Off hiatus, sort of.

I've been knitting, promise. But sometimes, I just don't feel like talking about it. Who wants to see the extra-long portion of the Mystery Stole? Yes, I added a bit to it since I had an extra week.

The highlight of excitement was when we gave Daisy the remnants of a jar of Jiffy PeanutButter.


Mmm, peanut butter...


Mmm, even the plastic and sticker is tasty...


Can't reach the bottom, woes.

I got the rest out for her with a spoon. Sometimes a dog deserves a gimme. :d

Last night, Mary and I went out for snowcones and we had such a lovely time just talking so I suggested we head out to the Merc just next door and I indulged in some Red Lavender and Fireside Chai. Both are lovely and caffeine-free. Rooibos is really good for you, too. It has your minerals and it's good for digestion problems and it's so very comforting. I love it.

Oh, and yes, I finished The Book. And with relief, I moved back to Wizard's First Rule, except that the characters have all turned into Human Hosepipes, phew. But my friend, Briana, has reassured me that things do improve. But now that it's all over with, I have a few suggestions on what to read next:

The Blue Sword and subsequently The Hero And The Crown, both by Robin McKinley.
Moonheart and Spiritwalk by Charles deLint
The Prydain Chronicles starting with The Book Of Three by Lloyd Alexander (who only recently passed away, sadly).
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (but if you buy it, buy it from Conlan Press).

So, what books are you reading now?

Don't be a whippersnapper

My grandma doesn't knit. Neither does my oma. But they know how. I got a whole tin of knitting needles (straights) from my grandma. She also taught me to crochet (well, teaching in that she showed me real slow how to do a few stitches and after that I was on my own).

But I'm getting tired of people who are offended about them knitting. C'mon, grandmas knit. They're allowed. They've done it longer than you and they can do it better than you. And they know how to screw up and how to fix it and how to make a pair of socks in under two hours and how to keep from stabbing people in the eyes with needles. They were knitting before it was fashionable and before it became unnecessary. They were knitting for the people who kept this country out of the hands of tyrants and monarchs. They were knitting your mom's diaper soakers and mittens and hats. And if you're REAL lucky, she's knit you a sweater or five.

You bet your bippy that it's still your grandma's knitting. And she can kick your can with it, too. So stop your whining and go ask her to teach you how to turn that heel. She knows about twelve ways to do it, five of them she made up on her own.

Guess what I'm not doing

Today I learned a valuable lesson: If your Wacom Tablet (or other object) is plugged into the computer, it is wise NOT to forget it and trip badly and maybe almost kill the tablet, your ankle, and the computer. Ow.

So, like most of America, I went to pick up the last Harry Potter book. I dressed up because, well, it's the last book. I'm not sure if it was more in the spirit of "Thank Goodness It's Over, I Will Dress Up" or "Kit Feels Like Being Weird And Can Get Away With It Today At Least"



And, of course, I came prepared with the proper tools:



And the nice thing was that I ran into some buddies from the knitting group! Dee-Anna and Emily (I think? Correct me if I'm wrong) who did not dress up but DID come earlier than me and got bracelets of earlier-book-picking-up colors. Emily also won a signed poster (whee!). So we all sat among the knitting books where it was less close and met two knitters and hopefully we'll see one at the next knitting group!

Oh but I was up late. I didn't get home until 2am and I took a peek at the last sentence of the book (I did not see 'scar', did Jo lie or did I just get the wrong page? Was it on the Acknowledgments page?) and started reading the first few chapters.

Playing hardball indeed. My characters would definitely hold a revolt if I were ever so careless with them! What does she think this is, X/1999? Um, if you don't get that, don't worry about it.

But today I had a Harry Hangover and once I recovered, I went to see the movie and by then I was to heartily sick of Harry Potter that I haven't read anymore. I just can't bring up the urge to worry about it too much.

So for now, it's finishing up the book I borrowed from the library (Terry Goodkind's Wizards First Rule which is intriguing but it's no soul-sucking attention-holding Robin McKinley) and glossing over any posts that mention it.

By the way, Dee-Anne, I am so sorry for missing the garden party. I'd forgotten and by the time I remembered, I couldn't find the map! I had put it in a safe place but I guess it was so safe that it was even safe from me. ARGH!

At least an old knitting swap partner whom I've become quite good friends with gave me what she felt was a necessary end to an old swap from, well, last year!



Isn't it amazing? It's such a lovely bag, so beautiful and handmade just for me.



The inside is marvelous, too.

Well, for those of you with noses still buried in their books, do enjoy. I'll catch up with you guys later. ;)

Taming Of The Kit.

I had a really fun time knitting a group at a cafe called Mirth (nice name, isn't it?). I now have 3 buddies who will be hanging out with me while we wait for the last Harry Potter book at midnight.

I hadn't been to the knitting groups they have here in Lawrence despite knowing that they existed. Part of me was just too lazy, the other part of me was just shy. But I decided to go today. It wasn't hard to find, really, after I asked the kid washing the windows where it was. Mirth is a part of what is known as The Marketplace and shares the building with several other offices. Mirth itself is a lovely cafe that also features gelatos and small sandwiches. It's a little dark and the area behind the counter seemed a little dingy (and the bathroom wouldn't have won any prizes either) but it was roomy and not too bright with a cheerful yellow awning to keep the sunlight from blinding everyone into oblivion. They even have WiFi, though you have to pay $4 an hour to use it. I walked in and the three girls there were already looking over to see me and unlike guessing which cluster of people with laptops were my writing group, I could tell right away which was the knitting group. Obviously.

So I sat down and introduced myself immediately. "Hi, I'm DragonCelt, aka Kirstin but you can call me Kit." What a mouthful, but honestly, Kit's really pretty easy to remember and I've learned to respond to it. Within half an hour, we had about double what we started with and Elinor, the Ravelry group maintainer and I suspect the knitlawrence.org website maintainer as well showed up with her little girl. Awesome! I love the little baby and I love little baby chub! And she'd been well educated, she was completely taken by my Northern Lights sock yarn by Cherry Tree Hill. At one point she became disinterested in her toys and would only be entertained by my finished sock that I brought to compare to my WIP sock to make sure I wasn't making the cuff too long or anything like that.

Some of the highlights of the knitting group was the talk of overwhelming stash (I guess out of sight CAN be out of mind), Ravelry, the garden party next Saturday (oh yeah, I am THERE) and, inevitably Harry Potter. Now, no one had really intended to be at the Potter Party thrown by Borders that night except for me, or so I think. But then it came up, excitement levels raised and now I believe I'm going to have three knitterly friends to hang out with before picking up my copy. I even decided to dress up then. I'll be the Professor Trelawny there since I can totally pull off the glasses, shawls, bells, hippy thing, it'll be awesome!

And by 5:30, people started leaving, I had a peach gelato that was so very refreshing and then headed home.

This is going to be an awesome knitting group, for realz.

It's too nice a day for murder and mayhem.

Can't talk. Listening to Harry Potter: Order Of The Phoenix and knitting Mystery Stole Clue #3.

Go 'way.

...

No, I'm only kidding (well sort of). Last weekend was spent indoors but it's been so delightful today that I have had no real interest in spending it listening to Harry angst on about life and Ron and Hermione fighting like cats. No, I am in no mood to do that.

Today has been very auspicious. Today was my mother's last bout of radiation. She bought her nurses and doctor goodies from Wheatfields and then bought us kids at home some goodies. She had the Tiramisu, I had carrot cake and Dad will have to have the chocolate ganache cake. We always celebrate with sugar, is there a better way? I don't know of it.

So Mom is doing fantastic. Her hair is coming in and it's no longer a vague fuzz. It's now a white-grey fur. Her prodigal eyelashes and eyebrows are returning with much rejoicing.

Well, much love! It's late and I have a date with Walmart's oil-change-guys and a knitting group.