Scattergories meme

It’s SCATTERGORIES, and it’s harder than it looks!
Here are the rules:
~Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
~They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up!
~If you can’t think of anything, skip it.
~Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial.
~You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have fun!

Your Name: Sally
1. Famous Singer/Band: Steely Dan
2. 4 letter word: Soup
3. Street Name: Sansom Street
4. Color: Sienna
5. Gifts/Presents: Scarves (handknit, bien sur...)
6. Vehicle: Surrey
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Snowglobes
8. Boy Name: Steven
9. Girl Name: Suzette
10. Movie Title: Snow White
11. Drink: Slurpee
12. Occupation: Seamstress
13. Celebrity: Sting
14. Magazine: Scientific American
15. U.S. City: San Francisco, CA
16. Pro Sports Teams: Seahawks
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Sleep...
19. Something You Throw Away: Scraps
20. Things You Shout: Stop!
21. Cartoon Character: Scooby Doo

Hi ho hi ho, it's back to work I go...

Ah yes, worked 4 days last week and will work 3 days this week. I actually don't have to work a full 5-day work week until the 3rd week of September, so I guess I shouldn't bitch and moan. (I just used the word 'week' four times. Actually, five times if you count the time in this sentence. Anyhoo.)

I ripped out my Ribbed Lace Bolero and cast on again with 12 fewer stitches. I screwed it up and was unable to recover, not to mention I think it would have been too big. I think I'll use lifelines when I get to the lace portion to avoid ripping back completely again. I also need to get started again on the Green Gable, and I'm going to be working on some crochet and/or knit squares that my knitting group is making. And I need to start making Christmas gifts pronto.

Three weeks since my last yarn purchase. (There's that word again. Every notice how something sounds strange when you say it repeatedly? Try it. Weekweekweekweekweek. See, it's weird. Or maybe I'm weird.)

Okay, so who is totally with me on LA Ink? Can I just be Kat von D? She is so rad. And she's always stoked about something. I'm never rad or stoked, but that's okay. I just want a boatload of tattoos like she has. Actually, more like Hannah has. I just love her use of color, it is sensational. She is such an artist. But I need to keep my tats under wraps. I don't know too many school districts in PA that will hire an inked-up French teacher. C'est la vie.

Not much else going on. I hope this post isn't boring you all to tears. I start back to school tomorrow, at West Chester University, to get my French teaching certificate. This means I will miss my knitting group until the beginning of December. Waaaaaaaaahhhhhh. I love my knitting group. They are so great.

I'm currently addicted to baseball, which is a lovely way for me and WT to bond. His dad was an announcer for the Philadelphia Athletics waaaaay back in the 1930s and 1940s, when they still played in Connie Mack Stadium (extra points for you if you know what Connie Mack's real name was). His dad loved baseball, and he passed that love of the sport onto WT, and now we watch the game together and it is really fun. I am actually looking forward to football season too. We only watch the Eagles games, but really, who else do you need to watch? ;o)

I'll post pics next time around. Thanks for stopping by. :o)

Powerthirst

Oh. My. God. This is quite possibly one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life. Thank you Sahfi!

Flight of the Conchords- Business Time

I heard this on XPN and almost had to pull off the road because I was laughing so hard. Be sure to listen carefully!

Summer comes to a close, and changes come about...

I have to go back to work on Monday. Bummer. Where did this summer go? I'm not sure I accomplished so much, or at least not as much as I had hoped to. But we did get some things done.

Below is the Banana's 'before' picture. After yet another morning of tantrums and tears regarding getting her hair brushed, we came to a decision. And we followed through.

Before

After

Life should be considerably easier now that the Banana has manageable hair.

I finished a blanket, so that's good. I gave up on the matching Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono because it just wasn't working in this yarn. I think it'll look much better in the yarn called for, but considering the baby shower is tomorrow, it ain't gettin' made.

Here's a WIP that I've actually made some decent progress on. I'm really happy with this - it's the Ribbed Lace Bolero by Kelly Maher at the 10 Feet High blog. It's an easy pattern to memorize, and I learned something new - how to rip out and go back and pick up yarnovers. Yay! Progress!

Here's my art table. See those bins under the table? Yeah, that's my stash. Four bins full. This is actually tidy compared to how it looked a week or so ago. And it's been 10 days since I bought yarn. Four months and 20 days to go. ;o)

Our last summer fling down the shore. We went to Ocean City, NJ, one of my most favorite places on earth. Banana and I went with friends from the pool, and a good time was had by all. We most certainly did not want to come home. Would you?

Drip castle

Looking south

Daydreaming

Creative limits (or horizons)

I saw this meme on Grumperina's blog. It's pretty nifty!

What are your creative limits? Consider yourself tagged! ;o)

1. I have no interest in the following activities.
Scrapbooking, stamping, spinning, quilting, papermaking, cartooning, flower arranging, gift-wrapping, poetry, graphic design, storytelling, acting, stage, inventing, video/film-making.

2. Would love to try these things.
Beading, jewelry making, dyeing, macrame, sewing, shibori, candlemaking, toy making, decorating, stained glass, pottery (wheel), pot pourri-making, papier-mache, decoupage, crewel.

3. I do or have dabbled in these things.
Music, drawing, cross-stitch, needlepoint, calligraphy, gardening, cooking, writing, Japanese watercolor painting.

4. Love it! These are my things.
Knitting, crochet, painting, photography, entertaining.


Note that #4 is a rather short, but then again, considering my last post, I think it demonstrates focus! Ha! I also went to the gym today, I think that was #3 on last post's list.

Man, was today gorgeous or what? The Banana played outside in her kiddie pool for approximately 5 minutes, right after we had a 'picnic', which consists of sitting on a blanket in the backyard and eating a PB and J sandwich. Later this afternoon, Anne Marie from next door came over, and we knitted in my Adirondack chairs and drank gins and tonics. Then my brother came over and we had a lovely barbecue, and then we watched part of the Phillies game. Nice!

Tomorrow: clean the kitchen and exercise again. Woo hoo!

I mean it this time. Really.

As long as I can remember, I have been a procrastinator. Why do today what can wait until tomorrow? Then tomorrow comes, and the task gets pushed back yet again. It's ridiculous. Part of it is laziness. Part of it is lack of focus. Increasingly, the focus thing has been popping up more and more, and this is not good. I need to focus, I need to be mindful, and I need to stop procrastinating and avoiding things that need to be done.

So I'm going to do something about it. I'm doing it for my family, and I'm doing it for me. Here are some of the things that I am going to do:

1. I am not going to buy any yarn until after Christmas. What does this have to do with procrastination, you may ask. Well, if I buy yarn, and keep queueing more projects on Ravelry, then all that shopping and queueing will prevent me from actually making crap. You should see our music/yarn/computer room. My stash is like a lava flow that is slowly but surely creeping across the floor into the middle of the room. It's preposterous. I have enough yarn to make approximately 10 sweaters, 8 blankets, and 3 billion scarves. So no more yarn. Today is August 8th. I will not buy yarn before January 8, 2008. It's 5 months; I can do it. I may even try to go longer. I have tried this before in the past, but that's where the focus comes in. I lost focus, and I lost self-control, and I just bought. If I returned all of the yarn I've purchased over the last 2 years, we'd probably have enough money to put a down payment on a new house. Hell, we might even have enough money to buy a new house outright. So no more yarn. Really.

2. I am going to be more patient with the Banana and WT. They love me, and I love them, and I cannot imagine my life without either one of them. So I need to treat them better. I need to focus. I need to think about how my actions affect them. I am not going to neglect my own needs, just be more mindful of theirs. I can do it. I will do it. I want to do it.

3. I am going to stick to a regular exercise regimen. At the age of 34, my cholesterol is already around 250. I am not overweight, but we all know that weight is not the only indication of health. I already have a head-start on this resolution, as I have been going to the gym regularly over the last 2 1/2 weeks, which is pretty good for me. The added encouragement that I have is the Banana. There is a Kids' Klub (sic) at the gym, and she loves to go there. Plus, I want to set a healthy example for her, and I want to be here for her and the rest of my family for a long time.

4. I am going to clean my house. REALLY clean my house. Purge the items that are no longer of any use to us. I hate clutter, and yet I am seemingly surrounded by it, both physically and mentally. I am going to clean all of my closets. I am going to clean all of my kitchen cupboards. I am going to paint. I am going to tear up stained carpets. I am going to vacuum up all of the 23 trillion dead bugs and spiders in my basement. I am going to get rid of the Banana's baby clothes and furniture (don't worry, not ALL of it). I am going to donate anything that is usable to the Goodwill or the St. Vincent de Paul Society. I will donate books to the library. I will get a new address book and actually write down all the addresses and phone numbers in it, rather than having a couple thousand Post-Its fall out each time I need to look up a number. I need to do this to maintain my sanity. I believe in feng shui; right now, the energy in my house is not good. I've been maintaining a level of cleanliness in my house that just keeps us from contracting various horrid diseases. Enough, I say. Enough.

So I'm going to clean up my house, and my relationships, and my life. No more extraneous stuff, in my house or my head. It's time to focus. Fo shizzle. I may even print this post out and put it somewhere where I can see it every day. I need to do this.

This is not to say that I will cease having fun or being silly or a goofball. In fact, I think all of the above will help me to be a happier person. And I'm not just saying that to try to convince myself to stick to this. I truly believe it. So help me out. I might need a little encouragement every now and then.

Thanks you guys.

Some WIPs and FOs for you

Mostly WIPS. This here is a picture of my first attempt at blocking! It was truly necessary to do so, as this shirt is so tiny, there was no way in hell I was going to be able to seam it without doing so. This little tank is for my dad's Blythe doll, Bridget (see previous posts for explanation of 'my dad's Blythe doll'). This is sport weight yarn (Dale Stork), on size 1 needles. I've never knitted anything so tiny before! The shirt and skirt (not pictured) only took one afternoon to knit up; it will probably take me about a week to actually sew everything together. I'm also making a cloche-style hat to go with.

Now on to more normal-sized things. Here is a finished legwarmer, pattern courtesy of Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I probably posted about this before, but I'm hoping that if I post about it again, I may actually be motivated to knit the other goddamn legwarmer. They are soft as can be, although I wish I had learned to knit on DPNs for this project, as knitting these bad boys on circs is a major pain in the ass. I had to cast on 12 extra stitches, and it's still so tight I don't even know what to do with myself. Oh well.

Here's the Puzzle Scarf by Kirsten Kapur of Through the Loops (link in sidebar). I dig this scarf, but again I'm posting about it because the project has stalled and I really want to finish it! I have so many other projects that I want to cast on, but I don't want to come down with startitis. I need to post about more FOs! I really want to start the Lacy Shrug from Kelly Maher at 10 Feet High, and I also want to do the Ballet Camisole by Alexandra Virgiel (pattern on MagKnits). They would make a cute matching ensemble to start the school year with. I also need to re-knit the Green Gable, which I frogged almost entirely due to the fact that it was about 4 inches too big around. I love the yarn and the pattern, so why am I stalling? I don't know. I just need to DO IT!

This is quite the rambling post, isn't it? I feel like I'm throwing a pep rally for myself.

Finally, here is the Crochet Crop Cardigan by Monica Brown at M1 Designs. I'm really happy with the way it came out. It makes my boobs look nice and big, and it's comfy and I like the color. I used 5 skeins of Cotton Fleece. The shell pattern at the bottom and on the sleeves makes me happy.

***

Currently, my two kittens Carlos and Joey are careening around my house, into walls and each other and poor old Tino. They are insane. It's sort of like having two teenage boys in the house, except they don't talk, which is kind of nice. They really enjoying swinging from the sheer curtains in the Banana's room, and Joey has also found out that it's really fun to scrape the paint off the door jam in our breezeway. I come out every morning to find a little pile of white paint chips littering the carpet (no lead, don't worry), the water bowl is overturned and the floor is sopping wet, book are scattered about, etc. I finally got smart and got them a COVERED litter box; before that, they would manage to scoop at least one third of the litter out onto the floor. Maybe they'll calm down once they're fixed. God, I hope so.

***

So when my mother passed away last year, we donated her body to a medical school in NJ for research purposes. When they are done with the donations, they cremate them and send your loved ones back to you. We just got Ma back last week, and my father doled out a portion of Ma to both me and my brother (since my father is forever an engineer, we both got exactly half a cup o' Ma). So now Ma is in a Ziploc baggie on my dresser. I was trying to come up with an appropriate vessel to store her in, and my friend Jeb had a brilliant idea. When Ma died, Dad let me have this tarnished old copper watering can that leaks. Why not keep her in there? I like it. The watering can reminds me of Ma, and reminds me of how Ma also took such good care of her house plants. I have one houseplant that is from a clipping of hers, a Christmas cactus. It hasn't bloomed yet, but I haven't killed it yet either, so that's good. But I digress. I'm keeping Ma (in the baggie) in the watering can. It's appropriate. And it's comforting to have her around.

Banana saw the ashes and heard us talking about them, and so she asked how the gray stuff was Grandma. I explained cremation as best as I could, then we got into this conversation about God and Jesus and Mary and Joseph and heaven and what you do with people when they die and all that stuff. She listened intently and seriously, and then said:

"Mom, I have one question for you."

"What is it, honey?"

"How do you spell 'Joseph'?"

I swear, that kid always knows the best things to say in any situation. She also asked me later why people turn into gray powder when they 'get all fired up'. Yet another question for the ages. I feel sometimes like I live with the Sphinx.

***

If you haven't already, go read the latest post by Laurie at Crazy Aunt Purl (link in the side bar, I'm too lazy to do imbedded links). It's really brilliant. I truly admire people who are able to succinctly explain what I sometimes have wandering around inside my skull.

That's it for now. Thanks for stopping by. :o)

I'm lame

As Bob the Boston Terrier says, "Im in ur servers updatin ur ravelry." This is killing me. I need a life.

More later, my 4.5 year old is hanging off my left arm and hitting me in the chin, preventing me from typing properly.