Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everybody who celebrates! The annual cook-a-thon has come and gone, and we are still not hungry a day later. Not in the picture: Mount Aetna, the amazing exploding apple pie. I made it, it exploded. All is as it should be.


Also not in the picture above: Merlin, trying to figure out if there's any chance the humans won't notice if he sneaks up on the stuffing. Or the buttermilk mashed potatoes. He really seemed... interested in those.


In spite of the tough economy, there is much to be grateful for this year. We have a place to live. We have jobs. We have food. We have cats. We have family and friends, though they can't be with us for the holidays. Still, that's a lot of Good Stuff.

Klutz...

Yesterday, I squished my finger in the door but good. It's better today, but that means I lost a whole day of holiday knitting. It's the end of November, aaaaaaah! I hope everything gets done by the ship-by date, preferably without sore tendons.

In other news, I just found a tub of Crisco at a grocery store along the way. I know, exciting, right? It means all non-alcoholic ingredients for our Thanksgiving dinner are accounted for (there's a bottle of Calvados for the gravy and another bottle of something for... I forget, one of the other dishes). Tomorrow, we start cooking!

Feminism Fail

Yesterday, I got a little brochure from Dell. Hey, computers, cool! After all, they sell the awesome Alienware gaming computers that you can trick out until they cost several thousand dollars more than you can afford. I'll never buy one, but I sure like to drool over them. So I opened the brochure and found...

"Now you can customize your Dell laptop with your favorite OPI Nail Lacquer shade!" I'm not making this up. It comes in lovely colors like "Princesses Rule!" -- and if you don't believe me, here's the link to their website.
Because this is what I really, truly care about when buying a new machine: Will it match my nail polish? Will I look cute holding the laptop? Will all my co-workers die of jealousy because they wish they had this pearlescent pink piece of technology?

Women don't want technical specifications. Women don't want to... you know, do stuff with their computers. They want them to match their nail polish. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh. I thought we were further along.

Gearing Up For The Holidays

At Casa Batty, we are gearing up for the holidays. I'm not crazy about Christmas decorations, gift-giving, and all of that stuff. But I love Thanksgiving. It may even be my favorite holiday of all -- it combines two of my favorite things: Spending a whole day in the kitchen with Mr. Batty and eating.

The tradition around our house involves getting a copy of every single Thanksgiving magazines I can get my hands on. I'm a vegetarian, but Mr. Batty isn't, so we make one turkey and one Quorn.


We spend time with the magazines... then, we usually make the same recipes we first made in 2001, our first Thanksgiving together. But the process of looking, daydreaming, and choosing is fun.

Speaking of holidays... look, socks, not for me.


'nuff said.

Stash! Eeeep!

I just went stash diving. Needed some yarn for the SKA November mystery sock. And took a good look at my stash. Wow, it has grown!
I've been on a yarn diet, more or less, and it has slowed down the rate of growth. But that's not the same as stash reduction. And I really, really need the stash to shrink.

So: 2010 is going to be the year of no yarn. None at all. January 1 to January 1, no excuses, no pretexts, no nothing. No yarn.

Grateful Dead Archivist???

Dude! The University of California, Santa Cruz is looking for... a Grateful Dead Archivist! Imagine having that one on your resume. Apparently, they got a grant to digitize a bunch of Grateful Dead stuff.

Think I'm making this up? Go look for yourself, here's a link to the job description in Higher Ed Jobs.

Weekend

This week went by in a blur. First, we were preparing for 2 days of meetings, then, we had two days of meetings, and now, I need a break. I've been too tired to knit, so I've been spinning. Finally, I'm getting around to this lovely roving. Different shades of gray, a bit of black, pretty squishy merino.


I'm spinning from the fold, so it already looks plied even though it's singles... I'm not sure if I want to ply it or leave it like this. It's very pretty.
I'm tired. I'll take a look around the knittyverse to see what everybody is up to, and then, I'll flop on the couch and watch something stupid.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, all! It's been a lovely day at Casa Batty. Even if the weather didn't quite cooperate. You see, I was going to go as a novice knitter. Wear my ill-fitting Banff sweater and carry US #17 needles and Fun Fur. See the picture below?


That was not today. That was 2 weeks ago. Today, the temperature outside was over 70 degrees F. Not good for thick wool sweaters. So I wore one of my regular bat shirts... and bought some bat earrings while we were out.

Then, there were the cookies. I bought some awesome cookie shapes and made cutouts. Lovely, aren't they?


They looked fabulous after I baked them. We ate some and threw out the rest -- they burned. The recipe didn't say how long to bake them... just "bake until the edges are brown." Uh... dude, the freaking cookies are brown! How am I supposed to know when the edges are brown? By the time I see them, they're burned. So... yeah. Lesson learned.


But we did go down to Porter Square today, where I sat in a cafe, ate a yummy oatmeal raisin cookie, did some spinning... and then, Mr. Batty and I stopped by Mind's Eye Yarns, and I bought some pretty purple/burgundy roving.

No Halloween post would be complete without a picture of my very own Helloween kitty. Poor Morgana went to the vet today... only to find out he'd looked at her tooth when we took her in a month ago and didn't have to go in at all.


But she's happy now. He just looked in her mouth, and that was it. She wasn't there long enough to pick up that vet smell... her brother didn't even hiss at her. So, all things considered, Halloween worked out pretty well.

Mojo?

Wow, it seems like I ripped out my knitting mojo along with that sweater! If anyone finds it, could you please tell it to come back? The holidays are drawing near. I need it!

Ribbit

Today was a not-so-good knitting day. For the first time ever, I messed up undoing a provisional caston. It was done right, but somehow, I started from the wrong end, and that was that. I ended up ripping 7 inches of Manos Silk Blend, which, it turns out, doesn't like the rough treatment. With any luck, I won't need that partial ball to finish my project. After I start it again, which is not happening today.

I'm doing a whole bunch of gift knitting, but can't show that off yet either... I'll have something interesting soon, I promise!

Rainy Sunday Morning

It's a lazy morning for me, that is. My food consultant, Merlin J. Fuzzbutt, CPA (yes, he also does our taxes) is working hard on Sunday morning recipe selection. Or he's trying to squeeze himself into that tiny spot on the bookshelf. If the head fits, the entire cat fits, right?


Following Mr. Fuzzbutt's culinary advice, I decided to make apple pie pancakes. Pancakes, with apples and raisins. Very yummy, and they're sweet enough even without syrup. The unsweetened almond milk I used is perfect -- with added sugar of any kind, these would have been cloying. As it is, they are just right.


In addition to my culinary exploits, there has also been some knitting progress. I won't say too much about it as it might reveal more than I want to... it's that time of the year. So: Here's my portable project. Yes, a sock. No, it's not for me. 'nuff said.


This one I can show off because you really can't tell what it is. Could be a scarf. Could be a sleeve. Could be a hat that gets sewn up. If it weren't rainy out, I'd turn off the flash so you could see the amazing color variations in the Manos Silk Blend. They are lovely deep chocolate browns, except cool-toned.


The burgundy stuff on the bottom is a provisional caston. For more information, check my rav page... I'm not going to say more here.

Snow!

There was snow this morning! It wasn't a lot, it was mixed in with rain, but still. This is Massachusetts, not upstate New York. I guess sweater season has officially arrived. Perfect weather for staying in and knitting.

Flash, Aaaah!

Not the Flash Gordon theme from the movie, but rather, taking pictures of a bulky knit with the flash going. I swear, it's not see-through, and I'm ever-so-happy I wore a shirt under Abrazo, or this pic wouldn't have made it on here.


It's cold enough for knits, and I remembered I never gave you a modeled shot of Abrazo. From the look of things, I should have waited until the sun came out! Oh, well.

Long Time No Blog...

It's mid-October already? Where did September go?
Time flies when you're trying to get things done in time for the holidays! I've suddenly realized that Christmas is closer than I thought, and that there is a whole bunch of gift knitting to be done. But first, I have to get some WIP's off the needles.

These are the October mystery socks for SKA 09, designed by Nancy Bush. The month's challenge was "yellow" -- and boy, was it ever! I'm not much of a yellow person, but the deep, gold tones really spoke to me. Must be an autumn thing.


I had to contort myself considerably to get this picture. And yes, those are big full moons with witches and bats flying through them on my pj's. Because... well, there are bats.


Boring details:
Pattern: Fox Faces by Nancy Bush, SKA 09 October mystery sock
Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in Saffron
Needles: US #0/2mm
Comments: Knit exactly as written. At first, they were a bit loose in the ankle, but now that they're finished, they fit very well. The Dutch heel fits my skinny heel beautifully, but the toe, while pretty, is better for people with narrow toes (which I don't have -- I have duck feet).

And, because I can never be without at least one pair of socks on the needles: the beginning of some men's socks. Yet another try at toe-up, we'll see how it goes.


I actually have some non-socks on the needles right now, but as I said, we're getting into the holiday season, and showing what I'm up to will get a bit more difficult.
I'll try to make up for it with spinning and baked goods!

Anniversary Weekend

Mr. Batty had the fireplace checked. Turns out there was some faulty wiring and some other issue. The developer sent his fireplace people and will be sending over an electrician to cap the live wires properly. Until then, this thing stays turned off. Thanks everyone for your concern, we're all doing much, much better. I was even able to knit a little last night! Not much, nothing exciting to show yet, but I got to knit.
I think I'll be starting another project just for myself. Best way to cheer myself up. I just got a few of the new Classic Elite pattern books in, and I love many of the patterns. Hmmm... maybe use some of the yarn my sister sent for my birthday?

Anyway, knitting content to follow. This weekend is our 6th wedding anniversary, so Mr. Batty and I will be out and about doing anniversary stuff. He's taking me bat shopping! I do most of my shopping for decor around Halloween. It'll be fun. The rest... we'll just see what we feel like doing. Spontaneity is a good thing. Plenty of planning at work.

...and then, it exploded

The fireplace, to be exact.
Yesterday, I did some grocery shopping after work, went home, put the food away, said hello to the cats, settled down on the couch... and noticed the smell of gas. Not just a bit, either.
So I get up, pick up my bag, head out the door, turn around... and there is an incredibly loud BAM! WHOOSH!, a huge flash of orange in the fireplace, smoke, and bits of metal and insulation flying.
So I run out, get a neighbor, call 911. While waiting for the fire department to show, I touch the door to make sure it isn't hot, peer in a bit... no fire. So we go in, get the cats, and put them in the neighbor's apartment. Then, the fire department showed up.
We still don't know what happened -- maybe the pilot went out and I accidentally turned on the gas (on switch for our fireplace is next to a light switch). Maybe the wiring was wrong. I'm just glad I'm OK and the cats are OK and our condo didn't catch fire.
Gas and power to the fireplace are now turned off, and I intend to keep them that way. At least until an installation person licensed by the manufacturer of the fireplace can have a look and make sure everything is working properly.

It was quite a shock. I'll need some quiet knitting time tonight after work. Just some calming routine thing that makes me feel safe in my own home again.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon at our house. The laundry is laudering, Mr. Batty is doing homework for a class, I'm dabbling in Java programming, the cats are sleeping... there's going to be some baking later on, I'm sure, but for now, it's quiet time.

I am fresh out of clues for the SKA mystery sock. Here's the result so far. The color in the first picture is closer to the real thing, though the pattern is hard to see. I'm really liking these socks, which is saying something, considering they're yellow...


Here's the side view. Ribbing in the back, honeycomb heel, and this sock is pretty darn tall. Nancy Bush socks are usually designed with a really long shaft, and these are no exception.


Speaking of lazy... it's hard to learn more about computer networks when the cat decides to fall asleep on your textbook. No wonder thinkgeek.com sells everything from caffeinated soap to pixie sticks with caffeinated colorful sugar stuff.


Cat over IP. Snore.

Socks and a Gift

Once again, I decided to join the Sock Knitters Anonymous over on ravelry. Anyone who visits here on a regular basis knows that I'm a bit compulsive about the sock knitting, so the shoe -- or, rather, the sock -- fits. Well, except for the anonymous part. But let's not quibble over details.
This year, I have decided to knit more of the mystery socks. The September mystery sock was designed by Nancy Bush, and the challenge for the month is to knit with yellow yarn. How fortunate that I bought some lovely Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in Saffron when fleegle was having her destash!


The back has ribbing for part of the sock, but that changes to stockinette further below. I'm having more fun than expected knitting with yellow yarn.


Yellow yarn can be goth, right? Uh... I'm not hearing anything... ahem, moving right along.

I can't believe I haven't publicly gushed over the lovely emergency kit I got from Kathy... do you see the lovely red and black pattern? She made that herself! How very, very cool is that?


And speaking of cool, look at all the useful stuff on the inside! The stitch markers are hand made, and it comes with this adorable little crochet hook doohickey for when I drop stitches, which is bound to happen sooner or later.


Thank you so much! I'm so very, very happy with this. And... I'm working on "stuff"
Because I haven't forgotten about the whole Paying it Forward thing.
I just need to work faster, because we're running out of year.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

My tendons are better. I have been able to knit a little here and there, so I finished the rainbow-colored knee-high bed socks for my sister. They are going out with the big package o' knits that's been sitting on my wardrobe, waiting to be mailed.


They work as knee highs... or as slouch socks. Psychedelic slouch socks. Yeah!

Boring details:
Pattern: Helless Bed Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Schoppel Wolle Zauberball in Frische Fische
Needles: US #1
Comments: A fun knit. Because I usually knit socks on 0's, these practically flew by.

The other thing that flew by... 2 ounces of corriedale. Here they are, all spun up, waiting to be plied. And look at my cute project bag! Not surprisingly, it's a Halloween theme. With spiders.


I get most of my stuff around Halloween. Best time for bat- and spider-themed stuff.

Spinning

What does the hardcore fiber addict do when tendonitis rears its ugly head and won't let her knit? Why, she spins, of course!
After a lengthy hiatus, I have decided to give spinning another try, this time with formal instruction. So today, I had my first spinning class, and I've learned so much already. And when the spindle is full, I get to learn how to ply. I have yet to ply anything successfully, so I'm really looking forward to it.


I also bought a carrying bag for my wheel. I ordered it from the Woollery. It shipped Monday, and I got it today. 3 days. I couldn't be happier with my experience.