Yet another reason I don't drink beer.

(North) America's Next Top Guinea Pig

Featuring a 'Mardi Gras' theme, Dalida shows us her festive look.

Hope all this isn't too artsy for you. Suffice it to say, she's something of a diva, but I believe the camera displays her contemplative side. Originally, I had posed her with a nice King Cake, but she kept trying eat the Baby Jesus (as well as the cake itself). Oh well, these things happen, I suppose.

More to come, once we get the stains out of the comfy chair...

This Is Very Very Wrong.

No wonder I can't stop laughing at it!

Too cold to type (and care).

What is the deal with Jim Vokal's eyes? Does he have thyroid trouble or what??

Godfrey Smith, Minister of Tourism from Belize is straight up man-candy (Word.)

It's fucking cold as all get out up in here. Would somebody please light a furnace or something!?

Okay, bye.

Still Evil After All These Years.

Your alter ego is Cruella De Ville!

Which Disney Character is your Alter Ego? created with QuizFarm.com

You hurt little puppies and have bad hair...shame on you! Ariel 75% Cruella De Ville 75% Peter Pan 69% Donald Duck 63% Sleeping Beauty 63% Goofy 63% Cinderella 44% The Beast 38% Pinocchio 38% Snow White 31%

This quiz was stolen from Jeepchick, whom I had the pleasure of meeting Chez Borders in Papillion on Tuesday evening.

I'm so glad I took this test. Didn't you know, Evil is the new Black!

This Is What's Up (and its very, very, very graphic-intensive).

Look, I've been busy, alright? When I wasn't trying to make a mad dash from the Wild (not Mild) Midwest (and the whole shootin' match--fo' real), I was trying to plan, knit, and complete a shitload of Christmas stuff. You see, I've decided to make most of the gifts I'm giving this year. (What in hell was I thinking??) Then there's the kitchen floor (a biohazard, to be sure). Needless to say, I'm happy to be back in the land where I can actually afford to get sick and buy my own damn meds. While I was away, my knitting friends have been busy little entrepreneurs, setting up shop(s), and making mad jack so they can knit even more!

What this means, is that I have even more public displays of knitting to project onto the Universe (or Multiverse)! This is most excellent, indeed. Here are a few scenes for you to enjoy:

A slightly exposed doll, knit by the fabulous Jennie L.

Say 'Hello' to Jennie's Little Friends!

Melanie modelling Mary J.'s Cinchy Hat

More Melanie featuring the faux-fireplace, and Miss Mary's Mac.

Mary & Jennie doing that bidness thang.

Now that you've seen the pics, here are the deets: most of these photos were shot at the brand-spankin' new location of Ariadne Knits, now sporting a brick-and-mortar shop, ready for you to buy lots and lots (and lots) of yarn! (Click on the link to get the addy, hours, and digits).

But wait, there's more...

The Lovely Robyn (aka Sako Koivu's No. 1 fan) has hung her cybershingle out with lots of yarn and notions for all you good (and bad) little girls and boys. She's got Mirasol and Colinette, and Noro and Claudia's Hand-Painted Sock Yarn, and more...Her joint is RobynsNest.ca so everybody Go! Visit! Buy!

All you toy freaks out there check out Montreal Knits Very Own Jennie L., who got her pattern, "Sally the Eco Fairy" published in the latest issue of Knitty. Her other creations (displayed above), can be purchased at the Ariadne Knits site. Not only is Jennie a talented designer of toys, she's a healer, and my family adviser of undergarments for 'Sistas of Substance,' if you get my meaning. (And I think you do). Now that's what I call multi-faceted. Can you dig it? (...I knew that you could).

That's about all for now. I'll post more when I bloody well feel like it. Now that I have a little more time to myself, I should be able to. I should, anyway. Okay...

Ciao, belli!

This Will Completely Blow Your Damn Mind.

Just when you thought it was okay to come out from under the table...

Eternally (Infernally) Useful.

Lovely, isn't it?

While I was in the family room chez funeraire, I saw a lovely wood casket waiting for its contents...It suddenly dawned on me that it'd make a great background to show off my second Clapotis, made from Koigu PPPM.

See? You can take it with you!

This would make a great surface for blocking.

This is the lid to a box that held a cremation container. After looking at it, I realize how useful it'd be for blocking a really long shawl. Regrettably, it's going to go back on the box for transport back to the crematory.

So much for recycling. Anyway, I dare Martha Stewart to come up with anything this clever, yet practical. So there.

the more things change...

Compared to last year about this time:

Advocating Artist

Happy Hallowe'en, Y'all

...Why?

If this beast shows up at your door, just give it plenty of lettuce. Preferably romaine.

Thank you.

Excessive Knitting Content, including brief nudity, but no display of genitalia.

Mother as Pat Benatar

This was knitted after seeing the pattern by Mintyfresh on Ravelry.
I used Cotton Fleece, but it's designed as a way
to use up oddments of sock yarn
(and in my case, beads).
Please note, I have nothing to do with the faux-leopard print dress.

Mother Annoyed
with Kate, who is nude, without limbs or ears,
and resting on Mummy's shoulder.
Kind of makes her look like a light bulb, eh?

Posh Lucia Sock Yarn in the color 'Reassure.'
4-ply 70% merino, 30% cashmere, It's kind of stringy...
I don't think I like it.

I call this sock 'I Poop Corn.'
The name comes from this disgusting story that Ms. Violet's beloved,
'Sideshow Husband' told me.
I'd tell you myself, but I'm posting this too close to suppertime for all that.
(E-mail me for details).
The sock pattern, by Nancy Bush is from the Interweave Knits, Fall 2005 issue. It's cabled (and ribbed) for your pleasure. I'm using "Knit Picks Essential Tweed" in Inca Gold,
which is considerably softer than KP Essential without the Tweed.
I haven't washed it yet, so we'll see how it holds up.

After losing the strap somewhere in the abyss that is the kitchen,
I knit up another one using Lion Brand 'Incredible' Yarn.
This is done in seed stitch on size 6mm needles. Or 5.5mm.
I forget...

Dalida is the newest member of our family.
Although she's rather uh...'big boned,' she's actually still a baby.
Due to her coloring (she has a small swath of brown
on the left side behind her ear),
her street name is Lil' Skidz.
The good news is, she's only peed on me twice.
This too, has nothing to do with knitting,
but since I dearly love guinea pigs of all sizes,
here's a picture of a capybara relaxing at the Montreal Biodome.

I'll post more when I actually feel like it, and that may not be any time prior to mid-October. I'm supposed to attend a family reunion in Las Cruces, New Mexico of all places. When I return, I'll have lots of incriminating photos to post, no doubt. Following that, I hope to return to Montreal for the rest of the year, at least.

While I'm away, buy this book and knit everything in it.
It's fabulous. Seriously.

Okay, bye.

Surely You Can Do Better.

Courtesy of our friends at Engrish.com

I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'. You feel me?

Lest you think this blog is turning into a personal tribute to male genitalia, I promise to post Actual Knitting Content soon.

For real.

This will really blow your...mind.

So there I was, driving down the road, listening to 'As It Happens,' when I hear them talking about penises. Lots and lots of penises, in fact. Naturally, I turned up the volume, because normally, that kind of thing doesn't generally make the news. It turns out, they were doing a story about Sigurdur Hjartarson's Phallological Museum in Iceland. Hell, I didn't realize there was a Phallological Museum anywhere on the planet, but why not? Turns out they have specimens from most mammals, except for one, and I bet you can guess which one that is...I'd tell you more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise. Here's a link to the show (the story begins at 22:39, if you're in a big, big, big hurry). If you're like me, you probably want to read up on this, and you can, by simply following this link and/or this one.
They include fascinating bits of info such as, the legal standard (in Iceland) for penises, a definition of the ancient science that is Phallology, and a listing of current (a-HEM) members. And for those of you partying to a global vibe, they even have a site translation in Esperanto!

There are some really charming graphics, as well. It may not be safe for work (lest you work in urology), but straight up...You know you're going to check it out.

So go! Click!! Learn!!!

N.B.: This concludes the educational portion of this month's postings. I hope.

The best is yet to come...

"The Most Fabulous Guinea Pig Ever."

The Sequel to PC

Too Real.

Not quite what you were expecting...?

True Terror.

....Eeeeww.

For those of you who were wishing for a post, deal with this visual. Can you Name the Celebrity Bunion? Here's a hint: 'manky slag.' Here's another one--her husband makes his living using his feet. I feel bad for their offspring..for so many reasons.

Meanwhile, here are a few items of note that have transpired since my last missive--it got hot as all hell again, the humidity continues to rise, I still have a headache (although it's far less severe), and after two-and-a-half months of PMS, menopause has once again gone dormant. I'm still starting countless knitting projects, and finishing very few (but it's a part of the process, you understand). Omaha remains unbearable, but scandalizing the locals keeps my brain from atrophying further. Tragically, it takes so little to upset them, that I require further challenges than this godforsaken pit of agricultural hell offers. Mais le plus ça change...

The good news is I got on Ravelry, and the corn here is freaking HUGE, but the bad news is I'm seriously addicted, and it doesn't digest so good.

Apply those any way you like. Time for more Excedrin. Peace!

Owieowieowieowieowie...

I've been suffering through this migraine for over a-week-and-a-fucking-half now, and it's truly blowing my mind. It actually feels like my mind is literally blowing up inside my skull, to be precise, and none of my usual drugs are beating back the evil beast into submission. So, I spent last evening in the ER of the nearest hospital getting drugs shot into my system, in the hope it would be somewhat more effective.

After the buzz wore off, guess what? It wasn't.

Meanwhile, I'm swallowing fistfuls of analgesics so that at least the throbbing will cease. If I believed in Satan, I'd swear that the devil himself had crawled up and into my head, parked his troublemaking ass near my left eyeball, and begun to squeeze it for all he's worth, because the whole thing genuinely FEELS LIKE HELL.

Can you dig it? (I knew that you could).

But enough whining for now. Here are a few of the projects I've either finished or tried to finish up (when my vision returns for brief periods, anyway)...

You see, my stuff goes well with aging linoleum, concrete,
and/or really painful platforms. Cool, ain't it?

Most of the patterns are based upon those from Kate Atherley's 'Basic Ribbed Sock Pattern' because I don't feeling like thinking deeply when the weather is this shitty. The drugs aren't much help toward concentration, either. But the yarns used (from top to bottom) are as follows: Meilenweit Fantasy, Color No. 4830, Hill Country Sweet Feet in Purple Mountain, and Regia 4-Ply Canadian Color No. 4741 (aka Brazil). The one in the middle was knit using 2.5mm needles, while the others were made on 2.25mm. And I haven't a clue as to why Regia thought Brazil had fuck-all to do with Canadian Color. Whatever.

In addition, I whipped up the lovely Lutea Lace-Shoulder Shell from the latest Interweave Knits, which I chose to make using Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Salmon Berry Red from two (count-em!) dye lots. I don't care if anyone notices or not, because I'm in pain. So there. I'll post it when I get a proper pic of it to post.

But now, I'm sigining off, because all this mess is straining what's left of my eyesight.

Stay real!

Ya Think...?

Indie Personality Test Results

63% Indie Scoring highly suggests you are likely to be very liberal, independent minded, self identify as an outsider, shun materialism and popular culture, and have an aversion to organized religion. While high scorers are more intellectual than average, they are probably more artistically astute than intellectually avante garde (i.e. they are more likely to know of new interesting new bands/artists/writers than the best way to extract energy from a hydrogen atom. Low scorers, will generally tend towards the opposite of the above. They will tend to be more materialistic, conservative, corporate friendly, social and are more likely to be religious.

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