Hearts Afire or I Love These Socks!

I almost always think that the latest pair of socks I make is my favorite.  And I do, certainly, have favorites. Last year’s Lizzie is definitely a fave, and the Popsicle socks I completed recently.

And these, which I finished maybe three (?) weeks ago but forgot to blog about – Hearts Afire, by a designer on Ravelry. Perhaps I should have chosen a more solid yarn, but I love the yarn, I love the pattern, I have no complaints.

Hearts Afire

 The yarn is Araucania Ranco Multy.  I love this yarn, with its rustic feeling and nice colors.  I have a couple more skeins (maybe four?) in my stash, which is great! The stitch definition is nice and I just like it in general.

 The pattern is well written and very pretty. It is written toe-up and I prefer top-down so I changed the pattern in that way and added two pattern repeats down the heel.  If it weren’t for such a well-written pattern I would not have been able to figure it out.  So, props!

 Hearts Afire

The weather has been iffy here lately – warm one day, cold the next, and it hailed yesterday! It’s been pretty chilly at night but I heard it’s supposed to get warmer… which I hate. But I have central air now, so this summer should be quite pleasant!

We had Easter at my house this year, and that marked the first social event I have had since I moved in.  (I think my friends were over when I first bought the place, but I remember a distinct lack of furniture… so that didn’t count.) Basically I was forced into major cleaning mode, and that kind of boiled down to shoving things in closets and a major clean-up… which ultimately resulted in a clean and fairly organized house! 

I don’t know what to think about that!

So, various and assorted things are coming up that I am looking forward to – this weekend a bead show in Oakland, my friend Julie is coming to visit from Biloxi at the end of the month, and the Maker’s Faire is in about a month.  I also have some irritating real-life things to take care of, like the broken toilet and taking my car in for scheduled maintenance.  I also had to pay taxes this year, and that really pissed me off.  Not to mention, I still have dental work to complete! yaargh.

Basically I should be more solvent by the end of the third fiscal quarter 2009. *sigh*

Here is a meme for your reading/stealing pleasure:

Sunday Stealing: Green Meme

1. What is your current obsession? Having/not having money.  And turnips on Animal Crossing. (Who has Animal Crossing for the Wii? Let’s be friends! So I can steal your fruit!)

2. What’s a good coffee place? My kitchen.  I brew coffee just the way I like it – strong enough to knock your socks off, then doctor it up into delicious honey latte territory.  I used to be big into Starbucks, but have totally lost interest; it’s not strong enough for me.

3. Who was the last person that you hugged? My grandma at Easter, I think.

4. Do you nap a lot? I nap whenever I get the chance.  I napped yesterday afternoon (knocked out by a combination of a headache, overall tiredness, and a tetnus shot), but as a result was awake until almost 1 a.m. Napping is best done on the weekends. 

5. Tonight, what’s for dinner? Some form of macaroni and cheese, and probably chicken.  Maybe a vegetable. (maybe.)

6. What was the last thing that you bought? I bought a bunch of books on Tuesday, but today I bought a ham/cheese/egg/english muffin at the downstairs bistro, because I was in need of protein.

7. What is your favorite weather? I hate most weather.  I love rainy weather – the type where you stay inside and listen to the rain and are cozy inside. Thunderstorms – love ’em.  But I hate being cold, being hot, being neither hot nor cold… I am not easy to please.  Probably 74 degrees and no humidity would be perfect weather for me.

8. Tell us something about one blogger who you think will play this week? What?

9. If you were given a free house that was fully furnished, where in the world would you like it to be? Either San Antonio, TX or Boston, Mass.

10. Name three things that you could not live without. My glasses, my (quality of life changing birth control) pills, and comfortable shoes.

11. What would you like in your hands right now? My pillow which means I could be at home and sleeeeeeping.

12. What’s one of your guilty pleasures? I like Mandy Moore.

13. What would you change or eliminate about yourself? I wish I had more (any) patience.

14. As a child, what type of career did you want? I still don’t know.  In high school I wanted to be a geologist, but once I started down that path in college I realized I didn’t really like science. I APPRECIATE science, but not enough to do it as a career.

15. What are you missing right now? Money.

16. What are you currently reading? Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto by Mark Levin. 

17. What do you fear the most? I really kinda worry that our country is headed towards socialism.

18. What’s the best movie that you’ve seen recently? Death Race.

19. What’s your favorite book from the past year? From the past year? I don’t know if I can choose. I really enjoyed the last two Jim Butcher books (the latest from each of his two series), and am currently HIGHLY enjoying Pride and Prejudice and Zombies!

20. Is there a comfort food from your childhood that you still enjoy? Sure, meatloaf or whatever. I like food.

***

I finished a pair of socks for my sister last night and I started a pair of socks for me out of the new Cookie A book.  So, at least I will have blog fodder later in the week. Or next week. Or whenever.

February Blues (and greens and pinks, etc.)

Well, February is flying by, which is nice – I want it to be spring!  But I also want it to rain a lot so we don’t get on water restriction, which it looks like we will. Wah. Though I am just one person, so I don’t think there will be too much to worry about, especially since my hot water heater does not support 45 minute showers (SADNESS) and I only have to do two or three loads of laundry a week.

Anyway, here is a meme courtesy of Jennifer, who gave me the letter S:

10 Favorite S Things
(if you want to play, comment and I’ll give you a letter!)

STITCHES WEST: I am super excited about the yearly fiber convention – I even took a vacation day at work to go on the first day!  While I never take any of the classes, I love the market floor.  This year, the usual suspects will be there (Webs, Blue Moon, etc.) but the booth I’m looking forward to the most is one I don’t believe has been there before: Malabrigo! My plans this year re: acquisition are as follows: I hope to score a couple of the Berroco booklets (+ Norah Gaughan #4) and some sparkly Berroco sock yarn at Webs, plus if they have their Franklin sock yarn, I really liked working with that, so it would be nice to pick some more of that up.  I am mostly in the market for sock yarn, in yellow, orange, blood red, and true blue. You’d think, looking at my yarn wall, that I’m set, but you would be wrong.

SUPERNATURAL: This is my favorite TV show right now.  I love Sam and Dean and their adventures.  Season 4 has had its problems, but it’s been pretty solid so far.  Too bad there are no new eps until March! *sob*

SAVIGNON BLANC: I’m sure I’ve had this wine before, but I’ve never bought it before, and thanks to the Valentine’s Day sale at Safeway, I scored a rather expensive (for me) bottle for a mere $6.  And, not being a wine conniouseur [sic] I can tell you that it is pretty tasty stuff.

SACRAMENTO: My favorite California city. Probably because it has copious yarn, beads, and friends! And is close to Placerville.

SAN ANTONIO: My favorite Texas city.  I mean, I did live there for five years for a reason, and that is because it is awesome. 

SOUP: I love soup.  I love potato soup, chicken noodle, vegetable, tortilla, lentil, tomato, whatever.  I eat soup almost every day.

STARBUCKS: While I’ve cut out about 90% of my Starbucks purchases since I bought the house (it really is a redonk expense), I do still love it, particularly the white chocolate mochas.  Thanks to Starbucks I learned the deliciousness of honey lattes, and now make my own, which leads me to…

SYRUP, TORANI: The Honey Vanilla Torani Syrup is a great add-on to your daily coffee.  If you have time, you can froth your own milk, but I don’t have time, so a bit of Coffee Mate and regular coffee brewed fresh along with about a tablespoon of the Honey Vanilla syrup (in lieu of any other sugar you might add) is a great way to start off your day – or end it.  I’ve enjoyed many cups of coffee late in the day with the honey vanilla in it and it’s soothing in that hot-chocolate kind of way. 

SOCKS: You guys know that my favorite thing to knit is socks. I currently have, like, four pairs on the needles right now.  This year, while I don’t have any particular plans (besides “knit copious socks, and also the second sock of the pair”) I do have plans to try out some of the new and wondrous yarn in my sweet, sweet stash, like Malabrigo Sock, Fleece Artist Trail… stuff I haven’t tried before. 

SCARVES: I actually really like wearing scarves, though I hate knitting them because they are boring. Also I have run into the problem of realizing that I really only like to knit with tiny little yarn (fingering weight and such).  Since I moved I lost a critical part of my knitting machine and was really peeved about it until Tuesday, when I opened one of the built-in cupboards in my craft room and there it was, where I suddenly remembered stashing it weeks ago.  I am my own worst enemy.  Anyway, so I had this brainwave where I knit the two ends of the scarf in a cool pointy lace pattern from Knitting On the Edge or Victorian Lace Today or something, and then hang it on the knitting machine and whip out the boring long part.  Now that I’ve found the knitting machine part (the part that, you know, moves along the machine putting the yarn on the hooks, hah!) I can make my dream of a lacy scarf (before Stitches of course) come true!

In related meme news:


You Should Be a Mechanic

You are logical, calm, and detail oriented.

You’re rational when things are chaotic, and for you, reason always prevails.

And while you are guided by logic, you aren’t a slave to it.

You’re flexible when it counts. You are always open to being wrong.You do best when you:

– Work with your hands

– Can use tools, machines, or equipment

You would also be a good architect or carpenter.

End of the Year Meme

What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Hiked five miles and lived to tell the tale.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?

My only goal for this year was to be less negative, and I really think I succeeded in that regard.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My friend Sarah had her little boy on March 1!

Did anyone close to you die?

No.

What countries did you visit?

Just this one!

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

A Wii.

What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 4th! (I frown upon socialism and Chicago politics.)

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Paid off the credit cards, hiked five miles, bought a house.

What was your biggest failure?

Discovering I had seven cavities! Which happened today. I am still not over it. And pretending that I won’t be spending $1800 fixing them. HOORAY!

Did you suffer illness or injury?

I lost my voice at the beginning of the year due to a spastic cold I had. I only had one really serious migraine (on the day of the primaries here in California – perhaps an omen of things to come?? :P)

What was the best thing you bought?

The loom! And all the yarn!

Whose behavior merited celebration?

I’m trying to think.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

The Mainstream Media. I will never watch the news or read the newspaper again. I have found alternate sources on the internet. I just want the news to be reported. The spin, bias, and outright lies of the media have negatively affected this nation.

Where did most of your money go?

Credit cards, car payments, and yarn.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Stitches, my Texas trip, Big Trees, buying the house (after I finished spazzing)

What song will always remind you of 2008?

Uhh…

Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? happier!
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter, I think.
iii. richer or poorer? richer! Until I get drilled on. Then I will be poorer!

What do you wish you’d done more of?

I wish I’d been less busy and been able to hang out with friends more. And I wish I’d made more local, single friends. And I wish I’d drawn more.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Loafing around, guacamole intake. 😉

How will you be spending Christmas?

With my family here in town. Moving into the house.

Did you fall in love?

No.

What was your favourite TV program?

Supernatural and Dexter.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

I’m a lover, not a hater. (hahaha)

What was the best book you read?

I LURVED the Twilight series, and how crackalactastic it was. However, by FAR the best books I read this year were the first three books of The Sharing Knife (Beguilement, Legacy, and Passage) by Lois McMaster Bujold. They were absolutely fantastic, chronicling the romance between Fawn, a young farmer and older Dag, a Lakewalker. They’re too hard to describe, but if you like strong world building with fantasy elements, you’ll love these. I also enjoyed the new Jim Butcher books, one more for both his Harry Dresden series and his Codex Alera series.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

I can’t remember if Abby discovered Eskobar this year or last year.

What did you want and get?

A loom. A sheep cake.

What did you want and not get?

A Wii.

What was your favorite film of this year?

Probably Iron Man. I didn’t get out to the theater much this year though.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I went paddle boating on the Reservoir and ate a sheep cake. I was 28.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably satisfying?

Finally finding a boyfriend? I am not even sure at this juncture how to do that.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

Current with a touch of 70’s.

What kept you sane?

My indomitable spirit.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I went through a brief yet intense Christian Bale period.

What political issue stirred you the most?

You ask this on an election year? I think the treatment of Sarah Palin in the media was appalling.

Who did you miss?

My friends, who pretty much all live far away. 🙁

Who was the best new person you met?

I totally don’t think I met any new people this year. A couple new coworkers, I guess. I need to get out more.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:

1. Fixing cavities is fucking expensive.
2. Credit cards are bad.
3. Linoleum is cheap.
4. I heart yarn.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Well, I don’t know about sums up my year (I don’t think there’s a song called “WOOO AWESOME WOO! YEAH!”), but I am very much in love with the new Keane album, particularly the Perfect Symmetry song:

I shake through the wreckage for signs of life
Scrolling through the paragraphs
Clicking through the photographs

I wish I could make sense of what we do
Burning down the capitals
The wisest of the animals

Who are you? What are you living for?
Tooth for tooth, maybe we’ll go one more

This life is lived in perfect symmetry
What I do, that will be done to me

Read page after page of analysis
Looking for the final score
We’re no closer than we were before

Who are you? What are you fighting for?
Holy truth? Brother I choose this mortal life

Lived in perfect symmetry
What I do, that will be done to me
As the needle slips into the run-out groove
Love – maybe you’ll feel it too

And maybe you’ll find life is unkind
And over so soon
There is no golden gate
There’s no heaven waiting for you

Oh boy you ought to leave this town
Get out while you can the meter’s running down
The voices in the streets you love
Everything is better when you hear that sound

Spineless dreamers hide in churches
Pieces of pieces of rush hour buses
I dream in emails, worn-out phrases
Mile after mile of just empty pages

Wrap yourself around me
Wrap yourself around me
As the needle slips into the run-out groove
Maybe you’ll feel it too
Maybe you’ll feel it too
Maybe you’ll feel it too
Maybe you’ll feel it too

Spineless dreamers hide in churches
Pieces of pieces of rush hour buses
I dream in emails, worn-out phrases
Mile after mile of just empty pages

Spineless dreamers hide in churches
Pieces of pieces of rush hour buses