THANK YOU ROB for reminding me that I have Eddie "Tea and Cake or Death” Izzard on tape. I watched it last night while weaving in about fifty ends and laughed my ass off. The bit about the First Battalion Transvestite Brigade really takes all the sting out of finishing work, even though I’ve seen it at least a dozen times.

Are there people out there who don’t know today was the first game of the 2003 season for the Chicago Cubs? We TAPED it and will be watching it tonight even though we already know who won (CUBS) because it was THIS MORNING. I hope my yarn gets here soon so I can start my Corset Pullover. I can’t knit stockinette while watching baseball. It doesn’t occupy enough of my mind. I need something challenging. Unfortunately, all my current projects are indeed the ol’ st st: the Jailbird Cardy, the Dresser Scarf Socks and the Little Vogue Poncho.

Worked on my Magazine Pattern Database again this weekend. I got a little depressed: there is no way, EVER, I am going to be able to make all the sweaters that I want to make. Even if I worked all day and all night. And they are making new patterns ALL THE TIME. I could get this database project done a lot faster if it weren't Vogue Knitting and their "I'm a fashion mag, not an instruction manual" ways. I was surprised by this: of the magazines I've recorded with the most patterns I like, the top five are issues of Vogue. Vogue's Fall 2000 had the most.

Yesterday, I started the Little Vogue Poncho. I think I have a Yarn Substitution Success Story here. The pattern called for Berroco Glace, but I used some ribbon yarn I got off eBay. The only problem I see is that it may not be quite as drapey as the Glace appears to be. Also it's dry clean only. (That's the sort of thing the buyer likes to know before she bids, isn't? I meant to write the seller a letter but I forgot.) I hope very much to have this done before I go on vacation in two weeks.

Trying to get the Jailbird Cardy done to the point where I run out of room on the 29" needle. I ordered a 16" today from elann and ordered a bunch of yarn while I was there, including yarn for my next sweater project: the Corset Pullover from the last Interweave Knits.

Real blogger's block lately. Every time I try to post I can't put anything together right. I either feel like I have too much to say or not enough.

Made my first Bucket O'Chic this past weekend. As I worked it up with the Saucy, I decided the fabric it was making was too "loose," so I ripped it out and made it with some tomato-red dishcloth cotton I had around. It looks good. This is a great pattern. I’d like to have several of these hats.

Was zipping around and around on the yoke of the Jailbird Cardy and forgot a decrease round. I realized it on the very NEXT round, so I went ahead and just dropped down to fix it instead of ripping. I could not BEAR the thought of trying to get all those stitches back on the needles and replacing all the markers. Of course, now those stitches are “big,” but I should be able to pull the excess into the neighboring stitches so it won’t show too bad.

Also this past weekend, I made a good start on the Magazine Pattern Database I’d been wanting to do. I made it through all the Spring and Summer issues of my magazines and recorded patterns I like by Name, Project Type, and Description. Then I thought I’d want to know the Pattern Gauge, what Fiber yarn the sample was made in, and how many Yards, and the Brand of the sample yarn. Also, of course, what Magazine and Issue, and I went ahead and included Designer because I thought it would be interesting to know who my favorite designers are. I’ve noticed from Lists and others’ Blogs that some people do have definite favorites. I realized a long time ago Norah Gaughan was probably MY absolute favorite.

Of course, you can see that this is also a new template. I’m going to make some adjustments to it after I crack its code, but for the most part I like it. The font is the major change I want to make and I need to add my links. I have some new ones that are good.

Apropos of nothing, here’s my new favorite TV quote from last night’s South Park: “If irony were strawberries, we’d all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now.”

Wow! Sunday was my last post: time has gotten away from me. Works are progressing: the yoke of my Retro-Prep Cardy is growing and I did finish the first leg of the Dresser Scarf Socks. I will admit that I have veered off course, however, and entered the Land of (brace yourselves) Crochet. (Theme song!)

I just got this insane urge the other day to crochet something. I couldn't help myself. Perhaps it was something in my programming prompting me to access this data before it was overwritten with some lame information like what temperature you preheat the oven to when making frozen pizza (I mean, c’mon it’s on the box.) Maybe it’s the warmer weather that made me feel like filet lace. Whatever it was, that’s what I’ve been doing while watching TV. I still work on the Cardy while Internetting but I’m afraid the DS Socks are off the hotlist for now.

HOWEVER, I have several “weekend” (i.e., day or two) projects that I want to do. I recently wondered how it would work if, come Friday, I just dropped everything and whipped up a Weekender, regular work to resume on Monday. I’m going to try it tomorrow with the Bucket Hat. It’s a small project at a nice, large gauge, so it really should only take a couple days. If it works, perhaps next I’ll do the Little Vogue Poncho (which I now have the yarn for) or the Lion Brand Crocheted Floppy Hat (which I don’t.)

Happy Birthday to me,
Happy Birthday to me,
I'm glad I'm 32 now 'cuz 31 was a real bitch,
Happy Birthday to me.

Actually, my birthday was yesterday, the Ides of March, (okay, seriously, the Ides of March). My husband bought me, among other things, Country Knits by Debbie Bliss and Fiona McTague. Lots of good Aran stuff in it. With a birthday check present I bought myself, among other things, Vogue Knitting on the Go! Baby Blankets. Not all the afghans in this book are "babyish." Several of the patterns could be for anyone if they were made bigger.

Goody, goody! Bonne Marie sent me the Super Secret Password for the Bucket o'Chic pattern today. I'm anxious to get started, but that makes FOUR summer hats on my list of things to do. I'll probably make hats instead of socks as my small projects for a while. I'm going to try making the Bucket in my stash Saucy. I hope it's not too lightweight. If so, I'll probably need to buy yarn. How sad. (If you could see me you would see I don't look sad at all.)

Yoke of Jailbird Cardy is coming along. Of course, it has now occurred to me that I am going to need a 16" circ eventually, even though the pattern doesn't call for one. The pattern just specifies a 32" circ, a 24" circ and dpns. I'm about done with the leg of the Dresser Scarf sock #1. I hope I don't run out of yarn: I've had to size it up a little. I just don't have dainty ankles and I never, never will.

I'm taking my coat to the cleaners tomorrow and I ain't gonna' wear it no more, no more. Today, when I saw that it was 75 degrees outside, I threw open all the windows in the house. This thrilled Amelia the Cat. Next to shedding all over the nice quilts, her absolute favorite activity is sitting in windowsills. There's a good view: we have a 1-acre pond in our front yard with a pair of Canada Geese on it. They nest there every year. When they arrived a couple weeks ago, I knew Spring was coming!

Hooray! My Fuzzy Feet Photos are up on the Fuzzy Pages. In the Before photo you see the evidence that my Fuchsia Feet #2 was only half done when I started out for the Felting Party. In the After picture you can see (behind the Feets) some of the delicious snacks Rob and Matt made for us. The brownies were AWESOME -- I ate two.

I haven't had much time for Blogging or Knitting -- too much Important Household Stuff to do -- particularly, sadly, Income Taxes. However, I did get the body and sleeves of the Jailbird Cardy put on one needle. It was a little trickier than I expected, but I got it done sans disaster and knit a few rows of the yoke. I don't know what other people's experience has been with Interweave Knits, but I have always had good luck with their directions. They seem very clear and easy for me.

My new Knitter's came this week. Nothing in there jumped out at me except the Rebecca ad that reminded me how much I want the current issue of THAT magazine. I just love the green tank that is pictured in the ad: it looks like something the Andromeda costumers would put on Beka. I have to go to Springfield in two weeks for my Job (Bonne Marie went today), so I think if I have time I'll check out the yarn shops there. Maybe one of them carries Rebecca.

I am really goin' to town (that's how we talk here on the Prairie) on the Jailbird Cardy -- only two more stripes to go, then I can join the sleeves to the body and start the yoke. I am enjoying this sweater: it has been remarkably trouble-free so far. I did have to adjust for length because my row gauge was off (what else is new?) but it was no problem. I may make the pullover version come Fall. Speaking of gauge, the Dresser Scarf Socks seem okay so far, too.

And, speaking of socks, if you read Dave Barry's blog, you've already seen the Sockman Calculator, but there it is, in case you haven't.

I wish to have a Bucket O'Chic in cotton for spring, so tomorrow I am sending an order to Bonne Marie for the pattern. I have some Light Emerald Saucy in my stash that may be about right. Also one skein of Bright Plum. How about a Plum brim and an Emerald top? Or maybe not.

Stayed up past my bedtime Tuesday and finished the Shocking Pink Coif so I could wear it yesterday. (Today I wore the Sweater On Your Head Hat to cover my ears.) Got lots of compliments on the Coif and was pleased to find the Fuchsia Lamb's Pride is a Very Good Match for the Fuchsia stripe in my Kureyon scarf. The Coif was curling in a little, though, so I laid it out last night and misted it with water which blocked it fairly well. It really needs to be soaked good and laid out flat, though. Later! I want to wear it NOW.

I know I said I was going to start the Pacific Northwest shawl next, but I took a little detour last night with the Dresser Scarf Socks. I'd been swatching this Fixation since I brought it home Sunday, because the pattern insists you make a swatch then wait 24 hours to measure (so the elastic can contract fully.) After 3 stretches of 24 hours, I got impatient and just started the first sock on a 4 since the 5 left me a half stitch short. Perhaps you are thinking that, as the pattern calls for a size 5 needle, I should have done my first swatch with a 5? Alas, I almost always have to size up because I knit tight. I did my first swatch with a 7.

Ever since I saw Marilyn’s Crusoe Socks I’ve been wishing I’d gone ahead Sunday and bought the John Deere Koigu. (That’s shades of yellow with splashes of green for those of you who aren’t spending your lives on the Prairie. I should also say that is the name I gave it. As far as I know, the Landras don’t call it that.)

The new Knitty is FAB. (I think we all knew it would be.) I just spent a Very Long Time printing out patterns for my files. While doing so, I started the Shocking Pink Coif with the remnants of the Fuchsia Lamb's Pride. I almost always wear a tam or beret because I think it looks good with my unfortunately unimaginative superlong pageboy hairstyle, but the Coif is very cute and I need something to cover my ears. The mild ear tickle I've been having for about a week has exploded into Jabbing Pain. I guess I'm going to have to go to the doctor so he can look inside my ear and tell me there's nothing wrong with me. We both enjoyed this game so much when we played it last winter.

Making good progress on the Retro-Prep Jailbird Cardy. I’m about to do the last decrease round in the waist shaping. I took said Cardy with me and worked on it at the Felting Party Sunday. According to everyone who looked at it, the Wheat stripe doesn’t disappear into the Cream stripe as bad as I’d feared. That’s good news -- it would be unfortunate if the Sheriff mistook me for an escapee when I get in my car some evening and leave the County Employee Parking Lot (next to the jail.) Although really I’d have to wear black and white striped pajama bottoms WITH my Cardy for him to make a mistake like that.

Stockinette on 2 sts makes a neat cord.

Cousin Lana and I a great time at the Felting Party today. I only had the second pink Feet half done when I got there, but I finished it before the Red and Purple Wash began, so both pairs of Feets are felted and very lovely. Rob also took a digital photo of them that he is going to e-mail me. Finally, I should have my photos together to send to Kate for the Fuzzy Page before another week passes me by. I think I said here that I was going to use some blue on my pink Feet, but I went ahead and made them just plain. I may embroider on them later with some NatureSpun Sport I have around, if I feel so moved.

Do I even have to say I bought yarn? Have I ever met a sock yarn I didn't want to take home and have my way with? I bought two balls of Lana Grossa Cotton Fun in a rainbow vari plied with black and two balls of Cascade Fixation in CHARTRUESE for the Dresser Scarf socks in the current Interweave Knits. I know I said I had some in my stash, but it was black and you know how these things go. I also bought the Folk Vests book, which I never even imagined I wanted until I opened it.

This was my first opportunity to meet Rob and Matt, who are GREAT, and I’m not just saying that because they made us yummy snacks and let us clog up their washer. I also got to meet Connor, a very sweet dog. (She doesn’t have a blog for me to link to. Too bad, I bet she could tell some stories.)