Last year, I had the goal of knitting enough socks to where I could throw out my commercial socks (or give to Salvation Army or the like). I made goal.

This year, I need to actually toss the commercial socks, as well as go through and evaluate what do I need to keep, what can I toss. I really do have too much stuff, and I need to winnow out a few things, figure out what is necessary, what ought to just get shredded, freecycle, or whatever, and rearrange things to give myself some more space. It's a tiny house and it needs to be efficient. I need to have viable solutions for being neater. My husband will be happier and it will be easier to keep clean. I am by nature a slob, but that doesn't always have to be like that.

My crafting goals:
1. Finish Eleanor of Toledo's sock.
2. Finish the embroidery scroll.
3. Finish the Topiary scarf
4. Make a sweater OR a shawl.

That doesn't sound like much, but they are all very labor intensive.

I have work goals too- I'd like to be able to pay off the credit card and stop bitching about how fucking poor I am, when I have food on my table and a stash, and a roof over my head.

Happy new year everyone - here's to hoping 2009 is better than 2008.  ¶ 6:16 AM

  A happy story for the holidays about dogs- bring your tissues.  ¶ 7:15 AM

 

Happy Holidays.  ¶ 9:42 AM

  Here's the thing about Caroline Kennedy I don't like - I'm tired of anyone eying the senator of NY position as a stepping stone for other things. I hated Hillary for moving to NY and running for our senator because we all knew she would use it to launch a presidential bid. We knew it. We talked about it. I deliberately have never voted for her because of it. And I don't want Caroline Kennedy doing the same damn thing.

I want a senator who wants to be a senator for New York - someone who will go to congress and work hard for the common folk in NY, and with my own bias - for those upstate as much as the ones in the City. I don't want one who will go through the motions while planning a masterful campaign for something else.

I like the fact Ms. Kennedy has lived most of her life in New York, unlike some senators. I like the fact that she works hard for her various charities. But it's not enough for me. And I don't know what she could do or say that would make me change my mind.  ¶ 6:30 AM

  Homespun Hat for a Yarn Fairy

This is my first finished object made from my own handspun. The wool is from Gwynivar's sheep, and I believe that she dyed the roving too. When we were at Rhinebeck, she was shivering something fierce, so I have the urge to give her warm hats and gloves and scarves, but I'm not able to toss aside all of my obligations and do that for her. But I did manage this hat. I spun to worsted weight and navajo plied, making three skeins totaling close to 175 yards. And here's the pattern for a Fairy Hat, in case you want to make one too.

Edited to add - worsted weight yarn on size 5 needles.

cast on 4
connect in circle by k4.
kfb 4 times, arranging over needles comfortably as you go. Mark start of round.
kfb 8 times
kfb 16 times
(kfb 1, k1) x8
knit all round
(k3, kfb) x12
knit all round
knit all round
(k4 kfb) x12
knit all round
knit all round
(k5 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k6 kfb) x12
knit all round for three rows.
(k7 kfb) x12
knit all round for four inches.
(k8 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k9 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k10 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k11 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k5 kfb k6 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k6 kfb k7 kfb) x12
knit all round
(k7 kfb k8 kfb) x12
knit all round
Bind off. This is where I ran out of yarn.

(k = knit. kfb = knit front and back of stitch)  ¶ 1:12 PM

  We were discussing the possibilities of a dessert form of turducken (which is a chicken inna duck inna turkey)... and we came up with canookie - a cookie inna brownie inna cake.

Here is the cookie inna brownie part- all that's left is layering this between Cake and slathering on the icing.

  ¶ 6:54 AM

  My second skein. 78 yards, navajo plied, Gwynivar wool.
Tom and Jazz share a special moment of conversation.  ¶ 10:05 AM

  You know product placement has gone just a wee too far when you hear the words:

"And if you've just shot yourself in the thigh, remember to turn to WebMD for all your medical questions."

It's been way more than 24 hours, and I'm still laughing.  ¶ 4:06 AM

  Kissmoose Knitting

Everyone seems to freak out about- oh, you do handcrafts? You're making stuff for everybody this year, right? Well, yes and no. No, I don't make everyone something I knit. I don't have enough hours in the day to even consider such a thing. But that doesn't mean I haven't done some. When I told my mom I started knitting again, she wanted to know for whom- as if I can't knit for ME. I mentioned making socks. She wanted to know if they'd be wool... and frankly most of the yarn out there is wool, especially sock yarn, but they treat it these days with a special washing so that it can go in the washer with the rest of one's clothes. A lot of the sock yarn can even go through the drier with no adverse effects, including most of my socks. But mom has always made a big deal about being bothered by wool and by acrylic, so she hasn't wanted me to knit her anything.

I did it anyway.

(And yes, I'll wash it in shampoo in the sink and let it dry before I give it to her- I don't want to set the allergies off due to to pets). This is Debbie Bliss DK silk, in the Mead Scarf pattern. It's very lovely and just as blue up close, and will look smashing on my mom if she does decide to wear it. Because it's 100% silk, it can't be on her bad fiber list- but she can be temperamental. So can I- so I can be forgiving.

For Da, I made him a couple of cowls but I did go for evil acrylic- like socks I wanted washability. But I did leave the door open if he wants something else colorwise. I don't know how to convince him of what's available without dragging him through Knitpicks or Webs (which are overwhelming and full of bad choices) or an actual yarn store.

Almost everyone is getting T-shirts. I have an embroidery machine, and I'm not afraid to use it. It doesn't take me as long as knitting anything for them, although I've threatened to knit Fongs for my oldest niece and my sister. These are demi-socks that go under flip-flop straps that work to prevent chafing and odd sunburns. I can use odd bits of skeins I have left over from my own pairs. And they would be washable.

Next year, I think everyone is getting knit re-usable bags out of cotton. If I get a good pattern, I ought to be able to crank them out and Peaches and Cream comes by the pound. But by the time I had the idea for this, it was already late November and I am no superwoman making 15 bags in four weeks.

What I would love to do is take my sister-in-law to the local yarn shop - her local. According to Ravelry, there's about four of them, although the one in Frankfort seems to specialize in Patons, and that's not a sign of Good Stuff. I wish I could take her to Spin-A-Yarn where she could meet the nice things I'm used to having roll off my tongue now, Koigu, Bernat, Opal, Great Adirondack, Panda Silk, Cherry Tree Hill, and even Noro and Tofutsies. Feel the differences in yarns and see all the contents that are available now. I remember when I was young and going to Woolworths and being impressed with all the different types of Red Heart- but there's so much more than just Patons and Vanana White like you find in Michaels. Have I become a snob? Probably.

I'm spending more on Riley than I normally spend on any of the nephews and nieces- I'm buying him a Tsock 101 kit. I hope I get a few days to play with him and it to help him understand the techniques, and then I hope he gets the chance to use the tools in the manual again and again. Yes, it'll be wool blended with nylon. But it'll be machine washable, and it won't itch. And it won't be a bright screaming neon color or Girly either. So I hope he likes it.

It's tempting to get Aidan a spinning beginners kit... But not yet.  ¶ 1:15 PM

  Dear Plaxico Burress:

You are an idiot.

You have failed at your job. You have disappointed fans everywhere. You fail as a role model. I'm sorry you're going to jail, but really- you deserve everything the NFL is going to do to you.

Your job as a professional football player is to *play* football at the professional level. During the season, you really should eat, sleep, and breathe football, focus on staying in top shape, and keeping yourself healthy. This does not mean going out to clubs until all hours every night. This does not mean skipping team meetings and showing up late.

The NFL has been happy to help you with security detail. They are more than happy to give you references to hire some men to guard your ass while in public. There is no reason to carry a gun yourself, particularly when you have no license to carry a gun, or for that matter *own a gun*. If you did have the proper licenses, one of the requirements is lessons on how to use and maintain said firearms. Now, I'm libertarian enough to where I think everyone ought to know how to shoot and maintain a gun, and I firmly believe if you own a gun, you should practice with it regularly. I have heard of several places in NYC where you can legally shoot all kinds of guns. Clearly if you had any safe gun handling lessons, you would have been able to carry your gun in a sensible manner, and if you had the proper licenses, you could have done so legally. But all of this was lost on you, because you thought you were above the law because you were rich.

You aren't rich. The people who sign your paycheck are rich. You are just a lucky bastard with a talent for playing football. And now that you have a hole in your thigh, you can't play football. What good are you now?

I hope you will learn something from all this. Unfortunately, I think you'll be crying about that chip on your shoulder about how all this happened because you were black and unable to get endorsement deals. No. It happened because you, Plaxico, are a frigging idiot.  ¶ 5:29 PM