And Atlas Shrugged

When I first started knitting again, my boss thought it was adorable. It was in the winter, our "quiet" season, and she needed me to put in more hours. Part of the compensation for doing so was a kit from Americo for the Atlas Shrug. Great, give me a reason to not be here. I've had the yarn and pattern sitting in a bag ever since... too many projects to finish for other people to bother making something for myself.

Just before my face broke, I pulled it out and started it up. It started out a little rough. I decided to make the Large size, so that it would be all prosh and comfy. The pattern calls for 14" single points or 24" circular. Or. Or. I am not the most fond of circular needles and it didn't quite click in that what would require 24" couldn't possibly fit on 14" straight needles. So I started. Then stopped and spent a solid hour cursing my head, hands and eyes as I dropped stitches and picked them back up trying to transfer everything I had done onto the long-ass circular needles. The pattern calls for an increase of nearly 3 times the cast-on, you see.

On the cast-on though, it's the first time I've used the "tubular" cast-on and I'm kind of excited to see how it turns out. It's supposed to be stretchier, so I can see how it'd be really useful for an edge.

I also bought the Vogue Knitting Fall 2009 issue and almost died laughing when I saw McKey from ANTM on the cover. Really, bb? Really? Glad that gig actually got her some work, and I know it's a knitting magazine, can't expect miracles, and god, can I use any more commas? She looked dumpy (where I was trying to go with the earlier failed sentance.) Except in the hats, which were greatgreatgreat and I need to make all of them right now.

Okay, AWOL

Missing teeth. Well, they're not missing, they are just not in my head anymore. I'm still getting used to cleaning out the gaping holes and thank god the pain in receeding. Things that suck:

1. Having one of your wisdom teeth crack in half on your birthday
2. Spending your birthday in tears in the hospital, then at home on painkillers
3. Wisdom teeth extraction
4. X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Things that rock:

1. Sony eReader Pocket Edition
2. Harry Potter
3. Emily Post
4. Most of my friends
5. Making new friends

I took part in some serious retail therapy to deal with the past month, and am now more than $100 lighter in monies, and $100 heavier in make-up. I may have a wretchedly swollen face, but it sure is painted pretty.

Finished the love cove(r). As predicted, it brought the love.


I had initially hoped to do a houndstooth lining, but I didn't manage to get a sewing machine in time for finishing. My friend was still over the moon, so I guess it's okay if it's not my idea of perfect. Learned a lot about blocking with this one. I don't really have a lot of towels, and no big ones, so there was a bit of ghetto action going on with the drying process using a couple of old hoodies and my cat's big recliner. It took awhile to pick all the white kitty hairs out... but blocking was a success. The wild oak cable transformed from a tangled mess to something at least resembling the pattern. I do wish I'd used a much more plush yarn.

Started on another project, will write more about it later. I'll probably be working on it until winter, which is good, because I'll need it by then.

I need a new book to read, something not J. K. Rowling. Or Charlaine Harris.

Octopie!

It finally feels like winter is over around here. I'm all healed up and ready to dance, so I've been out on my board as much as possible. Work's been super crazy and the concentration involved in working on cables has been too much to think about. All I want recently is instant gratification, fluff and relaxing.

So I tried my hand at something cute.

I used a needle too big, according to the pattern. It's noticeable; he's got little bitty holes in him that his stuffing is visible through. I partially cannibalized one of my old hamtaro stuffed animals. He's got a bit of a conehead action going on with lumpy face. I'm guessing that the smaller needle might make it less cone- and lump-ful.

I've been cooking tastiness too. More to follow.

More cheer!

So I'm still feeling all bitchy and exhausted, but the sun came out today. And even though I really wish I could go out and board in it, I still can't help but feel awesome in the sun. I tried going out for lunch and discovered just how much my shuffle-walk has been buggering up my knee while waiting for my groin to heal. Back on the couch with the legs up and taking pictures of my laptop love cove(r) from here.

Featured in the above image:

1. My whittled chopstick/cabling needle - I started off knitting with sanded chopsticks of which I have too many. During that time, I began cabling. Scored the chopstick (okay, I was trying to cut all the way through) with a pair of scissors and then broke it in half off the kitchen counter. Serious mis-use of a paring knife. Hand sanded with left over sandpaper. Works awesome although I can really see the use of having a curved cabling needle.
2. Wild oak cables - I think I'm doing these wrong. Or this is how they're supposed to look. I think the former.
3. Super-easy twisty cables! - do these even have a name?
4. My not-chopsticks-needles - in fact, they are bamboo ended circular needles. The pattern calls for circular needles, although I have yet to figure out why. Probably so the dudes the pattern is targeted to don't feel like grandmas with their needles. Obviously not comfortable with their granniness.
5. Mah wicked yarn - probably going to get 30 rows out of one ball. Which means that I will need about 4 balls, maybe three and a half with the adaptations I made to the pattern.

I like numbered bullets. It's like I have something important to say. I wish I had thought to number my image for reference (zomg, which one is the cabling needle and which one is the circular needle?? she didn't number the image to correspond with her list!!)

You know what, food? I love you.

A week, eh?

It has certainly been a week. I have progressed no further on any projects. My knitting lies untouched. My groin is nowhere near healed, or even responsibly weight-bearing. BSOD plagued me for days before I just bit the bullet and performed a system restore.

This has been a week of continuous frustration. I have amazing friends. But seriously, aside from a lent external harddrive and a wicked gift, I haven't had a chance to say to anyone: "please, just hold me and tell me I'm doing okay." I've been trying to help a friend through a rough patch. I am going through a rough patch, who is she to rely on me?

Bah, when do I have a good week anyway?

[end of rant]

My astonishing new linen shawl. I have been assured it can be used as a scarf, shawl, blanket, picnic cloth, towel, and protect me in a sandstorm. I love wearing it like a cape with my aviators, army pants and white flips flops. Am I incredibly hawt? Maybe.

Laptop love cove(r)

I really love knitting cables. I also love knitting for my friends. I have so far only done two projects for myself and they were just to understand techniques. The rest have been given away. Current project: macbook cover.

This one is a bit of a challenge for me because I've never read cable charts before. It's not hard, but I need a little notepad with hash marks to make sure I'm on the right row next to me the whole time. I get distracted easily.

Using the Knitting with Balls pattern for the aran laptop cover.

I ended up making a fair number of changes, as I want to add a zipper along the length of the laptop and have the flap on the short side. The sizing was also a little difficult for me to figure out how to adjust appropriately, so I just did a swatch and some math. But I'm sticking to the cable patterns.

I'm looking forward to completing this one as there are a lot of finishes that need to go on (see above) and I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to pull it off without a sewing machine. The cables are also coming out a little funny (the wild oak cable is messy looking) so I'm going to try my hand at blocking for the first time and hopefully that will help.

The yarn I'm using is wonderful. The colour is perfect for my friend (mossy green) and looks wicked with the aran style. It's a merino, so it managed to knock me back a bit, but at least this project will be way cheaper than the Dr. Who scarf I ended up gifting to a friend in Chicago.

Mah groin!

I picked up a beautiful board yesterday. Loaded Pintail. Reading over the website and some reviews, I realize that I should have gotten a different flex. I got a 1 which is apparently geared towards 200-220lbs riders. I'm a skinny bitch and probably should have gotten the 4. But I am a skinny newbie bitch and will not complain.

It's been a very very very long time since I did any riding and am still not used to longboards. My joyful testament: I pulled my groin yesterday, not three hours after buying the board. One leg and knee stopped, dropped and smashed and the other leg kept on going with my board.

My treatment of a pulled groin:

• Immobilized the leg and raised it. Got good and comfy, because I was not going anywhere for awhile, my friend.
• Ibuprofen, extra strength. I got the gel ones. Took two. Perhaps overkill, but damn.
• Ice! On for fifteen minutes, back in the freezer for 45, then back on for another 15. Repeated until my friend was bored of walking back and forth to the freezer, because I sure wasn't doing it.
• Heat (I'm not really at this point yet). Apparently one should apply heat to the area before exercise or stretching. I'm still having a pretty hard time shuffling over to the freezer for more ice.
  
• Light stretching (see above)
• Going to the frickin' hospital, dumbass. After reading a couple websites (why do I always do this after I've done something stupid?) I apparently have a grade 3 groin pull, including difficulty walking and pain while sitting and sleeping. As it is feeling significantly better than yesterday afternoon. I choose not to believe that I need surgery to stitch the muscle back together. But it could happen. Crap.

I really feel like I should be eating more protein, but I can't really get up too long to cook. I guess this gives me enough time to get to my knitting.