Mara, Music

Copycat, copycat. That’s me. 

Since I’m on my sock knitting sabbatical till the end of the month, I needed something else to haul around with me. Instead of a hat or a pair of mitts, I chose a shawl. My only defense was that 3 skeins of Araucania Nature Wool were calling my name.  I settled on Mara mainly because Brokeknits made one from 3 skeins of Nature Wool and it looked wonderful. Plus, garter stitch is easy knitting when out and about. 

Yep, total copycat. At least it's a different color.

Saturday Morning

Tuesday Morning

I’ve gotten a bit further since Tuesday and am a few rows into the second skein. It doesn’t particularly fit in my purse anymore but I stuff it in all the same. It would probably help if I could stop knitting on this when I get home. No luck there since I can’t seem to put it down. Ah well, might just have to switch to a bigger purse.

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I go through music phases every couple of days/weeks. This year has already seen marathon listening sessions of Daft Punk, Nine Inch Nails, KT Tunstall, and Fleet Foxes. The latest marathon started out innocently enough by watching The Local Natives on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts podcast. The video wasn’t even over and I was perusing Amazon for their music. In the end, I ended up with a copy of the FrenchKiss Records Super Sampler. It starts off with Local Natives’ “Sun Hands” and showcases 7 other bands. Definitely good listening. Good knitting music too. And free. I’m currently on day 3.

I think my next music marathon will involve and Yoko Kanno and all of the Cowboy Bebop soundtracks. Tank! will kick everything off. Then the Ghost In The Shell soundtracks, then Wolf’s Rain, and Escaflowne. Sounds like a plan to me.

A bit more snow

Since moving from south from New Jersey, I do miss snow on occasion. And snow days. I really miss snow days since they’re a wonderful excuse to hunker down at home and do nothing or everything. Whatever.

Last night’s snow wasn’t enough for a snow day but I spent the morning pretending it was by sleeping in and knitting. I did finally get around to a few household chores but only because I had too. This afternoon, I’ll brave the cold, wet stuff for lunch with friends and maybe even knit night. Snow days rock.

In 2011

I’m usually not one to set New Year’s resolutions but the start of a new decade was too good to pass up on. Once I wrote down one goal, I just couldn’t help myself and soon I had almost ten things on my list. They’re things that I’ve wanted to do for a while and just keep putting off because I was too tired, too busy, too...something. Thanks to this timely post on Yarn-A-Go-Go (scroll down to 4. No Excuses), I’ve come to realize that I’ve been saying, “yes, but...” and stopping myself from doing what’s important. I suppose that not saying, “yes, but...” is my number one goal for 2011. Hopefully, it’ll make my remaining goals just a little bit easier.

Get in shape and lose 50 pounds: Late last December, I started reading The 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferris. On January 1, I started on the following the Slow-Carb diet and I’m making good progress. I’ve also developed a deep love for black beans. Next thing on the list to try from that book: kettle bells. 

Have less stuff: When I moved, I saw how much stuff I really had. Most of it, I still have and rarely use. Time to cut the load a bit.

Read more books: When I was a kid, I read all the time. Reading a book or 2 a week wasn’t uncommon. Knitting and school really cut back on that number. Time to change that.

Write 750 words a day: I did this for a few months last year and really enjoyed it. At the time, I was using 750words.com. Then server problems and a general “I’ll do it later” attitude quashed it. So far this year, I’ve been mostly keeping up with it. 

Sketch on a regular basis: I used to sketch all the time and I’ve gotten rusty. Time to dig out my collection of sketchbooks.

Knit more for charity: I’ve got a few groups in mind and hats will figure prominently.

Finish up all the knitting still on the needles: I cast on for a Dr Who Scarf (and lots of other stuff) ages ago and they’re way past due.

Knit 12 pairs of socks: I didn’t manage this last year so I want to try again. Plus, my sock yarn stash hasn’t gotten any smaller. Ahem.

Explore other crafts: Spinning, kumihimo, temari, and bookbinding are all on the list.

Snowmageddon

For the past few days, The Beaded One (aka: The Boy) and I have been debating which term is better: Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon? In my mind, Snowmageddon reigns supreme.

The storm that came through last night with its 3" of snow and sleet wouldn't meet my South Jersey definition of the term in any way. In Alabama though, Snowmageddon works. Shops close, highways shut down, and everything is quiet.* I plan on spending a quiet day inside with my knitting, podcasts/Netflix, and some hot mint tea.

We got a pretty even coating and, thanks to the freezing rain, it's formed a nice hard crust. Shadow found it a bit disconcerting at first but that didn't stop him from exploring. After spending most of last night and this morning inside, he was going a bit stir crazy. 

*Except for that ATV that keeps driving past my house.

I Can Haz Kat?*

Until about two weeks ago, my life was bereft of kitties and I was forced to rely on the internet for cute cat photos and antics. ICanHasCheezburger, Cute Overload, and I Am Maru were my favorite sources for all things cat and still are. Still, all the cute photos and videos on the internet weren't the same as actually having a cat. After having two wonderful cats for many years, I knew this all too well.

There have been several opportunities to take in a cat but it never worked out. This time, though, was different. Shadow's previous owners couldn't keep him anymore so the boy and I took him in. At his previous digs, Shadow was the consumate hunter and fought off the neighborhood dogs. Once he came to our house though, he hid in the basement for 2 days and wouldn't come near either of us. He came round eventually but it was still over a week before he'd go 5 feet outside the basement door. Every day, I spent some time with him and tried to get him used to his new domain. The effort finally payed off when he decided to go exploring beyond the yard. I didn't stop him and didn't follow. Just waited to see if he'd come back. Later that night boy and I went looking for him in the yard. Just as we were about to give up, he came running. It was finally official. We had a cat.

I've gotten to know Shadow pretty well since he stopped hiding in the basement. He's friendly, handsome, very talkative, and loves getting petted. He also comes when called and supplements his diet with the chipmunks that have eaten most of the tomatos in my garden. Plus, there are toe-hawks, million mile stares, and pretzel shaped naps. All told, he's a pretty awesome cat and I can't wait to spend more time with him.

*That's all the lol speak I can handle. For now...

Wrap Up

My birthday was last weekend and, in order to celebrate being halfway though my twenties, good times were had. There was good company, good food, and good yarn. Lots of good yarn. Plus, a few good books too. Now that the weekend is several days past, I'm several dozen pages intoFever Dream and following the exploits of one of my favorite literary characters, Aloysius Pendergast. Based on the frenetic pace with which I read the first 60 pages, it won't be long before I'm reading The Girl Who Played With Fire.

During birthday lunch, my dad asked how old I was. My reply, "Old enough." I'll probably say that next year too but, like the pages of my book, I'm sure this year will pass far too quickly.

Quick Knit for the Win

Pattern:  Argyle Cuff by Lee Meredith

Yarn: Cascade 220 - 801

Needle: US 7 (4.5mm)

Date: Feb 14, 2010

@rav

Last weekend, I wanted to cast on to something new and the Quick Knits Club came to the rescue. One of February’s patterns, the Argyle Cuff, looked fun so I dug up some scrap yarn and got started. The 2 stitch cable made it a fun project that was finished in an afternoon but the finishing took a bit longer. Blocking was definitely required and the cuff seemed to take forever to dry. The wait was worth it though. The cables really popped and the width was perfect. Once I sewed on two orange buttons, it was perfect and quite cozy.