tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63950692024-03-13T20:11:11.093-07:00spaazliciousThe spaaztastic knitting and spinning sort of blog...also a fair bit of whippet goodness and San Diego sunshine.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comBlogger265125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1162236053527231732006-10-30T11:14:00.000-08:002006-10-30T11:22:17.336-08:00New HomeOkay, I am still working the kinks out, but please change your bookmarks for this site to:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.lanasdelibelula.com/blog/">http://www.lanasdelibelula.com/blog/</a><br /><br />I still need to transfer my links and tweak the template, but no new posts will be placed here on blogspot. Old spaazlicious posts are over there, although I couldn't transfer the comments, so I look like an unlovéd loser. :)<br /><br />I hope to see you there. <br /><br />I don't know if I can place one of those redirect thingies that go ahead and change it automatically in your rss feeder--if anyone knows that I can and how, please holla at your girl here.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1162178875534540372006-10-29T19:21:00.000-08:002006-10-29T19:27:55.560-08:00The New ANTIcraft makes me want to learn crochet,nay, <a href="http://www.theanticraft.com/archive/samhain06/teratoma.htm" target="blank">NEED to learn crochet</a>.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1161895903208274122006-10-26T12:07:00.000-07:002006-10-26T14:04:18.876-07:00This is the End, well pretty much. Mostly anyway. I think.The <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php" target="_blank">Rogue</a> is done.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october017.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I was disappointed with it because I was a dumb@ss and didn't listen to whoever it was (I think it was <a href="http://www.jessimuhka.com/knitblog/" target="_blank">Jessimuhka</a>, but I've gone back through my comments and couldn't find exactly) who said to make everything longer. Being such a schmartypantz I looked at the schematic and measured myself and said, "nah, that'll be fine."<br /><br />But perhaps the schematic included the length of the hems because when I sewed it all together and tried it on pre-hem stitching, the length WAS perfect, WITH the hems out. When I sewed the hems up, it was about two inches too short. D'oh.<br /><br />The lack of the length in the body wasn't crucial, it does hit at a fairly flattering spot, which I think can be tricky in something so slumptastic as a sweatshirt, but I cannot stand to have my knobby wristbones showing under a sweater sleeve gap, it looks freakish. Unlike <a href="http://www.expasy.org/spotlight/back_issues/sptlt029.shtml" target="_blank">our friend the male platypus</a>, my offensive poisonous spines are in my forelegs and I prefer to keep them covered when I'm cold.<br /><br />I contemplated cutting the sleeves around the elbow, knitting the extra length and then grafting it back. But the prospect of dealing with the seam...I wussed out. I ended up just blocking the crap out of it.<br /><br />Which makes the arms appear thinner, and as I wear it and my body kind of humidifies it and I move around the sleeves sneak back up...but it is still a comfortable compromise I can live with. Although you'll see a blocked those bad boys out unevenly. Oops.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br />'Scuse me while I bust a move.</span><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october013.jpg" /><blockquote>This here's a tale for all the fellas<br />Try to do what those ladies tell us<br />Get shot down cause you're overzealous<br />Play hard to get an' females get jealous</blockquote></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october014.jpg" /><blockquote>A chick walks by you wish you could sex her<br />But you're standin on the wall like you was Poindexter</blockquote></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october019.jpg" /><blockquote>Says she wanna dance cus she likes the groove<br />So come on fatso and just bust a move<br /></blockquote></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october020.jpg" /><blockquote><br />If you want it baby you've got it...<br />If you want it baby you've got it...<br />Just bust a move!</blockquote></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october018.jpg" /><blockquote>You're on a mission and you're wishin'<br />someone could cure your lonely condition<br />You're lookin for love in all the wrong places<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">No fine girls just ugly faces</span></blockquote></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october015.jpg" /></center><br /><br />My gauge changed between swatching and actual knitting, from the requisite 4.5 sts/in to 5 sts/in, which isn't huge, but did snug it in a bit. The sleeves might have fit better I suppose had I had that extra couple of stitches at the chest and shoulders. My row gauge was still right on so I didn't fuss about it.<br /><br />I still have 204 yards/186.5 meters (3.2 oz/90.7 grams) left of the 1276 yards/1166.8 meters I spun up for the project. My Rogue is light and skooshy and warm and weighs 14.8 oz/419.5 grams. Who says that knit sweatshirts have to be heavy?<br />It is possible to get light lofty yarn from top!<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >The End of the Spaazlicious Road?</span><br /><br />So I have finally done the thing which I <a href="http://spaazlicious.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_spaazlicious_archive.html" target="_blank">started this blog to document</a> nearly three years ago, the spinning and knitting of the Rogue.<br /><br />I must say, I got a little distracted and didn't document it very well. ;)<br /><br />I'm not going to stop blogging, I like it. Nick likes it. My family likes it. But I think I'm going to move it over to my poor abandoned wordpress shop blog. I never really gave that thing a chance, and so much of what I talk about here I wanted to talk about there, but didn't want to double post. And there was some stuff here I wasn't sure I wanted to be associated with over there--flabgina anyone? But now that I've finished completed the goal of this blog, I'm ready to move on over. Well, not just yet. The shop blog is bare and blah and has no links, it definitely needs to be spiffed up first. I just wasn't sure how much I was going to take over there with me from Spaazlicious.<br /><br />I chose this name on a whim. Did some searches and at that time no one had it, or any similar play on the Spaaz theme in its various spellings, so I signed up for blogger and slowly learned some html and other requisite bloggy skills. I have grown attached to it, but it is potentially offensive. Of course everything is potentially offensive, but I'm not sure if it's business appropriate, even in the casual world of this "hobby market." So after I move, should I go back to Tortuga? I can't just be Wendy--I'd feel like I was pretending to be one of the <i><a href="http://knitandtonic.typepad.com/knitandtonic/" target="_blank">real</a><a href="http://www.wendyknits.net/" target="_blank"> Wendys</a></i>, as silly as that sounds. Maybe I should take the moniker <a href="http://mamascrapalota.typepad.com/me/" target="_blank">Mary-Kay</a> has bestowed upon me, WendySpin. I think I'm also called Wendy Spaaz or Spaaz Wendy a few places.<br /><br />Maybe I should just be Wendy Black and leave the alter ego identities to the superheroes.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october021.jpg" /></center>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1161585249292746612006-10-22T22:25:00.000-07:002006-10-22T23:34:09.416-07:00Once upon a time...I was a blogger.<br /><br />Just haven't been feeling it lately.<br /><br />I think part of it is missing Pomona <i>so much</i>. How could I not miss this face?<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209164925/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/96/209164925_c780ea78e4_m.jpg" alt="august 052" height="240" width="195" /></a></center><br /><br />A lot of you nice folks out there leave comments about how you think you could never foster dogs because you'd want to keep them all, but for almost every foster dog we've had, I've been able to feel a different, better fitting family for them.<br /><br /> Snowball wasn't one of them. He had some weird quirks that would have had him bouncing from home to home, but we loved him, we trusted him, we felt the purity of his joy in being alive. And he was happy here. Renting this relatively perfect (but dumpy little) place here in La Mesa means that we can't officially adopt another dog since we are limited to two. We get away with fostering because technically, they're temporary. We make sure our three dogs don't bark and bug the neighbors, and they don't call the city for enforcement. Happy neighborhood status quo. <br /><br />We "failed" fostering with Snowball because he was so special, so unique, so perfectly imperfect for us; he fit right in. We were going to make his adoption official when we moved up north (still waiting on a transfer) but the cancer proved an impetus to make it official earlier. With the bone cancer and the specter of amputation, it looked like we might need to move from our second story home anyway. But he fell in the yard, we faced facts, looked at his pain and couldn't do it. He was a good boy and we miss him so much. That's never going to stop, just ease over time.<br /><br />Pomona may have started out "boring," but once we discovered the key to her heart was in "walkies" she opened up and we could see and feel how unique and wonderful she is. When she was on the beach or in an open field she radiated joy, that pure happiness and love that Snowball used to glow with and it was almost like having him back--but a different set of quirks. ;)<br /><br />I should have been honest with myself about how I felt. I wanted to keep her. But I couldn't shake my foster mentality and took her to the adoption appointment anyway, and she was of course adopted, being the best f&cking dog in the world that she is. And while I didn't want to leave her, it was too late. I'd messed up. There's no "backsies" on foster dogs unless the owners bounce them back out (which happens when things aren't working out, which would mean Pomona was not happy, which I do not want) and there was nothing to be done. I was stupid, I f&cked up. Me missing her, wanting to keep her, is just selfish. Her new Mommy is a good one, she would be a great mommy for any of the shy dogs we have at the kennel(and who Pomona beat hands down because of her beauty, winning personality, and stellarly stinky flatulence, I tell you, she was a Spaaz family dog through and through) and she'll be a good mommy to Pomona. <br /><br />But it was kind of like losing the 'ball all over again, and kind of knocked the emotional wind out of me. And you know what an emotional windbag I am, right?<br /><br />Anyway, we needed more room in the kennel that day so I brought home another foster dog, Snuggle:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/IMG_2430.jpg" /></center><br /><br />He is a totally normal spaaz, turning two years old this month. He is boisterous and affectionate no matter where he is--although he is a greyhound, so he sleeps about twenty hours a day,<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/IMG_2435.jpg" /></center><br /><br />the boisterous part comes in the three minutes or so spent in a complicated greeting dance when we come home. Or playing with toys, he gives 'em hell.<br /><br />He is a bit unique in two ways however:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/snugglemohawk.jpg" /></center><br /><br />He has a mohawk fur pattern.<br /><br />And he has an outtie:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/IMG_2434.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Which I have never seen on a dog. He's a good boy, we figure he'll be adopted next weekend.<br /><br />Next post, coming soon:<ol><br /><li>Explication of my petty petrol-related peevishness<br /><li>Actual knitting content--I've finished the Rogue and was really dissappointed.<br /> I'll figure out how to use my fancy schmancy Photoshop CS2 to highlight the part of the pink Sherwood that's f'ed up, have an updated photo. <br /> Maybe I'll gather up the UFOs I have and organise a finishing spree.<br /> Or ripping spree, we'll see.<br /></ol>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1160764214952840502006-10-13T10:52:00.000-07:002006-10-13T11:43:57.856-07:00Eek!In case you've clicked over from <a href="http://wendyknits.net/archives/001073.html#001073" target="_blank">Wendy's</a>, I apologise for my pathetic tantrum in the post below. I'll post explanations later, but please know I'm not really a ranter. At least, not here. Anyway, if you were curious about how much yarn I actually used for my <a href="http://www.interweave.com/knit/interweave_knits/preview/2005_winter.asp" target="_blank">bicolor cardi</a>, here it is:<br /><br />85 grams of the contrast color--although I have not knit the collar yet, so I may yet have that maddening experience of breaking into a 100 gram skein for a yard or so of extra yarn. Given how much I knit with the other grams though, I think I won't. <br /><br />Anyway, so call it 100 grams used of the "required" 200 grams called for in the pattern. If I use more, I will amend this post. This may prove the impetus to actually finish this.<br /><br />Of the 600 grams "required" for the main color I used 343 grams. <br /><br />I used the yarn called for in the pattern, <a href="http://www.lanasdelibelula.com/gems.html" target="_blank">Louet Gems Opal in Teal and Fern</a>. The linked page is a page from the special order section of my shop, if you scroll down you can see the prices and put up amounts. You can see that this is a not inexpensive yarn (and I sell everything below the suggested retail price) so I think it's important to mention the huge gap in my actual usage, so people can maybe their iffy buffer amounts in the 50 gram put up, instead of the 100 gram skein put up, from their local Louet dealer. That way it won't hurt so much if you have to break into a new skein for a little bit. <br /><br />Of course, everyone knits differently and has different risk-of-running-out comfort thresholds. And I don't mind the extra skeins since I really enjoyed working with the yarn and being superwash merino it's great for socks and baby stuff. <br />It will be used, eventually. Probably <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/absinthe_knits/" target="_blank">sooner rather than later</a>. <br /><br />But for those who are afraid of massive oddball stash, it's a thought to think on.<br /><br />Here's a horrendous photo of the pieces laid out. It pretty much still looks like that, just crammed into a knitting basket.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/cardipieces.jpg"></center><br /><br />I'm with the majority of posters in Wendy's comments, I would of course rather end up with too much than too little, so it's okay with me that padding appears to be standard practice. I would like to see the actual knit weight of the garment pictured though, as unrealistic as that is. I always buy extra yarn. I hate running out of yarn. So the persistent extra is really just in the irksome and odd category.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1160288351931884142006-10-07T23:05:00.000-07:002006-10-08T09:26:42.420-07:00PatheticY'know you're pathetic when...<br /><ul><br /><li>You take your foster dog to an adoption appointment and try to talk up any other dog but the one you brought, your precious girl, even though you know they'll be a good home. <br /><br />As long as they remember the daily walkies.<br /><br /><br /></li><li>You <i>almost</i> post a razzing nasty comment on someone's blog who's bragging about their fancy new hybrid and their supposedly fuel efficient mileage to say something like: "Diesel! B!TCH! Run with more torque, more efficiency; I can run biodiesel and you choke on your fucking fossilfuel dependent smarmy hybrid!" I'm sorry, but does any one else remember when the Prius had something like a topspeed of 70mph, cost $30,000, and was built out of an ECHO!?! Terrible crash test rating, and who names a car after a DIMINISHED REPRODUCTION?! We waited 18 months for our jetta wagon with a TDI engine, and I don't regret it at all. If you want to know more about the TDI, <a href="http://www.tdiclub.com/" target="_blank">click here.</a><br />If you want to know more about breaking dependence on fossil fuel, <a href="http://www.biodiesel.org/" target="" _blank="">click here</a>. (BTW, I got home from our big bear weekend with over a third of a tank left) If you want to see a little bit of internet empathy in my pissiness, and click on some linky goodness that might get you all frustrated about the better engines on the market in Europe, <a href="http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/000791.html" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br /><br /><br /></li><li> You notice a gigantic mistake in your knitting, a mistake which destroys the symmetry of the project, run the stitches back down to fix it, reknit the stitches, realise you only ripped down to just right above the huge many-rowed mistake, run the stitches back down to <i>below</i> the mistake <i>to actually fix it</i>, reknit it...run triumphantly to the blog to post the pic of the mistake for a whole <i> beliedat!</i> moment and realise...that you'd posted a pic of the huge mistake before. And no one said anything. <br /><br /><br />What the f_ck is wrong with you people?!? You call yourself knitters!!!!?!!!<br /><br />Y'all suck. You could have saved me from knitting something like six or so rows!!!<br /><br /><br /></li><li>In case you don't know me well enough to know, here's a frickin' emoticon:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);font-size:360%;" >;)</span><br /></li></ul>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1160112625915505802006-10-05T21:08:00.000-07:002006-10-05T22:34:45.506-07:00Blogworthy HeightsWe went to Big Bear for the weekend (we is <a href="http://birdsnestknits.typepad.com/birds_nest_knits/2006/10/knitters_run_am.html" target="_blank">Nancy</a> [the organiser], <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/absinthe_knits/2006/10/retreat_retreat.html" target="_blank">Heidi</a> [the babybaker], <a href="http://mamascrapalota.typepad.com/me/2006/10/dye_day_knittin.html" target="_blank">Mary-Kay</a> [the mover <span style="font-size:78%;">& shaker</span>], <a href="http://home.mindspring.com/%7Ecrissypo/" target="_blank">Cristina</a> [the bunmaster], <a href="http://makeme.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Hilari</a> [ze fickle mistress of ze mojo] and Yoly [the blogless] and me [whoever I am]). Check Nancy, Mary-Kay & esp. Heidi's blogs for piccies; apparently our public story is that we had way too much food and the two cars we packed were very full. No mention of the all weekend orgy, the breast exams, and the giggly topless pillow fights every hour on the half hour. I'm not sure why, since the cabin's cleaning crew has probably found and released the spa boy by now so no point in keeping secrets. <br /><br />Anyway, needless to say, we had a fun weekend.<br /><br /><br />I brought three projects. <br /><br />The Rogue. I'd had a funked up stitch count in the hood section and set it down for a while, but brought it along anyway. I just fudged it, I figured the stockinette stitch amount didn't matter too much, I think I ended up with the right amount, as seaming it I didn't have any puckering, and didn't have to ease too much.<br /><br />So, I'm done!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october001.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Whaddya mean it still needs sleeves? <br /><br />Anyway,I tried the three needle bind off and didn't like the really obvious seam. So I tried grafting it, and I didn't like the one stitch offset look it seemed to be creating, so I picked it back out and did the three needle bind off again. I'm hoping the dramatic seam look will fade with blocking and yarn blooming.<br /><br />The entrelac scarf. Which I'm totally bored with now. It's good public knitdioting, but I've become enamored of Sherwood.<br /><br />I brought <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTsherwood.html" target="_blank">sherwood</a>, but didn't work on it. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/october010.jpg" /></center><br /><br />The yarn is Classic Elite's pima silk, which is so soft, I love it. It seems a little pilly though.<br /><br /><br />Pomona has an appointment on Saturday. I'm both hoping they are wonderful and perfect for her, and hoping they are absolutely unsuitable and we get to keep her longer. I love watching her run, her happiness is so infectious, and I am loving how she makes a little bit more progress each day. She's started coming out onto the deck to look at us through the railing when we come home, which is big progress, and the other day she even stayed out long enough to sniff my hand and get pets before shooting back into the bedroom, which felt like huge progress.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1159895499708314222006-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:002006-10-03T11:08:06.243-07:00Opera is not for AmateursPlease, any deity listening, please make it stop.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Updated: The noisy wobbly warbling has finally stopped. The neighorhood dogs and I are much relieved. I am going to feel horrible if it turns out that it was actually someone taking an hour and a half to drown to death in a bathtub.</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1159231088980558322006-09-25T16:34:00.000-07:002006-09-25T17:44:31.766-07:00Excessively Picturesque<center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb12.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Pomona has convinced us she deserves to be let off leash, that the risk is outbalanced by the joy.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb11.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb10.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb9.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb8.jpg" /></center><br /><br />She has also convinced us that given no other more immediately tempting prospects, she will return to us with almost as much happiness on her face as that which is displayed as she's running away.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb7.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb5.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb4.jpg" /></center><br /><br />We had a very good dog beach day.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb1.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/pb13.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb33.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb31.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb30.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb34.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb23.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb22.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb21.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb24.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb25.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb20.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb18.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I've learned a new knitting technique--entrelac! <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/scarf.jpg" /></center><br /><br />The scarf says "hello" to the choicer properties of San Diego county while enjoying <a href="http://www.sdrm.org/events/mc-tour/" target="_blank">a ride on a museum train</a>. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/scarf2.jpg" /></center><br /><br />The scarf is from a very simple pattern--I highly reccomend that if you are living in the San Diego area and have been meaning to learn the technique, sign up for Cathy's two hour class at Two Sisters and Ewe in La Mesa. It was only $15, and WAY more enjoyable than learning through one of those online tutorial thingummies. (I think I've had a link to one of those FOREVER, and just never got around to going through it. I'm glad I waited/procrastinated.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/yarn.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I spun my own yarn for the scarf, a singles version of the yarn I spun up for dye-o-rama. I was trying for a roughly worsted weight yarn, and it's knitting up all right on US9s. I'm not too sure about my color choices and their distribution, but I'm reserving judgement and enjoying the knitting of it.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/yarn2.jpg" /></center><br /><br />The real colors are something inbetween. Pretty accurate in the daredevil scarf shots. <br /><br />It was a good excercise to take the different fibers (merino superwash, south african fine wool, silk, merino/tencel [50/50], mohair, and merino) and try to spin around the same gauge. In some parts, I failed miserably, there are laceweight bits and bulky bits. My "excuse" is that I waited until the last minute, spinning like a demon grabbing the random sections of color and fibers to make the 446 yards in three hours on Tuesday night, washing it and hanging it out to dry, winding it into a knitting ball for the Wednesday at noon class.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb29.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb14.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb15.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Please forgive all the photos, but I found it impossible to choose between them. I love all her happy postures in these pictures. She LOVES dog beach and we are so lucky to have this space available to us.<br /><br />When we don't feel like driving the twelve miles over to Coronado Dog Beach, we walk a mile up to a local elementary school's very nice all fenced in baseball diamond. Because it's so much smaller than dog beach her running is also scaled down and we don't spend much time there (we also don't want to get caught, so shhhhh! don't tell anyone about our ninja dog fun). <br /><br />Pomona is nearly a normal dog on these leash walks and off leash silly-dog adventures, so she has proven to be a really good influence, getting us off our butts and walking and running and talking in silly voices.<br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pb16.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I am still working on the <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php" target="_blank">Rogue</a>. I'm almost done with the hood, but somehow I ended up with an uneven stitch count between the markers and I've put it in a bit of a time-out while I revel in the glory of the new-to-me entrelac, which is a much more portable and tolerant of interruption project than the Rogue at this point.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1158209507951998682006-09-13T21:49:00.000-07:002006-09-13T21:59:03.203-07:00Oops.I have stumbled into love with "The Office."<br /><br />If you can't think why, start <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4afq8dNI_5o" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">So embarrassing, but true. And also loving My Name is Earl. So you know where I'll be the 21st. </span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1158019853457321782006-09-11T17:08:00.000-07:002006-09-12T09:49:10.976-07:00Wandering alongFor some reason, I just don't feel very bloggy lately. <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php" target="_blank">Rogue</a> has been knitting up quite quickly although I've made some dumkopf moves--like forgetting how to read a chart, even though <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/journal/" target="_blank">Wilson</a> thoughtfuly alternated the position of the row numbers from left to right to call attention to the need to read from alternating directions when knitting flat. Pretty minor though, just had to rip back the 18 rows I knit before I realised what an idiot I was.<br /><br />So here's where I was at at 3ish today:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september016.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Someone has already made it very clear that they <i>really really</i> like this sweater.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september005.jpg" /></center><br /><br />And I'm loving my yarn. Lucky thing, that.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Spinning</span><br /><br />I've been spinning up the merino/possum blend my Mom brought back from New Zealand for us. I'm hoping to make a 2 ply worsted weight to do something comfy and cabled for Nick. It is prepared very differently from the Louet merino/silk and I am having to focus on adapting my spinning process to the new goals and the very different fiber. You know how you get in a groove of spinning fine? It can be a bad and tedious thing. <br /><br />I've joined the <a href="http://www.weavespindye.org/?loc=1-00-00" target="_blank">Handweavers Guild of America</a>. I have yet to build a Navajo style loom and get to accomplishing my weaving resolution, but I'm interested in the <a href="http://www.weavespindye.org/?loc=6-00-00" target="_blank">COE</a> programs for dyeing and spinning. We'll see how interested I am after the materials books come, eh?<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Other Stuff</span><br /><br />I love this kid's sweater from knitty: <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTsherwood.html" target="_blank">Sherwood</a>. This is a stitch pattern from one of Barbara Walker's Treasuries and I'd actually photocopied it to start swatching it for maybe an edging of a little sweater I'm doing, but it didn't seem quite right. I love it like this.<br /><br />Cute socks in the issue too.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >Dog Stuff</span><br /><br />Nope, nowhere near replacing my belovéd and much missed <a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_1359.jpg" target="_blank">bedshark</a>, but still kind of cute. ;p<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september008.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Tahoe digs her.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september003.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Belu wishes she'd walk off a cliff but it means she's a little nicer to Tahoe around the house. You'd never guess how much she loves to bite him when they're out and about. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september009.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/paws.jpg" /></center><br /><br />She still practices her ninja skills around the house though, sneaking up on unsuspecting yum-yums.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/september006.jpg" /></center><br /><br />We've let Pomona offleash at a local fenced in park and she actually has a recall. She will come to me, bouncing with joy on her face. We won't be trying her in unfenced areas any time soon, but it makes me happy to see her squirreling around across the grass and then actually coming when called. Good girl.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1157132547329287912006-09-01T10:05:00.000-07:002006-09-01T22:48:57.860-07:00UmI am a whopping 2.5" into the <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php" target="_blank">Rogue</a>. Which makes for a very boring picture. <br /><br /><br />So, look! Pomona!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/august079.jpg"></center><br /><br />I had a seriously <i>dumkopf</i> day yesterday, starting the body of the Rogue 3 or 4 times and each time getting to about the seventh or eighth twisted stockinette round of the hem facing before discovering that I'd somehow twisted the stitches before joining...I have never done this by accident before, yet I did it three or four times yesterday (I'm vague on the exact number because of the repetitive wall v. head trauma). <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pomonafierce.jpg"></center><br />(This is about how I felt. This picture is posed, I stuck her lip to her gums and took the pic.)<br /><br />Here's the finished yarn, which varies from 9-11 wraps per inch (there are ten in the pic, but you can see there's room for one more) and knit up to 4.5 sts per inch on a size US7:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/august077.jpg"></center><br /><br />The fiber is 80% merino/ 20% tussah silk in lichen colorway available by special order <a href="http://www.lanasdelibelula.com/special%20order.html" target="_blank">here</a> under "Dyed Merino/Silk and Corriedale". (shameless plug)<br />Scroll down for the sticker shock, believe it or not that's well below Louet's retail price. <br /><br />The fibers were all so aligned I spun with out predrafting or splitting the top, sometimes spinning from the fold. After all, consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. ;p <br /><br /> I initially wanted a three ply; I had a thick and thin fatter single and paired it with two relatively consistent thinner singles, but I didn't dig it for the whole look of the Rogue. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/august.jpg"></center><br /><br /><br />So I spun two more plies like the first two plies and went for a more standard yarn. It's pretty skooshy and soft and the silk has a nice sheen and strength to it, so I'm very happy. I love knitting with it and it held up to the repeated ripping like a champ so I have high hopes for low incidence of future pilling. <br /><br />Pomona gives it two paws up:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pomonasilly.jpg"></center><br /><br />The pics I have in this post probably give the impression that she's left her shyness entirely behind. This is unfortunately not true. <br /><br />She has moments, hours even where she forgets that we are Evil and will snuggle. The other day, I snuggled her for hours and she eventually put her head on my chest while I was reading and I thought my heart would just burst out of my chest with happy contentment. <br /><br />But she seems to have her fear hardwired in her brain. <br /><br />If we let her, she would still just hide in corners all day, so I mess with her by moving her around from the couch to the bed, to another couch, moving her to cuddle and pet her and she loves her walkies most of all--she even wags her tail! For the first few minutes or so, anyway, then something makes her remember that she's terrified, but she still loves the walkies, on the whole, so I think it's good bonding, and breaks things up. <br /><br />We're trying to give her nothing but positive experiences, positive associations, nothing but happiness...but it's hard, because the fear switch trips in her head so quickly. <br /><br />Yet she shows perhaps some progress: if people are walking away from her, she shows interest and wants to follow them. She'll still shy and cringe if they reach to pet her, but at least she's showing an interest in something besides hiding, and she definitely enjoys walking with the whippets more than walking alone so that's a good sign too that she's becoming a little more engaged. <br />Although Belu bit her today, so that's not a help. B(tch. <br /><br />It's funny as Pomona seems much less shy in the routine and clamor of the kennel. She likes going out, she likes being in a group of big dogs, sneaking up behind or from the side for pets as part of a group, going back in, sleeping in her crate, eating her food, chewin' rawhides...just one of the thirty. But she won't go to a home like that, content as she seems in the kennel environment, so hopefully we'll help her become a more confident dog, slowly slowly slowly overwriting the fear. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/pomonagoofy.jpg"></center><br /><br />Enough about the darn dog already, yeah? Or at least, for this post anyway. <br /><br /><a href="http://twoleftneedles.com/default.aspx" target="_blank">Monica</a> had a question about the plying card and how it was held. It really isn't a necessary thing, just makes it all a bit easier keeping an even tension on the strands being plied and keeping track visually on the amount of twist. I think I became fixated on the idea of it after browsing through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Alden-Amos-Big-Book-Handspinning/dp/1883010888/sr=1-4/qid=1157172335/ref=sr_1_4/002-6326908-7463240?ie=UTF8&s=books" target="_blank">Alden Amos' Big Book of Handspinning</a>.<br /><br />I hold it in my left hand and control the twist with my right:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/august070.jpg"></center><br /><br />(if I had thought about it, I would have flipped it over before stringing through the strands, I forgot I might take progress pics. It looks very brand-y. sorry.)<br /><br />This may be opposite for other spinners. I spin "opposite" from most people, with my left hand being my forward hand, my right controlling the source. I surf goofy too. This was recently a topic on one of the lists, so I know I'm not alone, but I thought I'd clarify for those who might be looking at it and thinking, "wait, am I spinning with my hands the wrong way?" No. You're not. As long as you're getting yarn you are happy with and your hands are comfy in whatever positions you put them in (heh, heh) you are doing it just fine. <br /><br />If you have your wheel adjusted just right, with the right ratio and adjusting the takeup so it pulls in at the right rate, you don't even need to hold the yarn while plying, you can just treadle and use that free hand to hold your drink. Wheeeeeee!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/august069.jpg"></center><br /><br />It's good to stop and check your twist every now and then, whether you're holding the plies or not, just to be sure you've put in the right amount of twist and the yarn is balanced. I have a tendency to tweak and tweak the adjustments on my wheel and treadle like mad, and occasionally have to pull sections back out to add more twist or let the twist run up more because I got a lil carried away.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1156740471847877352006-08-27T21:39:00.000-07:002006-08-27T21:47:51.863-07:00Progress<center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2133.jpg"></center><br /><br />We've also taught her to get up on the couch. She's not ready to go to a new home 'til we've taught her to tip over the garbage bin and greet us unabashedly at the door, so we still have work to do.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2139.jpg"></center><br /><br />My lazy kate only has three spikes, so the fourth bobbin is on the regular flyer and propped up while I ply on the jumbo flyer. I'm using one of those crappy club cards hole-punched at home as a jury-rigged ply-guide--it definitely makes it even and easy.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1156057717894125892006-08-19T23:58:00.000-07:002006-08-20T00:08:37.910-07:00Let it not be said...that we do not feed our foster dogs.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2132.jpg"></center><br /><br />Seriously, isn't even her vein-y belly beautiful?<br /><br />She's still supershy. She still blossoms on leash. She has good days and bad days. Her housetraining is beautiful and solid when the door to the outside world is open. This is a rare and wonderful thing.<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm on the fourth bobbin of a four ply worsted weight. Fingers crossed, it'll be the majority of the <a href="http://www.girlfromauntie.com/patterns/shop/rogue/detail.php"_target="_blank">Rogue</a>. Wheeeeee!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1155490586198855962006-08-13T09:44:00.000-07:002006-08-13T11:00:44.493-07:00Renfaire! and fosterdog picsLast weekend <a href="http://makeme.typepad.com/make_me/" target="_blank">Hilari</a>, <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Heidi</a>, <a href="http://birdsnestknits.typepad.com/birds_nest_knits/" target="_blank">Nancy</a>, <a href="http://home.mindspring.com/%7Ecrissypo/" target="_blank">Cristina</a> and I went to the <a href="http://www.sdrf.com/" target="_blank">San Diego RenFaire</a>. <br /><br />It was my first one, so I wasn't sure exactly what to expect and didn't dress up, but totally worth the price of admission and worth checking out was the <a href="http://www.gypsytradingpost.com/" target="_blank">the Gypsy Trading Post</a> with Heather Seevers (under a Ren alias of Helena) and the awesome jewelry that <a href="http://www.fallenangeljewelry.com/Rings/index.html" target="_blank">makes me wish I was getting married all over again</a> and Julia (aka Natasha) and her handpainted fibers and handspun. <br /><br />I bought one of Heather's low whirl drop spindles and 2.6 oz. "silky merino" (I gather it is merino that has been stretched like Optim. I have felt Optim and was unimpressed, but it was in yarn form. This "silky merino" is awesome. It does look like a silk blend. When you "break" the roving for spinning, it does that crazy static poof that silk does, and it is soft and fine and slippery) cochineal dyed dark pinky purple, and the exhaust bath pink. Very reasonably priced, my total was something like $15.50 for both spindle and roving. Steal.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2130.jpg" /></center><br /><br />They both need etsy sites.<br /><br />There were lots of examples of sunscreen application vs. a combo of jiggly wiggly mobile flesh & bright San Diego sun:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209163323/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/77/209163323_afe2ea93dc_o.jpg" alt="august 004" height="92" width="152" /></a></center><br /><br />but I only saw one of these:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/214086200/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/84/214086200_40bdeccbe8_o.jpg" alt="codpiece-a detail of the outfit of theman at the lead of the parade with the big red flag" height="204" width="173" /></a></center><br /><br />on this:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209163593/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/61/209163593_9d73abf6b2.jpg" alt="august 012" height="500" width="333" /></a></center><br /><br />There are a lot more pictures on flickr, but unfortunately, quite a few are duplicates as I uploaded everything, then went back and cleaned some up and cropping them, but when I uploaded the new & improved ones they just added them in, not replaced them and to delete the first ones seems kind of "meh, pita." I had a lot of fun, although the Faire distinctly lacked gigantic turkey legs or homebrewed mead. <br /><br />There was a <a href="http://www.dpchallenge.com/image.php?IMAGE_ID=375959" target="_blank">preponderance of pickles in prows</a> (one is too many). I didn't take that linked piccie, it's from <a href="http://www.dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=441003" target="_blank"">here</a> and the first poster has some good pics. Turned out (according to the schedule they gave us but I didn't bother to look at) we left right before the greyhound coursing. D'oh!<br /><br />Another vendor was <a href="http://www.thevillageblocksmith.com/castle_building_blocks.htm" target="_blank">The Village Blocksmith</a>, so I totally know what I'm getting the <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/absinthe_knits/2006/06/works_in_progre.html" target="_blank">Button Jr.</a> for his or her third birthday. Rockin' blocks, man.<br /><br />My favorite amidst the performers was the Rat Races, very cool interaction with the kids, and although their booth got a little smelly as the day wore on, it was quite a fun show as the rats jammed through the obstacle course:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209164383/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/74/209164383_6028195654_o.jpg" alt="august 032" height="292" width="464" /></a></center><br /><br />I think this is my favorite pic of the day:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209164648/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/66/209164648_71cfa3c0bf.jpg" alt="august 042" height="423" width="500" /></a></center><br /><br />as it felt straight from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CStfT8gCrjM" target="_blank">Hell's Grannies</a>. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Boring Foster Dog Update</span></span><br /><br />Pomona the new foster dog is slowly coming out of her shell and being less boring.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/209164925/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/96/209164925_c780ea78e4_m.jpg" alt="august 052" height="240" width="195" /></a></center><br /><br />We move her onto the bed or sofa to pet her and just hang out while close, otherwise she will just stay in a corner.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/214086186/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/61/214086186_8dfad4352c.jpg" alt="cute Pomona" height="148" width="500" /></a></center><br /><br />She is probably the most internalised shy dog we've ever met, not interested in the whippets, not really interested in us. <br /><br />We will make her love us. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/69723268@N00/214086234/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/86/214086234_434b1d420b_m.jpg" alt="Pomona curled up in running pose" height="190" width="240" /></a></center><br /><br />Ve haff vays.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1155425028547184352006-08-12T16:19:00.000-07:002006-08-12T16:23:48.620-07:00De-stashing! Yarn and RovingMary-Kay is destashing for a move to CO and is selling her stuff at screaming cheap prices, there's some great roving and yarn <A HREf="http://mamascrapalota.typepad.com/me/2006/08/stuff_for_sale_.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />Like a virtual garage sale! With better stuff. <br />And you don't have to paw through a big grubby box hoping to find that cool rare book...and run into somebody's old raggedy panties...Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1155236668186687362006-08-10T12:01:00.000-07:002006-08-10T14:53:09.413-07:00Apropos of NothingDo not click this if you are:<br />A) at work<br />B) have children or fundies hanging over your shoulders watching you surf "teh internets"<br /><br />Hit pause until the status bar has loaded it completely.<br />Cut and paste into your browser.<br /><br />http://www.dailymotion.com/blog/video/431648?key=fzkyzjudxyf9c7z3jdbtk60mql3vksr89adc00na&play=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tastelikepizza.com%2Findex.php%3Fitemid%3D651<br /><br />I just love the self confidence. And yeah, how does she do it?!?Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1154875787805049212006-08-06T07:39:00.000-07:002006-08-06T08:04:21.150-07:00Rules of ThumbIf a dog has a choice between linoleum and carpet to have an "accident" upon, they will choose carpet.<br /><br />If one of the reasons you fell in love with your husband was his keen sense of observation and quick thinking, he will blearily step in the poo on the carpet and leave Family Circus style tracks EVERYWHERE before he leaves for work in the morning. And when you call him to rip him a new one, the first thing out of his mouth will be, "I think I stepped in poop in the yard last night--there's poop in my car!" Like, eeeeeeew! The smelly tragedy of poop in the car! Honey, hold me!<br /><br />If you call a foster dog "boring" they will poop in your house.<br />(accidents happen--I should have got up and taken her down to the yard [we had taken everyone down at midnight as well] and to be honest, the poop would have been really easily picked up if it hadn't been for Mr. Oblivious Handsome Pantz grinding it into the carpet, it was one of those lovely poos that give you confidence in your dog's diet and health otherwise)<br /><br />If you get all outraged about knitwear, life will give you something to bitch about. (still, relatively minor, compared to real troubles in the world but I'm hoping this is my ration for the day).Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1154835331958517102006-08-05T19:30:00.000-07:002006-08-05T20:37:19.326-07:00Hate You Like a Redheaded Stepchild(all right, all right, the original phrase is "<i>Beat</i> you like a redheaded stepchild," but let's face it, it's utterly charming either way--who doesn't enjoy spite directed at the melanin-impaired/pigmentally-challenged?)<br /><br />I've received my copy of the latest <a href="http://www.interweave.com/knit/" target="_blank">Interweave Knits</a>. And I think IK has declared <span style="font-size:115%;">all out war</span> on the redhead:<br /><br /><span style="font-size:75%;">(please forgive the crappy scans)</span><br /><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/redhead.jpg" /></center><br /><br />If their thirst to make her look like an utter jackass wasn't slaked by the goofy skirt <span style="font-size:75%;">(sorry <a href="http://www.modeknit.com/blog/" target="_blank">Anne</a>, loved the cardi! not diggin' the skirt!)</span> it must be quenched by those hideous scrunchy flashback suedey boots.<br /><br />But no.<br />The blight of silly accessories continues, with the shame of a Silly Hat and the dreaded underclothing peekaboo effect (think <a href="http://www.rose-kim.com/rose-kimknits/2005/08/european-lingerie-crisis.html" target="_blank">Louet and the Nude Bra Famine of 2005</a>).<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/redhead1.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><b>IK:</b> <i>Oh sweetie, we're sorry, we're sorry, look, here's something pretty for you--the perfect color for your skintone, so lovely, so delicate, a sweet lace top...</i><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/redhead2.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><b>IK:</b><i>Oh, didn't we mention that the hem length of body and sleeves would totally accentuate your short torso and make you look like Biliousness Personified?<br /><br />Bwahahahahahahaha!</i><br /><br />And like so many domestic violence scenarios, the giving with one hand, pinching/burning/whipping with an electric cord with the other hand continues...<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/redhead3.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Again with the not-flattering, making her look like Starsky's love-child with a SHAWL COLLAR cardigan with KNITTED BELT and some random wooden toggle and widening horizontal rib and hippiness at the hem... Two inches longer and it's straight from the seventies (okay, with the collar kind of flipped up and not completely shawled out, we're bordering on early eighties, and I did hear they're back.) Honestly, it looks comfy, and it is a cute pattern, but it's pretty half-assed for an apology.<br /><br />And, as previously observed by <a href="http://www.rose-kim.com/rose%2Dkimknits/" target="" _blank="">Jessica</a>, <a href="http://www.rose-kim.com/rose-kimknits/2006/07/thursdays-are-for-what-hell-is-this_27.html" target="_blank">this</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:75%;">(aside from the demonic embroidery I actually think it's pretty cool. also, how many references to <a href="http://www.rose-kim.com/rose%2Dkimknits/" target="_blank">Jessica</a> can I get away with before this post seems like a total rip-off? Oh, too late? Really? Oops. Anyway, I rest my case. Everything IK puts The Redhead in is Fug™.)</span><br /><br />And since I still have some Bitch left in my account, I'll spend it on this:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/hungryhair.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Let's just say I'm glad my head was shaved before I saw this, otherwise I'd be having nightmares of my hair trying to eat my head too.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:75%;">(The pattern's really cute though. And, honestly, I think I recognise the signs of Someone Trying To Grow Out Their Hair and in the grips of one of the many and perpetual accompanying "awkward phases." My hair makes an utterly uncharming mullet at six months growth. I fit right in at Parkway Plaza.)</span> <br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >On a final note:</span><br /><br />You #$*¥%ers! Stop adopting our #^@$%ing foster dogs so fast! We only got to have Teak for maybe a week and then we were making serious progress with Hoth, but NOOOoooooooOOOOOooo, now he's gone to a great home in Murrieta. <br /><br />And now we have Pomona, who's seriously cute but seriously boring, as dogs go. <br /><br /><b>And</b> I can't find the #$(*#@ USB cord for the camera to show her sweet Orange Blossom Honey colored face to the world, so maybe that's why I'm Waxin' a Lil Wroth.<br /><br /> Stupid <span style="font-size:85%;">efficient adoptions matching.</span> <span style="font-size:75%;">Stupid me for losing the USB cord.</span> <span style="font-size:70%;">Grumble.</span><span style="font-size:65%;"> Grumble.</span> <span style="font-size:60%;">Grumble</span>...Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1154328435350428272006-07-30T23:21:00.000-07:002006-07-30T23:50:37.053-07:00Shameless Displays of Indulgence<center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july026.jpg"></center><br /><br />Considering Hoth was afraid of the camera just a week ago, I think he's made excellent progress in the mellowing department. He no longer worries about the big scary clicking whirring flashing black thing and lets it get right...up...close:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/snouter.jpg"></center><br /><br />Now, if he could keep his @ss a little farther from our pillows, I'd be happier.<br /><br />I have no interesting knitting. I knit a pumpkin hat, but the leaves I knit looked crappy and while I could have sworn that there was a corkscrew icord in one of my books, I couldn't find it. Also, I have not posted the three hats I made and they were supposed to be there tomorrow. Not gonna happen. I hope other well meaning knitters were not as disorganised as I. <br /><br />I took scissors to my hair, and once again, too late, remembered that I suck at cutting my own hair. I don't really like going to the shop to get my hair cut either, so when I went today I had the barber cut it down to a quarter inch. That way I can go a couple months before having to go again. I am brilliant. Now the dogs look like shaggy hippies next to me and I know a couple things I didn't really know before:<ul><br /><li> My hair grows in odd directions in sections and this is pretty apparent when it's this short<br /></li><li> I am not Natalie Portman, or Demi Moore. I don't look boldly cute nearly bald--although if the "louse free" look comes into vogue, I'm ready.<br /></li></ul><br /><br />Well, off to do some one armed push ups.<br /><span style="font-size:75%;">(truth be told, I always have a hard time believing the person in the mirrror is me, so despite the blogging, I'm not fussed about my hair. I love rubbing it. It feels good. <br /><br />And I am really regretting not going for some mid-90's hip-hop style and getting something razored into the back of my head, like "hi Nick!")</span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1153702058247911872006-07-23T17:03:00.000-07:002006-07-23T19:40:32.996-07:00The New HotnessSay hello to our newest foster dog, Hoth:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july022.jpg"></center><br /><br />He's just turned three years old, has bad teeth, a bit shy, a little freaked by men, takes thyroid medication, has to eat a special fish & potato diet because of allergies and is the tallest dog we've ever fostered. He may be here awhile (and that's all right). While he's no Snowball, (;P) he's a unique mookie bear and very good about not peeing in the house and we lub him vewwy vewwy much. <br /><br />We're going to teach him to be confident and chill. <br /><br />Speaking of chill, the irony isn't lost on me that he's named for an ice planet in a galaxy far, far away a long time ago. (Dogs that come in in groups are named for themes. Someone was in a Star Wars mood when he first came in. We also had a Nabu and an Endor that I can remember.) It's very hot here. It's pretty hot everywhere though, and setting records for it, so, enough said. Weather chat is for neighbors and elevators.<br /><br />I've been spinning, knitting, and goofing off.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july020.jpg"></center><br /><br />Spinning and knitting, color synchronicity.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july011.jpg"></center><br /><br />I've been doing some dyeing too, pics later. <br /><br />I've been getting really excited about the Louet Victoria--originally labeled the S95, it was renamed after this cutie patootie:<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/s95_slapenklein.jpg"></center><br /><br />I especially like this bit:<br /><blockquote>Just as my grand child the prototype weighted 3,5 kg and measured about 50 cm long. Folded, the S95 is still longer than Victoria, my grand child, when she folds herself. </blockquote><br />written by Jan Louet.<br /><br />I like my Lendrum, but I don't love it. <br /><br />While its endless range of adjustments and accessories are part of a selling point, they're also a pain in the @ss. They don't actually fit in the gigantic bag one buys to carry it in and it's heavier than many other wheels. <br /><br />The Victoria is priced at a point below the Lendrum (I don't know that there's been an official suggested retail price, but they designed it be at the price level of the S75 or below and $550-$595 seems to be the magic number most bandied about as a retail price) and it's lighter and more compact than anything else on the market. <br /><br />Anyway, I'll bet a lot of Lendrums are on the market used after this becomes available and widely tested. Mine might be. <br /><br /> Of course, Lendrum owners are a fierce gang, with a yahoo group and all...so who knows. It won't be available for shipping until November, but I've got dibs on an oak one. I'll be taking orders for the Victoria at my site, bag & shipping included for $525.<br /><br /><a href="http://lanasdelibelula.com/louetvictoria.html" target="_blank">Click here for more shopariffic info.</a><br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july014.jpg"></center><br /><br />Belu's posture telling Tahoe that she'll kick his butt six ways 'til Sunday if he says <i>anything</i> about the hat. <I>anything</i>, buddy, just try some smart lip.<br /><br />Speaking of smart lip and stupid hats, I never should have said, "one a day fast" about the babyhats. We had visiting family and I've only finished one baby hat since my last post, and you can sort of see the second finished hat under the berry cabled hat on the arm of the sofa next to Hoth. The hat in progress next to the bobbin of handpainted Dorset is some odd skein <a href="http://lanasdelibelula.com/handpainted.html" target="_blank">Bisbee Sock Yarn</a>. <br /><br />I am maybe half done with a pumpkin hat made of a spare ball of Jaegar Cadiz (50/50 silk/viscose blend) which I'll edge with single crochet green Noro Cash Iroha around the brim edge and use the green Noro to knit a twisting i-cord vine and leaves. Originally I cast on 42 stitches, but thought that would be too small, NICU sized, so I ripped it and now it's 70 stitches on size 4s and will be a pumpkin hat to fit a pumpkin head--a mother's silly hat revenge for a painful perineum. ;) <br /><br />Or just a hat for a healthy, happy breastfed baby. Who knows.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1153106983928443192006-07-16T20:21:00.000-07:002006-07-17T10:42:52.016-07:00Knitting, babies & b!tches<center style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;">Knitting</span></center><br /><br />Last Monday night I finished my first pair of adult size socks.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/socks001.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I didn't kitchener the toe until Tuesday morning however, because I didn't have <a href="http://www.jessimuhka.com/knitblog/" target="_blank">Jessica</a> to hold my hand and talk me through it step by step for this one (unlike the first one, finished at the baseball game and she didn't actually hold my hand because that would have made kitchenering the toe even more tricky, but she did watch me and tell me exactly what to do so I just shut my brain off and followed her voice to HappyTidilyGraftedToe Town), but the <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer04/FEATtheresasum04.html" target="_blank">knitty tutorial</a> did all right. Not as pretty, but done.<br /><br />Doing the second heel I realised that I have a "literacy issue." The heel flap instructions did not say "purl 1, slip 1" like I had remembered. Just "slip 1, purl across" like Stella had said in the comments. It does make a bit of visual difference, and feels a little different on, but not so much that I'm making a third sock.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/socks002.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Both socks were made with one skein of my <a href="http://knittingiris.typepad.com/knitting_iris/2006/06/post_1.html" target="_blank">dye-o-rama pal's</a> yarn with a fair bit to spare, so I could make a matching pair if I was so inclined. I love the colors, but the polyamide content in this elann makes 'em a little crunchy feeling, so I know they'll wear like iron. (not a bad thing).<br /><br />Pattern modifications: None, although I didn't knit as long a foot as specified as I have shorter feet. The "lovey lace" pattern was very easy, but kind of baggy. I guess I'm not as cankly as I think. <br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><br /></span><center style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;">Knitting & Babies</span></center><br /><br />Given the subscription numbers, it's highly unlikely that anyone reading here is unaware of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6395069&postID=115310698392844319" target="_blank">Yarn Harlot's</a> baby hat post(s). But just in case: (scroll down each entry for the pertinent bits) Original post <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/06/29/the_power_scares_me.html" target="_blank">here</a>, baby hat Q & A <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/07/03/my_new_hobbies.html" target="_blank">here</a>, Jeanne's mailing address posted <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2006/07/14/surrealism.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /><br />A big amen to the original post, and not just the maelstrom of issues surrounding breastfeeding but also the not-putting-acrylic-on-babies thing--if you've ever done a burn test on acrylic you'll know why the idea of it freaks me out.<br /><br />Acrylic burns fast and hot, spreads and melts fast. Ingeo does the same.<br /><br />Pure wool is self-extinguishing and flakes instead of melting. Wool also becomes warmer when wet, instead of stealing heat from the body when wet as cotton does. The market is now so large that the old "rough wool" is no excuse--there are wools out there softer than many of these unnatural yarns marketed for baby knitting. The only excuse out there against wool now might be the "easy care" issue, but I think it's more a different mindset. Washing our wool stuff doesn't seem any more of a PITA then doing laundry or dishes. Fill a sink/washer, let the item(s) soak for twenty minutes in the soapy water, drain, refill, soak, drain, lay it out to dry. Little increments of time. As I'm given to understand that everything is reduced to little icrements of time once the baby comes, I don't see what the big deal is. Although I can understand the One.More.Damn.Thing. complaint/viewpoint.<br /><br />Anyway, superwash wool is out there and now, easily available. One caveat though is that the polymer it is coated with to keep it from felting does burn, but the self extinguishing properties of the wool still exist within it and it behaves in a burn test almost exactly like pure wool, but the flame spreads over the surface a little farther and extinguishes a fraction of a second later. Enough of a difference to tell a difference, but a small difference.<br /><br /> Cotton is not self extinguishing, but does not spread in such a scary fast flame as acrylic. But it will burn completely, with little orange glowing worms of flame spreading throughout the fiber unto powdery ash. <br /><br />People generally don't smoke around kids any more, but still...just in case, and especially during barbecue season, please don't encase kids in petroleum products.<br /><br />Anyway, my point, before I got distracted by setting samples on fire at the bathroom sink?<br /><br />When I wind off sock yarn I often end up with mini-skeins. Baby hats, even knit in sock yarn, knit up incredibly fast, like one-a-day fast. And it's superwash merino, so they can wash it in the washer but it'll burn (almost exactly) like wool. <br /><br />Never knit something without an eye toward its fiery destruction, I always say.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/july006.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I haven't much of a clue about baby proportions (I am always blown away by how <i>wee</i> we all start out) but I think this cantaloupe is about the right size of a big-ish newborn noggin. Roughly 55 yards of the fingering weight, a cable pattern made up on the fly. I did do a rough sketch of it on paper, but the cable as knit had fewer crossings, not like you can really tell in the variegated yarn anyway.<br /><br />Anyway, this is definitely a great way to use up project scraps as they really don't take much yardage, and being small and not laying in the lap, they're nice for summer knitting. They're also great for trying out stitch patterns, little wearable swatches. <br /><br /><center style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:180%;">B!tches</span></center><br /><br />I thought I was getting better about missing Snowball, but in the last few weeks the grief has come back. Not the same crippling wave of it, but the futile stabbing pain of absence. The fresh reminder that I'll never get to rub my face in his fur and scratch him while he leans against my leg. That no one follows me around while I do house work and I'll never laugh at him doing his happy spins around the yard again. I thought I saw him in the kitchen about three weeks ago, coming in from the deck but it was just a combination of Tahoe, peripheral vision, and wishful forgetting. <br /><br />And then I got an e-mail that this beautiful girl had to be put down because of osteosarcoma too. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/Rosie2.jpg" /></center><br /><br />I really thought I'd had a post on this blog about her, but I cannot seem to find it. She was at the center when we were fostering Jasper and I couldn't bring her home, but she was one of the ones that really made my day. We would hang out in the car for lunch, sometimes go to McDonald's (my lunch hour was before the breakfast cutoff time and I love the hash browns, and she liked the sausage mcmuffins, and I went back again just a month ago after not having gone since she was adopted and the lady at the drive-thru asked, "Where's Rosie?"), sometimes go to my house. I loved her. Her goofy smile and bounce made my day. For other people she would just stand there, but the way she bounced around for me and our happiness together made people say, "hey, that dog is cool," and put out the extra effort to draw her out, so she started being more affectionate with EVERYBODY--it's a not uncommon domino effect, and it's not something people would like to admit, but there is competition to be the dogs' FAVORITE person, the person they all go apesh!t for--and got adopted by a nice couple from Beverly Hills.<br /><br /> They had e-mailed me about six months ago to tell me about the cancer, but the e-mail saying she was gone, plus this inexplicable new wave of mourning for the Wallyball made me need another greyhound around. <br /><br />I love my dogs. But there is something about taking a dog and bringing them home and watching them just open up, learn new things, become brave and confident, be silly, spread out, cause trouble...it's awesome, and I love it. It's probably just ego stroking, but I love how just a little extra effort with a dog can effect huge changes in their behavior, turn a shy dog into a happy bouncy goofy love-glutton. <br /><br />Anyway, Monday we brought home Teak.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2030.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Long story short, she's an awesome little girl. She'd been a shivery nervous wreck at the kennel, but had a great time at our house, especially since there was a ten minute gap in adult human supervision and she kicked Belu's ass.<br /><br /> I'm sure Belu deserved it. <br /><br />I came home and Belu had a scallion sized hematoma on her neck and a tooth/claw scrape on her side; a little table on the deck had been tipped over and a machete was buried point first into the deck a half inch or so. It must have been quite a little scuffle. <br /><br />Belu likes to nip Tahoe when he gets excited when we come home--I think she tried this with Teak, and Teak showed her that this was unacceptable. She never broke the skin, just bruised her, which if you know how thin greyhound/whippet/italian greyhound skin is, you will be able to respect how amazingly well-tempered her bites were. Just fabulous. We weren't sure that Belu had learned her lesson, and <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/" target="_blank">Heidi</a> said it was okay to bring her to the movie night that night; by the end of the evening the blood in the hematoma had been mostly reabsorbed and was almost undiscernible. <br /><br />She decided on a policy of pretending Teak didn't exist, looking right past her, leaving her alone. This is amazing if you know our powermad little b!tch when she's at home.<br /><br />The first day or so Teak was a little clingy. At one point I was walking in the house and stopped and she walked headfirst into my backside and I nearly cried with gratitude. Snowball used to do that all the time, and while I know we'll never have another dog like him, it was nice, this...I don't know what you'd call it. Anyway, I think I'm starting to sound pathetic and most people aren't reading this anyway as there are no pictures, so I'd better wrap it up. <br /><br />She was adopted yesterday, and while I'm hoping it will be her perfect happy forever home, she'll always be welcome back here. So it was a short foster experience, but good balm for wounds all around. My SIL and nephews will be visiting this week, but next week we are bringing home another.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1152643709640797852006-07-11T11:24:00.000-07:002006-07-11T16:00:59.900-07:00Yoghurt & Figs<span style="font-size:130%;">First off, go say happy birthday to <a href="http://absintheknits.typepad.com/absinthe_knits/2006/07/having_my_cake_.html" target="_blank">Heidi</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(when come back bring pie)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Yoghurt</span><br /></span><br />I'm not sure what else to say about the yoghurt, but here are some answers to questions posed in the comments and a bit of addenda.<br /><br />The first batch I made was with a quart of whole milk and a 1/3 cup of the dry nonfat milk, rounded tablespoon of plain yoghurt (starter culture) and left it in the stove overnight. (instructions straight from google) It tasted great but was a bit thinner than storebought. <br /><br />The second batch I tried the quart of skim milk, the cup of dry nonfat. Thicker, better.<br /><br />This batch I've added some vanilla too at the higher heat stage and doubled the amounts. Vamos a ver. <br /><br />However you make it, as long as you add a rounded tablespoon of plain yoghurt to be the starter culture at the lower heat stage (around 100ºF, higher heat would kill it) you will have as much active happy healthy bacteria as storebought, sans marketing, sans aspartame. <br /><br />I have read that the less fat in the milk you use, the less thick your yoghurt will be. Makes sense to me. So you might have to choose. Also, for thicker, cheese style or "greek style" yoghurt you can layer some cheese cloth in a bowl, pour the yoghurt mixture (after its 6-8 hour incubation) into the bowl, gather the ends of the cloth and suspend it over the bowl in the fridge. Leave that overnight, and keep what's in the cheesecloth, do whatever to the whey. <br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Figs</span><br /><br />I love figs. Dried, but especially fresh. There's really nothing you need to do to a fig to make it better, IMO. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2022.jpg" /></center><br /><br /><br />But when we lived in Sacramento, there was a restaurant that started up in the doomed Shakey's pizza burned out space and when we went the first day or so after they had opened we had one of the best meals ever. We came back a week later and it was awful and apparently, that's how it stayed. Anyway, this fig thing is one of the foofy things we had. Quite easy to make.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2021.jpg" /></center><br /><br />The figs I used were even, perhaps, overripe. But it turned out all yummy and smoky-sweet all the same.<br /><br />Turn on the broiler of your oven, and cover a cookie sheet with tinfoil. <br /><br />Anyway, with a spoon, scoop out the the pink guts of the figs. Mix with an equal amount of chevre cheese. <br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2023.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Spoon the guts back into the centers of the figs.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2025.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Place upon cookie sheet. Stick cookie sheet in the oven, under the broiler for about ten minutes, or until the cheese and sugar in the figs have gone all melty and carmel-rific.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2028.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Dribble a bit of balsamic vinegar over it (or not) and you're done. Carefully plate 'em up as they'll be very skooshy. And hot.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/spaazlicious/IMG_2026.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Maybe they don't look all that sexy, but they're yummy. The goaty cheese and the carmelised sugars in the fig make it smokey an sweet, and a bit of balsamic vinegar lends an acid sweetness to cut the fatness of the flavor.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Next up:</span><br /><br />Knitting, bitches & babies.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1152547203242245912006-07-10T08:54:00.000-07:002006-07-10T09:00:03.373-07:00Happy Monday MorningBit of surreal campy commercialism for you, dear? <br /><br />(you'll want your sound on)<br /><br /><center><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GQI2KlAurOg"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GQI2KlAurOg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center><br /><br /><br />A more in-depth Yoghurty post tomorrow, I promise.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6395069.post-1152041560761734952006-07-04T12:25:00.000-07:002006-07-04T12:40:16.576-07:00Mmm...breakfast.Red, white and blueberry.<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/IMG_2011.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Homemade yoghurt*, super easy!<br /><br /><center><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/tortadetortuga/IMG_2016.jpg" /></center><br /><br />Hope everyone has a yummy and safe 4th of July!<br /><br />*<span style="font-size:85%;">combine 1 quart skim milk heated to just under scalding & 1 cup dry nonfat milk in a sterilised ovensafe bowl. Let cool to about 100, 110ºF before putting in a rounded tablespoon of plain yoghurt (from the store or a previous batch, whatever, you just need starter culture) and mix in well. Wrap in a shawl (or clean towel, whatever) and place inside the warm (but switched off) oven. Leave overnight, 6-8ish hours. The longer you leave it, the tarter it'll get so it depends on your taste. </span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13573392215823156855noreply@blogger.com