iz been ruff week around here, let me tell u.  dere waz penut butter too far in jar for me to reach.

dere were stuffies to be nommed

wut?

u want to nom stuffie too?  pls?  I’z so bored.  Mama’s sick and [...]]]>

iz been ruff week around here, let me tell u.  dere waz penut butter too far in jar for me to reach.

dere were stuffies to be nommed

wut?

u want to nom stuffie too?  pls?  I’z so bored.  Mama’s sick and bizzy with her strings.

she made arm sox

and one feet sox

is boring.  so i nap

and nap moar.  iz hard life for a dog.

Last weekend we drove out to Birmingham, AL, which is our halfway meetup point to hang out with my in-laws.  They needed their turn to celebrate Kev’s birthday with him, and I needed an obscene amount of seafood – it was win-win!  We met up at the Fish Market (warning, creepy Greek dude [...]]]> OH hey, hi.

Last weekend we drove out to Birmingham, AL, which is our halfway meetup point to hang out with my in-laws.  They needed their turn to celebrate Kev’s birthday with him, and I needed an obscene amount of seafood – it was win-win!  We met up at the Fish Market (warning, creepy Greek dude talks to you on that website).  Most of the restaurant is self-serve, where you order and pick up your food at a counter.  But we sat in the small full service section, and had a New York City boy as a waiter – surreal.  The food was awesome, and after we gorged, we wanted around the fresh fish counter and gourmet food market.  The persuasive fish monger talked me into buying a dozen frozen deviled crabs, some imported greek feta, and a large filet of amberjack, which he swore tastes like mahi-mahi.

note – it does!  I blackened it and served it in tacos.  YUM!

Afterwards we wandered out to the parking lot to say goodbye, when we discovered that an impromptu Mustang party had showed up.  So we hung out and admired the pretties.

oh yeah, baby

This week DRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGED on as I counted down the days to VACATION.

I’m still counting.  Vacation starts Monday.

In the mean time, I’ve been distracting myself as much as possible.

With fiber:

252 yards of BFL singles

and knitting:

Myrtle leaf shawl, halfway completed, for mom’s birthday…which was Thursday.  Whoops!

Pretty nice, huh?  Right Sadie?  Sadie?  SADIE!

she never listens to me when she has a pig ear

I’ll be MIA for the next week – roughing it on the sunny beaches of South Carolina.  With my entire family…hmmm…this could be really awesome or really horrible.  Either way, I’ll blog about when I get back!

sort of a deflated, sparkly gay sea urchin vibe going on

Well, this is what it looked like earlier this week:

on guest bed, blocking.  sans guest.

and THIS is what [...]]]> I believe when we last left shipwreck, it was still unfinished and looked like…well…like boiled ass.

sort of a deflated, sparkly gay sea urchin vibe going on

Well, this is what it looked like earlier this week:

on guest bed, blocking.  sans guest.

and THIS is what it looked like earlier today:

only made more gorgeous by my pale legs under khaki shorts

So whew!  That was a process.  Exactly two months start to finish, and that was with me being my lazy self with a fairly mindless lace pattern.

This next time, I will have to apply myself:

the multicolor yarn is for the cast on edge and the lifeline…it is not a horrendous design decision

This is the myrtle leaf shawl from Victorian Lace Today.  My mother, in SPITE of me pointing out all the glorious non-mohair yarns at Knitch, and in SPITE of me showing her numerous simple shawls on ravelry, picked this yarn (Kidsilk haze) and this pattern for her birthday shawl.  Because she is my mother and is destined to torture me for all my days.

don’t let her innocent wii bowling pose fool you, she IS evil

So I am knitting with mohair during atlanta summer with only a portable air conditioning unit to keep my hands from getting sticky.  And I have until the end of August to finish.

Not a problem.

I am focusing on soft fluffy things right now, because other things have happened this week that make me sad.  Things are OK at work, but they could be better, and I wish I was more certain of my future there.

My dad lost his job.  He’s 60 and can’t retire yet because the economic clusterfuck of the last year has trashed their retirement savings.

Prop 8 was upheld by the California courts – champions of ignorant bigotry rejoice.

A champion of women’s rights was gunned down in his own church.  A woman will never have full and equal rights in this country unless she has control over her own body.

All these things make my heart hurt.

So I focus on other things.  Things that make me happy.  Like my knitting.  And spare ribs.  And beer.

I focus on the small happy things that make me happy.

]]> http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/05/31/lovely-lace-is-lovely/feed/ 5 http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/05/26/thank-you-thank-you-very-much/ http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/05/26/thank-you-thank-you-very-much/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 02:52:01 +0000 ESC http://evilsciencechick.com/?p=2178 Helloooooo kids!  How was your memorial day?

I spent it with the King.  Well, at least with some of his friends and relatives, who were tour guides at his birthplace.  You can see all the excitement here:

The rest of the weekend was spent eating, eating some more, going to see Star Trek, eating, giving Sadie her [...]]]> Helloooooo kids!  How was your memorial day?

I spent it with the King.  Well, at least with some of his friends and relatives, who were tour guides at his birthplace.  You can see all the excitement here:

The rest of the weekend was spent eating, eating some more, going to see Star Trek, eating, giving Sadie her summer haircut, eating, squirt gun fights, and oh yes, EATING!  Good god, I’ve been waking up in cold sweats at night with the terrifying echo of “do ya’ll want any more banana pudding?” in my ears.

Sadie had fun playing water ballons.

step 1. fill water balloon

step 2. throw water balloon

step 3. fetch water balloon

step 4. put balloon in bucket

Do not question the logic of Sadie.  She knows what she is doing.

She also has a spiffy new haircut.

In other news, I FINISHED SHIPWRECK!  I blocked it tonight

big shawl!  that’s our full sized guest bed

I didn’t block it harshly – I couldn’t figure out how to do that without weirdly warping the center circle, which is the only thing you’re supposed to block.  the “faggoting” lace on the outside (shut up, that’s what it’s called) with the beads is just supposed to dry naturally, for a more organic feel.  Speaking of beads…

That’s a lot of beads.  And it’s only around 3500 of them…not the 5000 beads the pattern called for.  WHAT KIND OF SADISTIC BITCH WRITES A PATTERN USING 5000 PRESTRUNG BEADS???  OK, OK, it’s an awesome pattern, so I forgive her.  And she gave me good advice – string 1000 at a time.  Then when you run out, break the yarn, string 1000 more, and join.

The only alteration to the pattern was to the 3rd chart.  I was told the pattern was wrong, and some friends of mine came up with a corrected chart.  I didn’t knit the 3rd chart, so I don’t know if it was true, or if it was and the pattern has since been fixed.  But it turned out looking just like the picture, so I’m satisfied with the fix!

I can’t wait for it to finish drying.  I am going to wear this sucker EVERYWHERE!  ESPECIALLY in september when we’re at the beach.  I am SO going to imitate the pic on the pattern page – wind sweeping through my hair and the shawl, waves in the distance…oh yeah, it’s goig to be a AWESOME!!!

Remember the contest from last week?  Sponsored by Andrea, and won by Pam?  Because she’s a sweetheart, Andrea made me a thank you gift!

Isn’t it adorable?  I love it.  It holds my lace project perfectly, and closes securely.  So nice!

Speaking of lace:

contest from last week?  Sponsored by Andrea, and won by Pam?  Because she’s a sweetheart, Andrea made me a thank you gift!

Isn’t it adorable?  I love it.  It holds my lace project perfectly, and closes securely.  So nice!

Speaking of lace:

For some reason, it is unbelieveably difficult to photograph silver sparkles.  So please imagine this with silver strands throughout, making it MESMERIZING.  So much so that I think when I’m done with it, I will have to carry around a baseball bat to thwack potential thieves in the shins.  This is the Shipwreck shawl, and it’s coming along nicely, thanks to an altered 3rd chart provided to me by Chickengoddess, though I think Archergal was the one to figure it out (correct me if I’m wrong, ladies).  SO if you’re knitting this pattern and something is looking wrong…the third chart might be borked.  Sorry.

The beads came last week, so when I start adding them, I’ll take more pictures.

I did some spinning!  I procured some of Gale’s new alpaca/silk blend from Knitch and ooooooh my god, it is lovely.  I spun it as thin as I could, and left it single ply.

I got 300 yards out of it, so I’m keeping an eye out for a nice cowl or scarf.  It is soooo soft…I want it close to my face so I can feel the softness all the time!

Unless I can knit a bra out of it…yeah…that would be…awesome…

SADIE TIME!

*****

Remember this piece of crap?  Forget it.  It’s shite.  I frogged it.  BECAUSE!  I started THIS wonderful thing using the same yarn.  AND I managed to find the DESPERATELY [...]]]> Only two more days to enter the contest!!!!  Ends Friday at err…umm…whenver I get home from work and work out a way to randomly pick a winner.

*****

Remember this piece of crap?  Forget it.  It’s shite.  I frogged it.  BECAUSE!  I started THIS wonderful thing using the same yarn.  AND I managed to find the DESPERATELY NEEDED YET ELUSIVE 3rd skein from a very generous person on ravelry.  So DESPITE rumors you might hear of ravelry’s suckitude from mentally deficient, paranoid uber-conservafreaks with a persecution complex, ravelry is TEH AWESOME, because no way would I have been able to do this project with this yarn otherwise.

Isn’t it beautiful?  You can’t really see, but there are strands of real silver in the yarn, making it SPARKLY!  ZOMG SPARKLES!!!!!  I am so easy to please.

****************

Am I the only one who’s sense of moral outrage is just broken at this point?  I just can’t care anymore.  I’m trying.  I’m trying to work up the rage required to be properly offended by the comparatively tiny amount of AIG bonuses given out with relation to the bailout…but I can’t.

I can’t get worked up by idea that even though he’s been in office for, like, TWO WHOLE MONTHS, Obama hasn’t fixed the economy and made unicorns real.   (Dude, the unicorn thing is ALL O’REILLY HARPS ONE!  Let it go man…ain’t gonna happen).  What’s he been DOING all this time, anyway?

I don’t giveafuck about which mouthpiece is hoping our government fails.  Who cares what they think?  Only other mouthpieces!  I can’t find anyone who cares about this one, actually.

Your evilsciencechick…once so full of MOSTLY RANTS…is ranted out.  Wake me up when it’s all over, OK?

In the meantime…let’s talk about…firemen.

]]> http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/03/25/rageless-sparkles/feed/ 6 http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/03/03/pretty-yarnz/ http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/03/03/pretty-yarnz/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:27:02 +0000 ESC http://evilsciencechick.com/?p=2100 I spent my snowy exile being productive.

8oz of Knitwitch’s 100% merino, in the color “Michelangelo”

a little over 400yds, 2ply

This was LOVELY to spin – but of course it’s merino, which just slips nicely through the fingers.  I think my plying is getting a lot better, I just [...]]]> I spent my snowy exile being productive.

8oz of Knitwitch’s 100% merino, in the color “Michelangelo”

a little over 400yds, 2ply

This was LOVELY to spin – but of course it’s merino, which just slips nicely through the fingers.  I think my plying is getting a lot better, I just wish I was spinning a little more evenly.

Sadly, I don’t get to keep it.  It’s for a swap I’m participating in on ravelry.  And some of you will point out that I said I DON’T DO SWAPS but shut up.  I just better not get burned.

]]> http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/03/03/pretty-yarnz/feed/ 3 http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/02/03/i-get-around/ http://evilsciencechick.com/2009/02/03/i-get-around/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:14:17 +0000 ESC http://evilsciencechick.com/?p=2065 How about a real update?

My cough is almost gone, thanks to some quick remembering on my part.  My doctor had originally written me two prescriptions for the same thing, and I chose which one to take based on the results of the bloodwork.  Bloodwork showed that option A would work, but there was nothing wrong [...]]]> How about a real update?

My cough is almost gone, thanks to some quick remembering on my part.  My doctor had originally written me two prescriptions for the same thing, and I chose which one to take based on the results of the bloodwork.  Bloodwork showed that option A would work, but there was nothing wrong with option B, either.  So i’ve been on option B for about a week, and I think I’m only coughing once or twice a day now.  Sweet!  I’ll still make an appointment with my idiot doctor at some point, though.

I did not spend my weekend idle.  No sirree!  Saturday I did some LEARNIN’!  Not book learnin’, CRAFTY learnin’!  One of my christmas gifts from Kev was for a beginner’s sewing class at a sewing and quilting shop right down the road from us. Saturday was the day, and it was FUN!  I don’t want to brag, but of the 3 people taking the class, I was OBVIOUSLY the most advanced.  I also had the low techiest machine, which gave me waaay less trouble than the fancy computerized ones the others had.  The one woman’s machine just kept beeping at her no matter what she did.  Poor thing.

By the end of the day, we had each made an adorable little bag!

eeee!  isn’t it adorable??

We had to buy two fat quarters of fabric to make the bag.  My outer fabric is a light corduroy and the inner is a cotton.  I’m really happy with the way it turned out, and while it is by no means perfect, I think I did pretty darned good.  And I got a much needed refresher course on sewing and reading a pattern.

Sunday was rather low key for most of the day – lunch out and then an afternoon of spinning.  Then we headed to Sandy and Bob’s place for SUPERBOWL AWESOME FUN TIME!  We brought beer and buffalo chicken dip* – only to be met with MORE BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP brought by friends of Sandy and Bob.  *sniff*  No matter.  Ours was made with blue cheese dressing, not RANCH, and was INFINITELY better.  So ha!

(I keed, I keed!  Her dip was very nummy, too)

*I subbed in some gluten-free brands and used Frito’s scoops instead of tostidos, which I think work better anyway, personally 

And we all know how that day ended.  And Monday I was hit with the full realization that I’m not in college anymore and that maybe chasing shots of Jager with margaritas isn’t the smartest thing one can do on a school night….oh well.   No one at work blamed me for coming in a little late, and there were congrats all around.  GO STEELERS!

For my last show and tell, you’ll need to click on the link button below, but ONLY if your name is not Julie, you don’t live in Brooklyn, and you are not in the process of spinning yarn to swap with me.  If you fail all 3 of those criteria, then please do NOT click below.  You will see soon enough, missy!

My yarnz.  Let me show you dem.

This is 275 yards of darned near sock weight yarn, spun from Gale’s Art BFL in the “rose garden” colorway.  I love spinning Gale’s stuff, and aside from the benefit of supporting a local artist, her stuff is AMAZING.  It spins like BUTTAH.  And I highly recommend her stuff to all spinners, especially if you’ve had issues with slightly felted hand dyed fiber in the past.   Gale manages to dye without felting the edges, so that it practially spins itself.  BUY HER STUFF!  Either from her Esty shop or if you’re in or around Atlanta,  from Knitch.

I’m very happy with how this turned out, and I hope Julie likes it!  My next spinning project will be 8oz of merino from KnitWitch’s shop, for another swap!  This on on ravlery.  One day, I’ll be able to spin for myself again!

arrowhead lace shawl

I can help, yes?

oops.  sari.