Last night was a bust..

between the Roughnecks losing to the Stealth 13-12 and finding no less than 3 errors in my mystic waters shawl, I've ripped it out and started again but I was finding the rhythm of it, so I think it will go smoother now.

Stupid refs. We had one goal where they said we were in the crease but the replay showed he wasn't, at all (unfortunately refs don't consult the replay when deciding calls). And then the final goal happened just as the buzzer for the end of the fourth period went, or milleseconds before. You could hear the crowd jump up and start screaming for joy when the ref made the sign that it didn't count and shoved us into overtime where the stealth broke the 12-12 tie and won. Blah. (Lacrosse btw, for those who have no clue what I'm talking about lol).

I'm also tempted to try the Secret of the Stole II and I signed up for year of lace with what remained of my birthday money. This is certainly a year of lace for me, and it's barely started!

Socks are going slowly, but steadily since I carry them with me to work and am taking a new route that I for certain get a seat on. Only one transfer now, instead of two. I was forced to by the buses, because they changed the schedule which made my usual bus more likely to be packed and zip right by me (very annoying, and makes me late) but it's working for the best. Even if I have to be up earlier than before, which is pretty darn early for a night owl.

I might even get more knitting done at home now, the movie store up the road is going out of business (lease was up, the building was sold and going to be turned into parking for new condos) so I picked up a number of movies on the cheap.

8 Sleeps to Christmas

And so the countdown continues..

This Thursday I'm to meet my BFF for supper and exchange presents. I have most of her stuff done, except for..

Her purse

I'm halfway done, I think if I drop in a movie and knit I can maybe finish it today, if not then I'll have to finish it tomorrow because I'll need to felt it Wednesday so it can be done and dried by morning (meeting after work, no time to come home and then go out again).

So what am I putting on? A quintessential Christmas movie.

Die Hard 2.

But for some Christmas spirit, here's our little Christmas tree.



We set it up on Sunday.

And just to show I am getting some stuff done, this was sent off to the East Coast yesterday. Here's hoping it gets there on time, Mom sent it regular post.

Life goes on.. whether I want it to or not.

Sooo update.

Knitting? Not so much. I keep trying to do a short row heel on the Saturday socks, and it's not working so well. I've ripped back a few times, searched and printed off several tutorials and am working on it again. I swear, if this doesn't seem to be working this time I shall just do as the pattern says. Thing is, I want to try and do a reasonable short row heel, and just see if it would work for my feet (big feet, I think it might end up not working for this pattern.. high arches you see).

I've also decided I need to do my Arwen cardigan before the retreat. And I've stalled as I realized I'm adding length to it because I am TALL. I need to add at least an inch to the sleeve and an inch to the body so it'll fit nice. Been going over my calculations and praying it's right.. and then I never have time to knit because..

I'm taking driving lessons. I don't think knitting and driving work together at the same time. And I've been doing stuff around the home and doing crazy things.

Oh, and I'm going back to school to, so I can just get this diploma done and have that be DONE.

Maybe I'll get more knitting done when driving lessons are done and I can go back to Stitch n Bitch night every so often.. I was getting comfy there.

So much to do! Not enough time!

Maybe I need some lessons in time management?

May.. now with extra snow!

It snowed today, and I dislike it when it snows like this. I had to stumble out of bed, shivering my butt off, and go dig out my winter gear (packed away the past weekend). Brrr.

This was the view out my window this morning:



and this was right beside my house.





It broke the light right off the light standard, but that and the tree appear to be the only casualties. Unlike other places in town (and not that far from myself either).

So I needed a summery project, said screw it, and started this:



I might need to figure something else for pictures. These are rather big. They'll just stay this way for now though.

Oh! And for the seven utterly random factoids meme.. I rememberd an eighth. How I could forget, I don't know.

I am a character in a novel. A published novel. If you pick up EE Knight's Valentine's Rising (book four of Vampire Earth) you will find a character by the name of Arsie/RC.

That is me! Not pulling legs or nothing, he wrote me in. :)

Busy as a.. flibbertigibbet?

So what have I been up to?

Knitting-wise, not much. I finished one half of the fetching pattern for my Step-mom's Christmas present (I have a month and a half yet to knit the other one.. plenty of time!) and have figured out how to read the chart for Conwy from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road (when I try something for the first time I don't go by half measures! Not overly complicated, but complicated enough for a first pair of socks..).

I must admit to only learning to read it today. I realized I was reading it right to left, not left to right. It kept confusing me as to why a round ended with a knit when the written instructions (thank goodness for those!) ended with a purl..

But I understand now, and I have started the decreases. A little late in the pattern, but still early enough since when you finish the decreases you just keep going for awhile so it won't look weird. My muck up of the twined cables might though, but I just knitted a couple of rounds and then started the cabling over, and realized I was mostly right in the first place.

Who cares anyway? These socks are for me! If I manage to get them done and do decently, I'll try to make a pair for my friend who is a sock fiend. Hopefully I get these ones done before Christmas, with enough time to try another pair!

On the crocheting front, I have decided I want to make myself the Too Good For Your Boyfriend sweater in Not Your Mama's Crochet (I need a good sweater, it's hard to find decent ones that will cover my wrists AND my kidneys unless it's a guy's one. The bane of being a 6'1 female, I've practically given up on finding something not totally shapeless on me so why not make one?). This will wait though, but I do think I should hit up Make1 again because the yarn they mentioned getting in last time looks so nice and perfect for the sweater... hopefully they still have some when I can next get there!

I also had better get cracking on those mittens I wanted to make for my son, my little velociraptor. It's cold here, he needs something to keep those little hands warm! I bet he'll get a kick out of the mouse mittens

I have decided I want this mug. I was rambling around, and it's just too cute. I need more knitting things.

Speaking of which, I have several books on my Christmas wishlist and I shuffled stuff around to empty one of those smallish rubbermaid tubs to put my stash in. It will fit in there with room to spare right now. That will no doubt eventually change.. but it's enough for now.

But for now the plan is to go drink tea and knit while I watch some tv. Haven't gotten enough of the knitting time in, and I have a schedule to keep!

Socks socks socks..

They're going a lot more slowly than I thought they would.

First I hit a snag by ending up with broken needles via preschool age Velociraptor(new ones are safely kept in my room).

Then I was merrily knitting away and had gotten a few inches done when I took a good long look at it.

It looked more like a sleeve than a sock.

Seriously, I slipped it over my wrist just out of curiousity and it was about the size of one of my sweaters floating around my wrist. If it was that big unstretched, how big do you think it would've been on my feet?

So I frogged it, and now I have two books coming from the library on how to knit socks. Just basic patterns.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have experienced this (I know it, reading from other people's blogs) but still. It's embarassing.

Well, hopefully third time's the charm.. I really do want to give my best friend a pair of hand knitted socks for Christmas. She loves socks of all kinds, and what could be better for a sock lover?

Saturday..

So what am I doing?

Sitting around doing nothing. Well, I did cast on the socks again as I stopped in at Make1 last night after work. I have more needles, yarn and a new knitting bag (which I didn't have one before so I decided to splurge since it'll be forever before I.. y'know.. make one for myself).

I really should get moving and iron out the material, pin and cut so I have all the pieces of the costume ready to sew over the following week.

Especially while the recipient is having sweet dreams.

Plans for tonight?

I'm thinking of taking my knitting and going to the book party of Not Your Mama's Crochet. Or maybe I'll pack my crochet to take along. Naw, that project is a little big to be carrying.

I'm thinking I should pick up a few knitting and crochet books since I've been constantly borrowing them from the library..

Well, enough of that for now. I'm going to get my cup of coffee, which I have yet to have today, and get to work on this costume.

I've gone bonkers..

round the bend..

call the men in white coats, stick me in a padded room. It's the only explanation I have.

You see, I've decided to sew my son's halloween costume this year. I got the supplies together, but I have yet to do anything but that.

14 days till Halloween and I've just NOW decided what I'm going to dress him as.

It actually won't take me long, it's a simple enough pattern. I just need to get my butt in gear.

What will take me longer is my costume, if I do it this year. I may just do my usual 'dress gothy, put in fangs' thing and save the sewing my costume for next year.

Maybe.

I also have all my Christmas knitting to do since my sock needles got broken and everything got frogged. Plus the fingerless gloves I'm going to give as gifts.

What am I doing typing here? It's too late to be doing any crafty work. I'm going to bed shortly. Save my energy for the projects.