Blog For a Blizzard

School canceled for the second time in the history of my time in ND. I am happy to stay inside, and thankfully I am missing only one class. Though, this weather did put a damper on my plans to study at Starbucks this morning - and my hopes for a Toffee Nut Soy Latte. Oh well, I will simply just get more done, and stay warm. Downside is that Nick still has to go to work - Who buys, or demos a car in this white-out weather? So, instead of Starbucks I have decided to have an alphabetical Disney movie day. Alice in Wonderland is in now, and will be followed by Aristocats, and so forth. Any day is a good day for Disney!

On a quick side note/review: The Lovely Bones was a good movie, saw it a week ago. It got a little too fantastical for me during a few of the "in-between" scenes, but overall had a great cast, and did an awesome job. Spoiler - I was very disappointed that they left out that Susie was raped, not because that is a beautiful thing; but because what Alice Seabold does best is honesty, even when it hurts. Unfortunately, the director compromised her writing prowess so that the film would be accessible to a younger audience. So, big surprise, the book was better than the movie, as is generally the case. However, I will buy the DVD when it comes out.

It Is Time

After 8 books, roughly 40 movies, 8 knitting projects, and some lovely time with friends I rarely see during the semester... It is time to go back to school... 9:30am class here I come!

Winter Break Projects

Before school starts up in a few days I wanted to post some pics of the stuff I made over break. First I made a few belated Christmas gifts - which were great because I asked what they wanted. I first made the Sideways Grande Cloche I blogged about a few days ago, then I set to work on these lovely Staghorn Mitts:

 

Then I made a couple slouchy hats:

I then found this pattern I had to make, which was perfect for the lovely -38 weather yesterday. This I will keep though, I love the thick, warm yarn in "Oatmeal" so it goes well with both ofmy coats. Also because I used a thicker wool than needed it made it looser, so it didn't crush my hair, and I can wear a ponytail under it. Here it is the Snowboarder hat, for someone who does not snowboard:

 

Now I am finishing up another gift that I cannot post until I give it to the recipient. I am very excited about it!

Etsy

Just updated my Etsy. Hopefully in this new year I can sell some of these lovely items that I just wanted to make - They are like orphaned knitwear that need homes. Click on the title of this entry to go straight to my shop to check it out if you wish.

Stealing, Phone Scams, and Pornography at Work = Lame

So to begin with, there is nothing in this blog that needs to be censored, despite the misleading title. I just wanted to talk a bit about my day, which began with getting to work at 6am, and reading amemo that let all employees know that someone (who has a key) snuck in on Christmas day. While there, they chose to use th boss' computer to look at and download porn. Awesome - not. At first I thought that perhaps someone thought it might be funny to do this as a prank, but it's really not that funny, and our boss is not someone who finds things like this funny. We're l;ucky we get to keep internet in the breakroom now. And why on Christmas? Apparentloy someone missed out on the true meaning of Christmas - which involves the birth of Jesus, and not the birth of crappy porn. Also, the amazing this is, it could only have been only have been one of three people, so it seems they might like to be caught. Lame - O.Needless to say, I am appalled, and was not thrilled to learn about some pervert so early in the morning.

On this same note, I was reminded today of how recently at work someone also stole from our tip money for the month. Which was not only awesome because it was Christmas time, but also becasue we were giving 10% of that money to prostate cancer research. So they stole from charity, and coworkers during the holidays -way to go! I am starting to deriously question what kind of people we have been hiring as of late. Though, I love them all, it seems they cn't all be trusted. Which is sad, since we have been like a little family in the past.

Now for the greatest part  of my story today. So, I get a call from a 407 area code after lunch. I answer, and this nice lady named Venissa starts telling me all a bout a promotion because of the magaizines I subscribe to. Now why must I always be polite and hear them out? She was very kind, and asked me about a taking a short survey, that involved asking what I doif I am in school, etc. Then it got scary -she had my name, address, and asked if I had a visa. Iknew we were gettingdeeper, but could not find an out. So her boss jumps on to see if she has been friendly since she is new this week. He begins asking me if there is a middle initial on my credit card, I said no, and then he wanted an expiration date. So I asked about what kind of fee, and when it would be charged, saying I didn;t have money right now - and he just hung up. I immediatly put the number into google, and if you click the hyperlinked title it will take you to what I found. Guess what? A phone scam, looking for credit card numbers. I found this whole thing most frightening, becasue they don't give you an out of the conversation. Also, they had a lot of information about me, which leaves me wondering, where did they get it? In future, I will just hang up, but they were so nice, and misleading. I knew when the talk of credit cards came about, that I was not going to do this. However, after it all. I just want to call back and say, why can;t you get a real job? Why do you have to be so nice, when you are doing something so incredibly not nice. And, how can I report this? How can these people be stopped? Putting a gripe on the internet is not enough. There are simple minded people out there that would hae taken that bate. I knew we were in trouble when they could not even name the magazines I subscribed to; would someone else notice this as a danger sign?

"Thirteen Reasons Why" By: Jay Asher

"Clay finds a bunch of tapes leaning against his front door. Excited, he tears them open and pops them in his dad’s old stereo. But when he listens to them, he discovers they’ve been recorded by Hannah, a girl who committed suicide a few weeks before and each tape represents 13 reasons – and 13 people – why she chose to take her own life."

I read this in two sittings. Of course after reading the cover I had to, what a hook. Apparently Asher got the idea for the book while in a museum listening to those tapes that lead you through whatever the museum is showing. What a great idea! At first I imagined that this book would fall into the many cliche's of young adult suicide fiction. I assumed there would be an evil step dad that takes advantage of Hannah Baker ( the girl who kills herself), or that she was raped etc. But this book managed to play with common themes such as gossip in a different way. I appreciate this more than I can say.

Also this book was not about a relationship gone wrong, Clay Jensen was not Hannah's boyfriend, dealing with guilt. He was less connected than that. Yet at the same time every one of the thirteen people she addresses in these tapes, they are all connected - To Hannah - to the end of her life.

I also liked the way that Asher chose to write this book; Hannah’s story is interwoven with the few hours Clay spends listening to it. I think, without Clay’s ‘present life’ interjecting, it could be too much, too emotional. It gives the reader a break, like Clay sometimes needs to take a break. This book was a journey with Hannah and Clay, but also with the others she addresses - Imagine being called out for who you are, and what you have done by a dead girl.

This book accomplished so many things, brought out so many emotions in the characters, and in me. I felt sad, about what one girl went through. I felt angry with how people take advantage of, and abuse each other in a time (high school) when we all need each other so much. I was angry with Hannah, I wanted her to seek revenge more, and get even, and become strong. But she was only strong enough to make the tapes and then end her life. She leaves Clay in a sense the strong one, because he has to move on after her life and the tapes. This book made me look again at myself, my own strengths, my own denials of self. This book brought on tears, suspense, rage, anger, and even happiness - yes happiness, because this book dealt with a difficult issue in a delicate but harsh way , tender, but unflinchingly testing readers to read between the lines.

What a depressingly happy way to begin a new year. Read it!

The Sideways Grande Cloche

I work with this crazy Kat who loves crazy hats - wow, that rhymed. Anyhow at this point in my knitting career I enjoy a challenge. So we found a new hat for me to make. I was really excited for this one, and for payment Kat bought the pattern book for me "Boutique Knits," by Laura Irwin; who happens to be from Portland, which in fact makes me love the book more! As a Portland native, it makes me happy. Anyhow, so it was a pain to get this book from the library at first because it was misshelved, what a surprise (nonfiction is difficult for some people Dewey). Once I got it I had to buy some yarn, of course they didn't have a nice teal, but thank you Lion brand and Vanna White for having a lovely Sapphire that paired well with and Eggplant yarn.

This hat was nuts - first off it required four pairs of needles, and even after completing the hat, I am not so sure why I needed to change the gauge so much. I think it might have made it a bit slouchier, but that is all I can surmise. Of course I fought with gauge since pattern books always use fancy yarns I cannot afford, then I also had to figure out how I was going to take a one color hat, and make it two. I have to say that the hat turned out well.

I like the overall composition, and the colors look nice. Of course I looked terrible in it, which I do in most hats unfortunately, since I rather like hats. And I was not thrilled that the "fakey cable" moved over and showed the seam when I was trying it on.

 

As you can see, it's not a hot look for me, I love this hat, too bad :( Anyhow I was thinking about trying to move the cable over, but then I decided not to worry, and low and behold - I took the hat to the Kat, and she looked great in it (as I knew she would, she looks great in all sorts of hats). If fact, furthering my own personal pleasure of seeing someone wear my creation, that damnable seam didn't show when she wore it!

After hours of knitting, and a little frustration, the hat turned out well, and I am happy to have had the experience. 

I am now all set up to text to my blog!

I am Now Officially a Blogger

Inspired by Ravelry.com, the film "Julie and Julia," and my own need for writing space on the net - here I am! If you do not know what Ravelry is, it is a crafting site of the best kind! I am crafting obsessed, so read on if you want. I am so excited to begin a new year with a blog of my very own. So welcome me into your gaping mouth Blogger - I am ready to be swallowed whole.