skittermagoo!

Upcoming fun things October 27, 2006

Ack! Another more-than-a-week has gone by without me blogging! Why do I seem so surprised? I dunno. But it always does seem to catch me by surprise that I don’t blog more often.

October always seems to be a busy month for me, regardless of what is going on in the rest of my life, and this month was no different. It used to be various fundraisers and “public” events, but now it’s more busy of the hearth, home, and hobby variety.

Only a few days are left in Socktoberfest, and I’m celebrating tomorrow with my knit grrlz with a Beer Tasting and Potluck Party and Super Secret Single Sock Syndrome Swap thingy (it’s like the Second Sock Syndrome swap going on out in the larger blogworld, but on a much smaller scale). So yay for SocktoBEERfest!

OH! Don’t forget to switch your clock this weekend (if you live in a place that does that)! I love the fall switch, since we seem to gain an hour on Sunday . . . I always wait until I wake up on the Sunday to change the clocks in the fall, because then it really does feel like I gain an extra hour. Conversely, in the Spring I always change the clocks before I go to bed the night before, so that I don’t feel the sting of the lost hour quite so dearly. And yes, my capacity for self-dilusion is impressive, thanks.

Anyway, I can’t believe it’s almost November. Or, should I say, NOROvember! Kathy is hosting this, so go over and take a look and join up! I have a project in mind, and just have to choose the yarn (which y’all may actually be able to participate in, actually).

Also in Norovember is the Kid-n-Ewe festival in Boerne, TX (down near San Antonio)! OK, so Rhinebeck it’s not, but it’s better than nothing! Julia is organizing a leetle knitter/blogger meetup down there, and it’s going to be a blast, so if you are free the weekend of 11/11 and you want to join the fun, well, come on! I’m thinking that if we get enough people meeting up there this year and next and the one after that and so on, it will eventually grow bigger and better and all that stuff. You know.

Oh, and Brooks Farm will be there (among other vendors).

All kinds of randomness! October 18, 2006

Ohhhh, I had so much fun this past weekend! NanC and I drove to Austin and met up with Stalker Angie and a bunch of other knitters from various places in TX . . . Angie has a great entry on her blog about it, so go read about it! She did it much better justice than I can. Also, she has pictures, lots of ‘em (I haven’t downloaded mine off my camera yet, ‘cos I’m lazy).

Also, if you are in Texas and you don’t have plans for the weekend of Nov. 11/12, there is a tiny little fiber festival in Boerne called Kid n Ewe . . . Rhinebeck it is not, but I bet if we get a ton of people to go, it will get bigger and bigger year by year and it’ll be great and all that. Julia has a wiki set up for us knitters and bloggers, so go check it out!

And now, for something completely different . . .

48 Things You Could Care Less About

1. FIRST NAME? Chris

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I don’t think so . . . my middle name was supposed to be after my dad’s mother, but he changed his mind at the last minute.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Um, maybe a week or so ago? I can’t remember, but I know it hasn’t been more than a month (damn PMS!)

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Usually. When I’m in a rush it gets messy.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Thin-sliced smoked turkey. Does that count, or does it have to be the “processed” kind? If so, probably salami. But never, ever Olive Loaf (ick).

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Sure!

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Nope, unless the blog counts.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, but strangely, I would sky-dive.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Frosted Mini-Wheats.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Usually not

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Sorta, but not excessively. I used to be stronger.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Ohhh. That’s a tough one. Probably WPSX Coffee Break at the Penn State Creamery. Or really, ANYTHING from the Penn State Creamery (except Peachy Paterno).

14. SHOE SIZE? 9ish? somewhere between 8.5 and 9.5

5. RED OR PINK? Yes, please!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? You’ll have to guess.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Some of my buddies from grad school, all of whom I’ve lost touch with.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Huh?

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Blue jeans, yellow shirt, pink shoes.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A piece of leftover cake from the breakroom at work.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Radio Nigel (internet radio) — Oingo Boingo is on now.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Cornflower Blue.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Baking bread. Or ocean.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? NanC

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes or lips.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? YES! All of them!

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Gin & Tonic

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Knitting. It is SO a sport, just ask the Yarn Harlot!

29. EYE COLOR? brown

30. HAT SIZE? 22″

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope. Tried and can’t, so it’s glasses for this girl.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? my mom’s homemade macaroni & cheese.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Both, but not in the same movie.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Autumn

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Yes, please.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? pumpkin bread

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? dunno!

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? dunno!

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Spin to Knit by Shannon Okey, and some random fiction that I can’t remember the title of.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Don’t have one.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Last week’s episode of LOST (yay for Tivo!)

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Purring cats, thunder.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Stones, definitely.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? Indonesia

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Hmmmm. I can juggle, but that’s not very special.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Mineral Wells, TX

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I found it at a bunch of different blogs!

Life’s a blur October 10, 2006

Right now, anyway . . . I went to the optometrist this morning, and she put dilating drops in my eyes! I hate that, and also she lies. Told me I’d be able to see again in “an hour or so” . . . that was at roughly 10am. Getting better, but I still can’t see very well, and have been stumbling my way through work All. Day. Long.

And she wondered why it had been so long since I’d had my eyes checked . . .

Grrrr.

WTF? October 5, 2006

Okay, so I missed “WTF Wednesday”, but since it happened yesterday, I think I’m safe . . .

So how weird is it to be walking out to your car after work and be confronted in the “plaza” by throngs of people and an Oompa band?

Well, okay, there are some jobs where you might expect that sort of thing (though I can’t think of any) . . . but it’s not something you encounter every day when you work at a Major Medical Center.

What’s even stranger is an “Octoberfest” celebration (anywhere, much less at the MMC) with no beer. I mean, come ON, how can one possibly listen to an Oompa band without drinking a lot of beer first? And how can they call it “Octoberfest” with no beer?

I remember a time when they DID have beer at the MMC “events”, but then a couple of underage med students had to go and ruin it and get pulled over for driving drunk on campus — after that they ruled to have no alcohol at events where any students are present (underage or not). Grrr!

Socktoberfest questions October 4, 2006

Lolly posted a list of questions on her blog yesterday, so I figured that in lieu of showing you pictures of the worlds ugliest tomato, I would go ahead and make an entry of it . . .

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
I started making socks in around April/May of 2004 . . . 2 months after I learned how to knit, and I’ve been hooked ever since!

What was your first pair? How have they “held up” over time?
My first pair was k2p2 ribbed cuff and stockinette foot . . . a “basic sock” pattern from a magazine and Lion Brand Magic Stripes sock yarn, knit on size 3(?) DPNs. I still have and wear them, and they have held up very well!

What would you have done differently?
I would have knit them on a size smaller needle — the fabric is a little “loosey goosey” for me!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
Ohhhh! Socks That Rock, definitely. And Koigu. And Lorna’s Laces. I also love Cherry Tree Hill, a lot.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I can’t crochet (at all), but I like to knit socks on either DPNs or with one long circular (I guess that’s Magic Loop?). I like the end product with a circ better (no ladders!), but I really don’t have a preference when it comes to the actual process of knitting socks. And knitting on Ebony DPNs is soooo nice!

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I like to knit either one, but I think I prefer to wear a short-row heel! Either way, turning the heel on a sock is pure magic.

How many pairs have you made?
Ummmm . . . I’m not exactly sure (I know, lame that I haven’t kept track), but I think it’s in the neighborhood of 15 pairs.

Happy Socktoberfest! October 2, 2006

Socktoberfest — my favorite time of year!