lite book week (w some fibrey stuff)

I didn’t finish that much this past week. I have a midterm due tonight. We won’t discuss the hour I went to bed (it was before E woke up, but not by much). It’s my own doing. In good news, E says that my writing has improved since the beginning of the term. I didn’t think it could get worse, so that’s a plus. :)

[warning: my english speaking brain cells are sleeping. proceed at your own risk. what is below will not make much sense. i like to write “we’ll see” when I’m tired. Oh and I ask for some Rhinebeck advice. I will go back and edit this post as I see fit (or not). It may become more or less coherent as time progresses. You’ve been warned.]

Charmed Destinies by Mercedes Lackey, Rachel Lee, and Catherine Asaro. Ok. I generally leave the library books with hearts on them for my mum, but as this was at least partially by Ms Lackey I made an exception. I enjoyed her story and Catherin Asaros. It was nice to have a silly fun completely shut your mind off book to read this weekend. I did make more progress in Shadow of the Lion but I’m not there yet. We’ll see.

Knowledge Unplugged: The McKinsey & Company global survey on knowledge management by Jürgen Kluge et al. Ok. Part of this book just right annoyed me (it’s for school). First, if you buy it list price, it’s bloody expensive. Second, it’s typeset with a sans-serif font and large spacing. Oy. I didn’t even write my mid-term with proportions like that. I’d be embarassed. Otherwise? I’m not really sure the point. There are other journals out there with equally credible (or more) surveys and case studies (I think). ::shrug::.

Knitting Nature by Norah Gaugham. :) While I can’t really see myself wearing many of these designs, it pleased my mathematical mind to see how the constructs could fit together. The Snapping Turtle Skirt (p 30), Serpentine Coat (p 136), and Vortex Street Pullover (p 152) drew my eye. We’ll see. I love the math though! I’m such a nerd sometimes.

Speaking of nerd-i-ness, geeknoob and i are the same age for the next couple of weeks and last week I finally gave her part of her birthday present (I’m still working on the rest). So what did she do? She gave me part of mine! And such fun! This weekend I read one of them, The Joy of Tech by Nitrozac and Snaggy. You see, I love comics. One couldn’t used to get between a computer and me and my comics in the morning. I’ve slowly trained myself (and through the use of RSS feeds) to not have to check them first thing in the morning. (UserFriendly, AppleGeeks, Unshelved, Kevin and Kell, SixChix, ForBetter or for Worse, Megatokyo, Mutts, Baby Blues, On the Fast Track, among others). Thank you for a fun break!

Ok. Knit stuff. Fibrey stuff. Sunday. Rhinebeck. First i’m a square. I’m not sure what I’ll be wearing or what time we’re getting there. I’m aiming for 10ish. I’ll probably have a khaki ball cap on (probably Columbia else a navy MDSWF). PG will be poking out from my bag. She will have a leash tied to her wing. I don’t trust that little girl… She’ll also be guarding my wallet, which could be a bad move on my part. We’ll see. E will be there probably in a black windbreaker (if it’s chilly) and his camera. He’ll probably be by the sheep totally enthralled and taking hundreds of pics. Especially since this time he has digital (last Thursday he developed another roll from MDSWF).

Here’s the deal. I’m under MASSIVE budget (not least because E and I haven’t discussed it yet). I need to find:

1. laceweight for mum and MIL that are different enough yet in colours I’ll knit. (Or ample amounts of fingering) and a pattern to go with. I think I can do swallowtail, but I’d like something simple yet striking. I don’t want to have to swatch. I like triangles. Actually it doesn’t need to be that fine-weight-wool/fancy. These will be *worn* for warmth. I’m actually wondering if a pocketed shawl wouldn’t be a bad idea. Thoughts? Budget!!
2. Intro to fibre/spinning for an idiot. A nice woman at The Yarn Tree this summer enabled me with a huge-hunking bottomwhorl Schacht spindle (it was the cheapest, and I didn’t have any dowels at the time for CD spindles) and 3 oz (total) of Corridale cross wool (2oz of one bag, 1 oz of the other). They look the same pretty much to me so I’m not sure why I walked out with two different bags. ::shrug:: I don’t get it. Ok, the very nice woman was not the spinner so I didn’t get a lesson and I just haven’t gotten back there since (their schedule + my schedule do not work to well right now). *sigh*. I’m going to try to take a spinning book (or three) back out from the library but I don’t k now if it’s worth it. I’m not coordinated enough. Part of me would love a wheel, but why spent all that money (I don’t have) if I don’t even have the time to knit what I have?
3. sock yarn for E. in boy colors. He’s got a smallish (men’s 8?) foot, but likes his socks normal boy socks. While he’s a good boy and reads labels, I don’t. Thus superwash for the sanity of all involved.
4. Something nice for my patient tea swap pal who hasn’t gotten my package yet (she’s in BC) and well, not a big loss as it’s definitely LACKING. I’ll blame my sinuses. Anyway, she collects spindles (they breed when she isn’t looking), and real purples, and is waiting for someone to find her some Regia bamboo.

It’s going to be a packed day. I’m also going to meet up with two clients before heading home. I can’t wait!

Last if you can find the small part of the birthday surprise which went missing and i *KNOW* i knit a few weeks ago, please tell it to come home. I need it. Not immediately, but very soon. Hopefully by tomorrow. It’s probably out playing with my box of ziploc bags (the quart size). *sigh*

• Category: books, handmade
• Tag: knit