JenLa

Ponchos don’t kill people; people who knit ponchos kill people.

Apple of my Eye Candy

Filed under: Knit-along, Pets — La at 4:40 pm on Friday, December 29, 2006

Whoo! It’s Friday again! I just LOVE these 4-day weeks, don’t you? I think we should have them more often.

So there’s a bandwagon I’m jumping on right at the start of Double-Oh-Seven:


Well, since I’ve been kind of doing that for the last half of Two-thousand-sucks, I figured, why the hell not? I’ve got an entire credenza the length of my dining room crammed to overflowing with yarn, not to mention various baskets and boxes and cubbies all over the house. Now, to any respectable yarn ho, my “collection” would be meh, merely average, uninspiring; par for the course, but to the straights, it’s frightening, out of control, an obsession of epic proportion. And besides, Wendy does good Alongs.

So, to later avoid back-pedaling with statements like “I never said that”, “But what I meant was…” “They’re more guidelines than rules…”, I’m outting my rules for this Along for the entire population of Blogistan to see. Oh, and you enablers who pass themselves off as my friends? Yes, you know who you are. Yes I mean you and you and especially you…I challenge you to do the same.

Knit From Your Stash 2007: Guidelines RULES for La

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through June 30, 2007 — a period of six months.

2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2.a. Sock yarn does not count. Don’t believe me?

2.b. Yarn for Dyeing: Since the yarn I dye is sock yarn, it’s doubly indemnified.

2.c. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn, or an adequate substitute for, I may buy only enough yarn to knit that gift.

2.d. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase only enough to complete the project.

2.e. Yarn purchased out of state while traveling does not count. What if I were to come across any yarn stores (and by come across I mean, asking for LYS recommendations from fellow bloggers in the area and actively go out searching for said yarn stores) while we are in Colorado this summer? That’s souvenir yarn, that’s what it is, and it’s safe.

2.f. I am allowed to buy yarn if I join a Knit Along with a specific time goal for project completion, especially if said knit-along is hosted by a friend who extended a personal invitation.

2g. Since I signed up for the Sisterhood of the Traveling Stash 2007, I am allowed to continue with my participation. Since one of the main rules of that exchange is that you put in as much as you take out, it all balances anyway.

2.h. I get one “Get Out of Jail Free” card — I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time. If I don’t use it, at the end of the six-month period, I’m allowed to treat myself to something extra special, to be determined later.

3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn, as well as gift certificates to yarn stores, for the specific purpose of forcing me to buy yarn.

Do you think I can do it? Better yet, do you think you can do it? To me, it’s not so much as an exercise in restraint as it is in creativity. I’m looking forward to seeing the various projects that I come up with to help reduce the volume of my stash. And why would I want to reduce the volume of my stash? Well, to make room for new stash, duh!

And in the complaint department, my throat is on fire, my tongue has sprouted fur, I’m a snot factory with a side venture in throat mucus manufacturing, and Aunt Flo is announcing her imminent arrival by gracing me with cramps from hell. And if that’s not enough, the DH has turn a small birthday get-together with my brother tomorrow (it’s his birthday too) into a 3-ring circus, and a house full of people. Lovely!

Oh! I almost forgot:
button

Dashing
Ah em Muttin-hood. Ah rob from zhee chats, and geeve to zhee dogs. And waahy ah’m speeking wiz zhe cheezy French accent, ah don’t know. Ah zhust lahk eet.

Trixie-La

Oh, look! Voila! Eet eez zhe chat! …Wha?

ETA: No dogs were harmed during this photo shoot, only having to wear the hat for less than 2 minutes. So you can put your PETA minds at ease!

Holiday Week: Event 3; Jen’s Anniversary

Filed under: Misc — La at 2:16 pm on Thursday, December 28, 2006

The champagne is poured so I’d like everyone to raise their glass:

Happy

This year has not been an easy one for either of you. Both of you have suffered untold hardship and heartbreaking loss. But through it all, you stood by each other offering support, compassion, empathy, sympathy and companionship. Yours is one of those truly great loves others envy and aspire to. I can’t think of a single couple that is more perfect for each other.

To Jared and Jennifer,

Happy

Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
Haaaappy Anniversary.

Happy happy happy happy happy Anniversary,
Happy happy happy happy happy Anniversary,

Happy–Anniversary–Anniversary–To You (hey!)
Happy–Anniversary–Anniversary–To You!

Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
Haaaaaaaaaappy Anniversary!


(sung to William Tell Overture, and Tony’s favorite anniversary song)

lemon

(Psssst! Click on the pic)

Holiday Week: Event 2; La’s Birthday

Filed under: Misc — jenifleur at 10:49 am on Thursday, December 28, 2006

sheep
Happy Birthday to ewe!
You live in a zoo!
Your best friend likes monkeys!
And she likes you fine, too!

Singing: And many moooooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!

Holiday Week: Event 1 Down, 3 To Go

Filed under: Fiber Farming, Spinning — jenifleur at 2:15 pm on Wednesday, December 27, 2006

We didn’t get any snow, but we did get a couple inches of very cold and wind driven rain. The kind that stings you when you go outside Christmas morn to dig yams out in the garden. What, are you trying to tell me the early morning tuber dig isn’t an annual tradition at your house? Huh. Well it was pretty christmassy even without the white stuff. Here are a few of my presents. If you click it and go to the flickr page, you can mouseover each one to see what it is. You know, if you care. If not, that’s fine, too. That’s why I’m not going into a long description here.

xmas06

I am now proud to announce that with my new bobbins I am finally able to have Spinning UFO’s. (and the crowd goes wild.) This is probably a bad thing. I currently only have the corriedale and the BFL in progress, but if I wanted to I could totally move on to the silk as well. Hahahahaha. I may never leave my home again. Hell, I may never knit again. There seems little point in spinning all that yarn if you aren’t going to use it, but I choose to ignore that right now. I’ll find someone to take it off my hands. Must..treadle..and…draft…

I know some of you are back to the grindstone now, but this is “holiday week” here at JenLa, with xmas, a birthday, an anniversary and new years so I’m celebrating all week by being a lazy ass. I’m a lazy ass every week, but this week I’m celebrating. Shut up. I really have to get back to the wheel, but I leave you with this little tidbit: We’re getting a guard llama.

Help! Modern technology is kicking my ass!

Filed under: Knitting — La at 5:32 pm on Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Before I put my pathetic plea for assistance (probably something a 7-year-old could figure out, but the solution is escaping this soon-to-be 42-year old), I want to share with you the cluster-fuck that was awaiting me at 4:55 last Friday evening.
yuck!

Other than that, I had a wonderful Christmas weekend. How was yours?

On Sunday we celebrated the holiday with my side of the family at my brother’s house. We had our traditional fondue supper, and followed it up with unwrapping of the presents, the traditional tore-up wrapping-paper wad throwing, and yummy chocolate fondue for dessert.

On Monday we were invited to Junior’s girlfriend’s parent’s house (who, probably in a couple of years, will be referred to as the In-Laws. You know, I’ve often wondered why the family of your spouse, or of your children’s spouses are called In-Laws. It almost sounds like a profession: “Are you in real estate?” “No, actually I’m in-law”…anyway…) for a pig roast. Cuban-style. And her entire family was there. ENTIRE! I was a little nervous at first. But about 5 minutes after we got there I felt right at home. Her family is just as boisterous, fun-loving, animated, down to earth and slightly off-kilter as my own family. Even MY in-laws had a great time, which is really saying something.

Now, as for the cry for help?

DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO DELETE UNWANTED SHIT OFF YOUR iPOD?

I’ve got a brand new nano, and I can figure out just enough to get myself into serious trouble. If someone knows the answer, or perhaps has a 6-year old child who you don’t mind emailing a pathetic techno-loser, I’d really REALLY appreciate it.

And to sooth my nerves as I wait for a reply, here’s an Effed Oh, possibly the last for Two-thousand-sucks:
Beady

Yarn: Interlacements Tiny Toes Superwash sock yarn in Turkish Carpet
Beads: Matte Burgundy, #6 glass beads, 12 strands
Pattern: TNT Beaded Scarf by Deana Van Assche
Notes: This scarf turned our beautifully, and even though I bitched about having to constantly schlep beads down the strand of yarn (I think I may have even used the “F” word…fiddly), it knit up very quickly. I enjoyed watching how the beads stacked up, and how the colors shifted from row to row. The only thing I’m kicking myself over is the fact that I actually BOUGHT the pattern. It’s so simple that I could have probably figured it out for myself and saved myself the $6, maybe. Oh well, live and learn! I now have an accurate bead count so I can make another and not spend a small fortune on beads, which I can get at the garment district of downtown Los Angeles for a fraction of the cost I paid at SAFF.

This scarf was my only Christmas knitting this year, part of a gift for Junior’s girlfriend, who just ADORES scarves. I did, however, warn Junior not to stand too close behind her as she’s thowing it over her shoulder, else he find himself knocked out on the ground. See, it’s 2 gifts in 1: A self-defense weapon camoflaged as a high fashion knitted scarf! If that doesn’t say “Welcome to the Family” I don’t know what does!

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