Monday, April 21

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Every time I look in the mirror to brush out my hair, I get a little aggravated. When I stared growing my hair out last year, the initial plan was to make it long enough for dreadlocks. (What? They've always appealed to me. I find them sexily unkempt. Well, maybe not unkempt; they can require a fair bit of maintenance.)

I'm sure my hair has grown long enough now, but I changed my goal some months ago: I want to donate ten inches to Locks of Love. The problem? I seem to be perpetually at 9 1/2 inches. It's almost like a vortex of no-growth. Ugh. I just want to cut it all off! (Well, not all of it. I've done that already, and checked it off the List of Things to Do Before I Die. (Terrible timing, that. I had to go to a family funeral about two weeks afterward. Everyone thought I was ill.)

But I'm not going to fret today. It is gorgeous outside. My computer says its 55 degrees, but I am sure it must be much higher. I'm very glad I walked out of the house without a coat this morning — and to think I just got that lovely new trench, too! Ah well. After months of snow and wind, there's no way I'm going to balk at not being able to wear a jacket because it's too nice out.

(Eee! And my weather widget says there will be a "strong afternoon thunderstorm"! I love those!)

But it's truly gorgeous out; my forsythia (also known as the verylargeshrubbery) is blooming, and the grass is nearly long enough to cut already.

Sunday, April 20

Project monogamy

I've spent a good portion of the weekend working on Laminaria, which was in the latest issue of Knitty. Below is the most recent picture, taken Friday. I'm considerably further along now.

Laminaria


The only thing that I'm finding difficult about the pattern are the 2-into-9 and 3-into-9 stitches. They're a little tricky (especially the ssk after the 2-into-9), but I've managed to convince the stitches to go the right way. I'm halfway through the second repeat of the blossom chart. There are eight repeats total, followed by two edging charts.

My only goal for completion is by Dorian, and I think I'm quite on track to meet it. I have a few more projects in mind to have done by Dorian as well, but I'm going to try to practice project monogamy for the moment.

Now I think I'm going to catch up on an episode of The Riches via Hulu, which is the greatest site ever. Today.

Wednesday, April 16

*headdesk*

Today has been one stupid bit of work bureaucracy after another. Thankfully, though, The List of this year's Dorian counselors arrived in my email box, and my day is considerably brighter.

According to Mistress Saucy Dish, there are only 59 more days until Dorian. Frankly, I can't wait. Would that I had a time machine!

Monday, April 14

Xa's Guide to Style

I got a hot new trench. I'm pretty sure Tim Gunn and Stacey and Clinton would all be impressed.


The girl in the picture is not me.


I generally shy away from wearing white. I tried the coat on at Torrid and was checking myself out in the mirror. A salesgirl walked by as I was taking off the jacket and asked if I liked it. I said, "I kinda love it." And then I went to the checkout and bought it.

Aside from the trench, I also bought three books and some yarn. I got a hank of Skacel Merino Lace in taupe, all 1375 yards of it, for a shawl. It's Laminaria, and I started it last night. (I cast on using US 2 needles instead of US 4. I didn't realize this until this morning. I plead temporary insanity. Now I need to buy more lace needles ... darn.) I also got five skeins (1200 yards total) of Crystal Palace Kid Merino in black. It will also become a shawl, probably. I find black to be slightly more wearable in my wardrobe ... though I just got that white trench, so maybe white will be the new black.

Thursday, April 10

Bobmas Eve?

I'm supposed to be hosting a Bobmas Eve party tonight for Iowa members of Ravelry (Bobmas Eve, for the uninitiated, is to celebrate the anniversary of Ravelry, when Jess and Casey thought the whole thing up). But no one seems to want to go. I haven't gotten any replies on my thread for folks to go. I may end up hanging out at the mall food court all by my own self.

But then, I got my tax return applied to my bank account this week, so I might just go with a little retail therapy at the yarn shop that's right by the mall. Ha!

I have to say, it is a little cold and rainy, but of course, it's April. Who should be surprised at that?

Maybe I'll just go home and play Zelda for a while.

Monday, April 7

I swear I didn't inject collagen in my lips!

Due to lacking email access at home, I wasn't able to post that I received my sock from the Wee Tiny Sock Swap. But I did! It came on Friday. (So did a wedding invitation ... eek!)


I've already put it on my keyring!


Isn't it adorable? I love quick little swaps like this. Thanks, Brooke! You rock!


Let me tell you that sometimes, when I wake up, my lips are huge. They look like collagen-induced nightmares. Today they're big enough that I can barely put my bottom lip over my top lip. It feels really funny. (I don't know why I shared that, but happy Random Tidbit About Xa Day!)


You know what they say about people with big lips ...


Also, I will say that sometime the gamer dork in me comes out to say hello, and I dive into a video game I haven't played in ages. Most recently it was Super Mario World, but now I've been sucked into Zelda. Lemme 'splain.

On Friday I was suddenly struck by the need to play the (rescued from my brothers) N64 that's been hiding in the bottom of my entertainment center for ages. I dug out the console, the cables, and all the games I have (some of which, like Madden and Star Wars Rogue Squadron, I'll never play). And then I saw it: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. And I dove in with my character named Izzard. (I'm covered in bees! Help!)

I've already beaten two of the dungeons; one without any help whatsoever. I'm pretty proud of having beaten the ice palace without cheating. It only took me two tries — the second without any fairies. The only reason I had to go it again was that I was running out of time. Most Zelda games don't really have time limits, except in mini-games. Majora's Mask is an exception: your character has three days to save Clock Town from the giant moon that's going to crash into the city.

Luckily, your character gets to play a song on his ocarina that allows him to manipulate time — you can jump forward half a day, slow time down so it's double-speed, or save and start again on the first day. (The only problem with that last one is if you don't save your rupees in the bank, they all disappear. So do arrows, bombs, magic beans, and other funky stuff like that. But that's all easy enough to recover.)

That said, I'm ready to tackle the third dungeon, which is on the ocean. And maybe hit a few spider houses once I get the hookshot from the pirate.

Okay, that's plenty of geekery for a Monday.

Wednesday, April 2

Wee Tiny Sock Swap

I haven't blogged lately. Oops!

I joined Yarn Miracle's Wee Tiny Sock Swap a couple of weeks ago. I just sent this little one to live with Mariie, who lives in one of the other states that starts with 'I'.


Like my inside-out Panta? Me too.


The yarn is left over from my Bellatrix socks: Skacel Trampoline. The needles were US 0 (I think. I couldn't find my gauge to measure them, and they were almost the biggest in the packet of aluminum sock needles.) I turned the sock into a keychain and threw on a little charm because I thought it would make it cuter. I think it worked.