If you knew Susie....

It's cast on time - finally - for the Susie hoodie from More Big Girls Knits. I typed up my own spreadsheet of the chart and typed out the pattern line by line in hopes I won't confuse myself. The pattern, as written, has several different sizes and I've taken the suggestion from raverly boards to write them out. You can see a blurry version of parts of the chart and a poorly lit swatch to the left. So it's off to a big night TV watching and knittin'.

Slacker no more

While I'm busy watching Heroes, I'm working on perfecting the cables for the Susie hoodie. I can't seem to get it right (maybe because I'm watching Heroes!) but I'm close. In the meantime, check this out: slackeruprising

DOA

Apparently my death dishcloths and my target's death dishcloths waved to each other yesterday as my death came mid-afternoon when a pair of lovely purple & white Diamond Lattice cloths were delivered. My assassian CPTwinkletoes did a fine job (it was my favorite pattern to knit - quick and easy). While I swore I didn't want to do any zombie knitting, I couldnt' resist hitting that button so we'll see if I get a new target. Zombie knitting is head-to-head so it'll be more of a race.
Meanwhile, I've still got to swatch the Susie hoodie cables, MS4 (which totally frustrates me), and finish up my Smackdown Beginner socks. None of those can be knit in transit - I have a hard enough time keeping track of patterns while sitting on my bed watching tv, let along in a stinky BART car.
I seriously need a real vacation - one without blood relatives or well-intending friends and/or co-workers - 4 days would do it - I'd even do LA - but I'd prefer NYC - a nice hotel with 24/7 room service, free internet for my laptop, and one of those Duane somebody drug stores close by. And a bath tub, a HUGE bathtub - even better if the tv can be seen from the bathtub. And bonus points for a mini-bar. Not much to ask, right?
Total tangent - but I've been listening to Rascal Flatts lately and they don't suck. On iTunes, I found a live version of them doing some Boston - and it was quite entertaining - perfect to listen to at work. If I'm turn into a country fan, then hell has frozen over, but I do like the clever lyrics and catch phrases. C'mon - let my heart rest in pieces? Classic. It's my new favorite song. Cheesy country-rock, best work music ever.
Happy Friday

scary

These days I check the cnn business page way more than I'd ever done in the past. As I get closer to retirement age (still almost 20 yrs away), I worry about my 401k. I saw this poll. American's been wrong before (just look at the last two elections), I hope she's wrong this time too. It's a scary this we as a people have lost faith in our government.

Quick Vote
Can the Bush administration stabilize the economy?
Yes
17%
13607
No
83%
65619
Total Votes: 79226
read related article »
This is not a scientific poll

baby, I'm amazed

at how obsessed I've become with getting these dishcloths in the mail. I've totally ignored MS4 swatching, Susie swatching and everything else. It's 1:13 am and I should have been asleep long ago but no. had to finish. had to put those puppies in a priority mail envelope. had to print out a prepaid label. I did stop at Stacey's on the way home tonight to pick up the new Mason-Dixon book. I also grabbed Knitting Without Tears. I've never read Zimmerman but her status as the supreme diva of knitting means I'm neglegent if I don't.
So 2 more dishcloths in the mail, along with some chocolate and a sock monkey bookmark calendar, rushing off to NY. They should arrive Saturday or Monday so maybe I'll make some progress on my other projects (including the beginner socks - I'm halfway done and stalled due to dishcloth obessession). With these, I've knit a dozen dishclothes even and should have way more points that show on the leaderboard.
and i never charged my cam batteries so no pics (bad blogger).

In for the kill.......

again. So my latest victim has forwarded dossier info to me tonight and I'm halfway through the first dishcloth. I may just make some caffeine ladened beverage and go for 2 tonight. I'm going to charge my camera battery so I can post pics....let the countdown begin.

Hit me with your best shot

USPS does not suck. I mailed that bad boy (along with a 2nd cloth) from my post office in SF on Saturday afternoon. It arrived Monday morning, to a little town in Maine. Didn't use express mail, just the semi-cheap priority mail. So now I've got 5 kills and I'm waiting for dossier info from Archamanda. If I'd gotten that info today, I'd have cloths in the mail tomorrow cuz now I'm in it to win it.
I tried to swatch for MS 4 but I wasn't havin a lot of luck. I'm tempted to just cast on - stoles don't need gauge - but dishcloths first!

Just a knittin' machine

Another dishcloth - tempted to stay up late and go for #2 so I can get these puppies in the mail but work is going to be a bitch manana and I'm meeting friends for dinner later so I need to actually try and stay awake.


 

 

Dishcloth Deluxe

More dishcloths go into the mail Monday morning making a total of 4 kills.

 

Mystery Stole IV

Yarn for Mystery Stole IV arrived today! I love Jimmy Beans Wool - superfast delivery, excellent prices and huge selection. I want to move to Reno just to be close to Jimmy Beans Wool. If I ever had another child I'd name them Jimmy Beans.
I attempted Mystery Stole III last year and I sucked. But I've knit a lot more lacy type projects (dishclothes & socks) so I think I'll have an easier time. Besides, I got the bestest purple yarn int he world.

I also finally got some yarn I like for the Susie Hoodie in teal. It's acrylic
but the color is amazing.

Lots and lots of knitting on my plate. I haven't re-listed Jayne hats on eBay because I sick of them but they bring in valuable cash that I use to supplement my yarn stash so I'm gonna have to knit more of those puppies. I am still alive in Olympic Yarn Smackdown (although my kills STILL do not register which is really discouraging) so I've got socks to finish and dishcloths to knit. Which is why I'm home, on Saturday night, blogging about knitting. Pity.

 

Totally not knitting related but....

I saw this headline and it made me chuckle and throw up in my mouth just a little bit.........

Jamie Lynn Spears Sends Support to Palin's Pregnant Daughter
Teenage mom Jamie Lynn Spears has sent troubled Alaskan 17-year-old Bristol Palin a baby gift package following the scandal surrounding her pregnancy.
Spears, who revealed she was pregnant last Christmas -- when she was just 16 -- feels a kinship to Palin, the daughter of Republican Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin, and decided to show her support by sending designer baby burpcloths.
The Palin family confirmed reports their eldest daughter Sarah was pregnant shortly after the Alaskan governor was picked as Senator John McCain's running mate in the upcoming presidential election.
"Access Hollywood" has revealed Jamie Lynn's mother Lynne Spears called Los Angeles baby boutique Petit Tresor on her daughter's behalf to order a small gift.
A store insider explains Lynne and Jamie Lynn wanted to send a gift worth under $100 to Bristol, and chose a collection of Plain Mary white burp cloths with pink writing.
The note attached to the gift read, "Dear Bristol, Hang in there ... xoxo, Jamie Lynn."



First of all, I applaud Obama's remarks that family should be off-limits - especially under-aged family. Having said that, it was no nice to see those god-fearing republicans make personal attacks on Michelle Obama. But back to baby gate.

I can't quite figure out if Jamie Lynn now feels like her situation has been legitimized because she's not the most famous unwed mother of the moment. Or is she jealous because she's not the most famous unwed mother of the moment? I suspect it was less a gesture of solidarity and more a PR ploy. And a pretty inexpensive one at that - $100 ? Burp cloths? Yeah, that's what I wanted when I was the world's most famous pregnant teenager expecting my first child. I think what the poor girl needs, is some privacy.
/rant

I promise knitting content tomorrow.