Back by popular... well, by necessity

It's time for another Ambitious To Do List! True, the weekend is still a few days away, and it isn't even a long weekend at that, but the tasks hovering over me continue to accumulate. So, ATDL it is.

- Get a pair of prescription sunglasses
- Find a pair of brown boots to replace the current pair, which has seen better days
- Buy tulip bulbs
- Plant said tulip bulbs
- Purchase housewarming gift(s) for TNG
- Go. to. the. gym.
- Take and post a picture of my progress on Thermal so far
- Stop working on Thermal and get some progress done on a neglected new design
- Make hotel reservations for the weekend of Awesome Friend's wedding
- Buy dress and shoes for aforementioned wedding
- Prep windows for winter

list format: heavy on the information, light on the creativity

- I've cast on for Thermal, of Knitty fame. It's slow going, folks. Slowwwwww going. Thank you, tiny gauge.

- Terrific New Guy (hereinafter "TNG") met a bunch of my friends this week at various social events, all of which seemed to go swimmingly.

- Used up some leeks for yummy soup (bonus: lunch with a friend!)

- I went fishing. Yes, really. There was no bait involved, only fiberglass lures, and I miraculously managed to get through the day without injuring myself on the hooks. I caught (drum roll, please)... a leaf. Yeah. There are pictures, but I'll spare you, lest this blog turn into The Adventures of Craftosaurus and TNG ("look, another self-taken shot of us in front of some scenery, with a vast expanse of the photog's sleeve! whee!").

- Went to the local quaint retail-centered touristy area, intending only to windowshop, but ended up getting a new suit (much needed, and this one was cute and fit well) for sixty bucks. Oh yeah.

- Had a fab, fab, FAB dinner following said retail excursion. Wine and entree were delish, but ohmygoodness, the chocolate stout cake with peanut butter frosting? Wow.

- Backyard at Chez Craftosaurus is FULL of leaves from the resident chestnut tree. Must rake this weekend.

- Also this weekend, have got plans to sit outside in the crisp fall air and watch the song stylings of area marching bands. Ooooh, the nostalgia.

- Flu shot tomorrow. Healthy, healthy. Also, must remember to wear an outfit with roll-able sleeves.

I *heart* long weekends.

It's a Wednesday, but it feels like a Tuesday because the real Tuesday was the Monday of the week, Columbus Day having turned the real Monday into an extra Sunday.

You still with me?

Anyway, yes, I was one of the lucky few who had Monday off for Columbus Day (although, fear not, I'll be cursing the other Lucky Few when I sit at my desk on Veterans' Day). That third day is key, I tell you, KEY. There was much sleeping and cooking and knitting of sweaters and watching of movies. And there was apple picking! While there are no actual apples in this picture, the leaves are leaves on an apple tree in the middle of an apple orchard, I promise.


So I just have to get through this Wednesday-that-feels-like-a-Tuesday, then a Thursday-that-feels-like-a-Friday (because it will. you know it will...), then a Friday-that-feels-a-thousand-hours-long, and I'll find myself in another long weekend, because I'm using some vacation time at the beginning of next week. Hooray, long weekends!

In the category of Various and Sundry Other Things to Post About Quickly, I've reached the end of the yarn on the Lace Cardigan. I'll need to rip out the unfinished sleeve caps, for sure, and possibly a fair amount of the sleeves themselves, because I don't think there will be enough yarn to get to a 3/4 length. The alternative, in my mind, will have to be cap sleeves, as sleeves to the elbow just don't sound like they'd be a pretty sight.

Also, debate tonight. Save for the feeling that I could fall asleep any second and the fact that I've still got hours of wakefulness to conquer, I'm really excited!

Oh right, and a picture:

So here's the body of the Lace Cardigan I've been working on. Not the best picture, because the fronts and back are all one piece, so it's tough to display the lace, and the stuff hasn't been blocked yet. Still, it gives a sense of it.



I'm knitting the sleeves now, at the same time on the same needle (primarily because I don't feel like keeping track of the rows to knit a duplicate second sleeve). Length of the sleeves to be determined based on the amount of yarn I have left. Thankfully, I won't have to keep much in reserve for seaming.

Having watched the second presidential debate...

Dear Senator McCain:

I am not your friend. Please stop calling me that.

If you insist on thinking of me as your friend, perhaps you could act accordingly and stop lying to me.

Many thanks,
Craftosaurus

Looking forward to good things

The body of the Lace Cardigan is done! I wrapped up the knitting of the back and the front sections yesterday, using a three-needle bind-off (which I *heart*) for the shoulder seams. I need to knit the sleeves, then sew them in place, weave in the ends, and block the thing, and it'll be done. Will post a picture soon if I have time....

Made my favorite potato-leek soup last night and I have leftovers for lunch today. Yum.

Going to see one of my favorite bands play at the end of this week. I need to get through three work days first, but then, man, awesome music, here I come!

Will theoretically get a solid 8 hours of sleep tonight. It's sorely needed. I'm tired, yo. Painfully tired. (Says the girl affectionately cradling her mug of past-its-prime coffee.)

Blessed, blessed three day weekend on the horizon.

Holy caught-off-guard, Batman!

I have no exciting knitting updates for you. Mystery Project 1 is still unflattering, still cowering in a corner of my dresser and awaiting its imminent demise, to be reincarnated as a wearable garment made with a pattern. Mystery Project 2 is still in that long, painful stretch of mindlessness (after the armhole shaping but before the collar. ugh.) that causes one to simultaneously want to keep working so one can get to the fun part again, already, and also to throw up one's hands in utter disgust and abandon it in favor of a project that's at the fun part already. The Lace Cardigan has recovered from the unfortunateness that was "ripping back 20 rows" (shudder), and I realized last week that I probably need to backtrack again, though to a much more manageable - and less demoralizing - degree. I thought I was being so slick with the increases I put in for shaping purposes. "Look at me, using increases in lace!" But as it turns out, I was just messing it up. Sigh.

But really, there are no exciting knitting updates to give you because the needles have been sitting idle for most of the past couple weeks. I've been too busy going hiking and going to dinner and the like, and just generally being swept off my feet. I know! I'm in disbelief, too!