Susie Cupcakes

Mr. Cupcakes is the proud new owner of some big stripey socks!

The socks are giving their sassy "over the shoulder" pose. They were really fun to make--the stripes are great and tigery. But seriously, people, these are some big-ass socks.

They're about as big as sleeves on a sweater. Well, a child's sweater. A big-ass kid's sweater.

Hey, did you notice something funny about that sock on the left? Kind of weirdly dark at the toe?
Yup. I ran out of yarn. Arrrgh! I had some very very similar yarn, but it is just a teeeeny bit different. I suppose a better, richer woman than I would have bought another skein to finish it off, but you know, I'm a worse(r), poorer woman, so it just didn't happen.

I am rich in several things, however. Rich in cat litter, cat fur dust bunnies, and cats, yes, but also rich in friends! Last Friday when I got home from work, I found my customary US Weekly in the mailbox. Yay! Then I opened the door and saw an Amazon box. EEEEEEE! Inside, I found this:
It's the Yarn Harlot's new book, sent from the beautiful and talented Rebecca as a "we WILL graduate" encouragement present. Awwww, so nice. I love it! I'm trying to read it sparingly so it will last longer.

Graybaby was also a big fan of the book. Or, rather, the box that the book came in.

L'il Miss Chewy is trying to chew the book the way she chewed up the box.

I'd get rid of the box, but . . . it just makes her so happy. Can't begrudge a chewy cat.

I finished my ChicKnits Ribby Shell! It had its first official outing last week.


It took only 5 skeins of Takhi's Cotton Classic (about 550 yards), and I made it in a Small. The shell fits really nicely--no pattern modifications, no fussing around. The instructions were simple and clear. Lovely!

Here's me and the Cupcakes family tomato plant. We're getting set for a big fall harvest of grape tomatoes. I think the (relatively) cooler weather makes the plants happy.

In other news, yesterday I went to yoga and I WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO ATTENDED. The instructor is great, but there is nowhere to hide in a class of one. The humiliation that is my Balancing Half Moon pose was right there for all to see. Of course, "all" was just one person. We did some partner stretches that would are probably best performed in a small, small class. Or with your loved ones.

Remember when I said I wouldn't start any new projects until I finished my old projects?

Well...I LIED!

I was weak! I doubled the Liesel pattern from Yummy Yarn and it is my first foray into lace making. It's also my first time reading charts, and there were a few moments of frustration (read: 4 hours) until I realized that for the even numbered rows, you have to read backwards and reverse all the instructions. But of course! It's sort of an exercise in suspension of disbelief. "Okay, it says knit, so . . . PURL!"But if you just believe (or as Cher would say, "beLEEve), it works perfectly. Now reading the chart is as easy as reading text.

The Liesel pattern is for a scarf, so by doubling it I'm going for more of a wrap. If it ever drops below eighty degrees here I'll wear it constantly.

Oh, hello there! I'm just hanging out here, developing laptop creases in my legs. Since my desk is covered in books, bills, magazines, and stuff I cannot deal with, I have created a fortress out of the orange arm chair in my living room. The arms of the chair are covered in folders, books, notes, Graybaby, a crumpled kleenex, a cardigan, an empty glass of water, and a bottle of beer. (Thanks, Mr. Cupcakes!) In the chair is ME, a fixture it will get to know oh-so-well over the next three months. Cause you know what? I got a paper to write. A PAPER. THE paper. I have to write it or I'll never get out of here and I'll have to spend the rest of my life crying. Not that I won't do that anyway, ha ha!

Except you know what? I've spent the last two hours on the internets with only the teeniest of minibreaks and all that interesting data I thought I could collect? Is not there. Does not exist. HATE THE INTERNETS. It's filled with crazy stuff about poop and cocaine but not with boring, normal stuff that I wanted to find! So now I have to have a reconceptualization. Now I need to write about how stupid internets are missing all the stuff they should have.

Okay, well, back to work! See ya in December!

My sister Laura (aka Margreta) has gotten all bloggy. Visit her at Team Gray! for some startling revelations and learn more about her "stray, gay, and most importantly gray" cats.

Since I moved down Cackalacky way, I don't get to see Laura as much as I used to. But to make up for it our Christmas holidays at home are now filled, from the moment we wake to the moment we pass out, with the following activities:

1. Chips and dip. But only this one kind of French onion dip available only in Fargo that is so light on the onion, it is effectively sour cream. It's kind of gross, actually.
   
2. Watching terrible romantic comedies.
   
3. Drinking from our parents' giant bottomless containers of red wine. Mom and Dad = enablers.
4. Playing "Edelweiss" on the piano as a duet, with Laura providing the thundering bass line and I the melodic counterpoint. We bring tears to the eyes of many. Our rendition of "The Lonely Goatherd" has a similar effect.
5. Reading trashy books and magazines
6. Gaining 10 pounds from the aforementioned chips and dip and wine.

Now that Laura's on the Internets, though, we don't have to wait until Christmas to have fun. Perhaps we can play a "duet" of blogs, using "computer chips" instead of "real chips."

I'm still looking forward to the real chips, though.

This weekend Cozy, Durham's adorable little yarn and gift store, had their yearly 25% off yarn sale. I went last year, when there was a group of rabid women lined up at the door before it opened, and upon the unlocking of the door then staked out strategic positions in front of critically important yarns. I became flustered and had to quickly exit, where Alex revived me with smelling salts and a Huevos Rancheros from Elmo's. The trip, while technically a failure, was delicious!

This year, I decided to be stronger, and not let pushy ladies get in the way. Excellent plan, because look at THIS!

70% mohair, 30% silk, in a gorgeous saturated deep red. I have about 500 yards, and I'm hoping to make a simple, not-too-big wrap with it. It will also be my first experiment into lace.

While I was taking pictures, my good bud Maxou came over for a sniff.

Thems good eats!

Also purchased at Cozy:
Pretty pretty Opal sock yarn, and

Bamboo yarn! Eden from Madil, to be exact. The color is more of a pale coral, peachy color, not cotton candy pink. I am thinking about whether I could use this to make Hopeful, which Claudia over at Claudia's blog recently made. The yarn is so soft and silky!

Now, of course I can't start any new projects until I finish my old projects. These are:

1. ChicKnits Ribby Shell: 90% done!
2. Phildar Halter Tank from the Ete 2004 pattern book: also 90% done. Just the i-cord left, and I shudder when I think of making a 6+ foot i-cord, but I just need to sit down and do it. Possibly with a glass of wine.
3. Gray-and-white striped socks: 50% done. Exactly 50%. See?

I finally figured out the secret to the perfect gusset. Hooray!

I'm going to try to take pictures of the gusset-making next time . . . more for my sake than anyone else's.

The sock has been approved by Maxou, too.

ETA: Thanks to all of you for your comments about your favorite childhood games/Peter Gallagher in the last post. You all are pretty funny. Either most kids are pretty macabre about their games, or we have selected friends who enjoy macabre childhood games. Probably a little of column A, a little of column B.

My plan to take some fantastic pictures this weekend didn't come to fruition, partially due to a cold that seemed to get worse each day. I felt like I was walking around with a blanket wrapped around my head, which is not only dangerous but foolish. After many doses of Advil Cold and Sinus, I am back to normal, except for a strange electric feeling that seems to be running through my shoulders and hands. Perhaps this indicates it is time to reduce my dosage of Advil Cold and Sinus. Or my dosage of gin.

The news has been pretty much, you know, hideous this week. Let's not even discuss it, my friends, or I shall burst into the internet tears (i.e. <cry></cry>). So here are some nice things to think about:

1. Kittens
I am rather fond of kittens.

2. Death Cab has a new album! And you can even listen to the whole album for free. And the timing of this new album is perfect because . . .

3. The OC is back tonight! And that means Seth Cohen will be back. Li'l Seth!
Although somewhere in the middle of the comic book storyline last year I became more interested in the oddly dashing Sandy Cohen.

Mmmm, eyebrows.

4. Lighthearted childhood games. I've been thinking lately about the games my sister and brother and I used to play, and I think that they reveal a lot about us, as a macabre people. Just a sampling:

• "Flood" required a full ditches (which happened pretty much every spring) and an old board. The board is placed halfway in the water. One person walks slowly down the board, closer and closer to the water, while the others wait nearby, in the driveway. The person on the board silently walks until the slightest bit of water touches his/her shoe, at which time a panicky "FLOOD!" is shouted and everyone runs up the driveway screaming. Repeat ad infinitum.
• "My Heart is Final" made good use of our backyard, which sloped up and then down quite steeply. To play this game, you sit down in the yard in front of the up slope, and one person stands on top of the small hill in front of you. This person solomnly addresses the crowd with the same verbal suicide note every time: "Now, my heart is final as I step into Doomsday Lake." The person then jumps off the top of the hill and down the other side, while the spectators enjoy the illusion of a drowning. Fun!
  
• "Blind Man in Charge" was a summer game, played in the soft-sided, 8-foot wide or so swimming pools that we used every summer. It was really a version of Marco Polo, except we were from North Dakota and games like Marco Polo hadn't reached us yet. The person who is it has to try to tag the others, but keep his or her eyes closed. Get it? The Blind Man is in Charge!
  

A fun time, my friends, a fun time indeed.

Well, that's enough nice things for one day, I think. Keep your spirits up--remember, we may be going to hell in a handbasket, but it's a new and surprising handbasket every day!

We made it back from Utah, where we had a great time hiking and wedding-attending. I took about 4 pictures before I realized that Alex was going to exhaustively document nearly every moment. In fact, I no longer recall his face. I can only picture a lens and instructions to "stand there."

So, I really didn't take any pictures. Why don't you check out Mr. Cupcakes's blog for some beautiful shots of Moab?

Since we got back, it's been really sad to hear about what has happened to New Orleans. I can't believe I was there only 2 weeks ago. It was a beautiful city, and the people were great. I hope they can get things fixed up again. Here are a couple of pages with ways to help.

My August of travel is now over. I did manage to get some knitting done in Utah, so I'll put some pictures up soon. Size 1 needles, baby!

Blogger's not cooperating this morning, so that's it, my dears. More soon . . .