Canada.
I've been to Mexico.

I've been to Niagara Falls.
I've been to Japan

I've been down under.
I've Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
I've been to Europe.
I've been to Africa.
I've been to Hell.

EXPERIENCES

I've gotten lost in my city.
I've seen a shooting star.
I've wished on a shooting star.
I've seen a meteor shower.
I've gone out in public in my pajamas.

I've pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
I've kicked a guy where it hurts.
I've been to a casino.
I've been skydiving.
I've gone skinny dipping.
I've played spin the bottle.
I've drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
I've crashed a car.

I've been skiing.
I've been in a play.
I've met someone in person from the internet.
I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
I've seen the Northern Lights.
I've sat on a roof top at night.
I've played chicken.
I've played a prank on someone.
I've ridden in a taxi.
I've seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
I've eaten Sushi.
I've been snowboarding.

SEXUALITY

I've had a crush on more than one person.
I've had a crush on someone of the same sex.
I've kissed someone of the same sex.
I've had a crush on a teacher.
I am a cuddler.
I love to flirt.
I've been kissed in the rain.
I've hugged a stranger.
I've kissed a stranger.

HONESTY/CRIME

I am a terrible liar.
I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
I've done something I promised myself I wouldn't.
I've snuck out of my house.
I have lied to my parents about where I am.
I am keeping a secret from the world.
I've cheated while playing a game.
I've cheated on a test.
I've run a red light.
I've been suspended from school.
I've been in a fist fight
I've witnessed a crime
I've been arrested
I've shoplifted

DEATH & DYING

I'm afraid of dying.
I've fantasized about my own death.
I hate funerals.
I've seen someone dying.
Someone close to me has attempted suicide.
Someone close to me has commited suicide.
I've planned my own suicide.--In the past--Don't worry, I'm not suicidal now.
I've written a eulogy for myself.

MATERIALISM

I own over 5 rap CDs.
I own an iPod or MP3 player.
I have an unhealthy obsession with anime/manga.
I own multiple designer purses, costing over $100 a piece.
I own something from Hot Topic.
I own something from Pac Sun.
I collect comic books.
I own something from The Gap.
I own something I got on e-bay.
I own something from Abercrombie.

POLITICAL/SOCIAL ATTITUDES

In general, I don't like people.
I'm a feminist.
I'm very outgoing.
I listen to political music
I'm Democratic
I'm Republican.
I'm liberal.
I don't like Bush because he is dumb.
I don't like Bush with my own reasons to back it up.
I am for Bush.
I'm religious.
I dress fairly modestly. (but I wouldn't if I had a better body image)
My attitude is, "If you've got it, flaunt it."

RANDOM

I can sing well.
I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
I open up to others easily. (if I trust them)
I watch the news.
I don't kill bugs.
I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for the sake of being able to rhyme.
I curse regularly.
I sing in the shower.
I am a morning person.
I paid for my cell phone ring tone.
I'm a snob about grammar.
I am a sports fanatic.
I twirl my hair.
I have "x"s in my screen name.
I love being neat.
I've had Spam.
I've copied more than 30 CDs in a day.
I bake well.
My favorite color is blue.
I would wear pajamas to school.
I like Martha Stewart.
I know how to shoot a gun.
I am in love with love.
I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
I laugh at my own jokes.
I eat fast food weekly.
I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
I've not turned anything in and still got an A in a certain class.
I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
I am really ticklish.
I love white chocolate.
I bite my nails.
I play video games.
I'm good at remembering faces.
I'm good at remembering names.
I'm good at remembering dates.
I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
My answers are totally honest.

Ok, enough of my whiny bullshit

2006-01-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

How's that crap for a title?

Apparently I was over-concerned about last night. I blame part of it on being overly emotional for the past few days, and those who really know me know the real reason why. Otherwise, let's just say that the FaerieLady might not be as cold-hearted as the rumors might suggest LOL

Anyway, I have it on good solid fact from three people, including the aforementioned C, that she had a blast and that it's all good that I had to leave. Now, I'm not sure its a good thing I wasn't missed (bwahahaha! Good joke, hmm Madame Dictateur Beinveilliant?) but the good news is that everything is peachy keen. So. FL needs to shut her overly bitchy and whiny piehole.

Well, maybe that's a little harsh, eh? We shall pretend that I meant that nicely, and since I directed it at myself I shall pretend that there was no real malice in it ;-)

Onto other news... the Pegasus wheel fund has been started. The goal... to save enough money to purchase a Wyatt Pegasus. When the actual dollar amount reaches the goal amount, y'all shall be the first to know. It's all *their* fault. First, the Benevolent Dictator allowed me the highest honor of spinning on her Pegasus, therefore ruining me for any other wheel. Second... I've actually fallen into deep lust with the Saxony and Norwegian style wheel.

Ok, KnitSteph, you can pick yourself off the floor... you knew it was going to happen eventually, no need to herniate yourself by laughing so hard. I know, I know, the comments about disliking Saxony wheels have come back to bite me in the ass. Shit happens, right?

I might blog more later... feels like I'm forgetting something. I've had a crappy unproductive day at work, working for 4 1/2 hours on various orders just to have to send them all back to be recleaned so I can do them over because my supervisor (I'm not gonna say it, I'm not, I'm not!) miscalculated the plate ratios. Oh yeah buddy. Just what I wanted to do. Now we are behind because of the wasted half day. *sigh*

Just shoot me now and get it over with....

Laters!

I feel bad...

2006-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

First, a good friend of mine is leaving tomorrow. I will miss said friend, and hope that everything goes ok. That sounds kinda weak but I can't really get into it. It just makes me very sad, and I will miss the actual "leaving" part because I'll be out earning the money that pays my bills. So.

The other thing? Tonight was spinning night, and they had a "soup supper". The Benevolent Dictator made two soups (absolutely awesome, btw) and people brought snacks, veggies, and desserts. Then we had a fiber swap. I brought two gallon size baggies stuffed with 8 oz each of dyed Falkland 56s that I wanted to trade out, and picked up two bags of white Ramie in trade. Why did I pick up both bags of it? No, the FaerieLady isn't actually *that* greedy. Really.

Ramie dyes like cotton, so I'm going to dye several sets of colorwheels with it (at least a pastel and jewel set, maybe an autumnal, haven't decided, maybe a brights set) and give them away to ladies at the spinning group. One will go to the lady who's house is kindly donated to our use on spinning nights, and she also owns Mountain View Woolery (she doesn't have a website). The other set, I figure we can do some kind of drawing of numbers to figure out who will go home with it. Since it was free to me, I won't charge someone else to walk off with it, you know? I'm just not that way.

I feel bad because I invited a new to me fiber person, who happens to be very good friends with the Marine friend of mine that I've mentioned earlier on this blog. C blogs, over at Orchid's Knits. I invited her, she came, and *I had to leave early*.

What kind of friend am I?

Seriously. I feel horrid about it. I know she at least had some kind of a good time, and she has a beautiful wheel, aKromski Symphony, and she participated in the fiber trade. However, what kind of person invites someone else to an event, and then splits, leaving the person they invited behind?

I feel like an ass. *sigh*

Laters... I gotta get to bed. Work calls in the morning.

My birthday present to myself...

2006-01-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

Isn't it purty? Merino/silk 80/20, dyed with spruce acid dye that I broke using a heat method. :-)

I'm kinda preoccupied right now, spending time with a friend who won't be here much longer, so I've not been around much to talk or post.

Benevolent Dictator, should you happen to read this before 6pm Monday the 2nd, I'm planning on being there and trying to convince a new person to join along...

Laters :-)

Happy Birthday to Me :-)

2005-12-28T19:25:00.000-08:00

Even though I declared a boycott on my birthday, I've actually had a pretty good one. Well, between the visits to the bathroom to puke :-) Yes, FaerieLady caught a stomach virus that has been making the rounds at work, and spent half of my day throwing up. However, I went to work anyway because my supervisor wasn't there (she was out sick) and I knew that they couldn't afford to be short two sets of hands.

So I went to work :-).

After work, I cam home, sat around for a little bit, and a friend of mine arrived and gave me a present. I got a beautiful pendant for my necklace and it was so touching that the cold, cynical FaerieLady *might* have shed a tear or two... I won't tell if you won't!

I also got a bunch of e-cards and happy birthday wishes, and to each and every one of you... Thanks! They really made my day :-)

Gah!

2005-12-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

So I went surfing through the last of the boxes that were still unpacked... two in my bedroom, one large blue rubbermaid type box that was behind the table in the dining area. What I found shocked me.

In the blue tote, there was just notebooks and folders and binders, all either that I had picked up on sale during school supply shopping, or leftover from previous semesters. No biggie... I emptied the papers out of the binders, and put them all away.

The two boxes in my room? Yeah. Talk about embarassing!

Ten, count 'em, *10* WIPs. WIPs that will never, ever get done. Sing the song with me... "Rippity do dah, rippity ay!"

*cough cough* I think I need to revert back to my one project at a time rule. That is, after I find the missing sock (it's at the foot, and the other sock is already done) and finish the jaywalkers socks for me and the fingerless mitts that are a birthday present...

Why do I not foresee this happening? Probably because I'm foolishly considering casting on for a child's cardigan... a cabled cardigan. With what time do I believe I'm going to have to knit this?? Yeah. That's what I thought!

The reason for the season...

2005-12-25T15:54:00.000-08:00

gets lost when it comes to me.

Oops, that was my outloud voice. *smile*

Anyway, to those that celebrate any holiday that falls in this particular season, happy holiday of your choice. To those that don't, that's perfectly fine too... considering that I don't either. Maybe next year.

So there's this mittenette sitting on my printer that needs to be finished. There's a cuff and half a leg on the jaywalker socks that needs to be worked on. Or how about any of the other "numerous" projects, such as the lace scarf that did not get done in time? Ehhh. *shrug*. I'm not feeling particularly motivated.

Bah humbug. *smile* That expression seems to fit my day... right now, all I really want to do is take a nap. Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I might have to go do that. LOL

Laters...

Grades are in...

2005-12-23T10:28:00.000-08:00

I maintained my 4.0! Yay!

Back to your regularly scheduled programming...

birthdayraok

2005-12-18T19:21:00.000-08:00

birthdayraok
Originally uploaded by Faerielady.

And lastly, but not leastly, the cards and stitch markers that improved an already wonderful weekend of knitting by making me smile about my birthday. LOL

FaerieLady Mittenette

2005-12-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

FaerieLadyMittenette
Originally uploaded by Faerielady.

The mittenette that followed the scarf that was born during the Saturday scarf extravaganza...

FaerieLady Scarf

2005-12-18T19:19:00.000-08:00

FaerieLadyScarf
Originally uploaded by Faerielady.

The Saturday scarf extravaganza ended up with this being the finished product...

Flickr

2005-12-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Thanks Marina and weekend knitting

2005-12-18T18:57:00.000-08:00

These lovely treasures showed up in my mailbox yesterday but I didn't actually GO to my mailbox until today... bad FaerieLady! Anyway, the lovely Marina at WoolyEwe sent me a birthday card, stitch markers (ooo I love the dainty beaded ones!) and lovely knitting cards to send out! Thanks so much Marina...

Guess this means I'm not cancelling my birthday after all, hmm?

Idle comment... I haven't received a birthday card (a paper one, not an e-card) since my dad got me one that said "where has the last year gone", and the sound of a toilet flush came through loud and clear when the card was opened... now, we all know where I got my oh-so-sick sense of humor, now don't we? Anyway, with the arrival of the card from Marina, I've realized that it's pretty damned cool to get birthday cards in the mail. I need to start sending them out to people... because if I like them, then obviously other people like them too. Somewhere. Maybe. LOL

Ok, onto the weekend's knitting projects...

The FaerieLady was a knittin' fiend this weekend, starting out Saturday with a knitted scarf for moi, which I cast on and finished (crocheted edging and all) by Saturday evening. Note to all... this is highly unusual. FL is a notoriously slow knitter, mainly because I'm a stop and go knitter. However, Saturday I hit a zone, and this is what occurred... *edit* see other flickr entries. Photobucket won't resize the pictures correctly when I ask, and I can't seem to get them posted without it screwing up my blog. */edit*

Then, while I was on a roll, I knit the first mittenette to somewhat match the scarf...

then... I finished the second mittenette this morning after I woke up. No picture of that yet... but let me explain something. That scarf was knit using the Grafton Fibers Rainbow Batt that I spun up a long time ago, pick of it skeined up located here. Because I spun that batt fingering weight, I paired it with one strand Knitpicks Merino Style in Coal. This means that it knitted up randomly across the rounds of colors (sometimes showing, sometimes not) and it also stripes in big sections. I think it looks cool. One mittenette matches one section, the second mittenette matches *another* section (of the scarf). So. They don't appear to match *without* the scarf around, but if I'm wearing the scarf you'd understand.

Seriously, I'm crazy enough to get away with it. LOL

Laters!

News Flash...

2005-12-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

Just for the record and whether you agree with me or not, I, the FaerieLady has decided to cancel my birthday this year due to the lack of my own personal interest in it.

No amount of denials and/or other negations will change my mind.

It completely sucks that this year my birthday falls on the Wednesday between Christmas weekend and New Year's weekend. Because of the fact the FaerieLady also has to *work* on said day-of-birth, all birthday celebrations and/or other inflictions of birthday cheer should be appropriately stifled. *smile*

Oh, and for the Benevolent Dictator... I loves ya, and you are NOT allowed to beat the crap out of me with a ratty skein!

Laters....

Pictures! Woo Whee!

2005-12-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Well whaddya know, there's going to be actual *photographic contents* located in *my* knitting blog! Photographs of yarn! Knitting! Spinning! Woo Hoo and Wow Whee, who keeled over and put my camera in charge?? LOL

Well now, what should I start with? How about the chunky knit hat for D (in pink of course). Misti Alpaca Chunky, two strands held together, on 10 1/2 inch needles. Why yes, I really *don't* want her head to get cold!

Or what about these nifty cabled wristwarmers, knit in a pattern reminiscent of the Irish Hiking Scarf (but I detest knitting wristers, socks, hats, etc flat, and will only knit them in the round). The yarn is Emu Superwash DK, which when knit up this particular colorway reminds me of camoflauge. I've seen a lot of camo, and it really does. This mitt is up to the beginning of the thumb gusset.

This next project pretty much *proves* that I'm out of my ever lovin' mind... Why? Because it's a "Christmas Knit", and I started it three days ago. That night, I made it twelve repeats (12 inches). Then I discovered a heinous mistake in the foundation rows and ripped it back to the beginning and started over. Last night, I made it back to 12 inches. I have until the 22nd to finish it. *sigh*.

The yarn is Optim DK in "plum", and two nights ago it looked like this:

Imagine it slightly double that size, and that's what it looks like now. Pattern: Fishtail Lace Scarf in plum Optim DK on size 8 needles. Recommended needle size is a 6, and I went up 2 sizes for the lace. Of course, with me it's more like *3* sizes because I'm a loose knitter.

But don't take that loose comment the wrong way *wink*.

Ok, gotta get D to school, which means doing something about this mass of hair on my head that is currently rebelling against the current regime...

Laters!

One Step Forward...

2005-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

and I forget how many I've taken back.

I woke up this morning feeling like I was three steps behind other people. The world seemed to be passing me by in super slow-mo, and I felt like my shoes were coated in rubber cement.

In the mornings, I wake up nauseaus... but by afternoon I'm ravenous. I've gained five pounds in the past week, with no explanation as how the fat actually acquired a hold on any part of my body, considering the activity I've been engaging in (such as... up and down the stairs to and from my apartment, usually at least twice a day, and some days like today up to 5), walks around the complex, walking around campus, and my general failure to eat a proper meal at any given time during the day. I've drank less soda and coffee recently than I have in over a year. Believe me, I know I'm not pregnant. I just feel like I've been beat just a shade short of unconscious on a daily basis.

Maybe my body thinks I'm overworked and undernourished, so when I do eat it pack those calories back to my ass and thighs in it's desperate attempt to make sure I don't starve to death.

Whatever it is, it needs to stop. Those five pounds, which I'm sure most people are saying "what? a measly five pounds?", profoundly affects my ability to function. Instead of a vital force to be reckoned with, I become a snarling, snappish sleepy bitch-monster intent only on smacking the shit out of those who get too close to me.

Well. At least I've been knitting. The marine's hat, I'm sure I've already mentioned... that's done. D's hat is on the needles. A secret project, a stole, was cast on last night. I know that the person who it is intended for does not read my blog, but I have no intention of telling said person it's from me. See, if this person finds out that I'm the one that knit it, they'd feel obligated to give me something in return.

Damn, now D is trying to get sick on me. Time to go. Laters.

Another Silly Quiz

2005-12-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

Seen and thugged from Alternative Knitting

You Have a Melancholic Temperament

Introspective and reflective, you think about everything and anything.
You are a soft-hearted daydreamer. You long for your ideal life.
You love silence and solitude. Everyday life is usually too chaotic for you.

Given enough time alone, it's easy for you to find inner peace.
You tend to be spiritual, having found your own meaning of life.
Wise and patient, you can help people through difficult times.

At your worst, you brood and sulk. Your negative thoughts can trap you.
You are reserved and withdrawn. This makes it hard to connect to others.
You tend to over think small things, making decisions difficult.

What Temperment Are You?

snicker

2005-12-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

Fun little quiz...

What Common Breed of Dog Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Houston, we have a problem.

2005-12-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

The problem? The "snow", if you want to call that pebble-like frozen water shit that isn't close enough to hail to be called hail, is coming down.

It's hitting the black asphalt, melting on contact, and freezing again instantly because it's a whole whopping 18 degrees outside.

Now, almost every other state in the country would not view this as a real problem. I mean seriously... take into account lake effect in the upper North, or the piles of snow in Colorado, Washington, etc. Puh-leaze. But y'all are used to it. I can already see what's gonna happen here.

*cue in the redneck hillbilly muzac, and fire up the dual exhaust pick'em'up truck with no sand in the bed, or the abso-freakin'-lutely huge SUVs driven by guys with the arms of the Incredible Hulk and less than a sixteeth of his brain power*

"well little woman, Isa believes we can gets thru this juuuuuust fine. I gots me a Four-Wheel-Drive pickup/SUV and we'll just power on through this like a day at the waterin' hole".

Whatever. When their overuse and abuse of that massive 4WD gas guzzlin' bottom feedin' piece o' shit catches up to them, there will be some nasty ass accidents on the road that we can blame on the lack of significant brain usage from the backwoods asshats who measure their dick size by comparing them to the power behind the engine compartment of their souped up vehicle.

Bah humbug.

Did I mention that tomorrow is the review for the finals I have to take next week? Sonofabitch. Guess that means I get to drive in it. God/dess protect me from dipshits.

*update*
Had to go get D from kindergarten, and had the (dubious) pleasure of viewing the first accident of the season. Big souped up 4WD SUV versus itty bitty car. SUV lost control while stopping (because all four wheels started to spin independently, oh wow, what a concept!), plowed through the intersection, and took out the itty bitty car. Thankfully, no injuries reported.

New D Pic

2005-11-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

See, I do knit!

2005-11-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

The fingerless mitts for the friend of mine (marine reservist) who's gonna be leaving for Iraq soon are done... Actually got him to model them last night. Of course, I won't tell you the hilarity of the posing... lets just say that he was being an absolute goof about it, especially after I explained exactly *why* I wanted to take a picture of my finished object *before* the finished object(s) made their way across the pond and into the sandbox... LOL

They fit perfectly, and he is very happy with them. That's what counted.

Now, I do spin too. I even have stuff on the bobbin of Vanyel, my Louet. However, Merlin has since settled in and decided to "groom" a little bit of GCNI. Isn't he a cutie??

Couldn't figure out how to fix his glaring eyes... I guess I should learn, hmm?

Laters!

Things to be thankful for...

2005-11-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for my daughter, as I can see what a wonderful little person she is, even though sometimes I want to flush her down a toilet.

I'm thankful for my family and my close friends. Family and friends are the glue that hold me together, and you guys have been there for me and supported me though the last two miserable years, and some of you quite a bit longer than that. You stood by me when I didn't even know my own mind, and gave me shoulders to cry on when I needed them. Some of you I've known my whole life, some for quite a few years, and one of you for just a couple months. I consider myself extremely lucky to have you.

I'm thankful for my space. *My* space, something I haven't had in so long that I've forgotten the sheer joy of it. I don't mean that I don't like sharing space, but actually having the choice to put my things out in the open where I can look at them and play with them and enjoy them.

I'm thankful for all the opportunities I've had in the past few years to start, lead, and participate in many groups of fabulous people, with Pagan, non-Pagan, and crafty groups all included.

I'm just thankful. I hope everyone else is having a wonderful Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T16:34:00.000-08:00

You are a Troll!!! Noble, Powerful and Proud, you
are a natural born leader and role model in
your school, community and household. You are
reliable, honorable, and truthful, and expect
everyone else around you to be the same. But
sometimes you can be a bit strict on yourself,
and especially on others. Learn to accept the
imperfections in others, and dont be so hard on
yourself. If you make a mistake, learn from it
and move on.

Which Changeling Kith Best Fits You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-21T21:18:00.000-08:00

In case I don't see y'all around or talk much between now and then, happy Thanksgiving to all the U.S. peeps out there celebrating it. My own family's Thanksgiving won't be until Saturday, when all the various families members can actually be there, including my sister who's driving up from Texas.

Another happy Thanksgiving present that's all mine... My divorce was finalized today in the District Court of Oklahoma County by the Judge! I am SINGLE! Woot!

I got my new drivers' license on my way home. Tomorrow, I go to the bank. Wednesday, I go to the Social Security Administration and start faxing to different places with my reclaimed last name.

I'm so excited and happy and hyper...

Laters!

Well, I actually have a few minutes

2005-11-19T17:07:00.000-08:00

I about slapped myself, I do have a few minutes, otherwise I wouldn't have had time to take AND post that quiz... so I decided to go ahead and write an update. It might be short, it might be long... have no idea right now. I guess we'll see, won't we?

Almost everything has fallen into place at the apartment itself. The power is on, the phone is connected, and the internet is scheduled to be connected on the 21st (Monday) between 5-7pm. Right now, I'm at my parents' house to post this. I have furniture, tho some of it is still in the "some assembly required" stage. I have groceries... I managed to scrape together enough for the basics, the stuff of the poor student (ramen noodles) and real food for D. Merlin is now at the apartment, along with kitty litter and cat food and many places for him to play and hide and generally having a good time.

I'm fixin' to head back over to the apartment with a power drill and have some fun "assembling" furniture. I'm good at that, for the most part. I also enjoy it. Maybe I'm a bit twisted?

Oh yeah, I gotta remember to do my homework. Oops. LOL

Laters... (see, a short one after all)

Until I can get around to posting real content...

2005-11-19T16:52:00.000-08:00

Here's yet another quiz...

You are an Iris:

You are logical, analytical, dignified, and wise.
You are studious by nature and may prefer books
to people. You tend to be a serious person but
are capable of making others laugh with your
dry sense of humor. Friends always benefit from
your advice.

Symbolism: Over the centuries the iris has come to
symbolize faith, wisdom, hope, and promise in
love.

Which Flower are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Zippity Do Dah...

2005-11-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

I think the Naked Sticks knitalong is a good idea, but I have no clue how I'm going to do that or even if I will... time is fast becoming a precious commodity, and I don't want to apply any more pressure than necessary. I still have a book to finish and write an essay over for American History Pre-Civil War and the final paper for English. I also figured out that somehow, somewhen, I got behind in algebra and need to pay a visit to the math lab.

Did I mention that this weekend is D-weekend, when the vast majority of my crap will be set up in my new-to-me apartment? Or the fact that I get to spend tomorrow at DHS (human services, not homeland security, thanks)? How about the fact that I'm essentially brain-fried? Or that my divorce should be final on Monday?

So I just sit here and sing to myself. Not in a bad way, mind you... but I'm still singing to myself. Currently, and for the last three weeks, it's been Zippity Do Dah. I know all the actual words, so I'm counting myself as a weirdo. LOL

Still working on the lace socks. I need a hat. A friend of mine deserves a small pressie before he gets shipped out to Iraq. At least DT's stuff went in the mail last week. D needs a hat and scarf too. Ignore the idle ramblings of the deranged mind...

So, who wants to trade me a few hours of uninterrupted spinning and knitting time?

Princess Quiz

2005-11-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

Riiighhhhhttt..

The Fairy Princess

You are youthful, cheery, and exuberant with a
sunny disposition and a mischievous sense of
humor. You are very lively and are always up
for a good bit of fun. You have a deep love of
nature and animals.

Role Model: Titania

You are most likely to: Convert a pumpkin into a
useful mode of transportation.

What Kind of Princess are You? - Beautiful Artwork (Original Music is BACK!!!)
brought to you by Quizilla

I got it!

2005-11-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

Mercury retrograde be damned (knock on wood), I got the apartment! Signed the lease today. YAY!

The electric has been transferred to my name, which is gonna hurt when I pay the deposit... never had the electric in my name before, and it's gonna cost $135 just for deposit. Ouch! But that's ok, I have it. Barely, but I have it. *sigh*

The phone and internet people are going to get back with me this week to schedule the appointments... the orders are in and being processed. Again, more "ouch" factor because of the deposits. *sigh* I'll make it, I have to. It'll be ok.

*hugs* to everyone for their good wishes... and much love.

Another fun quiz

2005-11-11T19:24:00.000-08:00

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher.
You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Sorry Guys

2005-11-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

Haven't been around much to blog. I'm usually not the type to apologize for not posting, but sometimes things get weird and wild, and I haven't been thinking about blogging, much less actually doing it!

Shit hit the fan last week, Thursday to be exact, and I no longer live at Steve's. Believe me, it's the best for all involved. The good news is we are still going to do the no fault no contest divorce, and after I take D to school this morning I'm going to file the paperwork. Hopefully all goes well today and tomorrow I'll get the copy of the petition to him, along with the waiver of process and response papers. Those should be notorized tomorrow, and the title to the car signed over to me. That will leave only the 10 day wait before the finalization.

This has seriously affected my knitting time! I'm in the middle of the second lace sock, I need to cast on another pair which means I *have* to finish these (I need the needles, can't afford to go out and buy another set of birch 1s). I need to cast on and knit a project for my ex's stepbrother James before he's deployed to Iraq in December (yes, the sandbox is claiming another of my good friends, damnit), I need to mail out some stuff to Iraq to DT that I've knitted along with his snacks, etc etc.

Things just seem to be piling up with no end in sight.

I did enroll in my classes for next semester. Two online "distance" courses through Rose State, and two in class evening courses, for a total of 12 credit hours. Online courses are Health and Wellness and Personality Theory, and the in person classes are College Algebra and Human Physiology with lab. I enrolled in evening courses because I plan to be working and need my days free for a job. Thank goodness for my parents; they have offered to pick D up from daycare and watch her until I get home from class. One evening class is Monday/Wednesday, one is Tuesday/Thursday. It's gonna be tough, but things will work out. They always do.

I'm going to finish getting D ready for school... More later.

Bwahahaha!

2005-11-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

Which Absurd Cat are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Pissed at the World Cat. And here we have the next serial killer. Try having some cotton candy, it'll make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Psycho.

comment to Celia

2005-10-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

First, I will say that I am very glad I finally got my scarf. However, having hosted a secret pal exchange in blogland, and several other swaps, exchanges, etc for the past six years, I'm very well aware of how it works. I just have bad swap luck, and always seem to draw the late-showers or no-goers.

I'm just happy I have my scarf. It came in today's mail and is beautiful.

Thanks for your comment on my blog, and sorry that this reply has to go on my blog but there is no email address to reply to.

Comment Replies...

2005-10-30T20:18:00.000-08:00

I've been very very bad at posting replies to comments, especially when no email address is provided. If you know your email isn't going to be on the reply, could you add it in your comment? At least until I get around to installing HaloScan commenting.

First, Jerry said: The sock looks great! What yarn is that? I like the way it swirls! Hoping to finish my first sock today.

Jerry, the sock yarn is Elann.com's "Sock it to Me Collection Colori". They don't seem to have any in stock, but it comes and goes in waves from their site. I'll definitely post next time I see it offered.

Norma, yes the tattoo hurt. 6 1/2 hours of hurt! LOL It was very worth it in my opinion, and it's not actually done. The accent work will be done in about 3 weeks, at no cost to me, by the artist. It's a very large piece, actually, taking up 3/4 of the back of my calf.

Rissa, it definitely fits. My bestest friend DT designed it for me, and I am very proud of his work. It epitomizes the rebirth from the ashes of the real me, ready to face the world. I had it done in my two favorite colors, blue and green. I love it!

Major kudos to DT for an awesome design, Boog at Southside Tattoos for awesome linework, and the co-owner of the shop, Steve, for his awesome job with the colors of the tattoo. All of them totally ROCK. Yes, I overuse the word "awesome". LOL

Laters!

The story will come later...

2005-10-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

Here's the newest addition to the body decoration.

Present(s) from Mom...

2005-10-24T20:51:00.000-07:00

This week is a holy week for my Dad's religion, and part of it includes the exchange of gifts to close (i.e. immediate) family members. Wanna know what my gift was this year?

See it and weep my friends...

Grafton Fibers batts! 4 of the green in the back, 2 of the blue/purple on the right, 1 that's kinda not pictured well (it's shades of orange and brown, gorgeous!) and 1 that's shades of black, white, and grey.

My parents know me toooooo well...

Yep, I knit

2005-10-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

This is the product of sitting half the day with D watching movies... I went from half a cuff down to almost half the foot :-)

More later... still trying to wake up...

Oh, and *hugs* and thanks from everyone who has offered me advice and support... quite frankly, I've been overwhelmed by the positive thoughts and I want to personally thank all of you but I have been kinda slow responding to my email.

Love to you all...

Me

A small break...

2005-10-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Not necessarily from any particular blogging event, just things have been so crazy that I don't know if I will feel like updating any time soon. I should, I might, depends on how I feel.

My husband and I are going to get a divorce. We managed to talk about it late(r) this evening after the ritual afternoon fight, and come to several compromises, including a non-combatant non-argumentative clause. Said clause is in effect from now until I leave, mainly for the sanity of my child.

She was in tears because she heard part of the fight, and after dinner with Nana and Papa (they took her out to eat) she refused to come in until I promised that Steve and I wouldn't yell at each other anymore. I feel so ashamed and upset that she heard that, and that it made her cry.

*sigh*

Oh well. Shit happens and life goes on. We can only hope to make the best of it, and maybe Steve and I will be better friends after it's all said and done. Who knows?

Laters....

If you have a moment...

2005-10-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

Please think positive thoughts for me. No, nothing horrible has happened, I just need the encouragement.

I'm trying to quit smoking. I've smoked for 13 years, at least a pack a day, with only one break of six months or so.

I also currently live with a smoker. No, he's not quitting. No, he doesn't care that I am. Quite frankly, I don't give a damn.

I'm going to go clean out my car, and see if I have the money stashed to have the interior detailed... every little thing that helps me not feel like lighting up is worth it.

I'm not going cold turkey... I'm using a smoking cessation aid.

Laters!

Word Verification

2005-10-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Due to comment spam, I've had to add word verification to my blog. Sorry y'all, didn't have much of a choice...

Laters!

On day three...

2005-10-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Two days and several hours ago, I emailed the scarf exchange coordinators about the fact I still haven't received my scarf from the scarf exchange. Now, I'm generally a pretty patient person, but this makes the fourth? I'm pretty sure, the fourth time that I've emailed the coordinators, and the third time that I haven't gotten a response. The last time, I finally got a response (after more than a week) that was a couple lines long, telling me that the person I sent to had indeed received the scarf I sent. However, my own "pal" hasn't stepped up to the plate, and hasn't emailed, etc. So, following *their* directions, I waited until the morning of the 7th, and emailed them. I *still* say that it is not too much to ask for to get a one line email saying that they will check on it.

Basically, I'm expecting the worst, which is to be dropped like a hot potato. If I manage to get a scarf out of this deal, I'll be appreciative, but I no longer expect or even hope that the person who's supposed to send to me will ever step up to the plate.

I must have bad swap luck. Out of three knitting/fiber swaps, I've had two deadbeats (modify this... if the person does send the scarf, I am still going to consider them a deadbeat, because they couldn't be bothered to say hi, or that they were going to be late) who were supposed to send to me, and two deadbeats that I've sent to. So, all in all, I've only had one swap where I received and sent from good people. Sonofabitch. *sigh* Of course, bad swap luck is why I don't quilt anymore. After losing over $100 in hand dyes during a round robin (my fabrics I included totalled well over $100, which is one reason why I think someone kept the blasted thing) and the row robin swap where I lost almost the exact same amount, I can no longer bring myself to quilt. Too many bad memories.

I refuse to do that with knitting... so I think I'm going to really have to think before I engage in any other secret pal or partnered swaps. I don't think I can handle getting shafted again.

Too cute for words...

2005-10-09T06:48:00.000-07:00

See, she's hiding in the doghouse...

and this is what happens when Momma finds her...

Right now, she's watching cartoons. I told her she could watch them, then the man who lives in the house turned on a movie out in the living room. Hence, she gets to watch cartoons in the bedroom, and to hell with his "standpoint" of her being in the bedroom. He shoulda changed t.v.'s :-)

I think I'm going to go join her... might even knit. Who knows?

Laters

Picture Heavy Update

2005-10-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

See.... I do knit!

First, DT's completed hat and scarf. All that I have left to do is block the scarf and knit the fingerless mittens. The hat only looks small because of the angle. Believe me, it's not.

After that... two sweater kits. An aran sweater for a friend of DT's who has a son that's about 6 months old... I'm going to knit the 18-24 month size. D's sweater kit, I haven't taken a photo of. Different pattern, and in purple yarn.

Three new fibers to spin... I've had them a couple weeks, but haven't blogged them. These were the last of my self-indulgent fiber purchases.

First, the Cordovan Silk and Wool blend

The Thespian Silk and Wool blend

and lastly, but not leastly, the Faerie Wings corriedale and merino blend, with angelina :-)

These should keep me busy for a while, shouldn't they?

Just for good measure... a new photo of D :

and Merlin in the window:

Another Type of Meme

2005-10-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Another type of MEME

I caught this meme from Susan at ZenKnits

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, liposuction and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans…
—
Re-post this if you believe in legalizing gay marriage

Pictures coming,

2005-10-01T06:08:00.000-07:00

Probably tonight. DT's scarf is done, just needs to be blocked! Woo Woo!

Now to cast on for his hat. I'm going to base the hat pattern on Coronet for the hat. After the hat, I'm going to work on designing a set of cabled mittenettes that will match the hat and scarf. BTW, the cable used for the scarf and Coronet are the same one. Interesting how that worked out!

Laters...

Beautiful

2005-09-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

A new statue unveiled in Trafalgar Square... absolutely stunning. I love it.

Disability, Femininity and Motherhood Statue and article

Please click on the face of the picture for a full view. I am still in awe.

All Resolved and a Crane!

2005-09-29T04:42:00.000-07:00

The coordinator for the scarf exchange got back with me. It's all taken care of. Thought I'd mention that. LoL :-)

Also, Jule at Stoneview sent me a beautiful origami crane! Thank you so much Julie :-)

Just a little peeved.

2005-09-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ya know, I mailed my scarf out for the scarf exchange on Monday the 17th. I sent it global priority.. around 5-7 business days. I don't expect an instant response... in fact, I know better than that. However the person I sent to hasn't blogged since the begining of August (the 3rd, actually) and emails to her have gone without a response.

Add to that the fact I've emailed the SE persons three times so far (twice enquiring about the person I sent to, once to change my address) and I haven't even gotten a 1 word reply...

Jiminy crickets! I understand busy! I have five journal entries to write (all over poetry in two chapters, assigned today, due Thursday at 930am), well over 50 algebra problems due Thursday, 2 chapters in AMHIST pre-civil war, and my lovely Religious Philosophies of the world homework and chapter summary, That's just the stuff I have to read that was assigned today and due Thursday. Add to that a five year old child and the "man who lives in the house" and you'll see that I just haven't got the time to do much, and what time I do have I want to spend with my (few) friends and D.

But I sure as hell can answer an email with "ok will look into it", or even a simple reply saying that they are too busy... anything would suffice! Even a fuck you.... *sigh*

I just hate to think that I put that work (and believe me, after half the scarf, it was work... the pattern was a bit... boring? but beautiful, and worth the time) into a knitted object, by all that's out there I'd like to at least *know* something.

No more secret scarf exchanges. I might try the next secret pal, but I'm definitely not doing another scarf exchange. I haven't heard a peep from the person sending to me, but I'm still going to try to maintain a positive attitude about that.

Later.

Why am I not surprised?

2005-09-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

Pure Nerd
86 % Nerd, 13% Geek, 26% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.

You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally
smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up
all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer.
Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more
so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be
replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations!

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 96% on nerdiness
You scored higher than 7% on geekosity
You scored higher than 36% on dork points

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on Ok Cupid

Quiz

2005-09-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

You Are A: Frog!

Independent yet still part of a large community, frogs are unique creatures known for their distinctive sound and ability to hop. As a frog, you spend your days sitting on lily pads or climbing trees, searching for delicious insects to eat. While there are some frogs that aren't exactly cute, you are certainly not one of those!

You were almost a: Bear Cub or a Kitten
You are least like a: Puppy or a Lamb Cute Animal Test!

I'm BACK!

2005-09-22T06:05:00.000-07:00

*crosses fingers so I don't jinx myself*.

Well, the move. It went ok. No one died and I didn't commit mass mayhem, but it was a clusterf*ck. The man who lives in the house and I aren't getting along too well. Too bad, so sad. Not. I'm not surprised.

I've done a serious amount of knitting in the past few days. Well, when I'm not trying to get situated, that is. I'm into the third skein of Misti Alpaca on the blue cabled scarf for DT. I haven't taken a picture because... I can't find the digital. It's in here somewhere. I think. So, use your imaginations and think of the earlier scarf picture and make it longer, roughly 43 inches. After this last skein, it should be around 60+ inches, and should block out around 68-72 inches.

Hopefully tomorrow I should be able to cast on for the hat. He wears a 7 1/4 in mens hat size... anybody have any idea what that is in inches? I could look it up, but I'm a little on the lazy side this morning.

D is now going to another school. This school is in the area we moved to, and is a part of a much better district than OKC Public schools. She started Monday and loves it! It's a full-day kindergarten program, and every day I can tell that she's learning much more in the way of "new things" than she did at the other school... 4 days there, and she's made more progress than she had during the month at the old school! I'm so proud of her :-). The teacher wants to test her (standard of practice in Mid-Del) for speech, and if she's found "lacking" (she will, she has a major problem with combination consonents and certain single consonants are slurred) she'll be provided with speech therapy classes at the school during the week. Isn't that awesome?

Oh, I have to take part of the blame for her speech issues. Yes, she suffered a large amount of hearing loss when she was a year old, and luckily she recovered from that and has only minor hearing loss (roughly 10% in one ear, 15% in the other). However, the problem with the combination consonents happans to be partially my fault. I am clinically tongue-tied. I hope to have that fixed soon. It definitely interferes with my ability to become fluent in other languages, and when I get excited or talkative I slur my consonents because I can't properly move my tongue in my mouth. Oh, to be clinically tongue-tied means that the frenulum (the webbing that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth) is too tight and goes too far forward on your tongue. I can't stick my tongue out and have it protrude out of my mouth. It's literally not possible for me. People don't tend to think this is a big deal, but just try talking with restricted tongue movement. The tongue is an integral part of sound formation. The good news? It'll only take a few minutes to fix with a local anesthetic and a pair of surgical stitches, and most likely won't even require stitches.

I consider it partially my fault because I am the one she talks to at home, and she seriously imitates my speech patterns.

Ok, enough about all that crap. I need to get ready for school, and D's bus will be here in about 15 minutes.

Laters!

New hairdo

2005-09-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

My hair was fried from the perm I got in February. After much discussion with a cosmotologist, we decided to cut it back to undamaged hair. This is what I have left...

Ignore the bags under my eyes. I'm pretty tired.

Laters!

Lookie Lookie... I actually have more pictures!!

2005-09-13T17:54:00.000-07:00

First, a belated thank you to Christina C. for my lovely e-card... I mentioned it on the yahoogroup for FiberRAOK but forgot to mention it here.

On to other news...

I got my final SP5 pressie, and my pal is.... Heide! What a sweet and thoughtful pal I had! She sent 2 skeins of Koigu KPPPM in variegated greens (to keep me knitting socks!), a small bottle of Kookaburra Wool Wash, 3 WONDERFUL stitch markers (hottie Asian alert!), and a little packet of cards that is just sooo cute... little ball of yarn in a coffee cup. Heide, you ROCK!

My own pal was Brittany of Yarn Balls... a very receptive and sweet recipient, who has restored my faith in the SP process. Brittany rocks too :-)

Stash enhancement and projects

First... a little project and stash enhancement went on recently at Chez FaerieLady, in the form of retail therapy!

First, I bought five skeins of Misti Alpaca chunky (100% baby alpaca), colorway Blueberry for a hat/scarf/mitten set for my mostest wonderful sweetest bestest friend in the whole world... DT. Yes, I know he's in the sandbox. However, it DOES get cold in the sandbox, and DT deserves the best. So. That's that. The pattern for the scarf is the Good Ole Cabled Scarf from YarnAGoGo. The yarn is a little deeper than this picture, it was overcast so I had to take the picture inside.

Then... there was a pound of this roving that found its way to my front porch... blue/fuschia swirled targhee roving. I'm sure you can't quite see the fuschia, but believe me it's there....

Last, but not least... a pound of gray shetland and 2 1/4 lbs of cream GCNI purchased by DT from The Benevolent Dictator is currently sitting in my computer room....

Ok, that's enough vicarious fiber p*rn....

Laters!

Been a little preoccupied

2005-09-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

My bestest friend in the whole world was on 2 weeks mid-tour leave from Iraq. I'm so glad that I was able to see him and hang out with him while he was here.

He had to leave Thursday, spent Friday at DFW waiting for a flight out, and is now back over in the sandbox. I miss him terribly. *sigh*

On other news, the house closes on the fifteeth (i.e. Thursday). Only got word of this yesterday. That means I'm going to be away for at least a week so I can pack stuff, stay on top of my homework, and all that crap.

Laters!

Update on that Grafton Fibers Batt

2005-09-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

The rainbow batt is done, and looks like so:

The colors are actually pretty even, the bright blue doesn't actually take over the entire skein. There's approximately 350 yards here, thinking about a lacey scarf. Not quite sure yet. However, it's done and I'm happy, and that's what matters :-)

Laters!

The Scarf Exchange

2005-09-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here's the scarf I knit for the scarf exchange. It's not nearly this bright in person... it's actually shades of red and burgundy, not hot pink-ish.

That's all I've really got to say today. Too much homework to do. One of my profs actually said since we're going to have so much "free time" because of the holiday, that she wanted to give us stuff to keep us busy. :sigh:

A little lightness...

2005-09-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm keeping it light here. I'm swamped with bad news, from my own trivial car wreck to the horrendous disaster in NO. So, please don't expect any of that talk on my blog, at least not on this blog. I need a free zone from that, and I won't be talking about it.

When the Benevolent Dictator went to Stitches Midwest, one of the three items she picked up for me was a Grafton Fibers Rainbow batt. I'm currently spinning it in stripes, and it looks like so:

Then, because I did her a small favor, Stinkerbell sent me a skein of Opal Rainforest in the Flamingo colorway, a set of Addi dpns size 1, and a 30 cm Addi turbo size 1.

Last, but not least, my best friend got me a pressie... Aruacania Nature wool #17, enough for one of the Adrienne Vittadini patterns.

I also treated myself to a little pressie from The Silkworker, a fiber blend called Shell Seeker. I rarely buy stuff for myself, and they usually end up getting made into stuff for other people (I rarely make anything and keep it), but I think I'm going to be keeping this one.

If you notice, it's pink. I don't know what's gotten into me lately... anybody who knows me knows that I normally dislike pink fanatically. Maybe it's growing on me like mold... but I'm finding myself liking the cool pinks. No wonder I couldn't resist this blend.

The silkworker blend I was working with before (Nokomis, couple entries prior to this one) is finished. Approximately 1400 yards were spun out of this blend, and the last two skeins are currently drying. I really love how that blend spun up, and I can't wait to knit with it... however, I have other projects on the needles that I need to do first... like mittenettes for my daughter, niece, and nephews (niece and nephews that way they'll leave my sister's alone). My sister Melida also needs another set of mittenettes that are lined. She wants to put them over her wrist guards that she wears at night (carpal tunnel). I also need to make D a new hat/mitten/scarf set that she can wear this summer (think pink and purple stripes... disgustingly girlie, but she's soooo excited). My mom needs a new scarf (easy peasy). WingNut's sweater (miles of moss stitch), DT's sweater (I need to spin the yarn first, so I figure I'll work on WingNut's and spin DTs, and when I'm done with one, I can start the other).

Gods, I'm tired just looking at all that. Not to mention the Shetland Garden faroese shawl (currently frogged, need different needles), and a stole out of the silk/wool blend I just finished.

I'll get there. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

I Need Something Light

2005-09-02T04:07:00.000-07:00

So I thugged a meme from Danielle who thugged it from Rox.

First Car: 1981 Toyota Corolla 2 Door blue, standard transmission, rack & pinion steering, vinyl interior that would fry your ass in the middle of the winter so just imagine in the summer! I loved that car. About 5 1/2 years ago I was t-boned by a pickup truck that lost control in the rain, and my car was totalled. That Toyota model is a unibody, and the accident caused the entire frame to shift. There was no fixing it. ::sigh::

Where was I born: Yokota AFB, Japan.

Where I am now: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Sidenote: In OKC because of the: AWAC

Fave Food: Bulgogi

Fave Shoe: Z Coil Freedom in black. These are the best work shoes I've ever had, and I was on my feet 10-12 hours at a stretch. I'm actually considering getting a pair of their work books after my loans are dispersed.

Fave Drink: Coffee!!

Fave smell: see above

I'm so not googling my first name. I know better. LoL

Laters!

I should have stayed in bed...

2005-08-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning, and it took me a while to wake up. Lots of coffee later, I get myself and D out the door, in order to get her to daycare. As I was driving home, I made a lefthand turn onto a sidestreet, and the guy on the side street ran the stop sign and T-boned my *brand new car*.

I'm fine. Really. The car isn't.

The damage isn't that bad. I had to crawl out the passenger side front door... both driver side doors are out of commission.
The asshole who hit me left the scene. Also, Oklahoma is a rear-license only state, so there was no license on the front of his car, and he *backed up* down the street, as in reverse, as in he didn't turn around.

Damn good thing I have full coverage insurance and a rental policy. I did call the cops, and the police report, with a full description of his rather "unique" looking SUV and description of him have been filed.

The car's in the shop til next Friday at the earliest, and I already have a rental.

At least I was able to drop D off first. I'm so glad she wasn't in the car. I'm also grateful that the airbag didn't deploy in this situation... it would have hurt more than it could have helped.

I'm so angry I could scream. Stil.. ::sigh::

Just Cuz I wanna Be Like KnitSteph

2005-08-29T22:28:00.000-07:00

I spin too!

First, DT is home on vacation (mid-tour leave from Iraq) and brought me pvc to make a niddy noddy. The first skein on it is:

Silkworker! Silk 'n wool blend, named Nokomis.

In skein form, it looks like this:

That's 3 oz, 300 yards. I've got another 3 oz already spun, and about half of it left to go. Finished it should be between 1200-1300 yards. Great shawl yarn :-)

Awww

2005-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Who can resist this loveable face?

Merlin is completely spoiled rotten. My little red boy :-)

To take the sting out of the last quiz

2005-08-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

This one from Knitting and 9-0 is much more accurate. I usually score Earth, but I am not surprised for the Water outcome on this one.

Your Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua

Your energy: deep

Your season: winter

Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion.

You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul.

A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem.

You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What Element Are You?

Hrm.

2005-08-23T21:46:00.000-07:00

Got this from Suburban Treehugger. Surprisingly, I got the same answer. I thought I'd been in a pretty good mood lately. Hrm.

The Goddess Death: Dark, morbid, appropriately
represented by the color black and the element
water. Death is reserved, intellectual,
introspective. Rarely does she do anything
requiring a lot of energy or display of emotion
-- but when she does, anyone within a few
planes would do well to duck and cover.

I am so proud of myself...

2005-08-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

I've seen Lord of the Rings many, many times. So many times in fact that I no longer have to look at the screen all the time to know what they are doing and saying.

I figured that out this morning, and decided to start knitting on the LL socks. Lookie lookie... they're done! I am soooo proud!

This is the closest that I could come to the real color of the socks.

Specs: 2 skeins LL sock yarn, colorway "Valentine"
Pattern: Seashell socks (I did not carry the pattern down the foot)
Knit on U.S. size 1s

There's enough left over to easy knit a pair of tube socks for D. Tube socks because she'll get more wear out of them and I won't have to worry as much about her outgrowing them so fast. I'll start on those later. My hands hurt. LoL

I shall no longer bemoan my LL socks, because they are FINISHED! Woot!

Laters!

That whole multi-tasking thing...

2005-08-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, anyone who knows me in person knows that I have a singularly weird issue. Well, not so much "singularly weird" as I make it sound, there are many people who have the same issue, but it's very prevalent in my life.

I can't multi-task except for stupid things like walking & chewing bubble gum, or walking and talking.

Seriously! It's actually quite the object of much amusement over here, especially with close friends and family. Moi? Multi-task? You might as well ask me to rollerblade backwards down a steep hill, and believe me you'll get a wonderful laugh out of it!

WingNut thinks it's funny. Example: when I read a book, I *read* a book. If he wants to get my attention, he has to call my name (my real name, not Kae) several times before I hear him. He's taken to putting his hand in front of my face to break my eye contact with the pages. Watching t.v.? I will literally stop in the middle of my sentence if the t.v. catches my eye. I can't focus on what I'm thinking, and the rest of the conversation will literally fly out of my head on wings at supersonic speed!

This issue seriously impacts my knitting when it comes to watching movies and knitting. I can't knit and watch a movie. I can however knit and *listen* to discovery, nature, or history documentaries (which are my fave, by the way) so that's what I've been doing. I am now 18 rows away from both toes on the LL socks. I should have those finished by this weekend, if all goes according to plan. ::crosses fingers:: Oh, I am currently considering a membership to Audible.com, but I'm not so sure I want to give up my monthly yarn budget for it... LoL

Oh, on that whole multi-tasking thing... just because I can't multi-task doesn't mean things don't get done. I can, and have, cleaned, cooked, and taken care of the kiddo without being able to multi-task. This merely means that one thing gets finished before I move on to the next. Chores aren't stopped in the middle, I don't move on to other things until the first is done. This makes it quite efficient for me, anyway. LoL

Back to knitting socks...

A Sock Problem

2005-08-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

You see, I have this small sock problem...

I get to the foot part of the sock, past the heel and gusset and before the toe decreases... and I stall. Boooooring. So I have currently three socks stalled at that point.

See look...

There's two of these, stalled at the same place:

and one of these, stalled just a little further down...

What can I do to bribe myself to finish these babies? I mean seriously, I have the desire to wear them after they're finished... but getting them to that point is slow and boring for me. Ugh. I even put in the cable that can't be seen on the opal sock to add "interest" while I was knitting the foot, but even that's not working.

I love socks, I love knitting them, although I do hate the heel flap part. I need to learn to loosen up a bit when knitting back and forth (I knit loose in the round, tight back and forth).

So much better...

2005-08-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

The cyst turned out to be a run of the mill abscess, caused by trauma from falling on wooden alphabet blocks.

Yes you heard that right... I went to pick up D from daycare, and she tackled me at the knees. I fell backwards onto a pile of wooden alphabet blocks. Instead of bruising me, like any other human being, I got an abscess out of it. Ugh. But that's taken care of and for the first time in a week, I am almost completely pain free.

Woo hoo! I can knit! I can spin! I can do all my favorite crafty things! Yay!

Pics hopefully forthcoming later...

2005-08-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

I'm having a rather painful cyst operated on and removed sometime in the next week. I'm probably not going to be at the computer much, since it's just below the threshold of pain one would have when they have kidney stones. Having had kidney stones, I remember exactly what it feels like.

I almost didn't update my blogs, but thought that if anybody wanted to know, this is probably where you're going to find out. LoL

Laters

Weird Test

2005-08-13T16:59:00.000-07:00

I found this on Deb's blog...

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

Not Much To Say...

2005-08-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

I tried taking pictures of the yarn that I'm going to be using on the Shetland Garden faroese shawl, but I can't seem to get a good picture. I'm going to have to try again in the sunlight.

I also forgot to take a picture of the Opal mosaic sock with the cable-that-can't-be-seen, which is past the gusset decreases and on the actual foot. I should get to the decreasing for the toe here in the next couple days. Maybe. If I don't get sidetracked and cast on for the SG shawl.

I was bad. I bought two skeins of laceweight merino from HandPaintedYarns. I shouldn't have bought them, but I couldn't resist. There are so many beautiful colors, and the yarn is top-notch. The shipping is a tad slow, but it's worth it. I got the olive colorway, which is on the third page under the laceweights. Those two skeins may be earmarked for the Peacock Feathers shawl.

I think I'm addicted to laceweight yarns. I don't think this is a bad thing... one can accomplish a lot of quality knitting (and therefore rack up a lot of quality knitting time) by knitting lace.

Ok, enough blather. Laters!

Falkland for Sale on my fiber blog

2005-08-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

I finally uploaded some of the dyed and painted Falkland 56s wool top to my fiber sales blog over at FaerieLady Fibers.

Take a look, you might find something that you're interested in spinning! I love this fiber for socks...

My Interview Questions from Lori

2005-08-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

The Rules
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview Me"
2. I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someoneelse in the post.
5. When others asking to be interviewed comment, you will ask them 5 questions.Interview

Questions:

How did you end up living in Oklahoma? Where were your parents from originally?

Lessee... Dad's an AF brat, born in San Antonio Tx, and eventually got to Lawrence, KS where he graduated high school and joined the AF. My Mom was born in New York City, and she also joined the AF. My dad's Native American/white, and Mom's full blood Puerto Rican. I ended up here because when my father outprocessed from the AF, he was stationed here at Tinker AFB. For some unknown reason, we stayed here. Believe me, I'm not happy about that choice, but at the time I wasn't old enough for my opinion to matter.

When are you most happy?

I'm most happy when I'm learning (I'd probably be a lifelong college student if I was allowed).

What made you change your blog name to Faerie Lady Knits? Is there a special significance for you?

The faerie joke is a running joke in my family. First, most of the kids in my family (including me) were born with pointed ears. My youngest nephew still has his... they haven't "flattened" out yet. Second, I can't wear iron or iron ore jewelry (hemetite, lodestone, hawkseye, etc). The jewelry has a nasty habit of breaking into tiny pieces. The last thing happens to be my little faerie "entourage". You know that saying "the faeries took it?" In my house, that's probably true. Be nice, ask nicely, and it appears back in your possession. It's very weird, but everyone who's been around me notices... and we're talking about things like the door key that you use every single day appearing in the pocket of a jacket that's been packed for months. Seriously.

What is your favorite dish to order at a restaurant? What is yourfavorite dish to cook?

Cooking is one big experiment to me. I'm constantly learning new dishes. My favorite food to order is bulgogi at the Korean restaurant that I love to visit whenever I can.

How did you get into knitting/spinning?

Knitting, I kinda fell into. I wanted to do it, got a book on it, learned to do it from the pictures and instructions, with lots of help from KnitSteph. Spinning... well, I was dragged into that (although I have to admit, I was easily convinced) by the Benevolent Dictator and KnitSteph.

Hrmmm on Knitpicks

2005-08-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Recently I've read about another blogger's problem with knitpicks. Now, I know everyone has their own experiences, but I've never had a problem with Knitpicks (and neither has anyone that I know personally). However, their order confirmation email is automated, so I wonder how much of that problem is because of spam blockers, or lags because of spam blockers at the server end? Food for thought people...

Anyway, the Benevolent Dictator of Spindlers and I are on a yarn and fiber diet. I agreed to go on it with her, after one purchase that we split and her show at Stitches Midwest (she's going to be vending her Everything Balm at the booth with Linda of Grafton Fibers. I mean, she should be given a lot of leeway for that kind of fiber show!

Anyway, 4 skeins of Sweet Pea gossamer yarn and the new Twin Peaks pattern is heading my way, with 4 skeins of Sunrise (for her) piggybacking along. I'm so excited!

Ya know, one of these days, I'll actually post pictures again. I have to find something picture worthy first...

Laters!

Oh My

2005-08-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

I get the email updates from Sivia Harding Designs, and Knitpicks is now carrying an exclusive Faroese shawl pattern called Twin Peaks! Oh my goodness, I'm going to have to purchase this one... the only problem I forsee is that there doesn't seem to be a yarn requirement posted for the project, so I have no idea how much laceweight to buy...

My drool is over... LoL

Laters!

::edit:: It takes approximately 4 skeins of Gossamer for this project. Duh, if I would have looked harder I would have found it... LoL

Randomness abounds...

2005-08-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Lacey Drapey scarf (exchange scarf) was cast off the needles this evening, leaving me to only block it out to size. I am almost a *month* early?? How did this *happen*?!? Anyway, I'll post a pic after it's blocked out.

Small Gripe:
Why is it that when I want to buy a pattern, one pattern, the shipping on it costs *as much* or more as the pattern? Take for instance the Spiral Nebula Shawl (I saw a finished one on Noreen's site). I love this shawl pattern, however I am not going to pay $4 for the pattern and then another $5 to have a paper pattern shipped to me. It's just not going to happen. I rarely ever use the "suggested" brand yarn anyway, so kits are out too. Argh, very irritating.

Next up on the needles... the Cobweb Shawl out of Muppet Guts merino handspun. I've already cast it on, frogged it out, and cast on again onto larger needles. We shall see how it goes!

Laters...

Ah.... Bliss

2005-08-03T13:42:00.000-07:00

The a/c is fixed! ::happy dances around the room::

I was able to spin today! Yay! I also knit a little today on the lace scarf black hole... it's almost, almost to the point where I'll bind off. Not close enough, but it's gettin' there. Slowly.

I'm almost to the decreases on the LL socks. Thank goodness. It's not moving fast enough for me, that's for sure! I frogged the seaweed socks, the pattern won't show up in that yarn. I think I'll try it on the wildfoote sock yarn. Ehhh. I haven't decided yet.

I found a pullover/cardigan pattern that I really want to knit... Eris designed by Girl Fron Auntie, who also designed Rogue. I'm more likely to knit Eris than Rogue, simply because I don't want to figure out how to modify Rogue to remove the hood. I'm trying to decide what I want to knit it in. Maybe wool of the andes? I'm afraid it'd pill pretty badly. Any suggestions?

The Benevolent Dictator of Spindlers told me about a delightful treat she got for me... the Shetland Garden Faroese Shawl pattern! I have no idea what I'm going to knit it in. Maybe the new Gossamer laceweight merino by Knitpicks in Leprechaun. I need to put together a Knitpicks order sometime. ::shrug:: Maybe I'll remember the next time I have available cash.

Ok, gonna go draw with the kiddo... laters!

Sidetracked

2005-08-02T05:30:00.000-07:00

My a/c went out Sunday afternoon. The repair guy came yesterday, but it wasn't repaired except for a few minutes after he left. He's supposed to be back around noon today. I swear to you, I feel like my brains melted and drained out of my ears...

My MIL and Steve's grandfather (her father) drove into town last night. Guess where they're staying? With us. Not a problem, usually, but reference the paragraph above.

Thank goodness we're going to be spending most of the day shopping. I might go crazy and whack someone if I had to be home during the brunt of the heat again today.

I'm going to go drink my coffee while it's still cool enough outside to drink it. When it starts to warm up, I can't drink it anymore. Bah.

I'll be back blogging either Thursday night, or Friday sometime. Laters!

SP5 and RAOK

2005-07-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

First, I received a wonderful little card in the mail from Michele at Beknitted Thanks Michele! It really brightened my day :-)

Then, my SP5 struck!

Lookie! She did an iron on transfer of the faerie design of my main blogs! That's too cool... if I ever manage to go to a fiberfest, I'm definitely bringing this bag! There's also a stamp pad, teeny rubber stamps with Chinese symbols on them (good luck, hope, love, longevity), a stamp pad, and a cool measuring tape! I giggled at the "nifty nets"... how'd she know that I sometimes have problems with that?? LoL

Thanks Secret Pal!

Merlin looks to be settling right in...

New Yarn Addict

2005-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

Time to relocate all my current projects to "safe places"....

Say hello to Merlin!