tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63880312024-03-07T13:13:32.301-06:00xamonster's hot house of yarnhand-knitting and a little piracy in a world of mass production.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger673125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-16530671205677990182009-04-20T12:07:00.007-05:002009-04-20T12:56:11.817-05:00Neglect.Wow. Have I truly not posted at all this month? Well, let's get back on track.<br /><br />Firstly, I want to share SuperBaby's first handknit sweater, the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/offset-wraplan" class="ravelry">Offset Wraplan</a>, designed by <a href="http://fyberduck.wordpress.com">Fyberduck</a>. It turned out so well, I almost wanted to keep it just so I could admire it. The sweater is a bit on the big side for SuperBaby right now, as you can see. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3443043119/" title="Superbaby closeup by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3594/3443043119_cd7371a080.jpg" width="432" height="500" alt="Superbaby closeup" /></a><br /><i>A touch big for him ...</i></center><br /><br />It was knit in red Rowan Felted Tweed (wool and alpaca), and has little blue fish buttons that I found at Jo-Ann's. I hope he has some time to wear it before it gets to be too small for him, not to mention unbearably hot for Iowa. (We have strange weather here. I swear I heard the weather man say the temperature will climb to 80 by the end of the week!)<br /><br />Let's see ... what else is new? I've really been enjoying <i>Dollhouse</i> and <i>Castle</i>, and I read the other day that <i>Project Runway</i> will be back on the air this summer; season 6 will finally be aired (on Lifetime, which I'm still not sure about), and they're putting out casting calls for season 7. So glad to hear the show didn't get flushed entirely. I was really beginning to be concerned about my Tim Gunn deficiency.<br /><br />Also, I discussed starting up a community musical theatre group with a few former classmates. That would be kind of fun, I think.<br /><br />As for what else I've been up to, let's let some crappy camera phone pics do the talking.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYczzl-_hZQBMdFFvtBuOb2ChFaqxBCJftjmBRdZ9oWi6SJB_t-DuDmIwayWE2bY7nXMn03IumiXkgzNhpdn7-jWAZGEEF0duG-fP06uB4WPohakTrfwpOCPC1E-S2fsH2Ab1bg/s1600-h/041709_2250%5B00%5D.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYczzl-_hZQBMdFFvtBuOb2ChFaqxBCJftjmBRdZ9oWi6SJB_t-DuDmIwayWE2bY7nXMn03IumiXkgzNhpdn7-jWAZGEEF0duG-fP06uB4WPohakTrfwpOCPC1E-S2fsH2Ab1bg/s320/041709_2250%5B00%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326830900575863346" /></a></center><br /><br />Watching your parents playing tic-tac-toe with straws and fake sugar at Perkins on a Friday night is always a great way to beat boredom while waiting for your nosh. (Note: this is before I got pulled over for speeding. With the parents in the car. At midnight. Talk about awkward. Good thing I only got a warning, or as my mom said, "That was almost a really expensive dinner." But we got pie, and ate it last night and it was delicious.)<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXAoKZmzy9wDLDyoM1sebSWE5DymidK5mZ1upzrh6AngbYvfZ_36bxT0dXCQzP3_dYh9RiSYxfCAMwIH0tEFKKqCVXvBG16x0I2_944edLfyG0exhEWZ-sLkFxyvusIORdjPq0g/s1600-h/041909_1209%5B00%5D.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXAoKZmzy9wDLDyoM1sebSWE5DymidK5mZ1upzrh6AngbYvfZ_36bxT0dXCQzP3_dYh9RiSYxfCAMwIH0tEFKKqCVXvBG16x0I2_944edLfyG0exhEWZ-sLkFxyvusIORdjPq0g/s320/041909_1209%5B00%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326830905555099346" /></a></center><br /><br />I discovered this gem, a store version of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!, when I was making grilled cheese for lunch yesterday. It was sitting innocuously in my parents' fridge, and cracked me up. When I commented on it later, my mom got very defensive and there was a five-minute discussion on how often my parents got <i>real</i> butter during their childhoods. I think I might draw a question mark on the packaging, because the phrase is really screaming for one.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW97UHVplK-It-Gvj4I49uY39y1UcZ265iTtA9GCOtthE8QWnNWtdhcKp8bcAhpf0n1C4MvcUIOmzmucFyQbEkQ5RoE4aExS9Kp2PMO284lpYH9LNZChZkfen41GSyI5peJdam4Q/s1600-h/042009_0854%5B00%5D.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW97UHVplK-It-Gvj4I49uY39y1UcZ265iTtA9GCOtthE8QWnNWtdhcKp8bcAhpf0n1C4MvcUIOmzmucFyQbEkQ5RoE4aExS9Kp2PMO284lpYH9LNZChZkfen41GSyI5peJdam4Q/s320/042009_0854%5B00%5D.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326830907114320514" /></a></center><br /><br />And finally, the forsythia is starting to bloom. Spring is really here. (Of course I could have told you spring was really here yesterday; I was woken up by a chorus of every chirping bird in town telling me that the sun was going to come up soon. Ah, the woes of being able to sleep with the windows open at last.)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-56715736305317556172009-03-30T17:02:00.005-05:002009-03-30T17:25:45.557-05:00Superbaby!It has been nearly two weeks since my last post, and though I have <i>thought</i> about blogging rather a lot, that probably counts for bupkis.<br /><br />The most exciting thing over the past two weeks happened last Thursday: I became an aunt.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQABhMtTpXv4ANTanWo7o9yelgC-wLUf-PnIyeV8-5OH_PoRhR5h-CyeP_KI6Gs7IuevazVlyRNDfya8xpftiAddzK02BrrNDr2yWaAa-6v6lEYHG6vxGpJsmSW0HUqWv7mOSq_A/s1600-h/babycakes.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQABhMtTpXv4ANTanWo7o9yelgC-wLUf-PnIyeV8-5OH_PoRhR5h-CyeP_KI6Gs7IuevazVlyRNDfya8xpftiAddzK02BrrNDr2yWaAa-6v6lEYHG6vxGpJsmSW0HUqWv7mOSq_A/s320/babycakes.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319105547574723538" /></a><br /><i>I got to hold Superbaby!</i></center><br /><br />As you can see by the way my arms envelop the little guy, he's quite tiny (as babies tend to be). As I've heard tell many times already — my mom's very talkative — he came out flying. Bounced off the doctor a little even, hence his nickname, Superbaby. I suspect his tale will be told many a time at that hospital.<br /><br />Ii don't recall if I said a whole lot about my brother Brox becoming a father. He turned 20 earlier this month; a few times I saw the deer-in-headlights look on his face and I could almost hear him thinking <i>Holy shit, what have I gotten myself into?</i> But I think he will be a good dad. <br /><br />Being a proper knitting auntie, I have already queued up a number of knits for Superbaby, not limited to something World of Warcraft-related and a peepee teepee (<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/biohazard-peepee-teepee" class="ravelry">no, really!</a>). Chiefly on the list, though, is a sweater with a detachable cape, fitting his aerial entrance into the world.<br /><br />To justify the WoW dorkiness, I'll tell you that, in addition to some thicker clothes, Superbaby's leaving-the-hospital outfit included an <i>I (heart) Star Wars</i> beanie and a onesie that read <i>I'm the first in a clone army!</i> (And I'm very impressed with the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=59549">Etsy seller WeROnesieful</a> who managed to fit that all on a onesie.)<br /><br />So. Eventful.<br /><br />Also, on the way back from lunch, I saw this, er, interesting yard art:<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Il5PvQzldWE6R1j2Ujnpdqy_VEr2SBwY2yJXV4zb_Y613CG-rV8-_syzRUA2JMcNxyPkeKoGm4Sk2if6JSYl1Oa3_x5Hyw8BCeoGucduxn24TNf-Qm47GBzagCd_SQZDTc-o9A/s1600-h/yardart.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Il5PvQzldWE6R1j2Ujnpdqy_VEr2SBwY2yJXV4zb_Y613CG-rV8-_syzRUA2JMcNxyPkeKoGm4Sk2if6JSYl1Oa3_x5Hyw8BCeoGucduxn24TNf-Qm47GBzagCd_SQZDTc-o9A/s320/yardart.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319104994617565698" /></a><br /><i>Wow.</i></center><br /><br />That's a soldier with a rifle kneeling at a noticeably-smaller-than-the-gun cross. Scary.<br /><br />That's all she wrote, folks. I've got stuff to do.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-9285264781089101242009-03-17T11:36:00.002-05:002009-03-17T11:47:08.774-05:00Top o' the mornin' to ya!I saw the pattern for <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-clover" class="ravelry">Lacy Clover</a> last week in the HP House Cup group; someone had made it for Charms class. Well, I snagged some DK cotton and a hook last night, and set to making the pattern. I found it was a lot easier to follow the schematic than the written instructions (once I deciphered all the symbols, that is). I finished it off this morning. Have a gander at my terrible cell phone photo below:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3362256381/" title="Lacy Clover by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3575/3362256381_b471498b4d.jpg" width="320" height="240" alt="Lacy Clover" /></a><br /><i>Just in time ...</i></center><br /><br />It's a bit brighter than that, but my photo editing program didn't want to go there. I'm pretty happy with the project; it was fairly simple, yet challenging in some spots. (I re-crocheted the last two rows of the leaves two or three times to get it to look right, and in the end deviated slightly from the pattern.)<br /><br />I would have stuck it in my hair, but my hair would have none of it today. (Not to mention it's a bit heavy, as it's DK cotton and about the size of my palm.)<br /><br />Don't drink too much green beer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-88241862076170258332009-03-12T15:10:00.003-05:002009-03-12T16:06:50.689-05:00Look! Her face could launch a thousand ships ...Last night's choir rehearsal was an exercise in Making It Up As I Go Along. The rehearsal began with me coming into the sanctuary with a ton of photocopies (so the choir could at least try to learn the praise band's music for this upcoming service), and ended with a little "choral-ography". I'm not even joking. They decided it would be fun to start the anthem at the back of the sanctuary and process up to the front during the first refrain. It worked surprisingly well, and I was really pleased that rehearsal hadn't been a big explosion of Lame. (That was a valid concern, I feel.)<br /><br />So, yay.<br /><br />Some other things on my mind: Joss Whedon's new show on Fox, <i>Dollhouse</i>. I'm really getting into the show. Tomorrow's episode will be the fifth of the season. It seemed a little slow going at first, and I kept thinking there was no way Fox would keep it on the air. (Incidentally, last week's episode was the first I was able to watch in its entirety on tv. The others I've had to catch <a href="http://www.hulu.com/dollhouse">on Hulu</a>. I'm really glad they're going online, just in cases.) Anyway, the fourth episode has been my favorite so far, though I'd like to go back through and watch them all again, because I keep feeling like I'm missing tons of the clue-like stuff Joss always throws in.<br /><br />I'm also on iTunes right now, chasing Holst. Specifically, <i>The Planets</i>. By far one of my favorite orchestral works. I started poking around yesterday, and my dad said I should look up Tomita's version, which is his favorite. But I'm also fond of the Berliner Philharmoniker, which is who I went for when I purchased Bizet's <i>L'Arlésienne</i>. To illustrate the difference between the two, I present them via the Tube.<br /><br /><center><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZMYvk_N6Q8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bZMYvk_N6Q8&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><i>Isao Tomita: Jupiter</i></center><br /><br />Pretty trippy, right? Now let's have another version.<br /><br /><center><object width="445" height="364"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u4UoIMSkbTs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u4UoIMSkbTs&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><i>Berliner Philharmoniker: Jupiter</i></center><br /><br />Now you understand why I couldn't resist adding both to my iTunes cart. The only copy of <i>The Planets</i> my family owns is a cassette, and I don't have a cassette player any longer, except in the minivan.<br /><br />Oh, and I added a little PDQ Bach to my cart as well: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcEMQJDcmXM">Please, Kind Sir</a> and <i>Variation V: Foghorn, Bell, Kazoo, Gargle</i> (for which I couldn't find a video on the Tubes).<br /><br />Anyhow, that's all I've got for now. I'm working on one shawl now, and a mystery stole pattern. Chart three will be released some time tomorrow; I'm about halfway through chart one. There's a small amount of catching up to be done. Off to the needles!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-72073470922159671712009-03-11T14:14:00.003-05:002009-03-11T15:29:46.414-05:00Spring Knitty: made of win.I haven't written, dear friends, and I apologize. To make up for it, let me tell you what I want to knit from the Spring '09 Knitty, which went live this morning.<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTshipwreck.php">Shipwreck Shawl</a>: a pi (circular) shawl, with a seaweed-y central motif and a fishnet outer edge. I am in love. (And if you scroll all the way to the bottom and look at the last shawl picture, you can see the sparkling green beads in the netting. LOVE.)</li><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/KSPATTaeolian.php">Aeolian Shawl</a>: another beautiful shawl. This one calls for beads, which is fun. There are also 7- and 9-stitch nupps, which scare the hell out of me. (Nupps are notorious for being difficult. I've successfully done 5-stitch nupps, but these really big ones are intimidating.)</li><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATThanne.php">Hanne</a>: an interesting vest-like scarf (or is that a scarf-like vest?) that would be a nice addition to a steampunk wardrobe, I think. It would probably look pretty smashing with <a href="http://www.nobbiesparties.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=11348">my new goggles</a>, which I got on Saturday.</li><li><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ripple-7">Ripple</a>: a faux entrelac scarf with a really ripply edging. Not queued yet, thought I might knit it sometime. It's really pretty to look at.</li><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTabsinthe.php">Absinthe</a>: beautiful cabled socks done by my classics buddy, <a href="http://fyberduck.wordpress.com/">fyberduck</a>. She has really outdone herself, and she's a fantastic designer. (Seriously, I let out a squeak when I saw the <i>chart</i> for the foot, let alone the whole sock.)</li><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTflitfloat.php">Flit 'n Float scarf</a>: the description of this one made me want to knit it for my mom, because she likes butterflies. She also likes lavender, which is the color of the modeled scarf.</li><li><a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTflock.php">Flock</a>: A mobile, made with knitted branches and birds. I love it. It will be perfect for my impending nephew.</li></ul><br /><br />I expect that, if you're a knitter on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com" class="ravelry">Ravelry</a>, that you've already padded your queue considerably. If you're not on Ravelry yet, ask me for an invite, or get yourself there and get on the waiting list! <br /><br />By the way, I also got my Princess Bride swap package last Friday. Grace from Ontario sent me a beautiful package full of awesome presents.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3341656860/" title="theloot by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3341656860_25aea6fc54.jpg" width="500" height="411" alt="theloot" /></a><br /><i>Foam crowns, yarn sleeves, knitted Inigo doll(!), chocolate wafers, a "farm boy, fetch me that pitcher", a lovely yellow scarf, and gorgeous, squishy yarn.</i></center><br /><br />All of that was packed in a bubble mailer, which is pretty amazing. I sent a box to my secret pal (who is also in Canada). Maybe I should have gone the really-big-bubble-envelope route, too, now that I know you can pack way more than you think in one of those bad boys!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-19322382369111849642009-02-25T11:57:00.000-06:002009-02-25T11:58:02.981-06:00Take to the sky... or at least have a good look at it.<br /><br />I just saw a beautiful image on <a href="http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090225.html">today's Astronomy Picture of the Day</a>. I recommend that you click through to catch the photo in its <s>not stolen</s> full glory, as well as catch a few tidbits offered by the crew at APOD.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GZaNktgmzXCYsnj0k0LXWg?authkey=jk1-zUWGCyU&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Oq9Pxrwgrsb-xfH-Qo6tew0scl_GXdYn67yqxnoiJS7MUyZ_nD61GkPTHqYaLnUym3Xj6MpLtFjMO0UXS0SFeTK7AqcYoFt9vAiJqQDV3ZNZG95lb8N2y_H2uE8VRP-6XdhRmQ/s400/Lulin2_richins.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br />The photo is of Comet Lullin, which is quite visible tonight, with a pair of binoculars or a telescope. A little more information can be found <a href="http://features.csmonitor.com/discoveries/2009/02/23/comet-lulin-arrives-tonight-break-out-your-telescopes/">here</a> (via <a href="http://twitter.com/scifri">@scifri</a>).<br /><br />I'm quite fond of stargazing. I used to want to be an astronomer, until I learned how much math was involved. (I can do math, but I don't particularly love it. Words and languages are, for the most part, friendlier.)<br /><br />When I was little, my dad used to take the family out to some dark location, hauling his binoculars, a tripod and a camera with a long-exposure attachment, in case he decided to take a photo. (Once I got in trouble for opening the car door, activating the dome light, while he was taking a photo; I'm pretty sure I not only ruined the exposure but got a little yelled at as well.) We've gone comet watching on a few occasions, and I think this would be a nice opportunity to do so again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-81972813139712419892009-02-24T17:02:00.003-06:002009-02-24T17:20:25.794-06:00What a girl needsSo I've been reading Penny Karma's blog for quite a while now. And I've been seeing this meme going around. Penny caught it, and wrote a post: <a href="http://beholdmybrilliance.blogspot.com/2009/02/wwpkd.html">WWPKD?</a>. PK decided to see whether her online persona is different from real-life Penny. I decided to have a look and see how mine compare. (What I enjoy about this meme is that the substance, if you can call it that, is taken completely out of context.)<br /><br />The litmus test? Google (of course) your first name followed by the word NEEDS, and blog the top ten results you get. So what's the difference between Christa and Xa?<br /><br /><ol><li>Xa needs replacement red shutter release button.</li><li>Xa needs repair!</li><li>Xa needs to look like...</li><li>Xa needs to be separate.</li><li>Xa needs some work on the light seals.</li><li>Xa needs no cleaning or painting. (Damn right I don't. Cleaning is for the birds.)</li><li>Xa needs to know about custom capabilities.</li><li>Xa needs laborers!</li><li>Xa needs prayer.</li><li>Xa needs the fulfillment of some operations.</li></ol><br /><ol><li>Christa needs us.</li><li>Christa needs HELP!</li><li>Christa needs to be put to death NOW! (Wait. Let's not be hasty.)</li><li>Christa needs to realize that despite the disappointing action, she is still deserving of friendship.</li><li>Christa needs to be judged on PTO if she is evil or not.</li><li>Christa needs a permanent family that will help her maintain her relationships with her birth and foster family.</li><li>Christa needs a loving, dedicated, attentive and supportive family who will ensure that her needs are met and help maximize her full potential.</li><li>Christa needs a brand description.</li><li>Christa needs some rest!</li><li>Christa needs someone genuine. </li></ol><br /><br />So, what do you need?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-9365746417664272222009-02-23T11:12:00.003-06:002009-02-23T12:34:57.268-06:00I want to be a mad scientist.I attended a ten-year-old's birthday party on Saturday. A <i>mad science</i> birthday party. I can't even begin to say how cool it is to have a science party. The mom even had a "mad scientist" come for an hour. (Also, I just checked out their website, and <a href="http://www.madscience.org/locations/centraliowa/careers.aspx">they're hiring</a>. How much fun would that be?) You better believe I wore my Dr. Horrible t-shirt to the party.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge81JX9zqQ94o2RAv-b7cT5TRV7QAP52pouz6G-xBlwQZOAwRd1UpPm7-gCSz68OlusjO08ugPcZi7EYops55nldUtV9dgaa8x7HV6y0e0yritD_AT2_DQM8NYxx28SgybT0ZRDA/s1600-h/collage.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 193px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge81JX9zqQ94o2RAv-b7cT5TRV7QAP52pouz6G-xBlwQZOAwRd1UpPm7-gCSz68OlusjO08ugPcZi7EYops55nldUtV9dgaa8x7HV6y0e0yritD_AT2_DQM8NYxx28SgybT0ZRDA/s320/collage.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306043907378624946" /></a><br /><i>My mom and I doing the wave, green "slime", <br />and an incredibly cute hedgehog.</i></center><br /><br />(That scarf the hedgehog's wearing is my handiwork: just a quick double crochet with fringe.)<br /><br />Meanwhile, back at the ranch: work has been driving me crazy. (So much so that I've been moving a number of my more important files to flash drive, which I should have done before.) Maybe I <i>will</i> apply for a mad scientist job.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-67994400192049649382009-02-16T10:57:00.003-06:002009-02-16T11:20:18.164-06:00I'm home!I had a really fun weekend in Iowa City. I tried to tweet occasionally via my mobile. Some of them didn't make it through, unfortunately. I'm going to pull the texts from my phone (though if you want the Twitter, it's <a href="http://twitter.com/xamonster">here</a>).<br /><br /><blockquote> Road trip! Iowa City, here I come. 1:23 PM Feb 13<br />Just saw a license plate that read EAT KFC. 2:18 PM Feb 13<br />Cocktails at I.C. Ugly's. 6:29 PM Feb 13<br />Playing Bingo at a gay bar before a drag show. 9:28 PM Feb 13<br />I might turn into a pumpkin in a minute. I rarely stay out so late. 1:04 AM Feb 14<br />Willis & doodleberries. Bwa ha ha. 10:27 AM Feb 14<br />The best thing about gelato is the tiny shovel. Well, and the taste. 3:01 PM Feb 14<br />Sushi fills you up so much. Five pieces and I'm spent. 11:23 PM Feb 14<br />WTF. Techno line dance? 12:48 AM Feb 15<br />A song about IKEA is almost as good as going there. 12:53 PM Feb 15</blockquote><br /><br />So yes. We had lots and lots of fun. Hopefully those photos will end up on Facebook so's I can steal them away and show you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-84510886126931531262009-02-12T16:03:00.003-06:002009-02-12T16:29:14.539-06:00Sut mae. Sut dych chi?Afternoon, friends. (Or better: prynhawn da.)<br /><br />I decided to start learning a new language by means of podcast, so I clicked through the language directory on iTunes. I ended up choosing Welsh, via the <a href="http://learnwelshpodcast.blogspot.com">Learn Welsh Podcast</a>. I've listened to the first episode a couple times now, and the vocab is slowly starting to stick in my head.<br /><br />What I really like about this podcast is that Jason, the host, puts out a PDF with each episode so that you can have a visual idea of what you're saying (or trying to say). Having come across Welsh only very occasionally (reading and re-reading <i>The Grey King</i> by Susan Cooper, which takes place in Wales), I find the pronunciation to be a bit ... strange. (Of course, I'm used to Spanish, German, ancient Greek and Latin.) I think my main problem thus far is putting the sound together with the spelling. So I'll keep with the practicing. <br /><br />I'm going to eastern Iowa tomorrow to spend time with some friends I haven't seen for quite a while. Hopefully it won't start snowing (at least not too much) before I leave. That would be sad.<br /><br />Peace out, yo.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-21123239585797642462009-02-04T10:45:00.000-06:002009-02-04T10:45:00.546-06:00Bread pudding and meditation<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3247174231/" title="mmm bread pudding by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3363/3247174231_770a147072.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="mmm bread pudding" /></a></center><br /><br />Bread pudding makes a delicious breakfast, by the bye, if a little sweet. It's like shredded French toast, really, with raisins on top. And sugar. <br /><br />As you can see, I did a little baking on Sunday, to celebrate the arrival of February and that spring is just a little closer. It was so nice that I was able to turn off the heat and prop the front door open for a little fresh air. Of course, then we were back to ice cube air by Sunday night, but spring is tip-toeing closer. And I did a little pre-spring cleaning, besides. Four bags of shredded paper? I think so. And Saturday I pulled out the washer and dryer to dig out everything from behind. I found old mail (not mine) from 2006 back there, as well as enough dust bunnies to join forces and make a dust jackalope.<br /><br />I've also been doing a bit of knitting, as usual. Here's something to help with meditation a bit: the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/baltic-finger-labyrinth" class="ravelry">Baltic Finger Labyrinth</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3251003672/" title="Baltic Labyrinth by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/3251003672_eda0f76a08.jpg" width="500" height="295" alt="Baltic Labyrinth" /></a></center><br /><br />Except I got a little carried away last night and will have to frog back a couple rows. Something is a little whacky with the center. I'm not exactly exactly following the chart to the letter, so that might be why my center is strange. I tried dropping the offending stitches this morning to attempt to fix it without frogging, but I think I just made it worse. So when I'm finished with choir rehearsal tonight, I'll curl up in my chair, queue up a few podcasts, and work it out. <br /><br />I'm still quite pleased with how it looks otherwise. I'll have to add some edging to it to keep it from rolling — probably single crochet — as I chose to knit the project in stockinette. The original was knit in garter stitch, which probably would have been a smarter choice, but I decided to go with smooth.<br /><br />That's all she wrote for today. I can't really think of a whole lot.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-89147776047543017072009-01-28T14:36:00.004-06:002009-01-28T14:55:53.286-06:00Let's go treasure hunting!I accomplished the homework for another House Cup class since I last posted, and I'm a big fan of how it turned out (and I didn't bleed due to trying to put it on my cat).<br /><br />Because this project was so open-ended, it took me a really long time to come up with something. In the end, I decided to make something for my steampunk alias, which I'm still in the process of developing. Her name is Ginevra Lucette Valentine (and kudos to you if you can figure out the two references in there), and she's an adventurer and explorer.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3228566757/" title="Travel Map Case by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/3228566757_3d347af1f9.jpg" width="500" height="354" alt="Travel Map Case" /></a><br /><br />The task was to come up with a project corresponding to the Character, Heart and Social numbers unique to your name. (Numbers discerned with the help of <a href="http://www.beyondhogwarts.com/harry-potter/articles/an-introduction-to-arithmancy.html">this link</a>.) What's interesting is that my online alias xamonster and my steampunk alias have the very same numbers: 3 Character, 3 Heart, 9 Social. (A link to the further explanation of personality numbers can be found on the link above.)<br /><br />Here's my description from the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/arithmancy-steampunky-map-case" class="ravelry">project page</a>: <br /><blockquote>I chose <b>scarlet (S9)</b> and <b>tangerine (C3)</b> for my main colors. I chose to do a <B>travel case (h3)</b> for a <b>map (C3)</b>: no true steampunk treasure hunter goes exploring without a map! I opted to crochet my case in order to have a stronger fabric.<br /><br />The disc for the base began with <b>6 stitches (3+3)</b> around, increased to 24. I continued in dc for <b>9 inches</b> before finishing in sc with <b>3 tangerine stripes</b>. The disc for the cap began with <b>9 stitches</b> around, increased to <b>27 (9x3)</b>, dc for a few rounds, then adding sc with <b>3 tangerine stripes</b>. The strap was dc on a base <b>3 stitches</b> wide.<br /><br />To reinforce the case, there is a cardboard tube, which will (at some point in the hopefully not-so-distant future) painted a metallic color with a Mod Podge top coat to protect it.</blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3228558271/" title="Travel Map Case by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3228558271_7cbbecc527.jpg" width="500" height="421" alt="Travel Map Case" /></a><br /><br />Check out my sexy coffee table. It's a trunk that used to belong to my great-grandmother.<br /><br />That is all.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-40331964387856063512009-01-22T14:14:00.002-06:002009-01-22T15:42:05.022-06:00Tweeting around in my headTwitter. I do not use it. However, I have recently started subscribing to certain RSS feeds of certain Twitter users, just so's I can follow their tweets.<br /><br />It started innocently enough, with <a href="http://twitter.com/feliciaday">Felicia Day</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/drhorrible">Dr Horrible</a>. Then I saw that Unclutterer has one, which I call <a href="http://twitter.com/UncluttererTips">TwUnclutterer</a>. And then <a href="http://twitter.com/ravelrystatus/">Ravelry</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/knittydotcom/">Amy over at Knitty</a> got Twitter. And then Felicia made a <a href="http://feliciaday.com/2009/01/twitter-author-list">list of authors who use Twitter</a>. I learned that <a href="http://twitter.com/neilhimself/">Neil Gaiman</a> has Twitter, as do <a href="http://twitter.com/stephenfry">Stephen Fry</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/johncleese">John Cleese</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/john_lithgow">John Lithgow</a>, and <a href="http://twitter.com/wilw">Wil Wheaton</a>. <br /><br />As I was skimming tweets Monday morning, I noticed that Wil Wheaton had sent a tweet to <a href="http://twitter.com/brentspiner">Brent Spiner</a>, and then somehow I got to <a href="http://twitter.com/levarburton">Levar Burton</a>. I have a Trek trifecta! How fantastic is that? (I'm such a dork.)<br /><br />But I'm still going to stick with the <a href="http://plurk.com/xamonster/invite">Plurk</a>.<br /><br /><i>Edited to respond to binerman's comment</i>: I have a clan of knitters on the Plurk. And FYI: <a href="http://twitter.com/xamonster">xamonster</a>.<br /><br /><br />Foremost in my mind today, however, are two phrases: "President Barack Obama" and "former President George W. Bush". Tuesday was a good day for the country.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-42596205918920939322009-01-19T10:35:00.003-06:002009-01-19T10:45:50.500-06:00I will taunt you a second time<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3209331301/" title="I hate you by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3266/3209331301_3261fc37dc.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="I hate you" /></a></center><br /><br />How, you may ask, did you manage to get a cat to hold still long enough to place a hat on his head?<br /><br />In short, I didn't. This photo is some kind of miracle. Most of the brief photo shoot this morning actually went like this: <br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3209311773/" title="You can't get me by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3514/3209311773_ca355fe811.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="You can't get me" /></a></center><br /><br />This is the aptly-named <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/international-cat-hat-france-le-mieux" class="ravelry">Demetrios is an angry French cat</a> hat, but is known on Ravelry as International Cat Hat: France, Le Mieux. There is a small number of hats for other countries: Germany, Japan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom — even <a href="http://spindlesandspices.blogspot.com/2008/06/international-cat-hat-usa.html">the US</a> (a stunning rendition of the Statue of Liberty's crown and scepter).<br /><br />That's all I can muster today. Happy MLK Day!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-38177241956801538932009-01-15T15:17:00.003-06:002009-01-15T16:02:08.964-06:00In which my toes are a little cold.As I may have mentioned previously, I feel that Neil Gaiman has <a href="http://piratexa.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-which-i-share-someone-elses-content.html">a way with words</a>. Let me once more demonstrate:<br /><blockquote>Oww. Windchill. Cold like knives cold.<br /><div align="right">Twitter from <a href="http://twitter.com/neilhimself/statuses/1119100463">neilhimself</a></div> </blockquote><br />Concise, yet accurate as always.<br /><br /><br />I also learned last night that I am, in point of fact, a bad person for wanting to de-claw my cat primarily because he keeps making holes in the window plastic. I would make him duck tape mittens, but he would just gnaw his paws off. Ah well. Patchwork Window Project continues. More photos ought to follow.<br /><br />Also, I have finished my January Charms project, Urchin. <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/urchin" class="ravelry">Expecto patronum!</a><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3195589348/" title="Urchin by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/3195589348_df8520bce0.jpg" width="500" height="394" alt="Urchin" /></a></center><br /><br />Nice, eh? Now back to your regularly scheduled cold air, which is probably causing hell to freeze over again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-54200607525341931632009-01-12T14:38:00.000-06:002009-01-12T14:38:30.263-06:00Secret boyfriend?I have broken a taboo.<br /><br />I watched Saturday Night Live.<br /><br />I had an excellent excuse: Neil Patrick Harris. Have I ever told you that I love him? Probably not. His appearance as Dr. Horrible last July made me turn in to a bit of a NPH fan girl. (I bought the <i>Assassins</i> soundtrack on iTunes primarily because he sings on it.) Seriously, he's up there with Johnny Depp. (This is kind of a scary thing, friends.) I'm going to have to find a cardboard cutout of Neil as well.<br /><br />The reason SNL is such a taboo for me is that in recent years it has come to be the most un-funny-yet-trying-to-be-funny thing on the planet. I think they try too hard. I mean really, is there still a writer's strike or something? Their sketches are awful.<br /><br />But Neil, oh Neil. He made SNL worth <s>breaking taboo</s> watching. Admittedly, the funniest bit of the show was the "Digital Short". (Was there really anything digital about it? Do they film it ahead of time and just call it "digital"? That's kind of a cop-out if you ask me. Which you didn't.) Doogie Howser theme for the win. And did you see that Neil was playing? I love that he can play the piano. (Let's have a moment of silence for some fan girl squee, shall we?)<br /><br />Ok, back to business. Something that really irritated me about SNL (aside from the un-funny sketches and scenes that drag on too long [like that dreadful Penelope tripe — what was that?]) was Taylor Swift. I've heard her music on the radio, but when it comes to watching her perform, I'm confused. Why is she holding a guitar? She strums two chords and is done with it. Guitars are not accessories, music industry! Bah.<br /><br />That's all she wrote, for now. I went through the yarn stash last weekend, and there are photos. Scared yet?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-88526316340165454222009-01-08T18:09:00.000-06:002009-01-08T18:09:49.748-06:00Ra Ra Ravenclaw!This post is going to be primarily about knitting and Harry Potter, so if you're not interested in any of that, you probably ought to skip this post.<br /><br />I finished my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/luna-lovegood-scarf" class="ravelry">Luna scarf</a>, which was my first project for the new term of <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/hp-knitting-crochet-house-cup/" class="ravelry">Harry Potter Knitting / Crochet House Cup</a>. I'm knitting (and crocheting, as you can see below) for Ravenclaw again, which is nice. I was prepared to knit for another house again, but the numbers ended up being fairly balanced and I think everyone got their first choice.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3177350946/" title="Luna scarf by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3338/3177350946_578ddabd8b_b.jpg" width="614" height="515" alt="Luna scarf" /></a><br /><i>Luna Lovegood scarf. Slightly twisty, slightly itchy, but sweet</i></center><br /><br />The scarf was crocheted from stash wool, which is amazing in and of itself. I ran out of the first color (the lightest) and went stash diving to dig out some more coordinated colors. The Luna scarf was an assignment from this month's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. The task was this:<br /><blockquote>This month you will be learning the Imperius Curse: Go to our Group Members Page. Close your eyes. Click on a fellow Housecupper. Make something from their projects page. (Because it’s like the other Housecupper controlling you - but there’s a certain amount of agency, because you can choose what project you do…and also because if you hate everything, you could choose another person - we totally wouldn’t know.)</blockquote><br /><br />So I thought the assignment was pretty cool. I clicked on a person called MOEgir198, who had already made a Luna scarf, and there you have it.<br /><br />Here's a quick rundown of the rest of the classes for this month. (And the list of classes available to take has been expanded, which was nice.)<br /><ul><li><b>Herbology</b>: cleaning the greenhouse. Clean your Ravelry queue, update stash and needles lists, organize yarn stash (with before and after photos) and make a 12-month plan of at least one project per month to work on.</li><li><b>Care of Magical Creatures</b>: knit or crochet something that will keep the magical creature in your home warm. These items can also be donated if you don't happen to have any pets.</li><li><b>History of Magic</b>: knowledge. The first assignment is a 25-question quiz; the answers are to be found in the seven books of the series, as well as <i>Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them</i>, <i>Quidditch Through the Ages</i>, and <i>Tales of Beedle the Bard</i>.</li><li><b>Charms</b>: the Patronus Charm. Create either a cure for seasonal depression (i.e. something to make YOU happy) or depicts the patronus as a messenger (a messenger bag or book cover).</li><li><b>Arithmancy</b>: the magic in math. Using the site <a href="http://www.beyondhogwarts.com/harry-potter/articles/an-introduction-to-arithmancy.html">Intro to Arithmancy</a>, obtain your three numbers of interest: Character, Heart and Social. Then craft a project that features these three numbers.</li></ul><br /><br />I have a few ideas so far, and I have already started on my project for Charms class. I'm knitting a beret called <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall07/PATTurchin.html">Urchin</a> which is from the Fall '07 issue of Knitty. The wool I'm using is the giant cake of black wool from Heartland Fiber Co (that new LYS in town that <a href="http://piratexa.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-which-there-are-terrifying-space.html">I finally visited</a>*).<br /><br />A new thing for the winter term is OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). The assignment is to choose a class to attempt an OWL for, present your written portion, and then commence the project, which is due at the end of the term (end of March). I'm thinking of doing a project for Herbology ("students should be able to easily manipulate oversized organic creations"). My project plan is a cabled blanket, Serenity. I was also thinking about Charms, for which I'd knit a shawl. I'm still up in the air about that.<br /><br />That's really all I have to say. Kudos to you if you've made it through this whole post!<br /><br /><br />*This link, coincidentally, is the same one I shared two posts ago when I mentioned the cortisone shot for my shoulder. Weird.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-21758334766247456482009-01-06T10:07:00.003-06:002009-01-06T10:20:03.956-06:00In which I share someone else's contentYou might know that I enjoy reading books that Neil Gaiman has written. I also enjoy reading blog posts he's written. I would like to share bits of a couple recent posts with you.<br /><br />Firstly, something about the new year, which I enjoy most particularly for the photo (which is completely and thoroughly hijacked from Mr Gaiman's blog post <a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/at-turning-of-year.html">At the turning of the year</a>).<br /><br /><blockquote><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxZFSJJ3lyUADjTxLK34f44ewXOdGushfMIhcvUZ1b7M16DBHcgJGuF2uIzPhcKVcGvIH_jtCLD8gj-hdza69GMDQBjS5yJH7UtdwGhd3KJ0P4KhSYfoqVr2ZhWwWTvptN23Hbg/s1600-h/XXX_038L_Edd_Cartier_Gnome_Press_Calendar_January_1950.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxZFSJJ3lyUADjTxLK34f44ewXOdGushfMIhcvUZ1b7M16DBHcgJGuF2uIzPhcKVcGvIH_jtCLD8gj-hdza69GMDQBjS5yJH7UtdwGhd3KJ0P4KhSYfoqVr2ZhWwWTvptN23Hbg/s320/XXX_038L_Edd_Cartier_Gnome_Press_Calendar_January_1950.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288213965926833538" /></a></center><br /><br />...to mark the passing of Edd Cartier (and the nearly-done-ness of 2008). Of all the pulp magazine artists of the 30s-50s, including such masters as Virgil Finlay and Kelly Freas, Cartier was my favourite, particularly his work in Unknown Worlds. Marvellous stuff. If I had known he was still alive, I suspect I would have written him a fan letter. Instead, I discovered the other day, <a href="http://www.locusmag.com/2008/News_Obits_December.html">from Locus</a>, that he (and <a href="http://www.johnpicacio.com/2008/12/james-cawthorn-1929-2008.html">James Cawthorn</a>, who was, with Mal Dean, the definitive Moorcock illustrator) had just died, and now I know that Mr Cartier was alive, it's too late.</blockquote><br /><br />The other post I want to share (<a href="http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/another-year.html">Another year</a>) has a couple different fun bits. The first celebrates the knighting of author Terry Pratchett, and the doffing of caps.<br /><br /><blockquote>Let's see. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7804693.stm">The biggest and the best news of the day is that Terry Pratchett is now Sir Terrence of Pratchett.</a> Hurrah. <br /><br />I shall doff my cap the next time I see him. It will be the best-doffed cap in the land.<br /><br />I shall buy a cap first, specially.</blockquote><br /><br />The second bit of the post shares his wishes for the coming year.<br /><br /><blockquote>...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Neil truly makes me smile. Now back to your regularly-scheduled Tuesday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-21671059469166194172009-01-05T16:44:00.002-06:002009-01-05T16:45:42.932-06:00In which there are haircuts and to-do listsHappy 2009! I know a lot of people who had a rather rough time of it over the past 12 months, and I hope that this year goes a lot better for them.<br /><br />That being said, I have not made any concrete resolutions. I have started using a to-do service (<a href="http://toodledo.com">Toodledo</a>) and it helps me to keep track of things that need to be done. Right now I have categories for knitting, cleaning, work and Ravelry. It's pretty cool.<br /><br />I don't have a whole lot to say today, I suppose, other than the usual hooray for the new year bit. I got my hairs cut recently, and got a fairly cute PhotoBooth shot of it last week.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz26PISyXNittPsPB1OQmv_h0VbzYIWBWJnd1s-_SZ__0Qi7PynRofmr-iUqhJX7PL4o3FO7tlDiCfOQ2rqatfZiYikLJI5N7F0Xnz4d9B-GUWWmgkFqy6v5uF4XUKd0LFX6E6A/s1600-h/cutehair.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 366px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz26PISyXNittPsPB1OQmv_h0VbzYIWBWJnd1s-_SZ__0Qi7PynRofmr-iUqhJX7PL4o3FO7tlDiCfOQ2rqatfZiYikLJI5N7F0Xnz4d9B-GUWWmgkFqy6v5uF4XUKd0LFX6E6A/s400/cutehair.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287942073692712642" /></a></center><br /><br />I'm feeling a little weird today. I have a bit of a headache and feel kind of dizzy. I'm also a bit flushed. (This is a good reason for not showing you a PhotoBooth of today's look, although my hair somehow gave itself sausage bangs.) And I got a bill for the $88 my insurance decided not to cover from <a href="http://piratexa.blogspot.com/2008/12/in-which-there-are-terrifying-space.html">the cortisone shot I got last month</a>, which was nice. I suppose I should be happy that they covered some of it, eh?<br /><br />I need to go now. I started writing this post four hours before actually publishing it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-75946925353492272982008-12-29T11:27:00.002-06:002008-12-29T11:50:10.362-06:00On French taunting and giftsI had a really nice holiday. I got some cool gifts (including Wii Music!) and got to see <i>Spamalot</i> at the Civic Center in Des Moines.<br /><br />The show first: it was a riot. My mom got the tickets for the family as a Christmas gift. There was a 2-for-1 price for the show on Christmas day, so eight people ended up going (the parents, both of my brothers and their girlfriends, my "third brother" [who is really just one of those random hangers-on, but we love him anyway], and I). <br /><br />It was a nice way to spend the evening. The cast was extra funny, and there was a lot of ad lib going on. A couple different performers stuck Christmas songs in the middle of their pieces, and the insulting French guard said, "I will taunt you a second time. I throw shoes at your president." We all cracked up at that one. If you get a chance to see <i>Spamalot</i>, I highly recommend it. <br /><br />Gifts: My mom's a rock star. She got me some nice things for the house that make life just that much nicer. One thing she found is a tension rod shower organizer. The best part is that the baskets and hook are adjustable and can be whatever height you need. The chief reason she got the thing was for the hook. When my bathroom was re-done, the landlord installed a curtain rod that has a 90° turn in it, which is great except for one thing: it sags from the weight of the curtains. The hook on my new organizer eliminates the problem and works a treat. Yay!<br /><br />Another cool home thing I got was a curtain rod that has a hinged elbow piece, allowing it to hold a curtain at an angle. I have a very heavy lined curtain separating my upstairs bedroom from the rest of the house, which helps keep heating costs down. (For some reason there are no heating vents upstairs, but only a return.) To stay warm at night, I have an electric sheet. I had always had issues with getting the curtain to stay; it was always just too short to fit the gap. Now the curtain turns the corner and fits pretty much perfectly. (In truth I am amazed at just how nice a job the thing is doing. Just 20 minutes after having hung the curtain on the new rod, there was a noticeable difference in temperature between upstairs and down.)<br /><br />I also received an iTunes gift card, a Target gift card, and a book, as well as a random assortment of chocolates. I used the Target gift card already and bough some new in-ear headphones for my iPod and a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii. (I have been wanting a new AC for ages, and now I finally have it! I'm so excited. My new town is called Growly; my character is Xa and my brother's, Rawr. We are silly people.)<br /><br />That is all I have for now. If I don't post again before Thursday, then I'll see you next year! Here comes 2009 ...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-79051710599542354032008-12-22T12:08:00.003-06:002008-12-22T12:30:54.821-06:00On finished knitting and broken scrapersI have managed to finish a couple projects since last I posted. Firstly the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/fish-hat-dead-or-alive" class="ravelry">Whovian Fish Hat</a>, which will hopefully be a good compliment to my dad's Dr. Who scarf. (You know, the really long-ass scarf that he never wears.)<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3128814462/" title="Whovian Fish Hat by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3265/3128814462_48084d505f.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Whovian Fish Hat" /></a><br /><i>Won't this be sexxy on someone's head?</i></center><br /><br />I also finished a gift for (my brother) Brox's girlfriend. She told me that she's often cold, so I designed a pair of armwarmers for her. They're made of worsted wool, and have cables. I intend to post the pattern to Ravelry. They're called (at the moment) <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/not-fancy-cabled-armwarmers" class="ravelry">Not Fancy Cabled Armwarmers</a>.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3128001039/" title="Not So Fancy Cabled Armwarmers by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3241/3128001039_a6a7b2db8e.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Not So Fancy Cabled Armwarmers" /></a><br /><i>I am testing them at work today for ... quality assurance.</i></center><br /><br />I think there are a couple adjustments I might make (like not as many thumb increases, or using twisted rib instead of regular ribbing), but all in all I'm very happy with them. Hooray!<br /><br />In other news that's not related to yarn (except for all the knitted things I was wearing at the time), I managed to break the ice scraper while chipping really thick ice away from the van. Oops! That's the second scraper my family has broken in a week — my mom broke her new one chipping through ice last Friday. That's crazy.<br /><br />Needless to say, I had to walk to work this morning. And I had to deal with Frosty Scarf Syndrome (which is when your exhalations leave a cold, evil residue on your scarf and then it presses against your already frozen face).<br /><br />I'm done with winter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-84103475873603646612008-12-18T11:28:00.003-06:002008-12-18T12:52:26.610-06:00Two photos of frosty windows, and lots of words besidesI'm pretty sure Google has gone crazy, because my computer is displaying it in Spanish. It seems my IP address changed (although I don't know how, as I have had a static IP for a long time).<br /><br />Anyway, what I really want to show you is proof that I will indeed have patchwork tape windows.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/xamonster/3113547033/" title="patchwork window by xamonster, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3116/3113547033_996bc251a0.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="patchwork window" /></a><br /><i>Cat Attacks Window, Leaves No Sign Of Struggle</i></center><br /><br />WTF? My windows are not made of catnip, last I checked. Ah well.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MCyDO_GjXrEFXXTF3dMlpw"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPpgTeYK6aIjaP6x_PXg5q9QNyNUtet4axoOns-W0Qer45M2Lqgwy3Tya1FojHp4xf-3rb_PzOiPyMddZnPcN9L1vm2wLOibmPZL64WhwpQg7JA1WUAi4yhLRsYy1xAwOaAZHpg/s400/ornamentswap.jpg" /></a><br /><i>Awesome swap package!</i></center><br /><br />I joined an ornament swap for the Knit / Crochet House Cup on Ravelry. My package arrived yesterday from the UK, sent by the fantastic <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/cmelvin" class="ravelry">cmelvin</a>, who is pretty much a rock star. As you can see, she sent some really cool stuff: an angel, a drop spindle ornament, a book plate, and a postcard, as well as a letter from Professor C. Melvin and a Christmas card. I love it all.<br /><br />I sent my swap package off today, which heads to Florida. I hope the recipient enjoys what I made!<br /><br />And now, before I'm buried in the ice storm and potentially lose power (seriously, they're projecting that the eastern 2/3 of the city loses power because we have above ground power lines and the rest of the city has buried lines), I'd like to share two more things. First, it's my kitchen window this morning. The frost looked kind of pretty.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT34QPPJ6f1s9UwFG2BPY6NV6ktuY6zWaSy1OsmE2UU83_zdM10EiB4LN3qT1RFxckB62qp-eJ-UYfpuA0MbeRTwNI87Dub6mN9M0sd4AL6ZK72oPG_j0-WVdc3Q3v_u0jxlkHkw/s1600-h/kitchenwindow.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT34QPPJ6f1s9UwFG2BPY6NV6ktuY6zWaSy1OsmE2UU83_zdM10EiB4LN3qT1RFxckB62qp-eJ-UYfpuA0MbeRTwNI87Dub6mN9M0sd4AL6ZK72oPG_j0-WVdc3Q3v_u0jxlkHkw/s400/kitchenwindow.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281204022949969954" /></a></center><br /><br />And lastly, <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hZathGA--rzoWHh5uRoNw25Fjs5QD954LTRO0">a local story</a> from the Associated Press, which was shared by elisamatic over on Plurk.<br /><br /><blockquote><center><b>Iowa town's roads well seasoned</b></center><br />ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Slush has never smelled so spicy. City crews in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny are using garlic salt to melt snow and ice on streets from Tuesday's storm. The salt was donated by Tone Brothers Inc., a top spice producer headquartered in Ankeny.<br /><br />Public Works Administrator Al Olson said the company donated 18,000 pounds of garlic salt to use on its 400 miles of roads.<br /><br />Olson doesn't have details, but he said the salt would have ended up in the landfill, so the company donated it. A telephone call Wednesday to Tone Brothers wasn't immediately returned.<br /><br />Olson said the city mixed the garlic salt with regular road salt and it works fine. He said some road workers say it makes them hungry, but Olson doesn't recommend it to spice up lunch or dinner.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Really, Iowa. You just keep getting crazier. Now I want to go to Ankeny and see if it makes me crave Italian food.<br /><br />Anyway, I'll let you know what happens.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-60663134146039022092008-12-16T22:51:00.003-06:002008-12-16T23:29:03.293-06:00Tell me about yourselfYou have probably seen this game before, but if not the rules are simple: copy my questions and answers, replace my answers with yours, and either post on your blog or in comments. <br /><br />I totally swiped this from GeekLover on Plurk. Follow the link for <a href="http://cameracrazy-misty.blogspot.com/2008/12/whooooo-are-you-who-who-who-who.html">her answers</a>.<br /><br />1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?<br />My middle name, which is one of the most common middle names ever, was from a great aunt. Also, my mom told me once that my full first name was after the Spanish word for chestnut, which is <i>castaña</i>.<br /><br />2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?<br />I think it's been a while. I'm probably due.<br /><br />3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?<br />Sometimes my writing looks really nice, and other times it's sloppy as hell and I can hardly decipher it. For the most part, though, I think it looks fine and it serves its purpose.<br /><br />4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?<br />Whatever is on the Spicy Italian at Subway is pretty tasty.<br /><br />5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?<br />Nope. Just a metric ton of cats.<br /><br />6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?<br />Depends on what kind of other person I would be. Maybe, although I suspect I'd annoy the shit out of myself.<br /><br />7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?<br />No, I have never once in my live used sarcasm. (Bwa ha ha ha ha.)<br /><br />8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS<br />Yes indeed, and one of them has a really funky growth. Always has.<br /><br />9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?<br />I totally thought about it in Corinth, over the Corinthian Canal, but they weren't open. <br /><br />10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?<br />Kix, or Rice Krispies. Or Honeycomb.<br /><br />11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?<br />Nope. (I take my shoes off at work, too, and walk around in socks for most of the day.)<br /><br />12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?<br />Peppermint stick with the candy cane bits. I love this time of year for that. I also love rainbow sherbet.<br /><br />13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?<br />Their knitted garments, then their hair.<br /><br />14. RED OR PINK?<br />Deep red, but sometimes pink.<br /><br />15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?<br />I'm very fluffy; there's what seems to be an 18-wheeler's tire stuck there.<br /><br />16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?<br />My Luther friends. Why do they all live so far away?<br /><br />17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?<br />Meh.<br /><br />18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?<br />I'm at work, so I'm not wearing shoes at the moment. But I am wearing my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/xamonster/kaylee" class="ravelry">Kaylee socks</a>.<br /><br />19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?<br />A gigantic Kit-Kat.<br /><br />20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?<br />The hum of fluorescent lights and computer fans, tempered by the occasional hiss of the police scanner.<br /><br />21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?<br />Probably turquoise.<br /><br />22. FAVORITE SMELLS?<br />Outside after a thunderstorm. Also this funky body spray I have.<br /><br />23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?<br />My ride to this evening's Music Club festivities. (They were indeed festive.)<br /><br />24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?<br />I stole it from a blog — it was sent like manna from the gods ...<br /><br />25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?<br />Knitting Olympics count, right?<br /><br />26. Hair Color?<br />Medium brown.<br /><br />27. EYE COLOR?<br />Hazel, though they change a lot. They're probably tinted toward green at the moment.<br /><br />28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?<br />Nope.<br /><br />29. FAVORITE FOOD?<br />Toast is the best thing ever to happen to sliced bread. <br /><br />30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?<br />Happy movies with scary endings?<br /><br />31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? <br />I saw <i>Twilight</i> with my mom Sunday evening.<br /><br />32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?<br />White undershirt, olive green long-sleeve tee over that, and forest green sweater on top.<br /><br />33. SUMMER OR WINTER?<br />I hate the cold, but I also abhor the humidity. Iowa has both, and I don't quite understand why I continue to live here.<br /><br />34. Hugs or kisses?<br />Kisses, because I don't like those white swirls in the Hugs. (You were talking about Hershey's chocolate, right?)<br /><br />35. FAVORITE DESSERT?<br />Chocolate anything.<br /><br />36. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?<br />I'm not asking for responses, but it would be nice if you'd like to.<br /><br />37. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND<br />I'm not asking for responses, so I won't be too disappointed if nobody responds.<br /><br />38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?<br />Um, I suppose I ought to get past the intro in <i>The Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat</i> by Eric Roston.<br /><br />39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?<br />I don't use mouse pads. They make me angry.<br /><br />40. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?<br />Headlines on Leno, and the first bit of Craig Ferguson, who's effing hilarious.<br /><br />41. FAVORITE SOUND?<br />Thunder, or wind against the house when I'm snug in bed.<br /><br />42. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?<br />Eh, I don't mind either. "Penny Lane" is a nice song.<br /><br />43. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?<br />Istanbul, Turkey.<br /><br />44. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?<br />I play with yarn, and I like grammar.<br /><br />45. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?<br />Des Moines, Iowa<br /><br />46. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?<br />Whoever decides to fill them out.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-50719249010261784762008-12-15T09:48:00.006-06:002008-12-15T10:33:13.556-06:00Baby, it's cold outsideHello! First post at the new URL. *happydance* Unfortunately, xamonster.blogspot.com was taken, so I decided to go with piratexa. It's very nice. Also, I didn't realize it but the last post was number 666. See?<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLQnYTbk1rB4phLR4fSn2hpU0QwM9NPvCwDzBZqnwb4KA7RjZUgow35QSsD4amJyzU2BxHNeGsKQJXcNjhHZFUwm5_zdwgDME6bH6icaA1xRIShxsZh0s3ElJWkuxNW3W7xOMTw/s1600-h/hothouse.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 36px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRLQnYTbk1rB4phLR4fSn2hpU0QwM9NPvCwDzBZqnwb4KA7RjZUgow35QSsD4amJyzU2BxHNeGsKQJXcNjhHZFUwm5_zdwgDME6bH6icaA1xRIShxsZh0s3ElJWkuxNW3W7xOMTw/s200/hothouse.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280049540629620002" /></a></center><br /><br />Bwa ha ha ha ha. (I also have a PhD in Horribleness.)<br /><br />Yesterday my mom and I put plastic on the windows, because this week's forecast calls for frigid air. Even my weather widget says it's frigid. Here, let me show you it.<br /><br /><center><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxUQ31EDwn5G3mwUguk2m4XxDoR7X7TGaEb7WtVy5sCiKYGeVgzQlc7nNQHX4EykObXR5GhwLGg3mf0qPnA14EzuwOEkMi2TaCb0jHVl9oorQbNyz950wkpDMIiYJ97hwPHU5TA/s1600-h/icycold.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxUQ31EDwn5G3mwUguk2m4XxDoR7X7TGaEb7WtVy5sCiKYGeVgzQlc7nNQHX4EykObXR5GhwLGg3mf0qPnA14EzuwOEkMi2TaCb0jHVl9oorQbNyz950wkpDMIiYJ97hwPHU5TA/s400/icycold.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280050438310080562" /></a></center><br /><br />Ice cubes, right? Under the lower left of the yellow box, it says the temperature is a balmy <b>negative 2 degrees</b> ... and the wind chill is 18 below. That's horrible. <br /><br />Anyway, we decided to do the outside plastic on one window — the one that opens onto the porch — because there weren't enough materials included with the box of inside hair-dryer plastic. We got a cheap-ass kit at the dollar store for the outside. Now when I say cheap-ass, I really mean it: the "mounting strips" are flimsy cardboard. Needless to say, it didn't work. We put the plastic over, and it took forever, and it sucked and didn't even stay there anyway. There was a huge rip in it two hours later and the plastic was flapping in the breeze.<br /><br />But the inside plastic went up like a charm. There's almost enough to cover the porch window after all; we just need a little more tape. The only thing about having the plastic on the inside is that I have one cat who still has his front claws. This is a bad thing, as evidenced by the popping sound I heard at about 10 last night. I felt the plastic over each window and sure enough, he'd ripped a (thankfully small) hole. So I grabbed the handy dandy white Duck Tape (that's the brand) and slapped some over the tear. I have a sneaking suspicion that my windows will be a patchwork of tape by the end of the winter. I suppose I should get more colors and at least make it festive ...<br /><br />Conclusions: buy more yarn to insulate the house. Also: knit fast, die warm. See? Everything really does relate to yarn.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6388031.post-91887615404022986892008-12-10T11:45:00.003-06:002008-12-10T15:27:29.486-06:00My toesies, they are ice cubesNow that the cold and snow are here, the value of knitted items has risen exponentially. I was thinking this morning, as the icy air went rushing up my bootcut pant legs, that the time has come for legwarmers. I kind of love <a href="http://www.spincycleyarns.com/store/?view=333">Lusty Lady Legwarmers</a>, mostly for the buttons. I'm pretty sure I can devise my own pattern, or do <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/search?query=legwarmers" class="ravelry">a quick search on the Rav</a> and come up with a bajillion results.<br /><br />Yesterday I wore a number of warm items: a list of what she wore today: knit hat, sunglasses (to keep out the wind), scarf from Turkey, mismatched knit mittens, knit armwamers, one oversize wool coat, two pairs of socks, two sweaters, two shirts, one cami and a pair of jeans. Yeah, I was ready for the chill.<br /><br />Also, Winter 08 Knitty was released today, and their server is being dragged into oblivion. Already one of my co-workers has asked for <a href="">Fish Hat</a>, and the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter08/PATTmiittens.php">Miittens</a> really crack me up, and I kind of want to make them for my brother.<br /><br />And I changed colors on the blog and added a Plurk thing. Other than that, that's all she wrote.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0