Anyone who may have been keeping track over at my weight loss blog may notice that I'm a hair away from reaching the 10-pound mark. So, to celebrate the near victory and to do something about the fact that it is about as hot and humid as the inside of a very large mouth, I went to go get my hair cut.

I went with a friend since she needed a haircut, too and we headed over to the best beauty school in town, Z's Cosmetology. The gal who did my hair saw my frizz and curls and said with a bright smile "I know just what to do with this! You'll love it!". Enthused and encouraged, I followed her back and had her wash my hair and then went into the chair.

Now, I'm a little self-conscious about my forehead. I have a healthy and large forehead and it tends to shine, too. Not the greasy forehead shine but the bald-man shine. So while she was considering the shape of my curls, I asked "Would I look good with bangs?" She said "Sure, I've got it, you'll love it!"

I don't know why I thought it was a good idea, it took me a year to grow out bangs the LAST time I asked for them, they make me feel a little like that nasty girl from Little House On The Prarie...somethingOlsen. But I held onto my decision and once she was done, well, she had brushed and blowdried my hair into a flippy-out style (I have never liked the style. If I wanted to look like a throwback from the 50's, I'd show up in an apron and flare out skirt) and my bangs looking like a large curtain in front of a picture window.

Oh dear.

Well, who was I expecting to do my hair, Nick Arrojo? And she did reestablish old layers so that my curls are back after a shower. But my bangs require round-brushing or they end up looking a little like a girl I knew while going through puberty who was just downright nasty to me. And who wants to look like their persecutors?

Lesson learned.

And no, you don't get a picture. Just try to use your imagination.

As for the knitting content, you don't get any because it's been too hot and humid, inside and out. If it weren't for the bugs and the cops, I'd consider running around topless like my homosexual but very muscular neighbor (I don't mind when he mows the yard, not at all).

You can't Tig on a Tog after the third Sunday before Labor Day!

I got me tagged by someone I didn't know (so mysterious!) but I'm glad to meet. Hi Singing Gnome! I didn't know gnomes sang! And now I regret blaming them for things that go wrong mysteriously like typoes and so on. ;)

So, it's the 7-things meme that's been going around:

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

1. Though I do not care for yellow on its own, I really adore the combination of purple and yellow. They're complementary colors, donchaknow.

2. I play WoW on the rare occasion, using my friend's little brother's account (he's not using it when he's grounded or in school). I can't play it for long since it starts giving me a headache, but it's quite exciting at times.

3. I'm losing my knitting mojo. It's probably because it's getting warmer out and it's not like I'm living in the basement of a family that likes to keep the thermostat at 70. I'm in Kansas, land of the plains. Humidity and heat combine to make EVERYTHING sticky and hot. Eck.

4. I'm allergic to hair dye. No, really, last few times I dyed my hair, my scalp broke out into some amazing sores. Yes, it took more than one occurrence for me to actually figure out that my scalp may not like my autumn red hair dye. Ah well, I'm over it.

5. I'm deeply religious and get a little testy when people mock my LDS/Mormon beliefs. I don't dare mock other people's beliefs, I understand that they believe what they believe for a very good reason and as humans, we have no right to judge one another because we're just as open to fault as anyone else. But, hey, if you want to broaden your horizons a little, I'm all for answering questions.

6. My closest friend and I are writing a story. And I'm writing one on my own. The former is a little more fun to read, at the moment. It sure goes faster since there's that motivation.

7. I'm in love with iGoogle. I love that you can add all sorts of things to it (like recipes, Sudoku, swimming fish that follow your mouse, news reports, moon phases, etc) but the thing I like best is the theme. The tea-house theme is my favorite. It features a little fox working on his little plot of Japanese-inspired land. Every two hours he's doing something else and every two hours, his little companion changes. Sometimes it's a firefly, sometimes it's a turtle, sometimes it's a caterpillar. But it's all very entertaining. My second favorite is the beach theme since I do quietly dream of returning to a beach and spending time there. It changes every two hours, too.

Anyways, that's my 7 things. I tag: Christina, Abbie, Crow T. Robot, Gwenog, Emily, Kristy, and Melanie. Also, if you want to do this, leave a comment so I can see! And there's a Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap trivia question, too!



Who are the two people speaking in this quote and what book is it from?

"I'm not trying to say what she did was sensible. I'm just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."

"You should write a book, translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

That is Hermione talking and Ron interjecting and it's from the Order Of The Phoenix (next movie out, yay! Except my favorite character dies, booo.)

Saturday good times

I've been a total slacker but I am repentant and I have come with mentions of good times.

Last Saturday, Abbie came to L-town to chill with her family and she managed a bit of time to hang out with me! We had an awesome time, checking out the Yarn Barn for some HSKS goodies (the Yarn Barn has Claudia Handpaint now, it's so PHFAB-U-LUUUSS!) and then we headed to the Free State Brewery for lunch. And when we got out, we noticed that they had started blocking off strees. Now, there was a general hubbub but I figured that was just Saturday. But it just happened to be Art Tougeau, as Abbie explained, which is a funny-car sort of contest/parade thing. And when we saw the UFO, well, I just couldn't walk past without taking a picture:



Oh man, it was fun to see all those cars. After she headed back, I went to look at a few more cars. I wish I had taken a picture of the car with the HOT TUB in the back but I got shy, the owners were there checking the temperature and I felt sheepish about taking pictures. But there were some fun cars!




It was a fun weekend, thanks for hanging out, Abbie! <3 you! :D

Hooray for the Holyhead Harpies!

Quidditch Trivia
1. Who is the Fat Lady's friend?
- Violet
- Rose
- Lavender
- Lily

2. When the Fat Lady was attacked by Sirius Black and fled her portrait, who took over for her as guard of Gryffindor Tower?
Sir Cadogan

3. Usually when Harry is in Dumbledore's office, what are the portraits of previous headmasters doing?
- Humming
- Snoozing
- Giving Dumbledore advice
- Arguing with one another

4. Which one of the Triwizard champions did not go to the World Cup?
- Harry Potter
- Fleur Delacour
- Cedric Diggory
- Viktor Krum

5. Who did Harry give his Triwizard winnings to?
- Mr. and Mrs. Diggory
- No one, he kept them
- Professory Dumbledore
- Fred and George Weasley

The next two are anagrams. Rearrange the letters to get the correct words.
6. Live gong cram la man (two words)
Minerva McGonagall

7. Owl or video
Oliver Wood

8. What author's name appears on the book "Quidditch Through the Ages"?
- Albus Dumbledore
- J.K. Rowling
- Kennilworthy Whisp
- Newt Scamander

9. What does the Keeper do in a game of Quidditch?
- Keeps the brooms in good working order
- Guards the goal
- Keeps the score
- Holds the Quaffle

10. In the Goblet of Fire why did the Mad Eye Moody imposter put Harry's name in the goblet?
- He wanted Ron to be mad at him
- He wanted Dumbledore to expel Harry for entering the tournament
- He wanted Harry to be killed during the tasks
- He wanted Harry to win the tournament

Picture Scavenger Hunt
Find these pictures and either post the pictures on your blog or links that will take us to those pictures. (I'm linking these, hot-linking is bad, mmkay?)


- Dobby holding his sock from Harry
- Cho Chang and Harry's first kiss
- Viktor Krum and Hermione at the dance
- Mad Eye Moody

Surprise, yarn!

So, I got me a package today. I didn't recall buying anything or asking for trade so it was really a surprise when I opened this package with no name on the return address and no note:



So to my mysterious benefactor, thank you so very very much! I love you and the yarn! Unless it was a mistake, then I'll send it to whomever it was intended. :)

In the meantime, I have NOT been slacking. In fact, I learned a new skill!



Magic loop! Nothing real magic about it but it is rather clever. My only objection is trying to get the stitches over the join of the needles and the cord. It would be much nicer if the join was smooth. I guess I may have to invest in some Knit Picks Options if I want to do this again. Which wouldn't be a bad idea, this is better than losing DPNs. Which sometimes happens, yannow.

So, well, I'm off to do some more work. I am putting my bag together tomorrow.

HSKS Trivia #2

These are some tricky questions...

Trivia #1
What's the name of this potion?
This potion has the colour of molten gold, and while exposed to the air, large drops will leap like goldfish above the surface without spilling.
This is the Mary Sue potion, Felix Felicis featured in Half-Blood Prince. I had a hard time trying to keep my eyes from rolling at this, it's not unlike the Time Turner featured in the third book. Just a cop-out that I'd personally never use in my stories.

Trivia #2
Which book is this line from?
"Harry and Cho were now too embarrassed to look at each other, let alone talk to each other; what if Ron and Hermione started going out together, then split up? Could their friendship survive it? Harry remembered the few weeks when they had not been talking to each other in third year; he had not enjoyed trying to bridge the distance between them. And then, what if they didn't split up? What if they became like Bill and Fleur, and it became excrutiatingly embarrassing to be in their presence, so that he was shut out for good?"
This is from the Half-Blood Prince. The Bill and Fleur remark gives it away, really.

Trivia #3
Who utters these words?
"Oh I am glad I'm not on duty. I wouldn't fancy having to go and tell the Irish they've got to stop celebrating."
Ohhh, I just listened to this while on my walk with Daisy the other day. It's from Goblet Of Fire and it's Arthur Weasley. I don't know who was worse then, the Irish or the Bulgarians. ;)

Been there, will do that.

Bold for stuff you've done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
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
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
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
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
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 mitts/arm warmers
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

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHRISTINKA!!!

I'm sure I'm missing something

But here is what I have of my 'stash'. It's puny compared to most but I've culled it, kept what I like most and will trade or sell the rest:

The Flickr Set

The Spreadsheet

And it's all even color-coordinated according to weight (I have 3,484 yards of sock = 1.97954545 miles, if anyone wanted to know).

The only thing I left out are the left-overs, the odds and ends of yarn that survived a project. I'm thinking hats. And a crazayzee color shawl/afghan/thing.

But first I have to finish my sock and I can't do that until I figure out where the heck I put my purple #1 DPN. *grumbles*

Imagery

So, I mentioned the fate of the Nantucket Jacket and here it is:



That's the entire Nantucket Jacket minus the bits and pieces of yarn that I used to seam it all together. The first two balls on top are the sleeves, the next two are the front panels and the big one on the bottom is the back. So, uh, that's it. Maybe I'll try the jacket again but then again, I may just try something that made a little more sense, this one had all sorts of strangenesses to it.

Then, of course, mom had her last day of chemo:



I told her the white shirt made her look like she was just wearing underwear but she didn't care. She does have the best smile in the world and that makes up for it, I believe. At the end the nurses all filed in clapping and singing for her, oh, I mentioned that already. Well, it was definitely sweet and mom was tearing up a bit. Hee.

And finally, I have things going to a good home. If you wants it, I would prefer you pay for the S&H.:



Who doesn't need an awesome kimono or dress or cape? Well, except for me. But yeah, fun patterns.



The stories are top notch but I figure I should share the love. I thought I had a few more but these two were all I could find. Sadly, the magazine stopped publishing after Marion Zimmer Bradley passed away, which is too bad because the only other magazine publishing fantasy short stories is, well, not so great.

Let me know if you're interested. :)

I don't fit in

I finished reading the Yarn Harlot's latest book. I was not amused like her previous books have amused me. Perhaps it's because she's run out of original material and has resorted to the silliness of those who comment on her blog and used that to write this book.

For starters, why are there only 2, 3, 4 categories of knitters? Those little 'quizlets' in her book didn't apply to me at all. Not even OKCupid has such a narrow range of options. Well, okay, sometimes. But I was reading it going "But I'm not A or B but a little both and mostly neither. Is there an Umlaut-U option?"

Then I was annoyed by the whole thing knitterly greeting idea where it's acceptable for someone to grope or grab your knitted work. For heaven's sake, I would never do that to another person. Nor would I be too terribly pleased if someone did that to me.

And finally, that ridiculous idea that swatches are a bad idea. My dears, swatches are your architectural blue-lines, your outline, your skeleton. You can see where your project will go and whether it will fit or if you'll have to change your needle size.

Ms. Harlot, your blog is amusing and clever, your first two books were entertaining and your third was educational for the beginning knitter but this one depressed me a little.

As for the stuff going on outside of my daily reading: My mom's last chemo was yesterday. When it ended, all the nurses came in clapping and singing a congratulatory song and handed her a balloon. The balloon went to a small girl no more than two or three who was staring at it with huge eyes. According to her mom, it was her very first balloon. Cute! And I also found something fun for my Sockapalooza pal at the hospital gift shop.

I'm a quarter of the way through a second sock using that Mars Quake from Lisa Souza and the next sock will be using the Magic Loop method.

And I have very little else to say. I'll have pictures up on Flickr of the current state of my Nantucket Jacket (har har) in a few...hours.

Sick of the leek? Let's add a twist.

Maybe a little techno with your leek?



Oh the things I find when I can't find anything to blog about. Hee!

Still sick!

You don't want to linger, you might catch this. So allow me to direct your attention to a supposed help with colds.

Leek Spinning.

Or just leeks. But it'll keep you entertained.

Still here!

Not feeling so hot but I'm still here! It's strange but I went to have a small nap yesterday. When I woke up, my throat was sore and since then, I've felt ill. Of course, that didn't stop me from taking a trip to the Yarn Barn when I got my HSKS pal's name. She's a Ravenclaw and so I thought I'd grab some Louet Gems Pearl in French Blue and Ginger since it's the closest to the Ravenclaw House colors. Well, they had the French Blue (it's so pretty) but no Ginger. So I paid for the two skeins of blue and when I got home, I hopped onto eBay. Yup, they had Ginger and the shipping was less than anywhere else so that will be on its way tomorrow.

I also stopped by the Phoenix Gallery. I love the ceramics and they have some beautiful handmade jewelry there, too. I picked up some handmade soap in lavender scent for only $3.25 (practically a steal!) and that'll go along nicely in the package.

Now, I'll have to test my sewing skills. My sock-knitting bag design is purely in my head, a reversible thing that will be blue on one side, bronze on the other. It will be circular and I will put some sort of circular bit of plastic or cardboard in the middle and sewing it there to make the bottom and the whole thing will just come up like a satchel with silk drawstrings.

Yes, I have sewn. I almost made a little doll version of Watsuki Nobuhiro (yes, just like the little cartoon self-portrait on the right side) but I never finished because the person I was making it for, uh, things got messy. But it would have been awesome if I'd finished it! Self-designed so I think I could make a cute little...clutch? Satchel? SockSack? without too much fuss. :)

As you can tell, I'm excited about this.

Right now, though, I'm knitting a feather&fan sock out of Lisa Souza's Mars Quake and it's really coming along nicely. Pictures to come.