Wednesday, May 20, 2009
from the mouth of babes
Last night Patrick and I were making cake in coffee mugs. He is on a Star Wars kick lately. He asked Tom how they could make "Star Wars" with Darth Vader when the kid who plays Anakin Skywalker hadn't even been born yet. Tom explained to him that James Earl Jones played the voice of Darth Vader. Then Patrick said to me, "I think I know what people do after they die in a movie." I said ,"What?" He said, "They go to lunch."
Monday, May 18, 2009
panty lines
By now we've all heard about the teenager in Florida who was caught in her yearbook picture with her pants down. Her rationale: she was wearing a dress and she didn't want panty lines. Here's one solution: wear a thong. What's worse?
Now for a little knitting update. I am 3/4 done with my niece's twirly skirt and of course I'm getting bored with the stockinette stitch. I'd love to get it done so it's done. It is so cute, though.
I have finished a couple things for another birthday present. I'm excited to start my Liesl for the Knit Girls KAL. I have so many unfinished projects I need to take care of. Is that normal?
Now for a little knitting update. I am 3/4 done with my niece's twirly skirt and of course I'm getting bored with the stockinette stitch. I'd love to get it done so it's done. It is so cute, though.
I have finished a couple things for another birthday present. I'm excited to start my Liesl for the Knit Girls KAL. I have so many unfinished projects I need to take care of. Is that normal?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
handmade drop spindles
I am getting into spinning my own yarn. I have one drop spindle that I bought from etsy. I have since bought more roving and my spindle is getting full. I've been looking online for ways to make drop spindles since money is tight and I don't want to but 5 more. Also, I'm and instant gratification person. There are all kinds of tutorials for making CD spindles, but where the hell do I find a rubber grommet? Even if I did go to a hardware store I wouldn't know where to begin to look. So I looked at my spindle from etsy and thought that there had to be a cheap way to mimic that. I looked around craft stores and had some ideas in my head when I did see the perfect solution! I think it ended up costing me close to $5 to make 4 drop spindles and I would just need to buy another $3 bag of wheel to make another 4. So, here is what I did. (I got the wooden supplies at Hobby Lobby - and they were on sale!!!! The cup hooks I got at WalMart)
I found a bag of wooden toy wheels in many sizes and I picked the largest size.
The hole size was 3/8 inch so I bought a bag of 12 inch long dowels 3/8 inch diameter.
I bought a package of the smallest cuphooks I could find.
I decided to make top whorl spindles. My husband drilled a small hole at one end of the dowel and screwed the cup hook in.
I slid the wheel up the dowel towards the top. Since it slid pretty easily I wrapped some scotch taped around the dowel a few times where I wanted the wheel to stay. It works great. I haven't used a top whorl before, so I sometimes have a little trouble with the yarn not wanting to twist around the hook after I wind it around the shaft and start spinning again. But it was cheap, easy and fast!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
depressing
I just woke up (well, an hour ago). I woke up and noticed that Tom wasn't in bed; he was downstairs flipping through channels because he had woken up earlier. I told him he could come upstairs and do that. So, now I'm awake and can't get back to sleep and he's getting back to sleep. Guess I should have taken one of my sleeping pills, but I was feeling tired. I should know better.....
My point. I'm making my usual rounds on the computer/internet and I'm reading a thread on a message board I sometimes read. I'm shocked, saddened, helpless, I don't know what else. I guess part of it is I want to help and I can't and another part is I know how she feels. A girl is depressed and has her first appointment with a counselor. She's taking her best friend with her because she's scared. Sadly, she already "knows" they can't do anything to help her. I've been there before and I know it's not true. She's made a suicide plan. She has a date in mind and everything. I've felt like that, but never made plans. She even knows how to work the system - don't tell the doctor and you won't get admitted. If you do get admitted, play good girl so you get dismissed soon.
I wish I knew what to say to her, but having been in a similar place I know that most of what people say will just piss her off. When someone is depressed and planning suicide you can't say "I know how you feel" because you don't. Maybe you think you do, but you don't. You can't tell them what to do. Nothing pisses anyone off more than being told what to do. "You'd feel better if you got out." You may have good intentions, but it may just be going in one ear and out the other. I remember one time I was depressed getting advice from people and just wanting to tell them to shut the hell up because they had no idea. None. People think they are helping, but most of the time they are not. That's the sad truth. What helps is going to the person, physically, and spending time, doing nothing if that's what it takes. Offer to go out. Don't push. Stay in, rent a movie, whatever, but show your support without being pushy or bossy. Someone who is depressed needs to know that they are loved. One thing that helps me the most, because I retreat to the bedroom, is for my husband to just lay down in bed with me; hug me. Don't ask what's wrong because a lot of times, someone who is depressed doesn't know what's wrong. I just wish there was something I could say to her. Some of the moderators of the group have taken care of her, if you will. I hope she'll be OK.
My point. I'm making my usual rounds on the computer/internet and I'm reading a thread on a message board I sometimes read. I'm shocked, saddened, helpless, I don't know what else. I guess part of it is I want to help and I can't and another part is I know how she feels. A girl is depressed and has her first appointment with a counselor. She's taking her best friend with her because she's scared. Sadly, she already "knows" they can't do anything to help her. I've been there before and I know it's not true. She's made a suicide plan. She has a date in mind and everything. I've felt like that, but never made plans. She even knows how to work the system - don't tell the doctor and you won't get admitted. If you do get admitted, play good girl so you get dismissed soon.
I wish I knew what to say to her, but having been in a similar place I know that most of what people say will just piss her off. When someone is depressed and planning suicide you can't say "I know how you feel" because you don't. Maybe you think you do, but you don't. You can't tell them what to do. Nothing pisses anyone off more than being told what to do. "You'd feel better if you got out." You may have good intentions, but it may just be going in one ear and out the other. I remember one time I was depressed getting advice from people and just wanting to tell them to shut the hell up because they had no idea. None. People think they are helping, but most of the time they are not. That's the sad truth. What helps is going to the person, physically, and spending time, doing nothing if that's what it takes. Offer to go out. Don't push. Stay in, rent a movie, whatever, but show your support without being pushy or bossy. Someone who is depressed needs to know that they are loved. One thing that helps me the most, because I retreat to the bedroom, is for my husband to just lay down in bed with me; hug me. Don't ask what's wrong because a lot of times, someone who is depressed doesn't know what's wrong. I just wish there was something I could say to her. Some of the moderators of the group have taken care of her, if you will. I hope she'll be OK.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
knitting update
I've been working on a few things lately. A February Lady Sweater. I love it, but I'm getting a little bored with the lace pattern. I guess this is the perfect example of why I can't knit just one thing at a time. If I could, I'd have it done soon.
To take a break from the sweater, I started knitting Adeline a pair of ruffle socks with the leftover sock yarn from socks I made Izzy last year.
I'm also getting ready to make a twirly skirt for Isabel for her birthday. Since I'm using smaller yarn than what the pattern calls for and I'll be using smaller needles, I may need to knit an even larger size than I was planning. As it was, I thought it was going to be big for her. Oh well, it has a drawstring waist, so it will last her a long time!
My friend, Laura, taught me how to use my drop spindle and I've started spinning with that. Here is a picture from the first day I used it (the green stuff is what I spun). I've spun more since then and it's getting easier!
A little off topic, I went to fat fighters today -- not my usual meeting -- and one of my knitting friends was there. I'm so glad because she helped me get a little more motivated. Up till last week I missed 4 weeks. In the 4 weeks I didn't go, I gained 1.8 pounds. Last week I gained 0.2. Erg. So, we talked about a lot of things and I felt a lot better. It's been hard for me to find a good meeting time since I started my new job and have a new schedule. I think I'll go to these meetings now since my friend goes and it won't interfere with daytime sleep time. I have also signed up for a 5K in July and I want to do another on with my sister in May; I just need to find someone to work for me!
To take a break from the sweater, I started knitting Adeline a pair of ruffle socks with the leftover sock yarn from socks I made Izzy last year.
I'm also getting ready to make a twirly skirt for Isabel for her birthday. Since I'm using smaller yarn than what the pattern calls for and I'll be using smaller needles, I may need to knit an even larger size than I was planning. As it was, I thought it was going to be big for her. Oh well, it has a drawstring waist, so it will last her a long time!
My friend, Laura, taught me how to use my drop spindle and I've started spinning with that. Here is a picture from the first day I used it (the green stuff is what I spun). I've spun more since then and it's getting easier!
A little off topic, I went to fat fighters today -- not my usual meeting -- and one of my knitting friends was there. I'm so glad because she helped me get a little more motivated. Up till last week I missed 4 weeks. In the 4 weeks I didn't go, I gained 1.8 pounds. Last week I gained 0.2. Erg. So, we talked about a lot of things and I felt a lot better. It's been hard for me to find a good meeting time since I started my new job and have a new schedule. I think I'll go to these meetings now since my friend goes and it won't interfere with daytime sleep time. I have also signed up for a 5K in July and I want to do another on with my sister in May; I just need to find someone to work for me!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
wicked step-mother
That's all I have to say. Oh...and I don't think they make mother's day cards that say that.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Is Facebook a popularity contest? It seems to me that it is. I thought it was great, at first, finding old friends. Then I started to realize that all of these friends weren't necessarily interested in getting, keeping or staying in touch with me. So why the friend request? Is it a contest to see who dies with the most friends? It frustrates me to have more than 100 friends and 10 of them actually send me meaningful notes, messages or whatever. I'm considering deleting people from my "friends" list. Keep family members, people I'm fans of, people in my group (you know who you are), people who truly are friends. And what's with the high school games? "I'm not going to answer your friend request." "I'm going to completely block you from my profile or even asking to be my friend." Come on. High school was 20 years ago. Get over it.
In other news, I bought one of those Smooth Away kits that you see on TV. It's like a little hand held buffer that is supposed to rub the hair off your legs (or wherever). I bought it when I was at Walgreens today because I was curious to find out if it worked or not. The little buffing pad that is supposed to rub the hair off is so not rough that I thought "yeah, right". Well, it does work for short hair (as it says in the instructions). An added bonus is that it exfoliates while it removes those hairs. And no nicks! Totally impressed and surprised. But do I need to buy a whole new kit when the pads run out?
In other news, I bought one of those Smooth Away kits that you see on TV. It's like a little hand held buffer that is supposed to rub the hair off your legs (or wherever). I bought it when I was at Walgreens today because I was curious to find out if it worked or not. The little buffing pad that is supposed to rub the hair off is so not rough that I thought "yeah, right". Well, it does work for short hair (as it says in the instructions). An added bonus is that it exfoliates while it removes those hairs. And no nicks! Totally impressed and surprised. But do I need to buy a whole new kit when the pads run out?
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