Do you read the Yarnagogo blog? If not I highly recommend it! If you do, then you know about the amazing story of Digit and his return after four months. Dude I bawled when she thought he was dead. I bawled when he came back. I bawled reading all the comments of people donating $ to Rachael to help with Digit's vet bills in honor of their favorite kitty cats.
The story is enough to make you want to help. However, facing my own rather large vet bill at the moment I can really relate to how Rachael and Lala feel. I have so been there. Panicking because you know you don't have the money to do what needs done to save your babies. You do it anyway, because you'll do anything for them. This bill for them is going to be in the thousands...few people are prepared for that.
So if you can spare a buck or two please do so. Even though it isn't needed, Rachael is having a drawing for some lovely sweaters she has knit.
Ericka at RedShirtKnitting
is also having a drawing to help Digit! Check it out and get a chance to win your own Jane Hat!
Now I'm gonna go hug my kitty (the one that will let me) and knit on my MS3.
Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of love and kisses from those that you love and love you...furry or not :)
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Clearly I did not think this thru...
So...joiner that I am, I too have joined the Mystery Stole 3
I ordered some Malabrigo Merino Lace weight in the Black Forest color way. It's more green than the black it looks in the online pictures but that's ok. It's lovely yummy yummy yarn. Isn't getting yarn in the mail just the coolest thing ever? I also ordered some knit picks circs since I didn't have any small circulars to knit the stole on.
What? You want to see? Oh fine
Trust me it looks oh so much yummier in person!
Now the not thinking this little project all the way through part. So I now have 1200 yards of this love lace yarn. Know what I DON"T have? A yarn winder. No problem you say? Wind it by hand? Ok first of all 12oo yards? *sigh* I suppose I could. However. Yes, HOWEVER. This oh so lovely yarn tangles and knots if you so much as breath on it heavily. Ask me how I know? So this will be a challenge. I'm guessing this means it may not frog easily either. Yikes.
The good news is that I did do a small swatch on it for the MS3. It does look pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. (sorry no pic).
So...I'm off to do some serious (but careful) winding. Wish me luck!
I ordered some Malabrigo Merino Lace weight in the Black Forest color way. It's more green than the black it looks in the online pictures but that's ok. It's lovely yummy yummy yarn. Isn't getting yarn in the mail just the coolest thing ever? I also ordered some knit picks circs since I didn't have any small circulars to knit the stole on.
What? You want to see? Oh fine
Trust me it looks oh so much yummier in person!
Now the not thinking this little project all the way through part. So I now have 1200 yards of this love lace yarn. Know what I DON"T have? A yarn winder. No problem you say? Wind it by hand? Ok first of all 12oo yards? *sigh* I suppose I could. However. Yes, HOWEVER. This oh so lovely yarn tangles and knots if you so much as breath on it heavily. Ask me how I know? So this will be a challenge. I'm guessing this means it may not frog easily either. Yikes.
The good news is that I did do a small swatch on it for the MS3. It does look pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. (sorry no pic).
So...I'm off to do some serious (but careful) winding. Wish me luck!
Still Knitting and Evil Pink Baby Yarn
See I promised a knitting post today and here I am! As long as the storm doesn't knock me offline we're all set!
So...I have been knitting. But FIRST!
My most wonderful scarf exchange buddy from the Knit Knack Scarf exchange, Karen sent me that! It is sooooo soft and cuddly! I can't wait for cold weather so I can wear it! She also sent me some yummy wool from her trip to Ireland! How cool is that??
So...I have been knitting. But FIRST!
My most wonderful scarf exchange buddy from the Knit Knack Scarf exchange, Karen sent me that! It is sooooo soft and cuddly! I can't wait for cold weather so I can wear it! She also sent me some yummy wool from her trip to Ireland! How cool is that??
My current drag around project is a simple garter stitch shawl made out of some crochet cotton thread. It (the color) caught my eye at my local craft store in the clearance bin. I picked it up thinking dishcloths or something. However one night I looked over at it sitting on my desk and thought. Shawl. 
and then we have this...
Looks all sweet and innocent sitting there doesn't it? It's Lion Brand Baby Soft for the baby blanket I started. I'm on about row 9 (yes that is ROW nine. Not the 9th repeat). It has not started off well. It was my fault to be honest. I should have wound the yarn up into a center pull ball to start with. I didn't, however, and after much swearing and hair pulling and something that looked even WORSE than this
I thought it needed a little time out. So that ball of cute soft pink yarn is still sitting there on the cedar chest that serves as my coffee table and that pile of yarn barf is as well. We are both thinking about our actions before we decide if we shall continue or not. Pretty pink yarn is also a little on the splitty side...but it seemed to be getting a little better...we'll see.
Up next! The craze that is MS3!
Monday, June 25, 2007
You know you read too many blogs when
you start saying this a little too often in conversations with non-knitters/blog readers.
"Well on this knitting blog I read...."
"Ooh I read about that, so and so mentioned in their blog...."
yeah. think I need a life? lol
I do have knitting content...I just forgot to bring the camera with me to work so I could upload the pictures!
So stay tuned tomorrow for shawly goodness and the pretty pink yarn from hell!
"Well on this knitting blog I read...."
"Ooh I read about that, so and so mentioned in their blog...."
yeah. think I need a life? lol
I do have knitting content...I just forgot to bring the camera with me to work so I could upload the pictures!
So stay tuned tomorrow for shawly goodness and the pretty pink yarn from hell!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton
Warning: Extreme Geekery ahead.
Ok, let me tell you a not so secret thing about me. I am completely hooked on Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Completely. Have been since I read Guilty Pleasures…oh three years ago I think. No wait…that can’t be right….yeah I think so. I was reading Guilty Pleasures on the plane back from Colorado for our orientation when we switched companies. I finished the book and my sister who was sitting next to me asked me about it. “Very different” was my reply. I sat there on the plane thinking about Jean Claude (but who doesn’t?) and knew I would go get the second book.
I honestly could not tell you how many times I’ve read all the books. There is at least a year between the new releases so at least once or twice during the year I’ll pick one (or four) up and re-read it just to get my fix. The Killing Dance I think is my favorite.
Every time I’ve read one of the new books…when I start the last chapter and know the end is near there is always a moment of regret for devouring the book because they never last long enough.
So June 5th the new book The Harlequin (the 15th book in the series) hit the stores. I, of course went to the store that morning and picked up my copy. DESPITE the fact I knew it would be days before I could read it. I was in the throes of trying to get my house presentable for a family BBQ. As I climbed into bed that night I took it with me. I thought…I’ll just skim the first few pages and see who is on stage first. Nathaniel, Richard…ok maybe just the first chapter. When I turned the page to CHAPTER TWELVE I made myself put it down and go to bed. I finished Monday night at 1:30am. Then I couldn’t sleep for thinking about the book!
Spoilers ahead. If you have not read the Harlequin or all the books for that matter then you should maybe sign off the computer and Go. Read. Or something, but don’t continue listening to me blather. Go read the books…then come back mmkay?
First some background…the last several years there have been a lot of fans complaining about the direction the series. Many have claimed to stop reading the series because of how graphic (and by graphic I do mean the sex not the violence, apparently they don’t have a problem with the violence.). I really don’t understand getting on message boards and websites whining about how you hate how the series is going. If I’m not happy with a book (or series)…I stop reading it. Pretty simple. Last year when Danse Macabre came out I would say I did enjoy it more (story line wise) than Cerulean Sins. It just really seemed as if Anita’s character was starting to accept things and make her life work. Yes some of the sex scenes did seem to last a leetle bit long in this one but I liked the direction the story was headed.
Enter The Harlequin! A few people have expressed disappointment in Richard. I’m not. Like Anita and Jean Claude, I’m done and over it. Actually I was over Richard several books ago…he is the epitome of the saying “his own worst enemy”. It’s not that I don’t like his character…but his issues were wearing thin. Dolph is starting to take his place in the overly annoying department. However, I’m thinking there is story potential left for Dolph though. I also felt that Requiem was taking over Asher’s pouting roll since Asher wasn’t around much. I like the idea of Requiem…I hope his character gets fleshed out and isn’t quiet as depressing as he seems J
I (like everyone) enjoyed having Edward back in this book and even Peter and Olaf were an interesting addition. I missed not having as much Jean Claude time as well as Asher and Jason. (if you could just bottle the sexiness that is Jean Claude…Mmmm I’m telling ya!) There are a lot of new characters and it can be hard to keep up with them until their distinct personalities form so that you remember them. I like Rafael, I like that he respects Anita and her will to get things done no matter what it takes…but that was a new twist (don’t want to give TOO much away). Sampson also intrigues me…I hope he comes back in future books. I don’t know how the mermaids fit in with St. Luis but I like the idea of them. The idea of Anita, Micha and Nathaniel going to a bbq at Zerbrowski’s cracks me up.
On the message boards I’ve read a few complaints about mistakes or inconsistencies. Yeah, I picked up on them and there were a few others I saw. That being said, I understand why. There are so many characters on stage (at one time sometimes) that it is hard to keep up…and we are just reading. Can you imagine trying to write it? Especially if it isn’t in one setting? Holy Crap that would be hard. LKH juggles more characters in her books better than any that I’ve read (well I would say JK Rowling does it as well). Everyone knows what it’s like to write something and proof read it yourself. You miss the mistakes because you aren’t really reading it so much as hearing it in your head. Can you imagine a series of FIFTEEN books (in this series, not including the Merry series) with a zillion characters? Especially with the detailed descriptions LKH gives her characters! As someone who has done a good bit of writing (not for publishing purposes though) I can appreciate what it must take to keep up with the amount of characters. Particularly since so many of them are major ones that appear every book. Also, we the fans get so "into" the Anita world that these mistakes don't slip past us. This is a good thing though :)
It’s a funny thing reading an authors blog and peeking into their life and getting glimpses of their thoughts as they write a book. While LKH was writing the end of Danse Macbre I admit I was a bit worried. She seemed so frustrated with the book and ready for it to be over with. I thought the book would suffer for that. After reading it I didn’t think it did. However, the ending seemed a bit cut short and the whole plot at the end just seemed to end abruptly. That said, I loved the book and enjoyed it as I have them all.
A few more things I hope to see in future books. Another book revolving around Anita’s necromancy and a break from vampire and wolf politics. I would LOVE a novel-lite with just Anita and Jean Claude. I’d like to see Micah have more of a story line or purpose than just professionally “being there” for Anita. And of more Nathaniel and Jason because they are just so darn cute and fun! I think perhaps Nathaniel should take up knitting lol and I think Peter has great potential too as a little Edward in training.
Ok…that’s it! My rambling random thoughts about the book! I have to say I like this one even better than the last three books. If you have read the series but haven’t picked it up, I highly recommend that you do!
Amy
the book geek
p.s. I promise next time there will be knitting content!
Ok, let me tell you a not so secret thing about me. I am completely hooked on Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Completely. Have been since I read Guilty Pleasures…oh three years ago I think. No wait…that can’t be right….yeah I think so. I was reading Guilty Pleasures on the plane back from Colorado for our orientation when we switched companies. I finished the book and my sister who was sitting next to me asked me about it. “Very different” was my reply. I sat there on the plane thinking about Jean Claude (but who doesn’t?) and knew I would go get the second book.
I honestly could not tell you how many times I’ve read all the books. There is at least a year between the new releases so at least once or twice during the year I’ll pick one (or four) up and re-read it just to get my fix. The Killing Dance I think is my favorite.
Every time I’ve read one of the new books…when I start the last chapter and know the end is near there is always a moment of regret for devouring the book because they never last long enough.
So June 5th the new book The Harlequin (the 15th book in the series) hit the stores. I, of course went to the store that morning and picked up my copy. DESPITE the fact I knew it would be days before I could read it. I was in the throes of trying to get my house presentable for a family BBQ. As I climbed into bed that night I took it with me. I thought…I’ll just skim the first few pages and see who is on stage first. Nathaniel, Richard…ok maybe just the first chapter. When I turned the page to CHAPTER TWELVE I made myself put it down and go to bed. I finished Monday night at 1:30am. Then I couldn’t sleep for thinking about the book!
So here are some of my random thoughts about The Harlequin and the characters and Laurell K Hamilton.
*******WARNING*******
*******WARNING*******
Spoilers ahead. If you have not read the Harlequin or all the books for that matter then you should maybe sign off the computer and Go. Read. Or something, but don’t continue listening to me blather. Go read the books…then come back mmkay?
First some background…the last several years there have been a lot of fans complaining about the direction the series. Many have claimed to stop reading the series because of how graphic (and by graphic I do mean the sex not the violence, apparently they don’t have a problem with the violence.). I really don’t understand getting on message boards and websites whining about how you hate how the series is going. If I’m not happy with a book (or series)…I stop reading it. Pretty simple. Last year when Danse Macabre came out I would say I did enjoy it more (story line wise) than Cerulean Sins. It just really seemed as if Anita’s character was starting to accept things and make her life work. Yes some of the sex scenes did seem to last a leetle bit long in this one but I liked the direction the story was headed.
Enter The Harlequin! A few people have expressed disappointment in Richard. I’m not. Like Anita and Jean Claude, I’m done and over it. Actually I was over Richard several books ago…he is the epitome of the saying “his own worst enemy”. It’s not that I don’t like his character…but his issues were wearing thin. Dolph is starting to take his place in the overly annoying department. However, I’m thinking there is story potential left for Dolph though. I also felt that Requiem was taking over Asher’s pouting roll since Asher wasn’t around much. I like the idea of Requiem…I hope his character gets fleshed out and isn’t quiet as depressing as he seems J
I (like everyone) enjoyed having Edward back in this book and even Peter and Olaf were an interesting addition. I missed not having as much Jean Claude time as well as Asher and Jason. (if you could just bottle the sexiness that is Jean Claude…Mmmm I’m telling ya!) There are a lot of new characters and it can be hard to keep up with them until their distinct personalities form so that you remember them. I like Rafael, I like that he respects Anita and her will to get things done no matter what it takes…but that was a new twist (don’t want to give TOO much away). Sampson also intrigues me…I hope he comes back in future books. I don’t know how the mermaids fit in with St. Luis but I like the idea of them. The idea of Anita, Micha and Nathaniel going to a bbq at Zerbrowski’s cracks me up.
On the message boards I’ve read a few complaints about mistakes or inconsistencies. Yeah, I picked up on them and there were a few others I saw. That being said, I understand why. There are so many characters on stage (at one time sometimes) that it is hard to keep up…and we are just reading. Can you imagine trying to write it? Especially if it isn’t in one setting? Holy Crap that would be hard. LKH juggles more characters in her books better than any that I’ve read (well I would say JK Rowling does it as well). Everyone knows what it’s like to write something and proof read it yourself. You miss the mistakes because you aren’t really reading it so much as hearing it in your head. Can you imagine a series of FIFTEEN books (in this series, not including the Merry series) with a zillion characters? Especially with the detailed descriptions LKH gives her characters! As someone who has done a good bit of writing (not for publishing purposes though) I can appreciate what it must take to keep up with the amount of characters. Particularly since so many of them are major ones that appear every book. Also, we the fans get so "into" the Anita world that these mistakes don't slip past us. This is a good thing though :)
It’s a funny thing reading an authors blog and peeking into their life and getting glimpses of their thoughts as they write a book. While LKH was writing the end of Danse Macbre I admit I was a bit worried. She seemed so frustrated with the book and ready for it to be over with. I thought the book would suffer for that. After reading it I didn’t think it did. However, the ending seemed a bit cut short and the whole plot at the end just seemed to end abruptly. That said, I loved the book and enjoyed it as I have them all.
A few more things I hope to see in future books. Another book revolving around Anita’s necromancy and a break from vampire and wolf politics. I would LOVE a novel-lite with just Anita and Jean Claude. I’d like to see Micah have more of a story line or purpose than just professionally “being there” for Anita. And of more Nathaniel and Jason because they are just so darn cute and fun! I think perhaps Nathaniel should take up knitting lol and I think Peter has great potential too as a little Edward in training.
Ok…that’s it! My rambling random thoughts about the book! I have to say I like this one even better than the last three books. If you have read the series but haven’t picked it up, I highly recommend that you do!
Amy
the book geek
p.s. I promise next time there will be knitting content!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
A fresh look
Ok...for those of you who are familiar with my Myspace page...you know I like to change my scenery around often :) So I've been trying to think of a new name for the blog and such....so this may not stay like this...I'm playing around with it. Let me know what you think? Which name do you like better?
Friday, June 01, 2007
I'd like to get off this ride now
I haven't been posting much but a lot has been going on. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind! There was the mama skunk that got under my house and had babies. I kept telling my Dad this but I don't think he believed me. So he goes over and fills in any holes that she had dug to get under there. Resulting in separating her from her babies. Let me tell you I had one pissed off Mama skunk thumping around my house! Anyway, we reopened the holes and put out moth balls (yes the smell is just lovely) and she has since moved them to another home. THANKFULLY! Then there was the virus/spyware from HELL that I got at work and took me FOUR DAYS to get rid of. I thought I was going to pull my hair out over that one! It took downloading 5 different programs to finally catch the bugger causing all the problems and get rid of it. It has also rained another 12 inches in the last week. I'm living in a swamp!
We did head down to Galveston, to Tiki Island, for Memorial Day weekend and it was nice to get away for a couple of days. We didn't get to go out on the boat this time, but just being near the water relaxes me. I don't know what it is about it...it just seems to sort of pull at me and instantly cause my blood pressure to drop. Kinda like knitting :) On Saturday while a big storm was moving in I went for a nice long walk around the island. It is just so different from central Texas. The tropical flowers and the palm trees and all the neat bay houses with personality. There was a bit of drinking and fun that included a cut throat game of domino's and a late night golf cart ride to get chocolate martini's.
I'm taking mom to visit her sister tonight and we'll stay until Sunday morning. I have so much work to do at home....but this is more important. Last night Lady bug was having some stomach problems, my phone line was dead again and I discovered a leak in my roof. I stood there looking up at the spot for a few minutes thinking (very calmly) "You have got to be kidding me". At this point I was too tired to even get upset about it.
So after work I'm headed to Dallas where I will knit (and finish my so called scarf for my secret buddy) and make a trip to the half priced book store. I will NOT be going to the yarn store...with all the issues there won't be room in the budget for it.
Everyone have a lovely weekend!
We did head down to Galveston, to Tiki Island, for Memorial Day weekend and it was nice to get away for a couple of days. We didn't get to go out on the boat this time, but just being near the water relaxes me. I don't know what it is about it...it just seems to sort of pull at me and instantly cause my blood pressure to drop. Kinda like knitting :) On Saturday while a big storm was moving in I went for a nice long walk around the island. It is just so different from central Texas. The tropical flowers and the palm trees and all the neat bay houses with personality. There was a bit of drinking and fun that included a cut throat game of domino's and a late night golf cart ride to get chocolate martini's.
I'm taking mom to visit her sister tonight and we'll stay until Sunday morning. I have so much work to do at home....but this is more important. Last night Lady bug was having some stomach problems, my phone line was dead again and I discovered a leak in my roof. I stood there looking up at the spot for a few minutes thinking (very calmly) "You have got to be kidding me". At this point I was too tired to even get upset about it.
So after work I'm headed to Dallas where I will knit (and finish my so called scarf for my secret buddy) and make a trip to the half priced book store. I will NOT be going to the yarn store...with all the issues there won't be room in the budget for it.
Everyone have a lovely weekend!
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