warm hands, warm heart

Actually, warm everything right now. Is it fall yet?

Anyway, I have come to the conclusion that I am quite suggestible when it comes to podcasts. They've gotten me to sign up for Ravelry, buy books, even write poetry. Honestly, if a podcast told me to go jump off a bridge, I'd probably do it.

The most recent incident involves Kelly Petkun, of the Knitpicks podcast, a most devious repeat offender if ever there was one. A couple of shows ago, she was talking about mittens. She said they were great for stashbusting, as they don't use much yarn (which I already knew). She mentioned they are fun like socks but simpler and quicker than socks (which I also already knew). She suggested they make very good gifts (again, something I already knew). In short, she told me a whole bunch of things I knew already, and my reaction was OMG, everybody's getting mittens for Christmas this year!!!

I had a pair cast on within a half hour, and finished the next day.

Target Wave Mittens, from Knitting Nature. So cute! The yarn is miscellaneous stash that I had previously used to experiment with overdyeing. I meant for them to be for Baby Sister, but they practically fit me. No problem; they can go to Jess' daughter. It looked like I had enough left afterward for a second pair, so I went down a couple of needle sizes and tried again.

Ran out of the green. Damn near ran out of the pink too, but that's what stashbusting is about, right? Anyway, they fit Baby Sister nicely.

The pair I'm working on now are EZ's Mitered Mittens, from the Knitter's Almanac. I'm using some yarn I spun last fall. The yarn is a bit overplied and a little stiff, but it makes a good sturdy fabric for mittens.

The picture is of a first attempt that I frogged because they were just too tight. Still, I wanted to show you the lovely way the colors blend in the handspun. Mmmm.

I think this mittens-for-Christmas idea will prove to be a good one, however ridiculous the way I came to it is. I've got so many more options: Bird in Hand, thrummed mittens, Norwegian mittens, not to mention the interesting cables or stitch patterns I can put on the backs of a basic mitten pattern.

At least I won't get bored!

I had the weirdest dream the other night.

So weird, that I'm blogging from work to tell you about it. Actually, I'm sitting around kind of bored because I have to wait for somebody to fill out some papers so we can close and I'm the only one here with a key. But still - the dream was weird. (Holy garbled sentence, Batman, I'm tired.)

Anyway, here goes:

I was hanging out with my aunt, my sister Nancy, and my mom. My aunt had found this amazing website where you could put in your high school and your year of graduation and see video footage of your class ceremonially entering the reception hall at your prom. Not that that actually happens at the prom.
First we watched my aunt's. It was pretty boring; we laughed at the terrible 80's fashions (my aunt graduated in 1970). There was also footage of everybody hanging out and chatting before they lined up to enter the hall - again, not too much to see.
Then we watched Nancy's. This was even more boring, as she graduated in 1998 so the fashions weren't quite so terrible.

Okay, then we watched my mom's. Class of 1964, so of course the boys and girls were separated before the prom. The girls were all hanging out talking, and they were unbelievably catty and Mean Girls. Not my mom; I hadn't seen her yet. Then all the girls lined up to walk in, and there she is - wearing jeans to the prom.
So the girls walk in and form a line to wait for the boys. The boys came in . . . on rollerskates. In sequined jackets. With all the arm-waving and background music that image conjures up.

All except my mom's date. He is, apparently, some sort of terrorist. He's wielding duct tape and threatening the girl standing next to my mom, while the sequined jackets swirl around him. And here's what is, for me, the weirdest part of the dream:

My mom says, simply, "Fuck."

relay '08

Here's a (blurry) shot of tents and track with McCoy Stadium behind it.

I just wanted to share with you a few words and pictures of this year's relay. The event was all the things it was last year - fun, and meaningful, with a sense of camaraderie as well as the seriousness of what we've accomplished and what we've left to do.

The theme this year was the movies, and with Jess and her family's obsession with pirates (not to mention Johnny Depp), we obviously went with Pirates of the Caribbean. There was plenty of swashbuckling going on,

lots of pirates of various sizes,

Check out Big Brother's new glasses!

even appearances by Jack Sparrow and Captain Pimp Hook.

Hi Magic Baby!

I wish I had gotten a better picture of Jess' dad in that Captain Pimp Hook costume; it was hilarious.

Of course, the luminarias at night were beautiful. Maybe some year I'll be able to get a picture that does them justice.

This year I didn't get to stay overnight; I had to work the next morning. Still, I was glad to have been there, and so excited about the funds that were raised. I have to give kudos to Rock Fan, who raised the most and who was, again, out on the track showiong support all night, and of course to Jess, who put so much work all year long into getting us organized.

Oh! I almost forgot to show you: we had to do a skein lap. I brought it to the relay even though it was still damp, and being the geeks that we are, Jess and I excitedly brought it around the track and documented the event for all of you. :)