Warped

Where have I been?
Warping.

I'll have pics here later, but for now, know this: I'm an idiot.

No really. I found out from Syne Mitchell of Weavecast that I took on a ridiculously difficult first project. This surprised me not at all. I had some linen on cones just sitting around so I thought I should use it. I warped with that

Then I wove four placemats--plain tabby, then twill (1/3 and 2/2) and had a ball.













I had no one to tell me that I was insane to start with linen. Probably why it came out just fine. If I don't know it's impossible I won't know I can't do it. I started the same way with knitting. It Is My Way.

And I think the placemats came out pretty well, all things considered. I would NEVER have chosen that color on my own, but like I said...I had cones lying around, so...

Now (again, becasue I'm an idiot) I'm warping 22 epi crochet cotton into a double sleyed Huck Lace table runner.

Um.
We'll see.

But that's where I've been. I've actually had to organize my nights, and I try to weave only when Andrew's out of town because it's (a) not silent and (b) not something I can do on the couch and, you know, I kinda like being near him.

On the knitting side of my life I'm fixing the length of my "Springtime in Paris" socks from the Six Sox KAL. I love these socks. I love that they're Tofutsies yarn. I hate that they're too big. So the night I started Harry Potter x7, I did a little experiment and tried pulling the toe out to see if just stretching the sock would make it fit better.

It did.

So now I've inserted dpns, ripped out the toe of one of the socks down to the dpn, and am reknitting the toe. I'm already excited.

I've also started on my Pomotomous sock again. I think the beast will last forever.

I've also GOT to work more on MS#3. Sigh.

Oh, and then there's the day job. And soon there will be homeschooling too.

And the Philosopher Podcast that's taken me forever to edit. Because I laughed too much. A good reason to edit, but also a good time.

Soon.

Off to that day job.

Why I'm no further with the mystery shawl. . .

Horcrux socks, part two (for Syd)
HeatherViaPhone

Balanced three ply!

A night's work
HeatherViaPhone

'Why Do They Hate Us?' - washingtonpost.com

'Why Do They Hate Us?' - washingtonpost.com

Perhaps the calmest discussion of said topic I've ever seen.

Testing a new Blogger Widget

LOVE the Mac. 
This is a test run for a new widget...

Harry Potter Socks!

From my sock swap buddie!
HeatherViaPhone

AND MORE!

More Taylor Mali

Now I know his name!
Courtesy of J. Damany

Victorian sock progress

Just a little more. . .
HeatherViaPhone

Definately not a thong!

row eighty four
HeatherViaPhone

From a Student

Here's why I love my NYC kids. This is what they send me:




And there are two more GREAT videos here.

Love the Sock!

victorian sock with flap.
HeatherViaPhone

Andrew

I don't usually post about books here, but I need to send out thanks to my NorCal buddy Madame Liederhosen who sent me the book The Time Traveler's Wife

I've been in a very weird zone for the last 36 hours since finishing the book.

I know I'm far from the first to be affected by the book...the word "haunting" comes to mind...and maybe it's just because I recently turned 40 and that age seems to be something of a turning point in the book, but, there's something else too.

Part of the book is taking on the problem of fate and free-will. Part of it is just a rockin' love story. My personal weirdness is with the latter. I'm down with fate/free-will.

See...I'm one of the lucky ones. I married the man I was supposed to marry--not that there weren't some great guys along the way (there were) but I wasn't supposed to marry them. I think they would agree.

So, knowing that I'm one of the few, and feeling the affects of age, and now reading this (truly wonderful book) I'm reminded quite viscerally that every time this man I love gets onto an airplane I'm pretty-well terrified until he's back home with me.

His grandmother used to admonish the family not to talk about being happy or lucky too loud for fear the evil eye would take it all away from them. It's something akin to that.

And the weird funk isn't because we're "so much like Henry and Clare"--we're not (though he does run every day, and he does dance as though he were in a mosh pit), but we're also the same ages now that they were at the end of the book, born roughly the same years (she's younger than I) and so we shared much of the same cultural markers, etc.

Anyway.

It's a great book.
Everyone should read it.

And mostly, I'd be really interested to hear how it affected you, since it really, really affected me.

Birthday Meme!

I've been tagged by RogueTess via OneTwoManyProjects. This one doesn't require too much effort apart from deciding which three events you deem worthy of mentioning. I think I'll be tagging NaptimeKnitter, AccordionGirl, and Agathon but if you feel like playing along, here's what to do: go to Wikipedia and type in your birth date (omitting the year). Then share with us (at least) 3 events, two births, and one holiday that share your special day. It's easy and fun and we might just learn a thing or two...


Here's mine.


EVENTS:

• 1260 - Kublai Khan becomes ruler of the Mongol Empire.
• 1809 - Mary Kies becomes the first woman awarded a U.S. patent, for a technique of weavingstraw with silk and thread. (YOU GO GIRL!)
• 1891 - The Music Hall in New York (now known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as the guest conductor.

(It was really hard to pick! Of course, Cinco de Mayo* is kinda ubiquitous, but Gandhi was freed from prison, a stock market crash in the late 1800s started...lotsa cool stuff!)

BIRTHS:

• 1813 - Søren Kierkegaard, Danish philosopher (d. 1855)
• 1818 - Karl Marx, German political philosopher (d. 1883)

HOLIDAY:

• International Midwives Day.

*1862 - Cinco de Mayo in Mexico: Troops led by Ignacio Zaragoza halt a French invasion in the Battle of Puebla.

Row 37!

On row thirty seven. . . not bad for two hours sleep last night . . .
HeatherViaPhone

addendum: It's absolutely obscene how much these pics look like THONGS! As If!

For those who notice, you'll see that I'm up at 1:15am...this is the second night this has happened. I am completely (I can't think of a better word) exhausted but can't sleep at all. Perhaps I'll try reading.
Perhaps a Benadryl?
Perhaps a mallet on the head?

And here I was planning to get up early to work...HA!

Yeah, I know...but it's not a thong...HA!

One night's work on mystery stole three!
HeatherViaPhone

HOGWARTS SOCK SWAP--SECOND YEAR!!

It feels so good to graduate! And so many things at once! SAWP, Hogwarts. It's all magic.

And now!
The New Gig!

But first--the homework:

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire—Second Years

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
Ravenclaw

2. Shoe size? Foot length? Foot circumference?
Shoe 10
Foot length 10
Circumference 9-1/4"

3. List your three favorite sock yarns.
a. Socks That Rock
b. Socks That Rock
c. Tofutsies

4. Would you like to try a new brand of sock yarn? If so, which brand?
Absolutely, I'm actually not that picky, but I do live in AZ where it's HOT during the summer and in the 40s-50s during the winter (down into freezing at night)

5. Do you prefer variegated or solid sock yarn?
I'm easy. Now that I'm getting into lace socks I find that my variegated looks lame.

6. What colors would you like to add to your sock yarn stash? I'm generally a bluesy/purpley/green kinda gal, but the only thing I can't handle is orange.

7. What kind of sock patterns do you gravitate toward? Lace? Ribbed? Fair Isle?
Lace lately. I need to get back into Fair Isle. For my person, I'm into ribbed and lace (they seem to fit better on me)

8. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, animals, etc.)
Yes and yes (cats).

9. Will your socks be exposed to cigarette smoke or animals as you knit them?
No and no (though I love cats in person).

10. Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
Heck yeah! We are the world!

victorian lace socks. such as they are. . .
HeatherViaPhone

How Cool Is This?!

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Dropped off the planet, or something?

Yes.
I've been busy writing. And--in fact--I'm going to go take a break for my hands and wrists because I've spent the morning working (to make up for writing during the week days) and I'm SORE!

There will be more soon, though, I promise. I've been WEAVING now too--I warped the loom ALL BY MYSELF.

Can you tell I'm proud?!


Off to shower (You'll be happier, promise)...

Just lovely...

Rescued!

I found my book!


Teaching Writing: Craft, Art, Genre by Fran Claggett with Joan Brown, Nancy Patterson, and Louann Reid

An Interview with Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, writers of Pirates of the Caribbean

And a little more...

An Interview with Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, writers of Pirates of the Caribbean

Close-Up: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio on 'Dead Man's Chest'

Close-Up: Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio on 'Dead Man's Chest'

Well, anyone who bitches about the film should read this and shut up.

Nice to see them get a chance to tell it like it is.

Clapotis Begins. . .
HeatherViaPhone

Who killed the honeybees? | Salon News

I still think it's WiFi...
Who killed the honeybees? | Salon News

How I spent my Saturday Morning

In trying to avoid the slow pace of the Blogger picture upload, I tried to use the iWeb feature of iPhoto and screwed myself in the process. Now you have to go here to see what I did.

My personal vision of hell
HeatherViaPhone

Hogwarts Friday Share-a-thon

From the Hogwarts SockSwap Blog:

1. SHOW and TELL FRIDAY is to be posted on your blog, not the Hogwarts Sock Swap blog.
2. If you don't have a blog you will not be able to participate. Sorry. I think this only affects one or two of you.
3. 5 House points will be awarded to each participant.
4. SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY will not be every Friday. We will have one more but I have not determined when.
5. On your post you should give us a peek at your Hogwart socks-in-progress and tell us about the pattern you are using, the yarn etc. And, please link to the Hogwarts site to pique some interest for round TWO (sign-ups begin July 14).

In that vein, I will repost my pics plus some new things:

I got a nice skein of Tofutsies sock yarn for my pal and some (gorgeous!) Lantern Moon needles with a little carrying case! LOVE that!

And here's an attempt at a close-up of those freakin' gorgeous needles!

I'm working on the box, then I think I'll be sending the whole kaboodle off to my Hufflepuff buddy.In the meantime, here are my fave Hogwarts Buttons:

YAY!

And some extra fun

I Done Been Tagged--Twice!!!

SpiderKnit (my Aussie buddy) and Knitting2Relax both came through for me.

The rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven other people and list their names on your blog. Then you leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Those I'm Tagging:

• My Husband
• My Sister
• My buddie Kate
• Mrs. Pilkington
• SockBug
• CheekyRedHead
• Rosemary

My Seven Random Facts:
1) I always wanted to be mysertious and tortured. Instead I can be read like unto cheap fiction. And, you know...I'm pretty happy.

2) I knew I wanted to marry Andrew when I met him. I had to grow up a bit before that was possible. And this fall it will be 20 years since we met, 19 since we first dated.

3) I am uncannily good at reading Tarot.

4) I would LOVE to be enough of a free spirit to be able to live on nothing, travel on a shoestring, and just pursue the arts/crafts that I love with my kids and family. If it weren't for those damn bills...

5) I'm a fifth generation Californian living in Tucson, Arizona who's directly related to the Declaration-of-Independence-Livingstons from New York (go figure).

6) I long for the days before tehnology (which is ridiculous, I'm sure, to those who know how much time I spend "wired").

7) I wish I could write (good) fiction.

Allrighty the rest of yous guys, hop to it!
Heather

My new york birthday. proof it happened.
HeatherViaPhone

HeatherViaPhone

My DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Begging (you to stop) the Questions

There are a couple of things that really irk me...usually it's the English teacher in me (though I'm no Grammar Nazi)--things like "irregardless", stuff like that.

But there's a new one that's becoming more and more prevalent and it's really quite upsetting because this one falls into the realm of logic, not grammar and usage.

My feeling: the world is already too freakin' illogical as it is. We don't need to compound the problem with sloppy language.

The problem: "begging the question"; "that begs the question..."

Here's how I just heard this used on NPR (for goodness sake!):

Interviewee: ...and his leaving the World Bank has made a lot of folks happy.
Interviewer: Well, that begs the question, of course...why did it take so long?

Um. No.
See it, "leads to the quesiton," it "raises the question," but it does not BEG the question. That's a term of logic--a material or informal fallacy in fact.

Here's what the (sometimes dubious but in this case correct) Wikipedia has to say on the subject:

In logic, begging the question has traditionally described a type of logical fallacy, petitio principii, in which the proposition to be proved is assumed implicitly or explicitly in one of the premises ([1] [2] [3] [4] ). Begging the question is related to the fallacy known as circular argument, circulus in probando, vicious circle or circular reasoning. As a concept in logic the first known definition in the West is by the Greek philosopher Aristotle around 350 B.C., in his book Prior Analytics.

The phrase is sometimes used to simply mean "poses the question" [5]. This recasting of the term more directly describes a related fallacy, known as the Fallacy of many questions, that occurs when the evidence given for a proposition is as much in need of proof as the proposition itself

And for those who like Logic (again, from the Wiki site):

The following structure of an argument in which the question is begged is common:

* p implies q
* q implies r
* r implies p
* suppose p
* therefore, q
* therefore, r
* therefore, p.

Which, when simplified, shows itself as obviously flawed:

* p implies p
* suppose p
* therefore, p.

Okay, so the end of that is pretty darn clear, you can't use something to prove itself.

That food is awful because it's disgusting.
He's a jerk--you can tell becuase he's so unpleasant.
You can't trust that politician--I mean, come on! He's a politician.

See the difference between that and the NPR example above?

Normally I'm not such a stickler. But when someone like Aristotle put pen to paper a couple thousand years ago and preserved this idea--an idea which has been used correctly for a couple thousand years--well... I'm just a little uncomfortable having we lazy Americans just...you know...change it. 'Cuz it's easier that way.

I generally distrust "easy."

My two cents.

Hitchens on Falwell

I'm impressed that he's as outspoken as he is, Pharyngula: Hitchens on Falwell, but he'll likely sell more books this way. Either way, I think he's brave. And right.

I also thought this, was a calmer--but still accurate--description.

All in all, my feelings are--good riddance.

Genius

This man, he's a genius.

Thing One, breaking a board in karate. No. REALLY?
HeatherViaPhone

Ravelry - a knit and crochet community

Ravelry - a knit and crochet community
Soon! Very Soon you will be able to enjoy the wonders of the best planned site I've ever seen.

I don't say that lightly.

Soon...

Ridiculous Bureaucracy

Few things burn my butt more than Ridiculous Bureaucracy--and I seem to find the majority of it close to schools. And today was ALL ABOUT Ridiculous Bureaucracy.

We began yesterday, actually, trying to hunt down the correct division of the NYC Bored Board Department of Ed which sent me a WTC registry form. Evidently they want to keep track of those of us who were there on 9/11 and/or worked/lived down near Ground Zero for the year after 9/11/2001. Why? Because we were breathing toxic soup and they're anticipating that we'll die—early.

At least, that's what I think.

BUT.

It isn't enough that they have my records on file which prove that I worked there. No. That would be too simple. So, some stealth office sends out a form. Which I fill out. That I then have to get notarized (see how nice it is to be trusted by your employer! What a gesture of good faith. Boy, it makes me want to work harder for them).

I had the completed letters in the back of the car with the other errands (returning goggles that don't fit, that sort of thing) only to have my DH return from a trip and throw them out in a fit of fatherly cleanliness (not that I'm complaining).

This is only sort of egregious--I leave things around all the time. I know it's annoying. I also know that he recognizes the unique/ugly font on All Things DoE. Did he toss it out of spite? I'll never know...

So. The letter is gone.

I spent close to 3 hours yesterday trying to track down the office that sent it out so I could get a copy and redo it--it's due sometime this month.

NO ONE KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

Here's the kicker--The LEGAL COUNSEL for the ENTIRE DISTRICT didn't know...which means...what? They didn't vett the thing? I think that's the scariest part of the story.

So, today I called my faithful friend Josie to see if she had a photocopy of her form (she did) and if she'd fax it (she will) so I can be tracked for when I die young and Andrew and the kids will (at least) get some money out of it.

It's the least I can do.

Then today's fun was with the UofA.

In a rare fit of efficiency, NYU--who I faxed a request to last night--immediately faxed over my immunization records to the UofA health office so I could (finally) enroll for a summer program. I was floored at how fast they moved. But not as floored as I was to find out that my two MMR shots ('68 and '69) don't' count b/c there was a measles outbreak here in 1979 (Was I living here then? NO!) so I need to have ANOTHER shot.

Can they get me the shot?

Well...not until I'm registered.

When will I be registered?

When I have the shot.

See my point?

Add to that the letter I just received from the UofA domicile office. I'm not a resident. I may have to "prove two years of financial independence". I can resubmit paperwork in JULY '07 (the program I'm in is JUNE '07). I gather that uprooting my family from NY and buying a house here for us all to live in doesn't count in the whole Domicile thing. I'm just another semi-legal Alien here in AZ.

I understand these rules are for students who are Kids.
I understand that this is how the Universities make money--out-of-state tuition being a cash cow.
I get it.
I do.

But I'm forty now.
I
Have
Had
It
With
Stupid
Checkboxes
Where
People
Aren't
Allowed
To
Use
Their
Brains
And
THINK
About
Why
The
Checkbox
Is
There.

Am I a resident?
You bet your arse I am! I bought a house! My kids are in school here!

Am I carrying the measles virus?
Um...no!
Wanna do a blood test? Then YOU do the blood test! I held up my end! You have my MMR report (good enough for NY, btw).

So, blah.

I'm ticked.

Whatever.

Spectacular Tutorial!

I'm loving this info session by Abby on how to drum card a tweedy batt. I've been working to figure this out myself for awhile. Rarely have I seen such clear instrucitons and pictures. Just wonderful!

Stale Singles

I think I'll be trying this with some Alpaca before long.

And why, you ask, have I not been blogging so much lately?

Homeschooling has taken a lot out of me, as has work. I think, if I can manage the loss of sleep, I'll be getting up a little earlier to write before heading off into the day.

My DH has come up with a very workable schedule for me to use and it's workign quite well, so far. He well knows my weakness in the area of organization, so this has been nice. But then, he's that kinda guy.

Business Acumen

I know, I know I'm way behind the times on this story, but it just bears repeating. I wonder what the actual numbers (subscribers and cash) actually were that these fools walked away from?! I'm used to stupidity like this in, say, the NYC Bored Board Department of Ed, but for an actual BUSINESS?!

My Happy Birthday

The short version: My husband surprised me with a long weekend in NY to see my friends.

The long version:

Last Thursday, May 3, 2007, we were having a very nice dinner on our back patio--it was warm, we'd all been swiming, Andrew played a CD he made me of birthday music he thought I'd like and he'd just swept me away to dance. When the song was over we started cleaning up and I hear, "Hellooooooo!"

My Mom's head appeared over the fence and the boys went nuts. We had her walk around to the back gate where she was overwhelmed by kid-love from my sons.

I looked at Andrew and half-whispered, "So...weird...I mean it's nice and all but why is she here?"

"We have to go to dinner," and that little twitching smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"But we're going to dinner tomorrow, Friday night."

"Yeah, but we have to get there." Then he handed me a card with my itinerary.

Early Friday: Fly to NYC
Friday night: Dinner at One if by Land, Two if by Sea, drinks and singing at Marie's Crisis.



Satuday morning: Breakfast in Bed via Roomservice
Saturday day: open (we went to the Met and walked through Central Park)




Saturday night: dinner with Jackie, Liisa, and Pam.

Sunday day: laze around Croton and the Black Cow.
Sunday night: home.

So for my fortieth...the real surprise (on my actual birthday) was a surprise party at my friend Pam's house. People I hadn't seen in years showed up. It was one of those "this is your life" moment and...I wept all the way back to the airport.

In my adult life, I've never had to move because I should, only because I was sick of somewhere or really wanted to move. I loved Croton-on-Hudson. I love all my friends there. I love New York (though the humidity is for the birds). And it was very very hard to leave.

We were both sad, actually, and I wept most of the way to JFK--and not just because of the traffic.

The Sock: Complete

Well, my Huffle-buddy's sock is complete. Now I just have to get needles and stitch markers. Think I'll make those.

So I've posted the start of my socks, the plan for my socks, the heel turn for my socks, and now, I can post some pics of my complete project:







All in all, I'm happy with the outcome. I've got about two inches of black ribbing at the top--looks very sharp.

So!
This was my first "pattern" which was really just combining elements of a bunch of different patterns. But it was fun--and I finally understand that heel turn.

Anatomy Lesson

So, I've been using the Sock-U-Lator to calculate toe-up socks with a heel flap (I prefer to short-row heels, plus for my Badger-licious socks I needed to be able to pattern the heel and this was the easy way).

However, I find that I'm baffled by the "anatomy" of what I'm doing.

So.

Here's my play by play of the instructions, complete with photos to clarify for me, God, and Everyone.

So, after using the Super Cool Knitty Cast On and working toe up, eventually you have to add a gusset* if you're going to use a heel flap (on a 68 st sock for a size 7.5 womens foot):

*L1A=lift one after, so when you've made a stitch and need to make a new one, you lift the next loop below the live left-needle stitch (after the gap, get it?).


Then you prep for the heel turn (though her instructions are a little outta whack):


Now, for the complicated part. Once you've gotten everything organized, you have to EXPAND the bottom of the foot so you have enough stitches on each side to seam to the heel flap...that you'll create.
Yeah, I know.

Think of it this way--on the bottom of the foot needle, you already have the gusset stitches. You can't mess with those, though. You've removed them from the active needle. What's left is actually the bottom of the foot. We need to add stitches* to each side of the bottom of the foot in order to have room there to seam the bottom, flap, and gusset (remember that cool straight seam that runs down the sides of the heel flap? We're going there in reverse):

*L1B=lift one before, so when you've made a stitch and need to make a new one, you lift the next loop below the live right-needle stitch (before the gap, get it?).

You can just start to see where the sock heel--which I had to bisect with two straights for ease of knitting--is bulging out around the middle from the added stitches.

So, that's just fine. Now, you need to deal with the seaming.



See the "heel flap seam" appear there to the right?
Cool, no?

Found!

I used to use this doc in my high school class--FUN!

Tenth Circle Added To Rapidly Growing Hell

CITY OF DIS, NETHER HELL-After years of construction, Corpadverticus, the new circle of Hell, finally opened its doors Monday.

I am also nearly done with the little badgers on the heels of my sock-swap pal's socks. Pics to come, soon...

Free sidewinders game for school
HeatherViaPhone