Writing practice

She was exhausted, two more miles to go and she would be home. Well to he new apartment. Hopefully it would be more homey AFTER the boxes were unpacked and all of her furniture arrived. Selene was turning 30 this week. A new decade deserved a new start she decided. So she packed all her things that would fit in her Celica and sent the rest with a moving van to ______ Oklahoma. A small Midwestern town, cozy and a bit Mayberry in it's quaintness. Just perfect for her mission. Finding a husband, now rest assured our dear Selene had far More planned for herself, but this was her primary objective. She had already taken out a small business loan and found the perfect storefront for her other lifelong dream; A bakery. NOt just a sweets shop with overpriced coffees and frosting laden cupcakes, But a true honest to goodness Bakery. Fresh loaves of pumpernickel and french breads, buttery warm croissants, and of course the cakes. Cakes were Selene's passion, she spend hours mapping and drawing out her designs on crisp sketch paper. tumbling cascades of ivy, with stawberries and sugar paste blossoms. Dainty white chocolate lines dancing across the sides of a rich dark chocolate frosted cake, filled with champagne maranaided strawberry jam. She kept them all in a leather bound journal her father gave her for her graduation present. The rich scent of it's oiled cover and the warmth of the memory of the gift always made her careful to only put the best of her ideas into it's precious pages. Now she would finally have a place to bring these confectionary dreams to life. As she pulled into the parking space in front of the bakery Selene took it all in. A modest brick two story, her apartment would be upstairs so that she could get the earliest start on her baking. Sweet smelling gardenias potted in large urns out front, and a striking white spiral staircase to one side with matching white shutters on the large front windows. She closed her eyes invisioning how perfect it would all look once the cakes and pastries were all laid out in the window case. Oh yes, she thought, what a wonderful start it would be.

Ladder wrap pattern

per Ravelry I am posting my ladder wrap pattern here :
CO 18 sts with 8 YO's (once every two sts)
1:(k2,yo)
2:(p2,yo)rep.
thats it and b.o. when the yarn ball ends.![alt text][1]


Also I am adding my pattern for Hot flames Man sweater:


I used one each of the classic wool. The flame design on the bottom is a reverse of the “hot rod socks” graph by PinkLemon aka Melanie Gibbons. It was the best one to match my husband’s flame cane. And I liked it much better than the ones I came up with.
on each piece you will leave off 2 sts on one end. hence 3.8 and 6.8 repeats on pattern
note this on your graph to keep the pattern in order.
Front C.O. 45 sts in red for FRS and FLS rep flames 2.8x . @ 17 in. B.O. 2sts (5x) over 10r K side for right and P side for left. @20.5 In. B.O. 1st (6x) over 12r, P side for right front,K side for left front. K four rows then B.O. or hold all(24sts)

Back C.O. 110 for back in red. follow flame patt. 6.8x
at 17in B.O. 10 sts on each side ;then 2 sts every opposite row(5x) continue to 22in you will B.O. for neck shaping:B.O. 8 sts, then 1 st(6x) left side then knit to 24 in. hold sts. (25 sts)
Sleeves : C.O. eight and knit 24 rows ,crochet seam to BLS and FLS with matching yarn ;each row to a b/f st. with one Bst. left>just st two tog.
P.U. sts around sleeve hole(75sts ttl.) on B&F knit in the round to 1in before wrist bone. begin: k1sl1 round, Kall round, repeat for 2 in. B.O.

Once sweater is seamed, add a 2-4 inch red bottom by:P.U. all bottom sts. (K1,Sl1),( P knit sts and knit sl sts. ) rep. 2 rows to prevent rolling.

the finished sweater will have a zip front and a k1sk1, p1 k1( as sleeves) collar for stiffness
and possibly side pockets If I can figure out how I want them.

So lazy,

Here I go again tryin to re-vamp this thing. really it's not that I'm lazy so much as I have other things I need to do and of course sharing my life on the webbernets just weirds me out a bit. I mean I'm not that interesting. BUT I am off gardening again, I just can't give up on it. Fortunately every year I seem to get better at it. Four butternut squash, A dozen large tomatoes so far, three banana peppers and four watermelons, An enormous amount of basil And the rest of tomatoes, bell peppers, and squashes haven't come out yet. It all seems to be going or GROWING slowly, I gave up on the organic thing, mainly because I'd actually LIKE to eat something and not watch the bugs slowly devour the pathetic little wannabes.
Still nothing new on PG's back injury. edit for anonymity
I finished my Solas Caohm(IC-SPRING09) for the bookstore baby. It's not quite up to the pattern but I ran out of yarn and this thing is plenty big as is. I used chunky yarn. I want to make another one soon, in cotton and up to pattern standards, but first I have to adjust the pockets on PG's sweater since they're not big enough. Durn giant hands. Then I have to add to the bottom and sleeves of Cait's sweater from last year so it'll fit this year. I wonder if I'll have a chance to make me a sweater this year, or maybe if I'm really lucky I'll get to start on a shawl.

Social distance and yarncakes

Ever had a day where you just don't want to do anything but laze about and enjoy the day? Today is one of those days. Crisp and cool, the clouds are just right, And empty needles just begging for a new project.
Unfortunately there are also a pile of dishes begging to be washed as well. Not to mention the roll of decimated TP the cats have strewn through the dining room. No lazing today. But like I said I did finish all my projects. I do have one thing on my 3.5 circs, a mini cozy from some free yarn I got last year with my chenille. It's a shimmery silver grey fibre of unknown breed. I'm guessing acrylic, but man does that stuff felt if you get briers stuck to it. My favorite thing about it besides the shimmeryness is that it came in cake form. I love yarn cakes. They're so cute and compact, they don't come apart nearly as badly as skeins or balls. I'd like to find out how to cake a skein, so if anyone out there knows how, feel free to share.
I want to start up an atheist/agnostic group meetup locally, but I don't want to be disappointed like I was with the fibre group. I don't think I can take another epic fail in the social dept. I get tired of being let down by people and my belief that they care. The more I interact in the wild the more I pull inward and isolate myself. I think my expectations are perhaps a bit high of people in general. I expect them to be like me, and majorativly they are not. At least not here in my real life area. Plus people want interaction, sometimes I don't want to make an effort to call/visit every week. Sometimes I crave the quiet. Most people see that as I don't want to interact at all, and I seem distant. SO I don't form bonds as easily as a more invasive person. I'm always on the borders, skirting the edge of socialness And not. I don't like to dive in and get dirty, At least not right away. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but then again I may be wrong.

Fall planting

Hello world, Been really busy, and slightly less social this month. I tend to get in moods, jaded by the world around me and I shut out other s. But on the positive side I have been very busy within my little sphere. I have 6 southern pea plants growing off my northern side of the house, hopefully they will be ripe for harvest before the freeze in late dec. One good thing about living in the south is the frost is very late and often brief. I have about a dozen Italian lettuce fledglings due for harvest in the next 6 weeks, and my tomatoes are practically falling off my accidental plant. the ones I actually planted are in a sorry state and the ones that are in good shape have only given off 3-5 decent toms. the greens are in varying states, the older crop is nearing harvest and the babies are about 1/2 inch tall, so maybe some nice turnips for thanksgiving. My mints are outstanding and probably the best crop I've got. But I am very optimistic about spring. The composts are huge and rich. I believe I will be able to double my crop in the spring now that I've got the hang of things.

For knitting I have a lot of projects on, Not really a lot finished. Cozy is 2/3 through, but I got distracted with My red and yellow socks which are my on the go project. The Cozy is just too large to take to the bus stop and lunch etc. I am on the last 12 rounds of the second sock. I have finished my fair Ilse top I started this last week. I made 3/4 sleeves that are ribbed from 1/2 to the end so I can turn them up if need and weather be. It's out on the line right now drying and blocking.
I have been really good at not buying any yarn since I am trying to save as much $$ as possible in the economic crisis. One can never be too cautious. Which is another reason why I am considering expanding my garden from merely play to sustainable levels. I must brag on my Clothes line, I saved 300kw hrs on my electric bill from line drying half my laundry on it. My only reasons to Not use it are rain and I must machine dry Physics Guy's laundry, as He hates the crispness. Which I LOVE.
I also learned how to change a tire, though It won't do me much good as I am not strong enough to turn the lugs unless I use a Hammer. I may consider tossing one in my trunk Just in case. Usually around here the local guys will feel sorry for me enough to help If I seem too pathetic, so I predict I won't need it(hopefully). I wish My health and upper body strength wasn't so shitty. Maybe I should bust the weight bench out of the closet, and some pain pills on the side. Since I know any training would send me into throes of pain. Let this be a lesson kiddies, drink your milk. Bones are important.
I think that's all for now. Don't want to use up all my words in one post.

drowning in 12ft of stupid

When did people become so incredibly dumb? We're now restricted to wading in the lake because 5 people have drown in the past 5 months. One of which was an 8 yr old child. I can't help but wonder where his parents were. Why were'nt they watching him. Especially if they knew he couldn't swim. My Girly is 6, she knows she can't swim, has no desire to go into water she can't walk in. Even if she did, I am right there to either help, or tell her no. What a concept. It is terrible that this boy has died, I am very sad for his parents. But when do people start taking personal responsibility for their actions instead of us having to bubble wrap the world for them? People are trying to restrict foods allowed in the workplace, Have succeeded in locking them out of most schools, what happens when They go to the market? gas masks and bio suits? When I lived up north there were SIGNS that said : "Do NOT lick the poles". People had to be TOLD not to lick poles. People forget their kids are on top of their car in the seat. forget them in the market, FORGET THEIR KIDS!?! When I first had Girly I was terribly scared that one day I too would forget her, like I'd heard of so many times. Never once have I forgotten her, only once have I even forgotten to buckle her in the car, and she did it herself(3 yrs). How do you forget you have a kid? or where you have placed it? I mean I guess I could see if you had like 8 or 9 of them and you didn't pick one up from school, cheer camp or something until well after pick up time. That's a lot of kids to keep up with. But on the 1 to 4 level? You can count them on one hand. DO not drink on the side of my shampoo? Why? I can't help but wonder if the dumbing down of people is some sort of sheep control thing. 'Make then stupid so they don't question anything we say.' sort of thing. but I'm not a conspiracy nutter, so I hope maybe it's just a freakish natural development of lazy that we will some day overcome. Hopefully.

Falling off the face of the Earth

Nope, I haven't done it. Summer is just A crazy hectic time, and really there's not much to blog of then. I'm attempting to get back in the habit now. Especially since PG has made his own blog. I don't really know what all or how much he'll have to say, but I feel i should write too just because... yes I know not too terribly mature, but I've had to be mature far too often so :P. Over the summer I have made pathetic attempts at gardening, made a clothes line to try and cut down the ever growing electric costs, Helped to control the pet population x2, and succeeded in pissing of my mother yet again. Yea me. I have currently 8 tomato plants a light sprinkle of greens( pitiful really) and seedlings for spinach, lettuce and basil. this is usually the final stage of growth for me. All the turnips -may they rest in peace- burnt to a crisp so I think later in the month I will try, try again. no raspberries, they failed on all fronts. my non edibles are getting on fabulously though. The caladiums are springing up new shoots almost every day, and my daisies haven't died yet. maybe by winter I will have a successful compost growing, and then I can mix it for spring planting and turn out a better crop.
On the knitting front I have gotten much done, busting about 5 lbs roughly of yarn into functioning wearables or cat snuggles(think security blankets. I have a lot of things in my queue on RAV that I may or may not finish this year, but I also have a lot of things in my head that I want to get done before Christmas/sol. I am learning to make soap, not from scratch but the glycerin and additives. I have three lovely bars on my counter cooling right now. If they go over well, I may start making them for the farmers market to sell along side some washcloths and such. Other than that my life has been just typical stuff really, and Off I go agian to live some more of it.