Taking on a load

First off, let me just say that if you know of Lime & Violet, head over to the message boards, register, then sign up for The Official Lime & Violet Pr0n* Swap. And save the button to your hard drive so you can put it up on your website!

This button here:


Hurry up, you got until tomorrow, midnight CST!

Secondly, I'm re-taking Nursing Concepts 6 for the third time on Wednesday. I've been reading my chapters but there's only so much I can take before my brain goes "boooooooooooop" like a heart monitor on a corpse. I've attempted to persevere, to break through the wall but I'm not so sure that's smart. All I manage is to get frustrated. Oh well, I still managed to read all the material, now to just go over all the testing I have to do.

Thirdly, it has been absolutely gorgeous out here. Temps up in the fifties and every day this week, I have discarded the blow-dryer and let my hair curl naturally, drying in the cool but not cold air. It's been so nice.

Fourthly, my sister has the cutest pictures of her babies up and you've just gotta see them because even if I don't have kids, I can live vicariously through my sis. ;)

Right, so, studying. If you all could pray, light a candle, cast bones, burn some incense, whatever for me, I'd appreciate it. I do NOT want to fail this exam yet AGAIN. Thanks all.

*Not REAL Pr0n, gutter bunnies. At least, it better not be. I'm still traumatized about the *ahem* stitch markers I got in a swap once.

Kit's Experience Points to Knitting

So, I've been around some message boards and there are a few things I thought to share with you guys, things I've learned over the ages. Things about knitting.

1. It's a couple or more sticks and string. It doesn't bite, it doesn't cry, it doesn't make fun of your hygiene behind your back with your friends. It's just knitting. FEAR NOTHING. You can throw it, you can throttle it. You can stomp on it, you can drown it. And it can do nothing back.

2. Just because it's popular, it doesn't mean it's good. For instance, figure-hiding ponchos. Muppet-pelt scarves.

3. Just because it's popular, it doesn't mean it's bad. For instance, the Clapotis. I've seen dozens, hundreds and some have been really awesome. Shown off the yarn beautifully. And some...could have been better.

4. Anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT. Check your gauge. Re-check it. Weave in your ends. Block it. It's a pain but it is and always will be worth it.

5. Acrylic is not the best thing since sliced bread. It's eco-UNfriendly. It cannot be blocked. It does not breathe and it does not keep you warm. However, it does have its place. It makes for nice blankets, it's nice for cute scarves. But it's not good for socks or chemo caps. And it's not always the cheapest you can get.

6. Forget skill levels. If you like it, make it. If you don't know how to do it, Google it. Frogging is tiresome but in the end, you have something you can wear with pride.

7. Math is NOT hard. Can you add? Subtract? Multiply? Divide? Did you know that you can use Google as your own personal calculator? No more whining.

8. There is no curse. Boyfriend Sweater Curse? Like the R.O.U.S.s*, I do not believe it exists.

9. Don't expect to knit well while inebriated. Don't expect to do ANYTHING well while inebriated, like drive or cut steeks. It just doesn't work like that.

10. Go with your instincts. Listen to your imagination. And if it's getting the best of you, put it down, work on something relaxing and let your mind untangle the knot.

Anthropomorphized yarny things

That almost sounds like the name of a band, doesn't it? Well, it's just some news that I've got, a little blogging to catch up on.

First off, Mom wore her Monkey socks to her second chemo session and loved 'em.


Specs:
Time: About 5 days straight knitting.
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Gold Hill
Needles: Susan Bates size 2 DPNs.
Pattern: Monkey for shoe size 8.5 feet (but with a little fiddling, they do happen to sit okay on my size 7 feet).

Those would be MY glow-in-the-dark legs, thank you.

Yarn Porn
I may not be in the group for Yarn Porn because I never do remember to do such things and take such pictures but I did have a little build-up on my desk and thought I'd take some pictures.


So here's the leftover Lorna's Laces after finishing mom's socks. But it felt like...something was missing.


The judicious application of my Kitchener Needle and size 2 DPNs gave me an adequate yarnman. But I wanted, nay, NEEDED that final touch. Hmm...


Ah ha! With Slip'n'Snip scissors, the outfit is complete and here I have a nerdy but adorable yarnman!

Okay, I have far too much time on my hands but yeah, whatever. Admit it, you were amused.

Chocolate Lava Muffins

This is found free on the Food Network but I thought I would share my "version". It deviates slightly from Alton Brown's recipe.

8 ounces semisweet milk chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
Butter, to coat muffin tin
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup Blue Bell Homemade vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon espresso powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla.

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color, approximately 4 minutes. Chill mixture.

Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and centers should be gooey.

While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.

Notes: Dude, get the milk chocolate for extra crackalicious muffins. And ditch the espresso powder, you don't need it. And be sure it's Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla. You'll thank me.

Kit's life, Original Sound Track (OST)

It is cold, wet, and severely rainy. I've finished the Monkey socks just in time for mom to wear them to her next chemo tomorrow but there will be no pictures, not today. So enjoy this little meme that I got from unending fieldtrip in the meme-time, har har!
Directions:
If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.
7. Don't skip songs. (Unless they happen to be podcasts/foreign/downright perverted and you don't want your sister to think you're some sort of dirty whore.)

My Movie:

1. Opening credits: Vienna Teng - Nothing Without You.

2. Waking up: FORCE OF NATURE & tsutchie - pretending to...

3. First day of school: Tori Amos - Mother Revolution. *snerk*

4. Fight song: The Lord Of The Rings - Black Rider

5. Breaking up: Masami Ueda - Painting God Appearance (from the Okami Game Soundtrack)

6. Happiness: HelloGoodbye - Touchdown Turnaround

7. Life's okay: Blackmore's Night - Queen For A Day (Part 2)

8. Mental breakdown: The Lord of the Rings - Into The West [performed By Annie Lennox]

9. Driving: Tori Amos - Cloud On My Tongue

10. Flashback: Coldplay - Yellow

11. Getting back together: Tori Amos - Hoochie Woman (*laughs!*)

12. Wedding song: Enya - If I Could Be Where You Are

13. Birth of first child: My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade

14. Final battle scene: Leahy - Down That Road

15. Death scene: Blackmore's Night - Past Times With Good Company

16. Funeral song: Heart - Back To Avalon

17. End credits: Kate Rusby - Fare Thee Well

Try it out and let me know what you get...it's kinda fun! ;) It would also be kinda awesome to offer you these songs but RIAA would hand me my butt on a platter for that. So, uh, they are all awesome songs, go buy them from iTunes or something.

Falling off the wagon.

To those coming over from the Lime 'n' Violet Blog, hi! I'd have written about visiting with Miss V but I'm a total lamer and never managed to get my camera out to document the whole visit. Next time, I swear. Really. Promise.

Now onto the rest of the post.

I got a little slaphappy with my last paycheck ($114, woo). I went to Target, got various not-so-fun but necessary sundries like hair conditioner, lubricating eye-drops, ho-hum very boring. The exciting part was when the car overheated on the way home and I drove around with smoke (or was it steam?) pouring out of my hood. It's okay, Dad fixed it but it was downright scary.

Perhaps that's why this happened. Perhaps this is why I fell off the wagon so very hard.

See, I noticed that Lime'n'Violet updated their etsy store and I was browsing when I saw something I liked. Something I REEEALLY liked. Now, when I am trying to make a very careful yarn purchase, I tend to very easily talk myself out of things. But I was not thinking of precipitating yarn purchases. I was thinking "Oooh, gold and purple are such a pretty combination!!!" and clicked "Buy Now". Made it all the way to PayPal before my conscience managed to break through the one-way mirror with a resounding:

"WHOA, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

But, alas, it was far too late and Etsy sent me a receipt, kindly asking "Er, are you going to be paying for that?" and with a sigh, I said "Yeeesss...". And now I look forward to this in the mail:



I regret nothing.

Also, my sis is having a baby. I think I will do what I did when she had her previous baby. Go watch Phantom of the Opera. ;)

Old emperor, new clothes

Last you saw of Lorna's Laces Gold Hill, it was in peril of being violently frogged and slapped onto DeStash. However, mom loved the colorway instantly and even liked the stitch pattern.

I could deal with the colors but definitely not the muddy stitch pattern (and many thanks to everyone's input. Those who apologized for giving requested opinions will be beaten until morale improves, ha!). So a-frog-kissing I did go and then came upon some inspiration. Of course! Monkey! And after a full Friday and Sunday with a little Saturday mixed in for good measure, I pulled this from my needles:



I think that looks a thousand times better, don't you all think? And I have yet a week to go to make another, I have plenty of time. Especially since the pattern is easy to memorize and goes very quickly.

Here's a huzzah to Cookie for her amazing sock designs. I think I've managed to about knit all the ones she's published so far!

~*~

And now for a meme that I got tagged on about a week ago by the darling and ever-so-patient Kate. The meme is to photograph the books you are currently reading and post it. Then tag four people to fill out the meme (of course, participation is not mandatory). So here's my nightstand-ish book:


Horatio and the Hotspur by C.S. Forester

I've been destashing on books as much as I've been destashing on yarn and so when I'm in need of reading material, I visit my lovely local library. This is my fourth book I've read this year that has not shown me lovely and graphic photos of people's innards and bits and bobs. Nursing textbooks are not for the faint of heart, let me tell you!

The reason the photo quality is poor is because I don't read much before bed (other than scriptures) and my nightstand has little room for much other than a lamp and an alarm clock and my usual liter-bottle of water. So I...read in the bathroom. The tub is a luxurious place for a read, don't you think? And just ideal for the cold, as long as you're careful not to drop your book.

Anyways, I tag:
1. Christina (like you don't have enough to do, right?)
2. Abby
3. Becky
4. Rebekah

Speaking of reading, I have some studying to do.

Happy St. Frigid!

So, it's blogger's silent poetry day. I don't know poetry from a hole in the ground so I think I'll post the lyrics to one of my favorite songs. In ode to my favorite male character that I write.

The Other Side Of Time
Snow falls, silent and slow
On the unforgiving land
You stand clutching your coat
Red twig dogwood in your hand
I see your face unchanged, unlined
No trace of age
No tracks of time
Walking over the fields
Tiny figure on the plain
You turn into the wind
And you seem to call my name
So long you've been unheard, unseen
Now here you are
Inside this dream
Once in a golden time
We stood beside the river
And spoke of true things
We knew would last forever
Wild promises
And heartless laughter
No whisperings
Of what comes after
Broken ties
And unquiet years
You forget who you are
I still remember who you are
You live here in my dreams
Land of images and signs
Sleep now, I'll see you there
On the other side of time
We all are just
Points on some line
We'll meet again
We'll meet in time

-Mary Fahl

Opinion time!

What do you guys think? Is this sock a bit too busy-looking? I always get a little worried when there's more than two tones to a sock and here I'm thinking that the whole thing looks muddy.