Left Brain, Right Brain

I've decided to make my new default posting pic an image of a white lotus flower. I am too moody to want to ALWAYS see a big ol' grinning picture of myself. Sometimes I feel less "grinny" than that picture looks, and Rockstar Hamster is kind of goofy and silly too. I also had that image of The Knitter for a while, but all the people in my knitting groups know me by my Rockstar Hamster pic, and they love it, so I can't take that away from them!

I think the flower is more appropriate as a default pic.

( Click here for a stupid pie chart )

I think this is kind of a bullshit chart. Four out of six of these areas are exactly the same percentage!!! And what if I'm just feeling very career-oriented today, more than most other days? (I actually am - I'm feeling super productive and stuff - as opposed to my normal, lazy, pass-the-buck self.) My career rating and love rating could easily switch places on any given day.

I don't think these are always very accurate.

Uriah Kriegel teaches Philosophy at the University of Arizona. He wrote this article which I think should be required reading for anyone who thinks "Intelligent Design" belongs anywhere even close to a science classroom.

I am going to print it out and keep a few copies with me in case I ever meet anyone who still thinks this garbage qualifies as science. Then I will hand it to them and tell them to remember that there is a way to tell what IS science and what ISN'T, and this, most definitely, ISN'T.

Can I just say that I REALLY REALLY REALLY love the new LJ Portal aka "My LJ"? Cuz I do. Those lucky paid members got to use it first, but in the last few days as I've started using it I've really grown fond of it. And now it's finally on the menu, too!

All of you, LOVE YOUR PORTAL! It's super useful! And rearrangeable, too. Sweet!

Last night I went to Stitch N Bitch at Crafty Planet and got to show off/work on Liesel. ^_^ Got a lot of compliments - it was nice. (I'm doing it in Cara Mia in Melon, as per the pattern - nice stuff, and it's on clearance for $5 a ball at JoAnn right now! Maybe I should go grab a few more before they are totally out. They won't be carrying it anymore :( Awwww.)I had a small "issue" when I somehow dropped a stitch and couldn't grab it in time, and it disappeared in the lace somewhere. Damn near pulled my hair out. So I ended up ripping about a row and a half back, carefully re-inserting my needle behind me, and I actually saved it with relatively little difficulty! Yay! It was just a little time-consuming, but quite worth it. I was also kind of tickled that when I picked everything up after frogging, almost every stitch was backwards, and instead of taking them off one by one, putting them on right, and THEN knitting them, I knit and purled into the back loop of every stitch. Not a huge deal, but it's not something I get to practice very often, and this being a WR row, it was mostly purling. Purling TBL is kind of complicated if you're not used to it, but I daresay I'm a pro by now! Twee!

(Not sure what "Twee" means - it's just something I've started saying lately when I'm really quite pleased about something. Mostly I only say it in my head. It kind of sounds like a smile in my twisted imagination.)

So after the dropped-stitch adventure, I decided to finish the repeat I was on and take a break from the lace. I didn't need too much drama on that. I had also brought the beginnings of my Skull Illusion Scarf to work on - the yarn is Lion Wool-Ease in Black (for the background) and Dark Rose Heather (for the skulls). I worked maybe 6 or 8 rows and got SOO bored with it that I actually pulled it fully off the needles and started ripping! I just am NOT having fun with this pattern at ALL, and isn't that the point?? I might think about re-starting it on smaller needles - I was using 8s and somehow I didn't feel like the gauge looked right - it seemed too loose for my taste. But more likely, I'm going to keep the yarn for something else. I've been wanting to do a cardigan or shawl for myself, maybe I will get a few more balls of it and do that. But UGH! That stupid skull illusion seemed so simple and cool-looking, and now I suspect I'm bored with it because it's TOO simple. I've been spoiled on Liesel.

This might mean that I can never do anything but lace again! And maybe socks. I still think socks are kind of fun, and I want to try doing two at once on two circular needles. Sweet.

There was once a stone cutter who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.
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Read this article. Bask in it. Smile. Feel good.

Anarchy and Apron Strings

Today at work I started working on Liesel again, and GUESS WHAT! It worked like a charm! Once again, I was in my nice quiet office, I had the radio on at a low, soothing level, and I zipped right through 11 rows without a single mistake or problem. I didn't have time to do more, but I can guaran-DAMN-tee that the TV was the problem last time I tried to knit this pattern at home.

I will work a couple more repeats on it and then maybe post some WIP pix. It will look better after blocking, but it's already pretty neat as-is.