Alongs

Knitters’ Coffee Swap Answers

Here are my answers to the Knitters’ Coffee Swap questions.

1. Whole bean or ground?

Whole bean, so I can grind it just right for my espresso machine

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?

Caffeine me, baby!

3. Regular or flavored?

Regular – flavored coffees may contain gluten, which would be bad

4. How do you drink your coffee?

Ummmmm… It depends. On weekdays, I make a soy mocha at home and take it to work. Sometimes I’ll grab a soy mocha over lunch, if I’m having a sleepy/groggy day. On weekends, I lounge in my comfy chair, sipping my soy mocha, knitting, and reading. Ahh…

5. Favorite coffee ever?

Espresso roast is critical. Good quality chocolate is critical. Because… I only like coffee when it’s in a mocha. *hangs head in shame*

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?

I’m probably on the low end of fussy – I can’t detect subtle flavor shadings, but I can definitely tell if it isn’t good quality.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?

I pretty much just drink my soy mochas and consider them a well-rounded treat.

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

Not that I can think of right now.

9. Yarn/fiber you love?

Sock yarns are always a particular favorite. In non-sock yarns, wool-silk blends are excellent.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

I’m just not a big fan of acrylic or of froofy yarns.

11. What’s on your needles?

Socks…

12. Favorite colors?

Black, jewel tones (especially purple, blue, and green); I’m definitely not a fan of yellow or orange.

13. Allergies?

Oh yeah. I’m gluten and lactose intolerant. The gluten-intolerance is the biggie – no wheat, rye, oats, barley, spelt, teff, kamut, or anything containing derivatives thereof. I’m also extremely sensitive to fragrances – they tend to be migraine and asthma triggers.

14. Anything you really love, really don’t like, or just need to get off your chest?

I’m a voracious reader and I read while I knit. I have no interest in watching TV and haven’t turned on my TV since, um, April? My two black kitties are very, very dear to me. I’m really particular about travel mugs, so it’s best not to even start down that path. 🙂

Contests, Randonymity, Reading

The Bedjacket Edition

54 Comments

Local knitblogger Christy is having a caption contest to celebrate her blogiversary! Caption the cute cat picture by November 11 and win some yarny goodness.

Gwen’s having a contest to welcome back her knitting mojo and celebrate being almost done with her holiday knitting. Leave a comment before Friday, November 17, about what you’re knitting for holiday gifts and whether you think you’ll finish in time and you could win some lovely Tess’ Super Sock Yarn.

Sue is having a comment contest – leave a comment before November 23 and you could win a copy of the book Toys To Sew or the Fall 2006 Interweave Knits.

Check out the new goodies Scout has for sale! Love the kitty shawl pin! And I’m curious as to how the Namaste Jetsetter knitting handbag compares to the Jordana Paige Knitter’s Satchel – anyone know?

Reading Update
Blood Debt and Blood Bank by Tanya Huff – the last two of the Blood Books. Blood Bank contains some very clever and enjoyable short stories, two of which should be read before Blood Debt.
Micah by Laurell K. Hamilton, book 13 of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. This one is odd, considering how the series has been going recently. It’s short (under 300 pages), compared to the 752 pages of Incubus Dreams (book 12). And it’s a lot more like the early books of the series, which is a good thing.
Shakespeare’s Trollop by Charlaine Harris – a Lily Bard mystery. I’m not managing to read these in order and I’m ok with it. Another solid mystery about Lily Bard, who lives in Shakespeare, Arkansas, trying to keep to herself but becoming part of the community anyway.

So, can anyone shed some light on what the heck the point of bedjackets was?! And if you were wearing a bedjacket, presumably in bed, would you need to be wearing slippers at the same time? Yes, another thriftstore find. Check out how well this booklet held its value. 😉

I like the lace pattern used for this one, but those slippers…

I actually kinda like this bedjacket, too, although I would call it a cardigan. I wouldn’t put the ruffles on the cuffs, but the construction is intriguing. However, once again, those slippers… *shudder*

This next one….. *blink blink*

And without the fringe, this isn’t a bad shawl. But, um…… are those slippers or small fuzzy dogs?!

Love her “you woke me up for what?! Well, hurry up then” expression….

And the back cover… priceless. I think this is a blurb for some early superwash yarn?? Whatever it is, “no sighs about size” gave me the giggles. Heh.

“I totally could model bedjackets. If I wanted to.”
Contests, Randonymity

Of contests and cleanliness

19 Comments

Wendy has started her Heifer International 2006 Holiday Season Drive. For every $10 that you donate, you will receive an entry into the weekly and grand prize drawings. The grand prize drawing will be January 2, 2007.

Mim’s having a fun motivational/demotivational caption contest. Leave your caption comments by Friday, November 10, midnight MST.

Did you vote yesterday? If you did, you can participate in Kat’s contest. Emails must be sent by Friday, November 10, 6:00 pm EST.

For you competitive sock knitters out there who haven’t had enough after Sock Wars (my head is still spinning from trying to follow that one), check out Sock Madness, which starts in March 2007. I’m sure a competitive sock knitting reality TV show must be in the works by now…

“Why, yes, it does take a long time to clean such a long and lovely tail.”

“Hmph. I’m going to let that one go…”
Those Cats

Mays just wanna play fetch!

31 Comments

I got nothin’ but cats and work, alas. The cats are obviously more fun. Oh yeah – please send help. My throwing arm is breaking off. Thanks! 🙂

“Va-va-va-voom!”
“Dum de dum de dum de dum…”
“…de dum!”
“You don’t wanna know where its tail went.”
“Trust me on the tail thing.”
Contests, Knitting, Reading

*gasp* An FO!

36 Comments

Carol and Margene are asking us to use the two weeks from November 18 – December 2 to Knit Unto Others. This is the second year they’ve coordinated this effort, and this year there will be prizes for those who participate!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was extremely relaxing, which I really needed after some long days at work last week – and with more long days ahead in the next week or two. Spending so many hours working in front of the computer is cutting way down on my blog reading time and inclination – when I get home, I can’t bear to be in front of the computer anymore. But I’m also frustrated about being behind in what everyone’s up to. *sigh* And then I have this significant birthday coming up in less than two weeks, which has me a bit contemplative about life, the universe, and everything. So, I’ve been distracting myself with reading and knitting (I know, how is that different from any other time?!).

Reading Update
Incubus Dreams by Laurell K. Hamilton. Another Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter novel (book 12, apparently) – um, yeah, I couldn’t help continue rereading this series… Moving right along!
Blood Trail, Blood Lines, and Blood Pact by Tanya Huff. More books from the Vicki Nelson series about Toronto vampire Henry Fitzroy. These are good reads. I’m curious how accurately they depict Toronto (well, beyond the obvious supernatural stuff…) – they seem very descriptive of the city!

Ok, totally not in time for Socktoberfest, but I finally finished the Flatiron socks, knitted from yarn I dyed.

A little color correction actually got them slightly closer to reality – the pink and purple defeats my camera. Strangely, no cats were lured by knitting photography…

However, lurid yarn on the floor (more hand dyed, now wound up for a new pair of socks) drew them right out.

“Stay back, big kitty! Your aged eyes might not be able to deal with this brightness!”

Contests, Reading

Pin-up calendars

29 Comments

Nicole’s started a new group called Fitter Knitters and is having a contest. Leave a comment with a link to a healthy online recipe by Tuesday, November 7, 5 pm Eastern, and you might win two skeins of Noro Kureyon, color 163!

Reading Update
I know, all the vampire books lately – started out reading one series (the Sookie Stackhouse books), then wondered when the heck the Anita Blake books had gone astray, then people kept recommending stuff… ‘Tis the season, right?!
Undead and Unwed, Undead and Unemployed, Undead and Unappreciated, and Undead and Unreturnable by MaryJanice Davidson. A vampire series that takes place in the Twin Cities! Betsy (Elizabeth) Taylor didn’t want to be the queen of the vampires – she just wanted to own really expensive shoes. We can’t always get what we want… Another fun vampire series – once again, Peeve knows her vampires!

As I mentioned yesterday, Deb of Chappysmom is having a maybe contest – show her pictures of what your November calendar page(s) look(s) like. Here are mine – the first is a knitting calendar that hangs in my kitchen.

The second is the calendar I have at work.

And the third calendar (also in my kitchen) isn’t going to surprise anyone…

Remember this picture? Here’s a new picture of May for size comparison – even I can tell she’s getting bigger!

*glug glug glug*

“See, Mom?! I told you I was getting bigger! Look out, big kitty, I’m going to be big enough to squish you soon!”
Contests, Randonymity, Those Cats

Yup, I “buggered my blog”

34 Comments

Sorry to worry anyone who tried to access my blog over the last 18 hours. I managed to clobber it after upgrading WordPress yesterday afternoon. Whoops! Many thanks to Pao, who provided both the title of today’s post and the key information I needed to resolve the problem. Also thanks to Jeanne for reassurance and to MrsPao, for getting Pao on the case.

Of course, now that it’s fixed, I’m utterly unprepared to post today. Um…….

Deb of Chappysmom might have a contest – take a picture of your November calendar page, post it to your blog, and let her know. If enough people play, it’ll be a contest. If not, it’ll stay a meme. Deadline is November 15.

V’s daughter, Little A, dressed up as Mayhem for Halloween! So very, very cute – and I love her jack o’ lanterns, too.

Ok, back to cat pictures….

“Ha! Now I have you where I want you, big kitty! You won’t escape my paws now.”

“Look, May! A mouse!”

“Hee hee, she sure is easy to distract – and I don’t like that color anyway.”
Randonymity, Reading, Those Cats

Randumb

24 Comments

Hope no one’s got a Halloween sugar hangover this morning! I did wear the black cat ears last night (but not the tail – maybe next year). Interesting reactions included a woman in a crosswalk who looked through my car window and got the giggles, a dog that growled at me while his owner apologized profusely, and my brother’s cats poofing and hissing and creeping carefully back away from me. The block party was sort of a bust, since it was about 30F. Brrrr! Alas, I have not a single picture – we were too busy shivering and hopping around to stay warm.

Reading Update
Obsidian Butterfly, Narcissus in Chains, and Cerulean Dreams (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton. Ok, I now know where the psychotic break was in this series. Obsidian Butterfly, perhaps because it took place in New Mexico, far from St. Louis and “the boys,” was the last book where, as Beadslut so succinctly put it, Anita spent more time on a case than in bed. After that, we have Micah and the ardeur and a glacially slow storyline and lots and lots and lots of sex.
Running in Heels by Anne Maxted. I couldn’t remember if I’d already read this, although I wondered if I had the entire time I read it. Maxted delivers damn good chick lit, whichever.
The Trouble with Witches by Shirley Damsgaard, an Ophelia and Abby mystery. This is the most recent book in the cozy series about a librarian witch and her grandmother living in Iowa.
Blood Price by Tanya Huff. Vampires in Toronto! Finally enough people recommend this series to me that I simply couldn’t resist anymore. The first book was very good, and the next is already on reserve.
Shakespeare’s Landlord by Charlaine Harris. This is the first Lily Bard mystery and since I enjoyed Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse mysteries so much (and since Peeve recommended this series, too), I figured I’d give ’em a try. The first one is a good basic mystery (no paranormal romance!), set in Shakespeare, Arkansas.

Since I basically have nothing else today, how about some cat pictures from a few weeks ago? (Cat pictures?! Wow, that’s a new one!)

“Oh, come on, May, I just want to wipe a little smudge off your face.”

“Let me return the favor, big kitty – with my teeth! Bwah-ha-ha!!!”
Contests, Randonymity

Happy Halloween!

42 Comments

KitKatKnit is having a contest – ‘fess up to who your TVBF (TV Boyfriend) is by 10 pm Sunday, November 5. The randomly selected winner will receive a fiber-related prize. (I know CarrieK is laughing hysterically ‘cos she knows I can’t enter this contest – I don’t watch TV.)

Aija is having a very interesting contest that involves contributing to the world’s longest poem – check out the details on her blog for how to play. The prize will be sock yarn (in honor of Socktoberfest) and the contest runs through early afternoon on Friday, November 10.

There are still some spaces open in the Knitters Coffee Swap! Sign up now, because it’s limited to 50 participants. Thanks to Knittymama for coming up with such a fun swap idea!

If you had fun with the Knit Sock Kit Swap, Scout and Bev are having a Knit Mitt Kit Swap! You can sign up from now until November 3.

I’m looking forward to seeing the knitted items that you use a lot. Carole commented yesterday that she probably uses her handknitted socks the most. I probably do, too, but I got particularly intrigued by the other knitted items that I used a lot. Your mileage may vary (YMMV)!

You know what I hate about “falling back” to Central Standard Time in the Fall? Well, besides how early it gets dark, that is. It’s the cats, thinking that I’m inflicting cruel and unusal punishment on them by feeding them an hour late. Usually they start whining an hour before feeding time (well, Chaos does – May fusses a little and then goes off on Important Kitten Business). So after we switch from daylight to standard time, I get two hours of dedicated whining…

How are you celebrating Halloween? I’m going to a neighborhood block party with some friends and their baby. Maybe I’ll actually put on my pseudo costume… How could I resist these el-cheapo black cat ears from Target?! (I am so not wearing the tail.) The black cat candy dish might’ve wandered home from Target, too. I don’t know where that other black cat came from! 😉

“Hmmm… there’s mischief afoot and I’d hate to miss it! Where there’s mischief… there’s Mayhem.”

Chaos and Mayhem wish you all a happy and safe Halloween!

“Please go trick or treating for tuna and send it to us. Thank you.”
Knitting

In which I rant about content theft and start a meme of sorts

43 Comments

I don’t know if all of you have heard about bitacle.org grabbing blog content from feeds (“scraping”) and repackaging the content (“splogging”). To check on your blog, go to bitacle, select aggregates, and type, for example, “stumblingoverchaos” or “mamatulip” or “knitiotsavant” or “yarnharlot.” I don’t expect to make any money off my blog – but I sure as heck don’t expect anyone else to make money off it either! This crap has already lost us a great blogger in Mama Tulip and I know many others are discouraged by bitacle’s use of their content. (Edit: Just to clarify, bitacle recently removed the ads from the aggregate blogs. However, there is no guarantee that they won’t put the ads back in once all the furor dies down.)

There are some things you can do to protect your content (lots of details here and here and here). One of the major things you can do is set your blog to only send a few lines of your content in your feed. Have you noticed that you can only read a line or two of my posts in bloglines? In WordPress, that’s controlled under Options -> Reading -> Syndication Feeds – set to Summary. This actually appears to be effective, since the main feeds of my new blog are not appearing in bitacle. They were getting the Comments feed, which I have disabled.

In a fit of pique about content theft, I deleted my blogspot blog (all of which was in bitacle). This was stupid of me, as anyone who’s still subscribed to the blogspot feed has probably noticed that someone snatched up my blogspot address and is using it for something other than cute cat pictures and occasional knitting… Please unsubscribe from that feed!!

Anyway! I’m done ranting about this for now. 🙂

So, what are your favorite or most used items that you’ve knitted? When I looked around, I discovered that they were humble things indeed, as you can sort of see in the picture below. (No, of course I didn’t knit Chaos! Heh.)

“Damn, I didn’t get out of here fast enough. Oh well, at least I’m not blind this time. Should’ve let that little scamp check this stuff out and report back.”

From the left, my merino-silk fingerless gloves, which see a lot of use at work in the winter as I huddle typing in the cold building at 6:30 am. Next is my ipod shuffle necklace (Regia cotton jacqard), which accompanies me on most of my walks. On the left is a mug cozy (either Fixation or Esprit), which is perfect for keeping my fingers warm and absorbing moisture from the outside of iced soy mochas in the summer. Underneath it all is one of the very first felted bags I ever made (black Lamb’s Pride, with a skein of Kureyon for the stripey bit) – this bag has carried my coffee, lunch, snacks, papers, and so forth to and from work every day for the past four (or is it five?!) years. Humble, yet sturdy, and doubles as a cat bed when I’m at home.

What knitted items do you find yourself using all of the time? I’d love to see and hear about them!

Art journaling, reading, knitting, and cat parenting. It's a wild life.