Zombies, politicians and salty snax

Yesterday started off rather sour for me. First thing in the morning, I saw this photo and started fuming right away:


Little makes me more enervated than seeing photos of politicians making nice with one another for the cameras, in the name of charity. I mean, yes, charity is a wonderful thing but to my view it's not meant to be used by self-aggrandising w@nkers who just want to look good to the public.

And what's with the buddy-buddy thing?! These, after all, are the dudes who spend most days hurling abuse trading insults using unparliamentary language with one another and generally carrying on like naughty schoolboys.

(Most of the 100 or so days per year that the Parliament actually bothers to sit. I haven't yet figured out what they do the rest of the time

Telling bedtime stories to puir wee kitties, apparently. Way to go, Steve-o.)

Anyway, Steve-o Harper, Gilles Duceppe and Jumpin' Jack Layton flipping burgers? Donnez-moi un break.

I got so agitated by this that I had to engage in some serious midmorning meditation:


And some scheming:



And then the postman arrived... with a care package from Kalamazoo, Michigan!!!

Holly, as usual, outdid herself. Not only did I get the T-shirt I had ordered from her:
I'm now officially a member of the Zombie Prom Date Knitters club!!

Check out the spiky knitting!!! Good zombie fighting tools, no?

Yay!! No more zombies. Is that a promise?!

Not only that, but I'm an actual cardcarrying member... and President of the Toronto chapter!
That Holly sure knows the way to a boygirl's heart. Check this stuff out:

Salty snacks! (I could have shown you the Funyons as well except that... ahem... I ate them after lunch yesterday).

And the yarn? A sample she sent me of a merino yarn called Dream in Colors (American spelling intentional) "Classy" Superwash Merino. (Ed.: American spelling intentional). Now, apparently people have been raving about this yarn being super soft, etc. And it costs $22 a skein (4oz or 113g). Well, it's nice enough... but I really didn't see the big difference between this and other merino yarns. And $22?!

A tad excessive, but then again so are many necessities these days:

SIGH.

Anyway, I could have shown you the Funyons onion snax as well, but they were gone by 3:00 p.m. yesterday.

My good mood continued into the evening, when I finished my blob shawlette...

(It looks rather rough in the photo but the blocking is shaping up. Proper pictures tomorrow!)

...and started a new project:



So, what's this, then? A semi-design project with Fleece Artist Italian Silk. Now, there's some ultra soft yarn!!! I think this is going to be a really good one... at least, I hope so. Stay tuned.

Happy Thursday... and don't let the zombies get you down!

beware the Ides of March!!!

... because this year it falls on the heels of Non-Rent-PayDay, that most hallowed of feast days in the Brouhaha annals - and the most expensive. Which means that today, the Ides of March, I'm broke.

Well, not quite. Because - wonder of wonder miracle of miracles - today a long-awaited work expenses cheque for $170 odd arrived just before I was to head out to Romni, ostensibly to pick out yarn for co-worker Ws Tuscany which I am to start on Easter weekend.

Now, the wonderful thing about expense reimbursement cheques, at least in my brain, is that they are like free money as I actually spent the money so long ago I've forgotten I spent it in the first place. Handy piece of rationalisation, eh?

Good Kristina: It's not ACTUALLY free money you know. Besides, we should put it into the savings account for a rainy day...

Evil Kristina: Oh, get off your high horse, would you?!?!? #$()$*@($*)#@(.

So, what's a girl to do with $170 burning a hole in her pocket?! Well, two options, apparently:
1. Buy a steak.

or...

2. ...well, you know...
The choice was clear: Handmaiden Lace Silk!!!

Vintage colourway!!! Yippee!!

Not sure which colourway... maybe a one-off based on the Bronze colourway? Anyway, this will be perfect for the mystery project I'll be starting soon rather than the Camelspin (it too is fabulous, but I was thinking that the end result would end up a bit smaller than I had hoped. And the buttercream and crystal beads will work fabulously...).



(Still eagerly awaiting the appearance of Dandelion... then I'll know it's spring).

And, while I was at it, some Malabrigo in the Curacao colourway - couldn't resist! It's so loud.

Oh, er... and the stuff that W. picked out for the version of Tuscany that I am making for her, of course.

W. wanted vegan yarn, so we went with bamboo. It's lovely and silky. The colourway is a tad more muted than I would go for, but will look fab on W. and match her usual colour choices.

I also picked this up:

... where I learned about the $170.00 steak.

A bit rich for my blood. These are the usual culinary choices in the KB/JJ Household:

... and for dessert:

(I love these T.G.I. Friday's chips that are flavoured like bar snax. Best of both worlds!... and movie popcorn - maybe my favourite snack ever. This week, anyway.)

Well, it's about time for junk food lunch, no?!

The Ides of March isn't so bad after all. But then, I'm not an emperor. Yet.

Nina, pretty ballerina...

Gotta love ABBA, don't you?! (Well, perhaps you don't - but I do! Except that now I can't get this tune out of my brain...)

Nina, pretty ballerina
Now she is the queen of the dancing floor
This is the moment she's waited for
Just like Cinderella...

...(just like Cinderella!)

OK, OK - so I never actually did take ballet classes, as you might have guessed from the imperfect pose above. I was too busy going to $#^&$*@#^&$&*@#^$ Greek school, deprived child that I was!

However, I've made up for it by making myself a Nina Shawl fit for a princess! Or even a ballerina...oh no, here it comes again...

Nina, pretty ballerina Who would ever think she could be this way?

This is the part that she likes to play She would like to play it every day

(Help!!! I need to get this tune out of my brain!! Bjorn and Benny have a lot to answer for...But don't the girls look fab in their silver boots? I want me a pair of those! And I'm jealous of their straight hair too...)

But, as ever, I digress.

Here are my specs/notes on the shawl:
Specs:
Pattern: Nina Shawl by Phyllis Howe (in the Mason-Dixon Knitting book)
Finished size: 22" wide by 60" long (almost as tall as me!)
Yarn: Kerzner Super 10 (mercerised cotton): 2 skeins #3944 (deep purple), one skein each of #3871 (lapis), #3407 (paprika), #3724 (lime), and pewter (lost the label so don't know the #) Needles: 3.75 mm Addi Turbos
Started: 7 January 2008
Finished: 13 January 2008

Notes:

• I have loved this pattern since first I saw it when I bought the book in summer 2006, and had already doubled the pattern (minus the ruffle and plus i-cord edging) to make a blanket for my mother for Christmas 2006.
  
• Having said that, it seemed harder going this time around. I was not convinced of the colours shortly into knitting the project, which didn't help. It seemed to take forever to finish this time - ironically far longer than it had to finish the blanket.
  
• Because my row gauge was shorter than that called for, I added a sequence in the middle of the blanket: 4 paprika rows, 24 pewter rows, 6 purple rows, 10 lime rows, 6 purple rows, 4 paprika rows:

• 

• I was very upset with the ruffle pre-washing/blocking but now I think it worked out just fine:
  

• I would recommend this as a very good TV knit for others, and I do love the Super 10 yarn as ever! The colour sequence in the original is quite fabulous and in retrospect I wish I had gone with that, though.
  

And, once I had stopped dancing around the house, I settled down and got a start on my new project, the Gathered Pullover from Interweave Knits Winter 2007:

The yarn is Rowan Handknit Cotton which I got in a swap. So far, so good!

Then, hungry after all my labours, I hit the chip cupboard:

Eeek!!! Holiday supplies are fast dwindling!! Who has been raiding all my chips?! I'll blame JJ...and it's a good thing I stopped on the way home for emergency provisions:

This purchase resulted in the following conversation:

JJ: Hey! You telt me to tell yew if you came in with any more crisps in the next month that I should confiscate them immediately and tek them to work wi'me!!! Gi'us the crisps!!

KB: (holding up bag and pointing at the label indignantly) They're NOT CHIPS!!!

JJ: (after a pregnant pause) Bloody lawyers.

Indeed. I immediately ran and hid the rest of the after work purchases (which, I hasten to say, are not chips either!)

Not the girl you'd remember but she's still something special
If you knew her I am sure you'd agree
'Cause I know she's got a little secret
Friday evening she turns out to be...

(chorus) Nina, pretty ballerina...

I need an ABBA exorcism!!! SIGH. Any suggestions, anyone?

Time to sign off, I think. There is still some dancing to be done, apparently.





Cheers,

Kristina

PS. Hey! Just realised it's PayDay! Uh-oh...