bag 'n' trash -- home of monster yarn

Please Let It Be the PMS

i didn't go to work today.  i woke up with a headache, decided to drive in to work, dropped some stuff off at the post-office and then listened to WBZ AM1030's TRAFFIC ON THE THREES   only to find out that there was a multi-car crash right smack in the middle of the mass pike.  so i turned around and went home.  hey, i wasn't feeling well to begin with, and the last thing i wanted to sit in for 2 hours was a traffic jam so give me a break.

i'm in a state of something .. flux.. i don't know.  i think i want to have a kid.  but you know at my age i'm going to have to stop just "thinking" and actually have one, if i'm physically capable of doing so.  and then today, i just got another email from my college about our upcoming 20th reunion.  how can it be that 20 years have gone by since i graduated?  what have i accomplished?  what did i do from 1985 until today?  one major reason i don't want to go is because i'm fat.  another is because i'm not some important doctor or lawyer or indian chief or married to some important doctor or lawyer or indian chief.  (native american chief doesn't have the same rhythm ) .  i'd like to say that i don't really care and really blame it all on the type of school i attended, etc.   and it's true -- it is the type of school i went to -- but i really do care.  yes, i'm paris geller.  or at least i was once.   or should have been.  i was never a rory.  she  is much too well adjusted.  (by the way, abc family is running season 3 reruns every day.  WOO-HOO!!! and season 3 is coming out on dvd May 3rd!!!!)    anyway, enough with the self-loathing.

now to the knitting... on boston marathon day, i had the day off, so instead of fighting the crowds and watching hundreds of people run their asses off like they were being chased down the road  by rabid coyotes , i dyed more yarn. 

here it is  drying.  to get that saturation of red i used 5 packages of cherry koolaid per 1 cup of solution.  the purple you see there required 3 packages of grape.  i like the way the purple came out, but the red,  not so much.  i don't think koolaid does red very well.

here are my little swatches knitted up. 

i'm ready for my close-ups

again, no idea what i'll do with them. 

now i know what i've been doing for 20 years -- being indecisive.

p.s.  i kind of like the bigger pictures.  what do you think? 

Charge IT AGAIN

joann's is having a 50% off sale until wednesday so i bought myself this.  with my newly found ball winder (it was in a box in storage) i'm good to go.

also, i've been selling some stuff on ebay.  two items didn't sell -- a cross stitch booklet and a crochet booklet.  if you want either or both just drop me a comment and they're yours. 

Charge IT!

i haven't finished a project since my pre-easter bunny knitting smack down .  well i finished a cowl.   it's way too big and if my boobs were a tad smaller (and of course if i weren't so fat) i could actually wear it as a tube top.   but i've already frogged this thing 3 times.  it started out as a scarf that didn't work out.  then i made a knitted neck warmer from the yarn but that didn't curl my toes.  finally after fucking around with various cable patterns i finally came up with a staggered cable design that was kind of fun to do.  but of course i cast on way too many stitches.  but now i don't care.  it's done.  it's over.  i've even worn it. 

it's a lousy picture but i look and feel like ass so i'm not up to taking more pictures. 

here's a detail of the stitch.   clearly the cowl sucks.  but if i don't show you the crappy stuff then it looks like i don't do any knitting at all.

on the other hand, i've done tons of shopping in the past few weeks.  which is what i do when i don't feel inspired to do anything else.

a few weeks ago there was a sale at ACMoore.  so i picked up some landscapes in my 3 favorite colors (no idea what the hell i'm going to do with it),  some fishermen's wool (for koolaid dyeing) and a lone ball of  trellis.  everyone else has walked down the novelty yarn scarf  path.  i have not.  so i figured what the hell.  hey at least i didn't buy any friggin' fun fur (although i'm thinking that i may buy some in green and steal amy's lawn rug idea. )

then maybe even the same weekend, i went to The Fabric Place in framingham and dropped some coin on ... yes ... a how to knit socks book and bamboo double pointed needle sets in sizes 1, 2 and 3.  (although i'm a classic aluminum needle knitter, the aluminum double points come in sets of 4 needles only -- hence contributing to my frustration with them -- and are  way too slick.  besides i didn't have any smaller than a size 5).  i'm not knitting socks yet ... and i'm saying this because during Belly Fest 2005 i did say that i couldn't understand the attraction to knitting socks that will just be worn on ugly smelly ass feet --  but i do love sock yarn and well what do you make with sock yarn ... but socks.  so i'm willing to give them a try.    (ooh on that day i also purchased yarn harlot's wonderful little book ).

finally, a few days later i found myself at A Good Yarn (notice how i didn't actively go there...it was like i lost consciousness for a few minutes and then woke up in the shop).  the shop has changed since the last time i was there.  i was able to browse without getting the hairy eyeball and was helped by a really nice young woman.  the owners should keep her.
anyway, i bought more needles, and yarn and a leaflet for estimating the amount of yarn one needs for sweaters, etc.

i need to do some organizing now because i've forced napoleon out of his favorite little futon sleeping  niche.  this is where he sits now when i'm working on the computer.

Blog To Do List

i have reached that point where i am so totally overwhelmed by the number of blogs that i must keep up with on a daily basis, that i no longer have time to read them and comment in a timely fashion.  today i've tried to squeeze 5 minute bouts here and there but while i'm actually working, looking away from the blogs, someone else posts something new.  HOW IN HELL'S NAME DO YOU PEOPLE DO IT?  anyway, about 5 months ago (a slight exaggerration), kim posted some interview questions for me.  i still have at least 3 items on my to do list for today before going home, but damn it, i need a break.  work is already getting in the way of my blog reading time, it will not get in the way of my blog posting time.

1. Maryse, you have been keeping your blog for some months now. Tell us a little about what you get out of it.  well first of all, it allows me to rant.  I can bitch and moan about anything i want and no one will look at me like i'm some nutjob.  you may think i'm a nutjob, but you can't tell me i'm a nutjob (well through comments you could but it's funny i don't get many nutjob comments and when i do i delete them -- heh heh).  i also really like being a part of a community of knitters/crocheters.  i've met some really nice and talented people in person and not, who have inspired me and who have motivated me.  i don't know that many crafty folk in my "real" life.   also, one of the things that has happened since i've gotten married is that i don't spontaneously hang out with friends anymore.  we live too far away and in the past couple of years i'm not the only one who has been kidnapped and forced to live in moved to the suburbs.  anyway, with blogging, i kind of feel like i'm hanging out.  blogging has also kept my ebay shopping down.  when i got bored or was creatively trying to avoid work or chores,  i'd do a lot of shopping.  now i read blogs or post.
2. You've been married for about a year and a half, now. You've moved out of the big city and have adjusted to suburban life. Tell us: at the end of the day who gets the foot rub, you or J? And as an unrelated follow-up, please tell us how to say chicken in 8 different languages.  j asks for foot rubs all of the time.  and i usually tell him no, usually because i'd rather be knitting.  i don't ask for any.  i have a foot thing (another reason why i very rarely give j a foot rub).  i don't like feet and don't like it when people touch mine.  go and figure.  and here's my international chicken list:  poulet (french), pollo (spanish), pollo (italian), tavuk (turkish), tawook (arabic), morgh (farsi), ga (vietnamese), kokosha (croatian).   I've also learned how to say chicken in chinese -- ji.    there is an international chicken story.  i'll save it for another time.
3. Do you ever knit or crochet for J? If no, why? And if yes, what do you make and does he appreciate it?  no, not really.  he doesn't wear sweaters first of all.  second of all, if he did wear a sweater, he'd forget he had it on and decide he needed to stain something or take apart an engine and he'd get crap all over it.  he once took a really nice roasting pan (he got it in the  divorce so i didn't care) and used it to mix tile grout.   so i don't make him sweaters.  i did once make him an aran afghan when we were first dating and gave it to him for christmas (which goes to prove that the boyfriend afghan as opposed to the boyfriend sweater is not cursed).  he likes my afghans.  i make a lot of things for the women and girls in his family, and he always makes a point of proudly telling them that i made it.   he's still not clear on the differences between knitting and crochet though (even though i've explained that knitting is done with two, crochet is done with one) but at least he doesn't call crochet, croquet anymore.
4. Ok. So the Sox won the World Series. Big deal. What we'd all really like to know is this: Does Boston still feel as empty as it did when Ally McBeal first went off the air?  right, you're a yankees fan.  well not everyone is perfect. anyway, in response to your question -- it's funny but boston doesn't feel empty at all now that it's finally won after 86 years.  fenway's as crazy as ever.  there was some speculating that boston wouldn't be able to wallow in self-pity anymore once they'd broken the curse, but as long as we've got the big dig to complain about, it's all good.  what i wonder is how does it feel in yankee fan land to give up a 3-0 game advantage in the ALCS?  i mean, that's a historic choke.  even the redsox have never choked like that.  and now to start the season tied for last place with the tampa bay devil rays.   how the mighty do fall.
5. Finally, if you had an unlimited budget and all the time in the world, what one thing would you knit or crochet for yourself? And as a related follow-up: Now that you've thought about it, any chance you'll make it anyway?  i don't think i would make just one thing.  what i would do is buy really expensive wonderful yarn in every gorgeous color imaginable and roll around in it.  i could knit scarves with that stuff and be happy.

Want me to interview you? Here are the rules:

   1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.”
   2. I will respond by asking you five questions here. They will be different questions than the ones above.
   3. You will update YOUR blog with the answers to the questions.
   4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
   5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Help!

remember the other day when i told you that i'd outted myself to my co-worker, e?  well, she's just started her own blog ... Jaax Crafts.  i love it when i inspire...;).

anyway, go say hello.  and to those of you who use blogger, can someone advise her on how to post pictures?  she's having technical difficulties.

thanks!

Happy Birthday Blog

my blog is 1 year old today.  i should probably take this moment to write something profound about what being a part of this community of bloggers and knitters has meant to me but it's not coming.  so i won't force it. 

happy birthday blog.

now let's have cake.

*&%#@% Cat!

i want to thank all of you for your kind words.  i think i responded personally to all of you.

napoleon is home safe.  he was a little freaked out -- freaked out enough that when he was let go in the house, he didn't hiss at the dog when the dog licked him.  this is progress people.  the dog has come close to losing an eye for just looking at napoleon. 

i have a question for parents out there.  napoleon was brought home last night by some really awesome  kids who recognized him from the notice i was distributing in the neighborhood.  i'd like to give them a little something but i don't want to freak their parents out.  parents out there...what's an appropriate "reward" for 10 year olds?  (by the way, i did thank them repeatedly and told them they were awesome, which they were, and i think that alone made them happy).

Worry

napoleon ran off last night and i haven't seen him since. 

i know that this is what cats do, but he's 14 years old and has been an indoor cat his entire life.  so i'm worried.

if he's found another family he likes better, that's ok.  i'd be sad, but i'd understand.  he's been a little annoyed ever since he's had to share me with a husband and a dog.  but i can't help thinking of him being dead somewhere.  it was cold last night.

come home buddy.

This Ain't No Red Heart, This Ain't No Foolin' Around

i've been outted.  or rather, i outted myself.  a lot of the bloggers whose blogs i read, have fans amongst their "real life" family and friends.  (not that bloggers aren't "real life")  but i don't.  i've kept my blog pretty much secret from everyone in my non-blog world.  i'm not exactly sure why, just that maybe i need a little place to myself.  know what i mean, jelly bean?  even j, who knows i've got some sort of website going, hasn't actually read my blog.  his only concern is that i don't tell people that he's an asshole.  which i haven't.  because he's not an asshole. 

anyway, a knitting coworker of mine, who knows how to double knit by the way, and she'd better show me soon, emailed me the knitty link the other day, asking me if i'd ever heard of it.  have i ever heard of knitty?!  why yes i have!  since i don't really write about work here either other than complain that i hate working, but i do that at work anyway, i felt safe to fess up.  so i did.  (of course that's after making her double secret promise not to discuss my blog at work .)

hi e!  e wants to start her own blog, by the way.  let's encourage her to do so! 

in other work related news....guess who won the big ass NCAA basketball pool at work? 

ME!!!!

not bad for a chick who knows nothing (nor does she really care to) about basketball.

finally, i've got some yarn to show.

out of the goodness of my heart, i made the ultimate sacrifice of unloading carolyn  of  this heinous lorna's laces lion and lamb.  i'm there for your girlfriend!

i'll be making another clapotis with this ... one that doesn't strangle the life out of me.

and here's a close up of the great stuff i scored from mrs. yarnpants.  four hundred and twenty three grams baby.....

mmm pretty, soft.

 

The Cool Group

since last saturday, my daily visitor count has gone from about 165 per day to 252.  i'd like to think that i've become slightly more popular due to something i may have written or knitted, etc.  but i know it's because i participated in BELLYFEST 2005!!!!!

you've already heard about it.  mrs. itchy yarn in pants was the perfect hostess.  i was horribly late ... i stopped by AC Moore in Framingham to pick up some sharpies on my way and ended up getting sucked into the shoe vortex that is DSW (i'm taking the shoes back by the way) ... but she still left me a lovely note leading me into out back to the knitting den.  there i found melanoma, elisa, ben, and wendy, and a platter of shrimp cocktail and freaky fried egg gummies.  i love shrimp cocktail. the fried egg gummies, not so much. 

i learned 3 very important things that afternoon.

1.  i am lousy at stitching and bitching.  i got nowhere with my knitting.  i'm much better at bitching.  in fact, i can pretty much bitch and do almost anything else,  but not stitch.  thanks to ben and her brilliant idea, i was at least able to avoid coming back from this stitch and bitch in the knitting hole.

2.  it's very good to be number 1 in the yankee swap.  not only did i get to pick first, but i was guaranteed to end up with exactly what i wanted at the end -- princess leia buns. 

3.  i had a wicked awesome good time and hadn't laughed like that in a long time.  i need to laugh more.  laughing is good.

i can hardly wait to do it again.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

this past week, i did virtually no knitting.   j had a midterm paper due yesterday and since he hasn't taken any sort of non-math college level  course  EVER , he needed a lot of handholding.  operation handholding was a success.  he got a 96 on the assignment.  as we say up here in new england...he's wicked smaht.

anyway, since i was kind of out of the loop (that's assuming that i am ever really in the loop) i missed the whole flash your stash day thingy yesterday.   

so i'm flashin' today.

just so you know, my mother would be appalled that i'm showing you the mess.  and i have to admit, that had i had more time, i would have sorted everything out by color/fiber/size of skein etc.  sometimes i think that if i weren't so lazy i'd have OCD.

but i don't only hoard yarn, i also hoard books.

that top shelf is all knitting or crocheting books.  the bottom shelf is 1/3 knitting crochet books.

here are some that haven't made it to the shelf yet.  (how cute is my sleeping napoleon?)

and here is my collection of knitting/crochet magazines.  well on the bottom shelf, anyway.  the top shelf is mostly old grad school text books and readers, faithfully guarded by a sheep. 

ok.  i've got to go.  i've got a hot date with some crazy ass knitters.