I Like My Coffee Like Me: Bitter.

So I picked up the Snow Tigers and knit the first 3 rows of colourwork. The gaps between fingers looked worse on this one, I can't remember if I did anything different last time... It was the first time I've even touched yarn since Saturday, but I don't seem to have forgotten how to knit... I don't think my knitting mojo is fully back though.



And because this is in the background of that photo, I figured I may as well show it. It's ink on canvas board. I did a few like it, just started smooshing the ink around with a scruddy old brush until I got an idea, then ran with it and started refining the image. Until a few days ago, it was buried under a huge pile of junk on my floor. Normally I am never happy with my 'real' art work (I do not consider my knitting to be art, it is something else), but this guy makes me grin for some odd reason. I think it is his eyebrows, nose and teeth. Hmm, I also unearthed a small series of ink drawings I did last year in my French class (and one or two in English). I don't know if they are really what anyone who reads this are into, but I might put them up over the next few days, as I kind of want to do something with them.

Red Riding Hood as The Thrice Told Tale: An Apparently Alliterative And Assonant Analysis

I just handed a paper in today, and save for a physiotherapy appointment and some scrambling to get some preliminary research cobbled together for a course on Friday, I shall have some time to knit and to blog. I hope. I have been feeling really... not terribly well put together lately, which has impacted school, and of course, knitting. The first Snow Tiger is done, as are the knucks of the second (which are joined, and waiting for me to show some love and get going on the colourwork). I am still very much worried that they will not fit, but time will tell.

I really like this idea by Shash over at Mecozy. I hope to give it a go (maybe make it a recurring theme if I like), and I hope you all try it as well. http://mecozy.blogspot.com/2007/01/wanna-play.html

I promise to try to make this blogspace a little more interesting in the forseeable future.

Meow. Meow? Meow!

Oh, what's that over there?

What is it that I see? Could it... it IS!

A snow tiger! Incredibly rare in these climes, but not entirely unheard of, they are always a sight to behold. The majesty, the grace, the *slips on ice*. Well, more of a snow kitten at this point.

I will save the well-lit, detail oriented shots until I get through the thumb gusset (going to start it tonight), but since I am adding colourwork into a solid-colour item I need to graph out the stupid gusset (first I've ever knit) to make sure the decreases don't mess up the striping. And today gives me reason to be meek and not trust this project, so we shall see. Adieu!

6/8

So I am sorry for the inundation of photos of one project, I do this all the time I know, it is my monogamous knitter self coming out. I will try to break it up, go easy on y'all, can't have you getting bored! This shouldn't be TOO difficult, because, once February (I love that word) rolls around, I will be participating in Project Spectrum 2.0, hooray! I don't know how much of a craft colour thing it will be for me, as my crafting is limited, but I do have some ideas, and this is the kind of project that really fires me up (and I followed it avidly last year).

Anyway, today's knitting content is the fact that I believe to have met gauge for the Princeton Knucks. I ended up doubling the yarn for a really dense and squooshy fabric (and I hear it gets cold there, so I'm not worried), the fabric I was getting from single-stranding was just getting way too light for my taste as I kept going up needle sizes to meet gauge, but we shall see. I think Ms. H. and I have settled on an acceptable design (but I'm going to review that because you know, midnight sketches and IM ideas aren't always the best) and it is sufficiently tiger-y without being tacky (no Fair Isle Princeton crests).

In short, if I can keep the energy levels up long enough to have this finished in good time... I am excited! Yay! Shiny! *runs off to chase yarn*
















(The ceramic piece in this photo is a little Greenman made by my aunt years ago. She may drive me crazy like my mother [her sister] but there is no denying the fact that they are both incredibly talented artists. And I love Greenmen, they are adorable.)

Lies, lies, they are all lies!

Well, the colours in these photos at least (are unthruthful, for those who don't read blog post titles). It is all a little red or yellow, but you see, I have been busy, and social, and busy, and busy, and hi, I'm Michael and I have the attention span of a gnat on speed and the organisational skills of a pineapple (nothing against pineapples, but they aren't know for being well organized). My point is, I never remember to take photos of things in the daylight, so I am stuck with poorly light shots on my shoddy little desk (which is going to be replaced with a nice big table, which I can actually work at, and I am so excited).

Likewise, The Helm is done, has been done for two days and has been worn for two days (and oh my bubbeleh , the double-thick brim is sooooo nice and warm right now) and as a result, I have no pictures I am willing to share. Yet. They will come, as my weekend is free enough to find some time I hope.

Oh, as an aside, the black and orange (which is more of a slightly dirty orange) are supposed to turn into Princeton Knucks, if I can figure the gauge out (and that deserves it's own rant, maybe tomorrow). I hope I got the orange close enough to Princeton orange, so if there are any Tigers out there, let me know when I upload the good photos, eh?

Hello January

Heh, it's resolution and list season! Neither of which I really do, but I do set goals.

Planned Knitting (in possibly chronological order)

• Pirate Mittens for Mr. vonA.
  
• Princeton Mittens for Ms. H.
  
• The (stupid...) Helm for me.
  
• Fingerless(?) Mittens for me.

Potential Knitting (in no order)

• A sweater, maybe for me (I am a large guy, it would not be cheap).
• Lace, probably not for me.
• Socks, likely some for me, and some not.
• A murse, I could use a new one (that would be a man-purse [or a messenger/satchel bag], NOT a male nurse).
• Something felted.
• An Angst Cozy (patent pending).
• More Swatch Monsters.
• That's Enough For Now, As I Will Be Eating This Later, I Know, And Besides, I Need a New Job Before I Can Even THINK Of Buying More Yarn.

More Me-lists.

• Get in The Shape (I know, everyone says it, but I need to, and have [hopefully] the motivation).
• Make friends! (Last term was very encouraging academically, but I am starting to feel lonely)
• A job, I need a new one to buy yarn. Also see below.
  
• Travel (I would like to fly out East, dip down into Princeton, then take my time and train back across Canada. Also, there is a potential road-trip down the West Coast into the States, maybe as fat as San Francisco or something, which might take place next Christmas, but it's on the radar).
• Get my driver's license (I have had my 'L' for just over a year, I don't want to get it, but it's time to do it). Also see above.
• Floss.
  

That's all really that comes to mind, I am a simple person. Random, irrelevant goals/semi-lists include, and are not limited to: growing a full beard (either I'm clever or lazy. Mostly I'm curious what it will look like.), really getting down with some art (something I always mean to do, but it's not terribly important), successfully keep up with Embodiment (didn't make it last year), cook like a bandit (and compile my cookbook), move out (this should be on the other list, but it is highly unlikely), decide on my Undergraduate major (also, that should be on the other list, but it's not really something I can not get done, they make sure of that, so it goes here).
That is all.

Hope you all have a great year.

2007

Hope y'all have a safe and enjoyable New Year's Eve.

And here's hoping my knitting mojo comes back to me soon.