I screwed up my courage and felted the bag. The photo is a bit deceptive. In person you can't see the stitches at all and I am really pleased with that. The bag gaps open a bit because I was running out of yarn so I couldn't make it as tall as the instructions dictated. If I were to make it again, I would probably make an i-cord frog closure to keep it shut. Also, I think I would knit a little less facing because the top of my bag doesn't stand straight up like the magazine photo; it flares out more like a bucket hat.



See? Mine doesn't look much like the photo. The girl who gets it won't care, though. M is taking it to school tomorrow to add to the Excellence box in her homeroom. The parents are asked to contribute, so I thought it would be a good way to reduce my stash. I'm two more skeins closer to buying new yarn! I'm just itching to place a KnitPicks order.

First Felting Project

I normally post my knitting pics on Tuesdays, but it has been so long since I've had anything to show that I thought I should get the photos up as soon as possible. Otherwise, you guys might lose interest in me!

Here is a photo of my coworker's bag. She did a great job, and I think red looks great when it is felted. She shrunk it as far as it would go, too; it is practically bulletproof. The pattern calls for a scallop at the top edge, which is why it looks wavy.



Here we have the finished bag on top of my unfelted bag, for a bit of perspective.




This pic is to show the stripes. I went with graduated stripes (8, 4, 2). I'm still a bit afraid to felt it. I know that felting is easy, but I like the way the bag looks now. It isn't practical to leave it this way without a lining, though. I just don't want it to look like something I cleaned out of the dryer's lint trap.

The 4400: Will it be back next year?

Entertainment Weekly reported in a sidebar in their 26 Aug issue that The 4400 has lost two million viewers since the season premiere in June. When one of my other favorites, Joan of Arcadia, had those kind of numbers it got canceled. I would hate to see that happen to this show. One thing in its favor is that it is on the USA network. Shows on cable networks seem to be given more of a chance to find their audience.

This is why I no longer call this a knitting blog

What have I been doing with my free time this weekend? Well, I can tell you that there wasn't much knitting involved. Thanks to Websnark, I've spent two afternoons checking out webcomics and setting up a reading list. This is madness, especially since I barely keep up with all the blogs on my Bloglines list. However, the tidbits I have been picking up about the new TV season don't sound promising. I have a feeling that I will be doing more reading than television watching this fall. Also, my marathon reading of the MegaTokyo archives reminded me how much I missed following an interesting storyline.

As much as I like words, however, I find that I am a bit shallow when it comes to which webcomics make my list. If I don't like the artwork, then I don't bother reading further. I'm sure that many of these comics have interesting storylines, but comics are a visual medium. If pretty pictures weren't part of the equation, then I would just read a novel instead.

Keeping up with Katrina

If you want to keep an eye on what Katrina is doing, take a look at Brendan Loy's blog (thanks, Lola, for the link). I'm not quite sure why he is so interested in the storm since he doesn't live in the area, but he has posted at least 25 entries in the past few days about Katrina. He is trying to convince readers in the path to evacuate immediately. Please say a prayer for those who don't heed the warnings and decide to stay.

Have you noticed?

I've been meaning to mention this for a couple weeks, but I keep forgetting. Just in case you hadn't noticed, there is a tiny white plus sign inside a black square in the top right-hand corner of my blog. Roll your mouse over. Go ahead. Isn't that cool? All my archives and links just pop right out. I wanted to make sure that you found that because I am going to start adding buttons and links to that list like all the cool bloggers do.

Health Update

Well, I didn't lose a whole pound; I actually lost only 6/10 of a pound, but the tracker wouldn't register that. I guess I should be a bit discouraged after last week's big loss, but I'm not. I'm in this for the long haul, so I'm trying not to dwell on how much I actually have to lose. NotMissy, however, is feeling very down on herself because she didn't lose anything this week. Trying to lift her spirits and keep her motivated distracts me from worrying about myself.

Instead, I am focusing on sticking to the plan. Most foods I like fit into the Flex plan pretty well, except for pizza. A slice of delivery pizza has as many points as a burger or most frozen entrees, but it is less filling. It is difficult for me to eat pizza and not go overboard, but I am going to try tonight. For the past two weeks, I have stayed about five points under my points range almost every day but I think I am going to dip into my weekly points allowance tonight. I know I won't stick with this if I feel deprived, and I am feeling the need for pizza.

Your Fortune Is

Passionate kiss like spider web, soon lead to undoing of fly.

The Wacky Fortune Cookie Generator

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 7 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Twas the night before school starts
And would you believe
Mom is hiding access cards
So no channels will they receive.
What a surprise kids will get
If downstairs they should creep.
There'll just be an empty screen
With blackness so deep,
And no cartoons to ruin their sleep.

Podcast Talk: Slate Podcasting

Today, I just want to do a quick mention of a daily podcast that I enjoy. It is from Slate, an online-only news and pop culture magazine. Every day, Andy Bowers reads one of the articles that have been published on the site. Each episode is less than 10 minutes and is always informative. Recent episodes have been as disparate as a review of a CNN news show and a history lesson on the origins of ranch dressing. I always learn something when I listen and not just about pop culture; the explanation of why judges give a single person more than one life sentence is something that I wouldn't have researched but I am glad that I have that information. Mr. Bowers is an excellent presenter. As much as I like "indie" podcasts for the raw feel of their recordings, I also appreciate podcasts that sound totally professional. Mr. Bowers sounds like he is just talking to you instead of reading from a script. Go subscribe through iTunes or download the individual mp3s straight from the site.

Now I am off to fill out the 2.5 pounds of paperwork that my kids need for the first day of school!

"Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to be always part of unanimity." Christopher Morley

Make Way -- Obsessive Personality Coming Through

I remember now why I only read one or two novels a year. I can't put anything down. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a webcomic called MegaTokyo that has been going for five years and its entire archive from day one is online. I stayed up until 1a reading the first two years. The only reason I stopped was to prevent my neck from hurting (the way my computer desk is configured, my neck starts to hurt after a few hours). Tonight I am at it again. It is 11:40p and I have to get up at 6a, but I am still reading.

When I get interested in something, I become totally absorbed. All reason and sense of time passing goes out the window. The flip side of this is that I burn out quickly. When it comes to hobbies, once I learn the basic techniques and try them out once or twice I don't have any desire to continue in that hobby. I burned through so many crafts during the '80s that ABM was afraid to let me loose in a craft store because he knew that I would spend even more money trying to find that elusive "perfect" avocation. That's why I am surprised that knitting has held my interest past my initial infatuation period.

Third Wheel

ABM has one day off a week on this new schedule, so he tries to cram everything into that day. Since most of his friends are also off on the same day, there is a lot of competition for his time. Today he is going to the drive-in movies with the kids. A perfect family outing, you say? Yes, it would be, except that he and one of his friends took the kids. ABM asked me to come along, but I don't feel comfortable going out with him and his single friend even if the kids are there. If his friend had a girlfriend, the dynamic would feel more balanced. ABM invited this same friend to come with us when we went back-to-school shopping and it felt terribly awkward to me. I can't talk freely about family stuff in front of the guy, and he can't talk about guy stuff with me around. ABM doesn't see any of this, though; he just thinks that I am being selfish. I don't have any problem at all with him hanging out with his boys. I think that I am more understanding about it than most of the wives we know. When he was on the 10-hour shift, he would frequently go out on Friday night with his boys as soon as I got home. He can't see the difference between that and inviting his boys in on our family time.

Health Update

I lost four pounds at my weigh-in on Thursday. Since I was only expecting to lose one or two, this is pretty cool. I don't usually have a big weight loss the first week I try a new plan. Even if it is only water weight, it is still encouraging to lose that much right at the start.

Part of the reason that I did so well this week was that I have a freezer full of Weight Watchers' meals. One of the grocery stores in our town is going out of business, so ABM loaded up on a lot of stuff. I've been eating them every night for dinner, but next week I am going to try to cook regular dinners. This is where I fell down on eDiets. Living on Lean Cuisines and other frozen entrees can be expensive, but without them I fell back into my bad eating habits. This time, ABM is keeping plenty of chicken breasts in the freezer. Even a so-so cook like me can come up with several quick, healthy meals that include chicken breasts.

My exercise this week has been walking on my breaks at work. That is 20 minutes a day, five days a week. Next week, I am going to try adding sit-ups when I get home. Ab exercises are my least favorite thing because I can't seem to do them without making my neck hurt. I know that I am supposed to focus the exertion in my abdomen, but I can't help pulling myself up with my neck muscles because my ab muscles are so weak. I have a balance ball and it helps a bit, but I suspect that I am too heavy for it. When I get on it, I squish it into an egg shape. It doesn't look like that when the instructors on TV use one!

I must get some new soap. The deodorant soap bar that has been in the bathroom for the past week reminds me of man-sweat. Now, before you say "Ewww!", that isn't necessarily a bad thing. When ABM comes in from mowing the lawn smelling of this soap and hard work, all I want to do is jump his bones. It smells great on him. On me, it is not a ladylike aroma. Unfortunately, I am completely out of my magnolia-scented body wash. Time to call my Avon Lady!

Podcast Talk: Marina; iTunes problems

I tried a couple of the Marina exercise podcasts last week. The music isn't quite to my liking (think C & C Music Factory) but it is good for keeping you at a steady pace. She has podcasts for walking & aerobics, stretching & toning, and even a podcast for those chained to their desks. I have a walking partner, but I keep a show on my mp3 player for those days when I have to walk alone.

Downloading my podcasts with iTunes is not going as smoothly as I had hoped. When I open iTunes, it checks my feeds and then puts exclamation points next to half of them. I have to go in and click the Get button for each episode. Having all the shows on one page is more convenient than visiting each website, but I want the process to be a bit more automated.

There was a time that I didn't feel bad about the fact that I don't watch the news or read the paper because I knew that if something big happened I would find out about it. I have to admit that isn't likely to happen these days. If I accidentally end up on a political blog, it only takes a minute for me to be thoroughly confused.

When I was a kid, I heard news whether I wanted to or not because there were only three channels and they aired shows for everyone in the family with news breaks in between. Now with satellite and TiVo, I never have to watch anything that I don't want to see so I've edited news coverage right out of my life. We all have access to more information venues than ever before, but I find myself narrowing my focus. I think I am a bit dumber as a result.

My knowledge pool has grown stagnant and not just in the area of current events. At 16, I was pretty well-rounded for a teenager. I knew a lot about movies, music, and books -- not only the stuff that all the kids were interested in, but also stuff that was before my time. Recently, I've done a mental evaluation of myself and realized that I can't call myself a well-read person or a movie buff anymore. I go to the movie theater once a year and my husband watches more DVDs than I do. I couldn't tell you what is on the bestsellers' list right now. When people ask me what my hobbies are, I always say "reading, watchin movies, listening to music" but I can't do that anymore because it gets me into deep conversational waters where I can't swim. It is scary to wake up and find that you are not the same person anymore. What have I been doing with myself?

Nothing I ate today was particularly satisfying. I am down to one point and I am least 10 points' worth of hungry. There's nothing good to watch on TV and I am too tired to do housework. I would be sleeping right now if my kids weren't wide awake. Unfortunately they are still young enough to need supervision but too old to put up with going to bed while the sun is still shining.

I'm reading a book on the Harvey girls. This book came from the junior section of our library and I'm guessing that it is aimed at middle-schoolers, considering that there was mention made of prostitutes. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading light history books. When history books go heavy on the analysis, they lose me. I like a history book that reads almost like a novel. This is the kind of stuff that I was reading with M right before we quit homeschooling. I miss learning new things with her. Other parents seem to do enriching stuff outside of school, but I feel like she has enough homework and I don't want to bog her down with more. All of my kids have so much reading that is required for AR points that there isn't any time to read for fun. Can you tell that I am not ready for school to start next week?

This is a fun example of standardized tests being unable to peg me. If the tests has more than ten questions, then my answers seem to be all over the map. One of my jobs required a personality test and a week-long course where they determined whether each employee was more creative or analytical, more of a leader or follower, etc. They were four main categories represented by four sections on a page. They would put a point in a certain place in each section based on how much of that characteristic you possessed and then connect the dots. Most people had shapes that strongly pointed toward one particular characteristic; I had a square because my points were smack in the midddle of each box! Chalk it up to my vague, unassuming nature :-).

Squib You scored 8% Slytherin, 40% Ravenclaw, 36% Gryffindor, and 32% Hufflepuff!

Are you sure that you belong at Hogwarts? You show no defined personal characteristics and therefore no house preference. Perhaps you should seriously consider a lucrative career in dentistry or tax preparation -- or allow the Sorting Hat to redetermine your place at a later date.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 2% on Slytherin You scored higher than 70% on Ravenclaw You scored higher than 22% on Gryffindor You scored higher than 50% on Hufflepuff

Link: The Sorting Hat Test written by leeannslytherin on OkCupid Free Online Dating

Health Update

It's the return of the tracker! I've been avoiding the scale for a while, but I'll be stepping on it every week now that I've joined Weight Watchers. There's no use in keeping the bad news all to myself :-).

Yesterday was my first full day of WW, and I already faced my three biggest challenges: night time snacking, eating out, and entertaining. NotMissy and I had plans to watch movies at my house. When we made the date, we weren't doing WW so I had planned to pig out on Papa John's and make some special non-alcoholic mixed drinks. We spent at least 30 minutes yesterday poring over the restaurant guide, trying to figure out the most delicious meal we could get and stay within our points. We ended up getting grilled chicken sandwiches and I'm glad; they turned out to be more filling than two slices of veggie pizza. Still, it was difficult not to go in the kitchen while we were watching the movies and grab a snack. Every time I thought about a snack, I took another sip of water and knit another few rows. I have a feeling that I will be doing a lot of knitting over the next few weeks!

The exercise went well this week, but I'm starting to feel the desire to add in more. My supervisor has gotten stricter on us as far as break time, so I'm getting about 20 minutes of walking a day at work (10 minutes less than before). I'm thinking about adding some crunches and weight exercises while I watch TV at night.

I attended my first WW meeting this evening. It was short and relatively painless. The Tools for Living are a bit much for me because I think of losing weight as more practical than emotional. I joined WW to have a place to weigh in and to pick up some tips on healthy cooking or healthy restaurants in town. I have experienced periods of low self-esteem in my life but they haven't been connected to my weight, so tools like the Positive Self-Talking in this context seem strange to me.

The presenter was very pleasant. She really seemed to believe in all the Tools for Living stuff because she sounded less rehearsed when she discussed it. I didn't feel any pressure to buy anything, which was something I had read about on a few websites. I will probably sign up for the eTools to have more access to recipes but I don't see myself buying any of the smoothie mixes or snack items.

One thing I noticed is that everyone in my meeting seemed to be old. There was a lot of white hair in that room, including on the presenter. There was also a lot of white skin in that room; there was only one other black woman besides me. Testosterone was definitely lacking in the room, but I expected that.

My buddy feels like this is her last chance. Unlike me, she is very down on her self. She is a beautiful woman who thinks that she is fat and ugly and hides behind big hair and too much makeup. She is a Lifetime member who has quit and gone back several times since the '90s. In the year that I've known her, I've seen her jump from one plan to another, trying to find that magic bullet. She admits that she gets bored easily and doesn't know how long she is going to be able to sit through meetings, especially since she has heard it all before. I have the feeling that I am going to be her rock more than she will be mine, but that's OK. I'm a twisted person, so I seem to do better at something if I am teaching or encouraging someone else.

Well, I am off to clean my house and read the Turnaround booklet. I still haven't decided which plan to follow, Flex or Core. Somehow, I don't think that lunch in the work caf is going to fit into either plan.

I can now breathe a sigh of relief

The second go-round in the wash seems to have done the trick. The Ralph Lauren top is still wet but the stain appears to be gone. Thanks to Lisa who admonished me NOT to rub because I was ready to scrub away if this last trip through the wash didn't work.

I guess I was a bit obsessive about the top because I had some cool vintage clothes when I was around M's age that were given to me by my Nana and I treated them like rags. I didn't realize what I had until years later. A 15-year-old doesn't have the proper appreciation for a silk Pierre Cardin suit.

Seeing your daughter spill pizza sauce on a Ralph Lauren top is painful. The fact that you only paid a dollar for said top at Goodwill doesn't make the experience any less painful. I've spent more time trying to rescue this top tonight than I ever spend on any of my laundry. I hope that I can get it clean because we would never be able to afford a top like this brand-new.

Did I finish the last minute gift? Of course not. After trying Hush-Hush twice and Sitcom Chic twice, I am sitting here with the toe of one sock and no hope of finishing the pair before tomorrow morning. I guess I'm just going to treat the birthday girl to lunch.

If I had been thinking clearly, I could have used my knit-along project as a birthday gift. One of my co-workers is a new knitter who was working on her very first project when I met her. After browsing through several of my knitting magazines (yes, I am an enabler), she decided she wanted to do a felting project. Since I've never felted, either, I figured it would be a good project for a knit-along. We are using the felted bag pattern from the 2005 issue of Knit-It. I didn't even notice that pattern when I flipped through the magazine. I have riches at my fingertips and I don't even know it!

Health Update

Nothing much has changed. I'm avoiding the scale, but I feel that I haven't lost any weight. The exercise walks seem to be going well, though. My legs have been sore for several days this week, probably due to the increased pace set by the exercise podcast that I have been using.

ABM is still avoiding bread and sugar, although he insists that he isn't doing a low-carb diet. He avoids the scale even more than I do. Although he knows that two pounds a week is a healthy and reasonable weight loss, he gets disappointed when he sees the scale moving so slowly. It is easier on him to weigh once a month.

I'm very proud of ABM right now because he has started exercising in the gym they have at work. In the past his excuse has been that he gets too sweaty and doesn't want to use the showers. I guess he has gotten over that. I'm glad because it is a shame to have a free gym available and not use it.

I am craving PIZZA!

Cheese Pizza

Traditional and comforting. You focus on living a quality life. You're not easily impressed with novelty. Yet, you easily impress others.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep

Late last night, I decided to switch gears and cast on for Sitcom Chic using some brilliant blue Peruvian Highland Wool from Elann that I won a few months ago. Did I bother to check the yardage required for the size I want? Of course not! I said to myself, "The pattern calls for six balls of yarn and I've got six balls of yarn", and away I went. I was flying along on the pattern during the morning meeting when logic set in. As soon as I got to my desk, I pulled up Knitty and I only have HALF of the required yardage. A-pattern hunting I will go, again :-(.

I am insane!

I have not even finished half an inch on Hush-Hush. I had to cast on twice to get a neat first row. There are so many stitches that I had to use markers, and I still think I cast on too many. On top of that, I only have six days to knit this gift instead of nine. Right now I am considering whether I should give up on Hush-Hush and cast on for Sitcom Chic instead. I've read over the pattern and it looks like a quicker knit. Perhaps I will see how much I can accomplish before bedtime. If I have to frog this cast on again, I'm switching!

Podcast Talk: The Word Nerds

The Word Nerds is exactly what the title implies: a weekly podcast for people who love to get down and dirty with the origins of our everyday language. Dave Shepherd is the tech guy (or Node Nerd, as he refers to himself) who records the podcasts and he is usually joined by either Howard Chang in studio or Howard Shepherd via Skype. It didn't take Dave long to smooth out the production of this show. By the fifth episode, it started sounding like something found on NPR. His delivery smoothed out a bit as well, although he still tends to ramble a bit when he is doing the show by himself.

Howard Shepherd is Dave's brother. He lives in Asheville, NC where he is a high school English teacher. He is well-spoken with a delivery that reminds me a bit of a minister. Considering that his father is a minister, this isn't far off the mark. His segments with his brother Dave sound like a genial game of Dueling Dictionaries as they pick a word or category of words and consult several sources to determine the origins.

About halfway through each 30-minute podcast, just as your brain is about to explode with all its newfound knowledge, Dave is merciful and introduces the listeners to a song that he discovered on GarageBand. His taste leans toward jazz and jazz-flavored pop, which also adds to the NPR feel. My playlist is filled with gaming podcasts and they always seem to play headbanging music with a screaming frontman, so the female voices that Dave features are a welcome change.

Another regular feature is the Rude Word of the Week. Here the WNs usually focus on a word that used to be very rude but is now part of everyday parlance, such as schmuck. It was interesting to learn the etymology of the word crap and to hear the reaction of Dave's students when they found out what they were meant to be sucking when someone tells them, "You suck!"

Last but not least, there is Howard Chang, the lawyer-turned-Latin teacher. Ah, Howard Chang! I could listen to that man talk all day. His words just flow effortlessly. If he is reading from note cards, I can't tell. He sounds as though all this knowledge is committed to memory. He makes learning about words playful and sexy. I briefly took Latin in junior high, but I bet I would have stuck with it if he had been my teacher.

I have one word of caution about this show. If you usually listen to podcasts by streaming them straight from the website, you may have a bit of a problem. The site takes a while to load, especially when I tried to access the archives. You will experience less frustration if you subscribe to the RSS feed.

Weight Watchers; Crazy Knitting

Thanks to those of you that shared your positive comments about Weight Watchers. Some opinions on the internet have me worried about upselling at the meetings, so I will talk to NotMissy about the meetings in detail when she comes back from vacation. Counting points still sounds like a bit of work to me, but when I was counting calories it became second nature once I got going. Perhaps WW will be the same way.

Every knitter has been caught up in the gift-knitting delusion. You know what I mean: someone's birthday is fast approaching and you talk yourself into believing that you can knit a sweater in two days. Well, I have fallen into this trap more than once. This time, I am attempting to knit Hush-Hush in nine days. If you aren't familiar with the pattern, that is 360 stitches of fingering weight yarn knit in the round on size 2s for about 35 inches. For my non-knitting friends, it is like trying to knit a nightie for an adult using toothpicks and dental floss. If I can get past the feather and fan lace on the bottom by tomorrow, then I might have a shot at finishing it.