Just because they’re fun, everyone needs to take a good personality test once in a while–you know, to make sure you haven’t slipped further into maniacal irrationality since the last time you took mental stock of yourself. So . . . here’s me in a nutshell (although I disagree with the “week away from snapping” part–preventing that kind of thing is what knitting, spinning, reading, and puppying are for).

Personality Quiz

Wackiness: 22/100
Rationality: 66/100
Constructiveness: 44/100
Leadership: 44/100

You are cool, analytical, intelligent and completely unfunny. Sometimes you slice through conversation with a cutting observation that causes silence and sidelong glances. You make a strong and lasting impression on everyone you meet, the quality of which depends more on their personality than yours.

You may feel persecuted, as you can become a target for fun. Still, you are focused enough on your work and secure enough in your abilities not to worry overly.

You are productive and invaluable to those you work for. You are loyal, steadfast, and conscientious. Your grooming is impeccable. You are in good shape.

You are kind of a tool, but you get things done. You are probably a week away from snapping.

Addendum, 2004/07/19: this fits me 99%, there is a slight inaccuracy however. We are not necessarily completely unfunny. If we have a sense of humor (I do) it surfaces on the occasion with well-timed, completely dry, very sarcastic, wit. - Chase

Of the 49630 people who have taken this quiz since tracking began (8/17/2004), 7.4 % are this type.

• Tags: Family, General • Permalink:Fountain of Knowledge // 3 Comments »

So, so glad it’s finally Saturday. My boss has been on vacation all week and it’s been crazy at the office–funnily enough, though, it’s been my own work that’s been heavy, not so much overflow from his not being there. He’ll be back on Monday, though, so that will be a relief.

My Pi-are-square shawl is coming along slowly but surely, though I think it’s virtually impossible to take a good picture of it. Can’t lay it flat because the wide end is now longer than the needles. Can’t hold it flat with my hands to take a picture because, well, I’d need about three hands just to hold the shawl, plus the one for the camera. I even tried draping it over a lampshade! But, no . . . that didn’t work, either. I think everyone’s just going to have to wait until the thing is done to get a look–sorry about that!

 I did take a picture of some Koigu KPPPM that’s been sitting in the closet, waiting to be turned into socks. I think I’m going to give them that chance–just as something relatively brainless to do between bouts of working on Pi. The only problem (well, other than the fact that I haven’t done any socks at all in about 7 months) is that my new ball winder didn’t want to cooperate, and when I tried to slide the newly-wound balls off, the insides kind of . . . exploded. I just hope it doesn’t tangle. Who knew there was a knack (which I apparently lack) to using a ball winder??

Right now, I’ve got Chappy lying on the floor next to me, head draped over my leg, which is both comfortingly warm and a little too heavy all at once. (Oops. I tried to take a picture, but he jumped awake when he heard the camera noise!)All I can give you instead is this picture I took last night, of Chappy giving a bow. In our family, this trick is called “Bravo”–as in, we applaud, he bows. With Katy, we called it “Curtsey,” but of course Chappy is a boy and doesn’t curtsey, and the word “bow” sounds too much like “down,” so you get the picture. No matter what you call it, it’s cute!

 Otherwise, it’s been a pretty normal Saturday. Mom and I went to the mall (which I haven’t been to in months) to pick up a bracelet being mended at the jewelry store. We stopped at Bath & Body Works, where I picked up these lovely items. (I love their Buy-3-Get-1-Free deals on their Body Washes.) And the “Steamy Chai Spice Latte” shower cream smells just delightful. It surprised me, in fact, since I don’t usually like strong scents, but this was really, really nice! And better yet, now I don’t have to head back there for about another four months.

 After our two stops at the mall, though, we went over to Borders. Always trouble for me, although I restrained myself quite well, I think.  I only bought three books, including “Plot Against America” by Phillip Roth, which I only found out yesterday is being read by the “Knit 1 Read 2″ group, the discussion is to start on Monday. “Kite Runner” was voted best book of the year by the AOL BookNook group, so I figured I should give that a try, and “George Washington’s Christmas Address” just looked good! This brings my personal library up to 2,567 volumes.

• Tags: Chappy, General, Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Saturday at last! // 2 Comments »

Every Friday, as a reward for getting through another week at work, I treat myself to a cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. I know, I know, that might not sound like much of a treat, and our office does have decent enough coffee, but Dunkin’ Donuts has some of the best ordinary, “American” coffee around–not to mention coffee rolls for the rare, occasional beyond-just-coffee treat.

So this morning, I stopped at our local Dunkin’ Donuts for my usual Friday-morning reward and . . . no coffee. No coffee? (Anyone know the tune from “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”?) How is that possible? It’s like Starbucks running out of coffee, or a dry cleaner running out of laundry. It just doesn’t happen! Sigh. So I had to make due with ordinary, office coffee. The only silver-lining is that my stainless-steel thermal mug keeps coffee hot a lot longer than the styrofoam DD cups and it’s really cold today . . . but still!

Then, for added fun, my mother called me around 11:30–her car died. She and Dad were heading for physical therapy and little by little, things stopped working–the windshield wipers, her radio, the lights on the dashboard . . . They luckily got to the office and in a parking spot before the poor Infiniti conked out altogether, but when they called me, they were waiting for the tow-truck. Now, my Dad’s golfing-buddies with the garage owner, so Frank sent the truck over right away, but therapy is about 12 miles away, and there were things Mom needed to do at home, so . . . I drove out to Florham Park to pick up Mom, arriving about 5 minutes after the truck, while Dad went back to the garage to hang out with his buddy while they figure out what’s wrong with the car. Everybody’s best guess is that it’s the battery–the car is just about 4 years old and, did I mention it’s cold outside?? It added a little extra excitement to my day, anyway (grin).

I worked on my pi-are-square shawl last night–it’s taking me about 20 minutes to do a single row right now, and I haven’t even gotten to the last increase yet. I’m happy with the way it’s coming out. I couldn’t take a picture, though, since my camera battery needed recharging . . . and you know, anyway, it’s not easy to take a picture of this shawl while it’s still on the needles!

And thanks, Jessica, for the compliment on my blog. I’m glad you’re enjoying it!

• Tags: General • Permalink:No Dunkin’ // 1 Comment »

It was a dull and gloomy Wednesday, here–gray and damp and . . . ah well. I did take Chappy out for romping earlier–it was warm enough today that the snow softened, which made packing it into snowballs much, much easier. It also meant that Chappy came back in covered with little snowballs attached to his legs, his stomach, his chest . . . if I didn’t put a coat on him, he’d have them everywhere. This is our only complaint for snow that comes up above his shoulders–if it were only up to his knees there would be no problem.

Still, they were bad enough that I popped him into the bathtub when we got inside (leaving a trail of tiny, snowballs with brown fur centers). Warm water is by far the easiest way to get rid of those buggers. While we were in there, I pulled out the conditioner and just gave him a full bath–he’s kind of needed one lately anyway, and since this is going to be the warmest day of the week, now was the time. (It’s not supposed to get above 18 tomorrow.)

 I got some spinning done on my lunch break. It’s a nice blue-and-green batt of corriedale I got from Grafton Fibers just before Christmas. I spun up half of it, then put it on hold to work on Cindy’s fuschia. But now that has changed. I’m taking this half slowly, trying to figure out the long-draw drafting technique . . . or at least, something that resembles it. The problem with figuring things out yourself from a book is that you can never be entirely sure that you’re doing it right . . . but hey, if it works and you end up with yarn, is there really a problem? (grin)

I joined Alison’s “February Fix-It” group and am very excited about it. A chance (not to mention incentive) for fixing some of the knits that haven’t come out quite right! My very first thing will be changing the zipper in my DB green, cabled cardigan It’s completely the wrong color, shows too much when it’s zipped, and scratches my neck, to boot! Not only that, the hood is too long–I think I’ll undo the cast-off and frog an inch or so of that . . . and then . . .

I took two stitch-pattern books with me to work today to photocopy the directions for two different lace stitches that I want to use in my Pi-are-Square shawl. I was already to start the next section last night, but realized that I was going to need to read two different lace patterns at the same time . . . and from two different books . . . in order to continue, and that’s just a little too much to juggle in your lap at one time. So, I photocopied them today, and tonight I can keep going. I really missed working on it last night. I just finished the next-to-last stitch increase and am going to do a Travelling Vine lace stitch in the back, and starting here, I’m going to do a lace panel down the front, straight edge of the shawl as well. I wouldn’t want the front to get bored, being all, plain garter stitch while the back (which, let’s face it, I’m not going to see as much of) gets to be all fun and fancy. So tonight, me, my yarn, my needles, and photocopies.

Here’s a picture of my shawl-collared cable from Dale of Norway. It stretched badly when I blocked it (and I’ve since learned that Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran has that tendency), so I summoned up my courage over the weekend and rewashed it (in a net bag this time) and then put it in the dryer. Yes, I know, it scared me too, but there was no way I could wear that tent! As it is, it’s still a little big, and I’d like to get the bottom hem to fall in a straight line, but it’s a tolerable fit, in its oversized way. It did felt the tiniest bit, but the only thing that seems affected by that are the bobbles, and really, I don’t much like bobbles anyway. Now if only I could figure out why everyone keeps telling me it looks green . . . to me, this is a mustard/brown with maybe a hint of green, but it’s not actually GREEN!.

One last picture (to make up for the photographic draught of the last few days). Here’s Chappy from last night, tucked up in his bed, and absolutely exhausted from chasing snowballs. It’s rare for him to cuddle under a blanket of any kind, but when he does, he looks extra sweet, like a child does tucked under their covers.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Winter Wednesday // 1 Comment »

Our furnace had a stroke last night. As in, it broke somewhere between bedtime and 2:30 a.m. As in, brrrrrr. As in, if I had realized, I would have invited Chappy up on the bed to help me keep warm! As in, unusually for this time of year, my car felt WARM when I got into it this morning!

The furnace fellow was here somewhere around 9:00 this morning, but we needed a part he didn’t have, and had to order. Which could have taken until tomorrow! Mom borrowed a couple space heaters from a neighbor, Dad went out and got a “good” one from Home Depot. Chappy tried to stay up off the floor. (I sat at my desk in my heated, if drafty, office.) Luckily, though, they got the part and were back here to fix it around 1:00. I don’t think the house dropped below 57 or so . . . which is cold, but not life threatening (and the water in Chappy’s dish didn’t freeze). It’s pretty much back to normal now, but things like closets, drawers, and cabinets are still COLD! I wore my blue shawl draped over a blue sweater all day, which at least kept me warm (and garnered some compliments, too!)

No photos again tonight–there’s really nothing that photogenic around, since Chappy just left the room. I’m almost ready to increase into the next section of my pi-are-square shawl, though I don’t know how far into that I’ll get tonight. I haven’t touched my spinning in the last couple of days because my wrists are sore. I really want to figure out the long-draft, too!

I finished a very interesting book, “Kabloona,” over the weekend–a memoir of a Frenchman who went to live with the Eskimos for a year, back when they were still uncontaminated by too much interaction with the white-man (which is what “Kabloona” means). Really interesting, and good to read on a blizzard-y weekend–really, 20-degrees and a foot of snow is NOTHING!

• Tags: Family, General, Reading • Permalink:Heat-stroke // Add Comment »

All in all, we were pretty lucky with the weather. We got about a foot of snow yesterday, and while it was cold and windy, the snow had stopped by the time I woke up this morning, the sun was shining by about noon. It’s darn cold, though! About 6 degrees right now, and dropping. Still, getting my car cleaned off was easier than I’d feared.

On the other hand, my mother got an email from a friend on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, which is getting socked hard. To quote:

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, we are taking a beating! It has been snowing since yesterday around 4 o’clock. The wind and snow have not stopped since that time! The winds last night and today had to have been 50 to 60 miles per hour! I have two beautiful evergreen trees split in two in my yard. We have had total white outs since last night, and it was not until late today, just before dark when it has been possible to look out a window to see what has happened.

We have a fairly long driveway that meets with a walk going out from the front door…..The snow is drifted the length and breadth of the driveway, and is easily 6 to 7 feet in height!!  The snow is well up over the window boxes on our little summer Cottage. We must have 30 inches or more on the flat!  I am not sure that I remember this in my lifetime! I remember some terrible blizzards, but none that have lasted for so long. It is still blizzarding, and the wind is outrageous. The temps have fallen to 14 degrees!!  Thank the good Lord, we do have power and have had throughout…..(not true for the entire Island) They are calling for snow till 8 or 9 p.m, and 60 mile an hour winds throughout the night.

Like I said, we got off pretty easily! I went out to romp with Chappy in the backyard, throwing snowballs for him to chase, laughing at him bounding through the snow–those spaniel legs of his sure have some spring to them! Mom took some pictures from the house, but that was on her film camera, so I don’t have any to post.

I got some work done on my pi-shawl, and I washed my Jo Sharp sweater and put it in the dryer. It was nerve-wracking, but it has shrunk a bit down to a more normal size, even if it felted just a tiny bit. I laid it on the guest room bed to finish drying, so I haven’t had a chance to try it on yet. I am, though, going to buy a steamer so I can block “dry” from now on!

• Tags: General, Martha's Vineyard, Weather • Permalink:Post Blizzard // Add Comment »

 So, the blizzard is blizzing. It started snowing about 11:15 and has been snowing steadily all day. I’m not sure what the totals are right now–about 6″ I think–but it’s supposed to get more intense–heavier snow, winds up to possibly 50 mph., even a possibility of thunder-snow (a thunderstorm with snow). It didn’t get above 15-degrees today, so the snow is sticking to everything. In the half hour it took me to get home after the snow started, the roads filled up, and after a 15-minute stop at the Rag Shop, my car was completely covered. I’m not looking forward to finding my car under all this snow tomorrow! They’re forecasting about 20″ of snow, and NJ is in an official State of Emergency, at least through the night.

Still . . . it was a great day for knitting. I went to Mara’s coffee shop this morning and hung out there for a while, starting my Pi-are-Square shawl. Here’s a picture–which was challenging to take, since it took two hands to hold the knitting flat enough to see! (I used the timer feature on the camera, and then held it under my chin! I can tell this is NOT going to be an easy project for update-photos.) The collar-edge is the lower-side of the picture. The top of the shawl will be straight garter-stitch, but in the section I’m on, I started doing an all-over lace stitch, just to keep things interesting!

Also, at the coffeeshop this morning, my friend Cindy stopped by and I got to give her her birthday present. She liked the yarn (and immediately asked, “What can I make with it?”) I’m glad to have given it to her–now I don’t have to keep it a secret anymore. She also loved the bag I bought her on Martha’s Vineyard last May. It was going to be her Christmas present, but something else superceded it and it got pushed back to her birthday at the end of this month. It’s a great bag, though–reversable, pink, with white poodles on one side, black tapestry on the other, and with black feathers along the top . . . It’s perfect for her . . . and coordinated so very well with that fuschia yarn!

 My green hood is done blocking. All that’s left is to add a button, or a tie, or something to hold it closed under the chin. It fits really well, and I love the color. It doesn’t crush my curls, either! This is a lousy picture of me, but the hood looks good.

Okay, time to crawl into my toasty warm, down-covered bed, with my very cold book about eskimos . . . really, you know, 15 degrees isn’t that cold at all! (Talk about an appropriate book to be reading during a massive snow storm.)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Weather • Permalink:Blizzing // Add Comment »

 It was only 7 degrees when I got up this morning–even colder than the 10-degrees it’s averaged for the rest of the week–and with the scant inch of snow on the ground, it feels even colder. This is going to make our weekend blast of snow that much more fun!

 Don’t get me wrong. I actually like snow, and Chappy adores it. Here’s a picture from last winter to prove it. He had a glorious time romping in snow that was deeper than his shoulders. I love the crusty-old-man eyebrows, after he’d been burrowing his head into the snow. We had tons of fun until we came inside and had to deal with the snow-pantaloons. 

 Can you believe the amount of snow that can cake onto a medium-sized dog’s legs? And of course that means he tracks it around the house. Katy used to have the same problem, but she would sit down and just look miserable (”Mommy, help!”) and I’d take her upstairs to blow with the blow-dryer–which neither of us enjoyed. Chappy, being a boy and not so concerned with grooming, just sits down and starts tearing the snowballs from his fur with his teeth. He eats some of them (because, ALL snow is fun!), but the others . . . when they melt into lots of tiny puddles on the floor, they leave little tufts of Chappy fur (known in our family as “dust-puppies”) to waft around the house until I pull out the vacuum.

Anyway, I’m sitting here at work, freezing. My office is right near the front door, and–especially in the morning–the door opens and closes a lot as people arrive for the day, as deliveries get made, stuff like that. But I don’t get cold that easily, and usually there’s no problem, at least not after about 9:15. Today, though, I’m cold. And the one big difference I can think of between today and the rest of the week (almost equally cold outside) is that today I’m wearing a fleece hoodie from JJill rather than one of my handknits-with-wool. A coincidence? I don’t think so! (Mind you, I love this hoodie, have it in two colors, and it is usually very warm–but it is only a synthetic after all.)

Tomorrow is Cast-On Day for the Pi-shawl knit-along, and I spent most of last night looking through lace patterns for mine. No spinning, no knitting, but lots of planning for knitting. I just hope the snow holds off long enough to hit the coffee shop for something luscious tomorrow…

So . . . bracing for snow

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Weather • Permalink:Brrrr // 1 Comment »

 I brought my pink yarn to work today (I admit, I was showing off a bit). None of my co-workers have ever heard of anyone who spins–at all–and so they were reasonably impressed. However, I got more compliments on my Birch shawl, which I have worn several times before. Why do you suppose that is? Maybe the way I had it tied? 

I also finished knitting my green hood last night, which is currently blocking-dry since, even with the garter stitch edging, it’s curling. It came out great, though–basically a long rectangle, folded in half. Nothing fancy, but I’m thrilled with the color and like the way it fits over my curls–warm, without crushing. And, it will keep my ears warm, too! I’m thinking about lining it with silk to make it (1) even more curl-friendly and (2) wind-resistant, but that’s not an urgent thing. The only other vital thing to do is to add a button or something of that sort to hold it closed under my chin.

I also did a small swatch for my Pi-Are-Square shawl (resisting the temptation to let it become the actual shawl). I washed it last night and let it dry on the bathroom counter and like the way it looks. I think I’ll use bigger needles, though–I want the lacy parts to look . . . well . . . more lacy! “Cast-On Day” is on Saturday. I was thinking of spending at least part of the day with my yarn and my book at a local coffee shop/bakery which is celebrating its grand opening this weekend. I figured that if I can’t join a live get-together (one knit-alonger called it a “geographical orphan”), at least I can do something a little more interesting than just sitting at home on the couch. The beverages will be better, too…

I finished reading “Blue Rodeo” by Jo-Ann Mapson, and am now following it up with her “Wilder Sisters,” which I’ve only read once. I like her writing, but particularly her earlier books. (I thought the “Bad Girl Creek” series was really pretty depressing.) She tells a good story, though, and does an excellent job of setting the place and feel. I’ve been a fan since “Hank and Chloe” came out in the early 90s, though I’ve never summoned up the courage to read the sequel. I liked the way H&C ended, and don’t want to risk that being ruined!

It got all the way up to the 20s today, and it’s snowing–only an inch or two, but it started sticking almost immediately because the ground was so cold. We might be getting hit with a big storm on Sunday, though, who really knows. I think weathermen are well-meaning and I concede that clouds and weather can change unexpectedly and throw a forecast, if you’ll forgive the expression, to the wind . . . but that’s the reason you have to take everything with a grain of salt–at least until we get a little closer to Sunday.

Chappy enjoyed the snow, though. After work, I took him in the backyard and tried to throw snowballs for him. The snow was way too dry to pack well, and no matter what the compression-to-snow ratio, I mostly ended up with handfuls of snow, rather than actual balls of snow. He doesn’t care, though. As long as he thinks I’m throwing something, he’s happy to head off in whatever direction he thinks it’s heading. (Don’t tell him, but sometimes I just pretend to throw absolutely nothing at all! He doesn’t care–he’s just happy to be outside, with a playmate.)

Okay . . . tired. Time for bed!

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Knitting Things // Add Comment »

   Here they are. Two bobbins-full of 2-ply, fuscha yarn in a merino/silk blend, spun by myself. It’s not perfect, but it’s fluffy and it’s soft, and I’m am just tickled about it. And I feel really good about the fact that this is a gift, too. It’s a “good” gift–handmade and yet nice. The texture may be a little uneven, but it has such a nice feel to it. I think it’s just as well that I’m not really a “pink” person–I’d be sorely tempted to keep it myself! If I have the energy later, I’ll wind this off onto my niddy noddy later, so I can set the twist tomorrow and it will be dry by the weekend, just in case I can get together with Cindy to give her her gift.

As luck would have it, I got a box from Blue Goose Glen today, with three very nice colors of roving:

 This is great. Now I have plenty of fiber to spin–not to mention still half a batt of a lovely blue/green blend from Grafton fibers. I started that before the fuschia, but put it aside to have the gift done in time.

Here’s Chappy relaxing, draped over the side of my ottoman–for whatever reason, he loves to lean on furniture–back feet on the floor, front half on the furniture. He’s happy to sit in that position for, well, not quite hours, but quite a while! He’s even fallen asleep that way. I think he’s a little overloaded on photos for a while, though, since he didn’t exactly smile for the camera. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t like the red-eye pre-flashes–as soon as the automatic light meter kicks in, he blinks and looks away!

Dawn (aka the Birthday Girl) left a comment asking, “Typically, she can remember exactly which books we were reading at what time (and considering the number of books we read… this is no small task!) So my question about the photo, what books were we reading?” As sorry as I am to disappoint her . . . I really can’t say for sure. I don’t remember the exact moment my Mom shot the photo. Since our books look like matching hardcovers, though, I’d guess that we were either doing homework, or reading part of the same series–my guess would be Katherine Kurtz’s “Camber” trilogy.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Tickled Pink // Add Comment »

  Today is my best, and oldest friend’s birthday. (Oldest, that is, in that I’ve known her since I was 8 and she was 7. Good heavens . . . that means it will be 30 years in September!) Anyway, she’s out in California, I’m here in in NJ, and so I won’t get to see her, but I’m thinking of her anyway! In fact, to be completely nostalgic, this is one of my favorite pictures, taken when we were in high school. It seems like we never sat down together without having a tray with a pitcher or a teapot between us–not so much because we ate a lot, but because we thought it was a very classy thing to do. This was a pretty standard reading session for us (though of course, we didn’t always wear hats and dresses!). My mom took the photo from her bedroom window–you can just see the wrist strap in the corner of the picture. I’ve always liked the criss-crossing diagonals.

In other news, I started plying my singles last night! (These, incidentally, are a birthday gift for a different friend whose b-day is at the end of the month–though if Dawn knitted, I’d make yarn for her, too.) I actually filled up one of my bobbins with the fushcia yarn and I love the way it’s coming out. Not an even width, but really, that would have been too much to expect–but it’s soft, and balanced, and very pretty. I didn’t have a chance to take a picture or measure w.p.i., but it’s definitely leaning toward bulky weight.

• Tags: Friends • Permalink:My Best Friend’s Birthday // 2 Comments »

 I finished my pink, fuschia singles! Very excited. This is my first pair of full bobbins, ready to be plied. I can’t wait to see the finished yarn. I just hope it won’t be too hard to give away . . .

“Happiness is a condition of the mind, and has very little to do with outward circumstances.” –Helen Keller

And so, I’m reading this biography of Helen Keller, and am enjoying it quite a lot. I’ve had it a long time–my parents gave it to me for my 14th birthday. This is a huge book, mind you, and excited as I was about it, it was an adult-level, serious history/biography, and I never got past the first section on Annie Sullivan’s childhood. And then, it sat on the shelf . . . for 24 years. I finally decided it was time to read it, and I’m learning a lot about this admirable woman. Like, for example, that she was a radical socialist, who encouraged violent revolt because she thought the plight of poor workers and their children demanded radical steps. And yet, she was very anti-war and thought people should never fight. She and Annie supported themselves with lectures and Vaudeville routines. (Yes, Vaudeville.) She was also proposed to, by letter, by a widower with four children, whom she had never met. Now that’s particularly hard to imagine. Even more so since, after having the man checked out, Annie actually passed the letter on. (Apparently there was a certain amount of protectiveness there.) It’s an interesting story, and my . . . I’ve always admired her for being such a strong person overcoming great odds, but what a bright and vibrant personality she had. Caring, generous, eager, helpful . . . Great woman.

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Singles! // Add Comment »

 I woke up this morning to the Wedding March on the radio. Yes, that’s the one–satin, lace, flowers, men in tuxedos. That Wedding March. Then, when I got in the car to come to work, the mix-cd I was listening to cued to “Let’s Get Married” by the Proclaimers. Is somebody trying to tell me something? I really don’t mind being single!

  (You do remember the Proclaimers, don’t you? Two twin brothers from Scotland, whose first hit was “Letter from America” in 1987, but also “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles),” which was featured in “Benny and June” and “On my Way,” which was in “Shrek.” They even opened for Barenaked Ladies in 2001. Anyway, “Let’s Get Married” is one of my favorite songs. Take a listen: (3rd song on the Greatest Hits album)

http://www.proclaimers.co.uk/2003/the_music.html

We had the merest amount of snow last night–just enough for a dusting on the streets and sidewalks, but almost nothing on the trees, grass, or bushes. It was a little weird, then, when I drove past the local elementary school this morning and saw no activity. Before, of course, I remembered that it’s Martin Luther King Day. I’m not one of the lucky ones to have the day off work, but I’m glad to officially remember him, anyway.

  If nothing else comes up, I think I’ll finish spinning those pink singles in the next day or so–such a relief! I’ve been concerned. And I think it’s time I really decided which lace patterns I want to incorporate into my Pi-are-Square shawl. It’s almost Cast-On day and time is running out. Not, of course, that I couldn’t make my decisions as I go–it’s just better to have some ideas! And, hurray, my yarn arrived from Schoolhouse Press. A lovely, deep red, lace-weight Icelandic wool.

  The best part, though, is that the sun is actually shining. I needed to pull my sunglasses out today for the first time in over a week. I’d forgotten how nice it is just to have the sun shine. It almost makes up for the fact that, without the cloud cover, it’s much, much colder! Only about 24 degrees (Farenheit, of course.) Oh, and naturally, my curls are looking just fine today! I gave them a quick little protein boost last night with Nexxus Retexxture, and today they’re bouncy and springy . . . you know, what I would have liked them to be on Saturday for that portrait sitting! (No, no, not complaining. It’s just the Murphy’ Law of Hair: It will look its best the day before and the day after you need it to look good, but not on the day itself. This is a corrolary to the Haircut-Day rule, where your hair will always look great the morning of your appointment.)

• Tags: General, Hair, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Monday, with snow // 1 Comment »

So, in the first 24 hours of my blog, I’ve had to update the “Current Reads” list three times. Is it actually possible that I read too quickly? (I’ve been told this in the past, but have always scoffed–reading too quickly is as ludicrous as having too many books or too much yarn. You can never have too much; you can only have too little space.)

Still . . . I’ve finished “Decider” by Dick Francis. I was in the mood for a mystery, and his have always been good, so . . . I finished that on Friday. Then yesterday, I finished “Where the Heart Is” by Billie Letts–the only “old” Oprah pick (before she started promoting classics) that I ever enjoyed. It’s sweet in that quirky, small-town way that’s become so popular.

Now I’m reading “A Very Long Engagement” by Sebastien Japrisot. It came highly recommended and is supposed to be a good, new film. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/very_long_engagement/

I’m about 2/3 through, and enjoying the story–a mystery about what really happened to Mathilde’s fiance when he and 4 other soldiers were sent into No-man’s land as an execution one winter’s night during WWI. It’s interesting watching her piece the pieces together.

However–and I’m wondering if anyone else ever has this problem–it’s a translation from French to English, and I always have trouble with the flow of the reading in a translation. Obviously, a good translator (and make no mistake, this is a good translation), will try to capture as much of the original feel and flow as possible, but no writing is ever as good as it is in its native language. Some phrases, some nuances just cannot be translated. Of all of the books I have, and all the books I’ve read, not one of my favorites, not one of the books I’ve loved has ever been a translation. Some have been good stories, some have been true, real classics, but I always have the slightest trouble connecting, like we’re always slightly out of phase with each other. Am I the only one? I’d never really noticed this before, but I also just read “Kristin Lavransdatter” and had the same problem there. I think that if I hadn’t read two translated books so close together, I wouldn’t have made this connection at all.

Though still, unless it falls down miserably, this book is going to come recommended. Good story, and now I’m curious about the film.

No pictures of updated spinning or knitting. I added a number of rows to my hood last night while watching the Tsunami Relief Concert on NBC. (The concert, I thought, was one of those admirable things, but a little boring. They tried so hard to be solemn and serious–because it was for a solemn and serious cause–there wasn’t much “life” in the performances. Some were good, some less so, but the whole thing would have been better with a live audience.)

Anyway, I worked on my hood and caught up with magazine reading–

• “INKnitters” which I will NOT be buying again–good enough technical articles, but the patterns are dreadful and even the models look like they wish they were elsewhere, like the blond looking in the mirror like she’s possessed, wondering why she looks so terrible. Not to mention the very bad postures and poses. And, don’t get me started on the “Car Wash Wearable Afghan”–horrid!
• “Piecework,” a magazine I subscribed to when it first came out, but haven’t read for years until I picked it up at Barnes & Noble a week ago on a whim.
• “Vogue Knitting”–a really good issue, with some lovely patterns. Not too weird, not too boring, not too old, not too stuffy, not too hip. Nice. (And INKnitters really didn’t fare well by comparison!)
• “Spin Off,” my first issue. I just flipped through that one, because by then I was getting tired (grin)

Today, my plan is to make up for yesterday’s lost spinning time. I also have bread dough rising downstairs–I hope. This is the first time I’ve baked bread since November. Dad’s been working his way through his four loaves of Christmas Stollen, and now that it’s gone, I can start providing “normal” bread that the rest of us can enjoy also. Nobody in the family likes stollen except Dad . . . which is just as well, really, since he refuses to share! So . . . spinning, baking, and reading. Minimal cleaning, some laundry (because a girl needs clean clothes for work), and tomorrow’s Monday . . . sigh.

UPDATE:

  Well, here’s how I’ve spent my day…

There’s little, mini fruitcakes for Dad, to help ease him away from his beloved Christmas Stollen. Then, there are the three loaves of bread I baked–it had to be three instead of the usual two. The bowl of dough even overflowed while it was rising; there was no way all that was fitting into two loaf pans! And then, Mom’s favorite, blueberry scones. (Though I admit these came from a mix from King Arthur Flour. The little fruit-cupcakes, that recipe I made up as I went along–basically a butter cake with the candied fruit added in.)

I’m almost done with “A Very Long Engagement” and am looking forward to seeing how it ends! I span for about 20 minutes, but stopped when my legs started getting tired. There’s no question I’m getting faster. In fact, I’ve been concentrating more on speed than on consistent drafting, just because I’ve been so worried I wouldn’t get this spun in time for Cindy’s birthday. So, my speed has picked up a LOT. As soon as this is done, though, I’ll shift the focus to “even” rather than “fast.” I want to try the long-draw draft, too, but figured it wasn’t a good idea to experiment too much in a skein that’s supposed to be a gift!

• Tags: Baking, General, Reading • Permalink:Reading too quickly // 1 Comment »

One of my Christmas gifts this year was a gift-certificate to have my and Chappy’s photo taken at Motophoto, something I’ve wanted for a while. I had had mine and Katy’s taken when she was about 8 months old and have been so grateful to have a really good photo of her.

So, this morning, we trooped off into town. Unfortunately, while Chappy was cute and charming and photogenic, practically every picture of me looked terrible–my hair looked bad, or my smile was too big (you know, chipmunk-cheeks and scrunched up eyes). The photographer–a dog lover–was nice enough to take us back for just a few more shots of Chappy. We left with several copies of this:

I’ll need to get a 5×7″ frame for my room, but I love the picture. He looks so happy!

I even managed to get some spinning done before we left–very carefully not letting the pink merino/silk blend anywhere near my green corduroy pants. I’m feeling a little more comfortable about getting this done for my friend’s birthday in two more weeks . . . it would help if I knew when we were getting together for the present exchange. She works 7 days a week now, and family gatherings take priority, so . . . I figure I should get it done as soon as possible, so as to be ready. I think I’m about 2/3 there.

Here’s what I’ve got on the wheel right now, and a picture of my one, full bobbin with what I’ve got left to spin:

I got about another inch knitted on my hood last night, while watching “Joan of Arcadia.” I think I should easily have that done in time to start the EZasPI knit-along next weekend. And for that, I’m still browsing through lace patterns, looking for the ones I want to use in my shawl.

 The thing that concerns me is that–even with the garter-stitch border–the hood is still curling! Here’s a photo of it, next to the “Viking Knits” book, opened to the page I’m basing my hood on.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Portrait sitting // 4 Comments »

So, it’s not very current, but a photo of me and baby-puppy Chappy, back in 2001 when he was only about two months old. My hair’s not as red and he’s about 5 times bigger, but . . . here we are!

Meanwhile, the sky is finally starting to clear a bit, after 4 straight days of rain and major fog. What a weird week of weather we’ve had here! I’m just glad it’s Friday afternoon. Another half hour, and I can go home!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Later that day… // 3 Comments »

Okay, this is my first blog, and my first entry, which is going to say . . . pretty much nothing! I’m figuring out how this works and am doing it illicitly from the office, so . . . I’ll do more later, when I’m home!

I promise . . . there’s more (and better, I hope) to come!

Deb

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Very first // 1 Comment »