~ [Shadkitty Knitty] ~

Apr 3, 2008

Two Posts in One Week!

OMG! It's insane! lol Actually, my life is. Sick children, preparing for the return of Mr. Shad, house cleaning, etc. But I was tagged by KnitKat. So we'll talk about that first.

Rules
1) Link to the person who tagged you.--> Kat
2) Post the rules. (done)
3) Share six non-important things / habits / quirks about yourself.
4) Tag at least three people.
5) Be sure the people you tagged KNOW you tagged them by commenting what you did.

I am mildly OCD, I have to eat Oreo cookies from left to right out of the package. All of the "rows" have to be the same. My husband enjoys rearranging the cookies to piss me off, I will fix even out the rows if they aren't right.
I tap the top of soda cans before I open them. Dunno why.
My husband and I got married after about two months. We met in early November, and married in late December.
My hair wasn't cut (other than an inch here and there for maintenance purposes), colored, or styled really until I was 15. Clearly...now I change it semi-annually.
I totally hate my real name, but love my married surname.
The reason that there are so many pictures of me isn't so much that I'm a camera whore as it is that I love to take pictures. Of anything. Have you looked at my Ravelry projects? There are so many pictures. My Flickr has over 2,000 pictures.

I'm not tagging anyone. Don't feel like it. If you like, steal this and do it for yourself.

So, I've spent my week cleaning up vomit. How's that for starters? Nolan has been

sick since Sunday. Today we haven't had any upchuck...but it's not even seven yet. Oh, I finished Somewhat Cowl...but it looked terrible. The sleeves were too big. Actually, the raglan measurement was too long. I knew it when I did it (10 inches?! You've gotta be kidding me) but I thought, hey, she's the designer...she knows what she's doing. Right? When I took my measurement for a raglan sweater awhile ago, it was 6.5", which I thought was way too small. I measured my Tree Jacket's raglan "seam" because that fit PERFECTLY...it was 6.5 inches. Go figure. FROG. It's all gone. Except that 6.5 inches. I was really depressed over it last night. The collar looked so beautiful, I had slip-stitched it into place and it had felted slightly. Oh well. It's better than never wearing the sweater.

Other than that, I've been helping a friend from Ravelry out. She is in Virginia, so I might have to visit her soon. Plus...they rollerskate!!! OMG! Have I ever told you how much I love rollerskating?

Labels: babies, friends, lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, sick, Somewhat Cowl

17:14 | |

Feb 9, 2008

Not Dead Yet

Yeah. No. My computer's AC adapter broke, and since my battery is basically useless...I was without the internet briefly. If nearly three weeks can be considered brief. Actually, can I admit to somewhat enjoying it? It was nice to get in some actual knitting time as opposed to just reading about it on Ravelry! Not that I don't love Ravelry, it really would have come in handy when I realized that somehow my Digitessa and the charts/pattern were not syncing up. :( More about that in a second. Basic life update first. In the time I was gone, I've been going to the gym three days a week, knitting, and getting together with my friend Brandy every Friday night. It's really helpful to have a friend who truly understands what I am going through. Heather is five now, I missed doing a birthday post for her since the computer was out of commission. Kyran will be three on Monday. Expect one for him. And Nolan got his very first haircut! He looks older, or so everyone says. He still looks like little Nolie Bird to me. This is gonna be a long post guys. So, settle in.

Before and After shots of Nolan:

Alright, what else is there to tell? Well, let's get to the knitting stuff first. I

finished one of the Serpentine Mitts, and finally finished Tree Jacket. Come on, you guys knew I'd be knitting in my "time off" from the internet. When Tree Jacket was finished, I thought my Denise needles looked bored, so I cast on for the Somewhat Cowl. The Berroco Ultra Alpaca is really nice to work with. It doesn't feel as soft against my face as it does on my hands though. Which is strange. I'm really thinking I will like this sweater a lot. Tree Jacket is great, it fits perfectly, and my best friend said it makes my boobs look big. lol That's always a plus. Right now most of my projects are simple, mindless TV type projects. Unfortunately, those are the type of projects I tend to stall on. However, I needed something either simple, or that I had a pattern for once my computer died. As I didn't have a lot of patterns printed out. Oh, and I had a slight problem with my one complex and interesting pattern.

La Digitessa and I are not in agreement right now. I should probably take a picture, but for now let me try to explain. Chart 6 has the cable pattern on the front of the leg as starting (row 33) on what would be row 10 of Chart 4. However, my sock has row 33 of Chart 6 being comparable to row 2 of Chart 4. Anyone? Should I just go about knitting using Chart 4 and trying to incorporate it into Chart 6 somehow? I posted about my dilemma on the Yarnissima group on Ravelry, nobody has given me any ideas yet. So, I might just start privately messaging people on Ravelry who have completed the socks. I am just concerned I did something wrong, and wouldn't even know how to begin to fix it! Argh. As soon as I can, I will get a picture to kind of show where I am at on the sock. It's just so aggravating. Anyways, after that, I started a modified version of the Charade socks. All I did was change the knit stitches in between the "slip, YO, k1, psso" type part into purls. Which my stitch dictionary calls a "rolled rib". Whatever, it is just something to do. Probably going to take them to the gym with me.

And now a meme, as I don't feel like posting anymore:

Rules and whatnot

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs. (which I don't feel like doing, so I won't)
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

These are the facts:

1. I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 about...4 years ago. I refuse to take medication for it, and I don't have the time to see a therapist/counselor. Though it is free. Instead, I track my "symptoms" and try to adjust accordingly. Luckily, it's not as bad as it once was. Some days are still worse than others. (this might explain some things about me)

2. I still can't decided if I hate doing dishes or laundry more. It's always the putting away/folding/loading parts of these chores I have the hardest time with.

3. Driving still scares me. After rolling our Explorer several years back, I can only drive about 2 solid hours at a time. Anything after that, I start white-knuckling it!

4. Feet are gross. I don't like them, except baby feet. I have an absurd fondness for baby feet. The reason I love socks so much is because they cover up my totally abnormal looking feet. I hate pedicures.

5. My best friend is my polar opposite. She loves feet, pedicures, water, swimming, the beach. When my hair was long, hers was short, now that mine is short...hers is long. Her favorite colors are pink, green, and white. Mine are purple, blue, and black. Seriously? The plus side is: we've never been attracted to the same guy at the same time, can't even conceive of it. We balance each other.

6. The penguin thing, if I haven't already explained it, came about rather simply. Whenever I was pregnant, Mr. Shad would tease me about the way I waddled. He said I looked like a penguin. And the nickname stuck. I am still his penguin. Penguins are fascinating, and cute. So, why not?

7. I want to learn how to do some pole tricks. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably don't want to. I love to dance, and I think it's just a neat thing to be able to do. Eh, what do you want? I'm weird. :)

Labels: birthdays, Digitessa, disappointment, finished object, kids, Knitter Project, life, memes/blogthings, penguin, pictures, progress, rambling, Somewhat Cowl, sweater, Tree Jacket, updating

11:28 | |

Sep 18, 2007

Dawdle

So, Mr. Shad ended up not leaving until yesterday morning. First the boat broke, then his plane. It was nice to spend all day Saturday with him. Especially since Friday night was kind of rotten. I will admit, I'm scared. Not just because he is going to be in a warzone, but also because I have no control over this situation and we have never been apart for more than a month or two. You guys will all be part of my support network. There are people here for me to rely on, but I have found the knit-blogging community to be FABULOUS at providing comfort and cheer in bleak times.

There will be a list of things to look forward to. But I am going to put that on my LiveJournal (link later), so that I can update it and look at it whenever I want without overloading all of your bloglines. The most important ones are a visit from Lesley! And SAFF! Both in October, and I am so excited! Lesley and I have been blog buddies forever. I ought to make a list of blog folks I wanna meet. :)

The Mad Amazonas Weave sock is done, and I am feeling a case of SSS. Maybe because I kitchenered it on Saturday in the midst of all of that stuff with Mr. Shad, so I never CO for the second one. Which I normally do right away. Also, the heel flap and cuff are a bit short for my liking, making the whole sock overall a bit short I think. It should fit better after a bit of blocking, as that always seems to relax the yarn a bit.

On Sunday, I needed a quick soothing knit, something to just get done. Somehow the

feeling of all of the anxiety with Mr. Shad's departure and all of my lingering UFOs was making me feel despondent. A chunky, quick knit was needed to soothe my soul. So, I snagged my Twinkle book, the Thick & Quick from Mom's knitting experiment, and my largest DPNs. The Flying Gloves would work beautifully. There were a few problems though. The needles I had (Size 15US) were too small! I swatched and knit a sample glove following the pattern (which was knit flat). Since it was such a fast knit (about 45 mins), I frogged the glove and started again in the round. I would provide my info, but am worried about infringing on copyrights, because really it's not that hard and if I told you I'd basically have to give you the whole pattern. The whole glove is only a total of about...14 rounds I think. The ones from the book around 12.

Also, Nolan discovered socks today. I think he likes them as much as I do. Although I don't think he really understands them. ;)

Here Elem, this will make you feel better:

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up.Have fun!

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
(x) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 9

(x) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
(x) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( ) Saw II
(x) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 18

(x) Scream
(x) Scream 2
(x) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
(x) Scary Movie 2
(x) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
(x) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 28

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
(x) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
(x) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 36

(x) Finding Nemo
(x) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
(x) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total so far: 44

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(x) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
(x) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 53

(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
(x) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
(x) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Flubber
Total so far: 60

(x) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(x) Practical Magic
(x) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
(x) From Hell
(x) Hellboy
(x)Secret Window
(x) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
(x) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 69

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
(x) Gothika
(x) Nightmare on Elm Street
(x) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 78

(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
(x) Lucky Number Sleven
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(x) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
(x) Curious George
Total so far: 90

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
(x) A Bronx Tale
(x) Darkness Falls
(x) Christine
(x) ET
(x) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(x) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds (the original and not the crappy remake with Tom Cruise)
(x) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 99

( ) Best Bet
(x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
(x) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(x) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 109

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Spider-Man 3
( ) Sky High
(x) Jeepers Creepers
(x) Jeepers Creepers 2
(x) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
(x) Reign of Fire
(x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(x) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 126

(x) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
(x) The Notebook
(x) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(x) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 133

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 139

(x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
(x) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
(x) Highlander
(x) Mothman Prophecies
(x) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 145

(x) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 150

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 154

( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
(x) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 155

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 159

(x) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix Reloaded
( ) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
(x) Red Dragon
(x) Silence of the Lambs
(x) Hannibal
Total: 163

Labels: babies, family, Fancy Silk Sock, goodbyes, lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, mittens/gloves, socks

09:30 | |

Jun 3, 2007

Here I Am!

No. I didn't disappear. Every day my computer works less. And I am also trying to keep busy, lest I notice Mr. Shad is not here. Since my last post I have finished My So-Called Scarf, worked 22 rows of the leg of the poor Twisted Flower sock, and received LOTS of packages! We've been to the beach, and the movies twice; but I only sat through one. I learned to play Bunco and saw Pirates of the Caribbean 3. A friend of mine is pregnant, so I get to knit more little baby hats. They're so freakin cute. :) Alright, now pictures. There won't be any links in this post though, it takes longer than I probably have to do that. The computer usually crashes about an hour after logging on, and I have already been on for about 20-30 minutes.

Wollmeise! From left to right: Rhabarber worsted, Mitternacht, and Gewitterhimmel. The camera doesn't show you how gorgeous these really are. And they smell soooo good.

Turns out I am Knitter one for one of the two pairs of Truly International socks. In this picture you see the pattern, needles, notepad (with instructions), and leftover yarn I have chosen to knit my bit. What you don't see is the yummy-licious chocolate Heidi sent with it! I had to put that up and away from little hands before I had time to take pictures.

Wow! Sunne is fantastic! This package made me SOOO happy! I've seen and fondled cashmere at my LYS, but never owned/knitted with any. Two skeins of Mongolian Cashmere in Jade, and four balls of a Cotton/Cashmere blend. And I have no idea what it is. But it's pretty and I've already found what I will make with it. :D The Craft magazine is PHENOMENAL! Seriously, I browsed through it before opening anything else, and I couldn't believe all of the awesome things in it. Thanks again Sunne! You really know me. :) What else? Some sparkly handmade tiger soap (random fact #3: My high school mascot was a tiger RAWR! Go Tigers!), a yummy smelling candle, blinging Hello Kitty stitch markers, other cute stitch markers that I had favorited on Sunne's Etsy shop, a purse made of paper bags (it appears), and some mystery thing that hasn't arrived yet?

Random Fact #4: I shave my arm hair.

Random Fact #5: Even though I own many pairs of shoes, only two pairs really get used. My sneakers and my sandals. Sneakers when it is cold, and sandals when it's hot. As a kid I only had two pairs of shoes (usually from Payless) at any given time. A pair of sneakers, and a pair of "dress" shoes. Most of the shoes I own now were bought because I had forgotten to bring a pair of dress shoes with me somewhere that I would need them.

Labels: lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, pictures, PRGE, scarf, swaps, Truly International Sock KAL, updating, Wollmeise, yarn

12:47 | |

May 16, 2007

You Want My Pie

The only thing of note that I have done is make pie. But it's damn good pie. Peanut butter. Yum. I have this friend from school, and we have the most retarded conversations. Usually it is about Hot Sox on cam (because I knit on webcam occasionally), today it was pie.

Shadkitty: my pie is DELICIOUS
Shadkitty: well, the filling is, I tasted it
Joel: are you trying to make me pie jealous?
Shadkitty: yes
Joel: okay you "win" I wish I had yer pie
Shadkitty: you want my pie
Joel: yes I want yer pie so badly :P

Trust me, you all want some of my pie. :D Sorry, I can't help it. I'm dirty.

Stole this from Dawn over at Wild Yarn.

Mark with bold the things you have knit (or are knitting)/crocheting, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan (zippy hoodie)
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (uhh, what is this?)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns (with lace weight, yeah!)
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks (yikes!)
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Labels: lists/surveys, memes/blogthings

11:39 | |

May 15, 2007

Play Tag With Me

Really, it'll be fun. :D

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are my facts:

1) I liked crazy socks even before I could knit.

2) I hug everyone. I'm just a huggy person.

3) I wanted to be an artist and had browsed several art schools around the DC/Metropolitan area before I moved down to NC.

4) I can't really swim. I can tread water and doggy paddle, that is it. Then again, I'm not really big on water outside of my shower. (And my best friend is a lifegaurd)

5) I always spell the word seperate wrong. Seriously, spell check it.

6) Which is funny because I am a grammar/spelling Nazi. My blog seems to be the only place that I write/talk freely. Without worrying about how I'm spelling yada yada.

7) I didn't get my driver's license until I was 20 years old and already had two kids.

I tag,
Kat (my PRGE pal Kat), Pins&Needles (Yeah, I know your real name but don't know how you feel about that), Robbie, O'Kitten, Carissa, MeanBean, and Kris.

Um, nothing much happened yesterday except that I frogged the hat several times because I didn't like the decreases. Also, I have decided I will knit that second Twisted Flower sock. Really, why stop a beautiful history of perfectly paired paw protectors now? Sorry about the alliteration, it was just fun okay?

Labels: memes/blogthings

10:06 | |

Apr 2, 2007

Tattoo Meme

After reading Flint Knits tattoo post, and the background post from Scout, I have decided to share some more about my own ink.(I know Spirals is going to get some more, she'll have to post about it next!)

My very first tattoo I got on my birthday. It actually had been a design

I was kicking around for awhile. So long in fact, that I was pregnant with Heather when I first designed it, and got it after Kyran was born! I wanted something small and personal. Something that I would never regret. So I got my initials, now, since I believe it to be somewhat bad juju to tattoo anyone else's name on your body (they were my married initials, making one of them not my own name)...I made sure that they represented something else I love. Cats! Tada! Well, that's all the story behind that one. Except maybe for the part where I found out I was pregnant with Nolan like a month later. *sigh* Good place for a tattoo huh?

Anyways, on to the second one. A little more meaning behind this one. March 29th was the three year anniversary of my cousin's death. He was only two years older than my husband is now, and he died in a motorcycle accident. That was a very tough time in

my life, I was newly married and struggling to be a good mother at 19. The last time I had talked to my cousin we were joking, he was always joking. I used to be very close to these cousins of mine, three brothers (Matthew, Mark, and John for those of you interested), we all used to play together and then drifted apart with time. That happens, and you think you'll always have time to get together later. It just doesn't happen that way. It was hard to see how it affected my mother, she had practically raised him and considered him a baby brother. Not one of his brothers nor any of my other family members has stopped riding, if anything we are all still proud to ride.

This tattoo represents family, and time. You never know when it is up, so use it while you can. Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today. And all of that. Thinking about losing him still hurts, the tattoo makes me feel closer. The placement was actually significant also. It may be behind me, but he is never far from my thoughts. The tattoo is of a Phoenix, that my cousin designed himself. An interesting coincidence, wouldn't you agree?

(Oh, and I haven't forgotten about the wheel. She's still in progress)

Labels: life, memes/blogthings, tattoos

20:31 | |

Feb 1, 2007

Organization

Why does that look like it's spelled wrong? Oh well, let's not dwell on it.

This morning I spent enjoying the quiet morning light, with the pitter-pat of sleet (yes, I know the difference between sleet and hail, unfortunately) on the siding. It was a good morning and I revisited the Endpaper Mitts. My dear mitties, how wrong I was to ignore you! Currently, three of my WIPs fall under that "perfect yarn + perfect pattern" category I posted about previously; they are my Wicked sweater, the Endpaper Mitts, and the grey raglan. I can remember how I longingly stared at the lonely cuff of my first mitt and couldn't wait to get back to work on them while I knitted with dedication on the Hedera socks. Before I could get back to them though, there came my "involvement" with Wicked. What a sin I have commited for leaving the mitt out in my freezing cold garage!

Woops...sorry got carried away. Anyways, I decided it was time to prioritize. The Wicked SKC KAL ends in February, so that needs to be done by the end of Feb; however the Endpaper Mitts can be knit throughout the next two months. To reach my goal of Sock-A-Sweater-Two Me, I went through the patterns and gauged approximately how much progress I should make per sock, per day to complete them in a timely manner. With these things in mind, I made a list of how much I needed to knit on my projects every day. If I want to do more, that's more than fine, but I need to get at least the following done for the months of Feb and March:

Wicked - knit 1" every day

Endpaper Mitts - knit 5 rows (or half patt rep) every other day

I Dream of Africa socks - knit 1 full rep stitch patt (20 rows!) every day in Feb

Monkey socks - knit 1 rep lace patt every day in March

Any free time I come up with I can work on any of the other projects I have designated for this first color triad, but those are the main projects I'd like to complete by the end of March. I joined another KAL, Fair Isle February, to encourage my progress on the Endpaper Mitts. For some fun I stole this meme from Rhonda.

1. I've been hooked on the needles since: I taught myself to knit in December 2005, but didn't get really into it until March. So, I've decided to make March 16th my knitversary (first day I went to The Tail Spinner)

2. I'm still a virgin, but not for long: steeking and intarsia

3. She's crafty - she gets around...to : knitting, sewing, and drawing

She's crafty - she's always down...for: reading, watching anime, and learning

She's crafty - she's got a gripe...about : gossip. I hate it. I'm sick of American Idol, and Celebrity news and all that blah blah blah.

She's crafty - and she's just my type. What type of knitter are you? I'm a right-handed (English) sock-knitter who loves her DPNs and knitting in the round. Anything without seams baby!

4. I'm dying to try: Aurora Karabella 8, Bollicine Dolly, Cherry Tree Hill, Yarn Pirate, Koigu

5. I gravitate towards colors like: Purples, browns, teals/blues, greys, and greens.

6. My most cherished possession (kids, pets, family don't count) is: my cute office space Justin put together for me. It's like I really have something all my own. Also, my necklace and wedding rings. Once I lost the ring, in the mall bathroom and Justin went trash-diving to get it for me. That's love baby.

7. I'm stuck on an island, what am I reading? King or Koontz

8. If I were about to be executed and I was offered a last meal , I'd be dining on: Steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and ENDLESS dinner rolls!

9. Music to knit by: hmm...Muse. btw Under the Tuscan Sun is a great movie to knit to, just a thought.

10. I have a crush on: (other than Johnny) Matthew Lillard

11. Least favorite celeb: Keanu Reeves

12. Choose:

Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp? Johnny Depp, did you have to ask this, seriously?

Madonna or Janet Jackson? Madonna

June Cleaver or Peg Bundy? June

Jackie or Marilyn? Marilyn

Love or Money? Love

Brains or Looks? Brains

Math or English? English, unless we're talking Algebra, I'm all for that.

Cat or Dog? Cat (duh)

Leader or follower? Leader, I'm a control freak sometimes. But I know how to play follow the leader well enough.

Beer or Champagne? Neither, I'd prefer vodka and cranberry juice :)

13. My favorite smell? Kyran's hair

14. Not many people know this about me: Both of my parents are lefties, but my brother and I are both righties. My husband and 3 of my former boyfriends are lefties. So far, Heather is a righty, Ky is still at that "ambidextrous" stage, and well Nolan is just too little.

15. My hidden talent is: hidden so I don't know about it? lol I'm kidding. Most of my talents are pretty obvious. My mom can talk like Donald Duck and touch her nose with her tongue, my brother can do that flower thing with his tongue and make his eyebrows dance, my dad can coo like a dove...I guess mine is I can put my foot in my mouth. Literally. It's just a gross idea.

Labels: KAL, lists/surveys, memes/blogthings, planning, rambling

14:52 | |

Jan 31, 2007

Dark Purple

Dark Purple

To others, you seem a bit dark, mysterious, and moody.
In truth, you are just a very unique person who doesn't care what others think.
And you really enjoy your offbeat interests and friends.
You've decided that life is about living for yourself - simple as that.

What Color Purple Are You?

If you know me, that is FREAKISHLY accurate.

edited to add:

Your Daddy Is Johnny Depp