Bron's Blog II

Traditional - Fruit & Flowers, Modern - Appliances

For what? Why, the 4th anniversary, of course! I was over at Kristin's where she is celebrating her 3rd blog anniversary (go wish her a happy one, OK?) and realized that it's my 4th. (I think my first post was on Aug. 6th, but it might have been Aug. 8th, so I'll split the difference & post about it today.)

4 years. Holy cow. I can't believe it's been that long. This year I won't write any long, mushy "thank-you" entry. Been there, done that the last 3 years. ::wink:: You all know (or should by now) that I appreciate the heck out of each & every one of you. So, in honor of all of you and our time together, here's a simple contest:

Comment. That's it. (Gushing praise for my sparkling wit & knitting/crochet prowess is optional but always welcome. ::wink::) Leave a comment today or tomorrow (contest closes at 6:00 AM Aug. 9th) and you'll be entered into a drawing for...something. Probably yarn. Probably a book too. I'll figure it out today & post a picture.

Here are all the Pineapple Pullover points completed: (try saying that 3 times fast!)

And one dishrag complete with another started:

I knit last night while watching The Number 23. I highly recommend it. It kept me guessing throughout and I really liked the ending. If I say much more I'll give it away! Be warned that it earned it's "R" rating. ;)
That's it for the next two days. Remember, leave a comment & you'll be entered into the fantabulous drawing. Only one comment per reader, please - we wouldn't want to overload anything. hehehe

Faking It

No - not that kind of faking. ::wink::

The kind of faking that happens when you don't really have a pattern & something goes wrong. Like you realize the sweater is 60" around when joined when the schematic says to join:

Yes, I've put on a few pounds, but I still don't need 60" of breathing room. So - I ripped:

And joined much sooner than the pattern states. However, that meant I wasn't able to continue seamlessly with the pattern row, so I had to "fake it" for a couple of rows until I could get back into the swing of things. Here's a shot of the underarm:

I think it looks like it was meant to be that way, so I'm not worrying about it. :)

I've tried this on & I'm getting the fit I want. The only thing that will still be different is the size of the sleeves. They are going to bell instead of being close-fitting. My gauge is obviously off from what the pattern intended, but I think I'll like the looser fit even better. Besides - this is an adventure, right? After all, it's not only knitting without a net, it's crocheting without one too!

On the medical front, my new medication does not give me the same terrible pain as the first. It does, however, slow down digestion which basically means gas. Sigh. I'm trying to figure out if it's better to take it at night & risk having the stomach problems wake me up or take it during the day when I can better deal with the gas/bloating. The pills also cause drowsiness so - I think it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. You just have to decide if the side effects are worth it. I'll give it a couple of weeks before I judge.

On the movie front: I bought "300" and I really must say....that film contains the finest examples of male flesh I've seen in a loooooong time.

The movie's pretty cool too. ::wink:: I really love the comic book style, the muted tones & the over-the-top acting. Dylan & I sat and watched and we had great fun saying, "That really did happen!" and "No way did THAT happen, but it's cool!" The Spartan stand against the Persians at Thermopylae is one of my favorite historical battles. The History Channel has done an outstanding program on the subject - in fact, I'm going to watch it this morning & buy myself a copy too. ;)

Have a great day & may you all "fight in the shade."

New Projects

I like a good-natured ribbing as much as the next person:

But sometimes inspiration strikes & you have to go with the flow. Let me introduce you to "Green Apples:"

It's going to be a simple, V-neck, cabled tank made from the Schoeller Esslinger "Bermuda" I've had in my stash since last summer:

Bermuda is exactly like  this yarn except it came in nicer colors before it was discontinued. :) I'm using a size 11 needle to get the loose stitch look that I want. I'm going to write this pattern up so I'll need a couple of pattern testers along the way. I've had all sorts of ideas about a fancy neckline & intertwining cables, but I think I've settled on cables going up & around the straps while the middle cable splits & goes around the neck. There will also be some waist shaping. I decided that about 4" into the body. After first I was thinking of making it on the loose side, then realized that "shapeless" was not the look I wanted.

Depending on how much yarn I have left, this might turn into a cap-sleeved something. You just never know. ::wink::

This shouldn't take me too long - I got 6" knit in the time it took to watch Keeping Mum, which I highly recommend. The kids watched it with me and there was something for everyone in this black comedy. I've always adored Maggie Smith and she really shines in the movie. :)

Progress is being made in my craft room:

But there's so much left to do:

The good news is that Doug will be putting in LOTS more shelves for me. In fact, one whole wall will basically become a built-in bookcase just to house all my bits & bobs. In a few days he'll have a week off to take care of some things around here & at the old house so I'll have to put my shelves on the list!

Yesterday I planted my garden - pix of that tomorrow. Luckily it's not too late to get things in, although I did buy larger tomato plants to make sure we'd get a crop this year. I found 3 rhubarb plants which I snatched up greedily. There's nothing better than rhubarb pie. :) My Dad always had some in the garden and it reminds me of him.

I also picked up some flowers for the back - Mexican Evening Primrose, Oriental Lilies, and a couple of other things whose names escape me at the moment. There's a patch in the corner that's been taken over by grasses. I'm going to dig that up & re-plant.

Pix of that tomorrow too. ::Grin:::

Things That Make You Feel Better

• An understanding Sub Coordinator. I told her how sick I was feeling yesterday and, after my first two classes, she let me go home for lunch and a prep period (I was able to take a nap!) and then had me come back for 4th period to cover an emergency absence. The best part is....she changed the job times so that I'd get paid for the time I spent at home. :) She's very good that way and I always appreciate it. That nap made all the difference & I was able to get through the day fairly well.

• Having the "4th Period from hell" and actually having a good time with them. It's one of my favorite "bad" classes. I had no problems with them and was able to leave a very good report. It gave me a real sense of competence because 3rd period had gotten a truly awful review from another sub.

• Finally watching "The Illusionist" and loving every minute of it. Achingly romantic, mysterious, a real puzzler, i was smiling when the end credits rolled. Edward Norton was mesmerizing - in every sense of the word. I think I might have to buy this one and watch it at my leisure. I even loved the lighting - low but rich. :) Seriously - go watch this one, you won't be sorry!

• Having this waiting for me when I got home:

And feeling some crochet mojo returning because of these patterns:

Of course, now that it's here, I don't have the right yarn to make the tunic I've been lusting after. So while I decide what I want to use, I think I'll be making that lacey tie cardi (second from last) with yarn I have on hand. (Yes, Paula - I realize it's a cardi! LOL)

• Having my cup runneth over with this waiting for me too:

But more on that one next time. :)

• Being able to go to bed early & sleeping pretty well for around 8 hours. I'm feeling tons better today, which is just as well because I have two jobs: 2 periods of science in the AM and a period and a half of 7th grade math in the afternoon. Luckily for me, these stress related episodes usually last just 24 hours. I'm going to be more careful in what I eat - I think part of this was some poor food choices catching up with me!

Thanks for all the get well wishes. :) Much appreciated!

I was too out of it yesterday to do much knitting or crocheting, although I did manage 4 full rows on Bianca's Jacket. At least all the pieces are attached now and the lace pattern is started. I can't promise I'll be finishing any time soon (especially with all the new crochet patterns to make!) but I will keep plugging away on it. :)

Got It Goin' ON

Who wouldn't love an alien dishcloth?

And how about something a little more familiar?

Speaking of bright & fun, here are a few of my favs from the latest Knit Simple...although the first two aren't knit:

Cute baby things too:

As I said yesterday, this magazine might be enough to lift my doldrums...we'll see. There were a couple of tote bags that I liked too (blessedly NOT felted, thank you very much!) and a couple more tank tops that had possibilities. I've never purchased this magazine before but this was one of my better impulse buys. :)

Robbyn asked in my comments whether I'd gotten around to watching "The Prestige." Yes, I did, and I'm still not sure why I didn't like it more than I did. It had all the ingredients to make it a successful film for me. Especially Christian Bale whom I've loved ever since "Equilibrium." David Bowie as Tesla was cool, although I think he should've changed his expression at least once during the film - he just looked bored.

The movie is hard to review without giving away the plot, but suffice to say that I did see the twist coming about halfway into the movie, although the fingers kinda threw me. I'm not quite sure why the charade was continued after a certain point. It seems to me the suicide could've been prevented.
There - cryptic enough for you? I definitely think it's a movie worth seeing, but I'm looking forward to "The Illusionist" which I hear is a much better movie along the same lines. In fact, Netflix has already delivered it - I just didn't get around to it this weekend. :)

Instead, I finally got to see History Channel's "The Dark Ages" on Sunday (yes - I've already ordered the DVD ::wink::) and the premier episode of a new vampire series on Lifetime called "Blood Ties." I think it has real possibilities. It reminds me strongly of "Forever Knight." (Ahhh...those were the days. ::grin::)

Still no job for today - I'm sure it'll be a last-minute call-in. Sigh. However, since the teachers really haven't had quality time with their students (especially A schedule students) for over a week and a half, I might have a good shot at staying home today. You never know!

Have a great Monday. :)

Save Me From Daylight Saving

As I do every 6 months, let me start by saying I hate Daylight Savings Time with all my heart.

Going off of it a couple of weeks early just adds insult to injury.

There - with that out of the way, let me reveal that Andrea was correct yesterday. My mystery item was a tea cozy:

I must say I'm rather pleased with it. It fits my 6 cup Brown Betty perfectly. :) I'm definitely making more of these! The cozy itself is based on a 1953 Workbasket pattern, the crocheted flowers are all mine. :)

I'm knitting a basic dishcloth to match:

I crocheted & applied the flowers while watching "Little Miss Sunshine" last night. If you haven't seen it, go out right now & rent it. It's a wonderful little film about a family - everyone in it totally flawed - but during a trip from NM to CA they get past their individual problems to come together and be...well...a family. The performances are wonderfully nuanced & the Oscar nods/wins were certainly deserved. The kids watched it with me (although beware of some language if your kids aren't old enough to deal with it - there's also a pretty strong reference or two to porn) and they loved it too. For a 12 & 14 yr. old to love a "little film that could" as much as an adult is saying something. Colin & I kept remarking how much like Dylan the character of Duane is in the movie. Although Dylan would never take a vow of silence! LOL

I did do some hard physical labor yesterday on the rental house. Here are some before & after pics that I've been promising. Before painting the outside:

After:

Nasty walls before:

Walls & new carpet after:

Spray painted red fireplace (painted without our permission!) before:

After:

You're also seeing cleaned tile & grout too. I'm amazed at what those guys were able to do with the filthy floors.

The boys & I did a little rock spreading yesterday:

That can really take it out of a person! We stopped after less than an hour - I knew I'd be hurting really badly today. We've got a pretty large area to cover in front but we're in no really hurry. If we do a little bit a day we'll be done soon enough & save ourselves some pain. Shoveling rock is definitely not something I'd want to do for a living!

To end this entry, I thought I'd show you a little something that might just cure a bit of my project ennui:

I picked it up on a whim and I'm glad I did. More on that next time. :)

And Bianca's Jacket? Another inch done on the sleeves. I'll get there...eventually. ::wink:::