Lite Reading

(yes, I hate "lite" too but it was clever in my own head!)

Finally was able to get my hands on a copy of The Help by Katheryn Stockette (waited weeks and the library had 3 copies). Devoured it within 3 days (slow, but I did have to juggle everything else) and I was stunned. That is a powerful book, I highly recommend it to any and everyone. I'm usually turned off by excessive cursing/slurs in books and tv (why I stopped watching Dexter and avoided Spartacus), but this dealt with what happened in a very real way. Those terms were widely used, widely accepted, and widely taught to the next generation(s). You felt for these women, you could feel the shame and the anger and the fear though the pages. I'm not normally a jump-on-the-bandwagon book reader, but please read this if you get a chance to do so.

Also, brainstorming new patterns so I *hope* to be able to finish my WIP and work on new goodies :D

Craft time!

No, this isn't my picture. Not even my idea. But it kept popping up during an internet search and I'm sharing it with everyone.

See? Totally doable. Even if you only have ugly buttons, grab glitter glue and go wild with them. Dollar stores have loads of things to help you decorate :D

50 posts!

Yes, according to blogger this is my 50th post of nothing! To celebrate, I'm going to have a mommy koolaid, work on the never ending blanket, and post a picture I snagged from Gay Marriage USA on facebook. I've seen this shared around and it always made me smile. I support marriage equality. I support peoples right to religious freedom as well. I also support the laws that are supposed to keep the two separate, there's a reason religion and politics don't mix. People get hurt.

Wave your flag, hold your sign, and be proud to be who you are! That is who you are meant to be!

Noms

No babbling post here, just a picture for laughs :)

Spring sprung! And fell flat on its face..

Project Updates:

• Ugly hat is at a standstill

• Baby blanket may never be finished, I realized why I never knitted one before. Crochet is so much faster!

• Yoga socks are moving along speedily, amazing how quick it goes with no toe decrease or heel flaps

• I am in serious need of dishcloths but I hate making them. I've churned out so many that I'm bored with the pattern. Luckily my mother toils away at them so I can always exchange new yarn for finished work if needed

In other news, spring seems to  be springing! Although that means all the ghetto fab neighbors are letting their spawns out of their sight once again. My neighbors being no exception (2 boys I'd say ages 5 and 3? Maybe 5 and 4). I've asked them twice now to stop banging on my porch railing, a third may require a cattle prod for them and wine for me. And because the height difference makes for a natural activity table, they have been playing with the bits of mud and flecks of bark from the banging sticks. Jokes on them, I'll sweep it off later and rake the yard tomorrow! Mwuahahahaa! Yeah, that didn't require a really evil laugh. The ones on the other side are old enough to know better but the door slamming and shouting get old reeeeeal fast. Ugh, especially after a weekend where the only noise were dogs barking. Tomorrow is monday which means school for these urchins, small consolation when I still have to suffer a few hours. Whiny bitch today, aren't I? I blame it on the lack of chocolate in the house.

Christmas Fo Me!

Found this from Vogue Knitting who shared it from another page, it looks so comfy doesnt it??

Red Pen Edit

I'm knitting away at my yoga socks and adding my mods to my project. Then it hit me that I was nit picking apart someone elses design. How completely RUDE was I to take something someone made and take it apart and rebuild it? (ok, not making that many mods but enough) Someone did that for one of my designs and I wasnt thrilled, I was very happy someone made it their own. I hope thats the way all these designers feel about the projects. Knitting is about making something your own, lots of people (and machines) have been there before but thats no reason it's any less personal. For example, checking out patterns, I came across a free hexipuff pattern. I've seen the Beekeepers Quilt published by tiny owl knits and liked it. But it was all made with fingering weight and I'm a cheapskate at heart. So I stuck it in the unattainable part of my knitting and went on my way. I did download some free charts, tiny motifs that look at least similar to what they are supposed to be aren't easy to make. When I spotted the freebie hexigon, I was thrilled because it was using a heavier yarn weight. Meaning semi attainable again. The cat swiped it so that meant a stuffie that was a dual use for pet and human toy. Problem? People were shredding the designer(s) on their ravelry page for posting that pattern. Pages upon pages of spewing. From some of the earlier posts, the designer may have posted things that shouldnt have been there. They were removed and the post cleared but still it went on. I was rather disappointed in my fellow ravelers. It's a shape, whats the problem (after it was edited of course)? It would be like someone getting upset over another person making using feather and fan. Or a basic cable. These are things that are a staple and impossible to copyright. Back to the original topic, the designer(s) saw the pattern, and were inspired to recreate it in their own way. Was it morally wrong as so many claimed? Was it he same as what I'm doing with my socks? I don't doubt that the designer worked hard on my current project pattern, is what I'm doing thumbing my nose at her as I type what went wrong (for me)? I find it buried into one of those grey areas that will probably never be resolved. So I will type my notes, and I will enjoy the pattern because those socks are mine made by me. And everything that someone knits is their own, regardless of pattern copyright (not saying go sell them, im just saying take pride in making something that is uniquely yours).

If you drink, don't drive, do the Watermelon Crawl

Doom hat is complete! Dan loved it, popped it on as soon as it was handed to him. Luckily I snapped a pic before hand..

Suki modeling for us

So now that means I can start working on all those projects I had set out. When I cleaned my stash, I set aside things to make so I wasnt rooting for new ones and making a mess of what I had just cleaned. One was a set of yoga socks. The link to the free pdf pattern can be found on Just Jussi's Ravelry page. I've tested it before, but had to frog because I ran out of yarn, wound up frogging these again because I had the ribbing wrong. I called them the Watermelon Crawl socks because of the colourway (Sorbet Multi by Knit Picks in Stroll Fingering) and I can't wait to get my feet in them! Then again, everytime I wear them that song will be stuck in my head.

Giveaway at Natural Suburbia!

Happy 4 Year Anniversary!

She's been blogging with knitting patterns, recipies, and everything in between and now shes sharing the fun. Visit her blog here Natural Suburbia Giveaway and be sure to check out her whole site. That link will take you to that specific blog.

In other news, that damn rib hat is mocking me. I'm up to colour 2 but I'm tempted by other projects even though I swore I'd finish this first. I will finish that boogery thing one way or another!!