Happy Birthday, Heather!

Once again, it's that time of year:

Happy Birthday, Heather!

I hope you have a great day!

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The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy will be on SyFy tonight!

There will also be some Vampire Diaries rerun on the CW, and a brand new Better Off Ted, which is not SF, but is very good, still. Actually, it's almost SF. Some of the new products they're developing are very SF and so are the problems that humans have dealing with those inventions and products.

Anyway, tonight is rescued as an SF night!

And there will be a new Eastwick on tomorrow night! Save Eastwick!

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I found a knitting calculator, which I haven't tried yet, but put a link to in the sidebar. It will help you know how much yarn you'll need to knit a specific project.

Enjoy!

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I shouldn't be sitting here writing, I should be out getting all the things I didn't finish yesterday done. I made a mistake with something I got yesterday and I have to go back and exchange it. Then I have to go get some things I need to make Christmas presents. All that's after I go donate some food to the food bank and pick up some books that are waiting for me at the Library.

So, I have to get moving. Have a great evening!

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Addition:

The Winter edition of Knitty is out, and it has some things I'd like to make! Check it out for some great ideas for last minute Christmas presents!

Another Dental Day

It was back to the dentist for me today. They removed the temporary caps and did impressions. This involved more Novocaine, and some amazingly vigorous mayhem to my teeth, coupled with lots of digging under my gums with sharp instruments.

I had originally planned to go to Manassas and get the shoes I've been thinking about and some jeans, but gave up on that after the way I felt, and the length of time it took to do all of the work.

So, this is going to be a short post. All I feel like doing is watching TV and knitting, with maybe a snack of something soft and soothing. I stopped on the way home and got some rice pudding.

I'll probably only have to go back once more.

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In TV news, Marc Blucas was on Castle last night. Some of you may remember him as Buffy's boyfriend, Riley Finn, on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Tonight, Better Off Ted is back!! It had been canceled, so I was surprised and delighted to see it come up on my digital TV guide for tonight. I know it's not really science fiction, but it does have a lot of science run amok in addition to the insane corporate tactics. And it's a very funny show.

I, Robot will also be on FX.

My gums are throbbing, and I don't feel like writing anymore, so I'll wish you a fun evening and leave it at that.

Happy Bastille Day!

Yes, today is Bastille Day, and I hope all of you are enjoying it immensely!

I have had the privilege of actually being in France on Bastille Day, and of actually seeing the Bastille (not on Bastille Day, though).

Do click on the link above and find out more about it.

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I've been writing a lot about science fiction and a selection of other things, and promising some knitting info, and finally, here it is.

One thing I'm starting to do (in an effort to raise some money) is knitting Christmas stockings to sell on Etsy. What could be a better Christmas present for someone who you haven't a clue what to get. Most people don't actually have a Christmas stocking, and these will be shiny! Literally shiny! And you don't have to worry if it'll fit! Unless you want to put a really big present in it.

Here's the beginning of the first stocking that I'm making for sale. All of the yarn that will be used is/will be shiny in some way except for the yarn right around the edge at the top. I suspect that part will get more wear, and the non-shiny yarn will be sturdier. The fuzzy yarn is even shiny. Unfortunately, the photo doesn't show it well. I'm going to have to find a good way to photograph this that will show off the glitz.

I got some yarn on sale a few years ago from WalMart that was called Red Heart Holiday Yarn, and I really like it. But there is a very small selection of colors to choose from. Since then, I haven't been able to find it anywhere.

Until about a week ago. JoAnn Fabrics sent me an ad, and not only do they have it, but it's on sale! I was so excited! Until I clicked on the ad, and found out that they have "upgraded" their website, and now all I get are error messages.

I fumed and worried about this for a few days, and even upgraded my browser, which didn't work.

Then, Sunday night, I woke up out of a sound sleep with a great plan for how to make my own holiday yarn! I don't have a spinning wheel for nothing!

So, you've blown it, JoAnn Fabrics! I would've bought a batch of yarn from you, but now I have a better idea, and you've lost the sale. By upgrading your website, you've said to me (very clearly) that you don't need or want my business. I may (or may not) stop in to the store, but you can forget about me as a customer for your website! Good bye!

I have a few projects going at the moment, and one of them is a vest.

Remember the variegated yarn I bought to make a scarf? Well, I came across a copy of The Knitting Experience: Book 3 in the Library, and borrowed it. I love this book!

It's the natural extension of the two previous Knitting Experience books, and it's got so much neat stuff that I've never seen anywhere else. It has instructions for knitting back backward and purling back backward. Yes! You don't have to turn your work if you're doing something with fairly short rows that's simple! And it shows Kitchner stitch for garter stitch! There are so many gems in this book that I really want a copy.

So, anyway, there was a sweater in the book that's done in tweed stitch with two rows of one color alternated with two rows of variegated yarn. If you choose yarns with the right colors and shades to mix, it's beautiful!

Well, I didn't want a sweater, but I really need a vest, so I got just a bit more of the multicolored yarn and combined it with some navy yarn I bought to make a rug (I'll make the rug later), and started this beautiful vest.

The sweater in the photo uses the wrong side of tweed stitch for the right side of the sweater, and I like that. But I also like tweed stitch. So, since I'm making this in once piece, I can wait until I'm almost completely done to decide which side I want out. Actually, I could make this reversible if I was willing to forgo pockets. I'm not willing to do that, though. So here's a photo showing both sides of the fabric.

The right side of tweed stitch is shown on the bottom of the photo, and the right side is at the top.

The color in the multi yarn is pooling, and it's giving almost a tie-dyed effect in the finished fabric. I like it!

Here's a close-up of the right side of tweed stitch. Keep in mind that this photo is a bit washed-out, and the colors are actually stronger, more like the colors shown above.

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Tonight is an all-new episode of Eureka! And we're finally going to get to see the episode of Better Off Ted that they cancelled last week. Unless, of course, they do it again. Better Off Ted was scheduled to be shown up until the last minute, and then they chose to show something else.

There's a lot of other stuff I'd like to talk about today, but I have some things I promised someone I'd do.

So, have a great evening!

Dark Mark Scarf

Yes, prepare to be bored with yet another dark mark scarf that I've made

I tried to take a photo of this that would show just the stripes, but the mark on this one just doesn't want to disappear. In a lot of ways, it's the best one I've made so far.

This one is for someone else. At some point (maybe now, so I'll have it for the movie opening) I'm going to make another one for me.

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Last weekend, on Sunday, Eli Stone was listed on the Digital TV Guide. I told the DVR to record it, and it wasn't until last night that I got around to watching it and discovered that it's a new episode! 

That's right, Eli Stone fans, it's back!

The network said that they were absolutely, positively canceling it, so I didn't even check to see that it was new. When I watched it, at first I thought it was an episode I'd missed, but no, it's brand new!

So, don't miss it this week. Oh, I'm so happy!

I realize that this isn't a science fiction show, but Better off Ted is back tonight on ABC, and I can't wait!

For those of you who don't know, Ted works  for a huge corporation, Veridian Dynamics, which is everyone's worst nightmare of big business. The things the company does are beyond belief. One of the highlights of the show each week, is a commercial for Veridian Dynamics, which the company shows off how it has, once again managed to react totally inappropriately to reality with screamingly funny results.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

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Addition:

Find out how some of the best condiments and sauces got their names here.

Tax Day

Happy Tax Day. 

If that's not an oxymoron.

I went through tax day yesterday. 

Back in January, the IRS sent me a copy of form 1040 with an instruction booklet to help me fill it out. I quickly read through the part that said that I have a small enough income that I don't need to file taxes, and put the envelope aside.

Then the IRS sent me a certified letter. A certified letter from the IRS is something that's enough to make me certifiable. It said that they had discovered that I owe them taxes from 2002, and they've assessed interest and penalties, and therefore doubled the amount I owe. They wanted about a thousand dollars instantly.

Since this is more than my income for a month, I didn't have it.

Since I didn't have it, I am now saddled with an agreement to pay them some money every month and file a return and pay taxes owed every year. So, now, suddenly, at the last minute, I find that I need to file taxes.

I spent the whole day yesterday filling out 1040EZ, finding out I owed $79 (which I don't have), then reading it again and finding out I'm not allowed to fill out that form, tracking down the correct forms and information online (because I didn't keep track of forms I knew I didn't need), doing more arithmetic than a math lesson, and finally finishing up last night with the discovery that I actually don't owe anything, and getting the whole mess in the mail.

I still have more stuff to fix with them, but it doesn't have today for a deadline.

I hope it was a better experience for you than it was for me.

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I ground my teeth, bit the bullet and sent another order to Knit Picks to replace the yarn that I have to return to them. Not that I can afford that, either. I chose the (I hope dark) purple shade of Gloss Lace called Pinot. This would work even if I'd already bought the beads.

I've been repeating to myself over and over all month "I'm saving money for the Sheep and Wool Festival." It hasn't helped me save any money so far, though.

In the meantime, I'm knitting socks from the yarn I bought at AC Moore almost a month ago now, and have almost finished the first pair. There's enough yarn for another pair.

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I got a comment from somebody at ReaperDMV yesterday thanking me for my mention of Reaper and asking me to fight for a third season. If you're a Reaper fan, get on over there and join the fight! Even if you're not a Reaper fan, get over there and click on the link to save a whole list of other shows (including Dollhouse), and there's also a lost cause category for shows that are not just in danger of cancellation, but that have already gotten the ax. The catch is that you can't vote for Chuck, Reaper, Dollhouse and Life. I wanted to vote for all of them, but you can only pick one. It will ask for your email address and password, but you don't have to be a member to vote, just fill in your name and the little box with the word they give you.

Lost is on again tonight! A new one, following Better Off Ted.

Have a great Wednesday! Remember, if it's Wednesday, we're half-way to the weekend!

I'm Sad

There's no reason in the world for me to be sad, but I am. I haven't a clue why.

Yesterday, I stopped at JoAnn Fabrics and got some fun stuff, which I thought would cheer me up, and it did, for an hour or two.

I bought a copy of Knit.1 Magazine. It has a lace shawl that I've been thinking about ever since I saw it in February when the new store opened. It's called the Sparkly Shawl, and they did it in light blue, which is always something to get my attention. It has clear glass beads with a silver lining, and the way the beads are done is interesting. Because the beads are strung as you go along (with a crochet hook), and because of the looser nature of lace knitting, I suspect that the beads show equally on either side, making it a bit more reversible.

I really liked the Shipwreck Shawl from Knitty, but the urge to knit lace has been building up for a while, but I think the sparkly shawl will teach me enough to branch out in new directions in lace design. It will certainly give me the chance to practice some new techniques.

So, I ordered the yarn from Knit Picks today, plus a small crochet hook from Etsy to pick up the beads. You'd think that if yesterday didn't cheer me up, that this would. There's more cheerful stuff about yesterday, by the way.

I'm going to do the shawl in black with blue/purple rainbow beads, so it will look very different from the photo in the book. I'm also thinking about doing three panels rather than two, which would give it a better shape. I haven't ordered the beads yet, and I'm thinking of trying to persuade Holly to go to either a new bead shop in Occoquan or to Beadazzled. JoAnn has some beads I like, too, but I'd rather look a bit before I settle for something when there may be something better out there. I've already looked at the Fire Mountain Gems website, and they probably have everything available, so I've probably already seen it all.

Anyway, back to yesterday and my swag.

I bought a tiny latch hook tool which I had hoped would fit through the hole in the size 6 seed beads. No dice. The latch hook is very small, though. A latch hook is always handy for knitters, so it's still a good buy, and has a very nice, ergonomic handle. If you want something like this, look in the section with the sewing tools. It's made by Dritz and has a pink (ugg) handle with rubbery soft fuchsia inserts to make it easy to hold. It would work well with sock or lace weight yarn for picking up stitches. It's a good tool for any lace knitter.

Here's a photo of the shawl from the magazine and the neat latch hook.

I've gotten hooked on latch hook tools lately. They're really good for fixing knitting problems, rather than having to rip back to fix it.

You can find a larger tool here and a slightly smaller one  here. It looks like the first one would be a good size for worsted and bulky yarns, and the second one for thinner yarns. Even better yet, I bought a few seed stitch tools last year, and I love them. It's a double-ended latch hook that you can use for latching up mistakes in both knit and purl stitches.

You'd think that all this would cheer me up, but it really hasn't.

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The other cheerful stuff I bought was at Borders.

The newest Dresden Files book is out, and it's called Turn Coat, and I bought a copy. The only problem with that is that I have a book out of the Library, and another one to pick up and read, and all of them have to be back soon, so I have to read them first or wait for them to come up in the lists for another go at them.

But I read a bit of the beginning of it on the way home on the bus, and it's dynamite so far!

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There's a new Lost on ABC tonight, followed by the premier of The Unusuals. Right before that, there's also a new episode of Better off Ted, which is a really quirky new science fiction/office drama/comedy.

Have a great evening!

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Addition:

I found a really neat stitch marker shown here. She has instructions for making a similar device here (scroll down for the row counter). She just makes tags with shrinky dink material with whatever markings are appropriate, and slips the lower ring each time. The tag on the top tells her what she's doing each round.

Holly was doing something similar to this a couple of weeks ago while she was knitting a circular blanket. She put "YO" on one side of an index card and "K" on the other. Each time she finished a row, she'd flip it over to remind her whether she was supposed in increase with a yarn over at each stitch marker or just knit around.

I like both of these ideas.