Bored on a Sunday afternoon

I am well and truly bored, so I've decided to write a post while listening to Evanescence. But please bear with me...

I watched Arthur Christmas last night - another DVD borrowed from the library - and really enjoyed it. I think it'll be one Christmas movie I might have to own, because there are so many little things that I might have missed, or barely saw. (You know, like how you miss some of the more subtle jokes in Shrek the first time you see it.) Also, Ashley Jensen voices a very enthusiastic gift-wrapping elf, which makes the movie even awesomer.

What annoyed me yesterday, though, was that I couldn't find Eight Crazy Nights on for the first night of Hanukkah. Usually someone has it on fairly late in the evening (because the subject matter isn't really child-friendly), but nobody had it on. I'm sure someone will have it on before New Year's Day, but I was a bit bummed out that it wasn't on last night.

As far as knitting goes, I'm itching to start another hat - even though I have a sock still on the needles. You see, I have this skein of Red Heart Collage that I want to knit into a slouchy hat, but be damned if I can find a pattern that isn't overly lacy. (The yarn is 100% acrylic, so I can't use a lacy hat pattern unless it's very small lace.) The colour is also a bit of a problem, because it kind of looks like marble, so I need a stitch pattern that will pop well. I'll probably look through books and magazines, or do a swatch of a hat pattern I've been thinking might work with the yarn. It might be a trial-and-error process, but it'll be worth it.

I'm also thinking of digging out my Clapotis and trying to figure out if I can finish it or if I have to rip it back a little first. I started making it for my grandmother after she had a stroke, but when she told my mom and I that she "had enough shawls" (*twitch*) I got a bit discouraged from getting it finished. I've decided that if I'm going to finish it, I'll make it for myself - I love the colour that I'm using for it, anyway.

That's all for now. Hopefully my next post will be more interesting :)

What's new

Not a lot is new in my life, actually. I printed off a couple of patterns that I intend to use for Herbology and Ancient Runes. I didn't print of the pattern I want to use for Charms yet, because I don't have the right yarn. That, and I haven't decided whether I'm using that pattern or making something else. I might even sign up for this month's Defense Against the Dark Arts, if I can fit it in.

So, I frogged the opera glove. At first I felt sad, but now I feel kinda relieved, because it was such a pain. I was using Red Heart Super Saver in Light Sage. As much as I love Red Heart Super Saver, I didn't like making the opera glove. Super Saver and eyelets don't seem to mix well. That, and the yarn was kinda bumpy and uneven, and I managed to get loose spots in the glove. The yarn will be used for my Herbology assignment instead. And my size 8 straight needles are free now! :D

HPKCHC has been a lot of fun thus far. I love hanging out in the Ravenclaw common room and looking through the class threads. What makes it even more neat if that I know a few people in the House Cup from other groups.

I came across a cute anime show Friday morning called Pretty Cure. I had been up really early because Mom had to go have bloodwork done at the lab, so I had to get up and look after the dogs. I didn't feel much like watching the morning news, so I flipped through the program guide and saw that Naruto was on YTV. I put it on and realised that it was pretty far into the series, so I did more guide-surfing until I decided to watch Naruto. Then on the other YTV channel, I saw Pretty Cure, and decided to see what it was. Like I said above, it's pretty cute. I didn't catch the end of the episode because Mom and Dad came home, so I flipped it back to the morning news, just in case Mom would tut-tut about me watching kids' shows :p The library doesn't have Pretty Cure, and I looked it up on Wikipedia and clicked on the YTV link to see the episode list. Turns out the season is almost done, so I'm hoping they'll replay it.

Other than that, not a lot has been going on.

This is crazy.

I have this craving to knit mittens. And hats.

It's insane.

I've been trying to knit in the round on DPNs, without success - then again, I was using size 1 DPNs and Red Heart Super Saver. Hmm.

Now, don't get me wrong - I like Red Heart. But the partial skein I was using was being very splitty. And splitty yarn isn't good when you're trying a new knitting technique. But, in my defense, I have only sock needles. I'll have to try using fingering or my scraps of Rowan Lightweight DK. Either that, or I have to look for some DPNs in worsted weight sizes at Len's or Michaels.

For mittens, I might try either the 45-Minute Mittens pattern, or the Inner Child Mittens from Hip to Knit.

Oh, and I'm itching to start either a cardigan or a hoodie. I think I'll use my green Berella Muskoka to make a Mrs. Darcy Cardigan. I'm not sure what I'll make with my pale blue Patons Decor, though - maybe a long vest like the Talia pattern from Knitty.

So I've pretty much abandoned my February lesson plan, since I didn't really make it ahead of time. I'll still read up on black history, but I'm not sure how much I'll be doing this month, as I have a book on the history of Afghanistan and a book on the Spanish civil war to read. The latter is a very thick book. Plus, I'm reading 10 Things I Hate About Me, but that's a 'fun read'. I don't really have a book started for English, since I was sick for nearly a week and I had given up on Drop. I'll try reading it again over the summer, I think. For now, I think I'll read 10 Things, but for a more English-y book I'll probably pick up Howl's Moving Castle. Maybe I'll finally get it finished. It's not that I'm bored with it - I love it, but the font is so small, and it's the kind of book that, when you take a break from it, you have to read back a few pages so that you know where you are in the story.

I've also recently picked up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Yeah, I know, I'm behind :p Hopefully I'll get it done for when the movie comes out in.... June? July? I can't remember which month.

For March, I'm going to finally pick up 1984 by George Orwell. I'll also read Macbeth. We have a book of Shakespeare's works, and I think Macbeth is included. I might look for Macbeth in a seperate volume at the library, though. They have some Shakespeare plays in single volumes - I'm not sure if there's Macbeth, but I think there's Hamlet. Ah, Hamlet - I watched the film when I was, like, nine. Hardly remember it, though.

I'm a big fan of The Reduced Shakespeare Company, though :)

I'm worried that my sore throat is coming back. Or it could just still be my dry throat. Oh joy.

This is getting to be a very long post indeed.

I have to get some more water.

I don't know WHAT is in nanimo bars, but they're good!

More on nanaimo bars later.

So I went to church today. It was okay. It's just felt so phony since the minister was forced to resign. There was a potluck after the service, but we didn't stay for it because my mom had a NaNoWriMo meet-up to go to at a local cafe. I went with her, and I've decided to do NaNoWriMo this year - and yes, Dianna, I know I'm crazy ;) The folks who came were pretty cool. Mom and I each got a chai tea - well, actually, Mom got two. I don't know what my brother was talking about when he said that the coffee at the cafe is expensive, it's pretty reasonably priced to me. But then again, he's probably used to cheap Tim Horton's coffee... Anyway, I got a nanaimo bar later, and Mom got a tart. I actually started writing stuff down for a story, so it's lookin' good. It's mostly an outline at the moment. Actually, I have to get my outline out of Mom's purse, because she let me use her notebook to write stuff down. I was going to bring a book with me, but I forgot.

The knitting's going good. I made a teeny scarf out of my leftover rainbow Red Heart Traditions. It turned out shorter than I'd expected, so it's more like a neckwarmer. It kinda looks like one of the girls' Chilton ties from Gilmore Girls actually! I'll have to take photos of my knitting when I remember to...

Crap, I gotta finish Justin's scarf. I still have time, though.

I also have to start swatching for Breanne's headband.

Anyway... I started another skinny scarf with my yellow Red Heart Kids. And I'll probably make lots of skinny scarves with my acrylic. I can't believe I didn't think of this before!

I've almost finished watching season one of SNL. I think I have only one episode left to watch. Hehe. It's gonna be almost two weeks overdue!

I have a bunch of stuff waiting for me at the library. Mostly CDs, but a book on Photoshop CS3 is there too. After I pick that book up, I'll have to make a new badge image for the Tamora Pierce group on Rav.

I have to do math tomorrow.

Blah.

edited to correct my bad spelling

*chuckle*

So, I watched Run, Fatboy, Run today, which was really funny. And now, I can proudly say that I got to see Dylan Moran's butt. Twice :D

Mom gave me more yarn, including lotsa Patons Astra, which I'll probably use to make preemie sweaters. So, I had to reorganise my larger yarn bin. I noticed that there's only one skein of the grey Wool-Ease Thick & Quick left in my bin - I still have partial skeins attached to the pieces of my vest, so it's not like I used up that much, but seeing that lone skein made me feel awesome. Even though I haven't used up the partial skeins. Even though my vest still isn't finished. When did I start that monstrosity, anyway? Nearly a year ago, perhaps?

Anyhow, I've decided to start using up my Red Heart acrylic that was in my bin. I have some canary yellow (which is pretty splitty...), some marroon, some rainbow variegated, and some bluey purpley greeney variegated called 'Ocean'. I've decided that belts made of acrylic are not a good idea (I had made a belt out of the Ocean colourway.... in garter stitch... bad idea...), so I'm going to make more mug cozies, and maybe some glass and/or can cozies so that I can have a cold drink up here without it sweating on my desk/table. I might try to make more of those darn knitted flowers, too, although they look kinda funny whenever I make them.

The strangest thing happened yesterday. I was trying to send some of my photos to myself in an e-mail from the downstairs computer to my computer, and I couldn't find my folder. I had just been into it, because I'd saved a photo I took with my keychain camera, but for some strange reason I couldn't find my pictures. So Dad said that it was because the printer had resorted everything (I guess Dad did an update), and he'd find the folder for me.

I'm about halfway through Twilight, which is good because I have to return it to the library by October 1st, although I'm willing to pay a few dimes in fines if I'm late returning it. I think I'm finally making sense of it. It can be pretty cryptic and unusual in some parts of the story. Plus, I might have been tired when I was trying to read the cryptic parts.

I started working on that baby cardigan again. After nearly losing my mind over trying to figure out how to make the darn cuffs (the pattern was so wrong... Mom helped me with the cuffs), I got to a mindless stitching part. Although cotton - and cotton blends like Cotton-Ease, which is what I'm using - can be hard on the hands, I love the fact that when they split, they don't catch on the needles or other strands of yarn as bad as acrylic does!!!!!!!!!!! That makes me happy :)

I still have to make a needle case. I think I'll use my Knit Picks Wool of the Andes for a case. I found a pattern for a case on Ravelry that comes from the Classic Elite Yarns website, so I'll swatch with the Knit Picks. I don't want to make something out of the Knit Picks that I'll have to wash, because the Knit Picks I have is 100% wool, and I don't want it to felt.

I should make some coasters, too. That way I won't have to put an order of service from church under my drink :p