I bring you two, and also three

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd met one of my three big goals for November. Earlier today, I met my second major goal. I've hit 50,466 words (and I'm nowhere near finished!). I can't even begin to tell you how proud of myself I am. When I decided to this, many of my close friends and family members gave me that wide-eyed, uncertain, do we need to call in the professionals who bring jackets that are all arms look.

In anycase, I plan to go celebrate by drinking a little more whiskey than is good for me, and by having a good snog. Or three.

And speaking of three, as I write this post, I'm meeting my third major goal -- to post daily during the month of November. I fell off the subject of knitting a ways back, but fear me not, it'll be back.

I still haven't decided what yarn to buy!

Here We Are Now, Entertain Us!.... Yeah!*

So, I made the first of my three goals for the month.

At the end of every Wednesday in November, I was either at or above the projected word count. I decided in early November that if I made this goal I would:

1. Be more likely to actually finish, and
   
2. Get a neat treat-reward-thing

Only, I never quite got around to deciding what that reward would BE. So, suggestions? What's some really yummy, decadent, luxury yarn that isn't so expensive my husband will have an apoplectic fit if I suggest buying it during the Month of Christmas? What would YOU want your prize to be?

My reward for finishing NaNoWriMo will be to get the T-shirt, and of course the satisfaction of having really DONE it. And of course the reward for successfully completing NaBloPoMo will be... thirty more posts than I had when I started. And did I mention satisfaction for stick-to-itiveness?

ETA: Okay, I've just made a decision. My other reward for finishing NaNoWriMo will be to donate $10 to the cause. Whaddya think, Koren? You with me?

*With apologies to Nirvana.

The Home Stretch

Well, I'm closing in. I've got a bit over 44,000 words written, and won't go to bed tonight before my word count is at least 46, 676, which is the "official" word count goal for today. That leaves me with just over 3000 words to write on Thursday and Friday, and then genties and ladlemen, I will be done.

I am so doing this.

Speaking of home stretches, there's three days left of NaBloPoMo too. I'm gonna make that too.

And then maybe in December I can start knitting again.

Then I would have something to post about!

A bit of a quick update

It's crunch time in NaNoWriMo land, genties and ladlemen. My fellow Wrimo-ers and myself should have written 50,000 words by this coming Friday.

I have at least one friend on my LJ Flist that's already reached 50K, and let me take a moment to express my awe. My Koren has, (and let me be proud here) managed to hit her word count goal EVERY DAY for the entire month. How much does that rock?

I set my personal goals up so that I'll be caught up at the end of every week. My "week" is a bit off-kilter, as I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, so my Sunday night is really on Wedesday. Anyway, I'm meant to have 46K and change written by tomorrow night. I've made my word goal (and my NaBloPoMo goals too, come to that) every week this month, and fully plan to hit it this week as well.

I was at 35K this morning, and am now sitting pretty on 41,005 words. Neville and Ginny have had a fight, and she's just told him about Tom Riddle. Trust me, it all makes sense in context.

But then, doesn't everything?

Christmas Knitting

It seems like I attempted to post on this topic earlier this month, and then ran into the problem that many of my recipients may (or may not — don't get your hopes up, y'all) be reading this blog.

But here's what I'd like to accomplish in December, once NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo are behind me.

• Scarf for Barbara — I've actually started this one
• Hats for Morgan, Rowan and Rhiannon
• Scarf for Liz (another co-worker) she also knits, and crochets, and last year she gave ME a scarf, so I'd really like to reciprocate

Okay, there's more I'd like to do, but at the rate I'm going, I don't know that it's going to happen.

Having just read Stephanie's Christmas knitting list, either I have a firmer grip on reality than she does, or I'm a wimp. Or, you know, both. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Victorian Lace Today (I got a new book!)

I know I'm a day late and a dollar short on this one, but I'm only just now getting around to buying this book.

I have to say, in the interest of being fair, that I am a bit prejudiced against XrX — I have never forgiven them for the sudden and horrific fugnation of Knitters magazine....so I was a little worried about this book. On the other hand, I have Gathering of Lace, and Best of Knitters: Shawls and Scarves (which is pretty alright, saving the very 1980s-ness of it).

Anyway, I needn't have worried. The book is gorgeously laid out, and I've already picked out a few projects that will be moving into my "must knit" list.

My very favorite part of the book, other than the photographs of course, is the historical information that Jane Sowerby provides. I love reading about the history of textiles and fiber arts, so the sections on the early pattern books is a nice treat.

I haven't checked KnittingUniverse.com for errata yet, so I'm not sure how it fairs on the technical accuracy front.

The Aftermath

There was more Thanksgiving (and giving thanks) at Chez Woolly today, as my chosen family came and broke bread with us. A grand, delicious and pie-ful time was had by all.

And now?


We play dice!

And a Good Time Was Had By All

So, late last week my older sister Abby called and asked how I felt about her and her family coming over to my house for Thanksgiving. We had already invited Jess and her family over, and had talked to my friends Cindy and Heather about eating with us as well.

So, by the time all was said and done, rather than feeding the four of us (my eldest was away at her paternal grandmother's), I ended up feeding 16 people.

It was really pretty awesome. We had a great time, and the food was excellent. Cindy and Heather brought a Hubbard Squash dish (I think you have to capitalize "Hubbard Squash" its like a rule) and a righteous potato dish that involved feta cheese and tomatoes and YUM. Jess brought a loaf of the best bread she has ever baked, and some baked non-hubbard squash. Carl, my lovely and competent husband, baked pumpkin pies. Abby provided yet more pies and drinks, and very cleverly brought her Bunn coffee pot from home (I lust for her Bunn. That would sound wrong even if she weren't my sister. But there you are.)

I made cranberries, and sweet potatoes, and stuffing, and green beans almondine, and, and, and....

Turkey.

Thanksgiving V

Our Thanksgiving celebration was delicious, exhausting and absolutely wonderful. I had dear friends and family over and we had awesome and beautiful food.

I'll give you pictures tomorrow (I was actually bright enough to take some), but for now I'm off to my bed.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends, and to everyone else, Happy Knitting!

Thanksgiving IV

I am thankful for:

• Friends who will bring over their ginger when I run out at 10 p.m. on the day before Thanksgiving
• Pandora Radio
• Having my husband help me make my NaNoWriMo word count by use of bribery
• Random passers-by who tag me for meme's that will totally give me blog-fodder on Friday
• Sweet baby boys, snuggled up on the couch

Thanksgiving III

Today I am thankful for:

• universal remote controls (Please note that I would be even MORE thankful if we could find ours)
• healthy children who are able to go to school
• co-op farms with organically grown vegetables (even the icky ones, like Kale, bleargh!)
• pink M & Ms
• the easing of nasty cold symptoms
  

Thanksgiving II

I am thankful for:

• Blue Cheese on Hamburgers
• Home-made Mead
• A new tire on my car
• Mucinex (don't ask)
• A husband that does laundry

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for:

• a loving and supportive husband
• a sweet, charming and funny 13 year old
• an imaginative, kind and bossy 7 year old
• a brilliant, generous and sensitive 6 year old
• a good job that challenges me, and is offering the opportunity for advancement
• friends and family, and people I consider to be both

Knit Party

Tonight is Knit Party Night.

My friend the No-Longer-Blogless Cindy has begun hosting monthly Knitting Parties. (Please note that I have totally decided that two months running makes a tradition. So there.)

Anyway, so theoretically, one would assume that Knitting Parties are meant for knitting, and hey... that's valid. Look, we even brought knitting baskets.

See? Total knitting opportunities here. My basket is the one on the bottom right -- the observant among you will recognize the pink stripey sock and the Harlot Scarf.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I should probably mention that I have knit two entire rows of the scarf.... and that's pretty much it.

There's wine, and cookies, and Broadway musicals, and NaNoWriMo and NaNoBloMo (I mean NaBloPoMo) and...

What kind of party was this again?

SOCK YARN!

Sorry, I didn't mean to shout.

We had a nasty storm two nights ago that knocked out our internet. AND THEN IT NEVER CAME BACK! It was traumatic. Happily Koren (who is indeed a very cool friend) rescued the blog and posted for me.

So, I had a total of 5 qualifying entries (I'm sorry, Chelsea!) for the sock yarn giveaway. So, using a nifty-skifty random number generator (too lazy to dig out the dice) I arrived at an answer.

Koren, darling, you are our winner.

(Koren asked me last night, "Should I go ahead and post the sock yarn winner?" and I said... "Um, no....")

Now, truly funny thing about this is that I was totally planning on picking out one of the many nice sock yarns in my stash (or if parting with one was too dear, I'd run to the LYS and pick out one to give away, and then one for me, to ease the sting.)

But, I happen to have some Lion Brand Magic Stripes in my stash, and I know for a fact that Koren covets it...


Call me, and we'll negotiate.

(P.S. I have two colorways -- but only a picture of one of them)

Drive-by remote blogging...

(I iz in ur blogger, posting in ur blog!)

Hullo, gentle reader! It is I, CyberMathWitch!

What? What's that you say? You were expecting Kade?

Well of course you were. Unfortunately I'm afraid I have to disappoint you, and you'll have to make do with me. All her interwebs are down, you see. And her outerwebs. All her webs, really. And since we're not quite *that* tech savvy yet, well, remote blogging means calling someone on the cel-phone and saying "hey you! For the love of NaBloPoMo, blog for me!"

(and let me just state, here and now, that despite the fact that I am generally the pusher and enabler extraordinaire, in this particular instance? Totally not my fault. Kade found NaBloPoMo all on her onesies.)

And for some reason, I have a bastardized filk version of "Don't Blog for Me, Argentina" running through my head. This means either a. I should take Evita with me to the Knitting party on Saturday, or b. Argentina really shouldn't blog for people. Possibly both.

Now I have to go, because I still need to work on my husband and feed my NaNo. Wait. Maybe that's the other way 'round?

Nah.

Technical Difficulties

The intarwebs are broken.

Sock winner tomorrow!

Omphaloskepsis

I think that it's interesting that of all of my throw away comments on this blog, the one that has generated the most commentary was my piteous query, "But what do I write about?" Several people offered suggestions (many of which I fully intend to take advantage of) for future blog posts.

Tekopp in addition to reassuring me regarding the price of post to Norway (not too dear) asked an interesting question:

How do you feel about daily blogging and why are you (not) going to
continue with it?

I guess I'm ambivalent about the daily blogging. On the one hand, I am enjoying the challenge, and the discipline, of making a post every day. On the other hand, well, I intend for this blog to be primarily a virtual scrapbook and history of my crafting, both knitting and sewing. I rarely touch too deeply on other aspects of my life here, and I'm pretty okay with that.

So, I think that I might decide to blog daily on a private journal, something like LJ, where my posts can be locked if I decide they need to be. I don't think I'm going to try to maintain daily posting here though, because people, I'm going to start to bore myself. Yesterday I posted a picture of a peacock and went to bed. I mean really.

BUT (you had to know there was going to be a "but" didn't you?) I definitely want to post to this blog more often. I enjoy the process and exercise of writing, and I enjoy the exhibitionist aspect of putting up pictures of things I've made. "Look at how neat I am! Look what I did!" I am the very Leo-est of Leos when it comes to this sort of thing.

So, in answer to your question, tekopp, I don't think I'll continue to blog daily at this blog, but I am definitely going to be blogging at least weekly. And I'm (so far at least) really glad that I decided to do NaBloPoMo.

omphaloskepsis: from the greek, to contemplate one's navel.

Nothing to Write About

In lieu of an actual blog post, I give you more Bird Pr0n:


In my defense, I at least took this picture, instead of finding it on Flickr's Creative Commons page. Last summer we vacationed in Pigeon Forge and this fellow wandered past our cabin.

Tune in tomorrow for a real blog post.

Knitting in Public

Two of my dear friends were married yesterday, in a lovely little ceremony at Cannonsburgh Village, here in Murfreesboro.

Wedding receptions being what they are (interminably boring) I instructed my son to bring a book, my daughter to bring a notebook and a pencil, and I brought my current sock-in-progress. We were all playing to our strengths.

Anyway, there I was with Jess standing around and knitting on our respective socks (like you do). Mingle, mingle, knit, knit and a friend says, "Is this some sort of sock-knitting cult?" I turn around and there is Koren, working away on her Nagini sock.

I swear we didn't plan it.

(And you would think that someone at the wedding would have had the sense to take a picture of three women standing around, in all our Shakespearian glory, knitting. But if they did, I haven't heard about it.)