The Blues

I seem to be in a blue period lately. I didn't even realize it until I was taking photos for this post, but it definitely gives me plenty of fodder for Knit Blue.

First up, the pair of socks I finally finished for Paul. Started back in October, they are plain old stockinette socks in the fabulous Boathouse from Piece of Beauty.

I started the Dotty Cat Bed from kelpknits. I totally didn't even deviate from the colors of the original. What can I say? It looked great! It's a fun pattern that's moving along more quickly than I had anticipated. I doubt my cats will sleep in it, but we'll see when it's done.

And the yarn I ordered for my Sockapalooza pal arrived. Mmm, beautiful, custom-dyed yarn from darling etsy seller WhiteWillow. Seriously, check her stuff out. Send her an email, and she'll work with you to come up with whatever color you want. Great prices, fast shipping--what's not to love?

I haven't decided on a pattern yet--my goal for this afternoon--but it's all ready to go!

Finally, I spotted the enemy outside the other day. It appeared to be sleeping because it didn't move at all while I was photographing it. Or maybe that's all part of the strategy...

Tagged! (photos at the end--please persevere!)

I actually got tagged, by name, for one of those meme things. I was curious about what a "meme" actually meant, so I consulted that tried and true source: Wikipedia. And this is what I found:


Richard Dawkins coined the term meme, which first
came into popular use with the publication of his book
The Selfish Gene in 1976. Dawkins based the word on
a shortening of the Greek "mimeme" (something
imitated), making it sound similar to "gene". The concept
received relatively little attention until the late 1980s
when several academics took it up, most prominently
American philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel
Dennett, who promoted the idea firstly in his book on
the philosophy of mind, Consciousness Explained (1991),
and then in Darwin's Dangerous Idea (1995).


Interesting, no? (Bonus Fact: I took Ancient Greek my last semster of law school. Eric and I had to do a real song and dance to convince the Dean of Students it was a legitimate request. I got an A. I still cannot write the Greek alphabet).


Anyway, I was tagged by Miss Malice and challenged to reveal 7 random facts about myself. People, there are rules:


Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about
themselves. Those tagged need to write in their
blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need
to tag seven others and list their names on your blog.
You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in
their comments so they know that they have been tagged
and to read your blog.


Ok, I realize this entry is starting to resemble an academic dissertation. Please bear with me.


1. I read in ths shower. Yes, you read that right. I always have, probably always will.


It's simple, if you want to learn how. Just hold the book in your left (or weakest) hand, use your right (or dominant) hand to do all the washing.


Once you get more advanced, you'll be able to switch hands and hold the book at impossible angles so you can continue reading even while rinsing conditioner from your hair with nary a drop of water touching the book.


I can even read magazines and 800 page tomes while enjoying a cleansing shower. I've been doing this since age 6, people.


2. Also related to reading, because that is a huge part of my life, I grew up in a very touristy area of Kentucky, Cave City, and thus, the first word I ever learned to read was "Motel". When I was in kindergarten, I got my photo in the paper for reading a sixth grade book to an actual class of sixth graders.


I'm glad I wasn't a boy because I so would have had my ass kicked on the playground that day.


A few more: when I got in trouble, my parents would ground me from reading and order me to watch TV as my punishment; I would pull out my current book and read between words on elementary school spelling tests.


3. I am a nerd.


4. I am a dyed-in-the-wool (hee!) Democrat. I come from a family of Republicans, and I don't think my parents have ever gotten over me registering as a Democrat the day I turned 18. I ended up majoring in political science in college. I started the Knit Blue KAL (email me to join!).


5. I hate wet bread. It makes me gag. My husband knows this, and when I am cleaning the kitchen and I call him in to push biscuits or pancakes or whatever down the garbage disposal, or rinse caked-on pizza crust off the pizza pan, he doesn't even have to ask what my problem is.


I also hate orange juice. Whether this is due to my mother crushing baby aspirin and spooning it to me partially-dissolved in orange juice, or my orange juice-addicted sister leaving glasses of it around the house to form graceful, yet disgusting, moldy crusts is yet to be determined.


I have a strong suspicion it's a combination of both.


6. I love my husband. Truly, madly, deepy, always. He's the person I turst, the person I rely on, the person who is always on my side.


My parents have been married since 1968, and Paul's parents celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2004. The day Paul and I got married, my mom told me if we screwed it up, we certainly couldn't blame it on them.


I really don't think that will be a problem.


7. Paul says that he thinks it's weird that I can watch a whole movie or TV show, and then just get up and walk away with ten minutes left to go. He also thinks it's weird that I love books, but I hate going to the bookstore.


Hee, this list makes me think I am a weirdo.


Ok, I am going to tag 7 random people from my Bloglines list:


Sheepish Annie

Mouse (currently attending my alma mater!)

Amy

BrownPants

Jill (aka NapLover)

Katie

Criminy Jickets

Ok, photos.


I could add number 8 to the list and say I had no idea wine could freeze:



Whoops!


Also, this is totally my new favorite miter aquare:



Or this one:



Er, or this one:



Thanks for sticking with me! I apologize for the looong post. I vow to be more pithy next time.

More Miters.

First off, thanks for all the overwhelmingly generous comments on my last post. I think I had an all-time high of 48 comments! I'm glad everyone liked the scarf--I adore it too, and your enthusiasm assures me that my pal will love it.

We're still dealing with the office issue. Taking it slow, considering the options, etc., etc., etc. That event was really just one in a series of events for me lately--the week before, my husband was diagnosed with Type-II diabetes, this week my mom was hospitalized with pneumonia.

So I have been knitting miters.

Slow, steady, predictable miters.



Colorful, cheerful miters.

Miters, miters, miters.

Still not nearly enough miters.

Fun to photograph miters!

The One Bright Spot

Wow, this has been an unbelivably crappy day. Have you ever been in a situation where someone is attacking you for no legitimate reason? Where the things they are complaining about have been festering for them for months? Where every problem they have could have easily been solved with a little bit of communication?

Well, that's what happened to me today. Remember when I blogged about the great office-sharing opportunity we had "lucked" into? Turns out--ain't so great. I mean, if you don't mind completely bat-shit crazy, it's probably fine. As for me and Eric, we're outta there. Reasonable, rational, grownup-type people can't function in an insane person's world, and we're not going to try anymore. It's not worth it.

My Tulsa readers: know of any office space? We're so going to need it. Email me!

On to the good stuff. This scarf--my God. So gorgeous.



After blocking, it laid so flat and nice. It's delicate, airy, very ethereal.



It's going to be hard to give up and send off to my Scarf Exchange Pal. The good news is my scarf pal is awesome, so I am going to be very happy to let her have it.


It will still be hard though.


Specs:

Pattern: Heart strings' Beaded Lace Scarf II (don't pay $5 for shipping though--I have heard you can find it cheaper elsewhere.)

Yarn: Hand-dyed 100% Merino laceweight from Etsy seller WhiteWillow

Beads: size 8/10 seed beads, approximately 1,175 of them--seriously

Needles: US size 4 KnitPicks Options

Length: 68 inches (53 prior to blocking!!!)

Width: 11 inches

It's been a long time since I have knit a scarf and I forgot how much stamina it requires. I loved this pattern the first few days, but the closer I got to the end, the more I couldn't wait to be done. I have enough yarn and beards left to make myself one, but I just don't know if I cold manage it. At least not for a looong time.

Thanks for all the great comments about this scarf. I can honestly say it's the most beautiful thing I have made thus far, and that's with all the credit to the pattern, and the yarn. All I did was knit it.