luxe

just wanted to let you know that i am feeling better today. still a bit out of it, for example, i thought it was tuesday or wednesday (notice the “or”)not sure what the hell is up with that. the nice comments meant so much to me. it is strange to say, because i think in a lot of ways, i am really confident, but i worried about the super negative crybaby post after i wrote it that people would not want to read it, would see into my soul and see something bad and dark. and in the end, that part of me…the girl that was always new, foreign, funny accent-having, brother’s clothes wearing that had to act aloof, if not mean, to distract from her small stature and lack of self-defense skills that had nothing anyone would want. being smart wasn’t a benefit then. being able to draw wasn’t either. and that was really all i had to offer. and when i get sick enough, tired enough, i lose my grip on who i am, and feel like i have fallen into a pit. i wonder now if admitting to feeling like that and moving on will make it go away someday. or if that girl will always be there. somewhere.

anyway, i got a lot done today. i skeined up 10 bobbins. 11? jumbos and spun a few skeins to boot. and did some painting. really pretty, too.

oh, also, i was watching “6 degrees” tonite and there was a dude called “the puncher” that was going up to different dudes and sucker punching them in the face and then when he was caught, they realized that he was punching all of the dudes that had screwed his wife. so one woman saw it in the newspaper and found out that her husband was one of the men that had been punched for screwing the wife. so not cool. but funny. the puncher.
xo
n.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
-i am a dork for soft things. i hate anything itchy. i have no use for it. i love strange things, especially really thin novelty things to spin into my yarn (yes, i spin) anything by habu i adore.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
-i use denise needles and knitpicks needles most often, so they are in their own packages. and then the straights are in gorgeous white sifter with birds on it.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
-around 2 years. i was shown the bare basics, and then promptly got every book and used knittinghelp.com a lot. that really helped the most. i am intermediate, i think. i know how to do most techniques, but am too lazy to work on complicated or really long projects. long and easy projects bore the hell out of me.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
-amazon, here it is…i tried to get rid of the random stuff, and the kids books are for my niece, fyi.
here yup.

5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
-tropical fruity things, baked goods
6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
-all of my teeth are! i am not a big fan of american candy. i am a snob. i admit it. i love british chocolates. flake bars. aero bars, especially the mint and strawberry when they have it, crunch bars. and i really like the coconut rafaello thingies that you can get at the grocery stores. any chocolate with hazlenuts or almonds, or mint chocolate, coconut chocolate. good for me.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
-i do everything! i do spin, i sell yarns, so spinning accoutrements are greatly appreciated. again, i am a snob for soft and really nice quality. i love sparkly threads and yarns. also, i paint with all kinds of paint, watercolor, guache, i draw. loads of things.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
-yes, i think it can play mp3s. i am actually a bit of a music nazi. i love tom waits, nick cave and the bad seeds, the afghan whigs, mark lanegan, i can be tricky to pick music for. be warned.

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?
-i love bright kelly green. orange. i like teal a lot, robin’s egg blue is a new fave.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
-married, no human babies, 3 feline babies.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
-don’t wear hats so much anymore, but i wear scarves and would wear a wrap.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
-i do tons of scarves, lots of hats, neckwarmers, wraps

13. What are you knitting right now?
-i have been cranking out scarves for wholesale orders. i haven’t made anything for me in ages.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
-of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
-i normally use circs for most everything. i like my denise needles lots, but the knitpicks are slippery and fast plus pointy, which i i love! i use straight needles for the giant sizes.
16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
-yes and yes. i could use a jumbo ball winder. i just have the regular blue royal one.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
-old. normally, if i put it down, i won’t ever pick it up. so i tend to be a one project at a time kind of gal.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
-christmas i think. when i was a kid, growing up jewish and from parents who weren’t american, and so hannukah wasn’t a big deal to them at all, we didn’t really get much of anything, so it was always really depressing for me when all the other kids came back with all kinds of stuff and i had nothing. now, it is fun with my in-laws and my hubby and my fantastic friends. and i got a silver tree to put up this year! i am trying to figure out some creative ornaments, too.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
-cat things, vintage crafty things, berry things and all the art i can get.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
-only vogue knitting, selvedge and domino.

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?
-always! but i think i have all the gear i need.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
-i do knit socks, but don’t use any yarn thinner than sport weight. and superwash. i wear a size 6 or 6 1/2. little feetsies. one of my best features.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)october 6th.

hope this helps!
yay!

i know i have talked before about being super super tired. lately, no matter what time i go to sleep, i can’t drag myself out of bed until 1:30/2pm, sometimes even later. and i don’t mean don’t get up. i mean can’t. like when you have the flu so badly that you can barely feed yourself. so that has been me lately, although, once i get up, get a double coffe and make myself eat some cereal, i feel okay. i get work done. just at a different time than everyone else. last night i had a bad headache and after signing up for vonage (which is such a great deal i cannot believe it, so my faraway friends can talk to me for FREE!! even europe and canada. crazy. oh, if you refer people and they get it, you get 2 months free, so let me know if you are going to sign up. end pitch.) anyway, i went to sleep early. got up at 2p. woke up at noon and it took me two hours to actually get up. so then, i get up and shower and get so tired again that i can’t do anything. but as an added bonus, i get the heebie jeebies, skin crawling combo with it. so, today, i did nothing. totally nothing.

what else? i have a big boutique order of knitted things (mostly made from handspun) and the owner said (after ordering a certain number of each thing) was it okay to not keep the things she didn’t like as much. seriously. so don’t order it, then. i spent time and yarn on all of those things that people asked about. it really offended me. the stuff is all really gorgeous (you guys have seen lots of it, most of it.) end bitching.

so nothing to report, other than a bit of sad news. lisa solomon’s sweet tabby named moe was very sick and passed away. she has these sweet photos of her little tabby feet and sweet snoot and it made me so sad. it is so hard to lose a pet. you expect to see them everytime you come home, you wonder where they are and then realize that they are gone forever. our black cat egon had to be put to sleep years ago now because he had a huge tumor on his lung and was very sick, and i am tearing up thinking about it. he was such a sweet boy. showed up at our house as a kitten and never left, just like he had come home.

now i have bummed everyone out. great. sorry about that. anyway, clearly, my brain is a bit scrambled due to the migraine yesterday, and my hormones are raging, so everything smells bad to me. i can smell myself, for example. which just rocks. and jake’s aftershave smells like bug spray tonight. and i have no appetite, at all. to-morrow i will be back to my usual self. i will skein the 9 jumbo bobbins full of mayhem and tag them, and work on my invoices, and get things done for handmade arcade next month, which is approaching soon.

my legs are all crampy and my nose won’t stop running and my eyes are all watery. sniff. sniff sniff.

sorry to be a downer. just keeping it real. ha!

oh, i have been watching brotherhood on showtime…man, it makes oz look like a soap opera. hardcore. jesus.

only happiness to-morrow.
xo
n.

first, i have a bad headache due to overexcitement due to fibertalk with velma. so maybe more later.

i fear that a lot of people took my rant to mean something other than i did. for example, my friend katrina, who is one of the most productive people i know, i think she may have taken it to mean her, for not doing everything right now. never! you are amazing! she has health issues that really make things a challenge sometimes, and uses that as a reason that she doesn’t want to be thought of as less than anyone else, so unbeknownst to her, does even more than everyone else.

and someone whose name started with v seemed to think that feeling a bit lost at the mo was an excuse.

what i am saying, is that we can all find places that we could improve upon, and maybe that post brought out insecurities in people that are not sure about what they are doing, or are embarking on new endeavors. there is a big difference in my mind between people that are not sure what to do, or what is next, or what order to do things and people who could do anything and have no reason not to try new things, but just want to bitch and moan and tell anyone that will listen why they can’t, shouldn’t or don’t. not only that, but these people tend to view everyone else as having a leg-up on them. things are easier for other people. better for other people. and pretty much always, these same people have things pretty good. or the sucky things that happen are their own doing. or in their imagination.

as someone with health issues, i am terribly aware of what i DO have, and how fleeting that is. i feel that if i don’t make it now, if i don’t say it now, if i don’t learn it now, i may never have the chance. but you know, it isn’t just me. just because you are healthy, doesn’t mean you have forever. a lot of people that are sick give up. their sickness, pills, pain, whatever becomes their life. it is easy. and when you are in horrible pain or feel terrible all the time, it is hard not to. in the same vein, it is easy to get lost in the little crap in life. your job, your weight, dumb things. it is just as easy to see the good things though. it is just as easy to think that people do like you, and that you are pretty good than to think that everyone hates you and you suck. you know?

so, in short, i hope that the post was not taken as a negative. as a pot shot at anyone. it was meant to pinch your cute butt into doing all of the things that you want to do. because you can! new techniques, hobbies, projects, talking to new people, whatever…if you aren’t any good at it, who cares? that is the joy of not being 14 anymore. you can do what you like and not have to care what other people think. because more often than not, people will admire you for your willingness to try new things and learn, rather than mock you for making something that isn’t perfect. perfect isn’t the aim. if it is, you will most likely fail. i don’t do perfecct. why bother? wanna see a utterly crap simple scarf i made for a boutique that got rejected cause it sucks? this was from when i first started knitting, although i make crappy ugly stuff all time in my made up patterns. i can follow a pattern so well. i have the concentration of a fly, which makes freeform good for me. because i am soooo creative? nope. because i don’t have the attention or neatness to follow a complexish pattern. so there. maybe i should take photos of the scribbles i tear out of my sketchbook because i can’t bear to look at them.

be the person you want to be. not the person you think other people think you are or should be. it is okay to be a nerd. it is okay to mess up. your hardest critic is always going to be yourself. unless you are an artist, in which case critics are your hardest critics. really. evil, horrible, snobs.

let me know what you want to do, want to try, aspire to be. i would love to hear about it!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
n.

**edit, i spelled pavel wrong and the odd photo made everyone think that he was our new cat, rather than our youngest, at 2 years old, but not new (newest, though)kitty. so, i just got two birthday packages…one from my newest best friendlynn and one from my other newest best friend velma. pavel claimed the wrapping for his own, and sends his thanks…
i cannot believe all the stuff they sent me! they do better than my friends that have known me forever! seriously. and i owe velma a package, which is on its way to her as we speak. i really hope she will like it. i think i would dig it. these are from lynn: fiber, which i actually plan to knit as roving into something, a pretty and lovely smelling candle, “N” notecards, beads with copper inside (mmmm copper!) and an adorable kitty card! from velma, holy cow! a adorable photobox (i think) a kitten mini paint by numbers (and i collect vintage ones! did you know?) a really cute coin purse with a bird pin, a sterling silver birdy pin that is singing (for my jacket!) little watercolors, two vintage squeaky toys, vintage party invitations, too cute to ever use. okay, maybe in a collage, though, a handmade accordian book and an adorable handmade card. i will be taking the artwork out of that to use again, for sure! oh so nice! i am sitting here with a belly ache (and i big bloated belly) and it really made me smile! i can’t get all of the photos i uploaded to show up on flickr, but they should be there later. sigh. thanks so much guys!

okay, so i have been painting. a lot. they aren’t wanting to show up on my flickr, but this one is showing up. i don’t think she is done yet. not sure. she is a donkey girl. cute, no? certainly not the more artsy things i usually do, but light and fun and cute is nice sometimes. who doesn’t like fun? ok, i know a few people. my granny, for example. there are some other paintings on flickr too if you wanna go check em out.

and a bit later…
i went to the art supply to get more colored matteboard (free!) and look for brush pens, to no avail. well, i got one that i don’t have many hopes for, micron makes it, for anyone who is interested. it has a pretty fine brush tip that is archival, of course.

anyway, i then went to ship out some packages, including velma’s, and the mail chute for the packages was broken! i went after hours, at 5ish i think, so no one was there and the door was jammed. i managed to jam my other package into a slot, but the other package was about 2 inches too big all around. so frakking annoying. jeebus! i swear, i keep trying to mail it and something happens. stomach flu. jammed slot. and then there was a lady at the post office that said, “i’m a trucker! i’ll unjam it!” so she kept slamming it and slamming it and slamming it. to no avail, clearly. so annoying. si in the future, i will put all i can into a soft package. this had mostly soft stuff and then the painting, so i didn’t have much choice. sigh!!

i am so washed out still, and not having a good time eating. everything makes me sick, so i haven’t been eating really. and i feel so tired. i am sure i will feel better to-morrow. it will have been 3 days then.

and a loooong but good meme, methinks. consider yourself tagged!
i am going to warn you that some of the answers are creepy. in my dreams, i am not who i want to be, which always gave me a sense of shame that i never had dreams, only nightmares. i was never happy in them, never doing great things. i guess that no matter where you go, you can never get away from who you are. wherever you go, there you are. the odd thing is that i feel like i am a confident person, not the person i was growing up, but in my dreams, i am in the midst of horrible things. every time. zombies, rape, friendless, deserted. on that happy note…

When was the last time you shaved?
at about 2am i put veet on my arms to try it out for jake.

What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
sleeping, i guess.

What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
talking to jake whilst he drove home.

Are you any good at math?
regular math, yes. high math, no. in fact, i think i have dyscalcula, the numerical equivalent of dyslexia.

Your prom night?
i didn’t have the money for a dress and my boyfriend was super pissed.

Do you have any famous ancestors?
we had some relatives that swam in the olympics a long time ago.

Have you ever taken out a loan to pay for school?
oh yeah.

Last thing received in the mail?
i just got a package from the yarn wench and velma! didn’t open them yet.

How many different beverages have you drunk today?
a double coffe with 2 sugars and whipped cream and a diet 7up

Do you ever leave messages on people’s answering machine?
Yes

Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
yes. and i always draw little pictures, too.

What’s the most painful dental procedure you’ve had?
i had nightmarish orthadontics. and many teeth pulled as a kid for that reason. my mom had braces as an adult and told me that she never realized how terrible they feel.

What is out your back door?
our deck, swing, grass, insane garden with strawberry vines, raspberries, herbs and overgrown flowers.

Any plans for Friday night?
i think we are supposed to go to oktoberfest for jake’s coworker.

Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
not a good site. i have curly hair, and it is colored (big time) so i end up looking frightening, and the blond parts turn brassy. and the reddish in my hair comes out. not in a good way.

Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different kinds of popcorn for Christmas?
my family did.

Have you ever been to a planetarium?
yes, when i was younger.

Do you re-use towels after you shower?
you mean, more than once before tossing them in the laundry? of course. what is this, a hotel?

Some things you are excited about?
painting, art, collage, fiber

What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
raspberry.

Are any of your great-grandparents still alive?
Nope

Where do you keep your change?
my wallet, my pockets, the floor, the washing machine, the laundry basket.

When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group of people?
dunno.

What kind of winter coat do you have?
many. but the one i love the most is one i got last year from jake that is a tealy blue tweedy color with a faux fur color and a nipped in waist. very 50’s.

What was the weather like on your graduation day?
from college, really warm and sunny. and sweaty under the gown.

Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
Open

8 lasts –

8.] last kiss: last nite when jake went to sleep.
7.] last beverage: diet 7up
6.] last movie watched: Usual Suspects
5.] last phone call: jake.
4.] last cd played: kt tunstall
3.] last “i love you”: when we got off of the phone.
2.] last time you cried: last week when i had the fybromalgia issue and lost grip. in the shower.
1.] last alcoholic drink:couldn’t tell you. it tends to give me bad headaches.

6 have you evers –

6.] have you ever dated someone twice: yes, in high school and then about 6 years ago, it was creepy.
5.] have you ever been cheated on: i think so.
4.] have you ever kissed someone: Um…
3.] have you ever kissed someone you regret: i don’t think so. oh wait, i used to kiss one of our dogs all the time and got worms. but it was worth it.
2.] have you ever been depressed: Yes
1.] have you ever been drunk and thrown up: Oh yes…ugh

6 things you’ve done today
1.] checked email
2.] packed up orders
3.] spun some yarn and plied it
4.] this
5.] made coffee and had some wheat chex
6.] Showered

4 places you’ve lived–
1.] south africa (born)
2.] st. louis (first place we came to in america)
3.)sacramento
4.] pittsburgh

3 favorite colors –
1.] Orange
2.] robins egg blue
3.] fleshy pink

2 things you want to do before you die –
1.] go back to south africa (to visit)
2.] live somewhere on the ocean. and warm. but not too warm.

Q 01: is there a person who is on your mind right now?
A 01: Always

Q 02: Where is the last place you went?
A 02: To the grocery store

Q 03: who is the last person who called you?
A 03: jake

Q 04: do you have any siblings?
A 04: an older and younger brother

Q 05: do you smile often?
A 05: Yes

Q 06: do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
A 06: Yes

Q 07: do you wish on stars?
A 07: yes.

Q 08: do you untie your shoes every time you take them off?
A 08: i attempt not to wear shoes that tie as much as possible. for a long time, i didn’t wear shoes with backs.

Q 9: do you like your handwriting?
A 9: i have grown to like it, despite the fact that it looks like arabic. my dad’s actually looks very similar. i wonder if i subconsciously copied him?

Q 10: who’s bed did you sleep in last night?
A 10: My own

Q 11: what color shirt are you wearing?
A 11: kelly green, another one of my favorite colors.

Q 12: do you have any pets?
A 12: 3 kitties. peeps (fluffy, bad, but sweet), kahlo (Stripey girl, broken tail from when she was a kitten so it is about 6 inches long and floppy, sooo sweet. pukes a lot), pavel (just turned 2 years old, we bottle fed him from about a week or two old, is mean to me, anyway. has a best friend, socky jojo, a slipper sock stuffed with yarn. goes with him wherever he goes.)

Q 13: what is the color of your bedsheets?
A 13: yellow with flowers.

Q 14: What were you doing at 9 last night?
A 14: working on a couple small paintings.

Q 15: I can’t wait until..
A 15: my stomach flu goes away.

Q 16: Look to your right. What’s there?
A 16: a cat perch/house that is supposed to look like a tree, i think.

Q 17: Ever cried yourself to sleep?
A 17: Yes, not in a long time

Q 18: Song that makes you cry?
A 18: needle in the hay by elliott smith. the saddest song ever.

Has anyone ever thrown you a suprise party?:
yes! and i had no idea.

Are you easily excited?
Not really

What event is coming up that you’re most excited about?
vacation next year. and seeing john and diana’s baby. and getting to see my neice again. soon.

If you won a million dollars what would be your first thought?
this is a joke. i am on a show. i know it.

If you could have anything right now what would it be?
the money. all the money!

What was your latest dream?i generally have nightmares. okay. always, since i was a kid. and back then, i had the same few really really bad ones all the time. to the point that as a kid, i would sleep in my closet sometimes so that when the dude came to kill me and my family, he would think that no one was in my room. that said, last night, i dreamed i was on some sort of artist retreat, but we had to travel by foot through water full of snakes. we were walking on wooden planks that were supposed to be over the water, but really weren’t. i few people got bitten by watersnakes and got left behind. everyone told me to buck up and stop being a wuss. so, once we got to the place, which i thought would be a hotel, it was a series of crappy “guest houses” which were really small cabins and the bathrooms had no lights in them, sort of like a portapotty. everyone was pairing up, for roommates, and i had no one to pair up with, so i felt like a dope. boy, what does that say about me? it turned out that the retreat was all sorts of miserable physical activities, in the cold, the mud, suck. the rest was really confusing. i’ll stop there. the night before involved being in an america’s next top model type contest, except that i wanted to become a chearleader, despite me lack of energy, and lack of love of short skirts and jumping around. and pep, that too. anyway, i had to go in front of a whole arena of people with my arse hanging out of my short short skirt. and i could hear jock boys mocking me. it was great! the rest actually got really really really bad, and i will leave it there.

Do any of your dreams come true?
sometimes, yeah. i have dreams about people dying sometimes.

What was the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
that would be a tricky thing to figure out. when i was little and had the chronic nightmares, i had this one over and over that i had gone to the grocery store with my mom (what was the old giant eagle in penn hills, a bit scary) and while in the produce department, she slipped and fell and couldn’t get up. she told me to go call my dad. when i called, he didn’t know who i was and hung up. when i went back, she was gone. i went through the plastic hanging sheeting into the meat freezer and my mom was hanging by her leg upsidedown and asking me to help her, but being a 3rd grade kid, couldn’t do anything.

5. Do you usually remember your dreams?
Sometimes

I’m an apparently intelligent, liberal, not-too-generous, not-too-selfish, relatively well adjusted human being!
See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

let me start off with a bit of a rant. i think that people who are successful (in virtually any arena) are people who put the effort into their endeavor, and things fall into place from there. i think in most cases that if you put in the work and your heart, that things will work out. all of the people that i know that do really well in their field are people that bust their asses. all the time. they work really hard and don’t make excuses. they do things regardless of what environment they are in, the quality of their tools, their health, family issues, doesn’t matter. they do it. no matter what.

one of my pet peeves is when people make excuses for not doing want they want to do. these people need to have the PERFECT tool. a more expensive instrument, sewing machine, computer, an easel, expensive paints. always an excuse. i know i have talked about this before, but a true musician cannot be stopped from making music. a true artist will work creatively with whatever they have. a true writer does not need a special pen, typewriter or location. creativity cannot be stopped by anyone but yourself. you don’t need fancy gadgets to make wonderful things. it can be fun to have them, but in most cases, i find that people that make excuses like that tend to pine away for the magic bullet and then when they get it, they could have used a cheap version and done just fine.

through my blogging life, i have met a lot of succesful craftanistas (i made that up) and artists and the thing that they all have in common is that they are all over the place. they are collaborating, in books, on shows, mentioned on blogs, constantly doing new things. they never stop producing, whether everything they make is great or not, they keep on making stuff. I KEEP ON MAKING STUFF. no matter what. whether i am tired, sick, pissed off or whatever else. i have made sure that i will always make time to make new things. no matter what. i said that already.

i got the new clothpaperscissors which has a super article on the fundraiser for a place to bark and there was a super article about an artist that made a promise to make a little book everyday that looked like a purse. not that exciting in and of itself, but i understand how important it is as a person to have something that you will do no matter what, every day. she said something to the effect of, “i love coffee, i drink it everyday. i love my husband, i kiss him everyday. i love art, i need to find time to do that everyday.” whether it is 5 minutes or 5 hours.

i remember in art school one of my drawing professors who was an incredible artist (one of the few that really really blew me away) told me that drawing does not come naturally, and that it didn’t for her, and that she drew every day for years and years until she learned to see. i remember thinking that she had a nerve telling me to practice, when she had clearly been born an amazing artist. not many people do. you get your picassos that are considered a master when they are 12, but i don’t think that happens so often. that said, don’t look at anyone and think they were just born amazing. it takes hard work, and it is a lazy and crybaby person who thinks that you should be given such an incredible gift, rather than earning it.

that said, i have been painting a lot lately. feathers. you have seen some of them. but i adore them. more and more and more. leaves. and now little kitschy pieces on colored matteboard of cutesy girls with animal ears. i need to cut the mattes and then i will post photos to-morrow.

my stomach has been really queasy over the last couple of days. i get sick about 30 minutes after i eat. it is a delight! i have barely eaten. it isn’t worth it. but i am sooooo hungry. grrrrrr.

i went to the store and got some new tops, really cheap, but so i can get rid of some of the things that don’t fit or i don’t wear them anymore. yay! cheapo tops.

ok. i am going to try to eat something. bad idea, but i am starving.

xo
n.

okay. so birthday came and went. the amazingly yummy almond torte that jake got for me made me sick. i think that is what is was. although, maybe my stomach is just funny, because he is fine. and pavel ate some and he is fine, too. i am afraid to eat it now, though. jake got us amazing delmonico steaks that were enormous. we barely made a dent in them.

tonight, the jasons (or jason squared. you do you make that symbol?) came out and brought me a maza platter and some spinach lentil soup (i am wild!) jakie cooked burgers and hotdogs on the grille, and i didn’t eat because as i said, my stomach is feeling a bit sketchy. we had a really fun time chitchatting and i gave jason his little painting for his birthday (late, mind you) and i think he dug it. did you? the tree drawing was a pre-painting for his painting, i will post a photo to-morrow. we went to the bookstore and i got the new clothpaperscissors, which i didn’t look through yet, but looks goooood. as always.

otherwise, jason b. showed me this giant puppet video that his uncle (amy butler’s hubster) sent him the link for. really freaky. jake said that i would have nightmares about it. entirely possible. i wish elephants gave me showers. on second thought, no. no thanks.

oh, also thanks for your patience in looking at my screwed up blog template. i think it will be fixed very soon. thanks for coming back anyway. despite the ben day dots.

i got a big order of odds and ends from frenecreek farm and started going through the stuff, and just spinning it as is. i had so much dust and dirt on my lap and my asthma has been really acting up lately. there was the “fuzzy lung ” joke on me going around last year…the back story on that is that i wondered if spinners run a risk of getting lung problems from breathing in the fiber and crud all the time. between that, the cat hair, dust, dirt and free fibers blowing around (my clothes are always covered in crap, so why not my lungs?) i wonder how much ends up coating your lungs. especially for those of us that spin everyday for hours. anyway, everyone said that the condition would be called “fuzzy lung”. although, i stick to my theory, and hope that i am wrong and paranoid. anyway, my asthma has been really acting up, which is odd because i haven’t needed my inhaler but a few times this summer, but i get that tight panicky feeling in my chest a lot lately. often, after spinning really messy fiber. you be the judge!

where am i going with this? well, i am going to be making a bunch of crazy batts. i am not sure if they will be listed or not, due to all the orders i am prepping, and the pgh crafty show, so if any of you want some, let me know. you can even pick the basic colorscheme, if i have it. which i probably do. what else do i have up my sleeve? i am planning to sell pencil roving (i will pencil it myself) that is to say, if i haven’t already, for the non-spinsters out there, it is unspun processed fiber that is lofty and fuzzy and ready to knit or crochet (gently) into a neckywarmer, scarf or whatever else you choose. i have made quite a few, let me know if anyone wants a necky thing or scarf, i may have something you like, and they are warm and soft, but literally weigh about an ounce. so you can squish it into your purse or pocket. so nice! i hate bulky heavy winter stuff, so these rock! anyway, i will be posting the patterns for the buttoning neckywarmer and the cowl neckywarmer, although it is very simple. perfect for newbies, or lazy knitters, as the roving gets knit on at least a size 15 needle so it goes really really fast. woot!

some pics of that stuff? okay. here is poppy scarfaletta 3, because the ones sold. if ambrose (still) wants it, it is taken, although i can make another slightly different one, and i have the light purple and a few other colors to make the poppies out of, too, so just ask, i can make a custom one for you, or for a present. i even wrap it all up!

another neckwarmer, with the giant wooden button closure. the green yarn is commercial (i love it!) and the trim is crocheted on after i was all done and is my own handspun. so, just another way you can use small amounts of handspun and another reason to learn the basics of crochet. easy peasy!

a pullover cowl neckwarmer, with another gorgeous fuzzy commercial yarn, again, trimmed with crocheted handspun, the same as above. it is so blah without that trim, and a few minutes and a few yards of pretty yarn (that would be expensive in large increments) and it is purdy! and warm, too! i will post the pattern soon.

here is a scrap yarn all knitted up into a neckywarmer with fun giant buttons in two different colors. these are knitted on huge needles, super simple, but if you have interest in this pattern, or anything else i make, please leave a comment and i can do tutorials if people seem interested. i know i loved easy things that were quick and fun when i was a newby (not so long ago) oh, again, anyone who has some big buttons (bigger than an inch, at least) that is willing to either swap or sell em to me, please let me know! also, these are great for luxe yarns and bulky yarns that you only have a small amount of or are really expensive. you don’t need much at all.

and from my sketchbook…a manatee…

i have a gorgeous painting going out to velma that i cannot wait to show you. i have been sitting on it and i am so crap at secrets. as soon as she gets it. pictures. and she should get it in a few days. wooot! are you excited? are you? the painting is about having faith that things happen as they should (which is not to say you should sit and wait) but it is to say that as long as you are doing what you can and attempting to follow your heart, that things will work out. also, there is bit of a comment about her momma looking out for her, being proud of her. it is a painting about inspiration, the protection we all need to be able to move up to the next level of maslow’s triangle so we can feel focused enough to be creative. or rather, harness our creativity. velma, it is a lot about good things happening, as soon as you are ready. got it? good.

ok, i didn’t sleep last night and i am getting sleepy now. so i am going to give it a shot. we just changed the sheets, put the fall comforter on the bed and i have a sweet and gorgeous sleeping hubby sleeping soundly next to me, a little stripey cat snoring against my leg, a pavel cat curled up against my other leg, and peeps sleeping in her cube. what more could i possibly ask for? oh, also, for my birthday, i get to do a bit of shopping. it is just necessity for clothes,none of my bras fit, but i wear them anyway, but still, fun.

wish me luck for sleeping. and thanks so much to all the well-wishers for my birthday, including lisa who had never commented before! i am always excited to get comments from new people (and my old friends, too, of course!) so if you are lurking about, leave a comment, say hi, so i know who my audience is. okay? it makes me happy to know that i make someone’s day a bit brighter. or that someone might want to try something new because of me. so leave me a comment and let me know what keeps you reading my blog. okay?

off to shower and sleep. wish me luck!
xxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
n.

and from the hedgeblog…5 things that feminism has done for me…i will do this one later…do it too if you fancy, it is a cool one.

please feel free to be tagged if you like..from ashb’s bloggy
1. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
closed,although i am a slob, i can’t stand closet doors, anywhere i am, open.
2. Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
mmm sometimes, depends on how good it is.
3. Have you ever ‘done it’ in a hotel room?
uh yeah
4. Have you ever stolen a street sign before?
who hasn’t?
5. Do you like to use post-it notes? not often. i forget i have them at all.
6. Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? not often.
7. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees?
i hate bees, but i think i may live and not be utterly trashed. i have read articles about bears attacking people and running for 2 miles holding them by their face. not good.
9. Do you always smile for pictures?
when i was a kid i never did, but as an adult, i try to at least look happy.
10. What is your biggest pet peeve?
people who only care about being “cool” or rather, cooler than everyone else, as a result of not really liking themselves despite the fact that they are nearly 30.
11. Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?
Tucked in at the bottom only.
12. Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
noooooo.
13. Have you ever peed in the woods?
Yes. but i hate doing stuff like that. i don’t need something crawling where it shouldn’t be. or poison ivy on the bum, etc.
14. Do you ever jump up and down to make your privates bounce?
what?
15. Do you chew your pens and pencils?
ew.
16. How many people have you slept with this week?
3 fuzzies and one jakie. that i know of.
17. Do you like popcorn from those big tins?
not really.
18. What is your “Song of the week”?
do you realize from the flaming lips. cause i do realize how amazing life is. and my sweet gorgeous husband and kitties and…
19. Is it okay for guys to wear pink?
Absolutely
20. Do you still watch cartoons?
i am not a cartoon person. we didn’t watch tv so much as little kids and they just annoy me. the stupid voices and bad animation. grrrr.
21. Whats your favorite scary movie?
the original shining. oh man. come play with us danny….forever and ever
22. Where would you bury treasure if you had some?
in the litterbox
23. What do you drink with dinner?
diet 7up
26. What color is your cell phone?
black/silver
28. Were you a boy/girl scout?
no, i don’t like outdoorsy stuff and i was scared of the kids. girls.
29. Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
i have posed nude for drawing or paintings or photos. as long as it was artsy stuff, sure. for a mag, nah. depends on the magazine and the context.
30. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
i always put cards into my packages for orders or trades.
31. Can you change the oil on a car?
no, but jake can! and do tune ups and change breaks. he is so hot when he is out fixing stuff. cute!
32. Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
oh yeah. once, rushing to rosh hashannah dinner with my mom. how bullshite is that?
33. Ran out of gas?
no. i don’t understand how people do. i mean, i do understand but…
34. Favorite kind of sandwich?:
grill cheese yum!
35. Best thing to eat for breakfast?
cheese blintzes or thin pancakes with cinammon and sugar on them. or crepes with cheesy sweet yum and fresh berries of any sort.
36. What is your usual bedtime?
between 1-?
37. Are you lazy?
i think i am, but i guess i hate doing nothing, i tend to always be working on something even if i am watching tv or something.
38. When you were a kid what did you dress up as for halloween?
our parents, not being american, wouldn’t get us costumes (although they caught on by the time my little bro grew up a bit) but princess leia, and i wore the buns in my hair as much as i possibly could. i still wear a semblance of that do.
39. Do you read the newspaper?
nope,
40. How many languages can you speak?
english. badly. spanish. badly. german. badly. french. badly. bits of afrikaans slang and of yiddish, too. and pittsburgheze.
41. Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
selvedge, domino, jane (no clue why, it sucks!) vogue knitting
42. Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs?
Legos for sure. my bros were pro with legos. and i once stuck one of the four dot ones up my nose because i was dared to by my bro. not smart.
43. Are you stubborn?
not about much anymore. although, once i decide something for good, i am firm.
44. Who is better…Leno or Letterman?
craig fergeson
45. Watch an opera live?
noooo. my mom was an opera singer god help me. sorry marie!
46. Afraid of heights?
just of falling.
48. Dance in the shower?
Sure
49. Dance in the car?
yes.
50. Ever used a gun?
at a range.
51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
at our wedding 3 years ago.
52. Are musicals cheesy?
Yes and that’s what’s so fun about them!
53. Is christmas stressful?
Yes, but I love giving presents so it almost evens out
54. Ever eat a pierogi?
of course! polish city here!
55. Favorite type of fruit pie?
blackberry, rhubarb i love, apple, pumpkin. ok, almost anything. and i love banana even. strawberry.
56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
marie as in donnie and…also, a vet, i adore animules, but actually vet school is even harder than medical school (which makes sense) vets are the smartest. they rock! and then a marine biologist. i figured that artist would be the fallback. no escape.
57. Do you believe in ghosts?
yes.
59. Take a vitamin daily?
they make me feel sick. ironically.
60. Wear slippers?
socky slippers
61. Wear a bath robe?
nope.
62. What do you wear to bed?
boxers and a tank top
63. First concert?
it was either howard jones or duran duran with erasure opening.
64. Wal-Mart, Target or K-Mart?
Target, but they are probably equally evil. we buy groceries at walmart, i should be ashamed or something. but they are all eveil. really. and target and walmart are owned by the same people. seriously. also, walmart gives benefits to partners of gay couples. it’s cheap, too.
65. Nike or Adidas?
adidas
66. Cheetos Or Fritos?
cheetos, but i have a really bad reaction to blue chez and msg, so i can’t eat em. thanks for rubbing it in.
67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?
both. i love nuts and seeds.
68. Ever hear of, “gorp”?
ya
69. Ever take dance lessons?
jazz, tap, ballet when I was really little, i was super duper bad at it.
70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?
too late. if i get married again? a sheik.
71. Can you curl your tongue?
ya
73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
for sure
74. Own any record albums?
Yes
75. Own a record player?
no
76. Regularly brush your teeth?
YES!
77. Ever been in love?
Yes. with every cat that walks past me. and i never really was in love until jake. i thought i was, but i had no clue.
79. What was your last concert you saw?
dinosaur jr
80. Hot tea or cold tea?
hot tea
81. Tea or coffee?
goooood coffee. although i love lots of kinds of good loose leaf tea, too.
82. Favorite kind of cookie?
oatmeal.
83. Can you swim well?
very well
84. Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose?
Yes.
85. Are you patient?
i think so.
86. DJ or band, at a wedding?
depends on the band!
87. Ever won a contest?
i won a trash bag full of popcorn at a school related viewing of the dark crystal at a movie theater and to my dismay, my dad wouldn’t let me keep it. i also won tickets to teh first lollapalooza and ended up getting locked out of my house when i got home really late. that is a whole big bad story. but i called! i did. i slept in my car i think.
88. Ever have plastic surgery?
nope
89. Which are better black or green olives?
yuck.
90. Can you knit or crochet?
yesssssssss.
91. Best room for a fireplace?
Living room or bedroom
92. Do you want to get married?
too late.

ok, so i had been planning to add some webrings onto my blog, and they made my blog do this. so. bear with me. i am hoping my incredibly wise and handsome computer guru can help me out…right? right? i will either fix it or delete them. whichever is easier.

so, on grey’s anatomy…why doesn’t derek’s wife wanna be with the other dude? he is much better looking. and derek hates her. plus, she gets to watch her ex all over the skeletor girl. am i really talking about this? seriously? woah. not good.

oh, and on to more tv…gilmore girls. what the hell is up with lorelei (did i spell that correctly?) she did have a right to be pissed off at luke, but she could maybe have told him. although, he did make her wait 3 days, so i dunno. but why she had to screw her ex. hm. thoughts? anyone? and rory…i think she is meant to be someone’s executive secretary. or the wife of a governor. something like that. not all of use can be hillary clinton. although, she was the first lady, etc, too, despite being amazing. so. she could do worse, really. clearly, she likes the events.

and more tv? project runway reunion. did you see tim gunn get really mad and sweat and turn red? did you see that ass say that the fashion books under his bed were a setup? did you hear that talentless arsehole vincent say that he was the ONLY professional? and i think despite being the oldest member of the cast, he was the shittiest. he doesn’t make nice things. do you remember him putting that basket on the model’s head in one of the first challenges? not good.

i got threshold on dvd, the series got cut, but you can get all of the episodes on dvd, i need the last one still, but it was such an amazing show! how the hell could they cut it? plus the dinklage. he is a bad bad genius linguist who loves getting super drunk at strip joints. charming! it is excellent spinning tv.

so, barbe sent me a gift certificate from frenecreek for my birthday! how awesome is that? i never even knew it existed. so so so nice! strangely enough, i just ordered some stuff from frenecreek. she washes merino and targhee for me, i get it uncarded, just picked, and it is so sproingy and nice. in fact, so nice that jessica’s baby squished it in her hand and then ate it! that is good! i am telling you.

i took inventory of the knits i needed to get done for boutiques and realized that i had pretty much everything done! i basically just spun spun spun spun and knitted and knitted and got more than enough done, so that is really good. although handmade arcade is next month, so i need to get stocked up for that. that said, if you see something that you like, ask me, i really may be able to sell it. woooooah! wanna see some stuff? this is merino roving that i dyed and then split into thin roving and then knitted…crazy, eh? so for you non-spinners that see roving that you like, you can still knit it…

yet another scrappy yarn knitted up:

and a watercolor:

there are lots of new photos on flickr, if you want to check em out!

to-morrow is my birthday, jake and i are having a night alone (woot woot!) and then on saturday the jasons are coming out to hang. i still have jason h’s birthday present to give him. we had dinner with he and his lady (pronounced lay-dah) for his birthday last week (?) was it last week? downtown. jake is getting me the almond torte from delallos that i love so very much. i will eat it until i am sick.

off to paint! guache tonite. i will try the gum arabic. i have some, actually. why? not sure what i got it for.
smooooooooooch!
n.

so, i just got caught up on project runway, i am in the midst of watching the reunion show. the last episode made me actually see the hated jeffrey as an actual human. he reminds me of someone who would have terrorized me as a kid, for whatever reason. the sort of person that is mean to anyone that he can get away with being mean to. that is a big reason that i grew up being a bit…defensive. i found that if you intimidate people, they don’t mess with you as much. i hope that i am not still really scary.

my favorite on there is malan…he came off like a pompous arse before, but then you realize how soft he is inside. his acting like a jerk was basically his preparation for the punch. and i get that.

so i did my dyeing today, actually only around 6lbs because i was feeling really tired. it rained today so i couldn’t hang everything up to dry outside, so it is on drying racks in the kitchen, still damp, and that is only about half of it, because i couldn’t hang everything up so. i owed a pound for a swap and am otherwise completely out of dyed fiber other than bits and pieces.

i spent the rest of my day finishing knits for the boutique orders, and knitting up some other things for them. i did this yarn a little while ago, i sold half of it, and actually, this is the PLAIN skein! seriously. the other skein, i knitted right off of the bobbin for an order, and in addition to all of the stuff in this yarn, which is dazzlelash, my most favorite sparkly sparse eyelash to add into anything, just gorgeous, two other novelty yarns, a mohair boucle in burgundy from sheep and wool, dyed nylon sparkly bits, sparkle, and then plied with a stretchy-ish black metallic sparkly thread loaded full of these black opalescent open middle sequins, i think close to 1000 per bobbin, and then chunks of black sequins spun in all over the place. in this case, because the base yarn was a plain(er) color scheme than i normally would use, all of that stuff managed to result in a really elegant yarn, especially knitted up. so this is for all of you spinsters that DON”T KNIT YOUR STUFF UP or don’t do it at all. SHAME. ON. YOU!!!!! i am telling you, firstly, it is a good way to spot annoying issues. nextly, it rocks! RAWKKS! it is so fun! i know some people make utterly crazy creations that are not even meant to be knitted at all. i think. but i really am amazed everytime i work with one of my yarns. and i don’t mean it in a tooting my own horn way, but rather, in a tooting fancy yarn in general’s horn. toooot! i think that any of the “snarky” peeps out there that rip on art yarns in general would have a drastic change in attitude after fondling some of our (collective) pretties. so. tooting over.

as you all know, every night, i draw or paint a bit before i go to sleepies. if i am still not tired after that, i read. books. wooah! i just got a book called “Vurt” (which sounds like a shortening of vonnegut. hm.) by jeff noon who is apparently a cult writer of post-apocalyptic prose. just to keep it light. i am also still reading “the adventures of augie march,” which is really good. i think my dad is a saul bellows fan. oh, so i have been using pen and ink and then made a little mobile watercolor palette. i am going to make a guache one too, but being that guache has some degree of acrylic in it, once it dries in the pot, is it junk? i don’t know these things. i have only ever used it fresh outta its tube.

off to read.
smooooooooooch.
n.