Knitting update, as promised.

1. As I said, I dropped the Greenjeans--I really don't think it would look right on me--and am making this ubiquitous Drops jacket instead. I love the way this looks. I've finally finished the long trudge up the back, and I'm doing the armhole BOs right now. There is a photo, but it's more boring black stockinette. Apparently I cannot escape black stockinette.

2. I finally finished Mark's Cable Rib Socks, which I have dubbed Soul-Crushing Socks on Ravelry.

They do look good with khakis, which was the intention, but oh.mah.gah what a BORING pattern. Size 1 needles, 78-stitch rounds (after making them wider for Mark). I thought I was gonna die. And the cables get wonky at the heel if you make it as written, so I had to make a slightly narrower heel. Also, this yarn is awful to work with--scratchy from the cotton content, and spun way too tight so it curls around itself while you work with it. Verdict: avoid this yarn, and this pattern. There are several nicer side-cabled sock patterns out there, and for free.

3. Mark's friends Pat and Tom were in town a few weekends ago, and I made them these:



Felted slippers, with needle-felted wool soles. They are yummy. Their visit was not that fun for me, since I was sleep-deprived and there were basketball games. I usually stay home on basketball weekends (or head up to the northern part of town, a soul-sucking suburban wasteland, but they do have malls instead of colleges), and for good reason. So of course everybody else wanted to traipse around the whole damn metro area, hitting nearly every basketball Ground Zero in the process. What a nightmare. But we did get to see lemurs. Oh, and we caught a glimpse of a sleeping slow loris, Cathy. (rofl)

Parenthetically, why am I the only person in my husband's acquaintance who does not enjoy FORCED MARCHES? Everytime someone visits us, or we visit someone, invariably a ten- or twelve-hour marathon sightseeing excursion is involved. No, my friends. Especially not on three hours of sleep, when I have my period and a lingering cold.

4. Kimberley (my VV Swap upstream pal) is having a contest on her blog--chemo cap production is underway here. My father's sarcoma may not have come back, and he never needed chemo (thankfully)...but he is a little short on hair at the moment. :) My donation will be in his honor. Here's one (the Inside Out Chemo Cap from headhuggers.org):


Cute and fast. With the added bonus of being partially knit at Costco--I carried the ball of yarn in my kangaroo pocket and knit rounds while we bought hamburger and oranges. It was pretty cool. I am nearing superstar status with the knitting thing, I believe. :)

5. Hey look! Crochet.


The first is for my mother (my first crochet chart--much preferred to written-out instructions!), the second for Mark for Valentine's Day (kind of misguided--what's he going to do with an amigurumi turtle the size of a cereal bowl?--but it was cute so I had to make it). Now that I've reassured myself that I can indeed crochet, I'll probably get back to the knitting.

And for non-knitting content, here's a quiz. Enjoy.

You Are Cookie Monster

Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth. You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around. You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and unusual way of speaking How you life your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!"

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz