Sunday, November 30, 2008

Kitchener Stitch! (The knitting equivalent of a touchdown if you are wondering)

I made it! Wow. Woo. Yeah, not as entertaining as one would think. Or maybe just as entertaining as one would think?

Got an email from napoblomo with this in it 'just two more days until we cross the finish line, and what have you learned this month? Have you managed to post something though-provoking every day, or do you feel like you clogged up the Internet with less-than-satisfying content for the sake of endurance?' and I was like... um- the latter? The only blog entry I'm really thinking of deleting is that stupid quiz result one that didn't even format right- but I think the endless blog entries of me complaining about how tired I was aren't the things dreams are made of. I do think I have some nice entries. My goal is to blog at least 6 times in December so I can at least make this the second highest year of blog entries (no way I'm beating 2006's 94 entries) but I just need to make it 72 (this one is #65). And hopefully they will be better blog entries.

Speaking of blog entries- remember this one? Yeah- unrealistic goals are made to be broken. I cast on this last night and may run out of yarn so I will have to pick up some more but it's the Scrunchable (non-rav link) scarf made into a cowl knit out of Noro Iro. Mmmm.... Noro Iro.
And remember when I decided I was going to do that blog entry where you take a picture of yourself but then decided I looked waaaaay too crappy to do it so I decided to do just right now and even though I am dirt tired I still look half decent! Spike was in my lap and behaving for once so he's in the photo too. He's wondering why I am playing with the camera and not petting him. He left in disgust soon after the photo was taken.

So this is Spike and I saying goodnight for now.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Ugly Cry

Well, I can't remember what I was going to blog about but it's all moot now.

I watched this movie.

It's a beautiful film. Everyone should watch it. Everyone should know this film. But just to let you know- this film broke my heart. I can't stop crying.

So now I am going to eat chocolate chips and play Sims. If that doesn't work I'm putting on Abba and watching Camp.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Go Team Me!

So I didn't go on the computer ALL day (except right before work but that's to be expected). What's crazy is that I really do instinctively gravitate to my computer. It's kinda what I do when I'm at home. Not good. (I blame Ravelry) Anyhoo- had a very, very nice day today (whenever I only have to work one job it's kinda like having the day off). I knit and I watched a movie I bought ages ago- Brick Lane- which is a movie based on a book by Monica Ali and the movie is so freaking awesome in every way that I have to read the book. I have it queued at the library :)

And here is a shot of the yarn from Chrissy. Yummy.

And here is a shot of what I finished today! My crunchy granola wool socks for me Papa. Have already cast on for the second one and ignore how weird they look.
And remember when Sheena got me a pirate ice cube tray? It is so cool I had to take a photo of my coke from a few nights ago. It's a bad shot but you can still see the skull and crossbones. So cool!

A Knitting Promise and a Computer Promise

By December 1st, I want to have finished at least one pair of socks and two scarves OR two pairs of socks and one scarf. If I succeed I get to throw in an extra five dollars into my tip money jar for yarn and get to cast on a new project but if I fail I am not allowed to cast one any new projects until the fifth. Way to take the fun out of knitting eh?

And here's another thing- last night I was bemoaning my lack of finished items and cursing my three (very soon to be two) jobs but I came to another realization last night. Maybe it has something to do with the amount of time I spend on the computer. Huh. Just maybe.

So now I am going to turn off my computer (I haven't played Sims for over a week!) and just knit knit knit. And watch a movie. And knit. Ahhhh.... I'll turn it back on around 2:30 before work and then will come back on for a bit after work to show you some pictures. How nice.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Yarn is Taking Over

So yeah... nearly cast on a new project today but had to frog when the two colours I had chosen were too similar. I bought yarn today- still just buying yarn with my tip money! I rock- and the yarn is from Chrissy (non-rav Chrissy here) (store here) and it is GORGEOUS. Sorry it yell but it had to be done. I'll post pictures soonish. Saturday fer sure- tomorrow is iffy (like... in the all around sense- not just iffy for posting pictures, iffy for consciousness).

I also have about four projects I am just itching to get on the needles and it is all I can do to not cast on. I am knitting, currently, three pairs of socks, one cardigan, one blanket, two baby legwarmers which Malcolm will outgrow before I ever finish them, three scarves... sorry- five scarves...

I think I need to focus on finishing things for a bit. I still love my grad socks so much. They rock my world. I showed them to a very rowdy class of Grade 1s today and it was the first- and only- time they were silent. They all wanted to touch the sock and then wanted me to stay and teach them all how to knit (frankly not enough money in the world could get to me to do that but I stuck to the 'your teacher wants to you do math right now, not knitting' excuse).

However, having a new awesome knitting group to meet with on Thursdays is not good for me. Now I want to start crochet and I want to knit MORE socks -but!- I was also inspired to finish my baby cardigan by seeing a very darling one in the finishing stages. Ah.

I'm off to finish my book 'The Graveyard Book' by Neil Gaiman. Review to follow soon we hopes.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Flying Piggy Knitting Meme!

What is your all time favorite yarn to knit with?

Seasilk by Handmaiden. Yuuuuuuuummy.

Your favorite needles?

Addi Turbos. Lurve them. I have two.

The worst thing you've ever knit?

Um... oh- right. The alien illusion scarf from stitch n' bitch in ugly scratchy acrylic that sucked (the yarn and me- not the pattern) so I tried to turn it into a pillow and for some god forsaken reason I put a fringe on it. Shudder.


Your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it...but it was the most fun to knit)

Um.... the skull dishcloth was fun. I haven't a clue.

Most valuable knitting technique?

Kitchener stitch- it's like magic!

Best knit book or magazine?

Like Hillary, I LOVE Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and my favorite magazine is Interweave.

Your favorite knit-a-long?

Never done it.

Your favorite knitblogs?

Lots. I'm not linking. I'm lazy. Bah.

Your favorite knitwear designer?

Veronik Avery. Hands down.

The knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it!)

My NYC toque that I wore in my grad photos.


And now I am going to go brush my teeth. I taught high school art today which was, for the most part, a lot of fun. Cheeky cheeky grade 10 students but they made me laugh. One student, Korean, when I held his work at arms length and told him to squint his eyes to look at it said 'I can't! They'd just close!' and the entire class just lost it. I was laughing so hard I was nearly crying. Then he just kept on closing his eyes and saying 'it all looks good!'. Ah, high school students.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

One Day I'll be Neat

And I mean neat as in 'gosh that's neat!' not as in tidy. I've given up hope of ever being tidy.

And may I just interrupt and say that I ordered pizza tonight and have no regrets? God it's so good and I don't have to share!

Back to the blog.... I went to lots of fun things this past weekend: the cultural crawl and the One of a Kind show (where I bought Xmas presents!). When I was home I was starting to think about how slowly, but at least showing progress-ly, I am acquiring a neat assortment of things that I use and love. I am fearful of trinkets because I have so much stuff (yarn, books, yarn, books, and then some yarn and some books) so I try to use all my loverlies. And I try, and hopefully this won't sound insanely pretentious, to get things that aren't regular- I like things that remind me of someone or are handmand or are just, well, you know. I hope one day I can have a nice collection of useful things, like one of a kind pottery mugs, so I can do away with things I don't need (the mugs with the generic santa on them). Anyhoo, here are some photos- some of my messy kitchen included- of my neat stuff. '

My needle holders: One is a vase given to me by my good friend Kayla and the bigger one is a one I painted years ago in PG (thar be dragons). Crappy photo sorry.
Couple things in this photo: my much beloved Calvin and Hobbes set which you have probably seen before, Matilda (my grad Bear from UNBC because I refused to go to commencement there and darling Carmen got it for me), my drop spindle, and some so far empty but soon to be holders of more dpn bottles.
Very bad photo of my Zapatista incense holder which is a gift from Julia.
My new awesome udon bowl I just picked up on Sunday. I lurrrrrve it.
The teapot from Spike last Christmas (every year I pick out a nice gift to myself from Spike and then I buy him catnip and he rolls around on the floor and eventually bonks out).
The teabag holder made locally bought for me by Jolene when she was here. Pretty pretty pretty. The design is pressed from an actual shell.
The next three are of my most recent hand made mug collection. It was made by an artist, Kingsmill, who owns a pottery place on Granville Island with two other potters. Is that the right title? Potterists? It was hard to photograph just how cool this mug is but I hope you get the idea.

And finally, you've seen the bowl before but I also wanted to show you just one of the cool things my Aunt Shirley has made for me. This is a glass tile mosiac she made for me which is so pretty I refuse to use it a pot holder and just prop it up against the wall in my kitchen.

Ah... now I'm going to go see if Hillary has introduced me to my final doom. Egads like I need another addiction but I. Must. See. It.

Monday, November 24, 2008

I need to be in bed

Worked a 'full day' today which means teaching and the coffee shop. I taught a 6/7 class and will be back tomorrow. I got to put together and teach an impromptu lesson so that was really nice.

Last week I met one of my downstairs neighbours (I only know the neighbours on my floor- all so nice) and we were bitching about the front stairs (uber unsafe- I've never fallen down but I have fallen up (with groceries) hot.) and I also bemoaned the stupid overgrown bamboo that covers the apartment number and my darling neighbour was all shocked when she realized I was right. Anyhoo got home today and my landlord obviously took an axe to ALL the bamboo in front of our apartment and now there is nothing but stubs. Sigh.

Tomorrow I'm thinking photos! (After I get back from the sushi place- I get sushi tomorrow)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

I am the Walrus

My apartment is so messy. There are dishes to be washed, dishes to be put away, counters to be wiped down, a sink to be cleaned, a floor to be swept, clothing to put away, dirty clothing to be piled together, yarn skeins to put away, brochures to be recycled, mail to be opened, bobby pins and earrings to be put away, groceries to be put away, a fridge to clean out, a couch to be put back together, shoes to be put in the closet, glasses of water everyone that need to be emptied and put in the dishwasher, and last, but not least, a bathtub that needs to be scrubbed.

I think I'm going to go to 7-11 and get a slurpee. Anyone wanna go with me?

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Random Funny Things

I bought a Gordon Lightfoot CD at Safeway and when I was going through the till the middle-aged woman picked up the CD, looked at me, then looked at the older man in line behind me and says to him 'is this yours?' and I'm like 'um... that's mine.' So then she looked at me again, looked at the CD, then turned it so the cover (Gordon Lightfoot's face) was facing me and kinda gave me this look like 'you know it's an old bearded man right?', not in a mean way, just in a- she was trying to give me the heads up about it. I nodded and she scanned it through.

I left my knitting at my coffee job beside the till when I closed the other night which meant that I totally got busted for knitting at work. My boss hasn't said anything and I know she doesn't care (cause I rock at my job) but still, way to be sleuthy Leone! And it also meant I couldn't work on my sock last night when I got home.

Today at work I asked someone if they wanted a sesame or a whole-grain bagel and they said 'whole-grain' so I turned to my coworker and asked her to toast a 'sesame whole-grain bagel' and when she gave me a weird look I added 'to go'. Then turned around and proceeded with the rest of the order.

Sheena and I went on the Eastside Cultural Crawl today and I came this -><-close to buying a painting that I would have paid up to 600$ for. This one isn't so much funny as random. I think it may have been more than that if I had ever found the artist anyways.

Okay- see you tomorrow.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Graduation 08

So obviously I found my uploader~ it was on top of my laundry hamper, which makes perfect sense. Why do I always think 'on top' is one word?

So anyhoo, graduation yesterday. I had a very nice time, only regretted going once and that was when I walked into the center but otherwise it was all good. I started out by getting my eyebrows done which in retrospect should have done the day before but the redness went down eventually and well before Grad. I met my dear friend Essie (not her real name but it seems to be a favorite alias of hers) at Starbucks and we headed over freakishly early so we had time to take photos and generally be reallly immature.
I dressed very scholary. The toque is made from my NY yarn from Jim and Jenn and the scarf is Noro Iro.

These next two photos were taken post grad and are fuzzy but the first person is my FA, Debbie, who rocks my world. She really, really didn't want her photo taken but I insisted. She has taught me so much- it's crazy. She's totally my teaching guru (next to my Mom).
Jant is the other instructor in my program and while not my FA was very influential and important to my education.
Frankly, getting dressed in the gowns was the most fun. The cohort found a spot to gather and we just caught up and got fancy and it was all good.

Here's a shot of Ryan and I cause I look good here. I totally stabbed Ryan with a pin while fixing his robe. Sorry dude.
Me and half of my team teacher.
And then the ceremony. I knit.


I am so obsessed with these socks now. All other projects may have to go on hold till I finish these socks. Which doesn't bode well for Xmas really. And a lot of drunk men at the lounge last night were interested in these socks too. More about that later.


And here is me...graduated. Woo.

Afterwards I met up with my family (Jason- BIL) and we had an AWESOME dinner at um.. this french place... it is really good I just cannot remember its name. Downtown- Davie and Thurlowish, new. Very good. I had the free range rotisserie chicken and Jason has mussels and we both got these skookum french fries and really really nice glasses of wine. Then we went to a fancy pants hotel and had dessert and drinks at their lounge. It was funny because at one point a slightly intoxicated older gentleman came over to remark on my knitting. He started saying something to me about 'how lucky I was' that this man here- points to Jason- supports my knitting (or something like that) and I was worried he was going to make a 'husband' remark but oh no- he then turns to Jason and says 'it's nice for you to take your daughter out'. So we went from ackward to just plain weird in 2 seconds flat. Another intoxicated man came and joined us in front of the fire, talked to me about my knitting a bit, and then proceeded to fall asleep and snore.

When I asked Jason if he would put on my grad cap and let me take his picture he frowned and said he would have to finish his drink first. It turned out moot because it was so dark outside you can't tell- except that he's crossing his arms out of displeasure at wearing the cap but laughing because the wind was blowing it off his head.
So now it's the day after and I'm at home- a little bit hungover and a lot tired but I have very nice eyebrows and a piece of paper which means I can start teaching... oh wait, already doing that. Well it means that I'm recognized... wait, already was. Hm.... I guess it mean that I have more stuff now? Ah... stuff.
I kinda like it.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Still can't find uploader thingie

I am seriously useless without it. I want to tell you about grad but I have photos to accompany the story and without them... what's the point of telling you? I'm sure I'll find it tomorrow. All in all, grad was good. And I got a funny shaped hat out of the whole scenario so woo!

I will distract you from the lack of substance in this post by showing you photos of my cat. Ahhh... the timeless kitty photos.

Here is Spike taking full advantage of me changing the covers on my daybed.

No I assure you, there is a cat in there.
And now I go to bed. Seriously, napoblomo was not a good idea for me.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Sims Sims Sims

If I had known how long it was going to take me to get these photos organized.... sheesh.

Anyhoo here is my Sims2 Family Third Generation. Bear with me here as I go through the backstory: I started a family once on my sister's laptop with the brand new Sims2. I called them the Fables and it was Ashley and Milla. But it was my sister's computer so I didn't play them all that much. Then my sister got a newer laptop and some more expansion packs to sims, so I started the Fable family again but again- it is my sister's computer. Than I moved out with the first laptop and was playing the Fable family there but the old laptop struggled with Sims, especially with the expansion packs. Then... I got my new computer. Aaaahhhhh. And the sims- they be mine. All mine. I can *so* get addicted but it comes and goes. Without further ado:

The Aesop Family.

This is Angel and Milla. You might notice in further photos I changed Angel's look right away. They started out as strangers but eventually....
.... fell in love and got engaged. Here Angel is proposing to Milla in their tiny house.
Then they started to procreate....
and even more (adoption too)...
till the family tree looks something like this: Mathius, Spike, Renn, Brenda, Quirk & Harry (twins), Boo, Alon (only boy), Parker & Jamieson. All children are either adult or young adult right now. Only Mathius, Spike, and Brenda have graduated from university because OMG could university take any longer? I kinda think eight semesters is TOO much! Angel is a Police Chief and is kinda like a superhero- he rocket jets to work, and Milla is... Chief of Staff? Can't remember, she graduated anyways. Anyhoo, here are some random shots and facts about the Sims family.

Here is... Quirk I think. She's making out with her professor which improves her grades. I know. So wrong.
Here is the eldest, Mathius, with her kid- Jackson- whose father is the maid, Steve. Mathius is the Hand of Posiedon and Jackson is a progedy child. He's already maxed out three skills and he's only just a teenager- creativity, logic, and... cooking? Something like that.

This is Spike, who is nothing like her namesake, and her partner, Wren, who is serenading her. In the bathroom. Wren is a mascot so most of the time his head is a Llama which freaks me out.
Here are Parker and Jamieson who are now in University. They were the last of the children so by far had the richest childhood which means they are really skilled sims.
Ah... the lone boy Alon. He was adopted and I was going to stop once the family finally got a boy but Milla was already pregnant so he wasn't the last. He's in a frat house right now which is fun because I'm being evil to the other frat boys because I didn't know you had to play the other frat characters when your sim got into the frat house. So annoying. I'm trying to kill one of the frat brothers by making him tinker with electronics or fix electronics and he has low mechanical skills. So far he just keeps electricuting himself so he's all singed and his clothing is burned off but no death. I'm also leaving a lot of dishes in his room so he may get swarmed by flies.
Brenda married Greg and has adopted Brittany and Grant but is pregnant right now. I'm also trying to get Greg abducted by aliens by looking through the telescope all night long so he can have an alien baby but so far he just has really high logic skills.
Milla and Angel are old now but still like to have public woohoo.
So that's it. My geekiness is now and forever branded upon me. I'm trying to get all the kids out of university- Boo will be graduating soon- but geez it takes forever. I have also started my own neighbourhood for people in real life but we'll see about that.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Things that make me better

Can't find the photo cord thingie so now photos of my new project just yet. 25% done though! Here's a list of things I am doing/should be doing that make me more sane. Some of these things are very recent. May have even started some of them coughnumbertwocough today.

Things I Do:
  1. Email/phone my Grandparents
  2. Set the timer for 15 minutes and clean like a banshee every night before I sit down to knit/read/play sims
  3. Use the budget folder my sister gave me to organize all my finances and important crap
  4. Take calcium and vitamen C
  5. Speak French to my students
Things I Should Do:
  1. Some sort of exercise where I get to stretch afterwards- I love stretching
  2. Drink more water
  3. Organize my walk in closet with those fabric thingies so I can actually walk into it and not have to iron everything cause it's all on the floor
  4. Find more ways to engage Spike in play
  5. Pay someone to do something about my eyebrows



And here's a photo of me and very, very good buddy. I miss her lots as she traipsing around central america. It's amazing how someone can talk about leaving for months but it's not until the day before they go where you actually start to realize and freak out. I was totally blindsided. I miss you! Take care of yourself! See you... in a year! Love love!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Well screw that idea

I had no idea what to post but then decided to do that one where you take a picture of yourself right then and there and post it and after about five photos I realized that no matter what angle I take the photo I will look tired, pissed off, and shiny. No photo.

So I'll do the 'Five Things You Want Your Kids to Know Before They Grow Up' wank of a meme. Of course I don't have any kids but use your imagination.

  1. High school ends and it isn't really all that important. Seriously.
  2. Just because something is hard doesn't mean it's not worth doing. Math? Sure, but what if you grow up and want to be an architect? Just suck it up, do it- ask me and we'll find a way to make it interesting and it will click and your possibilities will be endless. Don't limit yourself because something is challenging.
  3. Fibre is our friend. Know it. Love it. You'll be knitting sweaters before you can walk- Plying before you can speak. By the age of five you'll be felting your own stuffed animals and picking out fleece at the fair. Then get your own sheep. Start raising goats. Get into the politics of developing countries and goat herding. Do amazing things while still knitting. In other words- be creative and don'tstop yourself at what your parents know. This one is convuluted but I get it and I'm sure future kids will too. Or they'll lie and say so just so I won't scowl.
  4. Take care of others, volunteer, be generous and compassionate- but don't become one of those kids with no friends in their age group because they spend all their time at the senior citizens home (where even the residents tell them to get out more) and thinks TV is for brainless zombies who don't have anything else better to do with their time. You all know the kids I'm talking about.
  5. 'A lot' are two separate, distinct words.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Kapow!

Maybe I shouldn't leave blogging till the end of the day. Then my blog entries may at least have the potential of being interesting. Bah- who are we kidding? I can guarantee that tomorrow entry will suck. Unless I get inspired at take and then download some knitting photos for you all. I cast on a new project tonight. Cause I didn't have enough on the go apparently. It's nothing exciting.

I did buy this yarn last week or so at BC Creative Expo. Which was not worth the ticket price FYI. They could take a page out of the IPE when it comes to setting up exhibitions. This yarn is Kauni and is gorgeous. I want to show you a finished sweater but I'm so paranoid about photo copyright I'm scared. The skeins are all the same colourway- it's just a very long and gradual colour change. I'm thinking a form fitting sweater with some sort of fun fair isle, like stars- I'm predictable like that.
Well, I'm going to get to bed. I had a very good dinner tonight so I have an awesome lunch for tomorrow. I hope when I wake up my hair is not doing the thing it's doing right now. *Poof*

Oh- and would you all find a post about my sims interesting? I can never tell if my interests will relate well onto a blog entry. I mean, knitting we know is always interesting, but computer games? I'm not sure. Opinions please!

eta- I reread this just now and found a kabillion grammatical errors but I'm keeping them. I feel it goes along with the whole 'I'm tired' theme of my blog for the month.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Grad

I grad next week. Woo. I don't even know why I'm going to the ceremony but alas I signed up. I think I want to just get there so I can have some time to knit. I need to cast on for socks for my dad and then my brother in laws (thick yarn- actual woo!) and will just bring them. I'm getting the photo of me receiving my doo-hickey so I'm also going to see if I can get the yarn in the photo too. So basically I'm going to grad for all the right reasons.

Today I worked coffee shop than voted than went on a vain search for a better kitty litter box which resulted in me trying to find Spike a vet because it sounds like he might be sick but he needs a check up regardless. Voting was fun. I laughed at the 'secrecy sleeve' and kept on saying it with air quotation marks~ I mean, I had this sheet of paper with me with all the people I was voting for that I left open on the registration table and was carrying around. Also the 'secrecy sleeve' was a file folder. Oooohhhhh. But it was nice to vote. Than I got a phone call from a teacher asking if I had voted so that was nice to be able to say 'yes.' Maybe I should turn on the radio and see how the results are doing. Polls closed... only 20 minutes ago! Oh god, it's only 8? Freak I thought it was pushing 10! Sweet, I'm playing sims.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Pictures of Leaves? NO WAY!

I'm getting so lazy with my posts. 'Here's 18 billion photos- enjoy! I'm going to bed.' I taught day two of a four day posting today which was so nice. The kids are learning my name and saying hello to me in the hallway. I'm doing prep so I'm in all the classes from k-5. It's also a multi-grading school which rocks my world.

I'm listening to Rihanna right now- SOS. Heh.

And back to the photos....
So all of these are of Van Dusen Gardens where I went last weekend with the Jolene. We were only there for an hour but it was a good time. It would be a great place to go knit. The flowers aren't as prominent but there were still lots and very green and lush.

Here's some creepy black flowers. The photo focused on the background but just go with it.
Jolene and I were wondering how much those apartment on the lake cost cause they would rock. There were some fun ducks on the water too who refused to be photographed. I would love to have ducks as a neighbour. Which reminds me- there was a falcon (!) in front of my window the other day and when I tried to move Spike so he could see it he just attacked me.
Jolene beside a big tree. Now that I'm away from the dear I realized how many photos I took but hanging out with Jolene it felt like I was taking no photos. She took photos constantly. When she's in my photos she mostly taking photos herself.
An island in one of the ponds (which they called a lake but I'm like 'maybe in Calgary but in BC- that's a pond').
I am so naming my firstborn this! I don't even know how to pronounce it but it rocks! I call it!
Um... a tree. No island, no Jolene. Just a tree. I really need to come up with some new material.
Oh- this one is a waterfall with no water! Just threw this one in here to jazz things up a little.
um.... yeah I got nothing.
Okay this picture rocks. I love this tree. It was above the creepy walkway (seen below) and hovered over you like it was going to eat you at any second. Grrr.
Creepy walkway.
Oooohhhhh......