blog this book

**the only book still available is vanity fair. let me know if you're interested...

i saw this over at mariko's site and thought it was a great idea. basically you blog the books you've read in the hopes that someone out there in blogland wants to swap you for another book and hello- new books for everyone. so here are three books for you:

the hours by michael cunningham. this is about 3 different women in 3 different time periods. one of them is virginia woolf (played by nicole kidman in the movie version). it weaves back and forth between their lives and i thought it was very good. i liked it better than the movie, even though i enjoyed that, too.

the lovely bones by alice sebold. this is told from the pov of a young girl who is murdered. after her death she is able to observe her family and friends over the course of time and can see the effect that her death has on them. i didn't like the writing style at times but the story was captivating.


pardon the 10% off sticker on this but it was the only picture i could find. vanity fair by william makepeace thackery. it's a tale of two women, sweet but timid amelia and the sharp and cunning rebecca, both trying to make their way in the world. it's full of intrigue and social backstabbing and i liked it a lot. please read this before seeing the movie (which i hear on good authority is awful).

if you're interested in any of these, email or leave a comment here. happy reading!


shopgirl by steve martin. i read this a long time ago and i can't remember much except that it's about a young woman who is depressed and might be going through some kind of crisis. and i believe her has an older boyfriend. it's being made into a movie, which steve martin is probably in.

sweet addictions

i went out and bought 4 bags of candy today during my lunch break. that right- four bags. i still have candy from the last time i went to the store but i felt that i had to get some with the good ol' red and pink. now i am not a huge fan of "hey you don't have a date so you're a pathetic loser" valentine's day. but i do really like the "hey let's show the people we care about how much they mean to us" valentine's day. lots of times my friends and i will go out or do little gift exchanges for valentine's day and i still have a red paul frank shirt that my friend gave me for the occasion 6 years ago. i don't have anything planned this year but i did get some valentines (those kiddie ones with the incredibles on them) and sent out some cards last week. i love my family and friends and am so happy to share the love with them today and every other day. happy valentine's day, everyone!

ps- robert rodriguez called the office today and i so wanted to tell him that i was a huge fan and can't wait for sin city. it looks awesome!

in my belly

last night was pretty uneventful. i met up with a couple of friends and we went to a chinese restaurant for my faux new year celebration. the place was really cool and service very good (for those interested it's the great work at victory and olive in burbank) and i stuffed myself silly. after that i went home and watched alias (love jennifer garner's hair this season!) and painted a big poster frame with my roommate. we're going to put our mallrats poster in it but wanted to paint it to match. i know- we never do this kind of home crafty stuff.

i just found out i have been tagged by lyn of knitties with that music thing that's been going around (sounds like the flu). here goes:

1.) Total amount of music files on your computer:
i am not sure really. i just got my computer working again after about 2 years without any internet service so i only started downloading songs again. i have also been putting some of my cds on the computer in the hopes that i get an mp3 player one of these days. i would say maybe 100-200 songs right now. but i own probably about 400 cds and many more live show tapings of favorite artists.

2.) The last CD you bought was:
tough. i work in music and i have friends who do, too, so lots of times i can get cds for free(i know- poor me). the last cd i can recall buying is pinback, life in abaddon. very good cd. they're a sort of alternative (in the vein of modest mouse and the postal service) band.

3.) What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
i was listening to a valentine's day mix i made last night for my friends to make sure everything sounded ok. the last song probably before i turned off the car was the yeah yeah yeah's song maps.

4.) What are your five favorite songs and why they mean the most to you:
favorites are pretty hard to pick and i wasn't into music when i was younger so certain songs really don't remind me of events. but i will list 5 songs i like a lot.

the cure- just like heaven: i just love this song. it's so catchy and sweet and makes me think of driving with the top down.

jason mraz- halfway home: i remember hearing this song for the first time and just really relating to that feeling of being a little lost and not knowing what's in store but just doing your best. it also reminds me of living in san diego, which is always good times.

rachael yamagata- woman: this song is just really good cause i think a lot of us have felt the way that she does in this song- that we may never find love and just that frustration when something doesn't work out.

tracy chapman- fast car: i really like songs/books/movies about driving, road trips, and that stuff. kind of odd, i know, but i dream of road tripping through the us one day.

garbage- when i grow up: i can just totally relate to this song. and shirley manson is my idol. she's so cool.

5). What 3 people are you going to pass this baton to and why?
whoever sees this and wants to play, consider yourself tagged.

mole

note to self: do not watch 3 consecutive episodes of 24 while trying to follow a cable chart with slippery yarn. it can only lead to disaster. i finally caught up on 24 last night (we're going to watch monday's episode tonight) while working on vintage velvet from scarf style. i got some heavenly touch me yarn in a trade and i had to start. but i ended up ripping it twice over the last two days. first i thought my gauge was too loose and then i messed up the cable and my gauge was still too loose. the pattern calls for a size 8 needle and right now i am on a 4. i don't think i usually knit this loose but ok. i also only have 4 balls instead of 5, so i hope it's long enough. if anyone has an extra ball of 3660 they want to trade, just let me know.

and happy new years to everyone! this is the year of the rooster. i don't think i know any roosters but that's ok. i am trying to get some of my friends to go out to eat tonight to celebrate (and also because i don't have any more food). now let me show you some stash enhancement:


that's the cornelia tuttle book #2 that i received in a trade last week. there are several tempting items in that one. i also really want the jane ellison noro book. eloise looks lovely. and the knitted teddy bear book i got from michaels on sunday with their 40% coupon. they really don't have the best selection but i thought that this book was fun and the bears are adorable.


i also found these from someone at the knitswap yahoo group. it's the interweaves knits winter 00/01 and 01/02 issues. i so wanted these. here are two of the designs that i definitely want to make from them.


i also received this beautiful lorna's laces in a trade last week. yarn swaps are the best. i have yet to make socks but i think this stuff is going to be divine. i like to pet when i am at home.


last but not least is more yarn from trading. this time it's brown sheep worsted in brite blue. have i told you that i adore brown sheep? i am going to save this for something special just for me.


i promise to have some knitting pics the next time i post. hopefully i will get more done on vintage velvet tonight. both mitten sets i am working on are stalled while waiting for more material but don't worry, they will get done.

hot wings and potato salad

this weekend was just jam packed with things to do and people to see and i had a lot of fun. as i said on friday, my friend from berkeley was down for a visit. sat morning (well afternoon) i went out with her and my roommate to this german restaurant that we found on the internet. my roommate grew up in germany and is always bitching about how we never go to eat german food. i keep telling her, "well find a german restaurant!" and she never does. so i took matters into my own hands and looked it up. did you know that looking up "german restaurant" on citysearch gets you mostly weinerschitzel? then i found a "cal-german" restaurant that had a sample menu of something with chorizo. didn't sound too german to me but luckily i had better luck on google. the place was even nearby in silver lake so it was all good. much to our delight, it was very authentic and we all ordered the bratwurst. those germans make a mean potato salad, too. here are my friends fake toasting:



oh and if anyone in la wants to know, it's the red lion tavern in silver lake and the address is:
2366 Glendale Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90039-3209 ph: 323.662.5337

after lunch my friend's mom came to pick her up and take her back to irvine for some family time. adrienne (that's my roomie) and i decided that today would be a good day to go to jay and silent bob's secret stash in westwood. it's kevin smith's comic shop and we have been wanting to go for ages. we love kevin smith and so braved sat night traffic to go to the store. the store was smaller than i expected but it had a nice selection of action figures and comics/graphic novels and it also had all of kevin smith's merchandise, signed. we got a signed mallrats poster for the apt and i also bought 2 comic books and a buddy christ. love it.



but the best part about being in westwood was that we got to stop at diddy reese (don't even ask how many times i had to spell it to find the address) for ice cream sandwiches. for those who have never been, they have homemade cookies and ice cream and you get to make your own combos. you get 2 cookies with ice cream, 3 cookies, or 2 cookies and a glass of milk for $1! yeah baby. we also bought 2 dozen cookies to bring to the superbowl party on sunday. ice cream sandwiches and comics...you really can't get much better than that.

after that we went home to make about a billion rice krispie treats for the party. adrienne decided we should make them in superbowl colors so we had to do a bunch of half batches in order to color them. they turned out really well but i am sad to say that i did not get a picture. oh- and we rented catwoman. bad idea. it was soooooo bad. halle berry was just campy and weird and the dialogue was predictable, as was the plot. it was nothing like the sort of tragic and conflicted character that michelle pfieffer protrayed. the cgi looked terribly fake and it was just BAD. please, for the love of all that is good in the world, don't see it. you'll regret it.

sunday was for the superbowl. i really don't care for football but there was a party with food involved so i had to go. traffic was very good and we made it to irvine in no time. we played a little football beforehand and i am proud to say that i did not injure myself or embarass myself in any noticeable way. there was a pool going on, and i was in the lead once, but didn't win. it was also my friend's brother's birthday and his nickname is turd (gross i know but i didn't give it to him). so adrienne and i made him a special treat.





don't worry, it's just chocolate covered rice krispies.
i didn't get much knitting done but i did add to the stash. i'll probably post more about it later, as this is pretty long and i don't want to bore you. happy monday!

attack of the 50 foot mitten

big mitt, originally uploaded by squishyme.

here's my lopi mitten in it's pre-felted state. i followed the pattern for a woman's small mitten and let me just say that this thing is HUGE. i hope it shrink a whole lot or i am gonna have to find a bear with cold paws for these things. you can't see the cuff in the picture but the whole mitten is probably 2 1/2 times bigger than my hand. i hope the felting gods smile upon me.

i am soooo happy today is friday. only a few more hours left until the weekend. tonight i am going out to celebrate my roommate's new job. i get to eat bbq! some of my favorite stuff. then we're going to the airport to pick up my college buddy who is going to be in town to visit family in irvine. i think we're going to their superbowl party on sunday. i don't care for football so i hope to bring my knitting and get a lot done. see you monday!

pitch black

did you guys ever see that sci-fi movie with vin diesel in it about these killer aliens that only come out when it's dark? they made a really bad sequel to it recently. for some reason i just can't buy vin diesel. the rock, sure. but gool ol' vinny? no way. well the power has gone out in one of the breakers here at work so i am working in the dark. unfortunately no hungry aliens have appeared to put me out of my misery so i persevere for you, my 2 loyal readers. here's a finished pic of my left thrum mitten. still working on the cuff of the second one while waiting for fleece reinforcements to come in.



yeah it's pretty freakin' huge but they are very cushy and warm inside. too bad i live in southern california. and the next pic is the beginning of a lopi felted mitten (i know- i said i wouldn't start anything new and i did). lopi is pretty rough but i have heard that the felted fabric is soft and sorta hairy. thought i would give it a whirl.



i am knitting them on these little 8 inch clover circs that i ordered after seeing them on this blog. i am not sure if i like them yet or not. they're a little hard for me to get a grip on because they're so small. i will have to see whether or not i will ditch my dpns for these plastic beauties. which reminds me that i need to get another set of 9 dpns the next time i go to the lys, as i lost 2 on my last visit home. i got some fun stuff in the mail today but you'll just have to wait for that post.

yay- the lights came on!

rejected

i was turned away from the screening of miss congeniality 2 last night because i got there too late. actually i got there before the movie started but the line was too long and they said even if my roommate saved me a seat, they would not let me in. i wanted to smack the guy right there as he was quite smug about the whole thing, but whatever. it's all karma, baby. instead i went home and watched 2 episodes of 24. i only have 3 more to go until i am caught up. my roomie will be so happy because she's been dying to talk about it with me.

the same old knitting going on. i think i might start a felted mitten pattern with some lopi that i have. i saw a pair on a blog today (sorry but i can't remember which) and they look so fun. i have a ton of lopi that i have never used and i think they might be perfect. i am actually attempting to sell/swap a lot of it on the knitty and knittersreview board. i will probably post some pics on my swap page soon of yarn i want to de-stash. and did you see these adorable stitch markers at amyville? i know they're not new in blogland but i just adore the new sweets collection. hello- donuts and cupcakes are my life! maybe next month after i get the ol' paycheck i will order some. now i want some krispy kreme....

my so called television

today on dvd- wonderfalls. man i can't tell you how much i dig this show. sadly it was cancelled after only 4 episodes (how dismayed was i to come home one day to find an encore presentation of the swan instead). witty, funny, and intelligent; they just don't make shows like this anymore. my three favorite (cancelled shows) are wonderfalls, dead like me, and firefly. i wish television would give new shows a chance. they were going to cancel arrested development right before it got a golden globe nomination (and then won!). oh tv, think of all the fantastic programming you would have if you just gave a little support and time. sigh.

i can't guy out and buy wonderfalls today because i am super poor. :( i think i need to leave hints so that someone remembers to maybe buy it for my birthday. yes i am shameless and i want my wonderfalls!

on the knitting front- finished one thrummed mitt. it's pretty fluffy and toasty. but i think that i made my thrums too big cause i am not going to have enough fleece to finish the second one. i found a place online that carried a few fleece artist rovings and ordered a similar colorway. hopefully they match enough for me to finish the mittens. note to self- smaller thrums next time.

making it last

blah- i hate sunday nights because i know i just have to go to work in the morning. however it was indeed a lovely weekend here in la. the sun was shining (even though it was actually kind of chilly) and no rainclouds were to be seen. i finally finished watching my dvd of maria full of grace. it was excellent and i am glad that it is getting some recognition from the oscars. i also got to go to two screenings for the ifp awards. kinsey was very good, with liam neeson and laura linney. my roommate told me that there was a lot of graphic sex in it, but really i didn't notice it too much. and just love liam neeson and laura linney together. but i saw the sea inside today and man, it just floored me. javier bardem plays a man who is paralyzed and wants to end his life legally. i just thought the story was so well put together. i didn't reall feel like they were taking sides one way or the other, either. i teared up several times and let me just say that i do not cry at movies. i just don't. i don't cry during extreme makeover home edition either. so call me a cold heartless bitch if you want but bardem at least got my eyes wet.

and did you see the new rowan stuff is coming soon? love love rowan. i should just get a subscription one of these days. the jaeger books look nice, too. that reminds me that i need to start my luxury tweed sweater soon. but i was good this weekend and worked on only stuff already in progress. who knows, i might actually finish something one of these days!

secret pal 4 questionnaire

well i've joined secret pals 4. i couldn't help myself. it's just so much fun to get surprises and to give them, too. but here's my questionnaire to help out my sp.

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high- a nd/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
not a huge fan of novelty yarn but acrylics are good for baby stuffs and as long as it's still super soft and squishy, i say "bring it on!"

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
bought myself a learn to spin kit awhile back but still haven't had the time to really learn it. crochet skills are less than stellar.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
smoke, pollen, cats, dogs and dust mostly. even though i am allergic i still hug and play with dogs until i am too sneezy or watery to continue.

4. How long have you been knitting?
about a year

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
uh yeah, it's large.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
jasmine, apple, pear. basically fresh stuff that isn't too strong. i hate super smelly stuff.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
i think all of my teeth are sweet. i buy halloween candy just for myself (those kids have enough!)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
photography (not really a craft but oh well)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
i like indie/alternative stuff, popular, and folk stuff. faves at the moment- iron & wine, postal service, rachael yamagata, damien rice, garbage, aimee mann, elliott smith, the killers, etc. i can play mp3s on my computer.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
i really like all colors. brights are good and i seem to be drawn to green and purple lately. yellow's not my favorite but i still have love for it.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
i live in an apt with my roomate and her fish, kai

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
to be independently wealthy and to be creative everyday

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
rowan: felted tweed, big wool, all seasons cotton, manos del uruguay(gorgeous), brown sheep lamb's pride worsted, blue sky alpacas, noro silk garden

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
scratchy acrylic, anything called "eyelash"

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
mittens, arm warmers, scarves, sweaters, and cables

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
right now i'd have to say mittens and hats. so fast!

17. What are you knitting right now?
thrummed mittens, ribbed hat, cabled scarf, arm warmers

18. What do you think about ponchos?
they make me look short and wide. not a good thing.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
both

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
bamboo or addis

21. Are you a sock knitter?
not yet but i have some sock yarn that i need to bust out

22. How did you learn to knit?
friend taught me to knit, mom taught me to purl, and the rest was from stitch n bitch

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
um 8 months? a bikini i am making for a friend. she just moved to ny so i don't think she needs it yet

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
dogs (esp pugs), cows, sheep, frogs

25. What is your favorite holiday?
christmas and halloween

26. Is there anything that you collect?
comics, knitting stuff, photo books, yoshitomo nara stuff

something to show

monica was right. my teaser was for my so called scarf made with lion brand landscapes. the landscapes is quite squooshy and soft and was fun to work with. i went up to a 13 needles to get a nicer drape and only cast on 20 stitches. it ended up about 5 inches wide and 5 feet long after a good blocking. you can get the pattern here, and i suggest that you go make one right now! this one is going to be winging its way to scotland as a late christmas gift.

and what's this? why it's another fo. they're the hurry up spring armwarmers from stitch n bitch nation. i started these over christmas but stalled after coming to the thumb gusset on the first one. i finished up that one last week and was able to churn out the second one in only a couple of hours of tv watching last weekend. just remember that you have to reverse (meaning mirror image) the chart on the left armwarmer. it's somewhat confusing that they didn't just print the chart in the book, forcing you to go out and make your own copy of it. oh well. other than that they were fun and fast. oh i used noro kureyon in #88, the same as the book shows.

i am currently making a matching beanie with the leftovers from this project. yay for finishing stuff. i am going to try and be good and not start any new projects until i finish some old ones. so far i have:
bikini from stitch n bitch- bottom needs to be made and straps need to be put on the top
good ol' cabled scarf- i am over halfway finished with it
mom's squishy shawl- 3 more balls of yarn to go
brother's hat- i need to start and finish this but it should go fast

i am sure there's more that i am forgetting but hopefully i can actually finish some of these soon and then start some more projects. like socks. i need to make some socks.

tonight my roommate is making me and some friends a traditional german dinner (she grew up there) so i am looking forward to some schnitzel and strudel. ha that's fun to say.

chill, dude

ok so i lied. no pictures of any fo's today. i was actually just too late this morning and didn't have time to get any good pics. but i should have TWO things to show you tomorrow if all goes well tonight. instead i thought i would post a pictures of the shoes i bought this weekend while in redlands. first let me show you what my current footwear looks like.



they are are their last leg, but i love them. the colors are so great! now look at the new shoes i bought:

yes, it's the fast times classic. i love that movie and i have been eyeing these shoes for while now. we ran into a vans store at the mall so i had to try them on. i was actually able to buy the boy's size 5, which is only $30! they didn't have my size in stock so they're ordering it from the wherehouse and are shipping it to me for free. i heart free shipping.

ahhh the a/c in my office is bonkers today and my fingers are numbing up just trying to type this. funny that it's probably 70 degrees outside. last note- just a teaser as to what i am gonna show you tomorrow.

see you then!

mental

this is turning out to be a terrible morning. my boss reprimanded me again. i have been screwing up these past few weeks a lot and it's starting to annoy him, with due cause. however i think i might be sloppier just because i don't care as much about this job as i might have at one point. it's definitely time to move on. sigh.

i had a really nice weekend otherwise, though. i went to redlands to visit my friend who goes to school out there. went to a yarn shop in her area called the enchanted unicorn, where they were very nice. it was really funny though because my friend was really interested in a shop sample scarf and the yarn that it was made out of. the woman who helped us told us it was two yarns held together but she couldn't find them in the right colors. later we mentioned to another person that we liked that scarf and that it was a shame they didn't have it and she said that they did. turns out it was just one yarn and it wasn't out on the floor at all. we thought it was hilarious that the other (older) lady totally gave us the wrong info. but no harm no foul. didn't buy anything, but my friend bought yarn for two scarves. she finished half of one last night (it's sorta long and skinny) and it looks great. i should have an fo for you tomorrow so stay tuned for that. i also started a new scarf (all those dpns were killing me so i decided i needed something a little easier on the fingers) out of lion brand landscapes. i gotta test a couple of needle sizes before i really get into it but i'll try and post a picture later.

man hands

i got up early just for you so i could take decent pictures of my thrummed mittens in progress. i started the thrumming part last night and just got addicted to it and the next thing you know, i'm up to the thumb placement. don't they make my hands look huge? and i have pretty small hands. i am sort of working off of yarn harlot's pattern but adapted it to my smaller hands. i think i may have made the thrums too big, though, as it's very hairy inside. take a look:

and next up is my mom's scarf. it looks pretty much the same as last time, only a bit longer. i still have three more balls to go on that sucker. woohoo.

and don't forget that today is not one damn dime day. protest the bush administration by not spending any money. do it! do it! (like in starsky & hutch)

attack of the thrums

i never new that wednesday was called hump day until recently because i have a friend who calls it that and i finally figured it out. i had monday off and it was HEAVEN, let me tell you. i don't even know when the last time was when I just had a day off. usually i am driving up to see my parents or doing some other exhausting thing when a holiday pops up. i thought about going up to see them last weekend but just didn't think i could take the drive again so soon. instead i hung out with my roommate and we went back to our old neighborhood to get a haircut at rudy's barbershop and caught a showing of the aviator at the vista, my favorite movie theater in los angeles. the movie was very good and didn't seem like 3 hours long at all. cate blanchette was divine as katherine hepburn. i didn't get much knitting done but i did start something new.



here are the thrums i made from my fleece artist thrum mitt kit obtained in a trade awhile ago. i had a bit of trouble at first tearing off the roving but i got the hang of it after a few tries.



and that's the beginning of the cuff i started while at work. the ball of yarn was really big but not as big as my rubber band ball. i get rubber bands everyday from the mail person so i started a rubber band ball and it's huge. bigger than a softball and really heavy. i figure i can use it as a weapon against any really annoying solicitors. :)

peanut breath

just a wee update as i added something to the swap page. take a look and let me know if you are interested. it stopped raining today and the sun is out. traffic was still a punk but it's nice to see a bit of sunshine. everything looks so clean after the rain.

macguyver saves the day again!

what do you do when you forgot your stitch markers at home? why you pull a macguyver and make something up. i made a nifty little marker from a bit of koigu kersti at the bottom of my knitting bag. if only they could all be made out of kersti. that's the start of a beanie from noro silk garden for the boyfriend of my scottish friend. his birthday just passed and i thought i would send him something in my christmas package to her. i began this morning and work and now it's blocking on my floor.

i am calling it the cool blue beanie.
details: noro silk garden beanie from this pattern
yarn: noro silk garden color 72 lot a
gauge: 5 stitches/in and about 5 rows/in
needle: clover bamboo 16'' circulars us 7
notes: i thought that the beanie came out a tad too loose, as i like a fitted beanie. but i am blccking it a bit smaller hopefully and my friend has a big noggin so it should be ok. all in all a great pattern and silk garden is lovely. it's got all the great colors of kureyon but a much softer feel. more desert island yarn!

also check out the stash page for updates on some goodies i received!

well that's it for tonight. it i so nice to have a working computer at home and a sweet new digital camera. i am off to watch connie and carla on dvd and then off to bed i go. night!

sheepy monday

my friend from scotland just sent me this picture of her famiy sheep at home in the snow. this totally made my day and will hopefully make monday more bearable. it's been raining cats and dogs here this weekend and the traffic to get to work today was terrible. why don't people know how to drive in the rain?

other than getting a little wet i had a really great weekend. one of my good friends linda was here for the weekend and we helped my friend celebrate her birthday. also did a bit of shopping, eating, and desperate housewives watching. she also finished a scarf she started way back in march. more pics to come hopefully later in the day!

the longest day of my life

i am dying here at work. it's so mind numbingly lame. however i did add a bit in the stash
page of the site. take a look. also want to give a shout out to my sp3 sarah who spoiled me rotten. sarah i got your package over the break but want to take a picture of it before i go on about how cool everything was. thanks for making me feel like a rock star! just thinking about it makes my day better. :)

only 3

yes another post and another picture! i love how my camera hooks up to the computar and is read as an external drive with no software needed. it's great. well my trip to joann was a bust. they only had 1 pack of size 9 dpns left and guess what? it only had 3 needles in it. um- i guess it would make a whole set with the 3 i have left but i didn't wanna go for that. and the store was just wiped out of yarn from all the holiday knitting. i heard one woman mutter, "why are they gonna have a sale if there's nothing in stock?" while another said,"michaels is sooo much better." ladies- take a chill pill and let the people restock after the holidays ok? but i did find these susan bates bamboo 7 straights on clearance. i got them for an extra 25% off so it came to $3.25. true it's not as good as finding a collection of needles at the thrift store for 99 cents but i'll take it.

and here is a gratuitous picture of my dog gonzo. isn't he adorable? he used to be all black and now he's turning white. puppy love!

stripey goodness

you like how i am trying out my new camera? it's quite lovely and i have been taking random pictures all over the place. you don't even want to know how many pics of my dog i took at home. poor thing must be blind from the flash by now.

but this is a picture of something i started last night. they're the valentine's day convertible mitts from stitch n bitch nation. i am using lamb's pride bulky (loooooooove lamb's pride esp the worsted) in m145 spice and some leftover m04 charcoal grey i had. i've actually gotten further today and bound off the top portion of the mitten. now i need to make the flap and thumb- exciting.

and this is a close-up of a shawl/scarf type thing i am making my mom from some really squishy lana gross yarn. i don't normally like boucle stuff but this yarn is delish! it's just plain 3 x 3 rib that is twice as wide as a normal scarf so that she can wear it as a shawl or fold it into a thick scarf.

that's all the bloggy goodness you get today. i am off to lunch and joann's to use my 40% off coupon on some new clover 9 dpns. i lost two needles at home mysteriously and i need to get more.

ps- i love macro and good lighting.

oh the joy

it's now 2005 (remember when it was turning 2000 and everyone thought the world was going to end?) and a fresh new year. i drove back to la last night in the rain, but it didn't take me too long and traffic was surprisingly reasonable. not like on thanksgiving when i wanted to poke out my eye with a wishbone. i had tons of stuff to carry up from my car last night. most of it was food that my mom packed for me , along with my newly fixed computer, my old stereo system, and YARN.

the christmas break was a really good time. i liked just having two weeks to hang out with friends and family. my family is pretty small (just me, parents, brothers and dog) so i don't have to deal with large family drama. however there was some sadness as my parents are selling our house. yes the house that we have lived in for more than 20 years is being sold. my parents simply can't afford the mortgage anymore and my brother and i don't even live at home. this news was very very sad and my parents don't know where they are moving yet. they want to move into a mobile home (one of those ones that almost looks like a real house and doesn't move) so that they will be free to travel and do other things. i might get to see the house again if i can come back for president's day but this might have been my last time in our house.

but i will try to be optimistic for 2005 and good things to come. it's raining here in la, which is a nice change. hope you all had a happy and safe holiday season.

rainy days

it's been quite awhile since my last post. i have been enjoying a nice break for the holidays back in my hometown of milpitas, ca. it's so nice not to work and to just chill out. good news- i got a new digital camera for christmas! expect more eye friendly posts in the new year. i'll be back at work on monday so i'll have more time to post next week. have a safe and happy new year!

warm fuzzies

my roomate and i are throwing a wee holiday dinner this weekend. neither of us has cooked for awhile so this might be interesting. but i gotta run to the store at lunch to get some groceries. i think i am going to make some hot cider. delish.

i have been knitting up a storm this week, too. hopefully some pictures to show up next week of a finished london beanie and a couple of scarves. i bought some koigu kersti yesterday for a small scarf and it is so lovely to work with. if you haven't tried it yet i think that you must.

also saw screenings of the wedding date and ocean's 12 this week. the wedding date was what i expected- cheesy and cliched romantic comedy. but dermot mulroney is a cutie and it had its moments. and i don't want to spoil ocean's 12 for anyone but i will tell you that it was not as good as the original, but how could it be? it was fun to watch and there were lots of little jokes if you are really familiar with the first one. the life aquatic with steve zissou also opens up this week (limited) which i really enjoyed. same wes anderson sensibility as the royal tennenbaums and rushmore if you like that kind of stuff. and those red knit hats are so cool. i might have to make one if i can get a closer look at it. so go out and see a movie, knit, and eat some christmas cookies this weekend. i know i will.

my secret pal rocks!

here is a picture of my final secret pal 2 package. my pal was none other than the fabulous kat of pinku. she has been a great secret pal and i love everthing she has sent. thank you thank you thank you. see her last package had some choice stuff. sorry but you can't have it. there is some vintage mauve mohair, some really cute oragami stickers (sorry no good closeup), these cool bead garlands, and best of all- some handmake ornaments. they look crocheted maybe and then starched into shape. trust me, they rock. thanks, kat!

i am currently in the throws of holiday gifting hell. i was at the mall yesterday and while not as bad as i thought it would be, still a pain in the ass. so much pressure. sigh. and the knitting. i have lots of that to do, too. what am i doing blogging? gotta get back to the holiday knitting!

tgif

i am so happy that it's friday and that i only have a few more hours of work left until i can go home. working just drains the life outta me, i tell ya. well next year i plan on getting a new job that will hopefully be less life sucking.

i have been trying to get my christmas knitting done but it seems to be neverending. my roommate also just got back which means that i have to work on her present in secret. we also have our friend staying with us this weekend (the one i made the convertible mitts for) so i also have to hide his christmas gift. i plan on making him a london beanie to match his gloves with the leftovers. i started it last night while he was out at a party and am halfway done! i still need to make my brother his hat and start my mom's shawl/scarf and her mittenettes. not to mention all the regular christmas shopping i need to do. i am so screwed.

i got to see a screening of a very long engagement on wednesday, too. i liked it a lot although it is very different from amelie. it's about a woman (audrey tautou) trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her fiancee (an adorable gaspard ulliel) during ww1. it has the jean pierre jeunet sort of strangeness but it's very gritty and serious. lots of bloody battles and trench time. unexpected actors like jodie foster, tcheky karyo and marion cotillard pop up as well as the usual cast of actors he likes to bring on. very enjoyable and beautifully shot.

well i am off to finish off my work before the day ends. i think we're going out to see closer (with gorgeous jude law and dashing clive davis) tonight and are having dinner at zankous chicken. mmm tasty! oh fun note- my roomie checked the messages on the machine today (i never do) and said that there was a message for us reserving a ham that fed 16. on investigation we found that our home number is only one digit off from the honey ham store's number. oh the holiday mischief we could do (but we won't). :)

blueberry surprise

this is the beginning of the koigu gauntlets i am making my roommate for christmas. koigu is so nice....

i spent last night with my friend knitting and watching the muppet christmas special (not good). she is making fern from the new rowan and i am there to help her out. but rowan patterns can be so vague sometimes that it is just frustrating. it just says "decrease at each end of following 5 rows" but they don't tell you what kind of decrease to use. i mean many knitters can probably figure this out on their own but my friend and i are both new knitters and it would be nice if they at least gave us a suggestion of what to do. why oh why do you make such pretty designs and then have vague directions?

flying turkeys

i hope everyone had a good thanksgiving. i got to visit home for 4 whole days and it was lots of fun. my mom made a delicious turkey and the best part, all the side dishes! sometimes i think i can live on side dishes alone. i got some knitting done, too.

what's this? why it's a completed knit.
pattern: basic cable hat from stitch n bitch nation
yarn: brown sheep lamb's pride limeade (less than 1 skein)

needles: us 6 bamboo for the ribbing, us 7 denises for the rest of it.
notes: easy peasy pattern. looks great in the lamb's pride. love this yarn so much! it looked like the hat was gonna be a bit short so i added 2-3 rows of ribbing before starting the cable and i added a whole cable repeat before decreasing to make sure it was long enough. it turned out just right so i would suggest that most people add some length to it unless they have a really small head. my head's not that big and i think it would definitely have been too short done as stated. oh and no pom pom for me.

pattern: midnight knitter's mittenettes
yarn: 1 skein manos del uruguay in 111, eclipse, a gorgeous colorway with orange, purple, blue and pink
needles: us 6 bamboo dpn
notes: this yarn is so luscious and beautiful. single ply, a little thick and thin with the most gorgeous colors. i die. definitely a desert island yarn. pattern was super simple and i love them! they keep my hands toasty while my fingers are still free to do stuff. go make some now. they only took me a few hours total. great for those single skeins and leftovers you might have.

and what's this? a little added to the stash? click on the thumbnail to see what i got this weekend.

gobble gobble

i was gone last weekend for a birthday party in northern california. i drove up with friends on friday morning. i finished the flap of the second convertible mitten on the way up and they were a hug smash at the party. no one could believe that i had made them and they fit my friend's hands perfectly. phew. my roommate took a picture of him wearing the mitts and i'll post those when i get them. all in all a very nice weekend. my mom had to work so i only saw her for a little bit but a little bit is better than nothing. i'll be driving back home this thursday anyways for thanksgiving. man i love me some stuffing and green bean casserole.

i finished the cabled hat from snb nation last night. no camera to take a picture of it. sadly my camera is not going to be fixed. i've had it for less than a year but it is not repairable. damn sony. i might try and get a new one with my christmas bonus but we'll see. but the hat turned out very nice and i love working with the brown sheep lamb's pride. i like how it is single ply and all that. which reminds me that i picked up this great hand knit vest from a thrift store while i was at home. yes hand made by banana republic (back when they had bananas on their label). the yarn is very much like the lamb's pride and i plan to unravel it and make a nice sweater. not bad for $3.50. :)

photo wednesday

yes here is my copy of stitch n bitch nation finally. i looked through it a bit last night but didn't have time to read all of the articles as i was exhausted after the screening of house of flying daggers and a pit stop at pink's hot dogs (mmm...chili). the movie was pretty good. i thought the plot was a bit cheesy, but that might have been the bad translations. and zhang yimou always has the most beautiful cinematography and choreography. and costumes! love them. check out his other movies, hero, raise the red lantern, and to live to get a feel for this great director.

these are the three patterns that i really want to make in the book right now. i love those armwarmers and the colorway is perfect. sadly the one place i know of that carries noro doesn't have it. and i don't want to pay shipping to order it so i am just going to have to wait. :( i am going to make the cabled hat in some lime green lamb's pride that i have in the stash.

next up, my finished koigu gauntlets:


pattern: elegeant gauntlets from the purl stitch by sally mellville
yarn: koigu kpppm (can't remember which colorway right now but the pic is pretty true)
gauge: recommended gauge for size small/med using size 3 dpns, size 2 for ribbing
notes: very easy pattern and lovely results. i only altered it a bit by using a smaller needle for the ribbing to make it tighter. i also shortened the thumb and hand a bit as i have small hands. i bought another colorway to make my roommate some for christmas. she is oddly attracted to them and when she wears them she is compelled to do ninja/wonder woman likes moves with the gauntlets.



and these are for my friend's birthday (today!) but he is having a party on sat up in northern california. yes we are roadtripping back to my hometown to party it up. they are convertible mittens and i still have half a glove to go and the mitten tops. this pattern is quite annoying and they make huge gloves. this is fine as he has large paws but i don't understand how it would fit anyone else. i will have to show you pictures with my hands in it next time for scale. i need to get these done before we leave on friday. wish me luck!

stitch n bitch nation

barnes and nobled finally got my copy of stitch n bitch nation in. none of the stores in la have it yet. i know because i was at two yarn stores and 3 bookstores this weekend and no luck i ran over there during my lunch break and picked it up. i haven't read any of the features in it yet but i can already tell that i don't like it as much as stitch n bitch. not that it's bad but it just seems to have more novelty knit items (cozies, fishnets, headbands) than i would like. but some people really like things like that and might have not liked the first one because it didn't have any. but there are definitely a few patterns that i would like to make so i will keep it. i'll let you know how it is after i read some of the articles. and i know i don't like the cheesy photos of models superimpsed onto exotic locales.

well i am off to a screening of house of flying daggers tonight. i hope it's good....

tgif

no, i didn't move away to a bush free country. i've just been too lazy to post since i still don't have pictures. but fear not, as i am still knitting every day. i finished my arm warmers and they are blocking on my floor right now. i really like them. i followed sally mellville's pattern without alteration and they look great. i am currently working on a pair of convertible mittens for a friend's birthday next weekend. i substituted patons classic wool for lamb's pride worsted, which is a bit heavier and they look kinda big. but my hands are really small so i can't measure for sure. i am going to make one and see if it's too big or not.

i saw the motorcycle diaries last night (finally) and it was amazing. it was beautifully shot and the actors were top notch (and good looking to boot). it's about revolutionary ernesto "che" guevara and a trip he took through south america when he was 23. everyone kind of knows him from what he did later but this takes a look at what he was like when he was full of idealism and doubt. i think a trip like that would change anybody. i have always had a love for the open road and this movie just makes me want to pack up and travel. go see it if you haven't yet.

have a great friday and great weekend!

good mourning

i can't really get into it but yesterday was a sad sad day. another four years? how could you fail me, america? i need some ice cream now....anyone in new zealand want to house some americans for four years?

onto happier topics- i forgot to take pics of my koigu arm warmers. one is just about complete. all i have to do is make the thumb. it's a really great pattern and easy peasy to follow. i thought that the new stitch n bitch was going to be out this week but i think they pushed it back another week. why? now i have to wait and i even had a borders coupon this week. guess i'll just have to use it on something else.

wait some good news. i have screening passes to see alfie tonight. jude law is too hot for words and the movie is all him. hopefully that will make me forget the mess we're in for a couple of hours. yay.

countdown to the recount

hello, i hope you had a good halloween. no costumes this year for me but i did go see a scary movie or two. note to self: not a good idea when your roommate is out of town. i hope you all go out and vote today. i did it early this morning before work. last night was spent with a few friends going over all of the props and making sure i didn't miss anything. please please go out and vote today. you can't complain about the way the world is if you don't participate in it.

and this is something fun i found at south park website. go here to make your own south park character. i sorta look like this. my hair is usually kind short/mid length but right now it's actually really long because i have been too lazy to get a haircut for awhile. i love south park. go see team america right now if you haven't yet. i think my roommate is going to buy the soundtrack today. whoopee!

been working on some secret stuff, so i can't say much. also bought some koigu (my first) to make the arm gauntlets from sallly melville's the purl stitch. maybe pics tomorrow since my roomie is back with her camera.

please V-O-T-E.

the great pumpkin, charlie brown

i am sad today because last night i came home to find my pirate pumpkin deflated. it had started to mold yesteday but i had no doubt that it would last until the weekend. however i was wrong and it was all squishy when i got home last night. it was pretty gross trying to dump it. is there some special method to keep your carved pumpkin fresh? i don't remember doing anything special when i was younger and they seemed to last. poo now we don't have anything for halloween.

started on some red mittens from lamb's pride bulky last night. nothing much to say about them, but i hope to have some new pics up next week.

weekend madness

it's been a little while since my last post. you must pardon me but i've had a packed weekend. most of the weekend was spent having a dead like me season two marathon with my two goods friends (who are married to each other). since my roommate is gone for another week, we had the whole place to ourselves. it took some stamina but we went through at least 12 episodes. we also carved a pumpkin (into a pirate face- arrrr!) and got to explore glendale a bit. i was looking for a halloween costume but really didn't like anything. i might have to opt of of it this year and just go see a scary movie instead.

since i was watching so much tv this weekend i got a lot of knitting done. the chevron scarf is just about done and i worked some more on the cabled one. my friend also knits (but she says she only does it around me) and has been working on a really pretty ribbed scarf for awhile now. she finished it this weekend and wore it out to dinner on sat. we took some pictures with her camera but she has to email them to me.

i also started the knitting bag from the hollywood knits book. i got it from my local library and the bag uses two knitting needles as handles. it worked up super fast in lamb's pride bulky. i have a ton of the stuff in the stash but not in any colors i wanted to use. so i actually went to suss design (open sundays!) and got a skein of black to use with some leftover charcoal grey yarn. since it's been kind of cold here lately things are taking a long time to block and dry. hopefully i will be able to seam it up tonight. and i recently ordered hollywood knits style from overstock.com and it just came yesterday. you're going to think i am a dork but i got it because gina torres is in it and she was in the tv show, firefly, that i am now obsessed with. plus there was a bag pattern in there that i really liked. it's similar in tone to weekend knitting but i prefer weekend knitting over this one. but some of the stuff is really cute and it wasn't a bad price so i am ok with it. plus- db sweeney is in it. hello- the cutting edge! "toe pick!"

i am sorry i am without camera. i know it sucks and if you actually read this, i commend you.

moist

yay! it's raining here in la! i love the rain and we get so little of it, that i rejoice when it does sprinkle a bit. it's so funny what they consider a "big storm" down here. it's barely even wet and everyone is freaking out. i love it.

the weekend was spent hanging out with good friends and watching lots of tv indoors. actually did go see team america on friday and it's damn hilarious. love those south park boys. this movie is not for those easily offended and have no sense of humor, be warned. the songs made us laugh out loud. the theme song goes, "america, fuck yeah!" and that's a pretty good indication of how the movie is. it's very tongue in cheek and we had a good laugh.

started a small cabled scarf using rachael's good ole cabled scarf pattern. just using some navy lamb's pride worsted i got when i first started knitting. i ripped out my noro multidirectional scarf to make a chevron stripe scarf. i just didn't think i would ever wear the other one so rip it goes. i wish i had pictures to show you but my roommate just went home for a couple of weeks and took her camera with her. so i will be photo-less for awhile. :(

balls

orange labrador scarf (sorry i don't have a better name)
yarn: crystal palace labrador
needles: us 15
pattern: good ol' seed stitch

i finished this scarf last week but haven't gotten around to putting up a pic until now. it's quite lacy and bumpy and i really like it. now i just have to wait for it to get cold enough in la to actually wear it. or go someplace cold for the holidays. :)

and here's bobbie bear in his finished glory!
pattern: blue sky alpaca bobbie bear
yarn: cascade pastanza (i think)
needles: us 5

i had a heck of a time picking up the stitches around his butt area. it just didn't look too great. i didn't take a picture of it but oh well, i tried my best. and the embroidery on his face is kind of whack because i don't know how to embroider. i used worsted yarn so he only ended up being about 7-8 inches tall instead of the 2 feet he is supposed to be. i'd love to make him in the bulky alpaca someday. too bad it's so expensive.

i made a ribbed hat from some rowan big wool in the stash two nights ago. i just needed a quick fix and something mindless for tv watching, you know? i don't have anything mindless right now for watching movies and stuff so i gotta get something started. oh and i ripped bloom back. i kept ending up with the wrong number of stitches and it was just annoying. not sure if or when i will start her up again. it's so cute but do i really wear vests?

last night i was out late at a bowl a thon for a great organization called coachart. they're a non profit that gives children with life threatening diseases free lessons in the arts. it's just great and the bowl a thon was a lot of fun. i am such a bad bowler and my arm hurts today. it was all worth it though for that one strike. hope everyone's fridays fly by. i am going to see team america tonight. yay- i've been waiting for it to come out and it's supposed to be hilarious! have a great weekend!

laundry fresh

i can't believe it's monday again! man- is there some way to make time go slower on the weekends? well i had a nice, relaxing weekend at least. saturday night i went out to the hollywood bowl to see norah jones play. it was my first time at the bowl and it's a nice venue. norah sounded amazing and we sat somwhere in the middle. we weren't super close but we could have been way further back. oddly, the man behind us decided to take a nap on his girlfriend's lap. not the way i would choose to spend a concert, but whatever. then he started to snore. loudly. and his girlfriend didn't take it upon herself to wake him up. is something wrong with this picture or is it just me? the rest of the evening was spent making hanging out with friends and making s'mores for my friend's birthday. she lives with her mom and the two cutest bassett hounds ever. who knew they were such big dogs? so i had fun petting the puppies.

a little bit of knitting done. i did a some secret knitting for my secret pal, so i can't show it to you. also picked up bloom again after working out what the heck the pattern was talking about at the neck shaping. i really want to make a nice scarf from pam allen's scarf style book. there is one made with 4 ball of karabella aurora 8 that is lovely. they all are, really.

i love the fall. bring on the pumpkins and cold weather!

mixed nuts

last night i went out with my roommate and friends to celebrate my roomie quitting her job working for satan. ok- her boss wasn't really satan but she was pretty close. and the funny thing is that the news took her boss totally by surprise. she is just clueless as to how poorly she treated her assistant and is oblivious to the fact that this might be the reason she has had a new assistant every year. my roomie was so anxious about work that she woke up in the mornings wanting to throw up and walked around the office afraid that her boss would yell at her for things that were not her fault. thank goodness she finally quit.

i re-started the bikini bottom from stitch n bitch. i just found at that my friend who i was making the bikini for is moving to albany, ny after the new year and i'd like to give it to her before then. not that she is going to need a knit bikini in the winter of ny, but i'd still like to finish it. let's see if i can defeat the intarsia heart this time.

i also got a bunch of new knitting books in the other day. i joined the crafters choice club, which is basically like bmg music club but for crafting books. i got 5 (gasp!) books at once. lemme tell you, i was in heaven. i received scarf style by interweave, debbie bliss junior knits, simple knits with a twist, the new edgings book by nicky epstein, and hip to crochet. i haven't look through everything thoroughly yet but the scarf style is brilliant and junior knits looks really cool. love debbie bliss. on sat, received a package from sp3 full of goodies. i keep forgetting my camera but i'll have pictures soon. thanks sp3!

an another note i have to admit that i have become addicted to the tv show firefly. it lasted only one season and everyone was telling me that i should watch it. finally got disc 1 on netflix, watched it, got disc 2 and am now hooked. it's such a fun show and i love the dynamic between all the characters. i am so sad knowing that once i blow through all the dvds, there will be nothing left. actually they just filmed a movie version of the show so hopefully that will tie up all the loose ends. i need to buy the dvd set now.

more stuff to buy and no $$. c'est la vie.

it's a rainbow

i started this scarf over the weekend. i had this yarn in my stash and just never got around to making anything with it. it's thick thin wool crystal palace labrador. the color is utterly luscious and tangerine. it's done in seed stitch to show off the texture of the yarn. i quite like it.


here's a closeup of the stitch. nice and textured.


and this is my friend bobbi bear. i like the fact that there isn't much to seam on him, but i am so not good at picking up stitches. i think it just looks bad. there needs to be a whole chapter on picking up stitches from different sides, with pictures! frustration.

i finally got the killers cd. i have been wanting it forever and am grooving to it at work. so much good music around lately. need to get the new joss stone and interpol sometime, too. hope everyone has a great weekend.