OMGWTFFO?!??!!!

See, once in a while I do actually finish something. I bet y'all forgot about the LemonEgg shrug ages ago... and honestly, so did I until I was packing for the move and trying to decide what projects to work on this month and what could go to storage for a while. This had an hour or two of work left on it, so I put it in the "work" pile and finished it in front of the fire this evening. It fits well, aside from the sleeves being about two inches shorter than I wanted them to be. Still, it keeps my arms warm, so I'll probably wear it a fair bit this winter.

Now, back to the scarf I'd planned on giving to the boy today... except it's only half-finished. Whoops. Note to self: a scarf knit on size 4 needles goes much more slowly than you think it will.

Delft

I know this is going to amaze all of you (it sure as heck amazes me), but... I do still knit. Look, I have proof!



Okay, I admit that I finished this at SnB a month or two ago, but the stuff I've actually been knitting is not quite so exciting or photogenic. So I'm showing off the mitten instead.



Look how pretty! And I designed it with the cunning use of graph paper! Pretty spiffy, eh? Now if I can just get its mate finished before the weather gets warm again...

Oh, wait, I'm living in Vermont now. No rush. ;)

Yeah, I'm reading all of the CT blogs about how y'all got a whopping 8 or 10 or 12 inches of snow over the weekend... we got about 20 inches up here. It's up to my knees. The boy says I'm becoming a snow snob. This will not surprise some of you at all.

Off to work on mitten #2. Any interest in me writing up a pattern? If enough people want it, I'll post it for free on Ravelry as soon as I finish writing it. Let me know!

Wrapped, But Not Presents

I've been living in Vermont for about two weeks now, and life has kind of been kicking my butt. I haven't been sleeping well (my body is having trouble getting used to sleeping next to the boy on work nights), my computer crapped out and had to be replaced, and this morning I crashed my beloved PT Cruiser into a tree.

Before y'all get worried, I'm okay, no physical injuries to report. My car, however... well, let me tell you the story.

I made the mistake of trying to take the hilly-and-curvy-but-usually-faster road to work this morning, thinking that Vermont snow was just like Connecticut snow and that my car could handle it with no problem. Boy, was I wrong. I was going up a hill, lost momentum, allowed the car to gently slide (sideways-like) into a downhill-facing position, gingerly made my way back down the hill... and lost control (at 15 freakin' miles an hour, mind you) around a turn. I had just enough time to think, "crap, I'm gonna hit that tree," before the crunch. It's a darned good thing the tree was there, too, 'cause if it hadn't been, I would have gone over a 10-foot embankment and landed in a stream.

There are areas totalling about half a mile along my 20-mile route where my cell phone gets reception, and I was lucky enough to be in one of them when this happened, so I placed a surprisingly non-frantic call to the boyfriend and got out to survey the damage. The plastic bumper was ruined, the grille was damaged, and there was a strong smell of antifreeze, but nothing seemed to be leaking or burning, and the hood itself wasn't bent.

One of the cool things about Vermont is that when folks see someone stuck, they pull over to see what they can do. No sooner had I stepped out of my car than a very nice woman pulled up and asked if I was okay, expressing her regret that she lacked chains with which to pull my car off the tree. Once she established that I couldn't back the car away from the tree, but that I had the boyfriend standing by at home, ready to come rescue me with his pickup truck, she wished me luck and went on her way. A moment later I got to meet one of the hardworking West Dummerston plow drivers, who put down some salt just uphill from where my car was stuck so the boy's truck would have an easier time gripping the road when he pulled me out.

Before the boy could arrive, though, another friendly local with a pickup truck stopped and offered to unwrap my car from its tree, and I decided to take him up on it. As he was hooking up the chains, yet another friendly local pulled over to see if he could assist, and between the three of us we managed to get my car back on the road. I headed downhill to a spot where I could safely pull off to the side and get a better look at what got squished, and as I began the inspection, the boy pulled up. We determined that the bumper and grille were beyond repair, and the radiator was probably in bad shape, but the car was still driveable at that point.

You know conditions are bad when not only does the little PT Cruiser lose traction going up a hill on the dirt road that leads to our house, but so does the 4WD Silverado trying to pull the PT Cruiser. We finally gave up trying to get my car home and left it in the parking area at the bottom of the road. I had noticed that the temperature gauge had shot up and the gas gauge had shot down, so I didn't really want to drive the poor car anymore. Then began the phone calls.

Work, half a dozen mechanics, Dad, insurance, work again, and finally I was able to put the phone down and try to relax. The auto body shop sent its tow truck to retrieve the car, the insurance covers all but a $200 deductible and a rental (the boy's letting me use his truck for the duration), and the snow that caused all of this trouble is bloody beautiful.

I'm going to go take pictures of the snow now. And knit. There has been a painful dearth of knitting the last few weeks, and my hands are itching for some fibery fun.

Movin' On Up

A note to those looking for the Greenery Hat pattern: both my webhost and my computer crapped out at about the same time, meaning even I don't have a copy of the pattern right now. As soon as I get my new computer up and running and transfer files from the old hard drive, I'll be listing the pattern as a free Ravelry download. Thank you for being patient. If any of you who already have the pattern would like to help out the folks who need it, feel free to email a copy to me (lilithparker at gmail dot com) and I'll post it ASAP. Thanks!

Edit: Mary saved my bacon! The Greenery Hat is now a free Ravelry download here!

So yeah, this moving thing. Oof. I have five and a half days to move my entire life from Connecticut to Vermont. It's going to be interesting, for sure. A lot of clothes and books will be going to Goodwill, and a lot of yarn and fiber will be sealed up to live in a storage unit for a few months.

For the curious among you (hi, Cheryl!), I'll be living near Newfane, VT, and working in Keene, NH. The new job is full-time, pays better than my current job, and is with a cozy little company that's been around since 1932. It's also just down the road from both JoAnns and Michael's, meaning it'll be a daily struggle not to shop for cheap yarn and fabric on my lunch break.

Oh, and check out proof that I still knit:



Cunning, ain't it?

So yeah, this is my last night in Connecticut. Tomorrow I have a half-day at work, and then the packing and moving begins. Wish me luck.

Big News!

So... I've been looking to get out of Connecticut for a while now, and circumstances have finally arranged themselves in such a way that it's really going to happen. Tomorrow morning I will give notice at my current job. Two weeks from tomorrow I will start moving a bunch of stuff up to the boyfriend's place. Three weeks from yesterday I will start my new job in New Hampshire, making more than I do at my current job, but doing less stressful work.

This Thursday may be my last SnB in Connecticut, and I'd like to see as many of you as I can. Sunflowerfairy, that means you, too. ;)

Life is good.

Shhh!

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately. Sadly, this trend will likely continue for a few more weeks, maybe to the end of the year. I have been knitting and spinning, and I even went to Webs the other day. I've just been so busy with other projects that I haven't had time or energy to sit down at the keyboard and put thoughts together. Here are some highlights from the last few weeks:

· I have begun spinning the grey ("black") alpaca-silk from the Rhine-stash. Holy Mother of Mohair, it's dreamy stuff. I want each and every one of you to be able to feel it... so get over here. ;)

· The boy decided that he would probably be okay wearing a Jayne hat (Ravelry link) in public, so I'm making my very first one... with no pattern. Watching me curse at the yarn for not naturally forming itself into the number of stitches I wanted it to (as opposed to the number of stitches I actually worked it into), the boy questioned my assertion that I knit to relieve stress, but he didn't question too loudly because I was waving those #5 circs around in a somewhat erratic manner and I'm fairly sure he didn't want to do anything that would get him pierced.

· So yeah, I went to Webs, picked out yarn and needles for the Jayne hat and for sweater cuffs that my mother wants fixed (the sweater, a thrift store find, is falling to bits at the cuffs, so I offered to knit new cuffs from a coordinating yarn), and thought I was finished... except for that ten-minute wait while I had the cuff yarn wound off the cone it was on. That's when my $30 purchase suddenly jumped to $80 as a skein of white Malabrigo and The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning fell into my basket. I usually have more self-control than that, but... well, I hadn't splurged in a while, and the Malabrigo was soooooo soft. Y'all understand, I'm sure.

· I'm also trying to ply some silk that's being a pain in the rump, so I'm letting it sit in time-out for a while. It's beautiful, and will become lovely lace, but for now it just needs to sit and think about its behavior and decide how many more ulcers it wants to give me.

· I really do knit and spin to relieve stress, I swear!

And now it's time for work. I'll try to get another post in, maybe even with pictures, before the end of the month. Hopefully.

Back from the 'Beck

Rhinebeck. Was. Awesome. I got a hug from Franklin when I bought his book:



I got to swoon over my beloved boyfriend as he read said book (and not only enjoyed it, but got a lot of the references):



I got to hang out with my friends from SnB:



I got to see lots of sheep:



I got to watch the Punkin Chuckin contest:



And I came home with three beautiful purchases (glass shawl pin, brown camel/tussah, grey alpaca/silk):







It was a busy weekend, but I got to spend it with people I like, petting happy sheep and drooling over fibery goodness of all sorts. I am a happy girl. Tired as heck, but happy.

Worlds Collide

I woke up yesterday feeling like crap, so I called out of work and went back to bed for a few hours. After catching up on my sleep and doing some long-neglected chores around the house, I felt considerably better, so I went to SnB. I walked in, set down my bag, said hello to everyone, and as I turned to go to the counter to order my drink, one of my coworkers walked into the coffeeshop.

That was weird, let me tell ya. Apparently he comes to the coffeeshop most Thursday nights, but we didn't recognize each other when we met at work. Freaky, eh?

So there's this fiber festival this weekend. *wink* I'll probably be there both days, beloved boyfriend in tow. I'll be at the Ravelry meetup at noon on Saturday, the Punkin Chuckin at noon on Sunday, and probably wandering around with a slightly drunken look from all the wool fumes the rest of the time. If you see me (and by now y'all know what I look like, so there's no excuse), please come up and say hi. I'll let you pet the silk I'm spinning!

Too Tired To Title

So that new job of mine? Has me freakin' exhausted all the time. Too exhausted to knit, which means the brown sweater is not going to be finished for Rhinebeck. *sigh*

I've been spinning a lot, though some of the fiber I've been working on is actually hurting me. Part of the Brigid stash was what feels like llama, and while the yarn is going to be dreamy, it's a pain to draft. As in, my thumb is bruised because I've been holding the fiber so tightly. So I've been spending more time with one of my hand spindles, working on what I think is a silk blend that was part of the same stash. I'll get pictures eventually... maybe this afternoon if I can still stand and think after work.

Aside from the fatigue, life is pretty good right now. I occasionally get this nagging feeling that I've lost something, and when I think about it, it turns out to be all that free time I used to have, and the energy to use it. That makes me a little sad. On the other hand, I'm slowly but surely padding my checking account with this gainful employment of mine, so I'm feeling less like a layabout and more like a productive member of society. A tired member of society, but a productive one.

Now if I could just find the energy to knit. Christmas is right around the corner, after all.

Fall Foliage And Fiber Fun

Scenes from the last week:









The leaves are changing colors and fluttering to the ground, the boy has put away his AC unit, and I'm going to Ikea this week to get us a thick comforter. Autumn is here. And I've been spinning! Part of the Brigid stash was about 8 ounces of Louet's "Mystery Fiber" (a very nice wool) which I spun and then chain-plied to make about 620 yards of sport/DK weight softness.

Work starts for real today. Off I go!

Delayed

Okay, so yesterday was just paperwork and peeing in a cup. They'll call me in about a week (once the results of the drug test and background check come back) to give me my actual start date. I'm going to spend the rest of the week in Vermont teaching the boy how to sew.

The sweater I've been knitting is a sleeve and some ribbing away from being finished, and something tells me it won't make the Rhinebeck deadline... but who needs a sweater when you have a cute boyfriend to show off, right? ;)

Finally!

"Hi, this is Lilith Parker. You interviewed me on Monday, and I was wondering if you'd made a decision yet."
"Oh yeah, we've decided to hire you. Come in on Monday and we'll start the paperwork."

Gotta love such a nonchalant job offer, huh? So yeah, I'm a TIG welder again! Back to getting up at 5am and eating three times more than I'm used to. Oh, and having money again will be nice. Things were starting to get a little tight around here.

Less time for knitting and spinning, though. Oh well. I'm employed!!!

Walking Wheel Video

Jenny and I brought our wheels to the Big E today and set up in the New England center for a few hours to demonstrate spinning. She very kindly took some video of me spinning on Brigid.



That bit in the middle is, "this is totally going on my blog. Hello, blog readers!" See? I think of you guys. ;)

Farm Fest Fiber, Finished!

Better late than never, here's what I saw at Farm Fest two weeks ago. Brigid's in the foreground with about a quarter of what I spun on her that day. In the background is the tractor parade that happened around lunchtime.

I decided that the wool I spun that day needed to be two-ply, so I wound both cops onto bobbins and brought them to Vermont with Babette, where I turned them into this:





I didn't measure yardage or WPI, but this much barely made a dent in the bump it came from, so I can make a lot more if I decide to turn it into something big. Pretty, huh?

Babe(tte) In The Woods

Babette and I have returned from a wonderful week in Vermont, where a fair amount of this:



resulted in this:



and a very strong urge to move to Vermont soon and permanently. Right now, though, I'm in dire need of sleep. I almost don't want to go to bed... I've gotten so used to curling up next to the boyfriend that sleeping alone just doesn't seem right. But my body really needs the rest, so off I go. *sigh*

Out And About

Brigid and I will be at the Farm Fest (about halfway down that page) at Hilltop Farm in Suffield today. Come visit!

Later...

I spun on Brigid for six hours today. Six. Hours. In that time, I made two fat cops of laceweight mystery sheep singles. My right arm (the wheel arm) is sore, and I'm a little cooked from the sun, but other than that it was wonderful. It was a beautiful day, we had a lot of spinners and a lot of visitors, and I met someone who may be able to help identify my wheel! I love days like this.

Brigid

Earlier this week, New Haven SnBer Katy was asked to help clean out a relative's house, and she invited a few of us along, since said relative was a fiber artist. The fee for taking whatever we wanted was simply sorting out all the fiber and yarn so the stuff we didn't want could go to auction.

The fiber studio was like a candy store, with yarn, fiber, and tools everywhere. The first thing we saw was the huge loom, and next to it... two walking wheels. One lacked a spindle, but the other one was intact. At the end of the day, my guy showed up with his pickup truck, and we brought home my new baby.



Folks, meet Brigid. As far as I can tell, she has no marks indicating maker or age, so I don't know her story, but all she needs is a cotter pin and a drive band (plus a good cleaning), so I'm thrilled to have her.







Now I just have to figure out where to keep her. She's tucked in a corner of the living room right now, but we're going to be having some construction done near that area in a week or two, so she'll have to be relocated.

I finally have a walking wheel. I can't get over it!

New Baby

Isn't she beautiful?



I'll tell you all about how I got her and what else came with her as soon as I get the rest of the photos processed. Right now, she needs a name... preferably something Scottish. Any ideas?

Rest In Peace

One of my mother's cats, Chegwidden, lost his battle with squamous cell carcinoma last night. He had been fighting it for months, remaining sweet and loving through several surgeries, and passed quietly in his sleep. He was an affectionate, talkative, beautiful animal, and we will miss him very much.



Goodbye, Cheg.

Late-Night Adventures

My goodness, what a busy week it's been. Let me tell you a story.

Saturday night, the boy and I are snuggling in bed, just about to drift off to sleep, and the phone rings. He cocks an eye at the red "1:00" displayed on the clock, mumbles that nobody should be calling at this hour, and lets the phone ring. At 1:01, it rings again. Again, he ignores it, but with a hint of drowsy curiosity. At 1:03, it rings yet again, and finally he picks up and croaks out a greeting.

"Aww, man, did I wake you up?" It's his housemate. "I screwed up bad, dude. I got arrested for DUI. Can you come to the police station and pick me up?"

The housemate, hearing fatigue and reluctance as my guy tries to wake up and process this, promises to call everyone else he can think of before he calls back, so maybe someone else will be available to go get him. I know how this is going to turn out, though, so I sit up and start to focus.

Housemate calls back, unable to get in touch with anyone else, and gives us directions to the police station, which is 20 minutes down the road. We get dressed, and just as my guy is reaching for his car keys, I pull out mine. My brain is better at running on fumes than his, so it's safer if I drive.

We go down to the police station and pick up the housemate, who shows remorse, but can't seem to explain why he was drinking. He takes, "if you're behind on the rent, why are you spending money on beer?" as a comment instead of a question. Then he shares something neither of us knew about him: there's an active warrant out for him down south.

Well, crap. Why did we keep you from spending the night in a cell? He explains that it was just a fender-bending hit-and-run that he couldn't afford to deal with before he moved up here, which doesn't make us feel much better, but at least he's not a murderer or something.

As we finally get home and fall back into bed, the "2:20" on the clock reminds me how tired I am, and my guy is still trying to wrap his head around what just happened.

"I didn't even know he drank," he tells me. "Maybe I should start running background checks on potential tennants."

Yup, sounds like a wise idea.

Should I?

So I'm going to my first rock concert tonight. Should I bring my knitting needles? The venue's FAQ doesn't mention them on the prohibited items list, but I think my companion might be embarrassed by me working on a pink and white hat at a NIN concert. ;)

Update: I did not bring knitting to the concert. A girl near me had to give up her spiked jewelry because it was a potential weapon, so I doubt I could have gotten my needles through anyway. The show was good, even though Trent's throat was really raspy by the end, making one of the "ballads" he did near the end sound a little off. As usual with theatrical-type events, I was more interested in the tech side, so I spent most of the concert trying to figure out how to build the massive LED curtains that they use to make some really awesome effects. I did learn one lesson... next time I go to a concert, I'm wearing earplugs. I feel a little fuzzy this morning.

Muggles and Mom

I'd love to show you the current WIP that I carry in my purse these days, but... it's kind of boring. Stockinette beanies are like that. I will tell you that one of the boys I met last week looked very interested when I took it out in the movie theater, and when I told him I brought my knitting everywhere with me, his response was, "that is awesome!" The other boys I've met in the last week have been similarly impressed. I seem to be attracting the right sort of muggles.

Speaking of muggles, my mother has asked me to help her re-learn how to knit. Apparently I'm not finishing (or heck, starting) the projects she wants made for her quickly enough, so she's taking matters into her own hands. She has plenty of yarn (unraveled thrift store sweaters), and we got her some needles, so all that remains is for me to use KnitWare to make a pattern for her. She's ambitious: she wants to make a sweater right off the bat. Based on her swatch, I think she'll do just fine.

Life is busy but good. I'd forgotten how great it feels to be single.

Back On The Horse

What's the best way to get over being dumped? Dates! Two of them in the next week, to be exact: one with a hardcore Star Wars geek who will probably be just a friend, and one with an SCA armorer who I hope will be more than a friend. Putting up a profile on OKCupid has helped my ego a lot, and I have my sister to thank for the suggestion.

I think I need more sock needles. Or fewer socks on the needles. I love working on socks, but I get bored with them so quickly. At SnB last week I was working on the Clown Socks, and someone asked if they were the same ones I'd been working on for months. It's not that I've been working on them, really... I've been ignoring them for months! And compared to some of the projects in my WIP/UFO basket, the Clown Socks are pretty young.

The brown sweater is two sleeves and a good blocking away from being finished. Askew #2 (remember that one?) needs straps, lacing, and blocking. A few other projects are close to being finished, too... I just need to be able to look at them without thinking, "ugh, not you again."

Time to knit!

A Woman Scorned

Well, it looks like I'm not moving to Texas after all. The guy who, just a few weeks ago, told me, "I'm in this for the long haul," decided that I'm not getting my life together quickly enough for his liking, so instead of trying to work out a solution, he's given up. I'm angry... really angry. Here's a guy who troubleshoots problems for a living, but when it comes to relationships, he keeps silent about problems and then uses them as excuses to walk away. He did the same thing last year, and I really thought that this time would be different.

I know this post isn't polite or kind, and I don't care. I have a right to be angry about the way he's treated me, and I'm really sick of being the nice girl.

Time to go cry and hit things and wish I'd never met him.

Medical Mystery

Can anyone tell me why painkillers (like Tylenol and ibuprofin) make my head all stuffy? I don't usually take over the counter meds, but on the rare occasions when I do, it would be nice to be able to ease pain without suddenly feeling like I have a cold.

Dark Knight

It's 1am, and my sister and I just got back from seeing the new Batman movie. I won't post spoilers, but I will tell you that it's freakin' amazing. Heath did an absolutely stunning job, and it's heartbreaking that he won't get to hear all the praise he earned. The plot moves nicely, the fighting and chases are well-choreographed, the acting is superb, and the explosions are beautiful. I stood in line for over half an hour to see this film, and while that wouldn't be much if it had been something I knew I was going to love (I stood in line for four hours in NYC for one of the Star Wars prequels, for example), it's more than I've done for any other movie that wasn't at the top of my Must See list. And you know what? The wait (and the b*tchy little diva behind us in the queue going on about how 13-year-olds have to dress like sluts or they'll never get a date) was worth it.

And now to sleep.

Temptation

A few weeks ago I put myself on a yarn diet until Rhinebeck. I was okay with this, staying away from the LYS and avoiding Etsy and other fiber-happy websites. And then it came...

KnitPicks sent me a catalog.

Granted, this isn't the first yarn catalog to be delivered since I began this diet. I'm on the Webs mailing list, too. But I can ignore the Webs catalog because Webs is practically a LYS for me, which means that if I'm going to buy yarn from them, I'll drive up to Northampton and get it in person instead of paying for shipping (although with these gas prices, shipping just about balances out the 90-minute round-trip). KnitPicks, though... that's temptation.

How am I supposed to ignore all this sock yarn?

*whimper*

Never mind that I have so many UFOs and WIPs that I won't be cutting into my stash for many, many months... *sigh*

Reminds Me Of The One I Love

I've been home for a week and can't shake the depression. It's getting to be a problem because I need to get a job... which is tough when all I want to do is stay in bed and mope. I had such a great time in Texas that coming back to Connecticut is really disappointing. The humidity sucks, the people aren't as friendly... I just don't want to be here. I mean, check out the stuff I got to see and do:



We spent some time at the river (yes, he's wearing swim trunks instead of a kilt).



We met a snake.



David's stepfather killed the snake.



I met David's new brothers: Ninja, Mayday, and Bubba.



I also met Beauregard, the ewok on meth.



Beau likes to eat cats.



Mayday likes to eat fingers...



and toes.



Hummingbirds like to eat sugarwater.



And fish like to eat people. Seriously, the little f'kers tried to chew on us while we were swimming. I let them have it with a pool noodle, but I don't think they got the idea. F'king fish!

We traded in the free-range fish experience for the captive fish (and assorted sea life) experience at Sea World:











...including a waterskiing show!



(He's barefoot!)

Can you see why it's hard for me to get back to the daily grind here? But I really do need to get a job. I need to be able to pay for the shipping container that's going to move all my stuff.

To Texas.

In November.

Hee!

Rhinebeck will be my last event up here, and then I'll pack up my life and head for warmer weather. I'll miss snow, but I'll be with David, so it'll be worth it.

Off Again

Once again, I'm off to visit the man who makes me happy. My scheduled return is the 23rd, but you'll probably hear from me once or twice while I'm deep in the heart of Texas.

Oh, one quick PSA before I go: there really is a good reason not to over-fill those Space Bags... it's to avoid having to hurredly patch the bags with vinyl tape when the blasted things split.

Gods, I hope I remembered everything.

Politick

When The Harlot came to Webs back in April, one of the things she talked about was how different we all are, and how if it weren't for knitting, a lot of us would never think of hanging out together. This has become painfully clear to me lately, with so many people talking about politics.

I'm one of those people who will probably be crossing party lines in November, now that Hillary is out of the race. I've heard a lot of vitriol directed at people like me, which I wouldn't mind so much, except some of it is coming from friends. I hate that this one issue makes people so angry. I don't care who you vote for or why, but getting mad at people or suggesting that they're wrong or stupid for their political choices... just stop.

Please.

Memery

This meme's been making the rounds, so I decided to join in the fun.

What's the last book you read that you thought was really super, inspiring, you'd recommend it to most anyone?

I'm sad to say I don't read that much, and what I do read tends to be stuff like Harry Potter or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I definitely recommend the Hitchhiker (5-book) trilogy by Douglas Adams. It's not what I'd call inspiring, but it's absurd and funny and will make you look at towels, dolphins, and mice in a new way.

What food totally grosses you out, you'd never be able to touch it? Ew. Gag. *hurl*

Does coffee count? I know it's a sweet, life-giving nectar for a lot of you, but I find the smell revolting. If we're talking more solid food, I think fish is about the worst thing I can imagine right now. Yuck.

Did you ever watch a scary movie that frightened you so much you were afraid of the dark afterward? I mean like you're lying in bed trying to sleep, but you have to pee, but you're scared to get up. It doesn't have to be recently; could be when you were a kid. So what movie was it?

The Ring gave me nightmares for a week, and I was afraid to look at a television set for a while.

Is there a song that makes you dance every time you hear it? Would you tap you feet and sing along to it in public?

Most of the songs on my MP3 player are like that. A few of my favorites right now are: "Lay All Your Love On Me" by ABBA, "In These Shoes" by Kirsty MacColl, "Uptown Seranade" by Walter Murphy, "Vertigo" by U2, "Walkie Talkie Man" by Sertiogram (the video has yarn! and knitting! and crocheting!), "Ca Plane Pour Moi" by Plastic Bertrand, and "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" by John Michael Montgomery.

Tattoos: yes or no? Do you have any? Tell us! Do you think they're gross? TELL US!

I don't have any tattoos. I've thought about it, but decided that if I go for a permanent body modification, I'll probably go with branding instead of tattooing. When it comes to my body, I'm more interested in texture than color.

When's the last time you laughed so hard your ribs ached and/or you nearly peed yourself? What made you do it?

During my first date with David (Rhinebeck 2006), he did this thing that made me laugh so hard my sides hurt. I would totally screw up any attempt to describe it, but trust me, it was hilarious.

Draw or doodle a picture of your pet(s) and post it if possible. Nothing fancy, don't be shy!

I'm no Franklin, but here she is.



Go through a stack or box of your old music. Stuff that you may not have heard in years. Pick one and tell us about it. Is it as good (or as bad) as you remember?

Seeing as I didn't start acquiring music for myself until about eight years ago, most of it is stuff I still like. I think the weirdest album in my collection is Mickey Mouse Disco (on vinyl).

Do you still sleep with a stuffed animal? We won't laugh!

Does Slut Bunwalla count? 'Cause he lives right next to my bed.

Missed

So it looks like I missed a lot of people at MA S&W. *pout* I did see Cheryl (finally!), Laurie, Tina, and Juno (who I seem to have startled with my hat). Rhinebeck is less than five months away... I hope to see bunches and bunches of people there.

I've been spinning, both on the spindle and Babette, but not knitting very much... my priority right now is finishing a chainmaille band for the aforementioned hat before my next trip to Texas, two weeks from tomorrow. Fun!

Sheep!