Knot Magick

Typosphere, HELP!

2012-01-31T12:42:00.004-05:00

Help! Prince Henry is injured!

I was in the middle of typing up my resume on my Royal KMM. I hit the return lever to go to the next line, and all of sudden everything just STOPPED. When I press a key, the type slug won't go any higher than this:

And the space bar doesn't do a thing at all. I tried fiddling with every setting I could find, no luck. I tried flipping the machine over to see if something had come lose, and couldn't find anything. I know from cleaning that occasionally things get jammed up and that Henry really dislikes being upside down (I can sympathize) but this time even that didn't free up whatever is blocked. Can anyone give me a hint as to where to look to find the problem?

ETA: So I sat down with a bowl of Reese's Puffs, determined to fix whatever was wrong with Henry. Flipped him over again, and lo and behold, turning the caps lock on and off while in that position was all it took to fix whatever it was that was wrong. Behold the power of chocolate.

This isn't knitting.

2012-01-27T23:28:00.005-05:00

Currently Reading: The Son of Neptune
In the DVD player: Blood Ties

Thanks in part to blogs like Stitchpunk, I've caught the embroidery bug of late. At first I was just going to work on my practice sampler until my tendonitis got a bit better and I could knit again (did I mention I haven't been able to knit for over a week now?), but then I decided that I could do better and started something completely new.

This will be the first of two wallhangings I'm working on for my room. What you see here is about the 1/2 mark; in the background I'll be adding gears and some flourishes.While I was happy with it, I wasn't sure exactly how it was turning out since it's been so long since I've really been around a lot of embroidery and most of what I see is done by machine. This is all done by hand, one stitch at a time. I guess it must be turning out rather well, since my roommate handed me a piece of patterned fabric and $5 worth of embroidery floss requesting a similar piece for her room. Maybe I should go into business.

Jane

2012-01-20T00:29:00.003-05:00

Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. I fell in love with it in high school. I’ve always found her very easy to relate to: her view of herself and the world, the way she takes in those around her, and her no-nonsense attitude towards the insanity that creeps up behind her.

These character traits are something that Ms. Lindner has done very well to carry over. At first when I picked up the book, intrigued by the tagline “What if Jane Eyre fell in love with a rockstar?” I had to laugh. In the original, Mr. Rochester is about as far from “rockstar” as it is possible to get. He’s surly, hardly speaks, and is practically reclusive when not traveling for business. Nonetheless, I bought the book out of sheer curiosity.

I have to admit, I’m not terribly fond of most of the film adaptions I’ve seen of Jane Eyre, primarily because I don’t like their handling of Mr. Rochester. When the period adaptions make him out to be little more than a volatile, pushy pervert out to sleep with the babysitter, whether she likes it or not, how then would this modern version be portrayed?

In this rare modern day retelling, Jane Moore is a recently orphaned college student, forced to drop out when her funds dry up after the death of her parents. With only the briefest of resumes to support her, she banks on her babysitting experience and manages to land a highly coveted position as nanny to the five-year-old daughter of rock legend Nico Rathburn. Jane, for her part, does not follow celebrity gossip and favors classical music when she chooses to listen to it at all. She has only a passing familiarity with the 30-something singer’s music, who was once a favorite of her older brother, but even Jane has heard the stories about the drugs, the drinking binges, the wild parties and the train wreck marriage. Despite her reservations, however, the pay is good and she accepts the job and sets off for the secluded mansion in Connecticut.

Unlike in the original, Lindner skips over most of Jane’s childhood, showing us only a few poignant flashbacks and a single, present day interaction with her remaining family to communicate her dark past. Overall, this improves the pacing compared to Jane Eyre, skipping to the action much quicker while still giving us a sense of Jane’s past.

The overall plot points remain the same: the nighttime visit of her employer’s first wife, the fire in his bedroom, and the impromptu party that ends in the stabbing of his brother-in-law, culminating in the rather sudden engagement and subsequent failed wedding. For reasons unknown, however, the author has chosen to change either the first or last name (or both) of every character. It’s a minor point, but it does make me wonder when in so many other respects she has remained faithful to the original.

While I did find some aspects of Jane and Nico’s relationship to feel fabricated in some scenes, I did respect the fact that this modern interpretation of Jane never once let Nico nor anyone else talk her into anything she didn’t want to do. The story maintained the integrity of the original, but also breathed new life into characters that might not be appreciated in this day and age.

While I might not be willing to recommend this book as a purchase, I would suggest that Bronte fans search their local libraries: Jane, by April Lindner.

Competition

2012-01-19T23:18:00.003-05:00

For about the last month, I've been contemplating taking part in the 52 books in 52 weeks reading challenge. I've done if for the past three years, but I haven't successfully completed it since 2009 (though I did come close last year. I was only 2 books shy of the goal). I keep going back and forth, thinking about taking time off to just read with "no pressure" and then changing my mind. I actually kind of like having that list of everything I've read, and it's kind of cool to go back and see what I was reading this time last year. You can kind of track my obsessions that way--such as when I discovered C.E. Murphy and read just about everything she'd written over the course of three weeks (still need to track down the Inheritor's Cycle). I did read several short stories this year, but since I'm only counting actual standalone books for the list, I didn't add them.

Now I find myself three weeks into the new year, and still debating the matter. I'll probably still keep the list, but I probably won't number it and I probably won't track it on the Ravelry group as I have in the past, just keeping the one here on the blog (the link is in the sidebar, if you're curious). The tipping point? I overdid it on the knitting, causing a tendonitis flare up. No knitting. No writing (this is the most significant amount of typing or writing of any sort I've done in about three days, if not longer). What's a girl to do?

Knock a few books off her reading list, of course.

My progress isn't as impressive as I would like, or even what I would have been in college, but I finished two novels in the last two days and I'm most of the way done with a third. I'm trying to get through everything on the bookshelf that I haven't read yet. Next up: Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan.

I probably won't "compete" as such. But I do want to read more this year, and if I can, take more time to write book reviews. I think I might also put together a "to be read" list of books that I want to get through this year. Right now I'm itching for a really good piece of nonfiction. Something that will spark my imagination. I love history, culture, and textiles, especially books that combine all three, and lately I've been wanting to read up on the 1920s and the Victorian era. Maybe I'll look for historical novel the next time I'm at the library.

But first I have to get through my list.

2012-01-13T21:06:00.002-05:00

I do not understand The Twitter.

I finally caved under pressure and signed up yesterday, hoping to use it as a marketing tool for my patterns and writing. So far I've posted five times and have four followers. I would have had more...except I seem to be a porn magnet. I keep getting followers with profiles that are empty except for a link, which inevitably leads to a porn site.

I think that from now on, I will simply ignore my followers.

If you are a real person and would like to see what I'm tweeting about (mostly knitting and snow at this point) my username is @KnotMagick.

At Last

2012-01-11T20:46:00.003-05:00

Currently Reading: Broken
Currently Watching: Pan Am

First, I moved. Then my camera battery died and the charger went AWOL. Then I had nothing to photograph on because my lovely model (aka, foam head) was still at my parent's house. And in between all of that, my subject itself went missing for about two months.

But at long last, I have finally managed to not only photograph but upload the pattern for my Qubecois Pride hat.

The pattern is available for free on Ravelry.

Typecast #9

2012-01-08T17:59:00.003-05:00

Clockwork Couture

The only thing I dislike about the site? The authentic typewriter key bracelets.

More Sewing

2012-01-03T21:59:00.007-05:00

The typewriter is still on my docket (this weekend, sometime) but I've had other projects that needed done. I haven't even worked on my sewing in a few days, though I did finish up this one last week:

When I was looking at the slide show of the dresses the previous owner was making available, this one caught my eye and I knew right then that I wanted the lot. Originally, it was a basic calf length skirt intended for someone with a 26 inch waist. In modern sizes, this is about a size 1. Maybe a 2.

I am not a size 2. Never have been, never will.

I made a few, ah, adjustments to the waistline, added a new band that I think will look just right with one of my thicker belts the next time I wear it, and raised the hem. Partly for taste, and partly because there was some damage to the hem and it was necessary to raise it about two inches.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the result, and I can't wait to wear it again.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

Normally, I don't do resolutions. But this year, I have two. Two goals that I am very determined to reach:

1. Get a new job.
2. Get published.

Please note that 1 & 2 are not mutually exclusive.

Cheers.

Nepotism Fail

2011-12-30T08:22:00.002-05:00

The review of the Royalite. Click it to make it bigger.

So, overall, the Royalite is a disappointment, except as a craft project. I will get back to the painting and revamping here soon, but first I need to finish my Christmas knitting (so behind!!) and knock a couple of sewing projects off my list (like curtains. We need curtains).

Hey! Look over there!

2011-12-27T23:41:00.004-05:00

In an attempt to distract you from the fact that it has been over a month since my last post, and the typewriter revamp STILL isn't done, I present you with this:

That would be one small part of the Christmas presents I received from my aunt. She got me a whole box of dresses and skirts from the 1950s. None of them fit, since most of them have a 24-30 inch waist and I....don't, but most of them are lovely and I'm enjoying converting them into something closer to my size. This example was once a dress that almost fit, but was far too tight in the shoulders to be practical. I also made a crinoline slip to go underneath, though that still needs some work, I think.

---

Though the revamp isn't complete, I can offer this teaser image of the Royalite. What you see in the platen is a review I will be posting soon.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Watch This Space

2011-11-23T15:28:00.003-05:00

Currently Reading: The Fire's Stone
Currently Watching: Once Upon a Time

Points of Inspiration

2011-11-16T12:08:00.004-05:00

Currently Reading: The Type-Writer Girl
Currently Watching: Misfits

I've been feeling a little out of it lately. This morning when I left for the parent's house to do laundry, I managed to leave behind the book I was reading, my knitting, and the notes for the scenese I'm supposed to be working on for my November goal, the one I'm trying to reach in place of doing NaNo.

This is probably due in part to the fact that I spent half an hour on the phone with the electric company this morning, trying to figure out why they are charging us $70 for 2 weeks of service in a tiny apartment that we are seldom in. I've come up with a few ways we can cut our usage (not many, since we already use energy efficient bulbs, turn off lights when we leave the room, and keep the heat on the lowest setting we can stand), and a few reasons why those first two weeks might be higher (like the bazillion loads of dishes we had to do, since everything was in storage right next to my dad's sandblasting shop), so we'll see how things go next month. In the mean time, I'm trying to find some freelance writing jobs online to earn a little extra cash. Too bad the majority of my skillset (knitting, spinning, sewing) are not terribly marketable in today's economy, unless I want to bill them as "art" and charge exhorbitantly, which I'm not willing to do. Partially because I don't think anyone would pay the fees I have in mind). (Business is not my strong suit, if you haven't noticed.)

In the mean time, I've been obsessively tracking my ebay typewriter, which after five days has only managed to from Aimes, Iowa to Des Moines. *grumble* I still don't quite know how I'm going to mod it. I know that I want to do a style that I call Jazzpunk (steampunk + Roaring 20s), which takes inspiration from things like this:

And this:

To make things like these:

Just for reference, the typewriter is actually an early 60s-ish Royal Royalite, so it has some curves that fit nicely with the feel I'm going for. Now if only I could figure out what to do with them...

A Moment of Weakness...

2011-11-09T22:36:00.006-05:00

...has resulted in the purchase of a typewriter. It's not here yet, but I'm thinking...this model is very common. It's not really to my liking aesthetically (wrong decade, though I like the general shape, and the wrong color most assuredly), so I'm wondering: How do you in the typosphere feel about modified typewriters? Do you prefer them "stock", just cleaned and oiled, or are you secretly jonesing for something more unique and artistic looking? Is it okay for more common machines? Not at all? What kind of modifications would you make, were to you make them?

Episode 04 of Typecast is up!

2011-11-02T11:18:00.001-04:00

It's been a while, I know. But fear not, because Typecast is back. Episode 4: Return from Nowhere should be hitting your iTunes feeds shortly, and if you simply can't wait that long (or don't have a subscription--for shame!) then you can get your fix here:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Moving House

2011-11-01T08:11:00.003-04:00

I am sort of back online after moving. And damn, I take four days off from the the internet and come back to 42 posts in my blogroll, most of them from the typosphere! Looks like I missed quite the weekend. The Boston Typeout sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to have one around here, but I think I'm the only central Ohioan, and I'm under strict orders not to use my typewriter when Missouri is home (You would think someone who has had 3(!!) novels accepted for publication this year would have a little more respect for antique writing machines, but no), so I don't think she'd appreciate an invasion of them. For that matter, neither would the neighbors.

I'm mostly unpacked and the apartment is as set up as it's going to get until we can buy more furniture. I'm not moving all of my typewriters right now, since I don't have a place to put them and two of the three are semi- to non-functional, so that means only Henry gets to make the move. He'll probably be living on an ottoman or on the trunk I keep my sweaters in for a few weeks until I can find a desk. I would display him in the living room, since a Royal KMM fits perfectly with our decor, but I don't fancy hauling 40lbs of cast iron to the other end of the apartment every time I want to type.

Busy day planned for today (like hauling all of the empty boxes downstairs and to the dumpsters at the end of the block, waiting for my parents to bring the rest of the furniture, shopping, and filing all of the paperwork that goes along with moving), so I'll have to sign off.

ETA: a new episode of the podcast is recorded. However, podbean seems to disagree with my borrowed internet connection. As soon as they decide to start playing nice with each other, episode 4 will become available for download. Cross your fingers and watch this space!

A List, Some Reviews, and BOOYA!

2011-10-22T20:23:00.006-04:00

1. I recently finished Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light by Tanya Huff. This was her second or third novel, I believe, and one of her lesser known ones. I strongly recommend that any fans of urban fantasy check it out as it is just as good as her Blood Ties books. It follows nicely in the vein of The Enchantment Emporium (or would it be leads, since it came out first?). I found it as part of a twofer, Of Darkness, Light, and Fire, which includes another of her early works. I've only just started that one but it promises to be just as good, if not better.

2. I also finished reading The Enchanted Typewriter. I am planning a more complete review for the podcast, which I hope to record tomorrow. If it doesn't happen then...well, I mentioned at the outset that the production schedule would likely be sporadic. It will probably be November before I manage to get another episode out.

3. Part of that delay is that I am moving over Halloween weekend. No idea when I will regain internet access or how long it will be down.

4. The typosphere has been abuzz with the upcoming start of NaNoWriMo. Just to set the record straight: I have no plans to participate. My only acquaintance with short deadlines is the whizzing sound they make as they zip by and they've nearly decapitated me on an occasion or two so I generally avoid them on principal. I will, however, endeavor to finish Threadbare (formerly known as Fortune's Fight) BEFORE the start of November, if my paying job doesn't suck the life out of me like so many vampires. (Really, it's like Dracula meets Clueless. Never give a vampire a credit card.) I am doing this so that I can work on my Untitled Jazzpunk Novel as soon as possible, because...

5. THE THREE MUSKETEERS IS AWESOME. Seriously. Alexandre Dumas + Orlando Bloom + Matthew Mcfadyen + steampunk = THE BEST THING EVER. EVER! Also, it was total costume p0rn and I want every single outfit and prop associated with Countess de Winter. I have a strong desire to cosplay her at the earliest opportunity.

6. While it isn't truly a costume, I did finish knitting my Quebecois pride hat this week. This has been in my queue for years (ever since I made a scarf based on the Canadian flag). This couldn't have come at a better time, since...

7. Thursday night we drove out to Beavercreek for the Kathy Reichs signing. For those of you unfamiliar, she wrote the books that the Bones TV series are based on, though other than the name and occupation of the main character they really bear no resemblance to the source material. (For those not catching the connection here, in the books Temperance divides her time between a North Carolina university, and working for the government of Quebec. In Montreal. In a building that I am enough of a fangirl to have photographed just for it's relationship to the books.) Sadly, both Mom and I forgot our cameras, so I only have one cellphone picture:

So that is my list of awesome. We'll see what next week holds.

P.S. I just went through to add links to everything in this post, and it appears Kathy's site is down due to bandwidth limits. Looks like that last signing broke teh internets.

I've taken the leap...

2011-10-18T19:45:00.004-04:00

...and landed in the technological age. Last week I ordered a Nook, which arrived yesterday. Before you get too shocked though, I should mention that it is a Nook First Edition, which I bought used because the newer ones just didn't appeal to me.

Also, it was cheaper. And less complicated.

The first thing I did was a search for "typewriter" in the ebook library, and came across a book called The Enchanted Typewriter by John Kendrick Bangs. There are several versions of it available, but I picked the free one because I'm cheap like that. So far it isn't bad, but the formatting is horrible. It was very obviously scanned directly into whatever program they use to create their ebooks, using something that translated the images into text because there are a lot of spelling and punctuation problems (things like "tell" turning into "teU", apostrophe's turning into asterisks, stuff like that). Maybe these have been edited out in the paid versions, but I don't know.

I will say that if you haven't read this book, you might want to give it a quick read. It's about 75 pages, according to the Nook, and is pretty amusing. The basic premise is that the main character, a man who is generally content to enjoy his own pleasures (usually late dinners and lots of wine at his local gentleman's club) comes home one night to discover a ghost sitting at the typewriter in his upstairs room. They proceed to have a conversation (the ghost typing out his answers), and eventually strike an agreement that the ghost can use the typewriter to work on the gazette he publishes for the ghosts in Hades, while the owner of the typewriter can use the printed off pages for his own purposes. Other ghosts show up as well, including a very odd, very independently minded woman who takes over for him while he is being punished for claiming to be (in various incarnations) Adam, Noah, Jonah, and William Shakespeare. Much of the dialogue strikes me as Victorian locker-room talk (such as a conversation they have involving the merits of King Henry VIII), but it's amusing nonetheless and good for a chuckle.

In other book related news, my mom and I along with a family friend will be going to see Kathy Reichs at her book signing over in Beavercreek. For those who don't know, Ms. Reichs is the author and creator of the book series behind the Bones television series. If you want to join us, the signing is at 7 pm at Books&Co on the Green on Thursday. I'll be the one wearing a hat that looks like the Quebec flag.

Currently Reading: The Fire's Stone
Currently Watching: Practical Magic

Say Awww!

2011-10-09T18:42:00.001-04:00

Tigger has finally made her way into the Hermes comicverse.

Back in Black

2011-10-09T10:19:00.005-04:00

Sometimes, it's hard for me to blog. Sometimes it's because I can't order my thoughts, or because there's something going on in my life that doesn't leave me time for the internet. Sometimes I'm just feeling low and don't want to spread the negative vibes, and other times there's just nothing going on in my life worth sharing. Sometimes, I'm anxiously waiting on news and don't trust myself not to post obsessively about it, so I have to avoid mentioning it altogether.

That last one is actually why there haven't been many posts for the last month and a half. I found an opening for what sounded like a dream job, applied, interviewed, and then had to sit on my hands for five weeks while I waited for a reply. I didn't get the job (I wasn't really expecting to, but I really, really wanted it and I think I'd be good at it), but that means I'm now free to resume my life prior to the last month, which I spent obsessively babysitting my email and cell phone, waiting for a response. Life in general was pretty much put on hold, since the job would entail moving out of state, and I didn't want to make plans.

That wait left me with a lot of time to knit, and the attention span of a sugar-addled squirrel, so I have a lot of projects in progress but none of them are finished. The two I'm focusing on at the moment are for Nerd Wars, which has started up again on Ravelry.

The first one is my Dissertation. It's a shell I'm knitting out of Knit Picks Comfy Fingering on size US2 needles. It might not look like much now, but I promise that's about 3-4 hours of knitting there (almost 400 stitches per round on tiny needles...why did I pick this project again?). The pattern is of my own design and inspired by one of my novels--which has a new title as of this week! I finally decided that Threadbare would do the trick, after flip flopping between several other (horrible) options. (This would be for the book previously known as Fortune's Fight.)

The other project I've been working on is another of my own designs, which has been sitting in my queue since I joined Ravelry. It's a hat based on the Quebec flag, intended to be work with my Oh, Canada! scarf. It's coming along pretty quickly on size 7 needles. I wasn't intending to use anything special for it, but I just couldn't say no to the glitz in the blue Caron Simply Soft Party.

I have to get back to all of those things I've been ignoring lately (like cleaning...and edits...), but I'll try to be more regular with my posting again.

Drive By Cute

2011-09-27T21:25:00.002-04:00

Tigger, at eight weeks. Had to do a video because she won't hold still long enough for photos. The yellow lab is Sammy (age 10) and the black is Smokey (age 6).

Typecast #8

2011-09-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

If you've been wondering where I've been...

2011-09-09T20:57:00.001-04:00

....the library might be a good bet.

Northman Pattern Now Available

2011-09-05T11:59:00.004-04:00

Currently Reading: A Good Yarn
Currently Watching: White Collar

The pattern for both variants on the Northman beanie are now available in the Ravelry pattern shop as a free download.

I tried a slightly different style of pattern writing this time; rather than the standard CO 100 sts, work k1p1 rib for 6 rows, etc I wrote it out in more paragraph style, a la Elizabeth Zimmerman. Do you like the change? Let me know what you think.

Teaser

2011-09-03T11:04:00.003-04:00

I started on the test knit for Northman last night. I want to make sure my math is accurate with a different number of cast on stitches, so I'm using a slightly different yarn. For this one, I'm only doing the band of faire isle at the brim (mostly because I had to double strand my contrasting yarn which meant there isn't enough for the original design). I love doing fair isle with a dark background and a variegated yarn for the pattern work. It really makes it pop.

Tigger has been with us a week now, and she is happy and healthy. She likes to sleep on our chests, but when she isn't asleep she won't hold still--this was the least-blurry shot I got of her this morning, out of the dozen or so I took. She purrs when she's falling alseep, which always gives her the hiccups. It's adorable. She's only a little over a pound, but can purr like a Harley. It's surprising, considering Hermes is about 11 pounds and has a nearly inaudible purr (except when he wants attention at 3am). The two of them are getting along a lot better now, and have even played once or twice. Now Hermes would just stop acting like a teenage girl and learn to share the bathroom with his little sister, everything would be peachy.

Off the Needles

2011-09-02T21:58:00.003-04:00

Currently Reading: Of Darkness, Light, and Fire
Currently Watching: Blood Ties

Since my camera cord finally made an appearance last week, I figured it was high time I post pictures of my most recent knitting projects...though I must admit, I'm starting to get a little fed up with my camera. Unless I'm outdoors, it gives everything a red cast that even Photoshop can't correct. I've tried every setting in it's repertoire, and it actually has me so frustrated that when I finished a hat over the weekend I tried using my webcam to take the pictures for Ravelry. You can see the results for yourself and be the judge:

The pattern for that hat should be available on Ravelry later this week. It's called "Northman," after Eric in the TrueBlood series, which I've been watching on Netflix. (Speaking of tv, anyone know where I can watch season 8 of Charmed online? I still haven't seen it yet and Youtube let me down at episode 4.) I'm making a few tweaks to the measurements. I actually like it so well that I'm knitting it a second time to double check that everything is correct. Normally I need a break before knitting the same thing twice, but this time I'm just diving right in. I sense a colorwork kick in my future, but we'll see.

Haven't had time for much else lately. Work is keeping me pretty busy, and in my spare time I'm trying to power through a stack of reading material, and finishing up some edits on my novel. Which needs a new title. I had to change some mythology after an epiphany this week, and now the original title doesn't make any sense. Eh, it can wait until the morning.

A New Addition

2011-08-25T19:55:00.005-04:00

There's been a little radio silence around here, both on the blog and on the podcast. (I'd hopped to have a new episode up by this week but the essay isn't gelling the way I'd like. So if you have anything you would like to share on the subject of typewriters in film or on television, drop me a line.) On the one hand, life has been happening and there hasn't been a lot of time to write, but on the other, it's mostly boring every day stuff (Work. Knit. Eat. Sleep. Repeat.) and didn't seem worth posting about.

Today Missouri and I went house hunting, checking out several condos that fit into our budget. Now we're just trying to decide which is the best for us, and if we want to try proceeding within the next month or if we're better off waiting a few extra weeks, though that puts us closer to the unpredictable-but-always-crappy weather that passes for winter in central Ohio. The one we both liked the best was actually the handyman special that needed the most work...more work that we could afford. The other three are all basically clones of each other in the same subdivision. We'll see how it goes.

But that's not the new addition I was referring to.

Meet Athena. She came home with me this afternoon. A good friend found her on the side of the road (after nearly turning her into a kitty pancake). Since no one else would take her and said friend is allergic, I took her. She's a feisty little thing and already is standing up to our labradors. Hermes, however, is less than amused. He seems to think she's a Devil Cat, and hisses and runs away every time he sees her. Even though she's usually hiding from him and roughly the size of his head. Right now he's camped out under the kitchen table staring at the laundry room door, waiting for her to make her move so he can attack. Meanwhile, Athena is napping on a shelf, completely worn out by her new surroundings.

Hermes and I had a long talk about the proper way to treat one's younger siblings. I told him that violence is unacceptable, as are excorcisms (since that's what it usually looks like he's trying to do). He told me I'm an only child and am therefore inexperienced on these matters, and that bloodshed is a normal part of family bonding.

...It's a work in progress.

Hermes is not amused.(That's one of my typewriter covers he's hiding under, by the way.)

Typecast #7

2011-08-10T09:51:00.005-04:00

Blue (and all the other colors, too)

2011-08-04T16:26:00.002-04:00

Currently Reading: Death's Mistress
Currently Watching: Star Trek TOS season 2

This week has been positively tragic in terms of technology. It's getting better, but I'm still avoiding pretty much anything that requires and electrical outlet. Thankfully, George (the laptop, named after the Nancy Drew character) is used to my slightly magnetic personality and doesn't seem to be suffering any ill effects. *knocks on wood, throws salter over the shoulder and crosses fingers, just to make sure*

The other day at work I managed to crash the credit card application server, a register, the digi (handheld we use for printing price tags), drain the battery on another digi and my cell phone, and crash the time clock. Of course, all of these devices were miraculously in working order as soon as I left the room (except the dead batteries. Those still had to be charged). It's my senior year of high school all over again. Our first semester, we were doing design work on PCs, and then we were supposed to switch to Macs for the next semester. Well, in four months I went through four PCs. At first the IT guy tried to tell me it was a virus, but that's impossible when the computer wasn't even hooked up to the internet. Every time I sat down at the darn thing, it would give me the blue screen of death or a random error message that the IT guy had never even heard of. He'd fiddle with it, it would go back to normal, and then fifteen minutes later it would freeze and die on me again, until the teacher moved me to another computer. I'd get a few more days, maybe a couple of weeks out of it, rinse and repeat. Eventually, there simply weren't any other computers in the classroom for me to try, so the teacher put me on a Mac. I've been stuck on the brand ever since, since even my seven year old laptop with the dead battery and peeling keyboard plate is still able to limp along and doesn't crash every time I walk into the room.

You see people, there is a reason I like typewriters. I'd be typecasting right now if others in the household weren't trying to nap.

The cell phone issue, which has been ongoing for a couple of months, was finally resolved yesterday when I got a new phone. It is metallic blue--in fact, it is the exact same color as my camera and the cover I have on George. It would also match my ipod case, except that the metallic blue part peeled off and left me with clear plastic. But considering how hard I am on my ipod, I'm just happy it's still there.

Speaking of matching sets, I started another knitting project last night (not that I needed one). Since my camera cord is still MIA, I'll just have to tell you: I'm making a steering wheel cover for my car. I'd bought a skane of burnt orange Red Heart yarn a couple of months ago to make cargo nets for my car, and it was exactly the same color as the paint. But, I ended up with a ton of yarn left over and nothing to do with it, since it is a very particular color and not one I'd normally choose. Alice recommended seat covers, which I thought might be overkill and a bit more work than I'm willing to do (also, it would mean buying more yarn and I'm having enough trouble using up what I've got), so I settled for a steering wheel cover. It's about half done, mostly knit up last night while I was watching Mary and Max, a little stop-motion film recommended by another typospherean, though I can't remember who at the moment. I have to say, I found it absolutely tragic. I had to watch another movie afterward just so I could go to bed feeling something other than horribly depressed. I settled on Ramen Girl for that one, and while the beginning and middle of the movie were still less than cheerful, it at least had a happy ending. Honestly, I don't know who decided to label those two as comedies. I think they just tacked a list on the wall and threw a dart at it, because they weren't funny to me.

Something which did make me laugh, however, was a posting I found online for a condo for sale. Missouri and I have been having a horrible time finding an apartment to rent in our area that fits within our budget. But, the housing crisis seems to be even worse where we are and there are pages of listings online for houses in our country for sale for about the same price as a new car (not my car, mind you, since it's still a budget vehicle, but there are still plenty out there for under $100,000. Five years ago, this would be unheard of). One such example has such a disjointed paint job in the kitchen, I burst out laughing as soon as I saw it. It's so awesomely bad that I almost want to buy the place just to repaint it (and hey, if the price is right...). You can find the image here. But I'm not linking to the listing, just in case we do decide that buying is the right option.

Masters of their Craft

2011-07-31T08:14:00.004-04:00

Currently Reading: Death's Mistress
In the DVD Player: Star Trek TOS Season 2

I did have pictures to share today, such as of the Jim Butcher book signing I went to on Friday and the aforementioned gifts from Alice, however my camera cord has apparently changed residences and did not leave a forwarding address, so until I discover which of the many desk drawers it got stuck in, text shall have to do.

The signing was great fun, even though I'm five books behind in the Dresden Files; a more detailed account can be found on Missouri's blog. Mr. Butcher was just as funny in person as he is in print; he reminded me a great deal of Robert Downy Jr. in the first Iron Man movie.

Also this weekend, my Master Knitting Course Level 1 kit arrived in the mail. I spent last night swatching and trying to figure out how to compensate for the tension issues that show up in my knitting. I'm hoping to get started on the actual swatches this morning, maybe get one done before work if at all possible. Or at least another practice swatch. Speaking of which, work time is creeping up on me faster than I'd like and I've still got other things to get done this morning. So the blogging will have to end....here.

Episode 2

2011-07-24T12:02:00.004-04:00

The second episode of the podcast is now available for your listening pleasure. Many thanks to everyone who listen and commented on the first one, and a super-duper thanks to everyone who decides to keep listening!

If you're subscribed, then it should start downloading automatically. Otherwise, you can search for Typecast in the iTunes store, or go to typecast.podbean.com and download it manually.

Typecast #6

2011-07-23T12:59:00.002-04:00

Sent from my Royal KMM.

Mabel

2011-07-21T07:52:00.003-04:00

Currently reading: Proven Guilty
In the DVD player: Iron Jawed Angels

I've been going through my extensive film library, trying to compile a list of movies and tv shows that include typewriters, and the makes and models where possible. Last night I got to watch one of my favorites: Iron Jawed Angels. For starters, the story is fabulous and made more so that it is based on the plight of real women leading the suffragist movement. Add to that a wonderful cast and some of my favorite film costumes of all time, and you've really got a winner.

One of my favorite character in the film has always been Brooke Smith's character, Mabel Vernon. When we are first introduced to her in the film, she says that she became friends with Alice Paul when they played hockey together at school (one of my favorite sports in gym class). Her costume usually involves a necktie, which I'm rather fond of on women, particularly when combined with Victorian era dresses. In the film, Mabel is the one people go to to find out what is going on, what the latest news is. She also seems to spend a good deal of her screen time battling with various pieces of office equipment, most notably the typewriter in her introduction scene.

The movie has another point of interest in that there are some really nice pieces of knitwear in it. (I choose to ignore the hideous, fringed, mustard yellow sweater Mabel dons at one point. We're all allowed to have an off day, fashion wise, and most of her friends were in prison at the time. Though come to think of it, that looks more like macrame or something than it does knitting.)

There are two typewriters that are featured in the film. The first is an Underwood that lives on Alice Paul's desk and is used to type all of her memos and editorials. It looks like a portable to me, but I can't seem to identify it (I'm still not good at identifying typewriters by sight. Sigh). The second is a Royal. It's also small enough that it looks like a portable, but it's hard for me to be sure.

I will be adding a page to the sidebar to list movies/television shows and the typewriters they contain at some point in the future (but not today). I want to make a similar list for typewriters in literature at some point as well.

The meeting of the Hobbies

2011-07-20T08:30:00.003-04:00

Has anyone else seen this clip? It's great--in which an avid typewriter collector plays a trick on an avid knitter. Really, I might have to see Larry Crowne, just for the connection.

I don't think you could get a better clip for this blog, except, of course, that the prank doesn't actually involve typewriters. Perhaps we shall have to come up with a variation on this theme?

I also found this fabulous little video on one of the steampunk blogs I follow. It's a ad, but it all about a steampunk knitting book that will be coming out shortly. It looks really interesting and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

Typecast submissions

2011-07-19T08:59:00.002-04:00

In case anyone has missed it, I am still accepting submissions for the next episode of Typecast on the subject of "Why Typewriter?". You can send me an email, essay, or audio, and make sure you're checking the shownotes blog between episodes because I'll be posting announcements and submission info over there from now on.

For those that haven't had a chance to take a listen, Typecast is a podcast about antique typewriters. You can search for it in the iTunes store, and it is free to subscribe.

Tea Break

2011-07-16T21:08:00.004-04:00

When last I visited London, we had a daily ritual of restoring ourselves with a pot of tea in true English fashion (okay, so it usually came from Costa and was an excuse to sit down someplace for a half hour or so out of the elements and rest for reasonably cheap, but the point stands). Upon our return to the states, we lamented the poor state of American tea at length to each other every time we wanted something hot to drink.

For those unfamiliar with the differences between American and English tea, American tea is bitter, even with sugar, a problem which gets worse the longer you let it steep. It's English counterpart however, tends to be sweeter, even without sugar. I've even noticed this difference within the same brand, depending on which side of the pond it was purchased (Twinnings is a good example of this; we had a lovely cup of their breakfast tea in London, but when I bought a box of it here in the states it was horrible).

This latest obsession with tea is probably rooted in my choice of listening material on my recently trebled commute to work. For long drives, I've discovered that talking is preferable to music because then I avoid the temptation to fiddle with the radio or my ipod every four and a half minutes. My latest selection is the London-based knitting podcast, Electric Sheep (can be found in itunes). Before you non-knitters dismiss it based on fiber content, the hostess is quite funny and I highly encourage everyone to listen to episode 16, Tea and Sympathy, before passing judgment (episode 13, Heroes and Legends, is also quite good and nearly caused a traffic accident because I was laughing so hard).

The podcast, combined with my natural wanderlust, has produced a burning desire in the past two weeks to visit London again. I even looked up some flights and found several for very reasonable, and one I was loath to pass up ($791 flying via KLM--in my opinion, one of the best airlines out there as far as customer service. If you can, always fly with a European line. They'll treat you a hundred times better than an American one). Alas, I must pinch my pennies too tightly right now to permit a trans-atlantic vacation. I haven't even been to a yarn shop in I don't know how long, forget Europe.

Thus, I must content myself with tea. My current favorite is Oxbridge's Afternoon Tea, which is the closest I've been able to find to what we had in London, and is just lovely with a bit of milk or cream and some sugar. There's also a variety of Yorkshire tea I've seen at work that I want to try, but every time I go looking for it I can't find it. We'll likely be overloaded on it come Christmas, if this year is anything like last, and I might grab a box or two then.

Anyone else want to join me for a tea break and some knitting? Bring your typewriter, too, and we can make an afternoon of it.

The Longest Short

2011-07-13T21:31:00.004-04:00

Around the beginning of June, Missouri convinced me to write a sip (aka, short story) for her publisher's charity project; Every year they publish a book of short stories to benefit a cause, and this year it's the It Gets Better Project. As one who suffered through bullying myself in school (albeit for different reasons) this is a cause that I strongly believe in so I jumped at the chance to help out.

It may come as a shock to some of you that with all of the writing I've done, very little of it would be what would qualify as "short." My average is between 40-60,000 words, so cramming an entire story down into something less than 8,000 was quite a struggle. Especially when the characters I'd chosen refused to cooperate. I went through no less than four initial drafts before finally picking a set up that seemed to work, and even then, after copious outlining and train-of-thought writing on the subject of where I wanted the story to go, it still took over a month and a half to write. But! I managed to finish it tonight, and the story clocks in at just over 7,300 words.

I just sent it off to Missouri for her opinion, and with luck it will be submitted by the end of the week. Hopefully it's accepted!

Okay, I Caved.

2011-07-07T20:56:00.005-04:00

Currently Watching: The Lord of the Rings
Currently Reading: Dead Beat

I caved. I recorded a trial episode of a typewriter podcast.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Shownotes for Typecast can be found here, as well as a streaming function. I have also submitted it to Itunes; not sure how long it will be before it shows up.

ETA: If you would like to contribute to the next podcast, the subject is, "Why Typewriters?" Take it however you like. I am looking for letters, essays, poetry, audio, short stories, etc. For more details, please visit the shownotes website (linked above).

ETAA: VICTORY! Mwahhahahahaha!!! After several failed podcasting attempts, I have finally gotten it submitted and approved by Itunes! Just search for "Typecast in the Itunes store, or follow this link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/typecast/id449069794

Typewriters at Bedtime

2011-07-05T07:17:00.003-04:00

Reading: Treasure Island
Watching: Get Smart the Movie

Just to clarify: When I mentioned the podcast, I was intending to do it myself. The think is, with being so new to the hobby, I would like to see more listener participation than I have with the podcasts I've produced previously (writing in, comments/questions, things like that).

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I had an awesome dream last night and had to share.

In the dream, I was back in London, walking through St. James Park, and someone had created a huge typewriter display for the public. These weren't normal typewriters, though. According the posted historical information, they would be provided in airports or train stations for travelers to write letters, similar to the way they now provide wifi or internet cafes. Most of them were portables, only about eight inches wide, with a coin slot at the top over the type basket and another out in front where the keyboard should be. One would insert a dime, and a tiny disposable keyboard would pop out (I have no idea why they were disposable. I imagine it was for sanitation issues since hand sanitizer didn't exist in the 1950s and my brain was trying to compensate).

This bit of the dream was followed up by myself and two friends fighting a demon, and the only one powerful enough to banish it back to hell was the Queen. Which of course meant that we had to kidnap her (because she wouldn't be willing to defend her country on her own? I dunno). She was a lovely woman and quite feisty.

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Also: my cat has the hiccups. It is adorable. I didn't even know cats could GET hiccups, but he seems to regularly. He might not be amused, but I am. :)

Typecasting--No, not like that

2011-07-04T18:31:00.005-04:00

I promise, it might start with knitting but it does come back to typewriters. :)

Sent from my Royal KMM.

Knit Knit Knit

2011-07-03T08:44:00.004-04:00

In the DVD Player: Burlesque
Currently Reading: Blood Rites

The socks are going well. I'm about an inch away from starting the gusset increases for the heel, which is great because I haven't read the little math section for figuring out the number of increases to do yet. Will work on that tonight or tomorrow morning most likely. Once I'm done with these I'm going to use the top-down two at a time method to re-do the test knit for the Wedding Ring Socks. They must be identical, dammit! I can't believe I screwed them up like that...

Yesterday I went to teach Missouri how to cable, and for demonstration purposes I brought the London Calling sweater with me, since it has an example of pretty much every type of cable out there on it. When I measured the side I'm working on against what has already been done, I discovered that I still have at least six inches before I have to fiddle with the decreases for the shoulder, so I really don't remember why this project ended up in the bin for so long. Since I managed to do a repeat and a half yesterday, I'm hoping to have the right front done in the next week or two, so that I can start the sleeves. In the mean time, I need to take out that horrible seam connecting the left front and the back. Mostly, I was trying to make sure that all of my cables lined up and that I didn't have massive gauge failure or something, but that's a pretty ugly seam. Question: how do you seam two pieces in reverse stockinette? I have directions for regular stockinette, which I could conceivably use, but they all say to keep the work right side up, and since the knit side is actually the wrong side in this case, I'm not sure what to do with it.

Well, it can wait. I believe the directions actually call for seaming the shoulders and the sleeves first, and I think those will be a bit easier since I won't have to worry about mimicking stitches.

I might even get this baby done in time for cooler weather.

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P.S. I updated the blog list on the left hand column to reflect all of the new blogs I've started reading in the last few weeks. We've got knitting, we've got typewriters; sewing/steampunk/design, and some that are just plain funny. So if you're looking for something interesting to discover, or just something to read, check out that list.

Dipping My Toes In

2011-06-29T10:21:00.004-04:00

Edited for clarity
Currently Reading: Blood Rites
Currently Watching: Charmed, Season 3

I've decided to learn a new skill: two-at-a-time socks. I've seen these books around and they've always intrigued me. Silly me, though, I always thought they were the same volume. I guess the local Michaels only carries the toe-up version, while the library only has the top down book, hence the confusion.

I did a bit of a practice run, but got bored around the gusset, primarily because it was practice. This is not my first time knitting toe up socks, and the construction seems to be about the same, except that there are two socks on the needle and I normally use DPNs. Also, I hate swatching. I know, I know, a thousand lashes with a limp circular needle, but I do. Especially in this case, since I was using a different color for each sock--that meant I'd be doing one "pair" for the test run, and then I'd have to do another set to get mates for them (and since I was using leftover balls, there really wasn't enough. Not to mention the fact that I don't have any use for child-sized socks and most of my donation items go to nursing homes rather than NICUs). Thus, I made the decision to dive right in.

The yarn is a Bernat Baby Jacquards in the color berries and cream. I don't know about you, but if I pulled cream that shade of yellow (lemon yellow) out of the fridge, I'd be tossing it right in the garbage. It looks really good in yarn, though. To save myself some hassle, I'm knitting one sock from one end of the ball and the other from the opposite, and I'll cast off when I run out of yarn. I believe the needles are a size 1 or 2, maybe a 2.5.

The patterns in this book don't really light my fire. Sure, there are two or three that I might one day knit, but I don't HAVE to knit them RIGHT NOW. I bought the book primarily for technique anyway. Thus, the socks I am working on are plain vanilla, which for me means 1x1 or 2x2 ribbing up the foot and leg (haven't decided which it will be yet).

For the last few weeks (since the first tournament of Nerd Wars ended) I've had a bad case of knitting enui, to quote Jasmine Knitmore. But since I now have a 40 minute drive each way to work, I've had a lot of time to catch up on my podcasts and that has gotten me in the mood to knit more (by the way, are there any typewriter podcasts out there?). The combination of socks, podcasts, and a new way of doing things has jogged the mojo a bit. It even has me thinking abou the London Calling sweater that has been languishing in my PHD (Projects Half Done; again, see the KnitMore Girls, episode 150ish I think) bin for the last few months. I'm at the "hard part" as I keep calling it. Basically, the instructions say for the right front that you should do everything you did for the left front, but in reverse. Which for me, requires math and drawing a diagram, both of which I've been too lazy to do. I also need to rip out the seam I put in to test the left front and the back together; it looks awful. Finishing is not my forté, but I do have this book by Vogue knitting that has several really good instructions on methods of doing seams, so I might refer to that once I'm actually ready to construct the sweater. I've read several of the history essays and regularly use the instructions on kitchner stitch/grafting; it's a bit bulky but very handy to have around.

Anyone else tried this technique? What do you think of it? Do you prefer top down or toe up?

Typespotting and shopping

2011-06-24T11:46:00.003-04:00

I wasn't planning on blogging today, but I just got back from the bank. In their window display they had two typewriters--an Oliver 9 (much cleaner than my own), and an Underwood portable that wasn't fooling anyone about it's ability to actually type, since the type bars were sticking up at strange angles and the lid was cockeyed. Wanted to take a picture but I believe photography is frowned upon in banks so I resisted the urge (couldn't get a good shot from the front of the building, anyway).

On the way back from the bank, I had to stop at Walmart and picked up a CD for my mom. Found a Dean Martin disc for $5 and couldn't resist. She loves Dean Martin. And of course, my present to myself was 2 Fast and 2 Furious, so now I have the entire franchise on DVD, with the exception of the new one that just came out. I'm thinking there will be a marathon later tonight when my friends come over for dinner. :)

A Small Celebration

2011-06-23T21:17:00.003-04:00

I'm not much of a video person, so I took this photo this morning to celebrate International Typewriter day. I wanted to have a typecast to share, but really, haven't had much of interest to say.

I did however, figure that it was high time I added in some of that knitting I mentioned in the new blog tagline, especially since I finished up that baby sweater this week. Originally, I was using Debbie Bliss' Lace Edge Cardigan pattern, but really, this sweater is about as divorced from the original as it is possible to get. Due to gauge, I cast on about 50% of the recommended stitches (I used a worsted yarn, I think, rather than a light fingering. The name escapes me, but it's eco-cotton or something, available at Joann Fabrics), and due to time I went with a scalloped crocheted edging rather than the lace because it would have taken me forever to figure out how to alter it to the size I needed (I also had to scale the pattern itself down ever so slightly to get a newborn to 3 month size sweater versus the 3-6 months which was the smallest size in the book, Simply Baby.

The sweater will go to the new mama tomorrow, just before I have a celebration of my own: my birthday is tomorrow, so I'll be having a couple of friends over for dinner. Between now and then, I've got a lot of work to do, especially since this is my last week at my current job before starting the new one. Got my hours today, very exciting. And now I must get back to work! No more internet slacking!

Typecast #5

2011-06-17T08:32:00.006-04:00

Here is an image of the logo and sticker on the front of the machine (obviously taken before I finished cleaning it).

Sorry about the poor quality of that typecast--apparently, purple ribbon ink doesn't scan very well, and even photoshop had trouble with it.

__________

Did you guys see this article on Yahoo this morning? No, I'm not talking about Harry Potter. I mean this one about middle class jobs in danger. Scroll down near the bottom where it lists the 10 fastest declining positions in the country. Eight of the ten are related to the textile industry. I find this absolutely tragic, considering that for centuries textiles were the backbone of many local economies.

I know that this probably won't effect my job specifically, but I still wish that we could reclaim our industry, rather than shipping it overseas. I find this especially tragic since I (not so) secretly harbor a desire to get into the textile industry, in a small way, and I hate seeing an entire trade get cut down like that.

Back Again

2011-06-14T18:33:00.006-04:00

Currently Reading: Ghost Moon
On the Netflix: Love and Other Disasters

Between a week of vacation and a week and a half of being sick, I've let a lot of good habits slide in the last month, among them blogging. However, since I've spent the majority of the last two weeks in bed or camped out in front of the TV so there hasn't been lot to blog about to begin with. Trust me, you haven't missed much.

Once I was feeling better and my eyes stopped watering long enough to read more than two or three sentences, I finished Karen Chance's Midnight's Daughter, which is the first book in her Dorina Basarab series. It runs alongside her Cassie Palmer books (reviews found here). At this point I'm not planning on reviewing the series, but I will say Dorina certainly lives up to her forerunner and I can't wait to start reading book 2. (Are you keeping up with the summer releases? I've got a list of my top picks at the end of this post)

In addition to the reading, I managed to finally finish the second sock of the pair I've had on the needles since March. That was an Event, since it started with a massive kitchner fail on the toe and ended with me realizing there was a rather massive error in the pattern that resulted in a-symmetrical socks. They fit fine, they just don't match. So once my fragile knitting ego has recovered, I'll have to rework them. At the moment, however, I can't fathom the idea of knitting those socks again. It's not that I dislike the pattern, it just took so long to work out the cables around the cuff and there was a lot of ripping back. Either way, it will have to wait about two weeks since I've got some deadline knitting on the needles right now. I need to finish a baby sweater for a coworker before A) she goes on leave; B) she goes into labor; or C) I leave for my new job.

That's right, I'll be starting a new job later this month. Same company, different location, different position. And since I like to keep my work life as separate from my online presence as possible, that's all I'm going to say on the matter.

If I fall off the blogosphere again, someone poke me. Why is it that good habits are so hard to start and bad habits are so hard to break?
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(Recent and) Summer Book Releases (For the United States)
Spirit Dances by C.E. Murphy (Okay, so this one is already out, but it was just released so it counts)
Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance (Also newly released)
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (So May/June was an exciting time for some of my favorite authors. So sue me)
Fallen by Karin Slaughter (June 21)
Heartless by Gail Carriger (June 28, but already released in some areas)
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher (July 26)
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (October 4)

If you're part of C.E. Murphy's latest crowdfunding project, she's also released three of the promised short stories thus far as well as a novella called Right Angles to Fairyland. Thus far, these are only available to her crowdfunding sponsors, but cross your fingers that they're released mass market soon!

Make up work

2011-06-08T09:04:00.004-04:00

I've been sick for the last few days. Spent all day yesterday laying in bed marathoning 10 Things I Hate about You (movie and tv series). Today I woke up feeling wonderful, considering it was the first night out of the last four that I managed to actually sleep.

Have you seen a show called Haunted Collector? It's on Bravo. I was flipping stations this morning and caught the last fifteen minutes of an episode where they were investigating a supposedly haunted library. They didn't really get any evidence, but the few things they did manage to catch were related to a 1914 Royal 10.

Ghost hunting shows are my version of trash tv. They're about as realistic and reliable as watching soap operas or Jersey Shore, but I do love them. Just remember to take everything they "find" with a grain of salt. Or the whole shaker.

While I was watching tv, I picked up that sock that has been marinating in my knitting basket for the last, I don't know, three months or so and managed to knit the heel and an inch or so of foot. I want to see if I can finish it today. I want that thing photographed and off the needles, already! My knitting mojo just seems to have gone out the door lately. It has been replaced by writing mojo. I've got one, maybe two scenes left to write on Fortune's Fight, and a little bit of editing to finish up and then it will be done. Yay!

52 Books Challenge Update & Msc.

2011-05-31T08:11:00.004-04:00

Currently Reading: Midnight's Daughter
In the DVD Player: Grease

Today marks the end of the 5th month of the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge. This week I entered #25 and #26 into my log--The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan and Spirit Dances by C.E. Murphy, both perennial favorites on my reading lists. I don't want to review these particular volumes, however, because they fall in the middle of a series (#2 and #6, respectively). Suffice to say that both the Kane Chronicles and The Walker Papers are highly recommended.

On top of all that reading, I also added about 40 pages to Fortune's Fight while on vacation, and broke the magic 60,000 word mark. FYI, I'm on the hunt for a new title for that story, so if you head on over to Fiction Press and give it a read, see what you think. Suggestions are welcome.

Lastly, I wanted to mention that I finally found the serial number on the Remington. It is indeed a #3, from 1930. I gave it a really light first cleaning and found it under the carriage and about three inches of grime. I still need to take the air compressor to the interior, and I'm thinking of trying Evapo-rust on it, but I'm looking for some more info first. I know a lot of type-fans use it with good results, but some parts of this machine are so heavily rusted I'm not sure if it's an option. I'd hate to drop a spool into the bath and pull out half a spool a few days later. Is it better for light surface rust, or is it appropriate for tougher cases of corrosion? I wish it came in pints or quarts, so that I could try it first, rather than shelling out the cash for a whole gallon, especially if it lasts as long as they claim.

So that's what's up in my literary world.

Travel Tuesday: Florida Edition

2011-05-30T09:42:00.004-04:00

Currently reading: Midnight's Daughter
In the DVD player: The Princess Bride

Did you miss me? I’m back home now, after spending a week down in central Florida with family. That typewriter post actually came from down there, since I just couldn’t wait to share it.

The family lives on the Treasure Coast of Florida, which is about halfway down on the Atlantic side of the state, in a relatively small town called Fort Pierce. For those following the Navy SEALs after their recent adventure, there is a museum down there near Pepper Beach, right on the spot where the SEALs were founded. It’s a fascinating look into military history and contemporary training, and I recommend it if you’re down in that area.

If you’re looking for some local color, then Archie’s restaurant is a good place to start--they’ve got some great casual fare and are across the street from the beach. I had their lemon pepper shrimp, which was fabulous--I think the best meal I had while we were down there. Their motto is “No shirt, no shoes, no problem,” so they’re a great place to stop before or after hitting the beach, and their menus outline some of the history of the area.

Another great place to stop and eat with a sea side view is the Tiki Bar. When the weather is good they’re all open air, and they have live music in the evenings, at least on the weekends (not sure about weeknights).

If you’re looking for something to do down there that isn’t food or beach related, US 1 is your best bet. Slightly to the north is Vero Beach, which boasts an outlet mall and a regular mall, as well as many local and chain shops. Along the route are numerous antique shops, and I almost picked up a couple of typewriters at one of them--alas, the car was already filled to capacity.

Following US 1 to the south is Jenson Beach, home of Gweeds Gangsters and a fun, weekly classic car show. It’s held on Tuesday nights in the parking lot of the Treasure Coast Mall, so it wouldn’t be hard to make a night of it, coming for a movie and staying for the show. Their music is great and while there are a lot of regulars who stop buy, there are always new cars showing up, too. The show is held year round and supported by donations and the sale of concessions and raffle tickets, and it’s only $3 to enter your car in the show (it must be a classic, that is, 25 or more years old).

Overall, this is a great place to go down for a nice, quiet, relaxing stay. While we stayed with family, there are a lot of nice hotels and rentals right on the water (we saw some really nice ones in Vero, and they have a lot of small local shops right near the beach). I know I really needed a break (as evidenced by that last post before I left), and I came back feeling refreshed. The entire drive back up we kept trying to make a u-turn to go back!

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I know that’s a short and not especially detailed review, but this vacation was about relaxing and taking a break, so we didn’t do much and I was very insistent with myself that I not blog the whole week. I broke that a little with the typewriter, but I just had to share that find.

Wish You Were Here

2011-05-28T19:58:00.001-04:00

Type spotting...Tuesday

2011-05-24T22:02:00.008-04:00

So the other day, we were chatting with my aunt and uncle and told them the story of how I got my first typewriter, Henry (Royal KMM):

My parents were at an auction, and spotted a cluster of items up for sale. Among them was the dusty Royal standard, and they decided to bid on it, what with me being a writer and everything, and collecting antiques and everything. They lost, but when they approached the buyer to see about buying just that item they were surprised to discover that it was the same guy who made the typewriter key bracelet my mom picked up for me at a craft show just a few weeks prior. So, we saved a machine from a keychopper. I mentioned that if they spotted a portable machine in good working order at another auction to pick it up, since I wanted something I could use outside since it's a little much to be lugging around 30+ pounds of cast iron.

That was when my uncle pipped up with, "Hey, I think we've got a couple of old typewriters out in the garage." A few minutes later he produced a rusty, stiff, but apparently still working Remington portable with the original case, minus the handle. It still has the warenty sticker inside and a sticker on the front from the original dealer. I find this machine puzzling on many levels. 1, I can't seem to figure out the case. I can't get it on or off without help, because apparently, I can be outsmarted that easily by a wooden box. And 2, I can't seem to find a model number or serial number on it. I'm thinking it's probably a #2/Compact Portable, but I'm not positive. Any suggestions from out there in the typosphere?

The Quiet Ones: A User's Guide

2011-05-19T08:52:00.001-04:00

1. Yes, I am quiet by nature. This means I don't tend to engage in idle chit chat. You see, I believe that words have meaning, and I prefer to actually be saying something when I use them, rather than discussing things no one really cares about, like the weather.

2. I like people, but I also like my alone time.

3. Just because I'm not talking, or emailing, or answering your texts, or following your twitter, or constantly on IM doesn't mean I don't like you. It just means that I don't want to talk right this second. When I have an answer to your question, or something other than "hi" to say, I'll get back with you.

4. Sometimes, I'm quiet in a crowd. No, it doesn't mean I'm not enjoying myself. My idea of fun might be more subdued than your idea of fun, but it doesn't mean I enjoy it less.

5. Have you ever heard the phrase, "If you can't say something polite, don't say anything at all?" Keep it in mind. Because if nothing else, my mother raised me to be polite.

6. Don't assume that just because I'm quiet and generally polite that I'm a wet blanket. If you make that mistake, then you obviously haven't met my sarcastic side, which means you haven't been making an effort to know me at all, and instead you've been relying on that pointless chit chat that I hate so much.

7. I was raised that when you're at work, you work. It's not time to be hanging around socializing. I work. I work hard, and I put my best effort into it because even if it doesn't mean a lot to you, it's my livelihood and I'd rather like to keep it. I reiterate: it doesn't mean that I don't like you, it just means that I am here to work. If you have a question, then ask.

8. Water-cooler talk is frequently just gossip, and I refuse to engage in discussions of my coworkers, especially where customers or supervisors can hear. It's unprofessional and impolite.

9. Just because I'm not talking doesn't mean I'm ignoring you.

10. I believe in multitasking. My ears still work when my hands are busy (see #9).

11. Don't assume that "quiet" means "even tempered" I'm pretty laid back but that doesn't mean I won't go off on you. Push my buttons, and I will bite.

This week, I've had one too many of my buttons pushed, and I just wanted to put out there that people need to lay off. I've had text after text, interruption after interruption, call after call today and none of it freaking matters. I will get back to you all when I can do so without chewing off your heads.

Remember, it is always the quiet ones. And we are watching.

Travel Tuesday: Being Sick Abroad

2011-05-17T11:33:00.004-04:00

I'm not feeling so hot today, so I though I'd do a little travel blog to cheer myself up and share some of my experiences of being sick abroad. I'm one of those people that seems to get sick every time I leave the house, so I've got plenty of experience to draw from :)

A little disclaimer: I do mention a few specific medications and products in this list; please remember that this list comes from my personal experience only, and that you shouldn't take any medication without talking to your doctor first, and that I'm not a health professional or qualified to make direct recommendations in any way. This is just what I've found to be useful.

This is written from the perspective of an American abroad, but if you're traveling to the US a lot of the information could still come in handy.

Something I always mean to do but forget: Take a multivitamin or at least a vitamin C pill starting at least a week before the trip, so that it can build up in the immune system. Travel weakens your immune system (between the stress, crappy airline food, close quarters, and the not sleeping), and trains, planes, taxis, and airports are basically giant petri dishes.
Wash and sanitize your hands frequently to prevent illness, especially in unfamiliar places where you haven't had a chance to build up an immunity to the local bugs (what is considered the common cold in Florence always knocks me flat on my back. Don't assume that "the flu" is the same thing everywhere, because trust me, it ain't).
Airport friendly, multifunction first aide kit: hand sanitizer (travel size), band aides, antibiotic cream (3 oz tube or smaller), ibprophen, and, in my case, Midol (you really don't want me to travel without it, trust me). I've never had any problems with this kit passing airline inspection. The hand sanitizer (especially if it's the spray-on kind) is basically pure alcohol so if I get a cut, say, putting my suitcase in the luggage rack on the train, I can disinfect it, put on the antibiotic barrier, and put a bandage on it. Yes, the hand sanitizer stings like a bitch but it gets the job done.

I like the anti-inflammatory properties of ibprophen over other OTC pain killers, but that's my preference. If you can't take it, don't bring it, and again, consult your doctor.
If I'm going abroad, I'll take my allergy medicines regardless of the season, since you never know how foreign pollen or changes in latitude will affect you. I also take one before I get on the plane because my ears don't pop and this helps with the pressure (but that's a subject for a different post). I've also learned to bring at least one or two doses of my preferred cold medicine with me (see #2).
Keep all medicines in their original containers (even OTC meds and vitamins) or print off the drug facts from the manufacturers website website. That way, if you run out of say, DayQuil (as I did) you can just hand the page to the pharmacist and they'll be able to find a suitable substitute. This usually works, even if you don't speak the same language. If you need a prescription, though, I'd talk to a doctor (see below).
Most guidebooks have a quick-ref in the back on how to say words like "doctor", "headache," or "vomit." Take it with you, just in case the specific medication you're looking for isn't available in the country your visiting. It is my experience that EU pharmacists are more helpful than American ones when it comes to recommending products for colds and every day ailments--so long as you at least attempt to speak their native tongue. Usually if you can at least describe your symptoms, they can tell you what's wrong and what might help.
Most hotel or hostel (or university, if you're studying abroad) front desks can provide you with a list of the nearest English language pharmacies, doctors, and hospitals upon request. You can also check with tourism offices, as they sometimes are linked to clinics that offer low-cost services to travelers, even if uninsured.
Lastly, don't overdo it. Relax. You're on vacation. Give yourself time to recover from strenuous activity.

I'm going to go take my own advice and lay down for a little bit. Happy trails!

Typecast #4

2011-05-13T18:55:00.006-04:00

Sent from his Royal highness, Prince Henry, my Royal KMM. Click to enlarge.

Reading List

2011-05-12T07:57:00.000-04:00

The last week or so I've been pushing to finish some books before I go on vacation. I had a stack of library books to get through (managed just in time! Returned them the day they were due), and some unfinished books I didn't want to take with me. I reached my goal and knocked three books off of my list: The Golden Fleece and the Heroes that Lived Before Achilles by Padraic Colum, The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer, and Dracula by, of course, Bram Stoker.

I've read a lot of mythology books, and The Golden Fleece is by far my favorite. The problem with a lot of mythology books, I've found, is that most of the time no matter how exciting the stories are, the writing simply isn't. This book however was engaging, and I can certainly see how it was the book that got Rick Riordan (of The Lightening Thief fame) into mythology. This book isn't just the Golden Fleece, but includes other stories as well--stories that the heroes told on their long journey, and the last third of the book are short tales about the individual characters that take place after they return home, so you really get a feel for them even if their names aren't familiar when you begin reading.

The Water Mirror is a YA novel I picked up on a whim. I actually saw the third book in this trilogy first, which had the mask from an Egyptian sarcophagus on the cover, but I was sold on this book when I read that the main characters are training to make magic mirrors and magic cloth, respectively. I was a little disappointed by the lack of textile content, but the action and creative story line more than made up for it.

This book takes place in an alternate history, in which an Egyptian pharaoh has risen and is attempting to take over the world. One of the last hold outs is the city of Venice, which is protected by the Flowing Queen. No one knows who or what the queen is, only that she possesses powerful magic and seems to exist in the waters themselves. This alternate Venice is full of magic--stone lions that fly, frighteningly beautiful mermaids, charmed dresses that actually make you slimmer, and of course, magic mirrors, including a blind girl with mirrors for eyes. The pacing was wonderful, the writing imaginative, and I can't wait to get the next book.

The last book I finished was Dracula. If you have any interest in literature, go read it now. Seriously. The beginning is rather slow; I was almost to the halfway point before it really grabbed my interest, but it is well worth the wait. Aside from the fabulous story that earned this novel a place in history, the thing that really intrigued me was the character of Mina Harker. I kept having to remind myself that Dracula was written by a man--the idea of having such a strong woman in a Victorian-era novel is practically unheard of, but she is clearly the heroine of the entire book. Bonus: it involves a typewriter. A couple of them, in fact.

If you want to see the complete list of what I've been reading and links to the reviews, you can find the list here.

Personal History

2011-05-07T18:22:00.002-04:00

It is hard to believe that less than five months ago, I didn't even know that the Typoshere existed. Sure, I had a vague idea that somewhere out there, a few people might collect one or two old machines, but that they actually still used them and that there was a community around that usage was completely unknown.

My family has always been late getting into the technology game. Up until 2000, we didn't own a computer. For most of my childhood, we had an electric typewriter that technically belonged to my grandparents, who where early adopters and had a computer. When I was ten or twelve I spent hours creating "magazines" on it and typing stories. Most of my 4-H projects were typed on it (I don't remember what it was, other than blue. GE or IBM, maybe?).

I remember when I was about five, I saw a copy of an old ad for an Underwood standard (probably a No. 5, or something earlier) and asking my mom what it was. It didn't look like plastic model. As soon as the word "typewriter" was out of her mouth, I decided that I wanted one.

That idea went on a shelf for a really long time, party to practicality, funds, and the fact that I live in a matchbox. It wasn't until I got Henry for Christmas that I thought about revisiting that idea of typewriter collecting I'd had as a child.

I don't have much of a budget for typewriters or the space to store them. My bedroom is 9x10 and has to contain everything I had in an apartment, with the exception of some furniture and kitchen supplies. Since Christmas I keep looking around for things I can get rid of, but most of my belongings fall into three categories: Clothing, books, and craft supplies. I'm already down to the bare minimum on all three (though I want a Nook for my birthday, which should help with the shelf space).

Neither of these facts has stopped me from trolling Ebay and watching items like this Royal, or this one. I have determined from now on, however, I'm only getting portables. At the moment, I seem to be attracted to Royals (wonder if I'm biased? Nah...). So far I haven't won anything (probably a good thing). I'm wondering though...what is your limit when bidding in typewriters? Mine is extremely low ($40 including shipping) since I'm broke, cheap, and have to space, but how do you determine the "value" of a typewriter? It makes me wonder when I see listings like this that keep expiring and being relisted at ridiculously high prices, and rejecting offers (originally it was $500; now it's down to $395. Myself and at least two or three others have made offers, but it's still there). Maybe I just have expensive taste?

I'm not the only one who seems to be enjoying it, though. Even though the humans in the house are annoyed by the noise, Hermes will lay down near wherever I'm typing and take a nap every time I pull out the KMM. But then, we all know my cat is an odd duck.

Oil Can

2011-05-06T13:23:00.003-04:00

In the DVD player: Charmed, Season 1
Currently Reading: Dracula

It seems to be Theme Week here at chez KnotMagick. Maybe the Oz theme is coming from the fact that I heard "If I only had a brain" on the radio the other day (did I mention the new car came with satellite radio? Awesome! I love the 1940s station).

I think that for the moment, I've gotten as far with Oliver as I can. The rest requires knowledge and tools that I don't yet possess, like how to nickel plate/chrome something, or how to remove the platen from the carriage. I'm not even sure if this one can be saved. I've heard that there's a way to rejuvenate the rubber that is reasonably simple, but I'm not sure this one is even worth saving. The rubber is so dry it's starting to flake.

The more I work on it, the more I wonder if it's even possible to get it in working order. Well, everything can be fixed, I'm just wondering if it's within my ability and my budget. I'd be happy with a display machine, but I'd be happier with a working one, since my space limitations dictate that nothing that isn't useful can come in.

I did finish with the rust converter today (I think; there will probably be touch ups in the future). I've got some before and after shots so you can see how bad this was. All of the black areas were once rust.

I also took a few little pieces off of the back of the machine, and lo and behold, you could see the original paint color! It's amazing how dark it's gotten, but then again, it is eighty or so years old.

It took me a while, but last night I discovered the wonder that is Yahoo Groups, namely the Typewriters forum. I'd tried groups years ago, and was frustrated by the number emails and the disjointed way the conversations were presented. My first group was extremely active and it was impossible for me to keep track of what was going on. This one is a little more reasonable. It helps that I figured out that there's a page for the group, where you can read things forum style rather than in a bulk email. (See, this is why I like typewriters. They're fairly straightforward most of the time, unless you have to take them apart. Which isn't strictly necessary most of the time.)

Anyway, the people over there directed me to some awesome video tutorials and websites, and that helped a lot--I can't believe how easy it was to remove the carriage! It looks really really complicated when you're looking at the Oliver but nope, just pull it to the left, hit the right tab key, and it slides right off. Once the converter was dry, I just put a couple drops of oil on the little rollers and slid it back on, no problems. Now if only I could get the carriage return to work. I think there's a hook missing, but I'm not sure. That will be my next question for the group at large.

Although, can I just say, this typewriter is probably the dirtiest thing I've ever worked with. I've cleaned 3,000 year old ceramics, and let me tell you, this machine had more dirt and grime on it than an Etruscan tomb. I wiped down some areas seven or eight times and still had streaks of dirt left behind. It's kind of funny though; I'm thinking it was kept in an attic for many years, with the right hand side near a window, since that's where the worst of the rust is.

A Good Day for the Tin Man

2011-05-05T15:55:00.004-04:00

In the DVD player: When in Rome
Currently Reading: The Golden Fleece and the Heroes before Achilles

We finally had a break in the weather, so this morning I hauled Oliver and Henry outside to apply the rust converter. The '53 is still in the garage, so I made do with a sunny spot on the front porch and spent about three or four hours taking apart the few pieces I was brave enough to attempt (and knew I'd be able to put back properly). He got a good deep cleaning (or as deep as I could get without taking off the carriage--something I have no idea how to do) and I put the converter on as many of the exposed pieces of metal as I could get to. I also took a ton of macro shots, the best of which are now up on Devart.

I put the converter on Henry, too, but it's not as impressive of a result since Royal KMMs are black, anyway.

It should also be noted that this counts as my weight training for the day. I'd forgotten just how heavy those machines are! I think the Oliver is easily 25 pounds, the KMM has to be at least 30. Of course, I'm also a wimp with no upper body strength so that might be a bit of an exaggeration.

Now if only I can get my hands on a Dremel to polish some of it, since re-nickeling is kind of out of the question.

I'm off to upload the next chapter of Fortune's Fight. At some point I'll be scanning and uploading my journals for both Henry and Oliver's restoration efforts.

Media Monday

2011-05-02T08:01:00.003-04:00

So yesterday Mom and Dad got me watching a marathon of Auction Hunters, and I think I'm in love. I enjoy watching shows like Pawn Stars and American Pickers, but AH is now far and away my favorite treasure-in-trash/antiques/restoration show. It was just way more excititing for me to watch than the others (I keep waititng for one of them to find a fabulous old typewriter, but nothing yet. Though the Thomas Edison phonograph on one episode of AH had me totally stoked). Every time I watch one of those shows I have daydreams of working for one of them as a restorer. Sadly, I think the nearest one is 1500 miles away. I've found nothing in the state of Ohio.

---
If you've been on the internet at all today, you have probably heard about Osama Bin Laden. Considering some of the political content of this blog, you might be expecting me to say something pertinent. I'm not going to. Just because he's dead doesn't mean an end to terrorism. It doesn't mean people are going to stop dying, or we're going to pull out of the middle east. He's just another casualty--granted, he's one that we've been hunting down for almost ten years, and a rather famous casualty with a lot of blood on his hands, but he's not the end-all, be-all of the war.

Type Spotting Sunday

2011-05-01T12:39:00.004-04:00

There hasn't been a typecast in a while, and probably won't be for at least a few more weeks for a couple of reasons. First, with both of my parents home all day, every day now, I don't have a lot of alone time to write one. For some reason, I'm the only one in the house who doesn't find the sound of a typewriter annoying. (Prince Henry is most offended by this)

Second, there just hasn't been a lot of typewriter action happening. Between by budget and my storage space, I don't have room for new typewriters. And until the '53 gets moved out of the garage for car show season, I don't have any place to work on Oliver. I'm thinking that at some point I'll post their conservation profiles as pages, but there are a LOT of photos involved, so that will likely wait a little while, as well. I'll see about putting them into a slide show and uploading it to youtube so make it more concise.

I did, however, spot another Royal KMM (Henry's twin) in an episode of Charmed I was watching last night. It's Season 1, Episode 17, That 70's Episode.

I squeed and had to go back at snap a pictures. It's amazing that I missed it after the number of times I've watched Charmed, but then again, prior to this past Christmas I wasn't exactly looking for typewriters.

Oh, and if you are a type-writer loving techie, I did spot a laptop cover with a vintage-looking screenprint of an Underwood on it. I loved it, but I couldn't manage to pry the $38 out of my hot little hands, and they don't seem to have any more. Of course, it's not as expensive at slightly less-cute example I found by Thomas Paul. But my search of their website did turn up this typewriter and this sewing machine.

Have you made any cool finds this week?

Posted

2011-04-28T09:05:00.002-04:00

Since I'm about five chapters into the rewrite of Fortune's Fight, I figured it was time to start uploading it for critique. If you're interested in reading (critiques not necessary, comments appreciated!) you can find it on Deviant Art or on Fiction Press (the latter version has better formatting, FYI, because I'm currently at war with Devart).

I finally started the second of Missouri's socks (bout time I put those on Ravelry, don't you think? I'll have to add them later this week). Not too far into it because I've been working the last few days and I've been focusing my free time on the rewrites.

Out of the Aether

2011-04-26T08:57:00.003-04:00

You might think that I've been out driving cross country since I fell off Planet Internet after that last post, but really I've been at home--haven't been doing much, hence no post.

What I have been doing this week is a lot of reading and writing. I'm planning a mini review of Heather Graham's Bone Island series, but I've still got 2 more books to read, so that will have to wait. Right now I'm working my way through Dracula and a book of mythology. The myth book actually has a forward by Rick Riordan, which I didn't even realize until yesterday because I never read forwards. I read this one, though, because I adore his Percy Jackson books beyond words and I'm dying for the next book in the Kane saga.

I've been doing so much reading and writing lately that I've hardly knit a single stitch (gasp!) but I sketched out three more designs and typed up two vanilla sock recipes so that I can teach Missouri and another friend how to knit socks.

Part of the massive revision I'm doing on my current story involves adding about a dozen knitting patterns, so as soon as I finish revising the pattern I'm writing for Missouri I'll be diving into the list I'm making for my own book. Stay tuned--I've got socks, hats, sweaters, and more laid out. Very exciting stuff!

Zoom Zoom

2011-04-14T11:39:00.004-04:00

I got a new car!! I've been planning on getting one, with a goal of signing the papers by my birthday (end of June) but Dad decided yesterday it was high time to trade in my old truck and get something that's a bit more economical. We went in this morning and picked it up.

The color is called "Mango Tango," but it reminds me of a tropical sunset. Therefore, her name is Lucy, after Port St. Lucy (which is a town in Florida near where my aunt and uncle live, and an area that I love. Favorite family vacation spot). It has everything that was on my wishlist and then some. And in case you're wondering, that wishlist consisted of a car that is a 4 door hatchback with cruise control and AC.

I'm not hard to please, people. Yet somehow I have a reputation for being picky...(okay, so orange wasn't my first choice in color, but there weren't any blue ones available and a red one would tack on an extra 2k for some strange reason...and I'm not a black/white/silver kind of girl. And the streaks in my hair currently match the car.)

I need to go put my stuff in the new car (tool kit, tissue box, emergency kit, etc.) and then I have a date with the user's manual. See you on the road!

On

2011-04-12T11:13:00.004-04:00

In the DVD Player: Sense and Sensibility
Currently Reading: The Poisoner's Handbook

I finally managed to get a shot of the finished corset arm warmers, and I've got the pattern up on Ravelry. Like my other patterns, it is currently available for free, and can be downloaded directly from the site (if you checked out my patterns earlier, and were concerned about having to go through a third-party website, that glitch has now been fixed).

My next project is a pair of socks. The first one is 3/4 done, closing in on the toe now. You know what the great thing about stuff that comes in pairs is? I can do a draft of the pattern on the first on and test/revise it on the second one. Saves so much time.
----
So has anyone else read the latest issue of Writer's Digest? It's all about food and travel writing. It's giving me that travel bug itch again. Then the other day at work an associate, who also lived in Europe for a while, got me talking about it and we swapped stories about the places we'd been. Looks like I have another travel buddy if I want one. :)

I keep writing down all of my ideas for a travel blog and setting them aside for later use. Anyone want to weigh in with their thoughts on the subject? Would you read if I had a travel blog? What information would you like it to have? What about just doing one post a week on the subject, right here?

Off

2011-04-06T10:07:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to say that I'm taking a couple of days off from my regular schedule because of some family health issues. Nothing too serious, but it's going to interupt my regularly scheduled life for at least a day or two, possibly longer. I'm still knitting, writing and designing, just need to reallocate some time in order to play nursemaid.

I'll see you guys again in a few days.

P.S.: due to the above issues, the prizes for the Japan contest have been delayed a little in the shipping. They should go out later today or tomorrow but it might end up being early next week.

2KCBW DAY 7

2011-04-04T18:33:00.003-04:00

In the DVD player: Veronica Mars
Currently Reading: Torchwood: Consequences

Write about your typical crafting time. When it is that you are likely to craft – alone or in more social environments, when watching TV or whilst taking bus journeys. What items do you like to surround yourself with whilst you twirl your hook like a majorette’s baton or work those needles like a skilled set of samurai swords. Do you always have snacks to hand, or are you a strictly ‘no crumbs near my yarn!’ kind of knitter.

There are three places I knit the most: on the living room couch, usually with HGTV on (love House Hunters!); at the computer while waiting for things to load on our super slow DSL or while watching Netflix; or in bed while listening to knitting podcasts or watching movies. By "in bed" I don't necessarily mean just before sleep. My bed takes up 3/4 of my room and is the seat closest to my knitting basket, so I just curl up in the corner, pull the blanket over my legs and knit away.

I like to have snacks when I knit, but I try to avoid it for obvious reasons (I HAVE to have snacks when I'm writing, though. It's a must. Brain food). Things I usually have with me when I'm knitting/crocheting...yarn, needles. What I usually forget: tapestry needle, tape measure, scissors. I've also been keeping a notebook and pen handy to write down patterns for the things I make.

Oddly enough, I've found that when listening to podcasts on the computer while knitting, I have to turn on the visualizer for visual stimulation if I'm knitting a really simple pattern. Is that strange?

----

I've really enjoyed this little meme. I like doing memes, but I don't come across them very often. Is there anything you readers want to know? I'm open to answering any questions. :)

And with that, I am popping off to finish my latest project.

2KCBW DAY 6

2011-04-03T10:22:00.002-04:00

Is there a pattern or skill that you don’t yet feel ready to tackle but which you hope to (or think you can only dream of) tackling in the future, near or distant? Is there a skill or project that makes your mind boggle at the sheer time, dedication and mastery of the craft? Maybe the skill or pattern is one that you don’t even personally want to make but can stand back and admire those that do. Maybe it is something you think you will never be bothered to actually make but can admire the result of those that have.

Working in retail, I see a lot of the trends as they come in. A big once for the last several months has been Lace. Lace! Lace on collars. Lace peasant skirts. Lace scarves. Lace dresses. Lace everywhere! And I love it.

I have always loved the look of lace. I've a a secret, deep desire to knit a lace shawl for about four years, but one thing that consistently escapes me is the ability to knit lace. The closest I've ever come is the feather and fan shawl I made for my jazzpunk costume at Ohayocon, and since I was using a worsted weight yarn, I don't think it really counts. I think shawls are just about the most impractical garments out there (after thong underwear and six inch heels) but they're so PRETTY. I want one. Even if I never wear it, I want one.

I've tried several lace patterns in the past, both in the form of stitch patterns and also knitting patterns. They touted themselves as being "easy" lace patterns, and every single time I got totally screwed up and ripped it all out before the third row. I need a pattern that spell things out explicitly, because I hate charts. I find them hard to keep track of, and I hate always having to look up what the stupid little symbols mean, and trying to keep track of which row I'm on and which direction I'm supposed to be reading it.

So the lace and I are at war. We don't get along too well. Right now my plan of attack is to sneak it in bit by bit. A lace panel on a sweater. A lace pattern worked into a scarf. Until I work my way up to one of the huge pinwheel shawls I see in books.

Until that day happens, however, I'll content myself with my "cheater's lace:" yo, k2tog.

Something not so different

2011-04-02T17:51:00.003-04:00

So the theme for today is "something different." The idea is to blog about the regular content in a different fashion. Quite frankly though, I don't have the energy to come up with a "different fashion" at the moment. It's been a weird couple of days at work with everyone grumpy or sick/suffering from allergies, on top of the cold, gloomy weather we've been getting. So you just get the regular content.

The winners of the Japan Relief Drawing were Clasina and NewbieKnitter84 (Ravelry names; comments 5 and 27). Congrats, ladies, and I'll be sending your packages out sometime this week.

In other news, I now have a Ravelry Pattern page! I've got two up right now (well, technically three, but one is a repeat because I had a technology fail and I don't know how to remove it), and another will be going up this week. Right now the patterns are all free, but I'll be adding some for pay later. (Also, can I just say how awesome everyone is who faved the latest pattern? 17 faves before it was even up 24 hours!)

At the moment, that's all I've got. I'm going to go put my feet up and not do anything resembling work for the next 24 hours and just enjoy my day off.

2KCBW DAY 4

2011-04-01T09:37:00.003-04:00

In the DVD player: Firefly
Currently Reading: Casting Spells by Barbara Bretton

Whatever happened to your __________?

Write about the fate of a past knitting project. Whether it be something that you crocheted or knitted for yourself or to give to another person. An item that lives with you or something which you sent off to charity.

There are a lot of different aspects to look at when looking back at a knitting project and it can make for interesting blogging, as much of the time we blog about items recently completed, new and freshly completed. It is not so often that we look back at what has happened to these items after they have been around for a while.

How has one of your past knits lived up to wear. Maybe an item has become lost. Maybe you spent weeks knitting your giant-footed dad a pair of socks in bright pink and green stripes which the then ‘lost’. If you have knit items to donate to a good cause, you could reflect on the was in which you hope that item is still doing good for it’s owner or the cause it was made to support.

So. Anyone remember the 198 Countries Peace Project?

If you're an astute reader and wondered why there was never any mention of it being sold, well, that's because it never was.

Intended to be shown at my Senior Thesis Show, back in May 2009, the idea was to sell the finished project and donate all of the money to Doctors Without Borders.

Making the project was a huge process. After several critiques from classmates and instructors, I ended up starting over. The results were lackluster, even to my eyes. I still have not come up with a satisfactory way of displaying all of the flags.

Don't misunderstand. I WANT to finish the project. Badly. And I still want to donate the proceeds to charity. The problem is that after over a year of unsatisfactory work, I am somewhat discouraged with it. I know there is a problem in the visual presentation, but I can't seem to figure out how to solve it. Additionally, I don't have a work space large enough to lay it all out and complete the sewing, and with no buyer in mind, nor a place to show it, it honestly has not been a priority.

One day, I WILL go back and finish it. I don't know when that day will be, but it will happen. I am disappointed and frustrated that such a great idea has fizzled down to this point, but at this time I don't have a whole lot of options.

____
The drawing for the Japan Relief contest is now closed. I will be drawing and notifying winners this weekend, and will announce them on Monday.

2KCBW: DAY 3

2011-03-31T08:55:00.002-04:00

How do you keep your yarn wrangling organised? It seems like an easy to answer question at first, but in fact organisation exists on many levels. Maybe you are truly not organised at all, in which case I am personally daring you to try and photograph your stash in whatever locations you can find the individual skeins. However, if you are organised, blog about an aspect of that organisation process, whether that be a particularly neat and tidy knitting bag, a decorative display of your crochet hooks, your organised stash or your project and stash pages on Ravelry.

I don't think my stash is so much organized as it is contained. This is mostly due to space constrains, but also my budget and my desire to move into a mostly stash-free zone.

My working stash (stuff for projects I'm using right now) is in a milk crate tucked into a shelf by my bed, since that's where I do most of my knitting. My odd balls are tucked away on a shelf and held in place by my two cones of yarn.

The Good Stash is located in a kitty-proof otoman. This is my "fancy" yarn (for me, anyway, the nice stuff like my Claudia Handpaint) and my handspun are kept. Deep Stash is, unfortunately, in the garage, but before you get all worked up about the mistreatment of yarn, let me specify that deep stash is the stash is the stash I'm trying to get rid of and consists mostly of cheap acrylics that I bought when I was first learning to knit. Also, most of those are half skeins that have been wound into cakes, or are horribly tangled, or are just generally undesirable.

Oh, and I also have an offshoot of Deep Stash located in an empty gig bag in the gap between my bed and the wall. That's also where I keep my stuffing.

I have three places I keep my needles--I have a collection of circulars and DPNs that I don't use very often in a hat box with my crochet hooks. My most used straights and circs are in a roll-up case I made a few years ago, and that is inside a basket quiver I made a camp a few years ago, hanging on my wall for easy access. My most used DPNs are in a needle case just below it.

Pattern books and knitting magazines are on the shelf right next to the milk crate of Working Stash.

So there isn't a whole lot, but it's divided up into small, manageable chunks that fit into the tiny spaces I can find in my tiny room.

2KCBW--DAY 2

2011-03-30T19:48:00.004-04:00

In the DVD Player: Firefly
Currently Reading: Torchwood: Consequences

I had to work this morning, and almost didn't get a blog post in at all. I thought about just putting it off until tomorrow, but Alice and I and some friends are going to an early movie, and I still have to do the Nerd Wars blog tomorrow, which is going to take a while because the dozens of submissions turned in for our little Tribble takeover.

The day two prompt for Knitting and Crochet Blog Week is as follows:

Look back over your last year of projects and compare where you are in terms of skill and knowledge of your craft to this time last year. Have you learned any new skills or forms of knitting/crochet (can you crochet cable stitches now where you didn’t even know such things existed last year? Have you recently put a foot in the tiled world of entrelac? Had you even picked up a pair of needles or crochet hook this time last year?

Let's see, according to my Ravelry, I've completed 14 projects (roughly) in the last twelve months, if you count a handful of hats that I donated as a single project and a trouble of tribbles as a single object (the Nerdwarsians decided that "trouble" was the proper term for a gathering of tribbles. I think it's perfect).

Last year, I was just starting to learn how to knit socks. I'd made a few very basic ones, but that was about it.

Last year, I'd done very little cabling. I've done quite a lot with cables now (mostly in the London Calling sweater, which needs and updated photo), and taught myself how to drop down to fix an incorrectly twisted cable (my tutorial on it can be found here).

I am now more adept at reading patterns. I also have learned the way NOT to make a beret, and how to make one properly.

I also took a great step in conquering lace, which is something I've always found elusive, when I made my feather and fan jazzpunk shawl. Oh, and I learned how to put a pocket into a sweater.

All of that, before you even get into the textile stuff and the historical stuff I learned for my thesis. Wow. That seems like a lot for a year! I want to learn more this year--I want to try another lace pattern. I want to challenge my design skills and start incorporating more techniques into the things I design myself, and increase my skill base.

I have two other goals, too: I want to knit through at least 3/4 of my stash, to get rid of the budget (i.e. Redheart) yarn that I got as a broke college student, and start using nicer yarns whenever possible. I still want to observe my budget, but I want to operate 90% stash free, meaning that I don't just go out and buy yarn because I want it. Purchased yarn must have a purpose, though I'm going to keep my handspun and still have some really basic yarns on hand--you know the kind, the ones that are so terribly useful that you're always going to them. Since this requires a shift of budget and of thinking, I'm going to count this as a new skill to learn in 2011.

What goals do you have?

A day late...but at least I'm not a dollar short

2011-03-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

So I was over on the Major Knitter blog, and lo and behold, it's the annual knitting and crochet blog week. Whadya know? I didn't know there was such a thing, but I figured I'd give it a shot...since really, I don't have anything else to talk about, really.

I'm starting a day lay, but I'm going to go ahead and answer all of the blog prompts, anyway.

The one from yesterday is:

Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.

Tips: It is a good idea, if possible, to choose a yarn that you adore and a yarn that just didn’t work for you. You do not need to be critical of any yarn if you do not feel comfortable in doing so, but perhaps you came to realise that one yarn wasn’t suitable for a particular project, if possible you could blog about what you have come to learn about choosing the right yarn, or your love of experimenting with fibres.

My current favorite yarn is Claudia Handpaints sock yarn. It's squishy, soft, pretty, and comes in all kinds of different colors (sadly, my LYS never carries more than two at a time, so I think I'm going to have to switch to buying it online). It also has the added benefit of not making me itch like crazy. It was the first superwash wool I found that didn't make me sneeze, break out, or scratch like someone had filled my socks with itching powder. I don't know what the base yarn is, but it appears to be the wool processed in such a way that I can wear it next to my skin without a problem.

My least favorite yarn, I'm sad to say, was a very well intentioned gift. I like the yarn when it was in hank form, but as soon as I tried to use it, it turned into clown barf. The background was a really bright turquoise, and it had noils of orange, yellow, purple, green and red in it. I tried crocheting it. I tried knitting it. I tried large needles, I tried small needles. I tried working it flat and in the round. I tried long rows, I tried short rows. No matter what I did with this yarn, it was awful. It looked like someone had stuck Bozo the clown through a pastamaker and tried to spin the noodles. The only halfway success solution I found was to hold it together with one strand of a a solid turquoise yarn of about the same shade. I had less than half a ball, though, and when I discovered the yarn had been discontinued, I gave up. Frustrated, I believe I donated it to a 4-H group or a nursing home or somesuch group that is always looking for craft supplies. I felt horrible doing it, since it was an artyarn and rather expensive, but there simply wasn't anything I could do with it.

And there you have it. My best and worst yarn experiences.

Review: The Cassie Palmer series by Karen Chance

2011-03-28T08:33:00.002-04:00

So far, this has been my favorite new series this year. It ranks u there with the Kitty Norville books and the Sookie Stackhouse series, favorites from past years.

Alice gave the book one last year for my birthday. I read the back and wasn't impressed. In fact, I questioned her sanity for buying it for me, since it sounded an awful lot like another novel with a weak plot, questionable heroine, and a twisted romantic relationship between a vampire and his human. I put it on the "to read" stack on my headboard where it was promptly buried by research, library books, and titles that sounded a hell of a lot more interesting and less smutty (because let's face it, "Touch the Dark" only leaves so many options).

Fast forward 8 months, to where I finally began reading it. The first chapter was enjoyable. Alice talked me into buying book 2 since I had a gift card and was caught up the other series I follow.

Two days later, I was on the last chapter and purchasing the final 2 books with my own money.

Book one, Touch the Dark, opens with Cassie running for her life after being sent a threatening obituary (yes, I said threatening obituary), and the action doesn't slow down for an instant. Running to her roommate, a waiter at a bar to say a quick goodbye and try to explain why supernatural killers are after her, she is horrified when he makes quick work of the attackers who followed her to the bar. Suddenly, very human Cassie finds herself sucked even deeper into a world she has spent nearly a decade trying to escape: the world of vampires.

Orphaned at the age of 4, Cassie was raised by vampire mafioso Tony, where she had the prized place in his court for her ability to see the future. After setting him up to get arrested, he is just one of the many people after her as an adult. Now Cassie learns that part of her protection as a child came from the geis his master, Mircea, placed on her as a child. When Cassie accidentally becomes the world's chief clairvoyant and gains the ability to leapfrog through history, she inadvertently turns an already unpredictable spell into a potentially lethal curse--with her childhood crush Mircea as the target.

In order to save him, however, she has to keep herself alive. not an easy task when suddenly everyone wants her dead. First there's the Silver Circle, a group of mages who traditionally protect the Pythia and aren't thrilled that independent Cassie has inherited all of the power. Then there's Myra, the intended heir, who is none to please that Cassie beat her out as successor and is homicidal and slightly crazy to boot. Throw in the Fey and a demon or two, plus War Mage John Pritkin, who might be out to kill her, if he ever quits saving her life, or might be using her, or might be something (or someone) else entirely, and Cassie more than has her hands full, even before people start coming to her for help.

Filled with a delightful cast of characters, the Cassie Palmer books are funny, romantic, and exciting from page one all the way to the end of book four. There wasn't a single part I would consider slow or boring, and the action continues in the companion Dorina Basarab series (I have not read those yet, but they are on my list). If you are a fan of Charlaine Harries or Carrie Vaughn, then you will love this series. Book five, Hunt the Moon, comes out in June.

And just for convenience, here's a list of the books and the order they go in:
1. Touch the Dark
2. Claimed by Shadow
3. Embrace the Night
4. Curse the Dawn

Cloudy with a Chance of Tribbles

2011-03-26T08:18:00.003-04:00

I have come to the conclusion that I either need a professional in-house photographer, or daylight needs to last until at least 12 am. Of course, it would help if we had sunshine out here once in a while, since it's been cloudy and icky for the last few days.

In the mean time, I'm making do with a compact fluorescent in "Daylight" Although I'm beginning to suspect there's a problem with my new camera. I just bought it at Christmas, but it never seems to record colors accurately. I really don't want to break down and get a fancier camera, especially so soon after getting this one. I might even be forced to get a non-Fuji next time, which is sad since I love their cameras.

I managed to get a halfway decent (but boring) shot of my latest Nerd Wars submission. Tribbles have invaded Team Enterprise, and Maison du KM is no different.

I've also been going through some of the older projects I'd made patterns for, back when I first started the knitted journey. As much as I love these arm warmers (very steampunk!) I think I'm going to have to alter the pattern and retire the prototypes. What do you do with a failed prototype? Store it? How? Frog it? Donate it? I think for the remake I'm going to move to a thinner yarn (and something that isn't acrylic, at least not that breed of acrylic), and instead of crocheting all the way around I'll just to the scallops and knit the sides, working in eyelets for the ribbon. I'll add that to the ever-growing list of stuff I want to knit.

Currently Watching: What a Girl Wants
Currently Reading: Consequences (Torchwood novel)

Housekeeping

2011-03-25T08:13:00.004-04:00

A little renovating has been going on here at Casa del KM.

•The link to the Japan Relief Giveaway is now in the header. From now on, that is where all open contests will go.
•I added my blogroll to the sidebar.
•That means there's no room for the 52/52 Book Challenge, so that can now be found in the site pages, linked below my profile.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be adding:
•A page for all former 52/52 Challenges, with links to all of my book reviews.
•A more in-depth bio page.
•A page with summaries of my ebooks, as well as photos of my knitting patterns as well as information on how you can purchase them.
•Updated photos (as in, with proper lighting and staging, rather than *click* "I'm done! Lookie here!") of all of my knitting and handspun (those pictures will actually go on my Devart/Ravelry pages, but some might end up here, as well).

I think that's it for the remodel, though I would like some opinions. I've had some complaints about the background on the blog (the turquoise and blue flowers) making it hard to read. Thoughts? Opinions? (Please include your OS and browser, since I know the parchment backdrop doesn't appear to load on older computers).

P.S. Are you following Jason Kelly, the sock guy's blog? You should read Wednesday's post. It made me cry.

Around the Interwebs

2011-03-24T10:03:00.003-04:00

I follow a lot of blogs. At least half of them belong to writers in form form or another. Some are hobbyists, some mostly just enjoy the act of using vintage technology to express contemporary ideas. Some are aspiring authors, or have been published through small press. Some are award winners and New York Times Bestsellers, and some are industry professionals.

If you've been following the CFM at all, then by now you know what huge fans of Gail Carriger Alice and I am. I recently subscribed to her agent's blog, which is highly informative for anyone with any aspirations of professional authordom. A couple of days ago, she posted something about the Japanese translator and cover artist, and how they were effected by the quake/tsunami. In true Japanese style, they emailed her, apologizing for being out of the office for so long.

Can you imagine if that editor were in, say, New York? The email probably would have been much different. Throughout the news reports of this disaster, I continue to be impressed by the Japanese sense of community. Despite shortages of food, water, medicine, shelter--pretty much everything--they remain steadfast and patient. They take the British "Keep calm and carry on" to a whole new level.

Won't you help out?

P.S. If you are a knitter and want to help out, I just found a link to this site, where someone is collecting socks the quake victims.

Typecast #3

2011-03-22T20:42:00.004-04:00

(^^Click to enlarge^^)

Also, don't forget the Japan Relief Drawing.

New Hair

2011-03-17T21:17:00.002-04:00

I got a couple of gift certificates to the local beauty school for Christmas, but I haven't had time to make use of them until recently. I knew that I wanted to do something a bit different with my hair, but I wasn't sure what. Then I got sick of my hair (which tends to get rather triangular looking when it's about shoulder length) looking like a Lady Gaga wig and decided that Now. Was. The. Time.

After having Normal Hair for about a year, I decided it was time to go back to something funky and picked out a layered style that will still grow out easily (since that is the ultimate goal) and decided I wanted it to be two-toned in some way. Red. Bright, firey red. So when I talked to the girl (a lovely senior from not to far from where I live) we settled on this:

I'm quite pleased with it, though it takes some getting used to. It also means I have to re-evaluate my wardrobe a little, since it clashes with most of the dark red, all of the pinks, and about half of the purples in my closet. So it looks like I'm going to be wearing mostly black and blue for the foreseeable future (gah, black and blue and red on top? I'm going to look like a scraped knee. But a very fashionable scraped knee).

I can't post any pictures of my knitting right now, because it's part of a Top Secret Mission for Nerd Wars, and the hem of the sweater I'm working on isn't all that fascinating (yay, 2 1/2 inches of 2x1 ribbing. Joy). I did manage to have a spinning mishap that resulted in the loss of about 1/4 ounce of tussah silk. I still weep for it.

I've been accomplishing very little in the world of writing this week, but I hope to rectify that tomorrow or possibly later tonight, depending on how long it takes me to finish up stuff online. I have been hampered slightly in my productivity by the rain, which has flooded both our internet and phone lines meaning that I don't have access half the time to the numbers I need to call and the other half I simply can't call them (because if I'm going to be on hold for an hour, there's no way I'm using my cell). So since I don't have any other concrete accomplishments to show you, I will distract you with another shiney picture of me and my new 'do:

Also, don't forget about the Japan Relief Drawing, which is still open to anyone who donates to any organization providing aide over there. I'm going to keep blogging as usual, but remember that you can still enter by leaving a comment on that post. There's also a helpful little link in the upper left hand corner of this page, right next to the post title.

Japan Relief Giveaway

2011-03-12T19:11:00.006-05:00

Eight years ago, about this time, I was a sophomore in high school trying to make a rather huge decision--the choice between continuing at my small town public school, taking classes I wasn't thrilled at, and staring down two more years of bullying with no friends to stand beside me, or transferring to a tech school with the few friends I had and studying art. At the time, my day revolved around my art classes, where I spent hours drawing comics and comic inspired art. I wrote my math notes as comic strips, and fanart of my favorite anime characters popped up on almost all of my homework. Depressed, stuck, and feeling hopeless about my future, I made the decision to make the study of art my primary focus, and that focus turned my life around. I've made so many friends through the world of anime and manga fans. Cosplay helped inspire my love of textiles and fiber art, and I learned so much from the readers of fanfiction which has influenced the novels I'm currently writing.

It could be argued, in a way, that manga saved me. Today Japan, the birthplace of my favorite artform, is in trouble, with hundreds of thousands dead, missing, injured, or displaced after this weeks earthquake, tsunami, and the subsequent nuclear emergencies.

I'll be honest. I'm broke right now. But I still sent $25 to Doctors Without Borders to help with the relief effort. I want to send more, but I can't, so I want to encourage others to send what they can, so from now until April 1st, if you donate your time/money/food/blood/etc to the relief organization of your choice and leave a comment telling me about it, you'll be entered to win one of the prize packs I've put together below. I'll be posting the names of the winners the first week of April (date is TBA), so make sure you check back to see who they are (please, please, please make sure that you have your name in the post somewhere, and/or a way I can contact you, otherwise I'll have to draw someone else's name if you don't respond).

The grand prize winner will receive the following:

One issue each of Vogue Knitting, Spin off, and Otaku USA; Knitting for Good, by Betsy Greer; How to Draw Anime and Game Characters Vol. 1; the OST for Noir; a selection of anime sampler discs; two skeins of my own Jack the Ripper handspun (100% superwash merino, hand dyed and blended); and a crochet/knit dishcloth and handtowel set, plus a smattering of chocolate and any other cute little Japanese trinkets I can pull together when I head up to New Japan this week.

The runner up will receive:

Two issues of Vogue Knitting; one issue of Otaku USA; one issue of Shojo Beat; TM Revolution's Seventh Heaven CD; 2 balls of my hand spun Ectoplasm yarn (100% bamboo); a crocheted dishcloth and handtowel set; a selection of anime sampler discs, plus a smattering of chocolate and some other trinkets from New Japan.

In addition, 25% of all sales from my Etsy Shop will be donated to Doctors Without Borders, and 100% of all sales of my ebooks (those are also available in the shop).

Arigato gozaimasu.

T.V. and Knitting

2011-03-02T08:43:00.002-05:00

A couple of days ago I pulled the London Calling cardigan out of hibernation and managed to finish the first half of the front and cast on for the second. I've got about an inch of ribbing to go before I can start the pattern work. I have a feeling this side will take me even longer to finish, because the directions for it pretty much start and end with "do the opposite of everything you did on the other side." Which might just make my brain explode unless I make a chart for it. And I really don't want to have to chart an entire eighteen inches of sweater.

Another thing I finished recently was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I never watched it when it was on tv, but I kept trying and was never able to get into it (usually because I was picking it up in the middle of a season). I finally understand why this show was so damn popular.

Now that my queue on Netflix has a little empty space on it, I've been watching Veronica Mars. I never heard much about this show when it was on (I was surprised that there's more than half a season, I heard so little about it) but it is excellent. If you like a good mystery, go check it out.

Don't forget to submit your opinion (if you have one. Hell, even if you DON'T have one) on the possible move to Wordpress.

Points

2011-02-27T10:44:00.003-05:00

1. I've submitted my final Nerd Wars project for the month. I'll spare you my pathetic attempts at photography. You can see the Ravelry project page here.

2. I've been going through the blog trying to figure out a way to update it, and I'm actually thinking of clearing the decks and starting fresh--over on Wordpress. I've been using the side for the Nerd Wars blog (I'm the blogger for Team Enterprise; you can keep up with our progress here, as well as all of the other teams). I think the layouts just look a little fresher and cleaner, and I like the program for the posts themselves. I think the site in general just gives more options for customization.

3. I'm hesitant about moving because I've been on blogger since 2007, so you all know where to find me here. Also, I don't want to loose my posts. Anyone know of a way I could archive the blogger site into the wordpress one?

4. All of the typeblogs I follow are here, which again makes me hesitant. Not that I don't already have them in my favorites on Firefox, but still. It's community. A network. And I don't like to break the chain.

5. Also, the CFM is here, which makes the linking and updating easier, and makes the magazine more streamlined.

6. So, thoughts? Anyone want to weigh in one way or another?

Nerd Wars

2011-02-13T20:10:00.003-05:00

I find it rather shocking that somehow I managed to make it over halfway through February and forgot to mention my latest activity. I've spent the last three weeks knitting my little fingers to the bone for Nerd Wars on Ravelry (you will need an account to view the page if you aren't a Ravelry member).

Basically, it's a competition between geeky knitters. There are several teams (I'm on Team Enterprise, but there's also a team for Firefly fans, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, RPGs, video games, and others) and every month members compete in six challenge categories to knit an item which answers the challenge in under thirty days. Points are awarded for completing the challenge, and there are also arbitrary bonus points awarded. It's great fun. Yesterday I finished a beret for the Nebula-inspired challenge:

We have two weeks left (or thereabouts) in the first round, and I'm about 1/3 done with my second challenge project, which falls under the team spirit category (basically, making something "for" a character in your fandom. My "recipient" is Spock). I don't have any photos of it yet, but I'll post pictures when the challenge is over.

If you're on Ravelry, it's too late to join this competition, but it runs three months so at the end of April you should be able to sign up again. And you can always watch as a spectator! There's some great people and we've been having a lot of fun.

Cameo Apearances

2011-02-08T18:16:00.005-05:00

I just went to see The King's Speech, and there were several familiar faces: Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter,Geoffry Rush and Michael Gambon to name a few, as well as this one:

I highly recommend the movie (because really, you can't go wrong if it involves Colin Firth, who delivers an extremely moving performance), and when you do see it, pay close attention to the scenes in Lionel, the speech therapist's office, especially the initial ones--You'll see an Oliver #9 sitting front and center, and it does get used later in the film. It's a lovely machine and I can't wait until my own Oliver is up and running.

I know I promised weeks ago to post another photo, and here it is: Me at Ohayocon with my feather and fan shawl. My first actual lace project! It's very lovely in person. Just ignore the model. And the bad photography.

The blog has fallen by the wayside lately; According to my Chinese Horoscope this is supposed to be a great year with only one unfavorable month, but I think the unfavorable one must be February because nothing is going even remotely according to plan, and I haven't much wanted to broadcast my bad mood about it to the rest of the world. So I shall leave you with your moment of feline cute:

He's playing innocent because he knows he's in trouble. He managed to get into a package of kitty treats and eat 3/4 of them before we caught him, and then got his paws on a bag of dog treats and did the same. We keep finding tiny steak treats all over the house.

Shopping Mojo

2011-01-23T21:53:00.003-05:00

Mom and I went to the Scott Antique Market at the Expo Center today, and I somehow managed to satisfy almost all of my nerdy habits--and I did it for less than $50!

On the right, you can see a cone of yarn--roughly 5-10 pounds (I'm awful at guessing weight, especially after I've carried it around all day and it feels more like 20) of cotton yarn, for $10. Perfect for dying!

On the left, right in front of Henry, you can see two comic books. Two issues of New Teen Titans. I haven't opened them up yet to check the date, but I think they're from some time in the '70s. One of them is about Starfire, and the other involves Raven going berserk. I picked them mostly because they centered around my two favorite characters. I was hoping for some NightWing action, but no such luck. Both of those together were $5.

My favorite (and I think you can guess which it is and why) is the new/old typewriter in the middle! It's an Oliver #9 from 1912, and is in this great olive drab color (and I can't believe I just said that. Normally I hate anything that can be considered olive or drab, let alone both together). This machine is interesting because of how the text works. You can see in the photo below, the type actually comes down from the side, rather than up from the center. It was just so cool, I knew I had to make an offer. When the guy said he wanted twenty bucks for it, I jumped on it, no haggling. (He did give me $10 off the original price since it was the last day of the sale.) Another interesting thing is that every key has a either a letter or number, and a symbol on it. And judging by the look of the keys, this beauty has hardly been used in the last 98 years.

There is a lot of rust, however. One of the spool caps appears to be rusted in places, and the other is missing while the spool itself won't go back into it's proper place. The return on the carriage is very sticky, and platen is as hard as a rock. There was more dust on the thing when I picked it up than in most parts of the Sahara. I gave it a first cleaning tonight and found some lovely little surprises under the grime, but the rest will have to wait until tomorrow. For right now my goal is to de-gunk it and go over it with some steel wool, then it will likely hibernate on a shelf as a display item for a few weeks until it warms up and I can apply the rust remover to both it and Henry, someplace where the cat won't get tempted to take a lick when my back is turned (like the garage).

I really want to stay up and get more done, but it is getting late and I must be up early tomorrow for school. I don't even have time to make all of my notes about Oliver right now.

CFM Steampunk Issue

2011-01-15T14:03:00.003-05:00

Well, in case you missed the memo, the second issue of Contemporary Fantasy Magazine is now live. You can download a free sample here, and it's available on Etsy for purchase (only $4!). The next issue is Monsters and Mayhem, and we are already taking submissions. For more information, check out the CFM Blog.

Typecast #2

2011-01-13T09:58:00.005-05:00

Click'em to enlarge.

Random on a Wednesday

2011-01-12T08:47:00.003-05:00

So, I've had a typecast sitting around for about a week now, but I keep forgetting to scan it. I have, however, been doing a lot of knitting. I'm making a shawl for my Ohayocon costume, and I've got about a foot of it knit up so far. Before you go acting all impressed, I'm making it with DK weight yarn (or possibly something a bit thicker) on size 11 needles in a basic feather and fan stitch. The more I knit on it though, the more I wonder if I might not possibly need a second ball of yarn. I hope not, since I got the first one on clearance and I'm not sure I can get more.

I've been spending the last three days working on the magazine and knitting my little fingers to the bone while watching various movies/tv series. I picked up the second season of Star Trek: TNG the other day, and am ready to start disc 3. Sadly, I forgot my headphones, so no tv for me this morning. Very irritating, since I have an hour to kill and more knitting to do.

And really, that's about all there is to say at this point. So far I'm reasonably on track with my 52 books challenge (of course, we're really only 2 weeks into the year. But I'm hoping to get far enough ahead that I'll have some leeway later in the year). My current book is Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero. Have I mentioned how much I love him? Because I do. I want to eat his brain and absorb his creativity. of course, then I'd be out the rest of the series...so I guess I'll put that off. ;)

Coming up Short

2011-01-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

Hopefully, I'll do a little bit better with the 2011 reading challenge than I did with the 2010 one. I read 49 books this year, which means I was 3 short of the regular goal and 18 short of my personal goal (mostly because the only reading I had time to do during fall quarter was school related. Hoping to change that, since I'm only taking one class in the spring.

I don't think I have a favorite book of 2010, but I will say that I really, really enjoyed the Carrie Vaugn Kitty books, and I want to get caught up on those this year. Another series I want to catch up on is The Dresden Files (currently reading book four). I also want to read the next books in the Sookie Stackhous series, and I have about a dozen books waiting on my shelf at home, about a third of which are research for a new story.

The biggest surprise was The Girl of the Limberlost, which sat on my shelf for about three months. I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The biggest disappointment was probably the Hearse You Came In On, though I thought that Invictus started very strongly and then fell apart about halfway through.

Speaking of reading, last night after a late movie showing, I checked my email and found Year of Miracles waiting in my inbox. YoM is an old races novella that C.E. Murphy wrote for--well, I guess it amounts to subscribers. It's something new she's started doing. She'll make a post on her blog about a story she wants to write, with an estimated word count. Then her fans can donate whatever amount they see fit (I donated $5, I think; I wanted to do more but the post came at a rough time financially). She write the story in a specified amount of time, and then emails it to the subscribers. They are the only ones who get to read it, unless she finds a traditional publisher willing to print it (which could take years). I think this is the second or third novella she's written this way, so it seems to be working for her. I can't wait to read it--You can bet it'll rank early in the 2011 list (right after I find Summer Knight and get some of this research done).

So here is the complete list for 2010:

52 Books in 52 Weeks 2010 Challenge

01. Urban Shaman--C.E. Murphy
02. Soulless--Gail Carriger
03. Fire Study--Maria V. Snyder
04. Grave Watchers--A.K. Alexander
05. Thunderbird Falls--C.E. Murphy
06. Coraline--Neil Gaiman
07. Skinwalker--Faith Hunter
08. Kitty and the Midnight Hour--Carrie Vaughn
09. The Lark and the Wren--Mercedes Lackey
10. The Conservation and Restoration of Textiles
11. The Robin and the Kestral--Mercedes Lackey
12. The Eagle and the Nightingales--Mercedes Lackey
13. Lazy ways to make a living--Abigail Bosanko
14. Luck in the Shadows--Lynn Flewelling
15. Why Do Cats Do That?--Kim Campbell Thornton
16. The Hearse You Came in On--Tim Cocky
17. Frankenstein--Mary Shelly
18. Deja Dead--Kathy Reichs
19. Crewel World--Monica Ferris
20. Kitty Goes to Washington--Carrie Vaughn
21. Death du Jour--Kathy Reichs
22. A Witch in Time--Madelyn Alt
23. Gwenhwyfar--Mercedes Lackey
24. Haunted--Heather Graham
25. Dark Mysteries of the Vatican--H. Paul Jeffers
26. Magic's Pawn--Mercedes Lackey
27. Demon Hunts--C.E. Murphy
28. Kitty Takes a Holiday--Carrie Vaughn
29. A touch of Dead--Charlaine Harris
30. The Undertaker's Gift--Torchwood
31. Grave Secrets--Kathy Reichs
32. Changeless--Gail Carriger
33. A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural--Gerina Dunwich
34. Bare Bones--Kathy Reichs
35. Enchantment Emporium--Tanya Huff
36. A girl of the Limberlost--Gene Straton Porter
37. Kitty and the Silver Bullet--Carrie Vaughn
38. No Greater Love--Danielle Steel
39. Shades of Grey--Jasper Fforde
40. Wizard^2--K.E. Mills
41. The Human Species--John Relethford
42. The Red Pyramid--Rick Riodan
43. Blameless--Gail Carriger
44. The Roaring Twenties--David Pietrusza
45. Desire Sensibility--Souto Narazaki
46. Hetalia--Hidekaz Himaruya
47. Ghost Hunt vol. 10--Shiho Inada
48. Ghost Hunt vol. 11--Shiho Inada
49. Matilda Raleigh: Invictus--Chris Kelly

Okay, so I lied about the knitting content.

2010-12-30T12:27:00.006-05:00

It works!! So now I'll just stick the typewriter posts in as scans, and you can skip down to the knitting bits if you so desire. Just click on the images to make them bigger/readable.

Since the ribbons got here about two weeks (!!) before I was expecting them, I don't have a lot to say on the knitting front. There just hasn't been time for much because of the holidays (probably could have finished that sweater front last night if I'd had my knitting at the hospital. Darn). So, even though it's typewriter related and not knitting, here's a kitty fix for you. Hermes love the cover almost as much as I love the typewriter. Now that Henry is working, Hermes decided to get to know him a little better:

ER

2010-12-29T21:06:00.003-05:00

It's been a long day.

My mom and I both had rough days at work. I was an hour late picking her up for various reasons, and we stopped for food because the closest thing I'd had to a meal in the last ten and a half hours was a handful of potato chips and two small cookies. We stopped for groceries and were about five minutes from home, when Dad called. I could barely understand him because his speech was so slurred, but what it amounted to is, "I hurt. My left arm is numb. Take me to the hospital."

So I floored it.

Long story short, he's had a problem with a pinched nerve between C-5, -6, and -7. This is causing his arm to go numb and a lot of pain besides.

This is the same man who got 12 stitches on his foot, gave up on crutches after two days, and started walking around in sandals. This is the man who pulls 3 inch splinters out of his own hand, shot himself in the arm with a nail gun and kept going, and brushed off foot surgery after about a week. The only thing that ever takes him down consistantly is his back, and he never says it hurts, just that he needs and tylenol, or the heating pad, or whatever. And here he was practically begging me to take him to the hospital.

So I'm in the waiting room. I'll probably be online for a while, since no one else is waiting for the computer, and I have nothing better to do. I did manage to grab a book on our way out the door, but it's not really doing a great job of distracting me at the moment. My ipod is about dead, and my cell phone isn't far behind, so the computers are my only link to the outside world at the moment.

We are 99% certain it is nothing life threatening, we just have to wait for everyone else to decide that and figure out what to do about it.

It looks like it's going to be a long night. And here I am without my knitting.

The Obsession Grows

2010-12-27T19:24:00.004-05:00

If you aren't interested in vintage, antiques, or typewriters, go ahead and skip this post. I promise I'm still knitting and will write more about that soon. For everyone else:

Squee!!

So in the last two days I've spent the vast majority of my time at home scouring the internet for information on typewriters. I've actually complied a short wish list, and started myself (purely by accident, I swear) on another collection--ribbon tins. I bought one on ebay and have bids on two more, but I'm not going to press it if I get out bid. The last thing I need is more stuff! My room is already packed to the gills (I so need to move out...) One of the top items on the wish list is this 1956 Underwood Quiet Tab De Luxe, which I love because it looks like it's made out of the trunk of a '57 BelAir, one of my favorite cars. Another favorite is the portable and standard portable of 1929-31 (I love the pre-war machines best), which is why this makes me cry a little inside. The tech geek in me thinks this is awesome. The conservator/writer/history buff is twitching on the floor. Maybe if the machine was nonfunctioning for some reason, and the difference between it being a dustcatcher on the mantle and functioning as (semi)intended...

But back to the ribbon tins. The one I purchased is here, and any geeks out there probably know why I couldn't resist. I had a bit of geekgasm when I saw it. My first thought after "SQUEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" was, "But it's the wrong color. It should be blue!" (I don't know if that link will work since the sale is already closed, but I'll post a picture when it comes.)

I'm still working on Henry, but I need to get tools and a user manual first--have to figure out how to take him apart in such a way that I can still put him back together again. I've put out a request online for a hard copy or PDF of a manual, but thus far no bites.

Well, if I'm going to make good on that promise of knitting content, I should sign off now. But I'll probably end up playing with Henry a little more. I've got a ribbon coming in about two weeks, so I'll finally be able to write something on him.

Questions for the typecast world at large:
1. How do you remove rust from the letters without destroying the type?
2. Is it possible to remove the carriage? How?
3. What is the best way to access the mechaism that moves the keys? They've been sticking a lot, and I noticed that a couple of them are twisted.
4. Can some one point me in the direction of a general typewriter schematic so I'm not using such fabulous technical terms as "do-hickey" and "thingamabob" all the time when I'm trying to describe problems to people that might help?
5. If you have a KMM manual, could you scan it for me please? Even just part of it? Just enough to get me started and figure out all the parts.

I have a new obsession.

2010-12-25T16:08:00.004-05:00

Meet Henry.

Henry is a 1945-46 (to the best of my knowledge, based on his serial number) Royal KMM manual typewriter. I’ve been wanting a manual typewriter (or two, or three) for years and years, but I figured that I didn’t need another hobby and that with the prevalence of computers now I wouldn’t be able to find parts for it, and how would I repair it, because really, what’s the use of owning something like a vintage typewriter (or sewing machine, or etc) if you can’t use it from time to time? I’m not saying it would be an every day household item, but there’s just something about using a typewriter than my shiny MacBook Pro just can’t compete with (sorry, George) (Yes, I name everything). Anyway, the problem was solved when I received this little beauty for Christmas.

While I can’t say that I learned to type on a typewriter (I actually think it was either an IBM or Apple circa 1987, because even in elementary school our computers were ten years out of date), most of my early writing was done on an electric typewriter we borrowed on a long-term basis from my grandparents. We had it from the time I was about five until I was around ten, maybe thirteen, when we got our first computer. It was blue, and electric, and my favorite feature was that it had a backspace key and was correctable. I wrote stories and made cards on it, and I also made magazine and newsletters for friends, family, and the kids that my mom babysat. I loved the sound of the keys, and how interactive it was: being able to set up the paper just so, watching the letters hammer onto the paper. As happy as I was to have a computer, I was sad to see the typewriter go.

Right now it seems that all of Henry’s parts are in working order, but he needs a little oil and some cleaning (I about died when mom told me she’d wiped him down with Lysol wipes. The conservator in me had a minor stroke. I really don't understand her love of bleach wipes). So far I’ve cleaning him up a little, but the sodium bicarbonate in water that was recommended by one of the antique typewriter sites left a white film and it takes a lot of rinsing with a drop of dish detergent in water, plus plain water, to get it off.

If anyone is interested in the process, I will be taking notes and keeping track of everything I do.

So far, Hermes even approves, though he hasn't heard how loud the keys are. He's just in love with the cover (I'm thinking I should make one. Something prettier than grey nylon).

Etsy Update

2010-12-16T11:13:00.004-05:00

I've posted several new items in my shop this week, including some of my crocheted kitchen sets and a new yarn. I also lowered the price of a couple of other items. I'm trying to sell some thing this week, because I'm about $300 short of what I need to pay tuition for next quarter. So, if you need any last minute Christmas items, take a look, pretty please!

Fixing Cables on Previous Rows Tutorial

2010-12-12T09:40:00.025-05:00

I've been sick all week. Still sick, in fact, but there's been little to do the past few days except for knit. I got the first repeat and a half done on the left front of the London Calling sweater only to realize that in my fevered state I'd forgotten to twist all of the cables bordering the main pattern. It's an 18 row repeat, and I really wasn't looking forward to starting over. Thankfully though, I am slightly smarter than the average bear, and I know how to fix most errors no matter how many rows I've knit since then. Below is my guide for dropping stitches to fix a cable. I'll warn you, it's kind of fiddly, but a heck of a lot faster than re-knitting the entire thing. I was able to do all of this in about 45 minutes, or however long and episode of Star Trek: TNG is, since that's what I was watching at the time.
To do this, you're going to need:
~ 2 DPNs (I recommend in a slightly smaller size than what you're doing the knitting in. Here I'm using a 2mm sock needle, just because it's what I had handy. The sweater itself is knit on size 8 US needles, so you needn't go quite that small)
~A cable needle (or you can use the same DPN, since my cable needles went on a vacation while I was shooting this)
~A crochet hook, preferably 1-2 sizes smaller than the needles the original garment is worked on, but one of the same size will do
~Some guts and possibly a stiff drink, depending on your constitution
~It is also extremely helpful, but not strictly necessary, to know how to knit back backwards. This is the video I used to learn, but there are a lot more out there now.

This technique works best with a straight-up cable; you'll have to do a lot more work with a traveling cable or anything fancier. Read your pattern carefully to make sure you understand what you need to do.

My pattern called for a cable twist every 4 rows. This means I have a purl row, a knit row, another purl row, and then a cable twist.

I went to the bottom of the pattern work (just above the ribbing) and counted up four rows. On the forth row, I inserted the DPN through the right leg of each stitch, acting like a lifeline.

Now, on a right side row, follow your pattern until you reach the problem area, take a deep breath and drop all of those stitches (4, in my case). Leave rest of the stitches on your needles (if you have point protectors, you might find it handy to cap them to keep stitches from sliding off).

Let the stitches ladder until they hit the DPN. Assist them and do a shot if needed.

(Really, it's not that scary when you get used to it).

*Now, slip two stitches from the DPN onto your cable needle and hold it to the front.
Grab your crochet hook and slide it through the first stitch on the dpn knitwise. Grab the lowest run of the ladder created by the dropped stitches, and pull it through. Slide that stitch off the DPN, and repeat with the second stitch, then move on to the cable needle.

When all four stitches have been knit, make sure that they are facing the right way (not twisted or anything) and slip them back on to the DPN. Now knit with the ladder rungs for another 3 rows, without the cable twists, and repeat from the *.

I found it easier after a while to skip the DPNs and the crochet hook and just use my normal needles, knitting back backwards on purl rows and knitting normally with the ladder rungs on knit rows, but this might not be the case for you (remember, I said this was fiddly). (In the picture, you can see the ladder rung is over my index finger, while the actual working yarn is just hanging out in the upper right. The hardest part is just making sure you're knitting with the right rung).

Here is how the sweater front looked when I was finished:

And this is what it looks like today:

I am unbelievably proud of that pocket. I've been stashing my ball of yarn and my cable needle inside so I don't loose it again. Technically, sewing up the pocket was supposed to wait until the end, but I got too excited. For some reason, pockets and sweaters never connected in my head in the past, and I find the idea of knitting one in most exciting.

I freely admit I'm not very good with this whole teaching thing, so if you have any questions about how I did this, jut leave a comment and I'll do my best to clarify.

Honored

2010-11-30T08:49:00.003-05:00

Lately I've become obsessed with my stats on blogger. I check at least once a day not to see how many hits I've gotten, but to see where they're from. It boggles my mind that the current standing for this week is as follows:
United States--20
Netherlands--15
United Kingdom--8
Russia--7
Germany--4
Ukraine--4
Latvia--3
Canada--2
Denmark--1
France--1
I might not get a lot of hits on this blog, but it amazes me that there are regular readers of this blog in the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, and the Ukraine (who regularly rank in the top five, flopping back and forth with the UK). I kind of figured that the UK and Canada would be on the list, since they are also English speaking nations, but I thought they'd rank higher. Go Netherlands! You guys are my all time #2 readers.

This came partially because I discovered the stats feature when I was consumed with the travel bug, so since I can't go anywhere I'd stare at the little green bits on the blogger map and try to figure out what I was doing that would attract attention from other parts of the world (obviously, not much, but hey! I'm international now!).

The downside is that it got me kind of nervous. I know nothing about most of the countries on that list. So what do you guys find interesting? What keeps you coming back? I'm kind of blogging in a vacuum here, so if I'm not doing something you'll have to tell me.

No matter what, though, I just wanted to take a minute and say thanks for reading. It amazes me that my life (or my knitting) could be interesting enough for anyone to want to hear about it regularly, but I'm glad that you guys do. Thanks for being out there and for sticking with me.

Halfway Gone

2010-11-27T08:21:00.002-05:00

Wow. I knew I was doing poorly on my book goal for this year (both of them, actually, both writing and reading) but I didn't realize HOW poor. November is almost gone and I haven't even broken 40/75 books read yet. And my NaNo editing goal...is stalled after only two chapters. This is mostly because chapter three needs to be almost entirely re-written and I haven't had the time/energy to sit down and rewrite an entire chapter on top of all of the reading I have to do for school (on the bright side, by next week I'll have a text book read which I can ad to my list). At least it will be Christmas break soon, and I'll be able to get some serious reading/writing done then. I'm going to have a brief respite between finals and when I pick up full time hours at work, and I want to spend all of it reading. ALL. Of. It.

For today, though, I'm going to try to finish up the novella I'm supposed to be reviewing for the CFM. I've got about thirty pages left so if I really hunker down I should be able to knock that out before I leave for work. I am enjoying it, I'm just not every good at reading things on the computer (or anywhere else, apparently).

Knitting

2010-11-22T08:31:00.002-05:00

Hey look, I've been knitting.

To your right, you see my travel project, an entrelac scarf made from my handspun (the fiber came from Lunabudknits over on Etsy, her turquoise colorway). I love the pattern, which is by Allison LoCicero. This is actually the second time I've knit the pattern, but the first time it was with recycled silk sari yarn that really didn't show the pattern all that well. This one is coming out much better.

I caught a mild case of the sock bug a couple of weeks ago, I think I mentioned. This is the result so far. I'm just starting on the foot. I would have more progress, but my right wrist has been bothering me a bit. The pattern comes from Tsuki (both of these patterns are available for free on Ravelry, by the way) and is called Ankh. It's actually a game reference, but I like them anyway. The pattern is really neat, too, and I can't wait to finish it.

It's not terribly exciting, but here is the back of the London Calling sweater. The pocket linings are done and I'm about an inch into the first half of the front. Maybe I'll finish it before the warm weather kicks in. Or not.

Hail the Conquering Hero

2010-11-17T08:18:00.003-05:00

The great cat v. mouse showdown lasted a whole thirty hours. Mom found the remains this morning where he'd displayed them in the living room. He's been enjoying the way we've been spoiling. I think he's officially eared a place in my parent's house now that he's proved he's not just a kibble sucking vacuum.

Cat v. Mouse

2010-11-16T21:55:00.004-05:00

I had no idea Hermes could dedicate this much attention to anything but sleep. He spent over three hours last night staring at the underside of our fridge because I suspect a mouse was hiding under it. He stared at it so long, in fact, that he forgot to wake me up at 2:30 the way he normally does and I got to sleep until 5:30 (is it wrong for me to hope he doesn't catch the mouse in the near future?). This morning, I didn't even see him until mid-afternoon because he was so busy staring at the underside of the stove. He was like a bookend, he held so still.

---
Do you know what this is?

If you guessed the start of my Christmas list, then you're spot on. You see here half a dozen dish clothes waiting for their accompanying hand towels. I have the towels and the sewing on them is mostly done, I just need to make the crocheted hangers.

I finished the second pocket lining for the London Calling sweater. It is cooling off for a few days while I get caught up on the other projects that went to pot during my hell unit, namely on the aforementioned gifts and also on a pair of socks that I started just because I had the urge to knit socks. I've got the heel turned on the first one, just finishing up the gusset shaping. This is the first pair of top-down socks I've ever made, and they're turning out rather well. I always forget how long it takes to knit socks until I actually sit down to knit them. It's taken me seven disks of Gundam Wing to get where I am now, though I think I might have been working on other things through about half of that. And then of course there's disc 5, which has 3 episodes of nothing but rehashing the last four disks, so I normally skip that one.

Speaking of anime, it has been decided that the CFM crew will be at Ohayocon in Columbus at the end of January. We might even be running a panel--we'll see. Anyone else going to be there?

Back from the Black Hole

2010-11-14T13:32:00.002-05:00

Oh, hey. I'm alive. I finished up the time sucking unit of doom, and can now get back to my regularly scheduled life. Which means I was finally able to sit down and do some writing.

The newest chapters of my newest story are up on Fiction Press and now on Devart. Links to my profiles on both of those sites can be found in the sidebar.

I also managed to track down my camera, so I'll have some knitting pictures next time.