My second gift! :)

My second gift! :)
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

My mom called to tell me I had a second SP8 package waiting for me! (I'll get it Sunday when they visit.) She thoughtfully photographed it for me though, so I wouldn't have to wait (I'm not a patient person) and she's a knitter too so maybe she'll get inspired to join a swap!

Inside were three beautiful loaves of Misti Alpaca Lace, in a light blue color. I have no light blue laceweight. My pal is just that psychic, she knows the ONLY color I don't have! (Except for light green.)

I don't know if you can see the cover image for the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting that she included (THANK YOU) but I'm thinking the thistle pattern would look so pretty in that pale blue, hehe. Not to mention the clean smelling candles, which will be perfect for this funky (in a bad way) dorm room. And the tissues - somehow she KNEW that my allergies had been going into overdrive! THANK YOU, PAL! I'll have to send you a prezzie when all is said and done. ;)

New blog

I just wanted to let you readers out there know that I started a new & separate blog about my frustrations with emigration and NZ. It's here: http://emigrationfrustration.blogspot.com. If you have any stories or advice of your own, post or email me and I'll upload it. This blog isn't just for me to blather on, but to help other people who feel helpless in this complicated and tricky process!

To the Is-land

Just dropping in quickly to tell you I finished another pair of socks, my Opal Petticoats in colorway 1297. Of course, no picture (no camera). But the're on display at the Knaughty Knitter til I leave Murfreesboro in July (too hot to wear them right now).

I also started a pair in JoJoland's fingering weight pink/blue mix. I have mixed feelings about this yarn; it is soft for an all-wool sock yarn; the colors stripe nicely, and the pattern shows well because the color changes are slow and subtle. BUT, the two balls are VASTLY different. I wish I could take a picture. One has lots of a purpley-blue and a peach; the other is mostly yellow and minty green. It isn't just the stripe sequence, one is also much brighter than the other. I think if I were to order from them (and I would, it's nice yarn and only $7 per ball) I would specifically request two balls that are the same dye lot. Unfortunately I threw away the labels for these so I don't know if they match or not lot-wise, but I am guessing NO.

I went to the library (see, being cheap!) and checked out two Agatha Christie novels (I read one a day. It's an expensive hobby.) and checked out a copy of Janet Frame's To the Is-Land. I am only 10 pages in and fascinated. I would tell you more, but I want to get to the KK and buy a needle before they close. Later!

kids everywhere!

I think this gig has me thinking of never having children. Not because they're awful or something (they aren't) but they're noisy and need constant attention (i.e. girls screaming their heads off over a stupid cockroach at 11 pm.) Obviously I am spending a lot of time knitting and trying not to cuss. ;) It is fun though, just stressful.

I finished a pair of Opal socks, the new yellow petticoat colorway which is really pretty. I also am nearing the finishline for the Knaughty Knitter sweater. I was thinking of bringing some of the fiber kids to the Knaughty Knitter block party thing tomorrow, but I think I need to get away for a while. Sorry kids!

We had good Indian at the Clay Pit. I was super friendly for some reason (glad to see another adult?) so we got free bread and soft drinks. (I love naan [sp?])

We'll talk again soon.

I am beginning to think I have psychic powers...

I am a little freaked out by recent goings-on; I'm stuck for a month in a steaming dorm with 25 14-year-old girls! One of them is apparently "addicted" (her dad's words) to oranges and eats five pounds of oranges a day. I can't leave the kids at all, lest they start smoking or having sex with each other or possibly skipping stupid social dances to read books instead. (I was not exaggerating about the five pounds of oranges. This girl eats more than 10 oranges a day.)


Anyway, lest I think life is sucking too much, I just remember all the weird coincidences that have occured in the last couple days. First of all, I cannot spend any money. But with all the summer sales of yarn, I would be completely daft if I thought I could avoid it altogether. So I made a deal with myself: only things for my secret pal, OR if I found a cashmere/silk blend on sale for a good price. I passed on the Trilly (50% of $35 per ball is still too pricey for me!) BUT, THE SAME DAY, LIKE 20 MINUTES LATER, I get an email from Posh Yarn that they have a sale page. Well, for $30 (including shipping) I got 2200 yards of cashmere/silk. In a color I like. How crazy is that, right??

I complained inwardly about having to shell out $150 to back up my laptop and replace the charger. Miraculously, the charger appeared in my mother's luggage (no idea why it would be there. It's been lost for almost 2 mos. now..) AND they apple store forgot to charge me for the dvd backup. HA. FREAKIN'. HA. If they think I'm going back to pay it, they're morons. XD

AND on my last day of freedom (see above orange girl and others) I remembered it was employee discount days at the B&N. My employment expires tomorrow, and my discount was an extra 10%. So despite my bitching over having nothing to read, I now have 2 magazines and 4 books to read. (1 knitting book, of course!)

Now if only Mark's trip was cancelled and he had the burning desire to spend the whole evening fawning over me, it would be perfect. I guess I should wait by the phone ;P

Ouch!

Zephyr scarf
Originally uploaded by The Prolific Knitter.

I'm sorry I neglected my poor blog for so long. My only excuse is that I am working on so many things at once, nothing seems to ever be "finished" and I get sorta tired of progress pics. BUT, I finished something yesterday, and have two events coming up, so there's plenty og blog fodder in the near future!

I knit this scarf over a few days when I saw that my favorite author, Laurie R King, was doing a signing here in Nashville. I LOVE her Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes books, and her new one looked pretty interesting too. There was no way I'd miss her signing! Anyway, I went along to Davis Kidd and got there a bit early. I'm glad I did, because there were quite a few people there! Thankfully their restaurant serves food and alcohol, so I was able to get a Guiness (though the bottled kind. Eugh) and somethin' to eat while I waited. I did bring along a sock I've been knitting, since the angora shrug is now just needing some shaping and I can't pay attention to both author and knitting. There were actually several people there who knit, but I was the only one who had actually brought mine.
Laurie was lovely, and an interesting and funny speaker. I'd never read any of her other series, but having heard her talk about them, I'll definitely have to read Folly and The Art of Detection. (I will always be a staunch Russell fan, so excuse my slight disappointment that I'll be waiting two years for the next book.)
She did sign my knitting bag (obviously a first request of that type, heh heh) AND spelled my name correctly without any help whatsoever! Yay Laurie!

I'll be moving into the dorms for 5 weeks on Friday to teach Governor's School. If I don't have internet there, my posts may be more sporadic, but I promise at LEAST once a week. ;)