Recently in work in progress Category

I have special plans to personalize my psychotic tomato. It's going to be a surprise. Don't try to guess what embellishments I am going to add to my tomato—but let's just say it will be considered "Franken-food" when it is done!

I was feeling mighty proud! I started on the final round of my Crochet Olympics doily when I looked at the pattern and noticed something missing on a previous round! No, it can't be! I said to myself. How could I have missed this noticeable mistake NOW and not earlier?

The workings of the universe suck! I hate the inversely proportional time factor of the nature of things. Examples: It takes 100 million years to form coal that is burned in about 8 hours. It can take hours to cook a great meal, only for it to be snarfed in less than 20 minutes. It can take 4 hours to crochet round of a doily, only to frog it in 10 minutes.

Yes, I'd much rather it take 4 hours to frog and ten minutes to crochet than vice versa! But I am only bitchy about it because this morning it was down to 16° and my knuckles feel the cold! Tonight it is forecasted we'll drop to 5°! I'd better do my Jet-Stream dance and see if I can't make it get out of the Arctic where it is picking up all of this freezing air. I'm sure my Shrone powers, coupled with Mr. Doo's awesome mind powers, will be the motivating force to change the weather.

69% Completed; Major Hurdle Crossed

I finally got past the braid chain round after three times! After much cursing and vowing "never again" I then progressed to the anchoring of the braid round and have started to move beyond into the final rounds. The rest of the doily should be smooth sailing from here. Just a matter of taking the time to work the round and then blocking it.

I'm really pleased with the look of the braids, and I hope that this year's fair judge will agree. (I am determined to take first!)

I have a second doily in the works to add to my Olympic endeavors, and I'm also working on a third for my Secret Pal 7 partner. Lately I am the doily making maven!

I was making good progress...I completed the challenging round of making the Braid Chains and moving on to the next round when I discovered...Yes, an error—all the way back at the start of the braid round! I had added an extra single crochet where none should have been.

So I frogged. Why? Because I plan to enter this puppy into the fair! Otherwise it would have been cleverly disguised.

An hour later I complete the round and come out with one extra stitch at the end. WTF?!?! So I trace my single crochets back and find I had left one out in the very same spot where I had previously included and extra! Did you hear me scream at 11 o'clock last night, Pacific Standard Time? Sorry if I woke you.

Yes...I will be frogging the round again and doing it a THIRD time. I'm sure with all of my practice that I will eventually get it right.

Now 57% Completed

So far this doily is going a lot faster than I anticipated. I probably should have gone with the one from Victorian Spiral Doilies, but if I get this one done quickly I can always add a second one.

Stash-A-Magee decided to inspect my work as well as attack it. You can see his paw in the first photo, too!

I found all of my Patricia Kristoffersen books last night and have found the doily that I think will be enough of a challenge for the 16 day period. Ultra Beauty from the book Ultimate Doilies (Leisure Arts #3401) has braided strips that are incorporated into the design. The use of safety pins is recommended to keep the braids together until stitched into place.

I had thought about tackling one of the doilies from Victorian Spiral Doilies Book One but decided against it when I read the warning that said patience would be required. Sure, I can muster up patience, but would rather save it for that time I am waiting in the line that doesn't move, I have to pee and eat, and the person being helped keeps taking forever.

This pattern calls for a 2.00 mm hook, which I don't have, and dread having to use either a Boye or Susan Bates hook. I'll just have to see what's available to me. (Grumble, grumble)

The creative itch to write has bested me, some ideas I've been mulling in my mind are finally manifesting and I've written a short piece that I hope to eventually expand into something more. I'd like to have a few readers (3 or 4 of you) of what I've generated so far who would be willing to provide some feedback. If you are interested drop me a line or comment and I'll send you the file.

It's a little more than 1400 words, about 3 pages, so it won't take you very long. I'm mostly looking for feedback on humor, enjoyable writing style, and is the topic interesting to you? Of course I'm interested regarding other aspects of the piece, too, such as constructive criticisms. I'm a perfectionist at heart and long to be told how I might improve.

Hopefully I've piqued enough curiosity and interest so that I don't have to invoke Mr. Doo to use his awesome mind powers on you to bend you to his will!

These are the sleeves to my SIL's sweater using Knitpick's Wool of the Andes in Hollyberry. I may have to add two more rows to make the sleeve a little longer, but will see if I have enough yarn.

I completed the back last night (all 25" of it) and started on the front. I should have this puppy done by Tuesday so I can mail out the box to my brother's family. Which means my sister's sweater won't be done—in fact, I had the horrible, awful realization I didn't buy enough yarn for hers. While she needed the next size up for the chest measurement, I measured her arm and will have to go the next size up for that, but the pattern for the next sized up chest doesn't have for the larger arm, which means I know already I am screwed because I calculated only for the smaller sleeve size. (Grinding teeth)

Well, I'll present to my sister what is completed by Christmas with the proviso when I get the additional yarn and complete the sweater she'll receive it all nice and shiny and new. I'm sure she'll be understanding about it. After all, she crochets and knits too!

As I'm typing this I hear a flock of geese flying overhead. It's been raining so much I think they are looking for a dryer place to live. There is only so much rain a person or goose can endure and it is very close to reaching the limit here. Since returning to Washington in May 2002, it's not been classically rainy during the winters, but this year is making up for it. I thought I detested the coldness and the snow of the northeast, but it wasn't this depressing! Why is rain so depressing? I think it may have to do with the less sun and daylight hours here versus the northeast. Strangely, where we are in Washington is farther north than we were in Pennsylvania and this difference in latitude accounts for about an hour less of daylight hours. In the summer it is so pretty here because we have an extended twilight and western horizon glow until almost 11 pm at the height of summer.

But, this entry isn't about another weather gripe. I'm sure most of you have already clicked on to the next blog as who wants to read another weather report?

Actually, what I'd like to say is that the new Orbs of Wisdom arrived in yesterday's mail! I had asked Regina for additional orbs and she obliged me with special requested ones. Now with my expanded Orbs I will catch up on all of those patient folk who requested readings so very long ago. I will get ambitious and post pictures of the new orbs this week. They are spectacular!

I spoke with my sister today and asked her what crochet stuff she has been working on and she said she got inspired by my fair entry doilies to take up crocheting again! She's working on a sampler square afghan and has made some doilies, too. I said I've got tons of stuff to show her and share with her. She was thrilled to hear about all of the various free patterns that exist in the world and that there are Clover Soft Touch hooks to be had. She agrees with me that crocheting is far faster and kinder than knitting. She was surprised to find out that crochet is considered "hillbilly art" as she never thought of it that way, but when I explained to her how knitters are snobby, she understood. She knows about coffee, wine, and beer snobs because this state has all of them, plus yarn snobs.

She's off to spend Turkey Day with my brother out in North Carolina, her first time out that way, and I told her she must find an authentic barbecue restaurant to chow down on some pork products. She said she would try to find something. I said it is usually cheap and good eats. I've watched all of those Food Network shows about to-die-for restaurants in the south to get good barbecue at and said she might want to go to the website and track down a place or two where she'll be.

She'll actually be very close to Elizabeth, a pity I'm not the one going to visit, but definitely next year I'll make a journey out that way.

Last but not least, I had said that eight new Shrones were to be inducted and I didn't announce all eight lucky ladies. I'm sure the suspense has been killing a few, and I don't mean to keep everyone waiting. So I shall endeavor this week to continue with the presentations.

I am panting and huffing. I just got back from a simple grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, nothing unusual, and I feel like someone has run me over. I didn't want to believe the doctor about taking a year to regain my health. That just feels like a very long time to feel normal again. I'm not even three months from my last surgery and I feel fatigued. My blood levels are fine as far as B-12 and iron. I am taking a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement and some Co-Enzyme Q10 for energy boost and so far no improvement.

If I don't come around by the end of the month, I'm going to have to seriously re-evaluate my return to school in January. Right now the idea of doing a 20 hr/wk internship sounds like working in the salt mines and it shouldn't be that way. It pains me though to have to remain dormant until next September to finish my degree. I feel like I'll get out of the loop.

I suppose the best thing would be, if I do decide I need more time to regain myself, is to find a volunteer position working in the field of mental health and get connected in the community. What's nice about a volunteer position is you can work as much as you can handle and nobody is going to get tweaky with you if you only stay for 4 hours, or your bag ruptures and you need to rush home.

I've been rock bottom before due to the nasty Rectal Dragon, but I've always bounced back with ease. Could the slow recovery be due to the fact I'm in the my 30's now? I know our bodies are much more resilient at age 18 than 33. I've also had many years of prednisone damage that hasn't totally gone away.

It sucks feeling like I should be out there moving with the speed of life only to get up off the couch, walk to the door, and start panting because I'm out of breath! That's my reality today. Panting. I could make crank phone calls as a heavy breather!

Well, the goodness in all of this is I bought the ceremonial Thanksgiving Turkey! Yes, a genuine Butterball™ not on sale, so it was 98¢/lb, and I got one in the 13 pound range. More bird than we need, but the single 10-pounder I could find looked sunken. As I was trying to scan bird weights I was overwhelmed with exhaustion and I struggled to pull the birds up to look at their tags. That's pathetic. I am no stronger than Mr. Burns!

Anyhow, I made it home and have discovered that my bag has ruptured again! It ruptured earlier this morning. This sucks! I went all of last week with a perfect seal that lasted 5-7 days. Now I can't keep a seal for more than 24 hours! But at least my ass isn't hurting me...I'd rather spring a leak than be back with a defunct rectum any day.