Marching ahead

I should be balancing my checkbook & paying bills right now. Yuck. Let me pretend the money in my bank account really belongs to me for a few more hours.




Instead, I've been surfing the net for knit & crochet blogs. Voila! Here's what I found!

The Third Annual Knitting & Crochet Blog Week! Coming up, right around the corner next week! So I've resolved to Do Something Blogworthy with my knitting and crochet. Post some pictures of my FO's (finished objects) - and WIPs (works in progress). I have been neglecting my poor blog - and I hereby promise to post more - especially during the celebration.

I get a bit sad when I follow other crafters' blogs - those who don't have to waste 9 or 10 hours of their day at unappealing, unpleasant, and all-around UN-FUN jobs. They post daily progress on projects - finished objects taking an afternoon, etc. If I were to post photos of my daily progress - it would be more of a "Wow! The stitch marker moved up a few rows!" Or worse, on the days when my time is spent starting a new block pattern (for example) - I could photograph the first three rounds - oops, then frogged back - then try again, find a major error on the first round - so that when my yarny time is done - I have frogged and restarted yet again.

Oh well. Perhaps my job requires I waste my life away at this desk, I'm crocheting in my heart.

"Tree of Life"

Anybody else watched "Tree of Life"? I'd heard a lot of buzz about it being fabulous - and about it being incomprehensible. My take? Yes.

I just watched it on DVD & I freely admit to fast-forwarding through parts of the movie that seemed more like a PBS "Nature" science-documentary. I have no idea what I was supposed to get from that part. I clearly didn't get whatever it was - just glad I had a remote instead of sitting through it in a theater.

However - the story (when it resumed) is of a family in Texas - Mom & Dad (Brad Pitt - looking most un-Pitt-like) and their three sons in the 60s. The difference between living life by "nature" or by "grace." Dad was nature; Mom was grace. The older son (played as a grown up by a completely gorgeous Sean Penn) and his growing up/father-issues. The brothers being boys. Also, God/faith/reason. The loss of a child.

The end - on a beach? or something? heaven? past & present? whatever it was - it made me cry by eyeballs out. And cry and cry and cry. Chuck came in to ask if I was okay. I think I snuffled that I was alright.

After the credits started to roll up, I went back and watched the first 15 minutes of the movie over again. Seeing details I'd missed before.

Anyway - I'm not sure exactly what the movie was trying to say. Or what it said. But it spoke to me. And I'd sure like to talk to somebody else who's seen it. Discuss. maybe cry a little more.

MLK Day

I love a 3day weekend. Saturday & Sunday go by in a flash with normal weekend stuff to do - the Monday is full of time NOT TO BE AT WORK!!

I started my day sleeping past normal alarm clock time - so nice to wake up on my own, snuggled under blankets & not have to drag myself to the shower.

I gave the day a couple hours to warm up above 35• before donning sweat pants, turtleneck, sweatshirt, hat & gloves (and socks, shoes & sunglasses) for my walk. One if my goals for 2012 was to walk (or run) 500 miles. My total after today is 31.2 miles - so I'm happy with that for Jan 16th.

After a hot shower, Chuck & I headed to San Marcos for lunch. I tried the chilaquiles which were yummy! From there to Walmart, spending the mandatory $100+ cover charge.

The afternoon & evening were yarn time. Through the best online community ever - Ravelry - for knitters & crocheter's, I've joined two BAM CALs - Block A Month Crochet A Longs. A pattern is posted, then crocheters around the world set themselves to complete the square in their own yarn/color choices.

The first CAL is more typical crochet. I made that square earlier this month.

The second CAL involved much more time and effort. I finished that square yesterday during the Green bay no-show game against the Giants.

Coming up in February, I'm going to be participating in a swap on Ravelry. The colors and size of the squares to be made will be determined by consensus. I will be responsible for making 10 or so squares in any pattern of my choice & mailing them to other cratered in the US or Canada. They will make squares & send to me! Surprises in the mail.

In addition, I've started a ripple afghan in pinks & purples.

Today, I piled my yarn stash on my bed & sorted it according to which project it goes with. That let me see what needs to be bought to see me through there projects. Oh boy!! Shopping at ACMoore is in my future!!

After sorting & list making & putting projects in their own tote bags (I collect tote bags)(okay - maybe it's a small hoard of tote bags) -- then I settled down with Robert DowneyJr (so handsome in a bad boy way) as Sherlock Holmes & the twinkling-eyed Jude Law as his Watson. I made two crocheted hotpads while watching the fellows saved England.

Ahhh! A day off. Things accomplished. Exercise. Mexican food. Yarn fondling. Sexy men speaking British. Why the hell does my job have to waste so many hours of my life? With my long weekend over, I find myself saying, "Is it Friday yet?"

Books & Movies, 2011

My annual clear out the book and movie list from last year. This way I keep it, but make a fresh start for the new year. My book list is rather short, but be assured the books were anything BUT short! Both Follet and Martin write with a richness and beauty of language that I love.

2011 Books

• "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin ... A+ (Book 2 in the series)
• "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin ... A+ ... loving the series via Audible
• "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes..." by Christopher McDougall ... B ... via Audible while walking
• "Door to December" by Dean Koontz ... B ... typical Koontz thriller
• "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett ... A ... loved it & I'm still amazed how compelling is the story about cathedral building in medieval England
• "Port Mortuary" by Patricia Cornwell ... C (she used to be so much better)
• "Slumdog Millionaire" by Vikas Swarup ... B+ ... via Audible
• "Smokin` Seventeen" by Janet Evanovich ... A+ Stephanie Plum is hilarious - I pick Morelli
• "World Without End" by Ken Follett ... A ... the sequel to Pillars, excellent story

2011 Movies

• "Battle for L.A." ... C ... WWII movie plot & characters fighting aliens in California
• "Bridesmaids" ... C ... Could've been SO much funnier!
• "Clerks" ... B ... I'm listening to Kevin Smith's "Smodcasts" and decided to revisit his debut
• "Cowboys & Aliens" ... B+ ... Great fun!
• "Dexter" Seasons 3 - 4 - 5
• "Dinner for Schmucks" ... C ... could've been so much funnier!
• "Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest" (Swedish with subtitles) ... B ... end of a great series
• "Grown Ups" ... B ... not hilarious
• "Harry Potter, the Last" ... A ... very well done
• "Meek's Cutoff" ... C ... Came highly recommended, but YUCK!
• "Paul" ... B+ ... nerds rule!
• "Rango" ... B ... cute
• "Reds" ... B ... Bruce Willis - eh...
• "Run Lola Run" ... B+ ... WOW! Non-stop adrenaline every minute
• "Salt" ... B ... Jolie is one beautiful woman
• "Social Network" ... A- ... the history of Facebook
• "The King's Speech" ... B+ ... Interesting
• "The Other Guys" ... B ... odd, but kinda funny
• "Winters Bone" ... A+ ... MUST WATCH!

Day two 2012

Okay - I don't plan on counting the days through the year. I am planning on trying to keep up with my progress on my 2012 goals here however.

With a Monday holiday, I've had two days to walk. Yesterday was much warmer than today! Cold wind blowing - I should've worn my hat! 7.62 miles according to my handy-dandy fitness app. That only leaves 492.38 miles left to reach my goal of 500.

I've begun knitting my Baktus scarf - so far, I'm happy with it.

I joined the Ravelry BAM CAL (Block A Month, Crochet A Long) for the past 3 years. I didn't do so well finishing - I get sidetracked by other projects, colors, things to do. This year, at least, I've finished the January block.

Knit Re-boot

I decided the drop stitch scarf was not a good first knit project. I chose too fine a yarn & too small needles (sock weight on size 6). Plus the lovely effect of multiple drop stitches made it impossible for me to maintain tension. So I put that project aside.

As I now know, I need a project that lets me practice the basic garter stitch - row after row of knit stitch. But that sounds boring, not lovely or satisfying (while necessary).

Enter the "Baktus Scarf." A super simple garter stitch scarf with the design element of adding a stitch every 4 rows - so I cast on 4 stitches - then go back and forth adding one stitch every four rows resulting in a gradual triangle. Then I'll get to a mid-point and start decreasing one stitch every four rows back to the ending 4 stitches. A lovely triangle - hopefully with no holes or other obvious boo-boos.
And I chose a bulky weight yarn and size 11 needles to make progress at more than a slow snail's pace.

After one night (and various DVR TV shows), I have knit over 11" of Baktus. I'm pleased with my progress, the pattern, and especially the yarn - Lion Brand Tweed Stripes in a pretty blue-purple-green gradation. Pic is scarf so far.

And I haven't forgotten that tomorrow will start in an ordinary way - just New Years Eve SIX years ago.

Slow going

Knitting progress is much slower than crochet. My best guess is that I have about three hours of solid knitting time invested in my Drop Stitch Scarf. For this: