Meme

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest

So (this is sad) the closest book to me is Transport Phenomena. And since p. 123 was a chart, you get p. 124 instead:

"When it is substituted into Eq. 4.2-3, we get

(d^2/dr^2 - 2/r^2)(d^2/dr^2 - 2/r^2)*f = 0

The fact that the variable theta does not appear in this equation suggests that the postulate in Eq. 4.2-7 is satisfactory. Equation 4.2-8 is an 'equidimensional' fourth-order equation (see Eq. C.1-14)."

Last night was spent furiously hemming 8 curtains for a friend of a friend - furious because for the first half hour of attempting to sew my machine kept jamming. Turns out the thread had slipped out of the feed....oops. Overall, it took me about 4 hours of pinning, ironing, sewing, and trimming to finish them. And resulted in some very sore shoulders! But they're done and ready to be delivered and I can go back to knitting!

Close to be finished are Fetching and a Noro beanie. Still to be worked on are Wicker and MDK washclothes. But with the multitude of patterns I've printed out (Wicked, Green Gable, Simple Knitted Bodice, Thermal, Argosy) I've already got yarn in mind for the Knitty patterns - some Rowan tweed 4 ply for Thermal and a black and red varigated yarn for Argosy. Though I do have alot of socks to knit....There've been alot of posts lately about knee-highs, and I do have some yarns that would work....

Quizmania

Because I have no real knitting content to show (just yet - give me another day or two), I leave you with a series of quizzes. At least one of us should be entertained :)

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
The South
Boston
The Inland North
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

Do you deserve your high school diploma?
Create a Quiz

Congratulations. You are 12% dork.

Why did you even take this quiz? Who are you kidding? Using AIM doesn't make you computer savvy, frat-boy. Go find some of the people who scored in the 85-100 range and pummel them for their USB flash drives.

The dork/nerd quiz
Quizzes for MySpace

, you're now logged in!

Below you'll find your test result. After, continue on to your homescreen to discover what we're about.

continue to OkCupid homescreen >

GRYFFINDOR! You scored 24% Slytherin, 16% Ravenclaw, 64% Gryffindor, and 28% Hufflepuff!

You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart. Gryffindors are known for their courage, audacity, and devotion to what is good and honest.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Slytherin http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Ravenclaw http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Gryffindor http://is1.okcupid.com/graphics/0.gif" alt="free online dating" border="0"> http://www.okcupid.com">%20src=" You scored higher than 99% on Hufflepuff

Link: The Sorting Hat Test written by leeannslytherin on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Book Snob
Dedicated Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_reader_are_you">What Kind of Reader Are You? Create'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Create Your Own Quiz

What kind of graduate student are you? Your Result: The closeted professional. Your talents seem to be wasted in this arena - are you sure you shouldn't be making a lot more money doing something else? The real world may seem scarier, but you belong there.
The poseur.
Typical.
The precocious expert.
What'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_kind_of_graduate_student_are_you">What kind of graduate student are you? Make'>http://www.gotoquiz.com/">Make Your Own Quiz

Community

One of the things people talk about on their blogs is a sense of community (another topic is why people blog, which I'll get to in a minute). I read blogs from all across the US, Canada, and even some overseas. While I may not comment on alot of these blogs, I'm still interested in what goes on with these people - good, bad, and ugly. I have felt strange about posting a comment when a blogger loses someone (or something, as some knitted objects must be frogged), but I felt like it wouldn't be right to have read their blog for so long and keep quiet when something happened.

Some people have blogs to showcase their work. Some people have blogs to talk about themselves (I most often fit into this category). Some people have blogs to share information. Crazy Aunt Purl's lastest post shares some good information. Allison, who I know through Stitch n Bitch, is having a tough time right now (that's putting it mildly). I'll let you read about it here. Her son, only a few months old, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. From all the posts out there about cancer and tumors and hospitals, I don't have to tell you how emotionally and financially heavy this is. Allison runs her own store, Supercrafty. Check it out and shop away.

Background

From CuteOverload

Finished!

After what seemed like ages, I finally finished my scarf for the Red Scarf Project. And threw in some scarves that were sitting in the "To Gift" pile (I've been trying to keep ahead on birthdays and holidays by buying gifts when I see them or stocking up a pile of knits to give away). Unfortunately, I left my camera at home and can't upload the pictures. It looks pretty much like the last photo, only longer :)

So what to work on now? I'm thinking instant gratification - so most likely Fetching and the Noro beanie. And maybe back to the Trekking socks I started last year - I'm finally ready to try a toe up heel flap. Though I'm not sure that's a good SnB project for tonight (or, now that I think about it, where I put the pattern....hmm)

I've been feeling a bit compulsive about cleaning lately (esp. since my landlady started spontaneously showing my apartment. I haven't even given her official notice yet!) - my knitting basket is a huge mess of patterns and yarn and needles. A quick project for tonight - organzing all my WIPs and putting away the stuff I'm not working on. After reading a review of the KnitPicks bags I'm somewhat tempted. But with all the other bags I have and the impending cost of the move I'm restraining myself. It would be nice to have a more knitting-oriented bag though...

And with that, back to work. I've got alot of reading to do, and some lab work. And they won't pay me if I spend all my time on the internet :)

WIPs aplenty

Finally, I have joined the My So Called Scarf bandwagon - just in time for the Red Scarf Project! As much as I love the look of the pattern and the feel of the yarn (so soft by caron?), I remember why I don't make scarves very often...I get a little bored after awhile. But, I'm on a deadline, and so I knit on...
And also finally, a Noro Silk Garden beanie. Attempt #3....
Some Fetching fingerless gloves, using the leftover yarn from my Razor Cami. I'm hoping I have enough yarn to make it, I'm cutting it awfully close!
Last but not least, Wicker from Rowan in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (which Little Knits has on sale....) I love how soft this yarn is and how vibrant the red is (I'm on a red kick right now), though I'm running through the skeins like there's no tomorrow...

I've been exercising some amazing self restraint here - as Teresa will tell you, I normally have many more projects going at once. But I'd like to be better about finishing things, as opposed to just starting them. I even managed to get some knitting in at work today - I had to take light measurements all morning, which left alot of down time waiting for time points. I managed to get another 3 inches on the beanie, in addition to some strange looks from my labmates :)

Time to get ready - a group of us are going out for dinner to celebrate my friend's birthday tonight. The perfect occasion to wear my new patent leather shoes from Nine West (who, like ALDO, are also having a sale....you know you're tempted....)

Knit from Your Stash

I have alot of yarn. Seriously. And I love to buy yarn almost as much as I love to make stuff from it. With the new job and impending move, it seems like a good time to join the Knit from Your Stash bandwagon. Guidelines are as follows:

1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 16, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.
2. I will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:
2.a. Sock yarn does not count. (Seriously. There needs to be some wiggle room!)
2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that I really and truly do not have the yarn for, I may buy yarn to knit that gift.
2.c. If I am knitting something and run out of yarn, I may purchase enough to complete the project.
2.d. I get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- I am allowed to fall off the wagon one time.
3. I am allowed to receive gifts of yarn.
4. Trading stash is allowed. (Purging of stash is encouraged in my case...)

So. There you have it. Let the knitting begin :)

Taking stock

With the new year should come an inventory of what's going on in my knitting world....

Recent FOs:
Razor Cami
Sweater from Vintage Knits (picture coming eventually, as soon as I figure out how to fix the collar)
Silk Garden beanie (probably will be redone, I'm still not happy with the edge)
Circular needle holder (this will get its own post later - it made for a good day of sewing yesterday)

WIPs:
Trekking socks
KnitPicks socks
Fingerless gloves
Wicker sweater from Rowan
Lace leaf socks (or maybe embossed leaf...I forget)
Mason Dixon dishcloth

Planned:
More beanies and fingerless gloves
More socks (have you seen my stash?)
Endpaper Mitts
Ariann (I already have the yarn)
Sahara (may have the yarn)
Clapotis (Smaller versions using Noro and Koigu)

I am nothing if not ambitious. And short on attention :)