No more two-timing

Visit my new blog here.

[Well, it's really the same ol' blog - it's just in a new place.]

Mama said There'd be Days like This...

When I walked into the office this morning and the door swung back unexpectedly, knocking my large iced coffee out of my hand and onto the carpet in the reception area, I should've just turned around and gone back home. If only I'd known then what I know now...

All in all, it wasn't a horrible day. It's just that at 45 minutes til quitting time, I was reminded of something that had to be ready the next day and a simple task that should've taken fifteen minutes ended up taking over six hours. The only good thing about it is that a lot of that time was spent waiting around for software to download so I got a fair amount of work done on Sniffy II. I only have about 3" of the lace left to go before I start the cuff. Is it possible that I'll have two more FOs by this weekend? Only time will tell.

I didn't manage to take any pictures of my Independence Day. It was spent with friends (both human and canine) at a cookout around the way. It was an extremely lazy day with good food, an unfortunate thunderstorm that took out the dish during the WC game. I did manage to give Sis her Mookie Pi (if only I'd taken a picture of her wearing it as a 'rasta hat'). We're still waiting to see if Mookie is gonna go for it - apparently she did some sort of Hokey Pokey, you-put-your-right-paw-in, you-take-your-right-paw-out kind of dance with it last night. I've been promised pictures if she ever actually crawls in.

Holiday Block Party

After searching my room high and low looking for signs of Sniffy I - not to mention the 4:00 a.m. bedtime - I finally found it the next day snuggled up under my unfinished Gigi. I decided to take that as a sign to finish her once and for all. Lookie! She's being wetblocked as we speak. Hopefully something magical happens and she actually ends up fitting. If not, it's off to Frog Island.

Truth be told, part of the kick in the pants was the release of the July issue of MagKnits. I'm tempted by the Ballet Camisole, despite the potential chestical issues, and I told myself I couldn't cast it on until I finished up Gigi, so there you have it. I think I'll even use the yarn from the Project Formerly Known as Thorn for B.C. so I can maintain my yarn diet (day 2 and I was already jonesin' for a fix).

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! My Big Sis's birthday present is finis! I like the way it turned out, I only hope Mookie and her mama feel the same.

Project: Mookie Pi
Pattern: Wendy's Felted Kitty Bed aka Kitty Pi
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky in Blue Magic (2) & Silver/Grey (1); slightly less than all 3 skeins
Needles: Size 11 Denise Interchangables
Started: June 25, 2006
Completed: July 1, 2006 (wow, that's pretty good for me)
Modifications: I made the sides a little higher than called for and left off the frou frou edging. Sis claims that Mookie isn't that kind of girl

In other knitting news, I'm on the leg part of Sniffy II and it's pretty much my commuter project. More importantly I have to get crackin' on Penny. The World Cup is over on Sunday and I've gotta have that sucker knit and sewn together by then. If I can get the main part of the knitting done by Thursday night, I'll consider myself in good shape.

Almost Forgot

Here's my Saturday Sky:
Not one of the more exciting skies we've had lately, but at least we can see some blue skies and occasionally the sun. Unfortunately, it's a WC semifinal day so I'm spending the majority of the day indoors. At least I should turn the heel on Sniffy II.

Who'd've Thunk?

It's late-ish Friday night, and I just cast off Mookie Pi. She's currently in a hottub (i.e. washing machine) with a few towels and now I'll just have to wait and see how she felts up. No, I didn't felt a test swatch - I'm a rebel; I live by my own code. Undoubtedly this code will involve cranky tears in about 20 minutes but we'll see. I'm sure I also should've waited until tomorrow morning, but if I can get it blocking tonight, there's a fighting chance it'll be dry in time for the birthday girl. [Note: just started running it through the 2nd time. I'm trying to get rid of the stitch definition - hopefully the second wash will help with that]

Despite being no where near done with an actual pair of socks, I'm right on my own personal schedule of casting off UglyBroad #1 yesterday. Ends aren't woven, of course, but she's off needles. I'm almost at the heel turning point of Sniffy 2, so I think I'll work on that so at least I have one finished pair of socks and then I'll cast on UB #2 and maybe that toe-up sock I mentioned with the cool sock yarn my SP got me.

Speaking of socks, I got my STR in the mail today. Ain't it purty? The Jasper colorway is for a pair of socks for Steph; I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the Saratoga. I finally had to force myself to stop fondling it and set it aside to finish up Mookie Pi. I'd been considering taking a picture of my sock yarn stash, but then I saw Wendy's and decided I wasn't quite ready to run with the big dogs yet.

Watching qualifying (though I already know Chimmie is rolling off 9th tomorrow night). He's running this funky Shamu car for the Pepsi 400 - I do love the Lowe's car so it's gonna be weird to look for a different paint scheme on the track. I'm sure I'll make do.

Happy Half-Birthday To Me!

I got the BEST present this morning for my half-birthday. Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane...it's the SUN! Sure, there's a dam about to burst in Rockville and the Potomac is still extremely high on its banks, but it's not grey! Hopefully this day without (much) rain will help give everything a chance to settle down (although our good friends at The Weather Channel seem to think there are more isolated and scattered thunderstorms on our way tomorrow and early next week).

Present numero dos: I got home with late night to find a package waiting for me on my dining room table. I'd show you a picture of it all nice and neat and unopened but the greedy gus in me sort of tore it open before I thought of that. I love goodies! Inside was a bottle of hand soap which is already sitting next to my sink - how you knew that sun-ripened raspberry was my favorite bath and body works scent? Nestled along side is a small bottle of Eucalan - I suppose now I don't have an excuse for not blocking Gigi anymore. Last but CERTAINLY not least is a skein of Sockotta in a blue, green & purple colorway. I'm thinking it's got Wendy's Toe-Up sock pattern written all over it.

So, in case you missed it, THANK YOU, SP, FOR THE AWESOME STASH!

I've gone a wee bit overboard with the Fleece Artist sock yarn. Two of these are gifts and one is for a pair of socks for Mom, theoretically. I blame that pair on Carol - she was making the Raindrop Lace socks and I couldn't help myself. It's gonna be the Year of Socks...quite possibly the Decade o' Socks with all the sock yarn I've managed to acquire. But it's so pretty!

The final stash aquisition picture - at least until my priority mail package arrives - is the KnitPicks Shimmer for my Candle Flame Shawl. It arrived yesterday, I just didn't think to take a picture. I've never played with laceweight before. Casting on is going to have to wait at least until I finish the Ugly Broads and free up my size 4 circs. My master plan is to have the first one and Mookie Pi have to be off needles by Friday. We'll see what happens between now and then.

Because Fabio's Wife Said So

My friend Liz - whose hubby's name IS Fabio, for the record - emailed this to me and I thought it would be a good way to kill ten minutes before my meeting:

Four places I have worked are:

- Fugate Concessions: selling funnel cakes and elephant ears around the Central Ohio county and state fair circuit circa 1985-87
- Rax Roast Beef: No, we DON'T have Arby's sauce.
- high school and college libraries: thanks Pig (& Piglet) for introducing me to soccer
- The Gap & Starbucks: my yuppie lovechild days

Four movies I would watch over and over again: (Ummmmm)
- Princess Bride
- Blues Brothers
- Much Ado About Nothing (if only we could find a way to recast Keanu...)
- Usual Suspects

Four places I have lived:
- Allentown, PA
- Columbus, OH
- Gambier, OH

- 'burbs of Washington, DC

Four TV shows I love to watch:
- CSI (the original)
- Lost
- How I Met Your Mother (gotta support those KC grads)

- Grey's Anatomy

Four places I have been on vacation:
- Caribbean (pick a cruise, any cruise)
- London, England
- Outer Banks, NC
- Paris (in September, since Liz is playing the 'in the future' game

Four websites I visit daily:
- Bloglines
- Google
- lately, FIFAWorldCup
- NASCAR.com

Four of my favorite foods:
- French Fries
- oatmeal/chocoalte chip cookies
- fried chicken
- cheeseburgers
* Honorable mention: Bacon/Pineapple pizza from the Cove

Four places I would rather be right now:
- home on the couch knitting and watching the World Cup
- the beach
- Bryan S's parents' house in the Smokies (with requisite BBQ and friends, of course)
- Costa Maya, Mexico with my friends, taking turns getting out of the water to fetch the next round of Dos Equis

Four Friends that have been tagged that I think MIGHT respond:
Are there 4 people who read this blog?

Five days down, 35 to go

Until we're all washed away, that is. Starting last Thursday, it has done nothing but rain rain rain rain rain. Actually, "rain" doesn't fully encapsulate what's been going on here in the Mid-Atlantic. Thunderstorms, torrential downpours, MUDSLIDES for goodness sake! And, of course, the Rio Garfield has reappeared in our basement. Good to know we'll always have our own water source in case of emergency. Fortunately our lovely concrete floor slopes gently towards the oh-so-attractive hole in the basement where the water pump thingy lives so we don't end up with three feet of standing water like friends of mine. That'll ruin your whole day.

I'm still packing my brain chock-full of World Cup-py goodness, but I'll spare you the gory details, especially of the Portugal-Netherlands match up. Suffice it to say, I think the Uruguayan ref from the U.S.-Italy game and the Russian ref were trained at the same academy.

Fortunately, my knitting hasn't suffered during my 4-hours-a-day-of-soccer-viewing. I decided that the best way to address my infidelity issues was to...well, to cast on another project of course! I realized I'd been dragging my feet on starting Joan's b-day present...Actually, that's not true - I realized Joan's birthday was in 8 days, so I cast on Mookie Pi. We shopped for the yarn a while ago and I just got around to casting on yesterday. I was a third of the way done as of bedtime, so maybe there's a fighting chance I'll finish it before the deadline. *snicker* Right.

Sittin' in the middle of Mookie Pi (I just like typing Mookie Pi) is Ugly Broad, take 2. I decided to cast on again with a larger needle so that the 'sock that doesn't so much rock' has a fighting chance of fitting over my calf. It's taking all of my willpower to stick with the crummy size 4 needle I already have and not use this as an opportunity to go drop another $15 on a new Addi Turbo. Now that I'm committed to D&H's European Vacation, I have to be a little more budget conscious.

Have I mentioned how much I hate road courses? I won't say anything about the result of yesterday's race at Infineon, I'm just saying that I really could've slept for that 4+ hours and been fine with it. Snoozeville. Next week is Daytona though. I luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurve restrictor plate racing. Bring it on! Must find project that won't require me to look at my hands too often for next week's knit & NASCAR - you can't look away from the tv for long at Daytona.

Infidelity

Once again, I'm having issues sticking to my proverbial guns with regards to project fidelity. I had a feeble dream of finishing Sniffy before the Summer of Socks officially began. Yeah, because that would happen. Still, I'm about halfway through the foot of Sniffy2. I ended up working on it at Summers while watching the U.S.-Ghana game. I needed something to do with my hands that didn't involve strangling referees. I'm sure my tension was off for a little bit, but it will all come out in the wash.

Next item up for bid is the first official first day of Summer of Socks sock. I cast on Broadripple LATE last night/early this morning. The long-tail cast on and I just DO NOT get along. The garter doohitchey at the top I'm not crazy about but now that I'm into the pattern it's just kind of scooting along. It reminds me of the Jaywalkers in a sense, but it's more wavy lines and less sharp angles. I'm using KnitPicks Sock Memories - I'm not wild about the colorway, but I can only spend so much money on sock yarn (especially with Fleece Artist waiting for me at the happy place).

Pop's still in the hospital but recovering well from his surgery yesterday. General prognosis is good, but he's in some recovery pain now (esp. since they cut off his morphine - hmm, wonder if Patrick can hook him up). Ma is driving him insane, so he can't be doing too poorly. Work and roommate situations aren't the best and brightest right now either - all I can do is keep pluggin' along. *sigh*

I won't bother discussing the real World Cup. My Knitting World Cup project is half done. I sort-of finished the first go around, but the row gauge ended up being too much and so there's no room for the critical ear-flappage. Fortunately I have oodles of yarn so I'll just have to cast on another one this weekend and see what happens.

Weekend Update

Nah, no Jimmie Fallon or Dennis Miller or even Chevy Chase - just li'l ol' me.

Friday night my friend Pam and I went to investigate a new restaurant/bar nearby, Mama Quan's Tiki Hut. We had originally discussed going to a Nationals game, but decided ultimately if all we wanted to do was sit in the sun and have a beer, there were cheaper ways. For my two cents, the best thing it has going for it is location; then the patio; and one can never poo-poo $2 happy hour beers. The food was decent, too - the sweet potato fries were awesome.

And then there was dessert. Pam ordered this ENORMOUS hot fudge sundae. Tim was our waiter that night and in charge of dishing up this mass of ice cream, fudge and whipped cream. Tim is VERY excited about his job. Either that or he just loved us. As long as we reaped the benefits, we were okay with his puppy-like enthusiasm.

Yesterday was soccerpalooza. Ghana-Czech Republic, U.S.-Italy & DCU-Revs. I had a screaming headache by the time I got home, but that probably had more to do with the Screaming Nazi shot Pauly made us do at the beginning of the day than anything else. As one cannot quit cold turkey - and certainly not during the WC - I'm off to see the Japan-Croatia game with Pamela in a bit, then it's on to NASCAR. Chimmie rolls off 4th.

The Next Big Thing

In theory, tomorrow morning, Hol and I will purchase our vacation tickets for London & Paris this fall. In some ways I'm really excited, but there's a hint of sadness thrown in. I finally just had to take the stack of Italy guidebooks I'd purchased in the last several months and retire them to the basement. It's not that I'm not excited about going back to London or exploring the Lourve, but Florence & Rome had really been the master plan for this vacation and I'm having a little trouble letting go.

Have been doing a little knitting here and there. I think I'm going to have to alter the pesky Penobscot Bay hat. As usual, my stitch gauge was okay; my row gauge left a smidge to be desired. So, the hat for the most part is done, but I'm not sure if I'm going to add the ear flaps. It's already plenty long to tug down over the ears. In addition, I definitely need stranding/fair isle lessons. It's incredibly sloppy. But cute! I think I'd like it with more green, though. We'll see. I still have plenty left over to make another one.

I did a little sock yarn ordering today, too. Since we're plunkin' down cash for the trip soon, I'm going to have to go on a yarn diet of immense proportions. Didn't stop me from snapping up a little STR which I will photograph as soon as I can get my greedy little paws on it. I'm sure Hol will con me into getting some Fleece Artist when it comes into the shop. She's bad that way.

Speaking of sock yarny goodness, I've been making some progress on Sniffy. I do love the Spirit Trail Superwash/Nylon blend though. They're not even done yet but so far, of all the vast quantities of socks I've knit so far (uh, 2 pair), these fit the best by far. Maybe it's because they're toe up or perhaps because I frogged that sucker 92 times before the fit was just right. Of course, the chances of me being able to perfectly replicate sock #1 are fairly slim. And I'd upload a lovely picture of Sniffy but Blogger's being funky. Maybe tomorow.

Crack in the Round

"This is a chocolate-iced Krispy Kreme glazed. This is the caviar of doughnuts,the Dom
Perignon of doughnuts, the Mercedes Benz of doughnuts."
"Bet Me" by Jennifer Crusie

I made the critical error of discovering that the Krispy Kreme located a mere two blocks from my office isn't just the storefront like I originally believed. They have the full-on doughnut oven, icing-waterfall setup. Bad, bad news, but oh so tasty.

I trudged up to Dupont Circle this afternoon and had lunch near the fountain. It was a beautiful 80-degree day and perfectly comfortable as long as the wind was blowing. A little sudoku, a little knittin' on Sniffy and I REALLY didn't want to go back to work.

Through some miracle, no one managed to spoil the Brazil-Croatia score before I got home. I ffwd-ed through bits and pieces of it so I could get to Pub Trivia before too much time passed (got there in time for the picture round). Patrick was extremely high on the morphine they'd given him for his broken arm and was HILARIOUS! The singing round alone was worth my $20 tab. Finally, my extensive knowledge of Barry Manilow pays off!

How much is too much?

Soccer that is. I have watched all or part of all 12 WC games to date. I'll see a smidge of the AUS-JPN game tomorrow morning but then comes the one I'm REALLY waiting for: U.S. v. Czech Republic. I'm SO nervous about our chances, but I'm taking the whole day off work (so at least I can have a beer with lunch to settle my nerves).

The benefit to my non-stop soccer viewing is the amount of knitting I've gotten done this weekend. I got the heel turned on Sniffy but I can't figure out where to go from here. The lacy pattern on the Dublin Bay socks runs straight up the sides, which is where the split on my magic loop is. I'm sure it's as simple as just shifting a handful of stitches and moving on, but it's too late for me to focus. If only I could find my dpns, this would all be moot. Hopefully I can find them tomorrow morning before heading to Summers.

My KWC hat is coming along nicely. Well, sort of. I love the yarn, the pattern's a piece of cake, but I've never really done well with changing colors, and this project is no different. The odd white stitches that get worked every so often just don't seem to be the same size/shape/tension as everything else and I'm not sure how to fix it. I'm going to try to block it out and if it's still a mess, I'll keep this hat for myself and make a different one from Mr. G.

I still haven't figured out what time I'm going to head to Summers tomorrow morning. I'm thinking I'll head over during the first half of the early game so I'll head over at maybe 9:30, which just sounds ridiculous, but it's WC time - all bets are off. I'll take a book, I'll take some knitting (if I can get Sniffy to behave); I'll find a way to mark the time.

SPORTS SPOILER [highlight to reveal]: WC games were okay, today. Troy fell asleep at the end of the match and made a mistake which lead to a game-tying goal by LAG. We're still first in the league by a point, but it's still disappointing when we should've come out of CA with 3. Hopefully they can get it together by NE next week. Chimmie didn't have the best of days, coming home 10th and clinging to the points lead by 48. On on to Michigan.

Okay, I'm gonna get some sleep before the insanity of tomorrow. And ask Igor if he's seen my dpns.

Football's Coming Home

I've had Three Lions '98 stuck in my head for the better part of two weeks (thanks a lot, Paul!) but I can finally sing it:

"It's coming home! It's coming home!
It's coming! Football's coming home!"

The 2006 World Cup started today and I cast on my Knitting World Cup project between the first and second games. I knocked out a couple of rows while TrackPassing the qualifiers for Pocono. I'm using KnitPicks' Andean Silk and so far I really like it. My stranding still leaves a bit to be desired, but I guess that's the challenge in the Penobscot Bay (Penny) for me. I don't think I'm going to take it with me to RiRa in the morning for the England game - I think Sniffy will have to accompany me.

The other knit-worthy news I got at work today is that my C*EYE*BER FIBER SOCK yarn arrived today and it's gorgeous. I have to force myself to set it aside in my sock yarn pile to await the SoS. I was considering using it for the Badcaul socks, but I really haven't decided yet. If anyone has any pattern recommendations, let me know!

Ewww, it's definitely time to go to bed. The John Basedow infomercials have begun.

Are you ready for some futbol?

According to the coundown clock on the World Cup website, there are just under 2 hours until the start of the 2006 World Cup. The U.S. has a tough group with the Czech Republic, Ghana & Italy to face in the next couple of weeks, but here's hoping we can squeak out of group play.

I've been working on Sniffy for the last day or so - trying to to finish my last SIP (sock in progress) before Summer of Socks begins. I think my goal for the SoS is going to be to actually make two identical socks. This may be too much to ask for, but I'm going to give it a shot. I'm in the midst of the wrap-and-turn portion of the heel. I don't know why short rows confuse me so much but I'm utterly baffled.

And riddle me this: why did I loan my ball winder to Melyssa when I'm embarking on my Knitting World Cup project today which is all fair-isly and requires 4 balls of yarn that are currently unwound? I am so smart. S-M-R-T...

*apologies to ESPN Magazine for stealing their headline

Socks Gone Wild

Oh yeah, two finished objects in one week. I'll pause here while you recover from the shock.

Pattern: Ubiquitous Jaywalkers by Grumperina
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM in purply goodness (one skein is decidedly darker than the other)
Needles: Um, 2 size 0 16" circular needles
Started: March 3, 2006
Ended: June 6, 2006 (wow, that's just pathetic)
Modifications: Um, no

I may have to start looking into knitting two socks at once, for fun with equal tension and all that jazz.

I'll turn into a grown-up knitter one of these days (but what fun would that be?)

In today's Adventures in Nerd-dom, I've been cutting cable for our new patch panel for the last couple of days. Yesterday it was a tangle of yellow of spaghetti, and this morning started with a nest of blue cable that just wouldn't untangle. It wasn't until we ran out of blue and had to switch to grey that I had my first giggle of the morning. Blue, yellow and grey eh? It's Team Lowe's cable!

It's not easy to be this big of a dork, y'all, but somebody had to do it.

Slowest Knitter in America

It's unofficial, but I'm fairly certain that if there were ever any sort of competition, I could kick some serious slacker knitting booty. I'm just saying.

Having said that, LOOKY! It's a crummy photo (as usual) but it's a crummy photo of a FINISHED OBJECT! And for a KAL no less!

Pattern: Pomatomus socks from the Winter 2005 Knitty
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Peacock
Needles: size 2 32" circular needle (go magic loop!)
Started: March 25, 2006
Ended: June4, 2006 (wow, that's just pathetic)
Modifications: You're joking, right?

I loved this yarn and once I got over my chart fear, it was smooth sailing. Now, they're not perfect by any stretch of the imagination - one is slightly longer than the other and one is slightly looser. I have no idea how these things manage to happen to me, but as 2006 is the Summer of Socks, I'm assuming by September I'll have mastered this whole process.

My boys - DC United - played for the third time in 8 days yesterday and brought home another 3 points, extending their lead to 10 over KC and Columbus. We're away for our next two matches then back home towards the end of the month - here's hoping they can keep it up. The 2006 World Cup starts in a five days though U.S.'s first game isn't for just over a week. I can't wait!

NASCAR SPOILER! Highlight to reveal! [Well, that little trick worked from home...sorry bout that!]After having to use an owner's points provisional to make the field (nasty spin on qualifying lap), Chimmie rolled off, what, 39th? and had a crap day until about the last hour and a half where a combination of luck, skill, and great pit (or no-pit calls) by Chad got us back into the top 10 where we finished 6th on the day. Kenseth won (Waxler must be happy) but after having run in the low 30s all day, I'm THRILLED with a top-10 finish Matt made up about 30 points on us, but we held onto the points lead so I'll take it. Next week: Pocono.

All done. So, next up I have to finish up C's Jaywalkers (SO close!) and Gigi (ditto!) and I have to swatch Penobscot Bay before the World Cup starts.

Double-Secret-Probation Secret Pal

Apparently I actually need to post my responses to the SP questionnaire instead of saving it as a draft and thinking, "Oh, I'll finish it later..."

1. My favorite yarn to knit with is:
- I don't think I really have a favorite. I've been on a sock kick lately and I love Cherry Tree Hill superwash merino sock yarn, but I like just about everything.

2. I really do not enjoy knitting with:
- I'm not much of a yarn snob but my mom asked me to make her a poncho out of Lion Brand Color Waves. That is the only yarn in my life that I've ever felt squeak between my fingers. Never. Again.

3. If I had a choice, I would banish this yarn from my LYS:
- Hmm, I'm not crazy about novelty yarns, but other than that I'm perfectly happy wallowing in their yarn supply.

4. If I could knit only one more project for the rest of my life, it would be:
- I'd have to say Alice Starmore's Inishmore. It's been my dream project for about 7 years or so and if I were to never knit anything else, I'd like to at least finish that.

5. My favorite flower is:
- I like spring flowers: gerbera daisies, daffodils, tulips, Calla lilies.

6. My current color obsession is:
- sage green or blue-grey

7. My other interests are:
- In no particular order: soccer (U.S. National Team & DC United), NASCAR (Jimmie!), reading, travel (I hope to go to London & Paris this fall), music

8. Something I wish I knew more about is:
- Hmm. Everything! I'd probably have to say travel. I didn't get bitten by the travel bug until a couple of years ago and now I feel like I'm playing catch-up!

9. A knitting technique I want to learn is:
- It's a toss-up between learning the Continental method and learning colorwork.

10. My favorite needles to knit with are:
- I almost exclusively use circular needles any more. I'm a big fan of Addi Turbo circs.

11. Do you knit socks?
- Yup!

12. Please provide your foot measurements*:
length (longest toe to heel):
instep circumference:
ankle circumference:
- I have mutantly large feet - I would never ask anyone else to make socks for li'l ol' me.

13. What was your favorite childhood movie?
- Wow. Um. Maybe the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

14. What is one thing in your knitting bag that you can't live without?
- My stitch markers and my locking row counter

15. What is lacking in your notions bag that you really, really want? (Cable needle, Kacha Kacha, Chibi, etc.)
- I tend to snap up gadgets as I see them, but the only thing I can think of is a circular needle holder. The only ones I've seen are the hanging ones with the slots for each needle size.

16. What is currently on the needles at your house?
- Oh my...um...Two pairs of socks (Jaywalkers and Dublin Bay). Inishmore (Alice Starmore), a Kitty Pi (with another in the wings). That's my no means the complete list but that's the active rotation. Oh! And Gigi (Green Gable) that's gonna come off any day now, I promise.

17. If you could do nothing but knit all day, every day, for the next month (and get paid for it!), what would you knit?
- All day? Well, if I was sufficiently air conditioned, Inny (Inishmore). It's wool so I would need to be cool enough, but there's enough going on with the pattern that I don't think I would get bored - and project boredom is an issue with me.

18. Least favorite color(s):
- I'm not big on pink (sorry Hol!) or brown. Everything else is pretty much okay.

19. Favorite genre of music? Or any way you want to answer that question...basically it's the what kind of music do you like question.
- I like just about everything except gangsta rap and extremely twangy country. I listen to everything from Top 40 to contemporary country to hip hop to classical to jazz.

20. Favorite candy or sweet:
- My current favorite is Take 5 candy bars. The Greatest Candy Bar Ever.

21. What is the most challenging thing you have ever knit?
- I'd have to say Inny (although she's not done yet). Learning to follow a chart, cable w/o a needle...although I'm about to embark on my first fair isle project so this answer could change.

22. How long have you been knitting?
- 10 years, give or take

Playing Catch-Up

I don't even know where to start.

A week ago, I flew down to Atlanta to set off on this first of this season's camping trips - Camp Hedon. Leaving out the vast majority of the dirty details, it was a pretty good time, more or less. I spent the first 36 hours being my usual socially-awkward freak self and pretty much regretting the fact that I made the trek to north-central Georgia. My gut reaction was that C should've gone back to this first one on her own to do her whole reacquainting thing before I could expect her to even pretend to provide the handholding I need when surrounded by 150 strangers. I should've stuck with my gut.

At the end of the day, it was all good. I finally relaxed, got to know the small handful of people that C deemed worthy and had a great time for the latter half of the camping trip. I'm completely overwhelmed with mosquito bites and dirty laundry and stories that can't be repeated in polite company. Not to mention the rather intense game of Izzy Dizzy (which I always called Dizzy Bat - now I know the error of my ways). I think we need to all take a moment to admire the fact that B&S (our lovely host and hostess) have an outdoor tiki bar - complete with ceiling fans, neon beer signs, and a kegerator.

Not a whole lot of news on the knitting front. A bit of work on MP on the flights to and fro, but that's about it. I did use C's ballwinder to wrap up the yarn to finish up Hippo. In an ideal world, I'll finish up both Hippo & Gigi this weekend. And I should prolly knock out the birthday girl's socks. But I'm only one woman, so we'll see.

When an old injury flares up

An old knitting injury, that is. The right-side of my shoulder/neck has been all twitchy for the last day or so. It's more likely the result of stress or bad knitting posture (not to mention the season finale of Lost last night) than the return of my Knitting Olympics gimpitude, but it's still not making me very happy.

In other knitting news, I didn't even THINK about picking up Gigi last night. Packing desperation took over every semi-functioning brain cell I have. Of course, when will I learn that I'm only going to wear my favorite pair of shorts, 5 shirts, and 2 long sleeve shirts all weekend anyway?

I head off to Hotlanta in a little under six hours for my first AH4 encounter. I'm still not sold on this whole flying-to-camp thing. I mean, how can I POSSIBLY take everything I need to go camping on an airplane? That doesn't even sound right.

This & That

This was the view from my front porch this weekend as I lazed about knitting on our porch swing, working on Hippo. I contemplated trying to arrange a picture of my knitting, but decided the spring day was more than picturesque enough on its own.

Friday night was Shan's birthday party. A fairly low-key affair, at least for me. She, on the other hand, had a rough Saturday morning. I spent Sat. afternoon at Dr. Ho's graduation cookout/party & Sunday was spent cruising Old Town with my adoptive sister searching for yarn for a Kitty Pi for Mookie.

One of these Things is not like the Other

Note the snazzily exposed toes. Are you dazzled by the fading pedicure? How about the TWO INCH REMAINING TAIL OF YARN!!!??? So close, and yet, so far. We won't discuss the 4" of yarn remaining on the cast on edge. Nor will we discuss the fact that the long tail cast on that I used on both socks probably ate up all the yarn I needed. Enter: emergency rations. I stopped by KH this weekend and picked up an extra skein of ye olde Peacock just to be on the safe side. Unfortunately, I was so busy zooming in and out that I forgot to wind the 400+ yards so now I need to hunt down a swift before I can finish the last 3 inches. ARGH!

Almost There...

I cast off the hem to Gigi a couple of nights ago but can't quite bring myself to finish her. I think she's going to be a smidge too big and, and I don't ever really finish her, I can't be proven right, eh? During my weekend jaunt to the shop this weekend, I also picked up some Eucalan so I can eventually block it. Keep your fingers crossed. I've got some stuff to do tomorrow but hopefully I can get the arms done and start blocking her before the season finale of Lost.

Lookie what the nice delivery person brought me!!!

On the left we have my KnitPicks Andean Silk for the Penobscot Bay hat (my Knitting World Cup project). The blue in the upper left is Hyacinth but it's a smidge more purple than I'd really like. I may return it and order 2 more skeins in a different shade. On the right we have random sock yarn that I got to bump up my order total and a book on Continental Knitting. Of course, now I know it was destiny so I'd have extra sock yarn to participate in the Summer of Socks.

Last but not least, we have my tax refund check! As soon as Hol gets back from OKC we can get down to some serious vacation planning. W'HOO!!!

While the Cat's Away...

...the mouse will sit behind closed doors and knit on Hippo all day. I've made it through the heel flap but haven't had a chance to turn it. Since I got through most of it at work, I figured that's where it should get photographed. Here we have Hippo serving as a sleeping bag for my Charming T.K. Koosh doll thingy. Given to me by a less-than-charming T.K. many many years ago.

I got a lot further along on Gigi last night while I was watching Lost last night than I thought I had. I'm still not sold on the fit - it's a little baggy and I'm not sure what the arms are going to do but I'm in for a penny here, so 'll just have to finish it up and see what happens. I have a birthday thang tomorrow night, but most of the day free Saturday and Sunday so hopefully I'll be done by this weekend. We'll see.

Since I have a bazillion skeins of sock yarn (and four more on the way), I'm seriously considering joining the Summer of Socks KAL. Since I have 3 pairs already on needles, I think that I may be preordained. Something more to contemplate.

Brought to you by the Letter B

Blue - I'm having lustful thoughts for MamaE's June Bug. I'm obsessing over sock yarn anyway, might as well obsess over the purty stuff.

Borders - swung by yesterday and picked up a couple of Time Outs for London & Paris. Hol & I are still in the introductory stage of planning for a September trip. At this point, it's my fault because we're waiting for my tax refund to get here so I can sign it over to the travel gods.

BBQ - Aimee, Hol and I went to Red, Hot and Blue for dinner tonight after late night. Mmmm, pulled pork.

Boonedocks - Only one more week until I'm jetting off to Atlanta (yes, again!) for another camping trip in the rain with Stick. How do I let her con me into these things?

Bonus - A little present I got from Waxler at dinner last night. I know how much it must've pained her to touch these items but I appreciate her sacrifice because it's Chimmie-goodness.

Blogging - I'm toying with the idea of making a change. Stay tuned...

Okay, that's enough of that...

I'm going through a period of lusting for a new digital camera. My Olympus Camedia D-580 is perfectly fine (I did spend about 15 seconds trying to figure out how to take a picture of said camera...with a camera...it was all very convoluted). However, I've been longing for a camera that doesn't use AA batteries, that has a larger LCD screen and that is overall slightly smaller. I'm going to try to be responsible and hold off for a month or two and see if I get over it. Blogging has definitely increased my desire for a more portable one.

Knitterly update: Nothing photo worthy. I'm halfway through the third repeat on my Hippos and have about an inch or so left on Gigi before I get to the hem. I should start on the heel flap sometime tomorrow, I imagine.

It Takes a Village

...to name a sock.

Hol & I laid the groundwork but Elizabeth takes the prize for adding that final touch.

"Did you know that the Liffey is sometimes referred to as the 'Sniffy', which, since you're making a sock...."

We have a winner.

KALs-R-Us

Or not.

I'm back on KAL watch this week. Two hours of the Grey's Anatomy season finale can provide one with a lot of time for brainless knitting. I have 2.5" to go on Gigi until the next pattern shift. It would be great if I could have it all wrapped up by Memorial Day - and it's certainly feasible - but I don't know if I can manage to pull it off, what with my project fidelity issues.

I've managed to get through a repeat and a half of Hippo2 in the last 24 hours. I really like the Hippo toe better than the cast on toe of the Dublin Bay sock (which I've renamed Liffey* - Hol approves). Maybe I'll like Liffey's toe better once I've turned the heel and I'll have a better sense of how it fits. Anyway, I made a lot of stupid mistakes by simply not paying attention to the chart on Hippo. I think it's under control now, though I'm sure there's a wonky spot here and there.

Apparently I decided I needed another KAL that I can pursue at a snail's pace, so I signed up for the Knitting World Cup. My plan is to work on the Penobscot Bay hat from the Winter 2005 Interweave Knits staff projects page. I ordered the yarn that I may or may not be using for it today. I'll do a gauge swatch/practice round and see if that yarn is going to work or if I'm gonna have to order a different round.

I'm wiped after this weekend of workiness and this is NOT a good weekend to be run down. I'm skipping Pub Trivia again tomorrow night (sorry Patrick!) to have dinner with Waxler. Late night at KH Wednesday so Hol won't pout. Birthday outing Friday night for Shan and a couple of other parties on Saturday.

* Stream of consciousness explanation: the River Liffey runs through Dublin and empties into the Dublin Bay. Since I'm reversing the pattern of the Dublin Bay sock, figured I'd rename it for the river instead of the bay it empties into.

Brady Bunch marathons are deadly

Damn you TV Land!!! That's really all I have to say on the matter.

Busy weekend in the life and times of moi. This was our big, biannual work conference weekend so I had a 9-5 day yesterday, then had to work this morning til lunchtime. This year's shindig was held up at Georgetown's Conference Center. The terrace overlooked Kennedy Hall and the sports field (where the Hoyas beat Navy this afternoon), but most of my quality time was spent in the Business Center being at the beck and call of the membership.

Joy. Rapture.

The best thing about the weekend was Chef Ken, who brought me cheesecake with mango and raspberry sauce for breakfast this morning. His wife is having a baby in 4 months; I'm considering making a baby hat as a thank you. Any man who brings me cheesecake before noon is my bestest friend, married or not.

As expected, I didn't actually FINISH the plenary socks. I did start them. Several times as a matter of fact. My stitch count was a wee bit off. Started with 72, knit some, tried it on, frogged, went back to 66 (maybe 68), knit some, tried it on, frogged. Eventually got back to 60 stitches which is about where I wanted it, I guess and now it fits how I want. I do still love the yarn though. Mmmm, Spirit Trail.

Not to be ignored, I messed up Hippo2 several times while watching the series finale of West Wing tonight. It's coming along but it's not particularly photoworthy. I need to get back to my KAL knitting - I should finish a project one of these days. Just for novelty's sake, if nothing else.

Edited 5/15: I was up until stupid 2:30 in the stupid morning watching The Brady Bunch. It wasn't my fault. They started the three-parter where they go to Hawaii and Bobby finds the idol that brings them all of the bad luck...

Sock It To Me

I'll give you a moment to bask in the glory of Hippo 1. What? You want to see the toe? To use yesterday's Word of the Day, it's FABULOUS! I have very strong feelings about this sock. I haven't even succumbed to second sock syndrome - I cast on the 2nd sock right after Hol made me graft the toe and and weave in the end. I'm about halfway through the first repeat on the leg. I still have my fingers crossed that I have enough CTH to finish up.

Contrary to my original plan, I went ahead and cast on Dublin Bay socks today at work with the snazzy new Spirit Trail that I picked up this past weekend. They're going to be my socks that I work on at this work meeting all weekend, but I wanted to cast on while I could still get help online. Hold on to your hats, folks - I'm actually embarking on a knitting first: I'm modifying a pattern. Not an "Oops, I screwed up, oh well if I do it on the other side no one can tell" modfication, but an honest to goodness, "actually had to use dormant, dusty parts of my brain" modification.

I did actually put H1 down for a while and work on Stick's other Jaywalker (MP2). I had been at a tough spot in Hippo and I needed something where I didn't have to concentrate on the crazy chart/graph. The heel flap is done, but I have to do that whole heel-turning, stitch-picking-upping thing.

SPOILER ALERT

Okay, Steph, I gave you, like, 120 hours; if you haven't seen the race by now, shame on ya. I ended up having to watch the Richmond race on Tivo Sunday since I was playing at MSWF Saturday night (have I mentioned how much Sat. p.m. races screw up my scheduling?). Phyl and I discussed ditching the sheep and driving down to RIR to catch the race, but alas, it was sold out so we decided to drown our sorrows in sock yarn. Chimmie really struggled all day but managed to pull off a 12th-place finish. Everyone can sleep safe and night once more because Junior has a race win. Harv had it all but sewn up but his crew chief made a puzzling call. DCU also racked up their first loss of the season against the Crapids. I really have nothing to say about that debacle.