Cool Stuff?

First of all, thank you for asking, my mother is doing much better. Much, much, much better. Her knee is in wonderful shape, and her mental state is back to pretty close to normal for her. Now I'm sort of re-constructing my own life, and figuring out what I need to do regularly for her and what she can do herself. Right now it looks like I fill the med dispenser and cajole her into doing the laundry.

It had been so long since I'd been to my local knitting group that one of our members is about to have a baby and this is the first I learned of it. I've really been out of it!

So, why haven't I posted here in a while? I have been too busy reading a million other people's wonderful sites!

Here's some cool stuff I've found that you probably have already seen elsewhere:

If you haven't concluded yet that I am an original geek at heart, wonder no more. I got several of these from the User Friendly 'static feed' (which I only seem to be able to read on bloglines - the web page itself is too confusing to me).

Genome Quilts.

Page Not Found (404).

Animated cursor.

What to do with those old 3 1/2" floppies.

One source of swap information. Seriously, my other best source of swap information has been other people's blogs. I read WAY too many blogs. I'm generally behind on them, and I haven't listened to a podcast in forever. But I've got these plans....

I finally knit Criminy Jickets' Garterlac Dishcloth. Twice. The first time I just completely spaced the decrease triangle on the second row. This is so incredibly cool. I've got to wash it once to make the stitches even out a bit and then I'll take a picture for you.

There's a really cute cartoon in this post.

In the past month, I have attempted to start the chevron scarf no less than eight times. It's not going to happen. But folks, I tried. I just couldn't get along with it.

Thank you, Cathy, for posting this wonderful little cartoon. Made me laugh when I needed one desperately!

If you've been living under a rock and haven't tripped over Franklin's blog yet, here's an example of his creativity. That's not his best, either.

How's your sense of whimsy? Yeah, that's a lot of work for a little whimsy. But it's cool.

Bruce Schneier's Second Annual Movie-Plot Threat Contest. Seriously, if you want to understand the difference between real security and security theater, read this guy's stuff.

So, I've got to take pictures of the finished socks that have come out of the wash. I have to name the project I want to submit to Knitty. (That's going to be a problem. I've never been good at naming things.) Oh, and I have to go to bed.

The Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

You know, I'm really surprised at how much I've been looking forward to this sock swap. I enjoyed the Harry Potter books and movies quite a bit. And the knitted garments in the movies were strikingly, well, perfect. But, you know, I have actively resisted becoming a Harry Potter groupie. Mostly. Well, maybe not particularly successfully!

And my answers to the Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire are...

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?

Hufflepuff

2. Shoe size?

U.S. Women's size 8 1/2 Medium. I bet I'm really an 8 wide.

3. Foot Length?

9 inches

4. Foot Circumference?

9 inches (call me square).

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

Well, I've got some Susan Bates metal dpns that I'm not too fond of.

I've been doing the magic-loop technique exclusively since I first managed to actually get around the foot. I really love my Knitpicks size 1, 32" circulars - they've got a nice long point. I used to use only Addi Turbos, and I still use them sometimes, but the points are too dull for me, and I'm not about to spring for a set of Addi lace needles when I've got four sets of the regulars. The Addis I use are 40" and 60". And since my gauge is approximately 8 sts/inch on size 1 needles on most sock yarns, I don't have plans to knit with a larger or smaller needle any time soon.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?

You know, even though I specifically have stuck with the magic loop technique because I have been known to pull the wrong needle out of my hand when starting the next needle (leaving a bunch of stitches flapping in the breeze, yes, I know I'm an idiot), I have been thinking that I would really like to try dpns again. I'd need a five-needle set - I just can't be bothered to figure the stitches for thirds. And I'd like something that's not metal and with a decent point. In size 1, about 7" long, perhaps?


7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?

not applicable

8. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?

Yes, I most certainly would.

Instructions or Comedy? You Decide.

There are four really interesting sock-folding videos on YouTube.

I love them all.

I recommend you watch them in this order. The first is the longest by far; the last is only 18 seconds.

Enjoy!









My father would not approve of any of them. He always complained that anything but folding socks in half stretched out the ankles and made them fall down.

Oooh, breaking news! I got accepted into the Hogwarts Sock Swap! I was number 70, lucky me!

Apparently, I can't get enough socks

In preparation for the possibility of joining yet another sock swap, I have gotten myself sorted in the Harry Potter world.

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Now, don't get me wrong. I really did enjoy the books and the movies. But to consider knitting a Hogwarts-themed pair of socks...yep, I must be out of my mind.

So, why no pictures, you might be wondering? I've finished a pair of socks and I've started another. Well...the pair I finished is a pair I'm seriously considering submitting to one of the on-line knitting magazines for potential publication, and the other pair is in a pattern that I got from a sock-swap which my partner mentioned she might like to try to publish. So...I got nothin' to show for all my considerable effort.

However, I can report that I've taken the first half of the sweater formerly known as my skirt off the blocking board (several months after pinning it on there) and put the second half on the blocking board. The next step will be to sew the seams and do the button bands and neckline. Then I will have a nice plain black sweater. Probably in time for the hottest weather of the year.

Storage, Kitty picture, and a Funny

My sweetheart needed an ink cartridge, so we stopped at our local office-superstore. There I always like to browse through the clearance items, and yesterday I hit the jackpot! These were $11.90 each. He thought I was going to split them with him - two for him and two for me, but I've already filled three. It's amazing. Instead of having my stash stashed in boxes and bags and nooks and crannies and on the floor next to the bed, I've got my inventory accessible and laid out in front of me. It's wonderful!



See that purple thing on top? It's a scarf.



Oh, and we got some clearance Cadbury chocolate fingers, too. Mmm.

Edelweiss has been staying warm on the chilly nights. Or napping during the day. You know, being a kitty.



By the way, have you had it with all the pharmaceutical ads? Watch this!