Can you imagine?

Can you imagine some day when we have an astronaut who is classified as an alien archaeologist?

FO-Candy Corn Illusion Dishcloth

This month's Mid October Monthly Dishcloth pattern. From the front, it looks like a normal striped washcloth:

From the side, you see a candy corn.

Pretty cool, huh?

Lost Points Shawl

I am finally knitting in the round on Mom's shawl (the middle is knitted flat). It should knit up fast from here. I'm not a fan of knitting with ladder yarn, but it does look dramatic once you have it knitted up.
Just a note. I'm using the KnitPicks Options needles. While I like the needles and the cords, I still wish they had the little do-dads that could lengthen the cords (an extender) like the Denise System has. It would make knitting this just a little easier.

Garterlac in progress

It's a good thing that someone has put together a photo tutorial for this pattern. It took me at least three or four times to get the hang of where everything goes.

FO-Double Flower Dishcloth

Here's another finished dishcloth. This is a free pattern called Yvonne's Double Flower Cloth

I did it again. . . knitted a lacy thing in a variegated yarn. Buh.

FO-Mosaic Snowflake Dishcloth

I really enjoyed knitting the Mason Dixon Knitting ball band dishcloth. On one of the many knitting lists I read, someone posted that it was a simplified Mosaic pattern.

I checked out the Barbara Walker Mosaic Knitting book from my local library and knitted the snowflake pattern.

If you haven't tried Mosaic Knitting, it's worth checking out. This was a lot of fun to knit.

Note: Mosaic knitting is just a whole bunch of slip stitches - not fair isle. You just carry one color across at a time (basically knit with one color for two rows, then switch). I could do a picture tutorial if anyone is interested.

Drawing

One of the things I was not prepared for with motherhood is the MASSIVE amount of art work M can create. Consequently, I end up having to stealthily trash the massive amount (bad mom) - which is getting progressively more difficult as M now cruises by the trash in search of treasures she's created.

Some times I come across some savers.

We read a lot to M. Her favorite books have been the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey. We sent away for a free newsletter and it had a tutorial on how to draw Captain Underpants. Here's M's version:

I think she did a pretty good job!

She's also reading and, thus, trying to figure out how to spell everything. Of course it's all being done phonetically. I just love this:

I think she's trying to say "Have a good work."

Continuing TV shows

I'm still watching some other established shows.

Battlestar Galactica (Sci Fi Fridays)

I need to go and watch the stupid Webisodes that are free to watch on Sci Fi. I feel like I missed out on a whole season of shows and was put into the middle of a whole new story line that I just haven't been following.

Lost (ABC, Wednesdays)

Love this show. Love it, love it, love it. I like how they've followed the same story line from three different perspectives. Seeing the plane break in half from the ground was stunning. I also still don't get "the Others".

Nip/Tuck (F/X, Tuesdays)

This has been a fun series, but it is starting to lose it's way. They need to pull a Seinfeld on this one and wrap it up. We're starting to revisit story lines that have already been done.

Gray's Anatomy (ABC, Thursdays)

This is just fun. I hate that Merideth has picked McDreamy as the one. I like McVet (sigh). I also like the new addition of McSteamy. I also like how they're showing Callie (who is a bit on the chunky side) as a sex object.

Lost Points Shawl

I started knitting this shawl a while back. It's knitted with Melody, which is a ladder yarn, and it came in a hank. I had some trouble winding it into a ball, so I draped the hank around the arm of my chair and left it there. Well, as some of you know, I have a four year old. She sat down in my chair and proceeded to push the yarn off the arm chair because it was tickling her.

My hank became the dreaded knot.

I tried and tried to untangle it, but it became more tangled. I finally just gave up on it.

But my mom bought the yarn and really wants the shawl. I was at a local yarn shop that was going out of business and they had the very yarn I hate on sale. What was nice this time, however, is that the Melody was being sold in a ball - not a hank! A good knitting friend had given me a Yarn Clam a while back.

I now do not hate ladder yarns as much as I once did. They're still a little unruly, but they knit up so dramatically. I hope I can get the shawl done before mom's next cruise in November.

Another Yuletide Gnome

These little fella's are just so cute

The gray bearded one is the latest addition to my Gnome Menagerie. I knitted the body and the hat in the round. The hands and arms could have been done in the round, but I needed DPN's and didn't have any. I'm using glass beads for the weights in the second one instead of black eyed peas. I also had to comb the beards to get them nice and fluffy.

Added Note: I got the pattern from the Christmas supplement issue of Simply Knitting #8 (November, 2005).

Christmas Dishcloth

I finally knitted the MDK Bobble Dishcloth. The soap is a $1 purchase from Michael's.


Now the best part:
I just love the way this looks and it knits up fairly quickly. This is what the teachers at school are getting for winter break this year.

Bulky Baby Bibbed Pullover & Umbilical Cord Hat

This knitted up incredibly fast. Baby Boucle from Bernat. Free sweater (Bulky Baby Bibbed Pullover) pattern from here. The hat is an Ubilical Cord hat pattern from SnB. This was an easy three night knit. :)

Coolest photo ever

I got this photo from an on-line acquaintance :


I encourage you to click on the URL above so you can see the photo better. The space geek in me really thinks this is cool. I mean, we have a satellite orbiting Mars that can photograph our robotic surface drones and send back photos to earth.

It's not as cool as living in space like the Jetsons, but its still very cool.

5 things my DH does that's great

DH has "tagged me" and wants me to list the five things about him that's great.

1. Honest - Good or bad, I always know where I stand with him.
2. Fatherhood - he was a reluctant father, but has overcome any fears he may have had and is a WONDERFUL Dad!
3. Attentive - I can get off in the weeds at times and it's nice to have some to remind me to get back on track.
4. Supportive - J's a feminist and believes in me when I don't even believe in myself.
5. Humorous - J has made me laugh every day I've ever been around him.

So, J, you are just a terrific husband!

If you read this, consider yourself tagged. What are 5 things that your spouse/significant other does that's great?

The New Fall Lineup & Other Shows

One question I get from some of my fellow knitters is how can I get so much stuff done. Well, I knit while I watch television. I always keep my knitting in my purse so if I'm stuck waiting somewhere, I can get a few rows in.

But it's the fall season and I have some observations.

Heroes (NBC Monday nights) is in the former spot held by Surface. It's pretty slick and the story line is still just introducing the characters. I'm interested, but if they don't move the story along, they're going to lose me. It was a nice twist on the last episode with the Japanese guy (who's name is, ironically enough, Hiro)seeing the bomb and going back in time. If you haven't seen the shows on television, you can always see them on their web-page.

Kidnapped (NBC Wednesdays) versus Vanished (Fox Mondays)

Okay, these two shows are SO similar it's actually hard for me to keep the story's separate. I mean, the bad guys have distinguishing tattoo marks in both shows.

I think Vanished will go the way of the Da Vinci code. I find the name funny - it's a direct rip off of Lost - right down to the way the shows title is presented - black background with white lettering. The jury is out on this one. I think I'm drawn to watching the show because I have a secret crush on Gale Harold - the guy who plays Agent Grahm Kelton. I also have a weakness for liking secret society story lines.

Kidnapped looks like it's a 24 knock off. My thought on Kidnapped is that this season will be about the Timothy Hutton character's family. Next season will be another family - with the main character portrayed by Jeremy Sisto (of Six Feet Under fame). I'm not as drawn to this one as Vanished, but I'm keeping up with the series - for now.

THE BEST NEW SHOW OF THE SEASON: Jericho (CBS Wednesdays)

This show is dark and scary. I mean it's basically The Day After - the series. It's been a surprisingly good show and it's worth watching. I stumbled onto this show while flipping the channel looking for something to watch. I caught the end of the second episode and found it to be really good. I was able to go on-line and get caught up. If you haven't seen this, then get caught up.

Nuclear war scared the hell out of me when I was a kid. In the fifth grade my teacher showed us all the duck and cover movies and also showed us movies about the potential of nuclear war. I had nightmares over this and worried about it.

Jericho brings back some of those old fears.

Books

I'm a reader - I always have a book going. I'd say I read about half an hour to an hour a day.

This summer has been hit and miss in terms of reading.

I borrowed Laura Hamilton's latest book in her Anita the Vampire Hunter series, The Killing Dance.

Note to Ms. Hamilton: Ms. Hamilton, you've really lost me as a reader. Your books have become porn, and are just downright boring. You just haven't written a good book in YEARS and have become lazy. I keep telling myself that I will stop reading the series, but I keep getting the next one in hopes that you will stop being lazy and start writing STORIES. What happened to you? If you're board with Anita, then give the series a rest. I'm a patient fan. I can wait. But you have lost my trust. I will not be reading any more of your books.

Charlaine Harris, on the other hand, is a terrific writer. Her Susie Stackhouse series is just terrific and every novel has a great storyline. I finished reading her Definitely Dead book this summer and enjoyed it immensely. Alan Ball, of Six Feet Under/American Beauty fame must agree - he's currently developing a series for HBO based on this character.

Brava, Ms. Harris. Brava.

And finally, I finished reading Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Scion book. I think this was book #4 in that series and it's been terrific. I thought the series had been tied up with the first three, but she did a great job with focusing in on another character. Well worth the read.

I finally started reading the Honor Harrington Series by David Weber. I'm hooked. It's a little like Star Trek, without all the aliens, but with a British Navy perspective. I love strong female protagonists, and Mr. Weber does a great job with Honor Harrington. There's some technical stuff that gets a little dull, but I've found that I can skim it and still get the gist of the narrative. I'm currently reading the second book in the series and am flying through it.

FO - Mid-September Dishcloth KAL

I was able to knit this up on Sunday afternoon/evening.

It's the Monthy Dishcloth Knit-a-long pattern for mid-September. I used SnC Gumdrop. I'm sending it to my sister for her birthday. Here's the final gift:

J had the idea to wrap the dishcloth around the foamy soap. I love how it looks like a snuggly robe. A while back, I bought 5 foaming soaps for $15 from Bath & Body works. I've slowly been sending them out with birthday gifts. I have one left and that's going to be for my mom.

Added Note: Someone from MonthlyDishcloth Yahoo! group has dubbed the above gift as the dishwashing diva.

I love the name!

FO - Baby Hooded Cardi

Here's the front:

Here's the back.

Of course, we're our own worst critics. I just hate how the seams showed on the finished item. If you ask J, he says it looks great.

I knitted this using the 2 year instructions. It looks more like an 18T to me. I attribute this to using a sport weight yarn (verses using the boucle).

I also had to go up on the button size. The pattern said to use 5/16" and I ended up with 9/16". The 5/16" buttons just weren't keeping the cardi closed.

The final recipient is VERY happy with the final result - which makes me happy, too. I've decided to make a custom baby item for my daughter's school auction since this has been received so well.

Dieting porn

I opened my email this morning to be faced with this:

While I know nothing is forbidden on Weight Watchers, this Sundae looks like it would cost SO much in points.

Stupid diet. Stupid email.