Blah

I've been a slug for the past few weeks. Come Friday I'm so burned I just don't want to do anything. I usually sleep through Saturday, literally. I think part of it is the stress of working on the retreat, but I wonder if its time to see the shrink again. Just so you know I was diagnosed Manic-Depressive back when I was 17 I think. I stopped taking medication because some idiot convinced me and I haven't been too bad. But a few weeks ago it got really bad for no reason. It got better when I figured out a pattern and got a little taste of success, but I worry that my lethargy could be related. I just hate doctors. It also doesn't help that one of my issues is being terrified of people and places I don't know. Maybe venting to the internet will help. I do feel better about the aunt thing. Getting feedback from people and especially from my sister who I thought would hate me for saying that was a giant relief. I cant wait for Tahoe, 4th of July. Mostly I cant wait for summer. I hate this cold rainy crap weather. When I get rich I'm totally having a "winter" home in Australia or something. So I'll never have to deal with winter again. Besides I'm not a big wool fan, silk is my favorite to crochet with and that works fine for summer wear. By the way I'm working on the Tilli Tomas scarf, I highly recommend had winding the yarn. I wound both on a ball winder, the first at home nice and slow, but the second I did at work while waiting to go to the yarn swap and I think I rushed it. The thread the beads are on is broken in a couple places so I had to pull out parts of the yarn and I'll weave ends in later. That's what I get for being impatient.

Spin

I just saw a great movie. Thank You for Smoking. Aaron Eckhart,previously seen in such craptastic movies as Deep Blue Sea and The Core(guilty pleasures for me), is the chief lobbyist for Big Tobacco, and he can sell anything. Wackiness ensues, I highly recommend.

Also, just in case some of you did not get the memo...

Fun Fur hats (you know the ones that look like a dead muppet wrapped around your head) are out. I know there was a little SNAFU back there with communication, but you have now been informed.

So now that that's out of the way, my older sister is pregnant. She's old enough and it the right time and all that so that's not what I'm worried about. But yet I worry. I worry a lot. Ok this will sound weird, but it starts with dreams I've had. Anytime I'm having a dream where I'm pregnant, the baby isnt mine. I know that sounds like the Blonde joke, (Blonde goes to the doctor she says "You're pregnant", Blonde says "Are you sure it's mine?") but that's how it is. So I thought about it and If it isnt mine I'm likely surrogating, and the only person I would surrogate for is Sara. So when she told me she was pregnant part of me was worried that my dream would come true. I don't wish any harm on Figgy (see her blog) its a totally retarded worry. But then I have the real worries which I think are being covered up by the silly one. I don't like children. I never have. They drove me nuts when I was a child , all the whining and tantrums.. I worry that I wont be a good aunt cuz they'll annoy me. I was at Kaiser yesterday to get my depo shot, and I swear every time I go, there is someone there with a reason for me to continue getting it forever. This time it was a pair of hellions that ran and ran and screamed and threw paper at people and jumped on the chairs and tables and supposedly this was cute. I don't get it. Then when they left these 2 ladies were talking about their family, and this woman's brother doesn't visit her son enough. He's single and lives on his own and I guess because he must have so much time on his hands and can sleep in on weekends he should come over and see this very small child. They didn't understand this. Am I going to be this person my sister complains about because I'm not ooey gooey over her child? I have no doubt that I will love Figgy, but I don't know that Ill be able to handle a relationship with a child. I babysat once in my life, it wasn't fun. I know that most of the problems I have with other peoples children wont happen with Sara & Richard's baby. They aren't stupid, they don't like screaming babies in rated R movies @10pm any more than I do. I don't know. This bothers me. I want to be the cool aunt that they go to when "mom or dad is being mean to me" and make it all better with ice cream, pizza and movies they aren't supposed to watch, but I just don't know if I can do it.

My DeDe

This is DeDe, (short for Deanna) she thinks you smell funny. She is my craftkitten, she was actually born at my work. We rescued her and her cute siblings from a tiny space behind a board covering some pipes near the front of the store. She's the best thing to happen in awhile. She helped my cat Magick have fun, and she even plays with her; (Magick never played with anyone) Anyway I took this yesterday and couldnt resist posting it.

I've got a digital camera. FEAR ME!

Here's my winnings from the swap! Im happy. The orange and green yarn is a wool kinda like Cascade 220 but handdyed. It happens to match a bunch of other yarns I have for a garment, SO I'll just have to use this to make a matching felted bag! Tho there's alot of it so it will be a BIG bag. The Knit Picks yarn is a furry alpaca blend that looks like a hairy mohair but its UBER soft, I might keep it or Ill give it to my sister. The Turquoise one is a loopy mohair boucle, the lavendar is I think a silk boucle, and the peach is a nice chenille. I also got a vintage Crocheting & Knitting book by Better Homes & Gardens from the 70s. Mary was looking at it and didnt give it back tho. >=T I plan on giving that to my sister since she collects Vintagy stuff like that.

This is my current project, it's Tilli Tomas' Ritz, Im using 2 balls to make a spiral scarf. Yummy handspun silk with beads & metallic thread. Of course one of my cats, Gato has found it. He's got an unnatural attraction to expensive yarn. His biggest lust is for Lorna's Laces. Anyway Im using an I hook (I recommend wood if you have it, the sound of metal sliding on glass beads is like nails on a chalkboard.) Ch 127 work 2 dc in each st on every row. So far im just starting the 3rd row, dunno how far I'll get.



This is my first original amigurumi pattern. Im teaching this at the retreat. The yarn is Fiesta "Chinchilla" color: Cinnamon. Unfortunately they've discontinued this yarn just as I discovered how much I like it. That's my Magick with the amigurumi, isn't she beautiful? The spots on her back form a pentacle, hence the name. =)







This is a Sea Star amigurumi out of Filatura Brilla held double, I wanted to do some sea themed one since the retreat is in Carmel-by-the-Sea. A friend from work said I should do this, next I want to try a Sea Horse.

I think that's all the stuff I've got for tonight... Bye!

Yarn swappage!

Tonight is the joint Knitter/Crocheter meetup Yarn Swap. Im excited, I have a huge bag full of stuff i dont want anymore, the majority of it I bought at the memorial day sale that KA had when I first started there, i went nuts and bought stuff I still havent used and dont plan on using lots of anny blatt that is too thin for me, and some novelty stuff Im over, Trendsetter Aura and a hank of Prism Merlyn which is a spakly fur yarn and other things. I hope Ill be able to get something decent in return but Im such a yarn snob Im not sure I will. One of the things im bringing I got at the last swap and just didnt like.. Maybe there will be some felting stuff..

2nd published pattern in South West Trading Co. Phoenix.

First published pattern. Done in Rowan Cashsoft Aran.

First Blog

Well Im a newbie at this so hopefully it wont suck. Im currently pigging out on a whole bag of Safeway portabella mushroom raviolis. I didnt eat much today I worked from 10-6 then there was my Crochet meetup, that went till 9 so I think I deserve mass quantities of food. Im really digging my current crop of crocheters in the group. It's taken me a long time but Im getting there. Now if I could only get them to rsvp correctly! Yes means YES I AM COMING. Maybe is for people who might flake. I dont mind if your schedule is fluid, thats what the maybe is there for!
Anyway Im currently in the middle of preparing for the annual retreat in Carmel the last weekend of april. Im teaching 3 classes, Crochet Edges, Crochet Summer Hats, and Amigurumi. Im most excited about the amigurumi. So far Ive made a cute kitten all curled up, one out of Lorna's Laces "Revelation" and one with Fiesta's "Chinchilla". Yes, I made toys out of expensive yarn, Im a yarn snob and not afraid to admit it. Im currently trying a starfish out of Filatura "Brilla" held double. I think it will be nice. Then the big challenge will be, a Seahorse also in Brilla. I have no clue how Im going to do it but here's to it!