I've been bad...

I cast on another project gasp! I had some sparkly mohair bulky novelty yarn in my stash from Smiley's, and I was dying to start on a Twinkle pattern, so my mohair shrug is in the works.  I hate my Lion Brand needles and can't believe I bought them.  At least I had a coupon! I love Smiley's and they have a great selection of needles, but size 17 and 19 circs are not easy to come by, AND they all cost upwards of $14 a pair.  I don't need needles that are more expensive than the yarn!

My swallowtail will NOT be finished by April 1st.  I stopped mid-row and can't bring myself to pick it up right now.  It makes me want to cry.  My tank sweater has stumped me with the neck and shoulder casting off and I need someone to help me try it on and hold the needles to see if the mannequin and I have the same waist to shoulder measurements.  I know I could just use measuring tape, but I'm paranoid about stuff like that.  Pics to follow.  My free Flickr account is maxed out this month, just like my credit cards. Ugh.

Turns out my flickr account could take a few more pics! Miu-Miu is doing better. She's sleeping next to me on the futon. I feel relieved but wonder if/when something like this will happen again. What if I'm not home next time? It was really awful seeing her like that.

On a lighter note, my shrug is almost done, just a few more rounds and then BO. I found the perfect dress, one that I bought for my sister's wedding. It's a wine/black iridescent taffeta gown with spaghetti straps. I plan on making a fascinator to match with felt and feathers and possibly millinery netting. Also, I will knit or crochet beaded wire jewelery to match. AND I have awesome eyelashes to go with the outfit. They are multi-colored, feathered top and bottom lashes. I'll take pics when I get my lightbox together. Thats another thing on my agenda this week. This outfit is for a dinner dance for work next month. I will look like a freak, but everyone knows me now and I've built up their resistance to my freakiness, so I'm not concerned. I love driving in a pickup truck wearing wigs and gowns. It's so funny!

This is not good :(

My cat Miu-Miu had an episode of vestibular syndrome a few years ago.  At the onset of the episode, she was walking in circles.  In a few short hours, her hind legs were paralyzed and and she was unable to walk independently.  A trip to the vet (which I was convinced would be her last) gave us hope that she could recover.  I came to the understanding that she may or may not recover, and any improvement may not end up at 100%.  It took a few months for her to have satisfactory improvement.  For about two months, she would not come out.  All of her food and water was kept next to her and I had to rig a litterbox to look like a pontoon boat, with stabilizers on either side, so she wouldn't tip it over getting in.  Eventually, she began walking around again, like she's drunk, a typical symptom of vestibular disease.   Her capacity to jump is diminished, but she can still jump on a chair or the futon, just not the bed.  Miu-Miu is shy by nature, and spends a lot of time under the dining room table.  She comes out at night to cuddle on the futon and dig her claws into me, albeit, lovingly.  

Today I heard some banging from the kitchen and ran towards the noise, only to find her on her back, next to the wall, flailing around, seemingly trying to right herself.  I pulled her away from the wall, in the hopes that she would roll over by herself, but she continued to twitch.  I really thought she was having a seizure, and knew there was nothing I could do but wait it out.  After another minute,  she stopped twitching and began howling.  Now I'm stressed out.  I can't afford a  trip to the vet, after paying for the body work on my car.  She stopped meowing and at the moment is resting comfortably under the table.  I'm periodically checking to see if she is mobile, and hope that this is an isolated incident.  One good day is not worth a week of bad ones.

The Horror!

So I got into a car accident the other day.  It was good for an accident, but it pretty much sucked.   Thank God no one was injured at all.  The car in front of me hit an ice patch and lost control, doing a 360 when I hit him by the driver side tire.  We were on a dangerous, two lane, narrow highway by my house, both on the way to work.  Turns out the guy's dad and my dad know each other and his dad owns an auto body shop two blocks from my house, so I should have my truck back by the weekend.  O, the joys of car ownership...

On a lighter note, my sweater is nearing completion.  I'm trying out a short-row shoulder with a three-needle bind off.  I just have to do a few rows on the shoulders and back, and make some sleeves.  This is the hardest part, I think.

I lurvs teh internetz!

I've been wanting to knit a spring/summer sweater for a few years now, but this is the first year I actually started knitting sweaters, so I'm excited that I will actually get some done! Last year, I started on Coachella after much consideration about shaping and fit, and gingerly decided to go for it.  Unfortunately, I lost interest once I decided it's probably too small and the cowl neck and racer back aren't really flattering on me, even if by some dumb luck I mangage to get them right.  Pages of the projects on Ravelry tell the sad tale of disappointment in the fit of it.  So, I did what I needed to do.  Coachella is no more.  Deleted, needles ripped out, and the sad, floppy mess of what what started lay in my craft room somewhere for me to find the next time I clean it out.  That brings us to now.  I found a great pattern.  Problem is its f'ing British, and is not sold anywhere in the U.S. or online.  After much thought, I'm going to design a copycat for myself.  I've only designed a hat, and knit 3/4 of a sweater and one shrug.  Both of those had raglan shaping.  This is more like a set-in sleeve project, so I've been nosing around to find info on designing.  Basically, the sweater has an empire-waist, a mock wrap top, and cap sleeves.  I found a handy tool on Knitting Daily that gives me the pattern based on my measurements to get me started on the bottom and I so very excited, that I added the button to my blog!  Check it out.  It's awesome!

Inspiration has struck!

Vacation is almost upon me and I have tons of plans! I will finally finish one paper and dig into the other. I will knit sleeves on my cabled sweater. I will finish my swallowtail shawl by March 31st. I will get inventory ready for etsy and build my damn lightbox. I begin blending and spinning yarn for my opal and ruby aeolian shawl. How exciting. I'm tired now...

I was a bad girl...

I owed the library fines. The bad thing is I could have bought about four books for the amount I owed. The good thing is I created a new system for myself. While I believe in supporting my public library, I don't believe in paying exorbitant fines for my laziness and stupidity. My compromise is that if I continually insist on accruing late fees and spending the money anyway, my new incentive is when I bring back books on time, I am entitled to buy myself some yarn or a book. Still spending the money, yet now I have something to bring home! I am so a genius. Swallowtail is on the back burner, as I have lots of work to catch up this week and I've officially entered nuppville. Etsy on hold, but vacation coming soon. Must...hold...on...

So tired...

I just woke up from a four hour nap. A few things-Swallowtail is my nemesis. Lace knitting may not be for me, just as I realized that socks may not be for me either. Maybe I haven't given it a good go, but concentrating this much is a PITA. Today I found two vintage knit/crochet accessory books. Maybe I will make my vintage books a photo project. I started turning my really old, broken down pattern books into PDF files, and will seal up the books to protect them. I love vintage books!

Snow Day!!!

Omigosh, omigosh, omigosh! There's snow outside! And I don't have school! And I can knit swallowtail till I'm blind today. And dye and card and spin, and watch stupid movies, like "Black Sheep"
I really need to get on this lightbox thing. I think my pictures have been getting better, or my expectations have been going down, as ever since I found the Macro button on my camera, methinks I like it better. Gotta go! Gotta whole lot of fibery stuff to do!

It's 1:13 and the dye pot is cooking away! I'm doing solid colors to blend with the drum carder into batts. Don't think I want to dye and sell roving at this point. We'll see. So far, things are moving along.