Knitterpated

Not as nerdy as I thought

2009-01-26T12:55:00.002-06:00

Saw this at Samurai Knitter. It made me laugh.

2008: The Year of the Sock

2009-01-25T22:27:00.002-06:00

The big thing I did in 2008 was knit socks. I started off with something simple and plain:

Then I moved on to something a little more involved but still suitable for a beginner:

Unfortunately, courtesy of my well-meaning mother, both pairs of socks went head to head with a washer and dryer. The washer and dryer won both times.

After two pairs of adult socks, I moved on to baby-sized projects:

Sprinkled among the baby socks were a pair of socks for a friend who did a great thing for me in the previous holiday season. These socks were done in a week thanks to doing two at a time on two sets of DPNs:

I made a pair of pedicure socks for my sister for Christmas, which she loved. She even requested a pair in pink.

And the pair I stared in 2008 but didn't finish until 2009 when there wasn't pressure to compete gifts was knit with a great merino sock yarn that was my only purchase at the Shepherd's Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival in the summer. I love these socks:

So there it is, my Year of the Sock. I feel like I hit a stride last year with my knitting. Thanks to my wonderful knitting group, who are encouraging beyond measure, I feel like I can do anything I set my mind to provided I actually put effort into it. The dowside is that I use knitting for rest and relaxation. Applying myself and using my brain are things that fall by the wayside when I sit down with a couple pointy sticks and some pretty string.

Beware of Cat

2008-11-17T17:22:00.000-06:00

Bingo!

2008-11-10T11:24:00.003-06:00

I figured out what to make for the little kids in my life for Christmas. A lovely word that I had previously not been all that interested in: amigurumi. According to Wiki, amigurumi is "the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures."

Ravelry has tons of free crochet amigurumi patterns, all of which are little and therefore fast. Also, there's only so much difficulty that can be packed into a small toy hooked out of worsted weight yarn, so they're also very easy.

I'm going to frog the hat I was making for Riley because I was in the Knitting Black Hole anyway and the yarn is perfect for the frosting on an amigurumi cupcake and maybe a little bird. Seriously, these things are cute and can be produced in mass quantities in a small amount of time. Why didn't I think of this sooner?

Now all I have to do is decide what I'm going to do for my parents and in-laws.

A little funny

2008-11-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

Your Daddy Is Darth Vader

What You Call Him: Daddy-o

Why You Love Him: He's the Mack Daddy

Who's Your Daddy?

Reacquaintance with a timeless favorite

2008-10-22T14:50:00.002-06:00

I was sifting through my stash, wondering what I can knit for Christmas gifts, and my gaze landed on a skein of Lion Brand Wool Ease, worsted weight. Not the nicest yarn I've knit with, but a decent acrylic-wool blend that is machine washable and dryable. Ideal for gifting because it is very economical, easy to care for, and because it's worsted weight, thousands of free patterns can be had for every knittable/crochetable item.

Deciding on a men's hat, I went to Ravelry in search of a pattern. I found Turn a Square (Ravelry link), a wonderfully easy and free pattern. It calls for striping, but I decided to skip that. It's your basic stockinette hat with a ribbed hem, but it has four sets of raglan-like decreases to shape the crown that are simple enough to be mindless but aren't boring. next time I knit this hat, I'll include the stripes.

Hats are wonderful things to knit. They can be as easy or as difficult as the knitter wishes. This was a very simple pattern for my skill level, which meant it was a great "get out of the no-knitting rut" project. It was also very quick, going from cast-on to weave-in in less than 24 hours, knitted during Peanut's naps and while she was playing at Giggle Factory this morning. And because it's 80% acrylic, blocking is not necessary, just a quick trip through the wash.

I think I'll use the rest of the skein for a gift for one of my nephews. Now all I gotta do is get Peanut to hold still long enough for me to get some measurements from her hand so I can knit mittens that will fit the nephew for the whole winter.

No will to knit

2008-10-15T13:36:00.002-06:00

It's true. I have no will to knit lately. And that just bites. It's fall, for goodness' sake! Time for knitting scarves and hats and mittens and Christmas presents. But combining early pregnancy fatigue with a new job and chasing around a toddler makes for very little energy to do anything in my free time that doesn't involve plopping my laptop on my lap and reading an ebook.

Plus I want to participate in NaNoWriMo in November, which would basically suck up any free time at all. I probably shouldn't plan on finishing a book, but knowing I'm only one of thousands handling a busy real life in addition to writing will be nice.

So it looks like November and December will be very busy months for both knitting and writing. Should be fun. Crazy, but fun.

Now all I need to do is ferret out my will to knit.

Hold My Sock

2008-09-26T20:05:00.002-06:00

Yarn Harlot started it, knitters everywhere continue it. Having someone significant hold your sock for a picture is something that seems odd, but when you're a knitter, including your projects in such a way raises the importance of both the sock and the subject of the picture. At least, that's what I think.

Last weekend, Naomi and I drove down to West Virginia (talk about a long road trip) for Lora Leigh's Reader Appreciation Weekend, known as RAW. There, I got to hang with many people I see online all the time and with authors of such wonderful talent and imagination. I brought along stuff to finally begin the second sock to match this:

Spring Forward at Knitty. I finished the first one over a month ago. Second Sock Syndrome hits me hard. I'm working on that, though.

Anyway, I cast on the second sock while I was at RAW's Friday night slumber party. Everyone (okay, most) wore pyjamas and we ate pizza and danced to the tunes of a very enthusiastic DJ. The next day, there was a private booksigning just for RAW attendees and a Masquerade Ball that evening. I got pictures of said sock along with people I know and love. Most took it in stride when I said "hold my sock," but the funniest was Lora Leigh, who looked at me suspiciously and asked "Is it contagious?", which is the exact thing she said when I told her earlier in the evening that I was pregnant. LOL

Naomi (left) and Kimberly, who was being cheeky and used her cleavage as a shelf.

Danita, who had the coolest "mask" at the ball.

Diane, who is one of the finest examples of all that is good about human beings.

Jill, who somehow withstands the blazing oven-like heat of Arizona every summer.

Author Lora Leigh, who came up with the idea of RAW originally and who also writes excellent books.

Mel, who liked the sock so much she didn't even look away from it while holding it.

Me and Nalini Singh, one of my favorite authors and an utter sweetheart.

Me and JR Ward, an incredibly lovely and gracious woman who writes books I kind of have a thing for.

It was a great weekend. A lot of driving to get there and back, but totally worth it. I likely won't be going next year because, assuming all goes well, I will have a four month old baby in addition to Peanut and traveling that much for so little time there seems pretty crazy.

Basic Baby Socks

2008-09-10T13:54:00.003-06:00

I've become a fan of making my own sock patterns. As an experienced knitter, it's fun and relatively easy. To the beginner, though, having a pattern is important. Even better is a basic pattern, which is often a blank canvas on which a knitter imposes his or her own creativity. Baby socks are good for that. They can also be an instant-gratification project, a way to use up leftover yarn, or a way to take a new yarn for a test drive.

It is because of the latter that these socks came about. I had seen On Your Toes Bamboo (Ravelry link) at my LYS months ago, but whenever I stopped in after that they were sold out. I don't like special ordering yarn (for some reason I feel like premeditated spending is worse than impulse buys--I have no idea why), so I just kept an eye out. Last week while I get getting some Cascade 220 for a sweater, I noticed that they had it in. It's a pretty salmon pink, plenty girly without being run-of-the-mill pastel.

The gauge on the ball band calls for US 3 (3.25mm) needles, so that's what I used. I like the fabric it produced despite the fact that many Ravelers used US 1 or 2 needles. Also, it went faster. At this gauge, they should fit babies up to about 12 months old or so. Changing yarn may change either stitch or row gauge and will therefore affect the size of the finished sock.

So here's the pattern. As always, get creative. Longer cuffs, ribbing down the foot, it's all good. :) Unlike my Little Feet pattern, this has been written for the begging sock knitter with detailed instructions for the turned heel, gusset, and wedge toe. Grafting/Kitchener instructions for the toe can be found in a multitude of places, so you're on your own there. Happy knitting!

*************
Yarn: On Your Toes Bamboo, 75% Bamboo 25% Nylon
Needles: US size 3
Gauge: 7.5 sts/in

CO 32

Knit 10 rows of 2x2 ribbing

After completing the tenth round, knit 16 stitches onto one needle for the heel flap. Work 12 rows in total (including the first knit row) for the heel flap, ending with a purl row.

Turn Heel:
Row 1: sl 1, k 9, ssk, k 1, turn
Row 2: sl 1, p5, p2tog, p 1, turn
Row 3: sl 1, k 6, ssk, k 1, turn
Row 4: sl 1, p 7, p2tog, p 1, turn
Row 5: sl 1, k 8, ssk, turn
Row 6: sl 1, p 9, p2tog, turn. 10 sts remain

Gusset:
Knit 5 of the heel stitches onto one needle and the second five onto another needle, now Needle 1. With Needle 1, pick up 8 stitches along the side of the heel flap. Knit across the top of the sock to the other side of the flap (needles 2 and 3). Pick up 8 stitches with a new needle (needle 4) and knit the five remaining heel stitches. Needles 1 and 4 each have 14 stitches. Needles 2 and 3 each have 8. The center of the heel is the new beginning of the round.

Row 1: Knit even.
Row 2: Knit to the last three stitches of needle 1, k2tog, k1. Knit even across needles 2 and 3. When you get to needle 4, k1, ssk, knit to end.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until all needles have 8 stitches.

Foot:
Work 12 rows even

Toe:
Row 1: Knit to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog. K1, ssk at the beginning of needle 2. Knit to last 3 sts of needle 3, k2tog. K1, ssk at the beginning of needle 4. Knit to end of round.
Row 2: knit even

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until each needle has 4 stitches. Graft two sets of 8 and weave in ends.

Knitting, knitting, knitting...

2008-09-08T20:50:00.003-06:00

I have been pretty productive over the last month or so. Among other things, I've been turning out dishcloths and lace bookmarks like nuts. Thanks, Liz, for all those wonderful sock yarn scraps for the bookmarks.

I knit a pair of socks in one week by working them at the same time on two sets of DPNs. It was great. Now I just hope they fit the intended recipient, but that's the risk you take when you make socks for feet you don't have access to.

I started a pair of baby socks for my favorite author's best friend's baby girl. A little weird, I know, but I wanted to test drive this new sock yarn (Ravelry link) I got and get a really accurate gauge and baby socks seemed like a good idea. Plus I have baby fever and I'm hoping to ingratiate myself with this particular author to that perhaps she will send me books early or something. Pathetic, yes. But I've made peace with that. :)

I've been plowing through my kitchen cotton. In fact, even my husband noticed that my giant yarn box (what he calls my stash) was getting lighter. Maybe if I fill it up again with lighter fibers like wool, he won't notice that it took a lot more yarn to do it. LOL

I've put my raglan (Ravelry link) on hold until the drive to West Virginia. I need to swatch it a lot better; there won't be much ease in this thing, so I want to really avoid making it too small. I need to figure out what cable I want to put down the sleeves and swatch that as well. Also, I think I will knit it in the round and steek it for a zipper.

The idea of steeking is daunting, scary, and thrilling. It's a big risk, cutting your knitted fabric. One of the things I like about knitting is that it's very forgiving: if you don't like it or have made a mistake, you can rip it out. We've all done it. I've frogged an entire sweater before. Steeking, on the other hand, is an irreversible committment.

But hey--what is knitting if not an opportunity to constantly challenge myself? I keep telling beginning knitters that knitting is not hard, it's just a bunch of small building blocks. Steeking will be yet another block added to Courtney's House of Knitting Skills. The time has come to leave my comfort zone. I did it with socks. I can do it with steeking.

Aaah, September

2008-09-02T11:20:00.002-06:00

I'm a fan of September. I loved school and by the time September rolled around, I was so ready to go back. Now, I have something else to look forward to.

This year's Reader Appreciation Weekend is at the Pullman Plaza in Huntington, West Virginia. Naomi and I are driving down and rooming together. Sadly, Maggie will not be there, but I get to see a bunch of other friends, including Lami and Kat. I can't wait.

I have been knitting for this event for months. Mostly washcloths, but a few really nice things, too. JR is getting something decadent that didn't even cost that much. I'm knitting a pair of socks for someone who singlehandedly saved my holiday. My favorite sheep-chasing Kiwi author is getting something with a sheep on it.

The other authors I've read are getting pretty lace bookmarks, assuming I can get them done. I may have to knit them on the way and block them when we get there. We'll see.

Hostage Situations

2008-08-26T12:53:00.002-06:00

Knitting is only my second love. My first is romance novels. It's unfortunate that I have chosen two hobbies so misunderstood by society, but the reward I get from both outweighs the occaisional negative feedback.

Next week, there's a book releasing that I've been chomping at the bit for. Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series is one of the best new paranormal series out there right now. She's taken basic shapeshifter lore and the possibility of psychic ability and combined them in an alternate near-future reality. The fifth book, Hostage to Pleasure, will be landing in stores in seven days.

In this book we will get to know Dorian better, a leopard changeling who was born a latent--he's a leopard in every way except he doesn't have the ability to shift. Everyone I've talked to who has already read this book has loved it--not that I'd expect anything less than that from one of my favorite new writers.

Nalini Singh is not only a great author, but an utter sweetheart. I get to meet her in a few weeks. She's getting a sheep-related knitted gift to honor her Kiwi-ness. LOL She's running a contest on her blog that sounds fun because it gives us readers an excuse to ruminate on all the delicious men we encounter in the land of romance fiction. The question involves hostages, both having one and being one.

Which fictional hero would I like to hold hostage? It's a tie between Baran Arvid from Angela Knight's Jane's Warlord and Judd Lauren from Nalini's books. Baran Arvid is a genetically engineered warrior from about three hundred years in the future. He has super strength, a tattoo on his face, and uses a restraint cable quite creatively. Judd Lauren was featured in Caressed by Ice, the third Psy-Changeling book I was lucky enough to win an ARC of a couple months before it's official release.

Who would I want to hold me hostage? Also a tie. I don't think Zsadist could hold anyone against their will given his past, but I'd love for him to make that particular bit of personal growth with me. I'd also want Roarke from JD Robb's In Death series. Rich Irish bad boy with a well-hidden soft side? Sign me up. Roarke may be my favorite fictional hero of all time.

Nalini's last question is which fictional world would I want to be held hostage in. Assuming I'd get a change to explore it, I'd have to say the world she created with the Psy, Changelings, and humans living semiharmoniously together. Aside from the fascinating people, there's a lot of fun technology to explore. I'd want to be a changeling, though. Or a Psy after they break Silence. Unless I'd be a Psy who got a changeling male's assistance in breaking out of that pesky emotionless automaton thing....but I digress.

If you like paranormal romance and haven't gotten to this series yet, you should get out from under that rock and start Slave to Sensation. Nalini's style and imagination is fresh and brilliant and you will enjoy it.

We now go back to our irregularly scheduled knitting blog. :)

Little Feet Baby Socks

2008-06-26T11:27:00.003-06:00

My first original sock pattern! As socks are not exactly rocket science, it may not be a very impressive feat, but something so simple and lovely has got to be magical, so I am very proud of myself. So, without further ado, here's how you can make your own Little Feet:

**********
Little Feet Baby Socks

I love the k2p1 ribbing. It gives a close fit without distorting the smoothness of the fabric like k2p2 can do. This pattern is written for someone who is familiar with the basic construction of a top-down sock and knows how to turn a heel, decrease a gusset, and decrease a wedge toe.

Size:
0-3 months (by working more instep rows, you can knit these socks to fit up to 6 months or so)

Materials:
Fingering weight sock yarn (leftovers from adult socks knit from 100g of yarn will be plenty)
US Size 1 (2.25 mm) DPNs, set of 5
Tapestry needle

Gauge:
9 sts per inch in stockinette stitch
**This is a little flexible. For baby socks, err on the side of caution and keep in mind that a little bigger is always better than too small.**

Pattern:

CO 36 sts, 9 on each needle

Work k2, p1 ribbing for 10 rows (or however long you want the cuff to be)

Heel Flap
After the end of the tenth/last round, k18 and turn to purl back for a plain stockinette flap. Work fourteen rows in total, ending with a purl row.

Turn Heel
Row 1: k11, ssk, k1, turn
Row 2: sl1, p7, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: sl1, knit to 1 st before gap, ssk over gap, k1, turn
Row 4: sl1, purl to 1 st before gap, p2tog over gap, p1, turn
Continue in this fashion until all heel stitches have been worked. 12 sts remain.

Gusset
Knit across all heel sts, then pick up 9 sts along heel flap for gusset. Work ribbing across instep. Pick up 9 sts along flap and knit 6 sts from the heel to place the center of the heel between needles. Knit the first round even, then alternate decrease and even rows until all needles have 9 sts.

Instep and Toe
Work 12 rounds even, then alternate decrease and even rows for toe until 16 sts remain. Graft two sets of 8 and weave in ends.

Baby Socks!

2008-06-23T13:56:00.002-06:00

I will be posting the pattern for these later because it's an original by me and I want to publish it and put it on Ravelry, but I just had to share:

I also finished the pink pair for my new niece:

I love baby socks. They are fast, easy, and totally fun to give away.

More Lolcats!

2008-06-21T19:53:00.002-06:00

I just can't get enough of these things. This time we have:

Make like a human and stand

more cat pictures

Vampire kitteh

more cat pictures

Existential kitteh

more cat pictures

Star Wars kitteh

more cat pictures

MC Kitteh

more cat pictures

Death Star hamster

more cat pictures

Romantic kittehs

more cat pictures

MLK kittehs

more cat pictures

Kittehs in space

more cat pictures

Monty Python kitteh

more cat pictures

Darth Kitteh

more cat pictures

Soul-eating kitteh

more cat pictures

LOLcats

2008-05-31T01:48:00.003-06:00

Because nothing makes me laugh harder than cute animals and fantastic captions.

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

What should you have in your notions bag?

2008-05-24T15:43:00.005-06:00

While I was yarn shopping with Naomi on Thursday and she asked me what she needed besides needles and yarn, it got me thinking: what are the truly essential items that should never leave your knitting bag? What is just nice to have? Are some notions a waste of money?

So I made a list and took a picture of what is in my notions bag, which has all my essentials plus a few nice-to-have items.

Essentials:

Scissors. Just because the phrase "break yarn" is common knitting jargon doesn't mean you have to actually break it. My scissors are small embroidery snippers. Anything that cuts yarn will do, from scissors of all sizes to pendants that have protected blades. Those are nice for getting thorugh airport security.
Darning/tapestry needles for weaving in ends. I recommend a variety of sizes to accomodate a variety of yarn weights. Clover has a nice set that comes with a screw-top case. Mine is tied to my scissors.
Measuring tape. A regular ribbon-style tape is fine, but having a little retractable one is better when you don't want a three foot long measuring tape uncoiled and causing chaos in your notions bag.

You can get by on having just those, but I strongly recommend also having these:

Stitch markers. These come in handy for lots of things. I carry both ring and split-ring markers. Even if you don't need to keep a marker on for a pattern, casting on lots (50+) of stitches usually means counting to see how many you've done so far. Put a marker after a certain number of stitches and you don't have to count as much. Plain plastic and fancy beaded will perform the same function, so getting fancy markers is purely a matter of personal preference.
Pen/pencil. Making notations on patterns is great. Writing down your gauge on a yarn's ball band is better. I also like to keep track of row counts/pattern repeats with hash marks.
Crochet hook. Even the most experienced knitters drop stitches now and again. You can technically do it with a knitting needle, but it's a pain in the rear, especially if the stitch has dropped several rows. Hooking up the ladder makes a frustrating process a little easier.

I'd say those are the things you should really have. Now the extras.

Nice to Have:

Stitch holders. Many projects have times where you need to keep stitches live. You can have holders that are designed for this purpose or you can use a spare needle or other object that will work just fine. I like to use either holders or a double pointed need with point protectors at the ends.
Cable needles. Cables are fun. Like with stitch holders, you can use something other than a needle designed for this specific purpose, like a double pointed needle. You can also learn how to cable without using anything to hold those stitches.
Point protectors. You can stick some on the ends of dpns to use them as straight needles, cap your needles to keep your work from falling off, or cap both ends of a single dpn to use it as a stitch holder. The possibilites are vast.
Safety pins. Not only are these good to have all the time, they are extremely useful for knitting. They can be stitch or row markers, hold together edges of pieces for fitting or seaming, anything you can think of. If you can find them, get the ones with no coil because those can snag yarn. Come to think of it, safety pins could easily go under "essentials."
Bobbins. If you dabble in intarsia or other colorwork that requires you to work with several small amounts of yarn simultaneously, bobbins are nice. You can make little center-pull bundles that make bobbins unnecessary, but until one has mastered that, plastic or heavy cardboard bobbins are the ticket.
Graph paper. Sometimes you want to chart out written instructions or make your own design. Maybe you just want something to write on. Regular paper is fine for that, but because a knitted item is composed of a grid of stitches, graph paper is handy.

In my opinion, everything else is optional. Sure, some people might not be able to live without their Norwegian knitting thimble, but I doubt the majority of us need one. Having a needle sizer, a metal/plastic plate with holes of specific sizes, is nice for some things, but most of us use one so infrequently that we just use a friend's. On top of notions that are optional, there are the fancy versions of the basics: stitch holders that look more like jewelry, decorative tip protectors, bags that have various pockets and zippered compartments.

The sky is the limit when it comes to knitting accessories. Start with the basics, then start personalizing. A knitter's notions bag often reflects his or her personality. Practical but fun? Utilitarian and efficient? Colorful and pretty? As with all things knitting, the variety of notions available turns our art into expression and adds to the enjoyment we feel as we knit.

Cute baby sweater!

2008-05-16T14:24:00.003-06:00

Isn't it lovely? In terms of technique, I feel that this is one of my best projects. I established my gauge well and made stitch count alterations accordingly to a pattern I found on Lion Brand called Glamour-Baby's First Cardigan. I chose this pattern because, due to the fact that it is composed of rectangles, it is very easy to alter the gauge.

The original pattern was five rectangles knit separately in garter stitch and sewn together. UGH. Too much seaming, too much garter stitch, too much boring knitting. I changed the construction of the garment to be knit in basically one piece. I used stockinette with ribs on the botton, cuffs, where the shoulder seams would have been, and along the front edges. I picked up three stitches where I wanted the ties and made I-cords. I think the ribbon makes it look cheap girly.

So I guess the only features of the pattern I kept were the overall dimensions, the tacked-down lapel, and the location of the ties. According to my knitting group, I have changed enough to consider it my own pattern and I should publish it. I'll have to go over my notes, but I think that may work. If you arrived at this blog entry from Ravelry or are otherwise knitterly inclined, please let me know in the comments if you'd like me to post my specific modifications and/or write a whole new pattern.

Next up: a matching pair of pants, then matching booties and maybe a matching hat.

A Simple Blanket

2008-05-13T11:12:00.002-06:00

I designed a blanket for a friend based on one I saw at a local yarn shop. It's easy enough for a beginner but isn't boring garter stitch. All you need to know to make this blanket are the basics: cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. It also requires making a swatch to determine gauge, which is a good habit to foster with beginning knitters. I know a few experienced folks who should swatch more. *raises hand guiltily*

Anyway, here it is.

************

Ribbed Blanket

This blanket can be made in any size: baby, lap, throw, etc. Any yarn can be used, but the pattern was written with a bulky yarn in mind so that the blanket does not take forever to knit. Because gauge determines the number of stitches to cast on, knit a swatch as follows:

CO 24
Row 1: *k4, p4**, repeat from * to ** twice more
Repeat Row 1 until swatch measures 3” long
Bind off in pattern

Block swatch as the finished blanket will be blocked. Measure across and divide 24 by that number. This is your number of stitches per inch.

Determine how wide you want the blanket to be in inches, then multiply that by your gauge to get your total number of stitches to get that length. Round this number down to the nearest multiple of 8.

Blanket pattern:

CO predetermined number of stitches (multiple of 8)

Rows 1-5: knit

Row 6: k4, *k4, p4**, repeat from * to ** until four stitches remain, k4

Repeat row 6 until blanket measures five rows shorter than desired.

Last 5 rows: knit

Bind of loosely and block.

I love knitting baby clothes

2008-05-12T13:20:00.002-06:00

Yesterday morning I found the pattern I wanted for a baby sweater and made some changes to it: gauge, stitch pattern, things like that. I cast it on when Peanut went down for her nap an hour or two after I did the math for the new gauge.

Today, about 24 hours later, I am working on the second sleeve. This sweater will be done completely fewer than 48 hours after it was started. The only reason it will take that long is because I decided to block it flat before sewing the seams so I'll have to let it dry overnight. But tomorrow morning I will have a cute blue baby sweater and I'll blog all about it with pictures.

Baby clothes: perfect for knitters with a need for instant gratification!

Why can't you block acrylic?

2008-05-09T22:27:00.004-06:00

I actually didn't think of the answer to this question for months, which is enough to disgrace my biochemistry professor, really. The reason is so simple, so beautiful, that it really should have popped into my head long ago. Alas, it did not. But yesterday it finally did, so on the off chance you want to know why you can't block synthetics, keep reading. I don't get really technical.

First, a bare-bones lesson on proteins. Proteins are long chains of amino acids curled up on themselves. The the twenty-plus amino acids all have different things attatched to them. Some of those things can be very attracted to each other, which makes them stick together and affect the shape of the protein depending on where amino acids are on the chain. That's important because, from human hair to merino wool to fuzzy angora, fur is just a bunch of proteins strung together.

Now, a little about synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers are polymers, or long chains of molecules. Like proteins, actually, and many other things both natural and manmade. Chemically, they are both organic, or carbon-based. To look at the molecular structures or even just their molecular formula, there isn't much difference between some proteins and certain ploymers. That's why acrylic is so widespread in garment making: it resembles wool on a very tiny level.

The differences that are there, though, have a large impact on blocking. The molecules hanging on a protein can bond to each other in a couple different ways. These ways can be affected easily by heat and water. Ever curled your hair? If you've done it without resorting to getting it wrapped painfully on uncomfortable plastic rollers and doused in smelly chemicals, you probably used a curling iron or rolled it when it was wet and let it dry like that. Both methods temporarily alter the chemical bonds along the protein strings of your hair, which then alters their shape.

The same happens when you block natural fibers. Wet blocking and steam blocking do the exact same thing to the fur your item is made of that it would do to your hair: it forces the temporary rearrngement of bonds. Acrylic, on the other hand, no matter how much it feels like wool, does not have the specific chemical structure to form bonds with itself along the polymer string. It just slides.

So that's why you can't block acrylic. And why you have to reblock things after they get wet. Now here's the question I have: has anyone ever tried to give a wool garment a perm to set the blocking for all time? If they did, I bet it was really smelly. Wet wool + perming chemicals = YUCK!

Knitting ADD

2008-05-05T19:48:00.002-06:00

I have decided that I have knitting ADD. I see a project or yarn that interests me and I take steps to start something. In April, I did lots of washcloths, socks, scarves, and cotton scrubbies. I have five projects on needles right now: two pairs of socks, two lace scarves, and a shrug.

Projects I am planning to start soon are more baby socks, baby pants, a baby blanket, a pair of wrist warmers, and the gifts for people at RAW. That doesn't even count the things I'd like to make for myself: another pair of socks and a mini Clapotis. I want to start all of them at one time! Alas, knitting ADD.

Easy to learn, difficult to master

2008-04-18T22:52:00.003-06:00

Knitting is many things, but the title of this post is probably going to become my response to the question "Is that hard?" that I am inevitably asked when I knit in public alone. I found this little gem of a description in an article in the Summer 2005 issue of Knitty called Knit Like a Man by David Demchuk. He has an article in the Spring 2008 issue, too, about what males a male knitter hardcore. (In case you are wondering, it's knitting baby clothes in public.)

Today, I taught a friend how to knit. I talk about knitting all the time and apparently the joy I get from it comes through because Naomi expressed interest. We went to Knit'n and I told her all about fibers and yarn weights and we had much fun fondling yarn. She even mentioned afterward that she wanted to go back in the store just to feel everything again. Oh yeah. I SO converted her.

Then we went to Panera across the parking lot (they have free wifi) to have coffee, pastry, and knitting. Naomi picked up both knitting and purling very quickly, much quicker than anyone else I've taught. It's probably because she learned how to knit a long time ago and her muscle memory kicked in. But that is really the easy part, you know? Making stitches is quite simple; even most techniques seen as "advanced" are simple in practice. Using double pointed needles, increases and decreases other than yarnover and knit two together, cabling, reading a chart, and seaming are all straightforward and uncomplicated.

But what I told Naomi was this: basics like casting on, knitting, purling, and binding off are the foundation. Increases and decreases add on, and finishing techniques add on. It all adds up to a whole house.

What really separates knitters from people who know how to knit is how built-up that house is. Some people are happy sitting on the foundation and knitting squares and rectangles in the form of scarves, blankets, and dishcloths. Others build up a bit more and make hats and maybe a sweater. Then you get into gloves and mittens, socks, and colorwork like stranding and intarsia. Have you ever cut a steek on a traditionally knit Fair Isle toddler sweater? If you have, you are the little pig who built a brick house and no amount of breath blown by non-knitters will bring your abode crashing down.

I wonder if anyone really masters knitting. I could name several designers and even friends who are very experienced and know a helluva lot more than I do about knitting. But then I can't help but wonder if they know more than I do or have they simply had more time to apply their knowledge? As I took Naomi around my LYS, I realized that I had a great deal of knitting/fiber knowledge in my own head. How using different fibers affects the drape, elasticity, softness, and tension. The importance of tension and how that can impact everything from fit to durability.

Why different stitch patterns are appropriate to certain projects and not to others. Little tricks like avoiding ladders while using DPNs and making nice edge stitches. Why skipping a gauge swatch is not a good idea and how basic math is your friend. I can cable, pick up stitches, cast on in a variety of ways, knit three dimensional objects, and have designed a purse, blankets, and scarves. The list goes on.

But have I mastered knitting? That would be a resounding NO. I doubt that I ever will, but I'll have a great time trying. There will always be things that I haven't done yet or have only done a few times. It was very easy to learn how to knit and I've pretty much got it down by now, but I'll always have a ways to go to master the art of knitting.

From Lisa's Blog

2008-04-12T18:56:00.003-06:00

My knitting buddy Lisa has this on her blog and it looked cool.

Empire Magazine has revealed its list of the "50 Greatest TV Shows" ever.
Below is the list and here be the rules:

1. Bold the shows you've watched every episode of
2. Italic the shows you've seen at least one episode of
3. Post your answers

50. Quantum Leap
49. Prison Break
48. Veronica Mars
47. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
46. Sex & The City
45. Farscape
44. Cracker
43. Star Trek
42. Only Fools and Horses
41. Band of Brothers

40. Life on Mars
39. Monty Python's Flying Circus
38. Curb Your Enthusiasm
37. Star Trek: The Next Generation
36. Father Ted
35. Alias
34. Frasier
33. CSI: Las Vegas
32. Babylon 5
31. Deadwood

30. Dexter
29. ER
28. Fawlty Towers
27. Six Feet Under
26. Red Dwarf
25. Futurama
24. Twin Peaks
23. The Office UK
22. The Shield
21. Angel

20. Blackadder
19. Scrubs
18. Arrested Development
17. South Park
16. Doctor Who
15. Heroes
14. Firefly
13. Battlestar Galactica
12. Family Guy
11. Seinfeld

10. Spaced
09. The X-Files
08. The Wire
07. Friends
06. 24
05. Lost
04. The West Wing
03. The Sopranos
02. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
01. The Simpsons

Most of the shows I had heard of but not seen and a couple of the shows I'm not sure I've even heard of. Combine that with the fact that the only shows I emboldened are scifi and this blog entry tells you that I am a geek and I actively avoid watching the "hot" shows that "everyone" talks about. Maybe I should branch out, ut I'm not going to. Why not? Because this is what I envision when I go to heaven:

1. The complete DVD sets of all seasons of Star Trek, Farscape, Babylon 5, and Firefly along with the entire broadcast history of Jeopardy.
2. Any yarn I want in any fiber, weight, and colorway.
3. Any knitting needle I want in any material and length.
4. Every romance novel in existence, written or to-be-written.

An eternity of knitting, excellent TV, and my reading genre of choice? Utter perfection! Except for the fact that I'd be dead. But I'm mortal, so that's okay.

I need to borrow a Zombie Survival Guide, please

2008-04-06T22:07:00.002-06:00

36%

Things to do to up my score: get a gun and learn how to use it, detatch myself from loved ones when they become zombies so I can shoot them without hesitation, and stock up on non-perishable food.

Yarngasms!

2008-03-28T19:33:00.002-06:00

Warning: slightly risque content to follow. Requires a good sense of humor.

Yes, yarngasms. Like a footgasm when you wear a new handknit sock, but better. Why is a yarngasm bettern than a footgasm? Oh, let me count the ways.

1. You experience a yarnagsm in three different stages: buying, knitting/crocheting, and wearing and/or giving.

2. They boggle your entire mind, not just your feet.

3. Your hands are the chief interface with the yarn. Fingers have one of the highest concentrations of nerve endings on your body.

4. They can be experienced at the same time and/or overlapped with other 'gasms like footgasms (socks), handgasms (gloves), neckgasms (scarves) and the lovely total body gasm (sweaters). Double your pleasure, double your fun, right?

I have been having yarngasms here and there today whenever I pick up the scarf I'm making out of Misti Baby Alpaca Suri & Silk. My hands sing as it threads through my finders. My needles sigh at the feeling of being draped in this gorgeous stuff. I must make sure the recipient of this wonderful item knows how wonderful it is. I'm sure she'll take one feel and fall in love just like I did.

Another yarngasm that got started on Thursday when I bought the Misti was the purchase of my first hank of sock yarn that will be for socks. The skein of Trekking I got a while ago is turning into a lace scarf. Anyway, I am the proud holder of a lovely 100 grams of Araucania Ranco, 75% wool, 25% nylon/polyamide. The label says polyamide, Ravelry says it's nylon. Either way, it feels great and I'm looking ofrward to making my first pair of socks with it.

I will have pictures of these yarngasm-inducing items later. I have to go feel them up again before I let the public into our little private world. ;)

Dishcloths

2008-03-16T17:18:00.003-06:00

I decided to take a break from Coachella to knit a few dishcloths. Dishcloths tend to be easy and fast, which are both in the recipe for instant knitter's gratification. Sometimes, you just need to finish something.

I found a pattern for a Star Trek dishcloth that I fiddled with a bit to give me this:

I also hatched an idea for a new cloth that was based on a pattern called Grandmother's Favorite. It's one of the simplest dishcloth patterns out there, but it is very boring to knit. Thinking that a horizontal rib would be fun, I started knitting and voila:

I'll get a better picture in later. Here's the modified pattern:

Cast on 4
row 1: k4
row 2: k2, yo, k to end
rows 3 and 4: k2, yo, p to last 2 sts, k2
row 5: k2, yo, k to end

repeat rows 2-5 until the cloth is big enough for you, then decrease like so:
row 6: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end
rows 7 and 8: k1, k2tog, yo, p2tog, p to last 2 sts, k2
row 9: k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k to end

repeat rows 6-9 until there are 4 sts on needle. Bind off.

This variation makes this cloth less boring to knit, but still very effective for scrubbing. Now I have two new dishcloths and no progress on Coachella. Oh, well. :)

Auntie Courtney!

2008-03-14T10:24:00.002-06:00

Not yet, but it is coming.

Here's a picture of the little one at 12 weeks gestation:

It's a pretty good shot for only 12 weeks. My sister is so excited. She's had some morning sickness, but she and her husband are thrilled at their impending addition. This is their first baby.

I think I'll really enjoy the second one more. The love will be the same, of course, but there will be no fear of the unknown. That will be nice.

Success!

2008-03-08T14:38:00.003-06:00

The bag is felted! A scant 10 minutes in the washer and it shrunk up just beautifully. It isn't as tall as I'd planned, but that is so okay with me. My last felting project ended a bit disastrously, so this is a treat. I have no place to hang it, so I draped it over the computer chair.

Its shape is fine and it's nice and deep. The straps are longer than I thought they'd be, which is great because I got really sick of knitting them and bound off before I thought they'd be long enough for what I wanted. The color is lovely, blue with lighter flecks throughout. Paton's Classic Merino Wool in Denim Marl is nice for felting.

I'm tickled pink! After drying, all I gotta do is attatch the D rings for the adjustable strap and flap closure. Drying will take a while, though. I did let it spin a bit in the washer to get most of the water out, which seems to not have affected the shaping at all. Who said you shouldn't spin felted things? They were a little off. *wink*

I see the light! I'm almost out of the tunnel!

2008-03-04T12:52:00.005-06:00

The blue felted bag was an endless sea of knitting stockinette in the round. Endless, that is, until Sunday. I finally finished the body of the bag while Peanut and I were hanging at Sarah's house. I started binding off while I was there, but when I got home I decided to undo that and knit two rounds of k2 p2 ribbing except where I was going to continue knitting the flap.

The flap, I decided, would be shaped just like the bag's bottom, then tapered to a long ribbon that will be used in one of those double D-ring closure things. Or something. I also knit a four stitch seed stitch border to prevent curling. It worked out nicely.

The strap took some thinking. Sarah suggested I check out the way the strap was done on the Slingshot at Knitty. I considered this, then decided on something different that serves two purposes. I'm knitting a strap with two strands of the wool held together on size 10 needles. Purpose 1: produces a thick strap that, when felted, will be nice and cushy on my shoulder. Purpose 2: knits up quick so I can finish this %$#@ing bag-that-never-ends.

I suppose it hasn't been that bad, though. Incredibly boring, but that was nice in it's own way. I was able to knit and make eye contact at the same time. And I knit while getting cavities filled at the dentist. Most people at the office there got a kick out of me knitting blind.

I cast on the leggings that I will KAL with some of my knitting buddies. We all have to make changes to the pattern because it's written for an anemic supermodel and we are real females with actual flesh on our calves. They will be a challenge and a fun KAL, but I also want to cast on baby socks so I can finally knit a pair of socks. Since they're itty bitty, they will go fast. Also, I will write up the pattern for the bag and post it here. I doubt anyone will use the pattern, but publishing it will be a good idea for posterity.

How Cool is That?

2008-02-23T17:38:00.002-06:00

knitPro. My new favorite tool.

One of the things I want to do for a few people I'll be seeing in September at RAW is knit or crochet custom dishcloths. I want to add words and/or images, but I had no idea how to go about getting custom charts online.

Ravelry to the rescue! I browsed their forums thinking that I'm certainly not the only person with this kind of thing in mind. That's how I found the link to knitPro. It only accepts picture formats (gif, jpeg, png), but that was okay because I just opened Paint under my computer's Accessories menu and used the text function. Saved that to my comp, then browsed it with knitPro's web app and voila! A chart just for me.

With knitPro, you can customize the chart for your project. For example, cross stitch and tapestry crochet (which is basically intarsia for hookers) use 1:1 ratio graphs for stitches that are completely square. But knitting charts are different because knit stitches are taller than they are wide. If you want to make a chart for knitting, knitPro lets you choose either a 5:7 ratio for portrait or 7:5 for landscape. It's groovy.

Felted Purse: By the Numbers

2008-02-20T14:05:00.005-06:00

I'm making a felted purse. The body of it is knit in the round. (I'll post the pattern after I finish it.) The thing about felting is that it shrinks a lot vertically but not so much horizontally. This means that if I want my bag to be roughly 13 inches deep, I have to knit 19.5 inches of unfelted stockinette. The math works out to 18,720 stitches total. That's assuming I don't make it deeper. That does not include the two-strand I-Cord straps I have planned or the flap I want to make if I have enough yarn.

And since it's in the round, all the stitches are knit. No sweet purls to break up the monotony. The perk is that I don't have to actually be looking at it constantly to do it. I wonder what the dentist will think tomorrow when I take my mind off the sound of that evil drill by closing my eyes, taking a deep breath, and knitting.

I crunched some more numbers. I timed myself the other day and it takes me six minutes to knit one row. This includes shifting stitches along the circular needle, pulling lengths of yarn from the skein, and the slow-during-the-show, faster-during-the-commercials rhythm of knitting while watching a show on the History channel. Not a speed-knitting trial, just a real-life situation.

At six minutes a row for 117 rows (six rows per inch), the total knitting time for JUST THE BODY of the bag, not counting the bottom, straps, or flap, is eleven and a half hours. Add in about two hours for swatching, three hours for the bottom, four hours for the flap (I'm planning some cables for it), two for the straps (I'll be using size 9 dpns and holding two strands of wool together), an hour for felting and shaping, and two hours for pattern planning and writing, and I will have a one-of-a-kind hand-knit fulled purse for 25.5 hours of work.

Yarn cost for 4 skeins of Paton's Classic Merino was $12. They were on sale. Oh, and the size seven bamboo circular needle I used was $8.99.

Knitting is a learned skill. It takes time to learn how, of course, but even more time to truly get a feel for the art. I've just barely scratched the surface. I know enough to make a purse, sure, but that is basically a big box. But even for that, I had to have a little more than the basic knowledge of how to knit to write a pattern that works out well.

But let's say that it's a minumum wage job. At Wisconsin minimun wage, $6.50, the labor cost would be $165.75. Add in yarn and needle cost and the total cost of the purse is (rounded to the nearest dollar) $187.

Of course, I don't knit as fast as a "professional" would or someone who has been knitting for years and years. And designing, knitting, felting, and using this bag will give me hours of thinking, relaxing, anticipation, and satisfaction (in that order). Knitting is a social thing for me, so I don't often knit alone. Knitting with my group slows my speed because it's not just about the knitting, it's about the hanging out and chatting.

So while the monetary worth of this purse is close to two hundred dollars, keeping it for my own and having the knowledge and satifation that I designed it, made it, and am enjoying the fruits of my labor is (prepare for cheesy sentiment):

priceless.

The Maori Haka

2008-02-13T21:29:00.004-06:00

The Maori are the native people of New Zealand. They are a proud and fierce culture and are very well known for their extensive traditional tattoos. Something else they are known for is the haka, a form of dancing that most people recognize as the war dance and chant performed by Maori warriors before a battle to intimidate their enemies and invoke their god of war.

Today, most people know the haka as made famous by the All Blacks, New Zealand's rugby union team, who perform it before all international matches. Here are some cool videos of the hunky rugby players:

This last one is utterly adorable. I showed it to one of my favorite authors, Nalini Singh, and she loved it so much she posted it on her blog.

Here's a translation of the All Blacks' traditional haka chant.

Pretty neat, huh?

Wet Wool Stinks

2008-02-11T15:13:00.000-06:00

I felted a swatch of Paton's Merino and it's STINKY. I was going to do it in the sink, but it stunk too much. I ended up putting it in a plastic container with hot water and some soap and just shook it for a while. It worked like a charm, didn't make the house smell like wet wool, and I didn't have to worry about burning my hands with hot water splashing during agitation.

I got four skeins of Paton's Classic Merino in Denim on clearance at Michael's for three dollars a skein:

I'm still not quite sure what I'm going to do with it, but it will be felted. Some sort of purse. Messenger bag, maybe.

Care Packages to Soldiers

2008-02-06T20:05:00.000-06:00

I haven't done this yet. I was going to do the 6x9 rectangle thing, but that was so...detatched. It wasn't really personal, you know?

Well, I was chatting on the message board I'm constantly at and someone told us about a wonderful website: AnySoldier.com.

AnySoldier is not a middleman where you send stuff and they send it on. It is a place that brings together many military "contacts", men and women who are stationed overseas. These contacts provide their mailing address and a list of what to send. When they get a package with the line "Attn: AnySoldier" below the contact's name on the mailing label, they give the package to one of their men/women who does not receive or infrequently receives mail.

I think this is a fantastic idea. I can send things directly to specific people who will see that the useful and fun things I sent will be recieved by someone whose day will be brightened in an otherwise gloomy situation. I am SO doing this!

WIPs

2008-02-04T15:11:00.000-06:00

I figure here is as good a place as any to keep track of my knitting and crochet projects. It's easy to access, stored in internet space instead of my harddrive, and is in a format my computer-challenged brain can understand.

Yes, ladies, I am avoiding Ravelry. It will become another form of online crack. I already have enough of those. *wink*

Anyway, I am actually going to post pictures this time around. My biggest current WIP (work in progress for all you non-knitters) is a hooded poncho for Peanut. It is one of the few patterns on Lion Brand's free pattern index that is truly worth knitting.

I'm knitting it in bulky purple cotton that I had tons of. Well, I no longer have tons of it. The poncho ate it up. All I have left to knit on this is the hood and the pocket, then can seam the aforementioned hood and block the whole thing. I'm skipping the pocket because it would be one more place for Peanut to hide things like food pieces. I figure this will be nice for the summer when it is cool enough for a sweater or when we're in a place that's a littel chilly, like a store or something.

Another WIP is a crochet log cabin baby blanket for my sister. It was a "good fertility vibes" project because she and her husband were trying to get pregnant and it must have worked because she is indeed pregnant! I'm looking forward to being an auntie. She's already calling me for advice and info. It's awesome. The blanket is made out of a bulky called Stylecraft Charleston, a yarn I got when Three Kittens changed owners and had a big sale.

It's not my favorite project, but I'm determined. It's soft and fuzzy and machine washable, so it's nice for a baby project. Also, the nice thing about crocheting a log cabin as opposed to knitting one is that it is completely reversible.

WIP #3 is a crocheted shawl using a lovely dark blue Trekking that has light blue in it every once in a while. I'm enjoying working with it. Here's a picture of the shawl I found online:

As soon as I finish the shawl, which is a gift for a dear friend, the remainder of the Trekking will be used for baby socks. If I'm gonna finally knit socks, I want to spoil myself from the get-go with nice yarn.

Me = FiberSnob. And I've made peace with that.

An ongoing thing I'm doing is cotton things to sell in June. Long story. I decided to do some Swiffer covers:

My colors are different, but that's the basic pattern I'm using. The Ball band pattern from Sugar N Cream cotton is simple enough to memorize and be easy but not so boring as to be a drag to knit. I'm enjoying these, especially since I finally got buttons.

I have some projects in mind to cut down on my stash. Said stash is organized, but I need to really consider what to do with it all. Because of my new status as an expecting auntie, I of course have tons of baby projects in mind, like this one:

Is that not the cutest little bathmitt ever? Peanut needs one, too. So two of these are in my personal queue.

When bad weather happens to good drivers

2008-01-22T18:04:00.000-06:00

I had my first car accident yesterday. And it was my fault. Everybody is fine and there was just some damage to the front end of my car. It was just me and hubby in the car; Peanut was at home with my mom.

However, I must say that there were several elements that combined to create the conditions of the accident. It was snowing and westbound I-94 was slippery and icy. I was in the slow lane when I saw that there were cars on the shoulder, so, as is the law, I merged left into the center lane and ended up close behind a van. Much closer than I would normally be. (I'm sure you already see where this is going)

Just after I got behind the van, a semi hauling a bunch of cars cut off the van and started fishtailing. And slowing down. So the van starts to slow down. So do I. And yes, because I had shifted lanes to avoid the accident on the shoulder, I was too close to the van to stop in time. My plastic bumper was no match for that van's steel, even at about 5 mph.

Mr. Nice Gentleman driving the van was understanding, which I appreciated. Officer Freezing was also nice and very efficient, which is not surprising given that he was going from accident to accident on that stretch of freeway. And my husband, whom I love dearly, was the best of all. I had done as well as I could with what I knew even though I didn't know how to slow my car by downshifting and he told me that. He also got me to laugh several times when I got down and shaky. Mom was just glad nobody got hurt. Dad told Mom via phone "That's why it's called an accident--nobody means for them to happen."

But still. I feel like a moron. And now I have a smear on my driving record. Grrr. But my insurance guy and the people at the collision center were very nice. I'd been thinking of looking for new insurance to find a better rate, but with how the service has been so far with my insurance guy, I'll probably stay with him. Good service is very important.

I love grilled cheese sandwiches

2008-01-11T14:17:00.000-06:00

You Are a Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You are a traditional person with very simple tastes.
In your opinion, the best things in life are free, easy, and fun.
You totally go with the flow. And you enjoy every minute of it!

Your best friend: The Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

Your mortal enemy: The Ham Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

And because it is funny and I want you to laugh, too:

Holidays are done

2007-12-29T10:11:00.000-06:00

And I'm really happy about that. I was a total Grinch this year until a good friend gave me an unexpected gift, then I was happy and comforted by it until after Christmas was over. Christmas itself was busy and packed with people. I got some nice stuff. So did Peanut. Hubby got jipped by his parents, but got a nice one from my parents.

But now it's all done and I'm relieved. My appetite dipped low and the day after the family get togethers were done, I didn't eat anything at all. I just didn't feel hungry. I also spent too much time on the computer. It seems that the holidays threw me into a little depressive trench, which was bad. Hopefully the need for clean clothes and errands to get my meds and wedding ring back from the jeweler will drag me bodily out of the funk, not to mention the fun Movies and Mahem Day at Rachel's tomorrow. Knitting, movies, Peanut, and friends--what could be better?

Done!!! Sorta...

2007-12-17T14:17:00.000-06:00

I made scarves for my mom, dad, and sister in law, a shawl for my sister, decorative pillow covers for my brothers, and a flax seed hot pad for my brother in law. I crocheted more snowflakes and starched them. The spray starch works great, by the way.

I have seven shirt boxes, all filled and wrapped except for my younger brother's box. My mom is going to do some last minute sewing for me on that one when she gets the package. I'm sending them this afternoon. My side of the family is DONE! *happy dance*

Except I have to do a couple more things: Peanut's name was in the family gift drawing and I have do find/make a gift for a little boy about her age. I'm thinking a simple scarf, maybe out of Homespun. Or I can just dig in the stash and see what I find. I still need to do more snowflakes. They are my all-purpose gift. Everyone is getting one, basically. And I need to do gloves for Trin, fingerless with a mitten attatchment. There's a pattern on Knitpicks, but I have one in my Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns that I can fiddle with and make it work just fine.

Holiday gift projects

2007-12-02T16:40:00.000-06:00

I have been knitting and crocheting up a storm! Next year I'll try to start my gift knitting early, but right now I am showing off my mad procrastination skillz. Despite that, I have several gifts done or nearly done, including:

1. A few crocheted snoflakes
2. Dad's knitted gray scarf
3. Brian and Cameron's decorative pillow covers (gotta sew them together still, but the crocheting is done)
4. Naomi's jewel toned gift (she sees this blog, so I don't want to give a lot away)

I started Mom's cabled scarf that I designed myself. It's reversible and I'll post the pattern as soon as I write it up. I'm not a design diva and I'm not anticipating anyone actually making this besides me, but having the pattern written out and published somewhere is a good thing. I spend valuable minutes designing that scarf and I want the copyright!

All I have to do after Mom's scarf is make something for my sister. The one who freaked when I told her I was dying my hair blue. The one who has (to me, at least) become an insufferable square. Hmmm, square.....I can crochet her a small lap blanket with granny squares and tell her why I did it. Hee hee hee.

I also have to do more snowflakes and starch them to hell and gone. And I got some 2 inch metal rings that I can single crochet tightly around to make little wreaths. The ornaments won't take long at all, though. If I can get the family projects done quickly, the ornaments will be done shortly thereafter.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. This will be my first holiday making a lot of knitted/crocheted gifts and I am determined that they will be done to my satisfaction. I can do it, I know I can!

Oomph!

2007-11-21T12:48:00.000-06:00

That is the name of a German rock band that has been making music for going on 15 years. I'm a big fan of rock, especially hard-hitting guitars and drums. The leadsinger is uber attractive, I think. This is Dero:

He's a little insane, but he's got great vocals. He's also the drummer.

And this is the whole band:

Flux, who does the guitar, sampling, mixing, and producing, is on the left. Then Dero the insane frontman and drummer. Last is Crap (yes, his actual stagename), who plays the bass guitar and keyboards.

The first song I heard of theirs was Augen Auf, which means "eyes open." I adore this song and the video is kinda disturbing, which I think adds to its charm.

My favorite song of theirs (from what I've heard so far) is Brennende Liebe, which means "burning love." It's a love song (kinda) and the video is dark and theatrical. The female voice is a guest vocalist and their fans think this is one of the best vocal collaborations they've done.

I also like Traumst Du, "do you dream."

And Dero sounds just as sexy in English:

Gratuitous Kiltage

2007-11-11T13:15:00.000-06:00

For your viewing pleasure: Gerard Butler and a few other kilt pictures. I was telling G about them on Thursday and had to share. Oh, and I don't know if the sword is a claymore. I thought it was, but then I wasn't sure. Either way, this particular bekilted Scotsman can wield his sword for me anytime.

Like my new look?

2007-11-08T08:15:00.000-06:00

The pink was getting annoying. I like this new one. Do you like it?

Not as girly as I thought

2007-11-08T08:11:00.000-06:00

You Are 32% Girly

You are a pretty hardcore tomboy, and a very free spirit.

Gender roles be dammed, you like to do things your way.

How Girly Are You?

What Part of Thanksgiving Am I?

2007-11-05T16:39:00.000-06:00

You Are The Cranberry Sauce

A little sweet, a little sour - you've got the flava!
Though, you do tend to squish in people's mouths...

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

I'm Done!

2007-10-28T07:23:00.000-06:00

I finished the crocheted blue granny square afghan last night. All I have to do is block it, take a picture or two, and get the address for my cousin and I can send it off. It's turned out great and will look even bettern when it's blocked.

I love that charge you when you finish a project, don't you? Such a nice adrenaline rush comes with the sense of satisfaction. Does good things for me. :)

In other news, my therapist gave me a coupon for a one hour massage at Massage Envy. I scheduled it for this Thursday so I will be loose and pliable when next we knit. If I have sufficiently recovered from the lovely languor, I'll be starting the sleeves for my blue sweater. With the weather turning chilly, I really want to wear that thing. It'll be great.

Ha! I updated!

2007-10-18T23:29:00.000-06:00

Okay, okay, my lovely knitting buddies, I am finally updating my blog. Trip was great, all the authors except one were frantastic, meeting Maggie and other online friends was the absolute best. JR Ward loved the black slippers and is an absolute dear.

Current projects: The Unseamly Sweater in Stitch N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. All I have to do are the sleeves, then assembly, then edging. I think I'm going to modify the sleeve and lower hem edging from what's in the pattern. New project: A crocheted granny square afghan blanket for my new little cousin Charlie. I'm using a Pound of Love by Lion Brand in heathered blue for the most part with a light blue accent yarn by Red Heart called Soft Yarn (creative name, huh?) I also bought a skein of purple Lion Microspun so I can do a hat for Peanut. Not sure if I want to knit or crochet, but I'm leaning toward the latter because she needs a hat now and crochet is faster.

I don't know if I want to knit/crochet Christmas gifts. If I do, they will have to be fast and cheap because I'm lazy and frugal. And I need to get that issue of Crochet Style or whatever it was that Rachel had because it had fantastic patterns in it, including that tree skirt with the reindeer which totally rocked.

Therapy is just getting started, but I'm optimistic and I know that with the right help, support, and medication, I can beat back the black cloud of depression currently plaguing me. My prognisis is good despite having all the signs of a "major depressive episode", according to my therapist. I kinda think that having a major episode of anything is disturbing, but I'm brushing it off as jargon and not worrying about labels. My first focus will be to eat more even when I don't feel hungry and incorporate more movement in my daily life so I can increase my energy level and get back up to a weight where I'm comfortable in my own skin.

I hope this was a satisfying update because it may have to last a while. I'm terrible at this blogging thing, aren't I? *wink*

I'll Be Back

2007-09-12T12:35:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving on my trip to Kentucky. RAW 2007 promises to be a fantastic time--many of my favorite authors, friends I meet face-to-face for the first time, and time away from home. I'm nervous about leaving Peanut, though; I'm not worried because she'll be with her daddy and my mom is coming up to hang out with her while hubby is at work, but this will be the first time she and I have been apart for more than a few hours. I know she'll be fine, but I'm just a little jittery.

I got some bookplates, adhesive blanks that authors can sign when the book isn't handy, for a few friends. I'm going to surprise them with personalized bookplates signed by JR Ward when I see them later.

I have a 13 hour drive tomorrow. Long time in a car by myself. I hope I don't get lost. Wish me luck!

Nalini Singh's Caressed By Ice

2007-08-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

The time has finally come to review Caressed By Ice by Nalini Singh. I must confess I'm a little nervous; I've never written a review before and I'm afraid it might turn out more like all-out hero worship of Nalini's writing than a professional-sounding review. But I am neither a professional reviewer nor do I hero-worship Nalini's writing (okay, I do worship it a little because she's just that damn good), so hopefully I can manage to find a happy medium

The third installment of the Psy-Changeling series, Caressed By Ice, was everything that I wanted it to be and more. I read Slave to Sensation and wondered how Nalini could top that. She did top it, though, when she wrote Visions of Heat and I was certain that CBI would be just as wonderful as VOH.

I was wrong. It was better. It was so good that I was sincerely disappointed when I was done with it because that meant it was over.

*insert hero-worship of Nalini's writing here*

CBI takes us along the rocky, passionate, and often tender ride as Judd Lauren, a Psy telekinetic (Tk) who is no longer connected to the PsyNet, and Brenna Shane Kincaid, a wolf changeling who was brutalized by the serial killer Tk-Psy taken out in Slave to Sensation, work to be together. We meet both of them for the first time in STS, so I highly recommend starting from the beginning with this series so you get the most out of it.

Judd was an Arrow, an elite and highly deadly assassin, while he was in the PsyNet. As a dangerous subdesignation of Tk, he has very valid reasons for not wanting to break Silence. He is drawn to Brenna, helped with her recovery from her psychic torture, but he values her safety over his need to engage more fully in a relationship with her, a relationship he grows to want and need more and more as Brenna refuses to take no for an answer.

As a wolf changeling, Brenna is a sensual creature with a need for touch, for physical contact and affection. She knows that the chances of Judd breaking his conditioning for her are slim, especially because her inner wolf doesn't recognize him as her mate. But fire melts ice and Brenna knows in her heart that Judd is capable of giving her what she needs despite his insistence that he can't.

Brenna and Judd face obstacles that are neither minor nor easy to overcome. A murder within the wolf den and glimpses into the mind of the killer make it apparent that Brenna is in danger, but not exactly why. During their quest to find out, through Judd's need to protect this woman, and in Brenna's need to return to a normal life after her horrendous ordeal with a serial killer, the Man of Ice and his relentless changeling grow closer and closer. Judd slowly realizes that it is impossible to ignore feeling what he does for Brenna despite his need to maintain Silence for the safety of everyone around him. On an intimate level, sparks fly whenever these two are around each other. Despite the icy Silence he tries to maintain, Judd is every inch the hot, sexy male to match Brenna's changeling sexiness.

There is this one scene where they barely touch, where they basically stay on opposite sides of the room, but the sexual tension between them made me need to stop and just breathe. Nalini is a master at communicating the hunger, the need, and the pure and raw sex that these two create. When Judd finally gets to the point where he no longer fights what he's feeling, be prepared to need either a cold drink or time alone with your significal other.

Their is revolution rumbling in the PsyNet. The Council is worried. We get to know the newest Councilor, Kaleb Krychek, who fascinates me to no end. Where do his loyalties lie? Why was he so determined to be on the Council? Who is the "Ghost" in the Net that Judd is affiliated with? Can Protocol I be defeated? The story arc of the changes in the PsyNet, in the Council's actions, and in the advancement or retreat of Silence is taking turns I never would have guessed but am irrevocablly intrigued by. I can honestly say that I have little in the way of speculation as to how all this will turn out. Nalini is keeping us guessing and I can't think of anything better than this lack of predictability.

Caressed by Ice will be available in stores on September 4th. Buy it at Amazon and discover more about the Psy-Changeling world at Nalini's website. If you enjoy masterful storytelling, touching lovestories, and flawless worldbuilding, run to your nearest bookstore and immerse yourself in this series. You will most definitely not be disappointed.

Countdown to RAW 2007!

2007-08-05T12:01:00.000-06:00

As many of you may know, I'm going to an event in September where I'll get to meet a bunch of authors I read. RAW, or the Reader Appreciation Weekend, will be a blast because I'll not only be meeting all my favorite authors, but I get to meet Maggie, my best friend who lives in Delaware, and several of the women I talk with on JR Ward's message boards. I'm so excited, I made a countdown ticker:

Created by Crazyprofile.com

So I need to take my car in for some maintainance, get my eyes checked for a new contact lens prescription (my last one ran out in February), and a couple other things. This will be a blast!

Vampire Humor

2007-07-10T11:40:00.000-06:00

Many people know I have an affection for vampire romance, so when I saw this posted on JR Ward's message board, I had to put it here, too. I thought it was hilarious, but that's just me.

I won an ARC!

2007-07-06T19:16:00.000-06:00

An ARC is an advanced reader copy, a copy of a book that is given out before it is officially released for public consumption. Late last week I got an email from a friend saying that an author I like, Nalini Singh, was holding a contest on her blog where she would give away 5 ARCs of Caressed by Ice, the third book in a paranormal romance series that is due out in early September. I adored the first two books, so I entered the contest without hope or expectation. I never win anything...

...until the next day!

I got an email from the author that was simply a reply to my entry email, so I thought it was just a confirmation that I was in the running. But the first words I saw were "Congratulations! You won..." Then I got a little lightheaded and giddy. Got the giggles. Bounced up and down in my chair. Fired back an email to Nalini thanking her profusely. One of the things she asked all her winners is to read the book and review it in a blog, at MySpace, on Amazon, etc, a couple weeks before it's release. I'll be reviewing it in a number of places in late August.

This is a great series. There are no vampires, no faeries, no hinky magic. There are three races: humans, the Psy, and the changelings. The Psy are conditioned from birth to push back and eliminate all emotion as part of the Silence Protocol. Long story behind that. The changelings are those who can, of course, change forms. There are wolves, leopards, wildcats, and others. They spend most of their time in human form, though.

The first book, Slave to Sensation, was about a Psy female, one who already feels because Silence didn't work on her, who fell in love with the alpha of the local leopard pack, the yummy Lucas. The second book, Visions of Heat, was also about a Psy female and leopard male, but this Psy, Faith, did have her emotions dampened by the conditioning and Vaughn, one of Lucas's elite bodyguards, had to work to draw out her emotions. The third book, Caressed by Ice, is about Judd, a Psy male, and Brenna, a changeling (wolf) female who was abducted, tortured, and rescued in the first book and is dealing with some unexpected effects of her kidnapper's cruelty.

There is a larger story arc beyond the individual romances that is starting to take form and promises to get really interesting very soon. I will talk more about it after I receive and read the ARC of Caressed by Ice. I'm so excited for this I'm bouncing in my chair again!

If you are not already a fan of Nalini or paranormal romance and/or roll your eyes whenever I go on about the hot vampires I'm smitten with, this is a good series to read if you're getting curious. The premise is very original, which is hard to come by in paranormal books, and Nalini accomplishes her worldbuilding with concision when she needs it and flourishing descriptives when they are called for. She is a rising star in romance and many of us fans have high hopes that this Psy-Changeling series will put her on the map.

My New Knitting Project

2007-06-27T19:31:00.000-06:00

I recently finished the purple sweater I knit for Peanut. It's too big, which is absolutely perfect. But when I finished it, I realized that I needed a new project. Sure, I had the babymaking mojo log cabin blanket going for my sister, but I didn't want to really pick that up again until she was actually pregnant. If she doens't have good fertility vibes now from all the work I've done on it so far, I can do no more. So I had to figure out a new knitting project.

I found it while I was watching Knitty Gritty on the DIY network. They had an episode entitled Teen Scene with a couple projects designed by teenagers. One in particular, the slippers with crochet trim, looked to be fast, easy, and inexpensive. I suck at embedded links, so here it is: http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/na_knitting/article/0,2025,DIY_14141_5466264,00.html

It looks so fast and easy, as a matter of fact, that I want to make several pairs as gifts to a few authors I'll be meeting when I go to a private event in September. I'll be meeting several of my favorite paranormal romance authors, women who have made significant contributions to my bookcases and therefore my life. There are three in particular who are all New York Times bestselling authors whose work accounts for about one third of the books in my collection.

Several people may think it strange that I want to do something as personal and intimate as a knitted gift for women I hardly know who have already profited by my purchases of their books. But reading is as essential to me as breathing; not a day goes by that I don't read and it has been that way ever since I was in elementary school. I am not truly happy unless I have recently spent time with my nose in a book. These authors have all made an impact on me and my life and I would love to dedicate the time and effort that knitting requires as a thank-you to them.

I know I won't be the only one there who will be bringing gifts for the authors. The organizers of the event set up a Yahoo group for all attending and we've been chatting for months. So far I'm the only one knitting something, but I know several are bringing gift bags of chocolate and/or other treats. Maybe if they like my gifts enough, I'll really stand out and when it comes time for them to give out ARCs, they will remember me! ARC stand for Advance Release Copy, copies of books that authors and publishers give to reviewers, friends, and family weeks and sometimes months before the general release date. For someone as impatient as me, getting an ARC of the new book in any series that I read would be fantastic!

Cross your fingers for me!

Online Friendship

2007-05-23T18:15:00.000-06:00

Through the JR Ward message board, I have developed a few friendships that are just as rewarding as friendships I maintain in real life (RL). We communicate mainly through instant messaging and phone calls. I have found people with similar lifestyles and similar interests, so the conversation flows naturally.

My biggest interest is reading paranormal romance and while this particular subgenre of romance is growing exponentially, I can't seem to find people in RL that share both this interest and others. Many people I converse with don't read paranormals or, worse, have a disparaging view of romance novels in general. Of the people I've met in RL who do read paranormals, we don't have anything else in common. Granted I can talk about books for hours on end, but variety is a good thing.

Another problem is inclusion in the "mommy club." I swear, once you have a baby and have those demands, maintaining a friendship with a childless friend is distressing in my experience. I've been able to find people with kids of similar ages to mine who understand me on a level that others can't. If I'm frustrated because Peanut woke early from a nap or is sick or is being a general pain in the keister, venting to someone who either is going through the same thing or who went through it not so long ago helps me. Peanut is a relatively easy baby, but she definitely has her moments.

The largest problem, though, is the unreliability of my shut-up filter. That's the filter between my braiin and my mouth that keeps stupid, offensive, and otherwise inadvisable words and phrases from being spoken. I call this unreliability my "foot-in-mouth facilitator." When I have gone too long between saying something I shouldn't, my brain circumvents the shut-up filter and I say something that offends, alienates, or hurts someone I care about. Worse, I can't seem to stuff my face with food and drink enough to keep myself from talking. This problem really asserts itself at my knitting group, where I knit with wonderful people. I said something a few weeks ago that had a really bad effect and I'm still suffering for it.

Online friendships are mostly spared the worst of the foot-in-mouth facilitator because I can read over my words before I hit send. I have a chance to consciously activate the shut-up filter before crap spews out of my mouth. It's been a lifesaver. I don't really have anyone I do stuff with in person. Those people who are similar to me as far as the kids thing goes live too far away for casual drop-ins and hang-outs. The friend who is close enough for that isn't speaking to me thanks to the foot-in-mouth thing.

My online friends are my best friends. I adore those I knit with, but I've never done stuff with them that wasn't knitting-related. When I'm online chatting with "aprilla", she can crack me up and comiserate about the antics of babies and toddlers. I can talk with "kraus" and see what the stay-at-home-mom gig will be like in a few years. Listening to "jade" go on about stuff lightens my mood on even the worst of days. I even get to chat with my brother who lives in Maryland on occaision.

I love the internet. :)

Lover Revealed...continued

2007-04-23T16:57:00.000-06:00

Okay, so, Butch and Vishous and their unique relationship. I hate it when people try to label them because labels involve generalities. What is going on between Butch and V is very specific to these two personalities.

Again, I warn you, I am NOT a spoiler-free zone. I'm about to reveal the coolest part of the book, so if you haven't read it, stop reading this and go read Lover Revealed. It's a better read, anyway.

At the end of LR, Butch is inducted into the Brotherhood. Here's how the ceremony works: each of the Brothers bleeds into a cup, then bites the new Brother and takes a sip of him. When they are finished biting the new guy, he drinks the blood in the cup. This is how they become brothers--flesh of each other's flesh. When V bites Butch, it turns into a very erotically charged moment and they get pretty close. Oddly enough, I didn't see it as a sexual moment when I first read it. It is actually the very definition of sexual: they get physically close in a very sensual moment brought on by emotional intimacy. This scene is yet another example of how gifted a writer JR Ward is. Her descriptors, her phrasing, and her bravery in even writing this scene are amazing.

So V and Butch get up close and personal and it's pretty damned sexy. I still don't think they were ever sexually attracted to each other/desired each other that way. But they got physical in that moment because it progressed from their emotional intimacy. It was a one-time-thing, of course, because they are best friends, not lovers, and Butch is mated to Marissa. But I think it was a good thing that they had that moment, especially for Vishous. His sex life is really hardcore and he distances himself from the females he's with; he deserved a moment of embracing and being embraced by someone who loved him unconditionally.

This, of course, means that I am going ABSOLUTELY INSANE waiting for Vishous's book, Lover Unbound. It CANNOT come fast enough for my taste. His female is a human trauma surgeon and we're speculating on her like crazy on the boards. I really think that we'll finally meet Lassiter, too, because every time he's been on the boards, it's been to clash with V and they obviously have a history. And I think that John Matthew will transition in LU because it was remarked that he's getting close in LR.

I really could go on and on about this book and this series, but I'll spare you. :)

Lover Revealed

2007-04-11T20:12:00.000-06:00

So on February 27th, I read Lover Revealed by JR Ward. It's official release date was March 6th, but Wal-Mart has a habit of putting books out early. Not my Wal-Mart, though. Nor the other four Wal-Marts at the top of the list that walmart.com gave me when I put in my zip code. But the fifth one, a thirty minute drive out, had it out. Since it was my birthday, I decided to be a bad cellie and buy early. I have been itching for this book since the beginning of September and I just couldn't let my birthday pass without reading it.

For all of you who have not yet read this book, stop reading this blog. I am NOT a spoiler-free zone. The book has been out for over a month. Read the damn thing already. Also, unless you have read the whole series and frequent the author's message board, I might lose you. I am a rabid fangirl and I will let it show. (So hi to all the cellies)

Anyway, I started it at about 7 pm, after putting my daughter to bed. She woke a few times because she was getting her first tooth, so I will forever connect my first child'd first tooth to LR. But after we finally got her down for good, I read nonstop and finished it at 3:30 am. WOW. Just WOW. I love this book. I love everything about it. EVERYTHING. Lover Revealed is Butch's story. I've always loved Butch, ever since Dark Lover. He fits in with the Black Dagger Brotherhood naturally, as a dear friend to them. Butch doesn't see it that way, though; he sees himself as being on the fringes, not in the thick of things. He has a warrior spirit trapped in a human body, and later on we find out why. Butch is the product of an affair with someone who had vampire DNA. Amazingly, he is related to Wrath, which I thought was GREAT. And Wrath seemed very happy and proud that Butch was of his blood. Wrath even took off his sunglasses for Butch when they found out. I got way sappy. So what they are able to do is force a transition. This means that--YES!--Butch ends up a vampire. This may seem a convenient solution to a lot of problems with Butch and Marissa's relationship, but it was actually hinted at throughout the three preceding books.

Marissa is a gorgeous fragile slip of a female vampire--or so she thinks. She ends up flexing that newly-discovered backbone on a number of occaisions. In the beginning she's a little exasperating to someone who hasn't read the whole series because they didn't see how she was when she was still tied to Wrath: he never loved her, so she thought she was unlovable. He never desired her so she thought she was undesirable, that there must be something wrong with her. These feelings of inadequacy were exacerbated by how she was treated by the glymera, the vampire aristocracy. They're total assholes, but that was the society she grew up in. Poor thing. Anyway, she has some serious self-esteem issues for a while. But she eventually develops her "rule number one": no one defines her but her, no one makes choices for her but her. This is a very good thing. It results in her burning her entire haute-couture wardrobe, among other things.

So Butch and Marissa are dayum hot together between the sheets. H-O-T-T, hot! What I love about their lovescenes is that Butch is always so careful not to push her, to not make her uncomfortable. He is one of the most considerate lovers I have ever seen in a romance novel and it's perfect for Marissa. There does come a time, though, where she finds her sexual confidence and matches him.

We see a lot of Rehvenge, that ultra-hot, bad-boy, half-symphath, drug-dealing, club-owning pimp who is also Bella's brother. I LOVE this male. He has a serious thing for Marissa and he treats her so well. He gets his clock cleaned by Butch at one point because Rehv fed Marissa, but that was great because Rehv had always been mystified why Marissa loved a male who wouldn't feed her and when he finds out that it was Butch, whom Rehv likes and respects, Rehv lets the punch slide. And, well, Butch was dead drunk at the time. Rehv has one of my favorite lines: very near the end, when Marissa basically sticks it to the glymera mucky-mucks and takes rightful control of her family's vote on the Princeps Council, Rehv says, "Hot damn, girl. You are so the shit." I can't wait for more of Rehvenge. YUM.

We get a great scene between Zsadist and Bella where he's chasing her around the mansion. I think I reread that scene three or four times before I finally moved on. It was so sexy and sweet at the same time. To see Z go from that angry mysogynistic victim of horrible sexual abuse to a sexually confident male who can also instruct trainees on the finer points of explosives was really remarkable. I fell in love with Z even more in this book. Lover Awakened will always be my favorite because it was just so damned good, a lovestory I will never see equalled. But LR still rocked.

But the most compelling aspect to this book was not Butch and Marissa's relationship. It wasn't that Butch became a vampire. It wasn't the glimpses we got into this amazing world that JR Ward has created. It was the relationship between Butch and Vishous.

I put my take on their relationship on the boards, so I won't repeat too much here. But getting to the bottom line of it, Butch is the first person for whom Vishous has felt anything and this new emotional attatchment confuses the heck out of him. One thing I hate is that when many people talk about V's feelings for Butch, especially when they talk about when V bites Butch as part of the Butch's induction into the Brotherhood, is when people use words like "homoerotic" and "bisexual." Why do I hate that? This blog entry is already too long, so I'll pull a WARDen and say...

KEEP READING!!!

Coming Soon

2007-03-23T12:48:00.000-06:00

I know I'm terrible about keping this thing current, but I promise to do an entry on all the cool books I've been reading. Lover Revealed was INCREDIBLE, of course, but that's no surprise. I'm also reading a few series that I'll talk about too. SO for all you people who actually read this, I'll post a bigger, better entry soon!

I wrote a pattern!

2007-02-19T21:19:00.000-06:00

My cousin, Wendy, was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before Christmas. She recently had a mastectomy with reconstructive surgery and will be undergoing chemotherapy soon. She has had a wonderful attitude throughout the entire ordeal and I am in awe of her for it. Her family and friends have been incredibly supportive and I want to do my part, too.

I knit hats only occaisionally. The last one I knit was for Peanut, a cute little pink number. I decided that, since Wendy will be losing her hair, I would knit her a couple of awesome hats. They will be lovely and feminine because I think that losing one's hair must not detrimental to one's femininity. The only problem I forsaw was that I wanted to use very high-quality yarn that is, of course, expensive. So I asked my mom and my sister to donate the money, I asked Auntie, Wendy's mom, for color recommendations, and I'm the one making the hats.

I found two wonderful yarns: Louisa Herding Grace, a lovely silk-woll blend in cream, and a grey baby cashmerino by Debbie Bliss, which is a blend of merino wool, cashmere, and microfibre. The silky stuff is luxurious and decadent and I wanted a hat that wasn't too simple, but wasn't too complicated either. And I wanted to knit in these pretty goldish beads I got at Joann Fabric and Crafts. I couldn't find a pattern that I was happy with, so I wrote my own. It has cables, which is something I had never done before but turned out to be frighteningly easy. The hat is gorgeous and here's the pattern for it:

Wendy Hat with Cables and Beads, copyright 2007 by Courtney U

Gauge: 23” head circ. @ 6 sts/in = 138 sts
Pattern: four stitch cable
Place bead: bring yarn and bead to front, sl 1 purlwise, bring yarn to back, leaving bead at front
pm: place marker
C4F: sl 2 onto cable needle and hold at front, k2, then k2 from cable needle

Thread beads onto yarn before casting on
CO 130, pm every 10
1: *k2, p2, k4, p2* repeat around to 1st marker
2: *k2, p2, k4, p2* repeat around to 1st marker
3: cable: *k2, p2, C4F, p2* repeat around until 1st marker
4: *k2, p2, k4, p2* repeat around to 1st marker, placing bead after every marker
Repeat rows 1-4 four times or until the desired number of twists are achieved.
For all rows after cables are done: *k2, p2, k4, p2* repeat until hat measure 5.5 in. from bottom. Remove all markers except first.

Decreases:
1: *k2, p2tog, k4, p2tog* repeat to first marker
2: *k2, p1, k2tog, k2, p1* repeat to first marker
3: *k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog* repeat to first marker. All sts after this row will be knit
4: *k11, k2tog, pm* repeat to first marker
Knit every stitch, knitting 2 together before every marker until 7 or so stitches are left on needles. Thread yarn through remaining stitches and tie off. Weave in ends and the hat is done!

I'm very proud of this pattern. It's not perfect and it probably has a few kinks that need to be worked out, but it's mine and I'm happy with it. Next up: the grey cashmerino hat. I'm going to knit a simple rolled-bottom hat and make some knitted flowers to attatch to it. This the the hat that matches Wendy's business suits, so it will be professional with a touch of girly embellishment.

It's February!

2007-02-04T19:40:00.001-06:00

Ah, February. I like this month, especially this year. For starters, it means that the shock of the new year has worn off and I'm mostly used to writing 2007 on my checks. And since I have a wonderful husband, Valentine's Day will be nice. I was never one to lament the lack of a relationship if I was single on February 14th, so it's not like I'm grateful to be attatched or anything, but Trin and I do get extra mushy.

Second, this is my birthday month. I'll be 25 on the 27th. I'm not sure what to make of this birthday. On the one hand, I'm halfway to 30. My youth, such as it is, is slowly but surely passing. But I think of my parents who are in their fifties and I don't worry that 30 is bad at all. Goodness knows Mom and Dad still have plenty of youth left to last for a while. But I'm quite satisfied with how my life is right now. I have a loving husband who is a wonderful father to our little girl, who is the cutest baby on the planet. We own our own home, have an affectionate (if a little headstrong) cat, I'm a stay-at-home mom, and life is in general just fine. Trin's still looking for a job, but I have every confidence that he'll get one. We have our health, as do most of our loved ones. So 25 doesn't really faze me much.

Another wonderful thing about this month is that at the end of it, or just after, the book I've been waiting for for six months is coming out. Lover Revealed, the fourth installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward, is officially releasing on March 6th, but I'm thinking I might be able to find it early at Wal-Mart. I found the third book, Lover Awakened, over a week early. Maybe I'll even find it on my birthday! Oh, what a present that would be. As soon as that book is in my hands, I'm ignoring everyone (except Peanut) and reading until I can't see straight. Then I'll rest for a few hours and read it again. I suppose I'll let Trin read it after I've read it twice; any more and he might start to complain.

And when February is over, along with the coming of Lover Revealed is the coming of slightly warmer temperatures. March is hardly ever as frigid as February. Today it was in the -20s--that's just inhuman. My sister called me and told me her husband described people who live in this weather as insane. Needless to say, I did not argue. Seriously, I haven't left the house in days. I have stuff to do, but it's to damn cold and there's no way I'm taking Peanut outside.

So I'm here, patiently waiting for the end of the month. Well, mostly patiently. Sometimes when I think about the wait for the book, I get twitchy. But time flies, so I'm trying not to think about it.

Why I Read Romance Novels

2007-01-26T19:56:00.000-06:00

I often get razzed for reading romance novels. I almost always get razzed for reading paranormal romance, particularly because I prefer those with vampires. I've apparently earned the dubious title of "vampire porn girl." But I don't read those books for the "good parts." I heartily enjoy them, of course, but that's not the main draw.

I live an average life. I have a woderful husband whom I love very much, a beautiful and intelligent baby girl, and an ordinary house. I knit, I clean house, I spend time with Peanut and my other half. We watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. It's a great life, but an ordinary one. Basic. Simple.

I love it, but my mind craves adventure, great stories, seeing the guy get the girl. I love seeing two people fall in love in all the myriad ways that can happen. I love seeing them have their happily ever after in a committed relationship. Today's romance heroines are strong and willful, not the wilting female who swoons and knows only how to let her man sweep her off her feet. Women still get swept away, but on their own terms and with alpha males who want a relationship with an equal.

As for the paranormal tales I favor, I find that there's no better way to go somewhere in my head than to visit a place that is so far away it isn't real. I love the various angles on the vampire myth that authors take and how those differences affect the story. And whether it's vampires, valkyries, witches, or werewolves, I love seeing the humans try to make sense of it.

And as for romance novels being "girly porn," that irks me. I read a wonderful article on writing good lovescenes By one of my favorite authors, Angela Knight. She said in her blog:

Repeat after me: Romance does not equal porn

A year or so ago, I saw an RWA-sponsored ad to the effect that romance novels don’t really have all that much sex in them. It then listed various books and the number of love scenes in them – generally just one or two.

That ad really ticked me off, because it implied that a book with only one sex scene is somehow more moral than one with four or five. I’ve encountered that attitude a lot in other romance writers who sniff that they write love scenes only because their publishers demand it.

Apparently, like Victorian wives suffering the attentions of randy husbands, they lie back and think of England.

My personal belief is that somebody who writes mechanical sex solely to placate a publisher and make money is a lot more guilty of being a pornographer than I am.

No matter how much some writers might like to pretend otherwise, at their core, romances are about a sexual relationship between a man and a woman, not a purely spiritual union of souls. After all, when was the last time you read a romance staring Ghandi?

I think Knight pretty much summed it up to a tee. So don't call it vampire porn anymore. ;)

Hello my cellie friends!

2007-01-20T20:54:00.000-06:00

If you're a fellow aficionado from the BDB message boards, thanks for stopping by! I love the cellies. I'm rather obsessed with this series and I know I'm not alone. Isn't it fun to be in good company whilst one is utterly addicted to the Brothers? I live in the cell. For real. ;)

Can any of you help me with a title? I don't even know what to call my blog. Like I said, I'm kinda not creative.

So here's what's up

2007-01-20T19:29:00.000-06:00

All right, I'll do an "intro" post. My name is Courtney and I'm a wife, mother, knitter, reading junkie, and all-around ordinary gal. My baby, whom my husband, T, and I call Peanut, just turned seven months old and time has flown as far as that goes. Wasn't she just my brand-new bundle o' joy who did nothing but nurse, sleep, and poop? Well, now she's almost crawling. T is really looking forward to that, but I liked it when she was just cute and immobile. I could set her down and go to the bathroom or hunt for my ringing phone or grab a quick bite in the kitchen and when I got back, she would be right where I left her. Now? No. She rolls. And rolls and rolls and rolls. She's starting to get up on her hands and knees and is almost scootching. And she's unbearably cute. Like turns-your-stomache-with-sweetness cute. Hates fruits so far, though. No bananas and apples for this girlie. Peanut has decided she likes veggies. So bring on the peas and squash.

On to knitting. I love to knit, but I have a terrible habit of starting projects and not finishing them. I recently finished a blanket for Peanut that I started when I was about 5 months pregnant with her. Also, she has a cute fuzzy pink hat. I've also started a baby blanket in the log cabin style for my sister, Mrs. Angel. She's not pregnant yet, but she wants to be, so maybe I can give her some good baby-making mojo. And if I start the blankie now, it MIGHT be finished by the time she gets pregnant and has the baby. What is on the needles on this moment is a basic scarf for me made out of Lion Brand Homespun. The color on the label says "Edwardian," but darned if I know what that it. It's charcoal with white strands, so it isn't black but it will go with everything.

BOOKS!!!! My passion is reading. If you know me, you know what I look like with my nose in a book. I'm reading a large fantasy novel called Kushiel's Scion, the fourth in a series by Jacqueline Carey. It's heavy duty reading, so I'm going slow and taking breaks. And as of today, it's only one month and two weeks until the release of Lover Revealed, fourth installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward. This series is my obsession. It's romance and so much more. I can't talk about it right now becasue it would take over this posting, but I'll be going on and on about it frequently. Suffice to say that if anyone calls me or demands any of my attention on March 6th (or whatever day I find it at Wal-Mart, which is notorious for putting books out early), you will be disappointed. I'll be doing basic mommy duties and reading. And that's it on that day.

Anyway...Now for my husband. The most wonderful man. We're still adjusting to being three and not two, but I think we're okay. His jobhunting is progressing, and that's a good thing because he's getting restless. But he deserves the downtime unemployment is giving him and I try to let him do whatever he wants--game with friends, poker with parents, video games and other stuff. He needs the relaxation. He's one of the best things that has ever happened to me and he gave me the best, our daughter. It's rough seeing such a responsible provider not have a job, but we'll be okay. I have absolute faith that he'll provide for us.

So, that's me right now. Baby, hubby, knitting, and books. That's about all that I've got going on.

I have a blog. Hmm.

2007-01-20T16:50:00.000-06:00

I have several wonderful friends who blog. I even blog with my knitting group. Sarah, a friend, told me I should blog for posterity's sake. Document my life. Write it all down, you know? So here I am, writing it down.

Oh, if only I knew what to say.

I find that in conversation I tend to be interrupted a lot. Whether this is because I say uninteresting things or just don't talk loud enough, I don't know. What I do know is that here on my blog, I have carte blanche and that in itself may prove to be the biggest benefit. The downside is that because this is MY blog, no one will tell me that what I'm saying just really isn't interesting. Well, it is to me.

I'm wavering, aren't I? See, this is what I mean. I'm pretty sure I pushed out part of my brain when I had Peanut. I'm still discovering exactly what the consequences of that are. Other than being able to "converse" with my 7-month-old with no heed to my unused intellect, I can't think of any upsides to having misplaced some of my brain. But it's all good, because Peanut doesn't mind. And T is nothing if not a wonderful husband, so I think that even when he does wonder who I am and what happened to the woman he married, he's okay with me being how I am now. I hope.

Perhaps soon I'll get around to really introducing myself. Talking about what I'm up to as far as knitting projects and mommy misadventures. But for now, I'm going to leave it here.

Thank you and have a nice day.