Angry Penguin Army

And i am sure they are furhter angered by my innability to spell 'penguin'. At least, i think i have miss-spelled it. But I have a spell checker, yes? Yes, I think I do. Somehow it just doesn't feel right to use it in this setting. I never used a dictionary when writing in a 'real' journal.

Mostly i suppose it's laziness.

yeah, i know it is!

So the winter break is over, school has started, and the little boy has a new sweater vest in uniform colours but with no zipper. It could be avoided, but the vest needs finishing. It looks too rough and slapdash, i can't put it on him. I used the basic layout from 'knitters book of patterns' and then did a basketweave stitch.

Ms. D's sweater is looking gorgeous, I wish i could make one for myself, but i have reserved this reciepe for her, and it just wouldn't seem right to have a copy of it elsewhere in the world. All that is lacking is a left front pannel, button bands, and buttons. The thing is unbelievabley soft and warm feeling. Gotta love the knitpicks wool and silk blend.

The Cunning Hats have expanded their ranks, and now i've more hats to knit. It's great, I have the hat pattern commited to memory now, and can make a full one in perhaps 4 hours? It's hard to judge how long it takes, as everything is done a bit here and a bit there. Maybe i should start keeping a log so that i can see just how much time they take. I have visited webpages where folks are selling them for $25 or so, but while that seems like a lot to pay for a hat, it's a fairly low rate of pay and then maaterials as well. Cunning Hats are for the love of the hat! The little boy wants one as well. Hat jr. I made two over the break and then casted on for a third.

Mr. Huband Socks: I broke down and got some metal needles, size two US. Bright blue, Debbie Gibson Blue! I have bent them nearly into pretzels at this point, so i am trying hard to see the benefit in using them. Sure, they don't break like the bamboo and my best loved and too expensive by far ebony set, but, dang. The wool is some from the trip the Mom and i made to Saratoga Kniting Arts, which was sadly cut short becasue i realized we had driven off with the carseat in our car, leaving the boys at home, stranded. I must say, when mr. Husband has done this to me, i pitch a fit. But he, being far more polite and gentleman-like, simply said "ah! look at that. tch." It's a soft grey, and i am getting maybe 9 or 10 stitches to the inch. It's slow going, but looks very nice. Sadly, i'll be needing to make another one.

two feet, y'know?

Other knitting delights include a new Barbara Walker treasury, and this curious little device, which i have seen in various forms in other books. It's the best thing ever, and i plan to make some more for myself and friends. And i so did not pay that much for it. (technically i paid *nothing* for it since the Mom bought it for me, but you know what i mean.)


Books:

Moby Dick: Again! it's the best book ever! EVER!

Barbara Walker's Treasury of Knitting Patterns: Obviously, as I mentioned before.

Possession: Beautifully written story of two graduate students tracking down letters of corosponding victorian english poets. Really, it's not as lame as it sounds, really! It's an amazing book full of invented works of historical litterature, and so beleivable. You know how authors like Dan Brown and others try to make fictionalized historical genuises, but since they themselves are not what i'd say was MENSA quality, the book falls flat flat flatter than a pancake in Kansas? well A.S. Byatt is SMART. She pwns Mensa. Each character is absolutely distinct, and their works are all included. Epic Poems written by fictional characters. Amazing book.

Women's Rituals, Barbara Walker: I had no idea that this barbara walker was the same knitting lore master, never in her other books are these mentioned! And she has written so many. I am only just getting started on this, so i can't give a good account yet. but it's fairly interesting so far.

The Portable Dorothy Parker: It's a good thing Moby Dick is so manly, because this list is frighteningly girly in it's selection. I can't explain it, not one Sc-Fi or Horror title to be found. Anyway, this book is hardly portable, it's a brick! The outside and inside flaps are covered in drawings by Seth, which is what drew me to it. I had been meaning to pick up a copy for a while, and have recently re-watched Mrs. Parker and the Viscious Circle, which is a fine feature film.

It's freaking cold here! It's 22 degrees! I don't pay high taxes to live in California and be this freaking cold! Al Gore has unleashed his global warming penguin army on us. I'm going to go knit more clothes.