Still here...

Hey all.

I know, I have not been posting much lately. I have ideas for posts, projects I want to show off but finding time to post has been...

Ok, that's a lie. I have lots of time to post. I don't though, because I have been wasting buckets of time over in the Ravelry forums. Lots of exciting things happening....

The Ravelraising has been doing really well...over $50,000 in about a week. We have a new server and Rav's completely out of debt. Go Ravelraisers! If you haven't donated...I recommend it. There are prizes if you give at least $10. And frankly, $10 is not a whole lot of money considering how AWESOME ravelry is.

There have been two really big scandals lighting up the board:

1)Mystical Yarn Creations has lots and lots of drama: bad yarn and bad business practices, possible faked illness and a faked death. The main discussion has over 8,000 posts in it. I got sucked in and couldn't look away, even though I had not been affected at all. I have not joined the group because I know if I do I'll never get out of there. It's all so crazy it's hard to believe it actually happened.

2)Magknits is gone. There is a whole drama there, none that I really want to get into. There is a lesson in the fiasco though...if you have crappy business practices they are going to bite you in the ass.

Also, the Big Issue Debate forum has been fun, although I found myself in defense of Dr Phil. Not because I like the guy (because I don't. He's sold out and I don't watch the show anymore. Well...not very often anyway. What? Sometimes there is nothing else on!) but because rumours were being presented as fact and opinions were presented as fact and stuff was being said that was just not the truth. Even if it's against a slimeball...I can't sit and not say anything in those situations. I'd rather go after him for things he has actually done.

So, my computer time has basically been spent there.

I have some posts coming up that will be much better than this. But here is a quick run down of what else I have been up to:

1) Took a page from the Ninja's book and decided to dye my pre-folds. I don't have them finished yet, I will post a pic of the results once they are all finished. The ones I have done are very pretty though and I'm excited once again about cloth diapering my kids. In the meantime, here's a fun little game to play. Go out and buy a big, relatively inexpensive pot and bring it to your husband or significant other. Tell him "See this pot? It's not for cooking. Do NOT put food in this pot." and walk away without any other explanation.

And when he sees that you have ruined a perfectly good wooden spoon, and comments on the fact that the spoon can't be used for food anymore, say "Yes, that's true. But...it's a very pretty spoon now." Ignore any comments to the contrary.

2) If casting on a Clapotis is sometimes referred to as "getting the clap" or "catching the clap"....can finishing one mean "Fully cured of the clap"?
And if I were to gift it...would that mean I had "given the clap" to someone else? Lol! I'm so 12...

Anyhoo, I have finished my Clapotis

I have not blocked it, or decided if I will or not. I know the pattern calls for it to be left as is, but I've seen some that have been blocked and I also like the smooth look that gives. Thoughts?
Yarn: Knitpicks Gloss, in "Dusk". Took 2 and a half balls.
Mods: I could have knit it double and had the precise gauge, but I liked how it was knitting up on it's own, so I went down a needle size (or two, I can't remember) and added repeats to the straight part. No, I don't know how many I added, I just kept going until I was happy with how it wrapped around me and then did the decreases.
Overall Opinion: I love this pattern and I will likely make another. My mom has asked for a wrap-like scarf and I think this is a good pattern for what she is asking for. Of course, hers will have to be no-wool, and I will likely choose silk. That will be hard to give away.

Dropping the stitches? Probably the most fun I've had knitting since I mastered turning a heel. Even though in the pattern you do it many many times...it never gets old and I giggled each and every time.

3) I've made a special project for my boy.
The pattern is improvised, basically I cast on 4 sts using the Magic Cast on, and I increased by four stitches every 4 or 5 rounds until I had a diameter I was happy with. Then I knit and knit and knit until I had a length I liked and then I switched over the gray patons kroy for the head. I stuffed as I went and placed a shaker egg in the tail so it has a cool rattle sound. A little i-cord tounge and secure eyes, and voila!


Why is this special you ask? Some of you may recognize the body...the yarn is what I knit with while I was in labour (see them finished here).
I will be gifting the snake to Gabriel tomorrow.
On his first birthday.