A Dozen Days Until the Sheep and Wool Festival!

I'm all excited about the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, which will be the first full weekend in May (always), and is the largest thing of it's kind in the United States! This year it will be on May 1 and 2, and we'll be going on the first.

This year, the big draw for me is that the Majacraft people will be unveiling their new wheel, called Serenity (another Firefly fan was responsible for this), which was designed specifically for spinning "art yarns." I can't wait to see it, and see how it works, and what makes it special! Here is a photo of some of the yarns that have already been spun on a Serenity:

This photo is from the Majacraft blog, which you can find and read at the above links. I'm showing the photo because I want you to go look at it on their blog. It's an incentive.

This year, I may have some money coming to me, but if it doesn't arrive by the end of the month, I'll be going without any money. There will be a lot of things I can later buy over the internet, but there will be a lot of things I'll have to miss out on if I have to go with no money.

Here's a couple of photos of their Rose wheel, which is the one I have:

Holly went to a knitting retreat this past weekend, and she was telling me about one of the women who was there and spun on what she thought was a Rose wheel all weekend. She said she wasn't sure and would tell me the next time she saw my wheel, so I thought I'd put photos of the wheel up so she could see them.

Money or not, I'm still getting excited about the Sheep and Wool Festival!

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I have actually been doing some knitting, but what I've been knitting is gifts for others, so you won't be seeing photos of them here for a while. Sorry!

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There's a rerun on Chuck and The Big Bang Theory tonight, but a brand, spanking, new episode of Castle. No Ghost Whisperer on SyFy, though because they're doing their "miniseries" month. It'll be back on Monday nights eventually, at least once in a while.

Tomorrow night, as usual, there will be a new Lost and V!

Wednesday is an evening to spend watching what you recorded on your TiVo, DVR or VHS.

I hope you're having a terrific start to your week!

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Addition:

The apartment place I live in promised that the people would be coming out today to turn on the air conditioning. They say it takes a whole 8 hours for them to do this, but it's now 6:30, and it usually goes on around 4 or 5 when they actually do it, and it's 80 degrees in here, so it's obvious they haven't done it.

It's cool outside, so that's not a problem. The problem is that the windows are open and there's a fan blowing in not only cool air, but all the pollen, too! My health can't stand this!

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Another Addition:

Get your fix of cute little lambs here!

World Wide Knit in Public Day!

I hope you're out there knitting for World Wide Knit in Public Day, unlike me.

I had planned to go to the Potomac Celtic Festival today, but felt just awful when I woke up.....

I was going to describe how I felt, but when I read the description, I realized it was just too gross. I'll leave it to your imagination.

If you don't knit in public today, you can also try for it tomorrow. Since I knit in public all the time, I guess I'm covered for this one day.

I'm going to get off the internet so I can watch Serenity on TV, now, and recuperate.

Have a great weekend!

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Addition:

Check out this article about the new Steve Canyon DVD!

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Even More:

People are talking about Steve Canyon on the web, too. Check it out here, and scroll down for a couple of entries.

Warehouse 13 Is Coming!

There's a new show coming up soon on SciFi (which will become SyFy [Siffy] on the date of it's premier) which I've heard a little about. It's called Warehouse 13, and it has a lot of potential.

The same channel (with the weird new name) will be bringing Eureka back this summer! I'm very happy about that!

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I intended to post yesterday, but I've been overcome by heat. I talked to the person who runs the building I live in, and she claimed that last night was the first night it didn't freeze here. Whatever the temperature was last nigh, it took the whole night to get it down to 80 degrees in here from the high of 90 yesterday. The outside temperature went up to 80 yesterday.

Today and tomorrow it's supposed to get up to about 95, so I'm expecting temperatures of over 100 in here by later today.

She said it takes a whole day to start the air conditioning, and they've only just turned off the heat. Well, it changed from early Spring to Summer temperatures temperatures over night.

She told me to open the windows (which I've already done). She said that a lot of people complain about the heat, but she visited their apartments, and it's a little warm, but not uncomfortable.

I'm already starting to have a reaction to all the tree and grass pollen, which means that even when the AC comes on, I'll have gotten a good head start on being seriously sick by the end of tree pollen season. And since I've become allergic to grass pollen, even with air conditioning, I won't be able to recover by ragweed season, which will make me even more seriously sick by the end. If I'm lucky, I may be able to recover over the winter.

I plan to submit a list of temperatures and times in my apartment on Monday. I can't deal with it. I have a serious chance at heat exhaustion by the end of the weekend.

Stay cool and have a good weekend!

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Addition:

For a mockumercial for utilikilts (utility kilts) check here. Mockumercials are commercials for products put out by the users of the product, and are usually intended to be funny. If you're a Firefly fan, click on the Serenity option for a take-off on the fruity-oaty bar commercials.

Finished Objects 2008 Part Two

Here is a whole collection of things that I made as a set. It includes a hat (you already saw that), a scarf, three mittens and three boot cuffs. The photo only shows one each of the mittens and boot cuffs.

This finished poncho is now up in my Etsy shop.

And, of course, I finished the covers (back and front) plus the inside covers and two labels for the first volume of the Complete Steve Canyon on TV. You can see the inside cover art here.

I made a glow-in-the-dark Christmas stocking for my Harry Potter school house KAL.

The photo here shows some yarn and one mitt that's finished. I actually finished two more to make a complete set, plus two more out of the black yarn to go with John M's hood.

I know this isn't finished, but here's a glimpse of part of the Celtic sweater I've been working on. There are ends to darn in and blocking before I can sew on the buttons, but it's almost done.

And here is the first of the five stockings I'm doing for a commission (front and back views).

While we're on a Christmas theme, here's the Santa hat I made for myself, and which it turns out I like and have been wearing a lot. I made another one just like it in black for Robin (since that's his favorite color).

And here is the almost finished hood for John M. I neglected to take a photo of it when it was done, but I did finish it in time to give it to him on Christmas.


There are probably a bunch of miscellaneous things that I've knitted but neglected to photograph, too.

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I went to Michaels on the bus yesterday and got to do a lot of walking. Well, it's a lot of walking for me, anyway.

I found some better yarn for the beard and fur on the Christmas stockings, a calendar, and a punch to round corners on paper. Thanks, Malaia and John! But I lost track of time, and left Michaels about the time that I should have been at the bus stop. Since I still had a half mile walk to the bus stop, I didn't make it, and had to wait almost two hours between the two buses (there are far fewer buses on a Saturday). 

This actually turned out to be a good thing because I had time to stop in to Borders and get the Winter issue of Spin Off Magazine.

I left Michaels at 5:30, and got home at about 8:30. 

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I got home and got the news that Malaia had gotten a tattoo. Holly says she has (some of) the words to Amazing Grace tattooed in a spiral around her arm. She also got a rose and a butterfly. She said the rose was for me, and the butterfly was for her mom. I got on Facebook and demanded photos. She wrote back "Photos of what?"

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I hope you all had a chance to see Serenity on the SciFi Channel last night! I love Firefly!

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There is a new post up on the Steve Canyon on DVD blog! Check it out!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Holly!

Today is Holly's birthday, and I missed her phone call this morning. I also missed calling her this morning.

And Sara, I know today's not your birthday, but I know you're already celebrating, so

Happy Birthday, Sara!

There are lots of birthdays this month!

I missed singing Holly the Birthday Dirge this morning. So, for her, and for all of you having birthdays this month, here it is:

THE BIRTHDAY DIRGE

tune: "Volga Boatmen"

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!
1. Now you've aged another year
Now you know that Death is near
Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

1a. So you've aged another year
Now you know that Death is near

2. Children dying far and near
They say that cancer's caused by bheer

2a. Children dying everywhere
Women crying in despair

3. Death, destruction, and despair
People dying everywhere

3a. Doom and gloom and dark despair
People dying everywhere!

3b. Doom, destruction, and despair
Grief and sorrow fill the air

3c. Doom, destruction, and despair
People dying everywhere

3d. Death and gloom and black despair
People dying everywhere

3e. Pain destruction and despair
People dying everywhere

4. Typhoid, plague and polio
Coffins lined up in a row

5. Now that you're the age you are
Your demise cannot be far

5a. Now you are the age you are
Your demise cannot be far

5b. When you've reached the age you are
Your demise cannot be far

Other Common Verses:

6. Black Death has just struck your town
You yourself feel quite run-down

6a. Pestilence has struck your town
You yourself feel quite run-down

7. Birthdays come but once a year
Marking time as Death draws near

8. Long ago your hair turned grey
Now it's falling out, they say

8a. Soon your hair will all turn grey
Then fall out (or so they say)

The Viking/Barbarian Verses:

9. Burn the castle and storm the keep
Kill the women, but save the sheep

9a. Hear the women wail and weep
Kill them all, but spare the sheep

9b. May the women wail and weep
kill them all, but save the sheep

10. Burn, then rape by firelight
Add _romance_ to life tonight

11. Indigestion's what you get
From the enemies you 'et

12. May the candles on your cake
Burn like cities in your wake.

12a. May the cities in your wake
Burn like candles on your cake,

13. May the children in the street
Be your barbequeing meat

13a. We love children, yes we do
Baked or broiled or in a stew

14. May your deeds with sheep and yaks
Equal those with sword and axe

14a. May your deeds with sword and axe
Equal those with sheep and yaks

15. They stole your sword, your gold, your house
Took your sheep but not your spouse

16. This one lesson you must learn
First you pillage, then you burn

17. While you eat your birthday stew
We will loot the town for you,

The SCA Verses:

18. We brought linen, white as cloud
Now we'll sit and sew your shroud

19. You're a period cook, its true
Ask the beetles in the stew

20. Your servants steal, your wife's untrue
Your children plot to murder you

Other Verses:

21. Fear and gloom and darkness but
No one found out you-know-what

21a. Just be glad the friends you've got
Haven't found out you-know-what

22. I'm a leper, can't you see
Have a birthday kiss from me

23. It's your birthday never fear
You'll be dead this time next year

24. Now another year has passed
Don't look now they're gaining fast!

24a. So far Death you have bypassed
Don't look back, he's gaining fast

25. Now you've lived another year
Age to you is like stale beer

26. Now your jail-bait days are done
Let's go out and have some fun

27. See the wrinkles on your face
Like the pattern of fine lace

28. Were I sitting in your shoes
I'd go out and sing the blues

29. So you're 29 again
Don't tell lies to your good friend

29a. Tho you're turning 29
Age to you is like fine wine

30. You must marry very soon
Baby's due the next full moon

31. When you've reached this age you know
That the mind is first to go

Happy birthday to everyone with a birthday this month!

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For all you Firefly fans, the SciFi Channel will be having Serenity on next Saturday! Check local listings.

Have a great Sunday!