Alongs, Randonymity, Reading

A little bit of everything

31 Comments

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I knitted (another bib almost done…), visited my dad and his wife for Father’s Day, got caught up on bloglines, and read quite a bit. Here’s my SRP update:

Widdershins by Charles de Lint, 560 pages. Some resolution to the events started in motion in The Onion Girl. De Lint always leaves me believing there is hope for the world.
Death Masks by Jim Butcher, 373 pages. Book 5 of the Dresden Files. Chicago PI and wizard-for-hire Harry Dresden searches for the Shroud of Turin and runs into an old flame. Enjoyable as always.

I have a question for you WordPress experts out there. A few people have reported that they’re seeing my sidebar stuff on top of the posts. I moved most of the sidebar stuff to a separate page until I get that sorted out. Does anyone have any ideas about what the problem could be?!

Don’t forget – to leave a comment, click on the number to the right of the post title!

For my Knit Sock Kit Swap buddy, my questionnaire responses are here.

Friday night we had some major storms moving through the Twin Cities. I tried to take pictures out the window, but I don’t think I managed to capture the intensity of the storm. These pictures were taken around 5:30 pm, when the wind was gusting to 65 mph or so.

I’m making slow progress on the moderne log cabin crib blank from MDK. I’m about 1/3 done with square #7, although it’s not easy to tell that from my progress picture below…

“Zzzzzzzzzzz… mmmmm… butt blanket… zzzzzzzzzz…”

Alongs, Those Cats

X-treme Lace in Peril

37 Comments

Yes, another challenge in the Amazing Lace! The first challenge was to introduce my lace knitting team. The second challenge is to illustrate some X-treme Lace Knitting. I think technically, it’s supposed to be one picture. And I’m supposed to be in the picture. But, since I am a singleton and Chaos’ picture taking is not so good due to his lacking of opposable thumbs, I decided to take pictures of teammate Chaos and my lace project.

I present to you – extreme procrastination! Nope, haven’t even started. Actually do not plan to start until I finish the log cabin baby blanket. Hey, we have until Labor Day for the Amazing Lace! And I picked yarn with purple, figuring I wouldn’t get to it until July. Anyway, teammate Chaos seems a bit shy…

But wait, what’s this?!

“Peek-a-boo.”

*sniff sniff*

*SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF!*

*munch*

Chaos?! Chaos?!! Where are you going with our teammate, Cabernet?!

*mwmph*

Oh no!!!

*rip bite rip*

Teammate Cabernet was quickly rescued, but alas, was somewhat gnawed…

Oh dear – those aren’t the ends of the skein: poor Cabernet now has six ends instead of two…

Hope everyone has a great weekend – I’m going to take the weekend off from blogging. Maybe I’ll catch up on blog reading. Maybe I’ll learn more about WordPress! Or maybe – I’ll actually knit so I have something to blog about. *gasp*

Project Spectrum, Tales of the Neighborhood, Those Cats

Art thou blue?

29 Comments

Well, I moved all my pictures here from blogger – a few of the thumbnails that appear in the posts are messed up, but if you click on them, you will go to the larger, uncorrupted image. Sorry about that! More more more changes on the way… but all dependent on free time and learning curve!

Also, if you’re having trouble figuring out how to comment, you just click on the number to the right of the post title.
Some more Project Spectrum images from my neighborhood – today’s theme is art.

The elementary school on the next block has some very cool small mosaics on the pillars of the playground fence…

…as well as around the top edge of these freshly painted primary planters:

A mural at Saint Sabrina’s Parlor in Purgatory, one-stop shopping for all of your tattoo and body piercing needs:

A stunning mosaic inspired by van Gogh’s Starry Night on the alley side of Muddy Waters – it includes mirrored tiles:

A mural in a random backyard:

Um, really, I have no idea what’s up with this giant puppet outside of Arise! Bookstore… oh, ok, now that I peeked at their website, I think they had this puppet in the Mayday Parade. It maybe looked a little less startling in the parade than sitting outside the bookstore on Lyndale Avenue!

Back at ye olde condo, Chaos looks pleased that he might have faked you all out about eating TRT.

“Hee hee!”

Project Spectrum, Tales of the Neighborhood

Signs of the city

29 Comments

Welcome to everyone who managed to find us after our move yesterday – thanks for the kind words about our new home! Please be patient while I get familiar with WordPress – there will be lots of tweaking for a while.

I was wandering around my neighborhood recently and I noticed a lot of Project Spectrumesque signs.

Ok, this sign isn’t blue… but it’s the iconic emblem of Uptown, Minneapolis (and look at how blue the sky is!) – the Uptown Theater. However, the Lagoon Cinema just down the street does have a blue sign:

Shoes…

The YWCA used to have blue awnings, which would’ve been perfect for PS June, right?! Nope. They recently changed the color (after PS April, alas):

Uptown has many cafes.

I live in the Lowry Hill East neighborhood, which is also known as “The Wedge” due to its pie slice shape.

“Check out the new digs! I’m glad I didn’t have to carry of the heavy stuff when we moved.”

Randonymity, Reading

Randomly Wednesday

43 Comments

All sorts of interesting little bits and bobs this morning.

Jeanne has a funny post about making some absolutely adorable felted catnip mice.

Jenn suspects her cat Cocoa has been reading about Chaos while Jenn’s at work.

SRP: Sunday I finished reading Treasure Forest by Cat Bordhi, 288 pages. Winner of the 2004 Nautilus Award. I was familiar with Cat Bordhi’s Socks Soar… and moebius books, so when I heard she had also written a fantasy novel, I was intrigued. It’s a sweet story, with bits of spinning and knitting intertwined with spiritual, new agey bits.

Some of you know I read while I knit. I firmly believe that reading while knitting is a skill that can be learned (with many thanks to WildKnits for convincing me of that!). However, it really helps to have the right bookstand. I use a ReadUpon, which is a small pillow with a clear plastic bookholder attached. Unfortunately, the company that made this bookstand appears to have gone out of business. There are some other bookstands that might work – but please note that I haven’t seen or tried any of these, ok?!

The BookGem might work, if paired with a pillow. The Peeramid might work, although I’m not sure that it will hold the book open for hands-free reading. The Reader’s Laplander Lap Desk seems a bit big (and expensive) and I’m not sure it will give you a good reading angle. The Hold-and-Read might work, if paired with a pillow, but looks like it can only handle paperbacks. If anyone has other ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Shannon of Yarn and Chocolate had a contest to collect ideas for thrifty knitting and I won the lovely skein of Mountain Colors pictured below. Thanks, Shannon! (The skein is the bit on the right side of the picture…)

“I’d like to see you try to knit with me. Hmph.”
Alongs, Tales of the Neighborhood

Urban Trekking with feckless yarn

34 Comments

On Saturday, I trekked over to Nicollet Avenue, also known as “Eat Street,” to knit with Renee at Bad Waitress.

We had some tasty coffee and breakfast foods and caught up on things.

I was chastised by a staff member for trying to take pictures of some of the kitschy decor for y’all, so you’ll just have to image the stuffed hammerhead shark and other such gems!

I worked on my Trekking #78 sock. I didn’t pull my Trekking sock out during the walk because it was windy and the last thing this Trekking sock needs is to be exposed to wind… Can you guess why?!

Yes, there were some severe yarn vomit issues when I started the sock. About 1/5 of the skein came out while I was searching for the end! (I was even getting a pedicure at the time, so I could start my Trekking season out right. Ungrateful yarn.)

“Oooooooh, I shouldn’t have eaten that TRT… Look how bloated it made me!”

Alongs, Dyeing

The Dye-O-Rama yarn I sent, and Socks for Sheep

26 Comments

I can’t believe I forgot to post pictures after my dye buddy received her yarn! I sent yarn to Ghostknitter in Singapore, who likes “fruity colors.” The skein on the left was dyed during the class I took at Shepherd’s Harvest last month, using mysterious acid dyes. The skein on the right was dyed from Wilton’s at Jeanne’s last month – I used leaf green, violet (which is a pain to use), and sky blue. Dyeing these skeins was quite a departure for me, colorwise!

Jennifer is collecting money and knitted items to sell for her Socks for Sheep project. Her goal is to purchase a Knitting Basket (through Heifer International), which is two llamas and two sheep that will go to people in need. She’s offering the chance to win prizes to those who donate, so help her out if you can!

Apparently my feet are still not out of danger…

“Mwaorf.”
Knitting, Randonymity, Reading

Reports of my move were greatly premature…

32 Comments

I’ll just warn y’all straight out that I’m a bit crabby this morning. Things were going well with the blog move until their tech support mentioned that they couldn’t integrate my blogger data. Um, well, that’s a deal breaker, since I know there are places that can integrate my data. So I’m taking a deep breath, waiting for my refund, and doing better research this time. Thanks to everyone who’s given me tips!

I’m also PMSy. ‘Nuff said.

On the plus side, I’m meeting Renee at Bad Waitress in Minneapolis (26th & Nicollet) at 11:00 am today – it’ll be our bit for for Worldwide Public Knitting Day. Drop by if you’re in the neighborhood!

I’ve started the log cabin baby blanket from MDK and am enjoying it. Please excuse this blurry picture, as my camera batteries were dying… These are all the colors I’ll be using, although, since I’m just doing the 4th square of 10, I have a lot further to go! The edging will be in the tan.

I’ve also gone on a bit of a joining bender… I’m participating in Dave’s Bitchin’ Mittens KAL (after getting special dispensation so I don’t have to knit any thumbs – you’ll have to stay tuned to see how I manage that). Frarochvia talked me into signing up for Scout’s Knit Sock Kit Swap (signups are Sunday, June 11 8 am EST through Tuesday June 13 8 am EST), so I talked her into signing up for Kat with a K’s Summer Reading Program. My goal is 30 books for the summer, including two nonfiction.

Here are the books I’ve read so far in June:

Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot, 368 pages. Total chick lit and a fast read, but it was fun and Meg Cabot had a great afterward about body image.

Summer Knight (Book 4 of the Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher, 371 pages. What’s not to like about a mystery series set in Chicago and featuring a wizard for hire? This installment detours into the land of Faerie.

The Hour Before Dawn and Two Other Stories from Newford by Charles de Lint, 114 pages. Newford stories – what else is there to say?

Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie, 224 pages. Somewhat predictable chick lit, but that didn’t stop me from reading the whole thing in a single sitting.

Fare Play and Full Frontal Murder by Barbara Paul, 252 and 251 pages. These are from a series about NYPD lieutenant Marian Larch – quick reads, and the rest of the series is now on my to-read list.

The Road to Lisdoonvarna by Charles de Lint, 190 pages. A de Lint novel with no magic, set in Ottawa in the 1980s. Although the hardboiled detective novel is a bit of a departure for de Lint, it kept me engrossed.

Heart of the World by Linda Barnes, 321 pages. The latest of the Carlotta Carlyle mysteries, this takes Carlotta and her “little sister” Paolina to Colombia. Many twists and turns!

Hmm, I’m just realizing that my goal of 30 books isn’t going to be much of a stretch if I maintain this reading pace, is it?!

Here’s what Chaos looks like first thing every morning as I get his breakfast ready:


“Food food food food food food food food food.”

I feel a lot less crabby now. Thanks for listening/reading!

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