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November 29, 2005
Eff it Tuesday
I think Mr. Murphy is sitting on my shoulder causing me to break things. That or I have my own dedicated Thunder Cloud following me around. I've been breaking shit left and right. To date my latest victim is my "Dude, I've gotten a Smell" Computer. Eff you Smell Computers! I hate you!! Die Smell DIE!!
Ahem
I have a few minor smallish Christmas gifts to finish. So I determined the wisest course of action would be to cast on for the Pinwheel Baby Blanket for a baby due this spring.
Spring comes after Christmas last time I checked. Yeah. That's how I roll.
Monica, Roberta and me are preparing to run with the big dogs. The Tri-Annual Yarnlady Bagsale is coming up on Saturday.
Monica says
I've been diving into bins and pushing people away. It's been fun doing it at Walmart--more people there.
Attagirl Monica! Roberta says we should implement a yarn gathering scheme where a guinea pig (me) is physically in the yarn bin, collecting the yarn. I'm not too proud! Bring it on! I could punch the crap out of some people who get in my way yarn right about now! I'll be sure to update including any injuries incurred during the yarn acquisition processes.
You know you were waiting for another post Gallbladder Removal photo. It's been exactly 4 weeks since I parted with my naughty Gallbladder. I've been able to resume normal activities and other than occasional tiredness (the bitchiness must be attributed to something else, I can't really say for sure) I am feeling back to myself (ok maybe the bitchiness is my normal MO. Shut it.)
Posted by Michelle at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2005
Grumpy Grad Student
I never understood why the Grad Students were all so grumpy and surly while I was an Undergraduate. Unfortunately after 2.5 years of grad school I've turned into one. Equipment that won't work, problems with samples, screwed up software, interruptions, and unavailable experts, it's enough to drive me mad. And thusly everyone around me stark raving mad because I am not equipped with a personality conducive to deal with things that don't go my way (shut up I am not a Type A). All these goings on make me want to commit random acts of slapping, eye scratching, and hair pulling. I think the courts would acquit me.
But knitting is going well. I finished the Mia Shrug. I used "Vertical Zigzagging" from Knitting in the Nordic Tradition
I'm not sure why one side looks shorter than the other. Perhaps because I slouch in a funny way. Also I was laughing at the Husband because I had irritated him to no end. Man, am I bitchy grumpy.
I find the whole gallbladder experience surreal, particularly the part where I dropped 20 pounds in 2 months. My brain hasn't wrapped itself around my new size, it all happened so fast. I am working to maintain the new fab mini me. I'm thrilled to be out jogging and playing Dance Dance Revolution. One possible caveat being the Husband continually beating me on every song. This is the same man who does the "Shopping Cart" dance. I'll let you review the evidence and make your own conclusions as to how a body proficient at the "shopping cart" can also do the Dance Dance Revolution
Has anyone else experienced ball winder malaise? Mine threw up this beautiful ball of Opal THREE TIMES.
It seems to work well excepting those occasions when I rewind an already wound ball of yarn. I'm about to add it to the list of People, Places, or Things I beat the crap out of.
Posted by Michelle at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2005
Mass Consumption
We Americans really know how to turn any Holiday into occasions focused around food and shopping. And this year I've partaken generously of both. But I will fit into those new jeans I got by awaking extremely early and fighting for with the great unwashed masses. I figure elbowing crazed Suburbanites while vying for low priced Gap Jeans must have burned a minimum of 10,000 calories. Or waiting in line a lot, that probably burned many, many portions of turkey mashed potatoes, green beans, biscuits, and Pumpkin Pie.
No Thanksgiving Holiday is complete without a picture of the (pre-cooked) star of the show. The Husband is quite proficient at Turkey Baking.
Almost as proficient as he is with the KachaKacha. At least he is highly skilled in sarcasm.
Knitting
I finished the Brooks Sweater. The sweater has been one of those projects where I feel slightly let down because it's over. I imagine I'll be making another version of this pattern in a quieter color.
Next is comes the blocking (and breath holding). I'll revisit the half stitch per inch discrepancy then.
Posted by Michelle at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2005
Wednesday Warning of the Month
Did you know an extra half stitch per inch can result in a four inch difference in chest measurement? I'll let you ponder that for a while.
I'm going to get my hairs cut. I'll report back on the triumph or tragedy later.
I was slightly self conscious to see Harry Potter in my hand knit Harry Potter sweater because frankly the only people in the theater my age were the parents. While waiting in line one such parent asked incredulously asked us if we were seeing Harry Potter (Hello are you living under a rock? Have you not noticed my Gryffindor Sweater with the "M" plastered on the front?).
As if I didn't have enough distractions this came in the mail from WEBS
It's not that soft but I sort of suspected that from the yarn description. I do however love the color. I plan on swatching until I'm blue in the face before I start Inishmore. I'm also planning on (can you tell I haven't read through the pattern yet?) trying to knit it in the round. Maybe I am crazy.
There are two other lovely knitters working on sweaters from Fishermen's Sweaters
I'm still planning on shopping this Friday. For those unfamiliar the day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday" because it is the busiest Retail day during the year. I'll be sharpening my elbows Thursday night.
Posted by Michelle at 08:24 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2005
My Cat Drinks from the Toilet and I Wish I had a Magic Wand
If I had a magic wand I could
1. Poke people with it.
2. Fix foolish knitting mistakes.
I think 1 is self evident. What can I say but I like to annoy people all the time sometimes.
There was some serious tension in the house when I realized I had lined up the arm increases in equally bad locations in relation to the body of the Brooks sweater.
I had inexplicably placed one set of decreases on the forearm. And For symmetry I placed the other sleeve the decreases on the elbow. This is where a magic wand would have come in handy. I could have fixed the problem, or knocked myself over the head with it for knitting when tired.
Curiosity got your Cat? I've been camera stalking Geiger for weeks since I discovered he's been drinking from the toilet.
Naughty little bugger.
Posted by Michelle at 08:45 AM | Comments (0)
November 17, 2005
The Great Irony
The Other day I was blissfully cooking in the kitchen. Enjoying making my new Sauerkraut Soup Recipe. There may have also been cookies involved, but we won't speak of it.
During all the stewing and baking I was listening to the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas CD. Things were typical as they would be in a most North American Kitchens in mid-November. There were dirty dishes, cutting boards, and Sauerkraut. The lone Oscillating fan was doing it's duty. You see it was 90 degrees F outside. In the middle of November. Less then one month from Christmas. How can I be expected to wear all my handknits in this heat? It's not right I tell you.
In other ironic news I'm contemplating shopping on Black Friday. I had an impressive tenure as a Mall Employee starting in 1992 until 1999. You would think I would have learned my Black Friday lessons from these terrible experiences that I should strike from my memory days as a Retail Employee. But I need new clothes. And I figure what better way to get a good deal? Please feel free to slap some sense into me.
I'll be stopping by the store before we see Harry Potter this evening. I have to pick up some ice packs to wear under my hand knit Harry Potter Sweater so I don't faint from the heat. Just call me foolish stubborn determined.
Posted by Michelle at 09:15 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2005
What I've Learned
This week I've made a few discoveries.
The first:
Time Independent Perturbation Theory makes me want to poke my eyes out with my pen. Two hour lectures on subject makes me throw myself from the nearest Bell Tower.
The second:
My fitness level has plummeted to zero. Walking from my car to my campus building caused leg cramps, and today my rear is sore. I used to walk this route 3 times per week plus a few days of jogging with no soreness. Even though I am cleared to jog next week I can't imagine I'll have enough energy to go more than 30 seconds at a time.
The third:
I think I mixed up how to do EZ's make one increases in my head.
Witness:
and finally, The fourth:
I have a house full of yarn and it will never be "enough."
Posted by Michelle at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2005
Trepidation Tuesday
Any guesses on what this yarn will become?
Charlotte's Web. I know everyone and their sister knit this last year. I'm just a little slow to catch on to what the cool kids are doing. And sometimes it takes two or three or even four looks at something before I really appreciate it. Next I'll be doing some needle gymnastics to swipe needles from another project find the right needles so I can cast on as soon as humanly possible.
Because there can never be enough color in life
I'm holding my breath and proceeding with the Brooks Sweater. This is my first departure from seamed sweaters. I ripped out the previous incarnation because it's circumference was large enough to fit the Statue of Liberty. Or you know, two Statues of Liberty. I cast on a second time with 50 less stitches and allowances for a little blooming after washing. I'm happy with the results but a little bummed that the sleeve stripes look totally different than the body stripes. I'll just call it a design element and move on with life.
I was nearly finished with the Mia Shrug. Then tragedy struck. The edging I chose so carefully for the sleeve curls. Until further notice Mia is locked in a closet with wire hangers.
Surgery and Laundry
While admittedly good for yarn acquisition the Surgery Card is not doing me any favors in the laundry department. I discovered my favorite new jeans wet in the washer with the telltale heat setting on "HOT" which also coincidentally mirrored my feelings at that moment. The Husband says that the Jeans will now fit my "New Small Body" and if not I should "block them" as he "blocks his jeans with his body." There's going to be some blocking going on in the Fickle Household but I don't know that it will include hand knits or shrunken favorite jeans. It might involve more yarn purchases. And jeans purchases.
And finally (you know you were waiting for it) another picture in the
Gallbladder Series.
Two weeks after Laparoscopic Gallbladder Removal.
Posted by Michelle at 09:23 AM | Comments (0)
November 13, 2005
Great Mistakes in Knitting History
Sometimes you think to yourself, Self, You know what would be really really great? Knitted Shorts. They'd be so comfy and so...knitted.
Well I'm here to share with you, dear readers that Knitted Shorts are not in fact great. Unless we are speaking of the greatness of terrible Hubris tragedy.
I present to you here my shameful attempt at Knitted Shorts. The largeness in part due to the Pedantic Gallbladder Enforced Weight Loss System and to an alarming growth of the cotton after washing.
If ever you feel the urge to create something that is better left uncreated, think of me weeping softly in the corner with both legs in half of the Shorts of Doom. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Posted by Michelle at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
November 11, 2005
Momma Mia
I never thought it could happen. I love this shrug. It's a clever little rectangle that will be transformed into a shrug soon. I'm using Debbie Bliss Merino DK (From the Cambridge Miracle Stash Enhancement brought to me by the Wounderous Husband) on US 3 Holtz and Stein Needles.
Do not speak of the Twist Front Top and the Shaped Triangle. They are sealed in a dark room with stiff drinks. Maybe the Hooch will slap some sense into them. Then again maybe not.
So what we need here is distraction of the Noro variety.
I'm making the Classic Brooks Sweater from The Opinionated Knitter
With that in mind I've ordered yarn for my next project (the Husband has taken to his bed, he feels the yarn buying situation is hopeless). Lyssa is the brainchild of this knit (too bad I can't send her a bill for the yarn). I'm making my first She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named sweater, Inishmore from Fishermen's Sweaters
Posted by Michelle at 09:41 AM | Comments (0)
November 09, 2005
I'm even driving me crazy
I must be getting better. I got an email from WEBS stating they are having a sale on Rowan and Jaeger. And this morning I was expounding on my need for $2 and $3 yarn to the Husband. And do you know what he did? He stood up, said he had to go to work, AND WALKED AWAY. Webs is a danger to my marriage! Be aware that's all I'm saying. And those of you wondering if I have ordered this yarn, I haven't worked out quite how to go about it yet. But it is imperative to my survival that I beg borrow steal buy mass quantities of the LUXURY YARNS THAT COST TWO OF THE AMERICAN DOLLARS.
Posted by Michelle at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 08, 2005
There has been Knitting
But first, another picture in the series of Your Gallbladder and You.
My laparoscopic incisions are healing nicely if not itching enough to make me loopy. I am still tired and not ready to go back to face the demon thesis spawn School. I'm tentatively thinking of trying Thursday as my first day back.
Back to the Knitting
Gesta is finished. The only change I made is to seam it inside out. I like it better on the wrong side.
Wildfoote Handpaint Socks done in Stockinette while Sedated
I've cast on for the Mia Shrug. I wouldn't normally consider myself a shrug person but the pattern is cute and I have the perfect yarn in my stash for it.
And I've been buying more yarn. I figure surgery recovery time is perfect for guilt free knitting and yarn acquisition.
Twist Front Top is making me crazy. I keep decreasing and decreasing and the stitch count remains the same. I ran into the same problem when doing the decreases for the back. My solution (when I pick it up after time out) will be to drop down a couple three yarn overs. I get tired just by holding Shaped Triangle in my hands, so no progress there. Soon I will have my full knitting (and writing!) mojo back.
Posted by Michelle at 11:56 AM | Comments (0)
November 06, 2005
The Devil's Odometer, Penitent-Law Affirmation, and the Home Beautification Project
We interrupt our regularly scheduled knitting to bring you a special announcement. We report that Fickleknitter's vehicle has become a vehicle for the Message of the Beast:
Yes, the Husband is, and has always been, a spaz, to wit:
-- He saw the Message encroaching on the way back from Home Depot;
-- He drove one extra cul-de-sac and then another so that the Message would be so in the driveway;
-- He insisted on having the Wife photograph the moment;
-- Somewhere in his old-school 35mm collection he has a photo of the self-same Message courtesy of his own car circa 1997.
Anyway...
So as the knitting masses the Wife's valued regular readers already know, I spent a disproportionate amount of time last month on travel, leaving the Wife at home to fantasize about Barak Obama feeding her In-N-Out Double Double cheesburgers with french fries on a remote island, which I figured was all right because even if she had the combined interest and wherewithal to lure Obama to said island, him feeding her said burgers and fries would likely have resulted in the dislodging of seventy or so gallstones, thereby rendering any other presumed reasons for traveling to said island moot. So I figured I was safe to truck myself out to Cambridge for a week and change, leaving the Wive behind (*), provided I heeded and acknowledged the once-mentioned Laws of Penitent Business Travel (If you haven't seen it, go back to the October 2 entry, as it will be a pre-requisite for understanding what follows).
Anyway, as is commonly the case when I go on extended travel, I got to affirm the first two Laws (the Third law is more or less affirmed only on short business trips). The First Law (Conservation of Marginal Revenue) demonstrated sure enough that my gains were diverted right back to the Wife according to the following prescription:
Extended Travel OT: $175 + $Boatload
1kg of Merino Wool: -$175 (notice how 1kg = 100Lb)
GB Surgery Deductible: -$Boatload
Nest-Egg Margin: $0
Okay, strictly speaking, the Gallbladder-surgery deductible wasn't a penitent offering. But you get the point. The nest egg was a wash (**).
Okay, next topic: Home Beautification and the Second Law. We're homeowners, see? And we happened to buy the only house in the tract that hasn't had a major improvement done on it in over twenty years (the house is 30 years old). Original windows, original carpet (with what we think are a prior Husband's blood stains on it), original 70s asbestos-embedded popcorn acoustic ceiling, original crappy five-dollar medicine cabinets in the bathrooms with the dreadful fluorescent lighting fixtures on the top of them, you get the idea. But if there were a positive spin to be had, it's this: the house tickles the Man Gene like nobody's business. Thank Dog there's a Home Depot next to the new Jo-Ann's.
Now my Man Gene doesn't accommodate major renovations such as carpet replacement and installation of granite countertops, or anything for that matter that would result in self-increase of familial entropy in any way (after all, why be deprived of one out of two bathrooms, when you need not be deprived of either of them?). The reason is simple: when I do a project I go all out, and going all out typically takes much much more than a single weekend to get something done. And I can't rely on the Wife to help me expedite the process because she doesn't have a Man Gene. Heck, she doesn't even have a gallbladder.
So I'm relegated to more sensible projects. They can take multiple weekends, but they can't be ridiculously invasive. My pet project this year is landscaping, supplemented with the installation of a sprinkler system. This is a remarkable challenge, given the nature of my frequent business travel. Observe, for a moment, a few typical weeks in the life cycle of my pet project:
-- Husband clears out juniper bushes on upper deck of split-level yard, digging up several hundred shallow roots six-feet long along the way;
-- Husband removes landscaping rocks (red lava) by pulling up on the black tarp underneath (a so-called low-maintenance measure intended to keep the weeds at-bay right up to the moment that present occupants move in) and shoving it all to lower deck;
-- Husband discovers that several hundred lava rocks still remain on the upper level; rakes them out and waters down the surface;
-- Husband discovers that several hundred lava rocks still remain on the upper level; rakes them out and waters down the surface;
-- Husband discovers that several hundred lava rocks still remain on the upper level; rakes them out and waters down the surface;
-- Husband goes on business travel for two weeks, leaving the garden tools in the front courtyard thinking they're safe there, given the six continuous weeks of hot days and clear skies we've had;
-- Late-summer monsoon douses the landscape, and the garden tools, with a fresh inch of rain;
-- Husband returns home to find upper level with 27351 weeds, 45 leftover juniper roots sprouting fresh shoots, and rusty garden tools in the courtyard;
-- Husband pulls the weeds, pulls the remaining juniper roots, and discovers that several hundred lava rocks still remain on the upper level; rakes them out and waters down the surface.
So now that I've been home a few weeks, I've had to reduce the entropy to a level closer to where it was when I left on my last trip, which of course dips into the nest egg more than if I'd simply stayed home (thus validating the crux of the Second Law). But I'm starting to get the upper hand on the project. After days of exhaustive research I finally got hold of the sod I wanted to populate the upper level. After some outlay, thorough watering and rolling, here's the finished product:
For reference, the sod is a variety called "Marathon III", and if you have a place with low foot traffic and low shade, it's the absolutely the best fescue you can buy. BTW, the "before" picture looked a lot like the second photo at the top of today's blog entry. May we be as lucky with the bottom half.
(*) As an aside, you may ask why I didn't bring the Wife with me. It's a great question, the answer to which is a subject worthy of its own guest blog. Someone remember to ask me in a few weeks, when it's my turn again to talk.
(**) I'm not complaining, mind you: I'm relieved that the Wife is healthy and gastronomically functional once again, and I'd have paid any price for her to be that way. Secondarily, I'm relieved to find that the nest egg didn't take a hit. Thirdly, the nest egg might see future margin in reduced prescriptions next year (cash in your Nexium stock, kids). Oh who am I kidding? Future margin will no doubt somehow find its way into yarn (buy up Jo-Ann's kids cuz they built a _Super_ outlet a mere two miles away from where we live).
Posted by Michelle at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2005
Wil Wheaton's Blog
It's not always about knitting you know. Sometimes it's about Sci Fi...
Admission Number One: I subscribe to boingboing.net where I serendipitously discovered the addy for Wil Wheaton's blog.
Admission Number Two: I visited WWdN (You must read the warning link I attached).
You may think these things combined with my Physics pedigree would qualify me as a geek. Ok. You got me. But age has mellowed me. Instead of showing Wil my Hooters I'd probably just pull up my shirt and show my Gallbladder Surgery scars. He did after all have a featured spot on my 13 year old Posters-of-Love wall (Sorry Jordan), and that does warrant the showing of some skin.
So back to being a geek with a capital G. So we I watch Star Trek TNG at least twice but no more than 5 times per week. But the Husband and I are not the type of folks to attend Star Trek Conventions (although I'd go as 7 of 9 if you held a phaser to my head and made me dress up as something). But we are the type who watch Trekkies and Trekkies 2 while laughing and pointing.
Aside- I must say I can't believe the kid from Trekkies is now designing jets for Battlestar Galactica (Love you EJO).
And if there were further evidence of Supreme Geekiness it certainly wouldn't be the long list of Sci Fi TV and Books regularly used for public consumption in the Fickle Household. So if you are aren't a geek, but like reading decent writing go check out WWdN. Who I think is definitely not a has been.
Posted by Michelle at 04:25 PM | Comments (0)
November 03, 2005
Surgery Hurts Ya'll!
Who knew? I was so focused on the surgery itself I didn't give much thought to how I was going to feel afterwards. I am starting to feel more myself again, evidenced by how many handknit items I'm wearing.
Day Zero: Uptown Boot Socks plus Happy Pills = Ok day with embarrassing pictures of abdominal surgery posted on the internet. See previous reference to so called "Happy Pills."
Day One: No knit items worn, plus tylenol instead of Happy Pills and Belly pumped full of air (that air has to come out somehow, know what I'm saying?) equals very grumpy Her Fickleness. Also equals very limited sleep and much annoyance for the resident Cabana Boy Husband. Times the Husband was inconvenienced with ridiculous requests is inversely proportional to number of knit items worn by surgery patient.
Day Two: Knit items inventory consists of Fleece Artist Socks and Ene's Scarf. Improvements noted, and Expected visit from Roberta* with Post Surgery gift.
*Dear Roberta, I am sorry to say I can not wear a bra. It hurts me as much as it hurts you, believe me.
Posted by Michelle at 08:41 AM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2005
I'm Hoooommmeeee
Two circs on one needle proved too much for me today, so it's back to one sock per circ til I'm back at my fighting knitting weight.
A big thank you to everyone who had me in their thoughts today. It means so much to me!
Posted by Michelle at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)