Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Headphones to match

Hello lovies! I have news! Wonderful KnitPicks news! Yesterday, my long-awaited package of goodies I ordered from KnitPicks arrived! Watch as I unpack each delicious item:



All pictures were taken in Slim Jim's room, spare arms seen in the background belong to Diaper Dan, Slim Jim's beau.

Immediately after opening all my new toys, I got right to work, winding balls of sock yarn for easy pull-from-the-centre convenience, blocking socks, gearing up for chart-reading fun, storing notions, etc


Slim Jim's birthday also fell on July 28 and I suppose my gifts arriving in the mail was not the real highlight of the day - I also made her a bitchin' "coffee" cake! Observe!


The handle is made of cardboard and covered in icing. The cake is rainbow chip box cake (Slim Jim's favourite), lemon curd filling, and purple supersweet icing.

New green headphones to match my green ipod. I am the most pathetic ipod owner ever. I really only bought it for dog-jogs and walks with Sassy, I occasionally pop it on when washing dishes or doing housework/writing blogs (like now). My music selection barely takes up 3 GB of its 8GB memory. I think one day I would like one of those ipod docks that plays your music, so I don't have to get caught up in the strings while I'm working around the house.

Fuzzyhead bought a fish tank today - 10 whole gallons of fish fun will be had on Friday when he can finally put fish in it. I helped add the water. I would also like to help name his new little school of fishies - my vote is for Star Wars names.

Three pairs of socks done. Just finished the lacey lady socks for Tam Tam (finished these while babysitting. If you know me at all, that's just funny). The lacey lady socks are waiting their turn with my new sock blockers. In the meantime, last night I start Dad's manly man socks - plain beige, but with a tasteful and manly cable pattern from my toe-up sock book.

Saw Kill Bill volumes 1 and 2 last night - not impressed. I really didn't enjoy it, and I'm glad I didn't get sucked into the Kill Bill frenzy in high school. Fight scenes and car chases are boring, and the second movie was slower than slow. If you enjoy this movie, keep it to yourself, because I will make fun of you.

Must prepare for knitting tonight - Purple is joining us again, and so is B.wyn's sister and maybe even B.wyn herself. Of all nights, Catherine may not be coming today, or might only be stopping by for a little while (she's entertaining a non-knitting friend tonight). Come on team, we're so close to having a real weekly group!

Onward,

vrock

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

My dog is trapped on the lower level of my house

Greetings my lovelies! I have been busy knitting again with Christmas gifts galore, and I will now share my accomplishments from the last two weeks. I present my story, told in pictures:



I love this book, toe-up socks have changed my life


Me, being extra clever and weighing out the yarn to split it in two balls for two perfectly similar socks. I actually weighed the yarn on a less interesting looking kitchen scale, but I threw it on this old-timey one just for the effect

My bare leg and the very beginnings of Tam Tam's lacey girly sock. It was a not getting dressed kind of day and I am sporting my Homer Simpson men's boxer short pj bottoms. I used Judy's Magic Cast-on for my toe, but I did it with my double-pointed needles rather than going out and buying a small enough circular needle. It was a tad awkward, but very doable.


The beginnings of a real toe!

Don't tell Tam Tam I put her sock on my foot, but it was too tempting not to try it on and relish in the awesome that is toe-up sock creation



The heel is turned! It really helped to have an understanding of sock construction before trying to turn the heel in a different style. If this was the first sock I ever made, I think I would have had difficulties.

The first sock is now complete and I am working on sock #2. The first one goes up to about mid-calve, which I think is very lady-like and elegant. I hope Tam Tam wears these when she re-enacts old-timey things at the heritage village.

Still waiting for my sweet sweet promotion, but I've started looking at what else is out there and what they might consider paying me to do it. I sent a quick email to one job posting, and the woman just wanted to see my resume. I was really only interested in finding out more about the job before I considered it seriously, but I sent off my resume and asked if I could meet with her to learn more about the job. She in turn must think I am retarded, and made a point of telling me she is only collecting resumes now and will be scheduling interviews later. Now she thinks I am an impatient and pushy boob who had the nerve to demand an interview. Way to go Tor Tor.

Ordered another year subscription to Bitch magazine. I missed it, and I can't always find it at Chapters on my breaks, so I'm buying my own for much less than the cover price. I also ordered a very nice Bitch magazine tote to carry around all my knitting. I'm excited to receive gifts I bought for myself in the mail. Just like Christmas!

Busy night at work last night, the tween-agers were in full force for the midnight release of Harry Potter. The Tuesday night schedule did not account for all the extra activity when it was written three weeks ago, but I had a good crew. If it was a sub-par crew I think I would have sat in a corner and cried. I am eager to see Harry Potter, but I would never go to the midnight show - I get sleepy after 11pm (10pm if I'm being honest with myself) and I don't like crowds. There's always some dink in the theatre who doesn't believe in inside voices during a movie, and these people are especially attracted to popular movies in their first few weeks after release. I'll wait a while, thanks.

Shout outs to Anonymous, we miss you at knitting, but we carry on your spirit. Gail is learning how to knit tonight, so maybe we can rope in another one.

Onward,

vrock