Woolly Bladders.

Long-overdue Update.

Ok, so I haven't been posting here, but I *have* been knitting. It's just that the things I'm knitting are surprise gifts for various friends, and I'm not sure if of said friends read this blog (one of the friends, however, does *not* read blogs ever at all for any reason. Don't ask.).

So, not posting the pics until the gifts are in the post to the blog-reading friends.

I *will* say that I'm really rather enjoying making these small, rather frivolous gifts. Total therapy-knitting. Oh, and I also made one for myself, and it's *wondermous* to use.

***

In other news, my lovely brother, who is visiting from up north, greeted me at a coffee shop yesterday with a copy of The Knitting Sutra: Craft as a Spiritual Practice in hand. As a gift for me!

You see, my brothers are all much older than I am, and when you add in the fact that they're really *half-brothers* and we didn't grow up together, you can probably guess that we don't have the built-in closeness that siblings often have... so getting a gift, and a gift that showed that my brother pays attention to and cares about my life and interests, was really just the nicest thing. I couldn't stop smiling!

♥!

Ok, must get self looking presentable, and then get down to Craft Essentials to use my 40% off coupon on one more hank of the cotton chenille I'm using for my friends' gifties.

I hope you're all having great weekends so far!

Tuesday Night.

Went to the West Campus Knit-In tonight -- Jayme, Maura, Melissa N., and Erin were there; I manage to finish one petal of my first flower-shaped washcloth, whilst Jayme has reached the final decreases in her Clapotis scarf. Hurrah!

Maura was knitting a sock, and then a sweater (so productive!), Erin was working away on the Aran sweater, which is looking really nice, and Melissa N. had finished her scarf made from handpaintedyarn.com Vino y Oro, and although I'm still not personally a fan of that yarn, the scarf looks really nice. I may have to make a 1x1 rib scarf a la Suzanne soon, too.

Um, and no, I'm not all about the links tonight, sorry. Just wanted to do a quick little update. :)

Inactivity & Illness.

Not much with the knitting of late, due to my having an obnoxious cold, and to general apathy.

I think I'll re-start on the flower-washcloths tonight, though; I'm not hugely comfortable with the cotton chenille on small needles (US 6s), although really since I knit tightly and usually need a size bigger than patterns specify, I suppose I ought to move up to US 7s... and I don't think anyone will mind if the washcloths do end up being slightly larger than intended. What's wrong with big washcloths?

Anyway, I'd like to get at least one of the damned things done! If they turn out to be absolutely hateful, I can just use the cotton chenille to do nice double-seed-stitch or seed-stitch-bordered square washcloths, right? Or circular ones without petals? Right?

Sorry. Not really *that* in need of knitting-validation.

So... um... right now I'm just waiting for our neighbour to show up, because she's taking Mom for a walk, and I need to use that time to return a book to Chaun.

Then, later tonight, I'd *like* to go to the West Campus Knit-In, but I'm still a bit ill and raspy-voiced, and I'm not entirely sure how to get to the venue (heee, I said "venue" in relation to a knitting group. I amuse myself to no end, but then most of you knew that). Must remember to phone Jayme and Erin this afternoon, yessir.

Dammit, kind neighbour, where are you? Must get to Chaun's house!

Ooh, here she is!

Yay!

Happy Birthday, Suzanne!

The Day After.

Well, I think I'm over the Linda Incident (aside from the utter joy I felt when I discovered another amusing blurb about it in the News Press this morning. I've scanned said blurb and linked to in this post over at my LJ.)

Yesterday's activities re: finding a new caregiver for Mom are briefly explained here; everyone who was at knitting last night already heard me expound upon the subject, though.

Then, there was a rare two-venue knitting group experience, during which... well, I was oversensitive and exhausted (three days without sleep will do that to me, I find), so I'm afraid I wasn't really very pleasant company by the time we got to Starbucks. :(

I got four hours of sleep last night, though, (Hurrah!) and I think I can convince Mom to have a nap this afternoon -- you know, because it's potentially unsafe for Mom if I go have a nap while she's up and bent upon household destruction about.

So, maybe I'll be able to concentrate on doing some actual knitting, soon!

And I'll be rested up for Suzanne's birthday tomorrow -- Dad even said he'd come home from work a little bit early today (he's got a manuscript to edit, apparently, the lucky bastard) just so I can go try to find something presentable to wear tomorrow night. Yay! (I *hate* clothes-shopping, though; always have. Especially in Santa Barbara. So maybe I should replace the word "presentable" with "expensive-yet-ill-fitting-and-ugly," in the interest of preserving truthfulness.)

Well! That's enough of this post, which is only vaguely knitting-related anyway. Oops.

Have happy Fridays, everyone, and great weekends!

Shocked/Scared/Sickened.

Linda isn't here today; I'm... well, I don't know exactly *what* I'm feeling, but I do know I can't type it all out again.

This post in my LiveJournal explains what's going on.

I have to get ready for the agency director to bring over our new caregiver now. I've sedated mom, but mainly for my sake and the sake of the new caregiver; Mom doesn't know what's happened, and I'm not sure it would be a good idea to tell her.

My So-Called Attention Span.

A couple of days ago, I decided to put the second Clapotis scarf on hold in favor of a series of knitted washcloths.

See, after the stress and trauma surrounding last weekend, I'm having some anxiety issues. Thus, knitting is now therapy instead of a creative endeavor. Tonight, for instance, I think I ripped out the piece of washcloth I was knitting somewhere along the lines of three times, without batting an eye. I was just enjoying myself chatting and occupying my hands with bits of attempted-washcloth.

And the thing is, I wasn't even a tiny bit anxious all night (um, well, ok I was a little bit nervous about stupid stuff like how my car's nearly out of gas, and various daily-life issues, but the social anxiety was pretty much nonexistent), and that is just *unheard of* for me.

The washcloth (or, eventually, the set of washcloths) I'm working on is from a pattern in Weekend Knitting...

(Click for big version.)

...see? Kind of pleasant, aren't they? Anyway, they're going to be a gift... assuming I ever finish one instead of just ripping out the same petal ad infinitum.

Oh, and I'm just using plain Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton instead of the fancy yarn called for in the pattern... because I really, really like Kitchen Cotton and Sugar 'n Cream and the like for useful householdy knitted objects.

Ok, I'm off to continue working on the neverending petal! Hope you're all well. :)

Bloody Unreliable Caregivers!

Ok, so mom's caregiver isn't here... she's nearly two hours late, and she hasn't even called. Nor will she answer her phone (ok, ok, I realize I've been known to avoid my own cellphone like the plague, but that's just different).

Needless to say, I am Pissed. Off. Like you wouldn't believe.

[ Edit : The agency just phoned to apologize; they said they can't get hold of Linda either which they say is quite out-of-character for her. So, who knows what to think.

~whisper~ The rep who called sounded dishy, though. Yeehaw. ]

So, my dears, if any of you are up for coffee/knitting/a movie/anything at all this evening/afternoon when I am finally set free from this familial bondage, do please phone me or drop me a line.

See, having a lovely time with friends = happy Summers. Happy Summers ≠ murderous Summers.

So remember: Inviting me out saves lives.

Is it wrong that I crack myself up? I'm guessing no, because I'm the only person I *do* crack up.

Hope you're all having lovely days! :)

Every Day Is Like Sunday...

Well, the horrible half-brother and his family are gone for the morning, but somehow my dad thought it would be a good idea to say "yes" when they suggested all of us eating dinner together.

So I'm in this weird state between total numbness and uncontrollable crying.

Since I have to go out and get things done today, though, I'm going to try to stick with the numbness option.

And then I think of a new friend of mine who's having a *real* crisis this weekend; and two great friends who are so talented but can't find work; and a special friend who's unable to be with the love of her life because of bloody immigration laws; and my best friend who is so traumatised by something that she can't even tell me what happened... and I... well, I don't feel like my problem with my half-brother is petty, exactly, but the abuse happened a long time ago, and I know after this weekend I won't have to see him for another few months.

My friends, on the other hand, are hurting *now,* and I have wracked my brains for hours trying to figure out how to help them. The fact that I can't fix their problems--or even lessen their worries--is so frustrating that it just makes my heart hurt.

I can keep myself from crying over my half-brother; I'm strong enough to stand up to him now, if I have to, no matter how much he terrifies me or makes me feel sick/dirty/etc... but keeping myself from crying over my friends' pain is, somehow, so much harder. I mean, these are people who literally make my life livable.

So, girls? If you're reading this and you know I'm talking about you, please remember that as verbally diffident as I may be, I love you, and I'm here. Never be afraid to ask me for anything you need, ok?

Also? I don't know how to spell livable. Liveable? Live-able? I *so* need to go back to uni.

Hmph.

So, it's practically morning but I can't sleep, even though I'm tired. I had a wondermous conversation with my friend Becca (she's from Canberra, so it's not like I was waking her up in the middle of the night!), and now I'm all happy, but... yeah. Sleepy too.

Had a lovely night tonight with Tracy, and I'm hoping I won't have to run into my evil brother of doom tomorrow or the next day...

Guess I'll go curl up for a couple of hours, then start the process of making mom look pretty all over again today.

When really I'm the one who needs the prettying-up! I hacked off my hair into a rather uneven, unflattering bob today just after I cut mom's hair (her's is all nicely done, but mine? No. Tracy was nice about it, though)... so I need somone to even it out, and then I'm going to bleach it.

Stereotype or not? I have more fun as a blonde. Possibly because my skin's so pale.

Ok, off to curl up in bed for a bit...

Oh, and Suzanne, if you're up for doing something low-key on Sunday, give me a ring, ok? Or email me to get my number... I *think* I've got yours, but I"m not sure... I'm a bit disorganized lately.

HOpe you're all having good weekends! ♥