Wednesday, May 16, 2007

I Knew There Was A Connection

So I realized, with the help of Rosi and her contest (which I won! wooo!) that you can't have mAtRimoNY without yarn. Sure, you gotta dig around to find it....but it's there!

My birthday is all around us - lookit what my special guy had for me today!

the new toy

I've been piping up fairly frequently about how much I'd love to have one of these little shuffle things to keep in my knitting bag, so I don't have to listen to Loud Cell Phone Bitch and Crazy Talks To Herself anymore on the bus. I have an iPod, technically true, but it's also our stereo at home (gotta love the speaker dock) so while it's portable in theory, that would mean it's never where we want it to be....but this little guy is just the right size for some podcasts and several albums' worth of songs, and it's mine, all mine!! (Currently obsessing over: the new Tori Amos disc.)

We also got our new buffet piece for the dining room on Saturday - we were told we wouldn't be getting it until late May, so thank goodness it came early so it wasn't one more thing we'd have to juggle around that time.

The new buffet

This is the first time in my life (on my own) that I've had a formal dining room - I've always just had a cute little kitchen table, but nothing fancy.

Dining Room

And now, with that buffet stocked with family china, family silver, family serving pieces, I feel very adult once again, and very connected to my family. (The candlesticks you can kinda see on the table belonged to my grandparents.)

I'm apparently not the only one excited about all the memories in the house. Our entertaining invisible resident Phantom Dennis has been acting up all day - knocks and doors swinging open and tapping and all sorts of odd noises. Gotta love the 90 year old home! Our friend Marcie stayed overnight once and was kept awake all night by Dennis playing drum solos on the floorboards. He's a good guy, though - he turns lights on, and I very nearly fell down the stairs once and I felt something actually grab me by the shoulder and steady me. We love Dennis - but man, he's fired up today!

I wrote the ceremony today. (And by "wrote", I mean "largely plagiarized." I don't have a lot of time, okay?) I also wrote my vows. There MIGHT be a reference to knitting in there. (I'll post them after. Or maybe I'll rig them to post around that time.)

How's about that Top Model winner? I won't spoil it in case anyone has yet to catch up on the DVR...but I'm very pleased. Amused, in a way, but pleased.

One of the many loves of my life currently?

Americone Dream

Mmmm....so delicious. The ice cream is good too.

You know who's NOT a love of my life currently? Travis' ex, who found out by bumping into one of Travis' friends that he's getting married. And who drunk-dialed him last night at TWO O CLOCK IN THE MORNING. This is what I get for marrying a stud. If I were marrying a troll, we wouldn't be dealing with this, now, would we? I have to laugh and shrug it off - can I blame her? Had I ever been stupid enough to let him get away, I'd still be kicking my own ass too!

I do have fiber content today!

Handspun "Something Blue"

First and foremost, handspun!

Handspun "Something Blue"

More of Funky Carolina's magnificent roving, this time in 100% delish merino. The colorway name is "Touche" and the stuff practically spun itself.

Handspun "Something Blue"

I have wedding on the brain - why fight it? - so the skein has been dubbed "Something Blue". I have four ounces, 245 yards of the old standby two-ply. It never gets old with me - I'm a fan of the two-ply. Gotta love my reliability.

Handspun "Something Blue"

I managed a much tighter ply this time, and I'm endlessly thrilled about it. Especially since this one's not for me - although I'm tempted. I spun it with my SP pal in mind, so this will be off to her just before the wedding (and in time for her own one-year anniversary!)

Handspun "Something Blue"

Sick of photos of this stuff yet? Don't worry, that's the last one.

Handspun "Something Blue"

Sometimes I lie. So I guess the reliability thing is kind of up in the air.

I also finally have photographic evidence of Bellocq progress:

Bellocq progress 5/16/07

Very nearly finished with the calf shaping...then it's onto a circular needle and two repeats of thigh shaping, and a border! You'll notice perhaps that there's no lifeline. I'm flying without a net, baby. If I screw anything up, I'm just gonna have to find a fix. (Once I move it to a circular, I'll start with the lifelines. It's easier then.)

Long enough? Still here? It's okay, you can go. :-D

(You didn't think I was gonna forget, did ya Jess? Happy birthday to my dearest friend in the world! I wouldn't be able to make it through life as half the woman I am if I didn't have you - and the rest of the clan - by my side these last 16 years. Sixteen! Cool!! I love you!!)