What's that?

I'm sorry, I couldn't quite make out that last bit . . . . I should eat, you say? Some meat? Ah. . I see. . . oh . . . and then proceed to accelerate in my vehicle at an alarming rate? Uh huh . . . . to the metal indeed!

(I spent pretty well all of today playing Dead or Alive 4 with Cory. . . . just in case you couldn't quite place that reference . . . you know. . . about the meat. . . ?)

And I've got to say it's pretty killer.

I likes.

I'm reasonably new to the Dead or Alive family of games, today being the first time to ever actually sit down and play instead of picking up a round at a party. My thumbs hurt, my eyes are dry, I'm feeling a little ill from that bag of marshmallows we ate . . . but I'm pretty happy about it. I'm really sad that Robyn and Cory are moving this Friday. I know I'll really miss them. Luckily I will still be seeing them, as they will only be 40 minutes or so away. Yay!

I start school tomorrow, which is crazy. It really crept up. Also, somewhat amusingly, I will be totalling 20 hours of work this week (which contains a stat. holiday) and an alarming final count of 31 the following week. Scratch my average of 14 hours per week that I've been schedualled this past summer (that my boss firmly insisted was the maximum she could allow) and double it! I'm a student now! Goodbye social life! I don't need you . . . I have money now . . . .

I'm sure I will have to request that my hours be cut back. With classes everyday, I forsee this being too great a workload. Plus . . .you know. . . I like sleeping and stuff . . . *shrugs* I'm just sayin'. . .

Rojo!

I got home from camping last night - tired, scruffy and happy - and guess who was waiting for me?!

Rojo, from the sunny land of Florida!

He's sweet and I love him. . . I have coveted Day of the Dead Bears for a long time and now I have one! I think I will have to try my hand at making one as well - they look like a lot of fun!

This guy has been all over the country and the U.S. - FedEx kinda sucks, as it turns out. . . But he's finally here, chill-axin' right next to my Attack Monkey. They seem leery of one another, but I'm sure they will become fast friends.

So Murder and camping are not as similar as you might think

A bit of an overlap here between blog and comic, but It's 3:30 in the morning and I have yet to pack.

Anyways, I'm heading into Northern Ontario for a few days, I'll be back at the end of the week. So, basically all I had to say was:

We Own Other Team!

These are some wallets. I made them. That is all.

G's Gryffindor Scarf. Still working on it. It's due the end of September, so it's a nice leisurely knit. I'm using Bernat Satin, but not because I like it.

A Striped Toque. Worsted weight wool. It's not quite that bright in real life. My own design, I quite like it and would like more in different colours.

Cable>Satellite

It's been pretty stormy here the past few days and my satellite is wonky because of it. Luckily the power isn't off and I can still sew.
As it turns out I am reasonably handy and managed to get my machine working again, and been pumping out some wallets and fooling around with old t shirts. Only the wallets could ultimately be described as worth my time. Unfourtunately the camera has gone on vacation and won't be back for another week or so. Plan B is an older digital camera that I have but seem to be missing the USB cable for. I shall go hunting!
Why do I always managed to get more done when I don't have a way to display it?
My party is not on. I had a few friends over last night, had a bbq and watched Evil Dead II. I'm expecting similar tonight, which is fantastic in it's own right. . . I've just never had a party before . . . ever.
Oh well.
Oh and Eryn? I got your letter! *grin*

Dear Diary...

Things to Do Today

• Register for Classes (check)
• Freak out about how much my books will cost (check)
• Get my hair cut so I look less like a demented Farrah Fawcett (urgent)
• Try and remove the dog-smell from my couch (impossible?)
• Untangle the pile of yarn that is my bedroom (5 day job)
• Do Laundry so that I have clean clothes, not just underwear (check)
• Log in more hours on my overly ambitious Christmas knitting pile (check)
• Get my hands on some beer (ASAP)

Belligerent and Moody

I'm feeling slightly more psychotic than usual in the past few days, partially due to work - partially due to a potentially failed party that I was to be hosting this coming weekend. Partially because I am to register for classes tomorrow. Partially because my knitting is kicking my ass.
I finished my shift at work early today because I couldn't stand my customers. I was snappy. I ignored people. I lied about having product so that I didn't have to show it to them. I thought it best that I get out of polyester pants and onto my couch and start eating some cheese and watching cartoons. So I did.
My manager wasn't in today, or else I might have stayed through 'til the end. But my feet hurt, my patience was gone, and I was getting awfully sick of greeting incoming customers only to have them pretend not to hear me. When this happens I repeat my greeting, sometimes switching it up between a "Hi there" and a "Hello!", getting progressively louder with each repetition and moving closer and closer. Today I was especially focused in making them uncomfortable. Try and ignore that, you old cow. Don't blame it on the stereo system - I saw you react when I said "Hi" the first time. You get an A for effort though.

Ohthankgod. . .

I recalculated my younger brother's measurements. This is the first time I have ever been happy to have to rip out some of my knitting! His finished chest circumference should not 54 inches - more like 46". This should cut down onmy knitting time considerably, which is fantastic.
Also I have found a really cool celtic lettering generator for knitting and other needlepoint. I will be duplicate stitching our family motto, "Hold Fast", into the hem of the sweater, and perhaps the date (2007). Thankfully I hadn't started that yet on the monster sweater, because I, eternally rushing, had been considering it!
Most of my family left for camping today, and I've got to say I'm a little bummed I couldn't go with them. They will be back next Tuesday for my Mum's citizenship ceremony (she is finally Canadian - after almost 30 years of living here! Yay Mum!) so I may go back with them if I can figure out a way to update my webcomic while I'm gone *wink*
We shall see.

Smaug the Dragon

This is a package for a girl on Craftster. It took me way too long to get off in the post, but I hope the items will make up for my tardiness.

It was for the swap "Fairy Tale Creatures", and the girl I made this for had a partner who flaked out (aka did not send a package), so I signed up as swap angel.

I knit the dragon out of Bernat Satin, and ended up creating my own pattern becuase I couldn't find anything on the internet that suited the subject. The beads on his chest are a reference to the gems that Smaug placed in his scales to strengthen them. I used felt for the teeth/ears/tongue/wings, and painted the wings with fabric paint in both a gold and yellow. The eyes are teddy-bear eyes, I thought they looked cute.

I didn't give him legs because he was more cuddly without them, and though I made legs they didn't suit the look of him and were awkward. I crocheted the spines along his back (which took me close to 2 hours due to my crappy crocheting skills).

The Tshirt was from Michaels, and I just stenciled on a cool Celtic Dragon knot. She also likes Celtic stuff.

The Fairy stone has a tag which explains it.

I will also be including some chocolate dollars in the package, because. . .where would adragon be without treasure to guard?

I really hope that she likes it - I put a lot of work into this guy!

Hark ye Heralds. . .

I officially started my Christmas knitting this year on August 16th. I have started my oldest younger brother's sweater - a whopping 54 inch chest circumference. I'm using a worsted weight yarn - my gauge is a mere 5 sts per inch. Crazy you say? Suicidal, you say? Well. . .
I tend to agree.
I figure that I have given myself ample time though - I also have another large man pullover, an adult's small (other younger brother - who is only nine and almost as tall as I - why are all the men in my family giants?) a child's size 8 for my little sister (who would like a ski-sweater) and a secret surprise for my mum (aha! Caught you mum!). Luckily my mum's super-duper secret surprise is almost finished (I'm like a freakin' ninja over here!) and will most definately be ready by Christmas morning.
All but mummy will be receiving garments designed around Elizabeth Zimmermann's patterns and techniques. I have to admit - I'm in love. Everything she created is so inspirational. It all makes sense to me, unlike any designer or guru I have ever encountered (not that there is a surplus of knitting gurus out there - but you catch my drift!). I love her attitude towards knitting.
I have also been reading some Stephanie Pearl-McPhee as of late and though her anecdotes and observations are cute and all. . . I don't really like her work as an author. I dislike how whimsical she makes the craft out to be. Wait - let me rephrase that before I come off as stodgy and unimaginative: I dislike how she presents knitting as out of our hands. Whatever may be, will be. Yarn is a sentient being with and evil will. Knitters are slightly deranged. Look lady - my Brownsheep Worsted is not the crystaline-freakin'-entity. It's string. I will make it a hat. See? It's magic in it's own way, but I control it. There are no "knitting winds" or "yarn gods" that bless or fuck up my work. If I make a mistake that was my fault. If something turns out exactly perfect it's because I took the time to make it so. I know her attitude works for a lot of people, but it certainly doesn't with me. I'll take the good-humoured yet practical and logical EZ over that any day.
*end tiny knitting rant*
P.S. I don't know if this is updating properly. Blogger and I are not seeing eye to eye as of late.