Knotty Mouse

Thanks to Ravelry.. my queue is full for the next eighty years when it comes to knitted objects. This is a portion of the Fake Isle hat that I started last Thursday with some stash Noro Silk Garden and Caron Simply Soft in preparation for knitting the “We Call them Pirates” hat from Hello Yarn. Now that I realized that I’ve been going about charts entirely wrong.. they’re getting much easier to deal with. I never realized that I could just put in stitch markers every pattern repeat and in this case.. that means I would only be dealing with 12 stitches at a time instead of the entire 96 of the hat. Duh. This “two color knitting” stuff? Easy peasy once I let go of my death grip on the yarn.
I’m currently about 1/3rd of the way through the second chart where the decreases of the hat occur.. and so far it fits. It is admittedly a bit snug but I’m hoping that its because the hat is still on the needles and not because I’ve completely farted up the gauge of the hat to the point where I have to give it away to someone with a smaller melon.  I’m hoping to finish up the hat in the next week and get back to my Lochshal scarf which is spending some solitary time in the knitting bag. Eventually I will tame the start-itis which is spreading…

On the mommy front..  holy shit my kid starts school in 12 days!  I am pretty sure that the entire summer went by while I wasn’t paying attention… though I may have just blocked out the three months of “mommy, I’m BOOOOOORED” that actually occurred during this time. I’m on the search for a decently made pair of sneakers without movie/cartoon characters on them that won’t cause me to have to sell a kidney in order to purchase them. Currently my choices seem limited to Target & Payless..  any other suggestions?  Thankfully I’ve purchased the dreaded school list of supplies from various dollar sales and managed to escape with my organs intact this year… I even managed to squeeze the money out for a new backpack (with WHEEELS! oooooh….)  and some supplies for home so that we aren’t running around the house looking for markers and glue sticks when homework starts.

I haven’t taken full inventory of Munchkin’s closet yet.. but I’m sure that he has well enough clothing to start the year and make it until the seasons change.  I’m blessed to have a young child who hasn’t gotten the concept of brand name clothing - I’m hoping that our families lack of labeled clothes or flashy items will keep the designer monster at bay.

1. Gray & raining, 2. Lochshal close-up, 3. progress on German scarf, 4. Ms. Kitty’s favorite past time Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

Apparently the comments on my blog haven’t been getting from the site to my mailbox for more than a few days now. If you haven’t gotten a reply to a comment you’ve sent within the last two weeks that means that it got eaten by … something in between the blog and my mailbox… and I’m sorry! Honestly the only reason I realized this was because I checked an email that I don’t use relating to the .com and found about 50 “return mail demon” emails.

I have no idea what’s going on but I’m going to figure out what to hit with a hammer shortly and hope to be back up to speed soon.

-Mouse

Edited to add: ok.. its fixed. I spent the night fighting with my email and finally gave up and moved the comments to a new email that I created for the blog itself. Its not quite as convenient as using my common email with Thunderbird but I’ll live.. I’m keeping my regular email the same - so don’t update your address books for me. Whew. Technology sucks.

I finished The Deathly Hallows earlier today and am writing while I wait for dinner (spaghetti) to cook. I did read 2 hours last night because I couldn’t sleep without cracking open the book and finding out a bit of what was in store for me today..

I won’t give up spoilers or plot or anything.. but it was a really good book.

I’m going into hiding until I finish THE BOOK. Hubby scored the first copy out of the box at the local grocery store and left with it in hand at 12:06am (so says the receipt)…  not without much bitching and some phone calls to management because he was told that the books weren’t there at all and to go away. Go away indeed. At 1220 my husband came home with the book in his hand.. I’m sure if he could have strapped it to the hood of the car or carried it home on a shield like some sort of prize kill from the big hunt, he would have done just that.

My blog or email or comment-thing is having issues and I’m not being mailed my comments at the moment. Hopefully they’ll sort their shit out by the time I get back.. The BOOK is calling.

My hand started to seem a bit better (hah. talk about wishful thinking) so I cast on today for a scarf I had my eye on from the pattern search at Ravelry. This is the beginning of the Lochshal scarf - (many thanks to Claudia for her German translation of the chart key) and its my first knitted item from a chart. Even though its a simple 13 stitch repeat pattern I was finally able to make sense of a charted design.. a first for me. Usually I get irritated and throw said project and chart across the room, but I’m already about 6 inches into the pattern (much farther than this photo shows) with only one mistake. I’m knitting the scarf in a worsted weight (Wool-Ease in Wheat) on size 8 needles  to get a more suitable scarf for Georgia winters as the width in the pattern is nearly 10 inches (25cm) in super-chunky yarn.

Like much of the country I’m sitting around killing time until 12:01am when the Harry Potter book comes out in stores. I won’t be going to any of the bookstores and I haven’t pre-ordered my book.. but my husband “offered” (ok.. I asked him and he agreed) to get my book at the local grocery store tonight. After reading how so many places are sold out and have folks already waiting in line for their copies.. I’m not sure of his chances.. but it was nice of him to agree to go. Its a not-so-nice area of town where it would be rather stupid for a girl by herself to be out at midnight without being armed to the teeth.. so I’m glad that he offered.  I have been very careful while browsing online today as to not run into the spoilers for the new book. I think that the folks who are ruining the surprise of the book for the fans are a real bunch of shits - and as such I refuse to link to the leaked photos of the book. Admittedly I didn’t even go to look at them because I was afraid I’d see something that would ruin the book for me… and I’ve stayed away from forums.

My hand is absolutely killing me again because in addition to writing this blog post (in pieces.. talk about having a hard time keeping your mind on track) I had an IM conversation with Ms. Pixie earlier today concerning Harry Potter and what is going to happen in the new book. I fully admit to damaging my hand for a few minutes of fan-girl chatting.. but I’m the lone HP freak here in the house (my son loves the movies but is too young for the books) and needed to talk to someone who understood my rambling.

Assuming I get my book tonight I’ll be offline for a day or so until I finish reading - I promise that eventually I’ll get back to returning emails and commenting on blogs… just as soon as my hand stops throbbing and burning.

Thanks for the well wishes about my stupid hand.. it seems to hurt way less to knit with large needles than to type or use the computer mouse.. so I’m working on some projects. I think the worst thing at the moment is not being able to do things like pick up the milk jug or write with a pencil. (not to mention not being able to type for more than 5 minutes at a time without wanting to saw my own limb off..) Because of the weird way I knit (continental but odd.. ) I’m still able to prop up the needles (straights..which also limit my choices of projects) and relieve some boredom.. so I did manage to finish a languishing project.
This “f’ed oh” is the Noro Kureyon entrelac scarf I started all the way back in November 2006.. which was also “Noro-Vember” (and yes I do think that 10 months is a fine amount of time to knit a scarf.. It seems to be the norm around Chez Mousie). I love to wear scarves but I get really bored with them and tend to have to stick them away for a while.. even though the entrelac and color changes of the yarn seemed to keep me pretty entertained.

Pattern stats: Danica from Knitty
size: about 60 inches
Needles : size 8 US bamboo straight needles
Yarn: Noro Kureyon - 3 1/2 skeins
Mods: I only used one yarn instead of the three called for in the pattern and didn’t break the yarn. Hooray for no ends to weave in!

I really really love this scarf.. and I think it will probably be one of the things that I end up wearing most this fall/winter. It is a bit scratchy but I’m wondering if a wash would help with that.. if I find that I can’t take the Kureyon against my skin I’m going to get some soft fabric and back the scarf.

I’ve got nothin’ kids. I’ve spent the week being dragged around to different things for Munchkin’s birthday and watching what little money we had for said events fly away at rapid speeds. Plus side is that Munchkin was very happy with his birthday week and no horrible family scuffles occurred..

• I don’t anticipate much blog posting, IMing, or commenting going on around here as I’ve recently been slapped with a case of tendonitis in my right hand and it is killing me to type. I’ve pulled out an ergonomic keyboard from the garage and changed back to a regular click mouse from the trackball that I used before but it doesn’t seem to be making enough of a difference. I am reading blogs but I’m trying to keep the typing at a minimum to avoid making this any worse. Sock knitting is also out at the moment.. so I’ve been spending a lot of time walking around the house with nothing to do.
• I am able to knit for short periods on things with larger needles.. so I’ve been doing a bit of knitting on the Kureyon Entrelac scarf (danica from knitty) because its on size 8 bamboo needles and is easy to pick up and put down without losing my place.
• I finally managed to find Munchkin somewhere to get his hair cut without coming out either traumatized or scalped. We ended up in the same beauty salon that hubby’s grandmother gets her hair done… think Steel Magnolias and you’re pretty much there. The white haired ladies in the dryers looked at me like I had 15 heads as I walked by to use the restroom… though they were completely taken with my son. His hair (though much shorter than when we walked in) looks very cute and was exactly like he wanted.. just like “Zack and Cody” from the Disney channel. We’ll be going back before Munchkin starts school next month to have it touched up so that he doesn’t look like a shaggy dog.
• If I haven’t mentioned it lately.. I love Ravelry. They included a pattern search which allows you to browse all patterns in the system - I spent 2 hours looking at scarf patterns and adding them to my queue. My hand had better get well quickly because I have a LOT of knitting to do.
• Last night while watching tv I came across “A Model Life” on TLC which is shaping up like a less mean-spirited and less “Survivor meets Fear Factor” slower version of “Americas Next Top Model”.  I watched the entire show mostly because it was set during the winter months in NYC and the girls were wearing beautiful knit scarves and hats. I was very taken with the American (they’re all international - making things a bit more interesting) girl’s knit hat which was a large ’sloppy’ looking dark gray wool number with ribbing. I wonder if it actually was wool though due to the fact that she states she is a vegan and I know there are a lot of vegans who won’t wear wool or silk. I went browsing around online for a still of her wearing the hat but couldn’t find anything. I am hoping they replay the show so I can get a better look at it so I can duplicate it.

Hopefully I’ll be back to blogging soon.. but it might take me a while to respond to emails. Its already taken me close to 3 hours (I’m writing in bits) to make this post and my hand is burning. Catch y’all soon!

This is one of my favorite photos (taken about a year ago or more) and favorite times watching Munchkin in the world.. he’s watching the fish at the Atlanta Aquarium in a giant viewing window and loving every minute of it. For a child who never stops moving it is a rare vision to see him sitting calmly and just admiring the view. His birth six years ago in Colorado was so fast that I barely got to the hospital before it was time to give birth.. and he was (by the hospitals calculations) 4 weeks early. He’s always been a busy guy.. ever since he was born!
Today’s birthday celebration included Transformers toys & teeshirts, more Pirates, Ghost Rider, Legos, and a trip to Chuck E. Cheese where all of the children (my husband, father-in-law, and son) played games, and a trip to Krispy Kreme for donuts.   We’re all lazing around the house now while hubby and Munchkin put together new toys.. and I’m finally getting my daily iced coffee. We’re planning for his birthday celebration to last the rest of the week as there are two promised movie trips (Ratatouille & Transformers) and a trip to the Mall of GA with his great grandmother for ‘dinner’ at the food court and a visit to Build-A-Bear. I’m ready for a nap.

78%Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Good to know huh? At least stock-piling food and not liking any of my relatives enough to save them during a zombie attack has its advantages.

Speaking of the zombie apocalypse - My son’s birthday is coming up on Tuesday and I have  been checking out the idea of taking him to Chuck E. Cheese. I had no idea that it was THAT expensive per child to have a party there.. so we’re going to just let him go and play and order a pizza.  Thankfully he hasn’t asked for much of anything besides doing that and having a “big cookie” from the cookie company. We’re getting out of that ($25.00!!!) expense by taking him to get a SLICE of cookie.  I’m looking forward to the simplicity of this year.. and not an insane mound of useless toys and crap.. but I’m sure the relatives have got that covered.

I know, I know.. Two posts in one day! While watching tv today with Munchkin I finished up his snake socks for his upcoming birthday.. and he loves them! Unfortunately I’m not quite happy with the heel portion because I forgot that I have to add an inch of stockinette before I do the ribbing to stop them from sagging on the backs of his heels. He doesn’t care about the fit and I’m sure he’ll either outgrow or wear them out before I have a chance to make a second pair. He’s been wearing them since I finished them and has been running around the house like a crazy guy since Daddy isn’t downstairs (hubby’s office is under the dining room/playroom) to tell him to stop bouncing around.

Sock Stats: Opal Rainforest Schlange/Snake (32 grams used out of a 100g skein)
needle: size 1 Addi circ / magic loop
pattern: a mishmosh of the Universal Toe up pattern. I tried the Turkish Cast On found online instead of my usual figure-8 and found it much easier and the stitches were way neater.

So.. what’s next on the needles? I really need to finish my STR socks and I’d like to finish one of the scarves I’ve got going before I cast on for a sweater for the fall. I’ve also ordered a cool new pattern that was supposed to be emailed to me but I fear that my order may have gotten eaten by the internet. I didn’t really need it in a hurry as I’m going to be spinning up the yarn for the project myself and it calls for around 360 yds of dk weight..

I’m off to enjoy the silence before the fireworks start up and I have to pull the cat off the ceiling and the kid out from under the bed. Happy 4th!

EDITED TO ADD: ps. Does anyone have a link for some of those WIP bars that I can stick on my blog? I’ve done a web search for them and I can’t actually locate what I want. Thanks!

Click here for Disney’s Lambert Cartoon
Happy 4th of July to all of my US readers.. and happy “hump” day to everyone else. After speaking to my sis Dragon on the phone today I was reminded of a cartoon (completely G rated) that she and I loved and decided to search it out on You Tube. Enjoy!(for some reason WordPress doesn’t want me to imbed this video in my blog…)

It’s SCATTERGORIES, and it’s harder than it looks! Stolen from JenLa:

Here are the rules:
~Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
~They MUST be real places, names, things…NOTHING made up!
~If you can’t think of anything, skip it.
~Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial.
~You CAN’T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

Have fun!

Your Name: Mouse
1. Famous Singer/Band: Marilyn Manson
2. 4 letter word:Mice
3. Street Name: Madison Avenue
4. Color: Magenta
5. Gifts/Presents:music box
6. Vehicle: motorcycle
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Magazines
8. Boy Name: Michael
9. Girl Name: Maryjane
10. Movie Title: Monsoon Wedding (wonderful movie..)
11. Drink: Martini
12. Occupation: mortician
13. Celebrity:Madonna
14. Magazine: Motherhood
15. U.S. City: Miami, FL
16. Pro Sports Teams: Magic, Marlins,
18. Reason for Being Late for Work: Murdered
19. Something You Throw Away: matches
20. Things You Shout: Motherf–ker!
21. Cartoon Character: Mystique

This Random Monday list made even more random by my shitty connection. “Lightning Fast High Speed Internet” my ass. The first post was eaten by my connection.. which is apparently being powered by a geriatric gerbil in a rusted out wheel.

• The weather today was gorgeous by Mousie standards - 67 degrees and overcast. It was GLORIOUS. Right now I’m sitting in front of the open window with a nice cool breeze and drinking a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. I’m dreaming about knitting warm fuzzy things (even though I need to finish things already on the needles) and I can’t wait to crawl into my bed and actually USE the covers instead of kicking them off while swearing about the electric bill and not using the air conditioning.
• I’m on the neverending ribbing of the second Snake Sock for Munchkin’s birthday gift. His birthday is on the 10th and I’m confident that I will get them done by then.. even if I do have to rip out the top of the finished sock and make the cast on looser.
• My son will be SIX next week. SIX. *falls over*
• Hubby is leaving on a spur of the moment trip to Florida with a friend who lost his dad last week to a heart attack. With the Mouse-Mobile in its current state of “what will fall off next?” I’ve got to get to the store tomorrow before they head out of town and I’m left here to fend for myself for 3 days with a car that is a gamble. Walking to the store is out of the question since its a good 5 miles one way. One thing about living outside of a big city is that nothing is in “walking distance” - especially not with a small child in this sort of heat.
• I tore apart the house for the last 2 days looking for something that I had misplaced and was suddenly needed. I looked EVERYWHERE.. and it ended up being somewhere it really shouldn’t have been. If I wouldn’t have gotten so fed up and decided just to organize Munchkin’s kindergarten papers.. I’d have never found it. Next time I lose something, I’m looking everywhere it couldn’t possibly be FIRST.
• I ordered a really cool pattern online tonight but I can’t link to it thanks to the issues with the gerbil connection.
• I promised myself that I wouldn’t cast on for any new projects until I finish some of the crap that I’ve got on the needles.  Its really torture and I’m not happy at all… but I know that I need to get some of these things done that are marinating in the project basket since last fall/winter.  If the weather stays cooler I might try to finish the handspun Scarfotis  (half - clapotis) this week so that I can mark it off my list and reclaim the needles from it. Even though I really enjoyed knitting with my handspun and was happy with how quickly the pattern was going on such large needles I’m bored with the pattern and want to END it now. This is the main reason I can’t fathom giving a beginning knitter the task of knitting a scarf. While I love wearing scarves (especially the hand knit variety) I’d usually rather staple my eyes than knit one that is long enough for anyone to wear.
• I just tried the Turkish Cast on for toe up socks with the second snake sock.. and I love it! So much easier than the figure-8 and the stitches are tighter too. Its going to take a while for it to be as quick for me as the figure 8 became.. but I really do love the results.

I’m running out of steam.. so I’m heading off to see what is on the tv that I can knit mind-numbing ribbing to. Photos soon!