Emma Says

Emma says I must tell you she is a tortoiseshell cat, making her far more special (and beautiful) than some clumsy kitten with extra toes. She prides herself on being a blonde, brunette, and a redhead without a single white or grey hair (unlike Grey Cat and Morgan who are, alas, entirely grey, poor things).

She also insists I post this photo, so that you may see that she is indeed the queen of the household, keeping the younglings in check. (Emma, I oblige you, and assure you no one will comment on your...well, frankly, it's not the most flattering angle, and I'll tell them--as I told the vet when he commented on your weight--that we don't use the "O" word in our house.)

3 More Reasons I Can't Knit

Or, More Superfluous Cat PicsAs soon as I get comfortable, so does the pack of animals.
This one may appear to be sleeping, but as soon as yarn or needles move,
it will awaken with a vengeance.
I've never had a polydactyl cat before. Yes, Isis has six toes on each front paw. Can you see how huge these mitts are? And six paw pads with six fully-formed front claws, perfect for swiping yarn and grabbing needles. I believe that cats have a secret plan to evolve opposable thumbs.
Sometimes they do sleep...
...but whenever Morgan notices I'm there, she stretches into this funny shape and starts purring like a lunatic. So most of the pics look like the above.
Once in a while I catch them unaware and then...
...Morgan remains unconscious, Isis snaps to attention and looks pretty irked.
Meanwhile, in other regions of the household...

Emma remains unimpressed with any kitten cutesiness.
Cute? You call that cute? I've got cute to spare.
Those bratty young upstarts have nothing on me. I am and shall always remain queen of the realm. Harrumph!

A Message from the PMS Broadcast System

Posting has been temporarily suspended due to PMS.
We will return to our regularly scheduled programming shortly,
and regret any inconvenience to our viewers.

Found Object (1966)

Sometimes, I read

KnitXcorE tagged me. Here goes:
1. One book that changed your life: Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns. (C'mon, the title alone is priceless.) William Styron's Darkness Visible.

2. One book that you've read more than once: Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. I love this book.

3. One book you'd want on a desert island: I checked into rehab with The Collected Stories of Vladimir Nabakov under my arm. Is that the same thing? Ok, um, anything by John Irving.

4. One book that made you laugh: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (It was a long time ago. I was young. But it was very funny.)

5. One book that made you cry: Watership Down by Richard Adams. (It was a long time ago. I was very young.) More recently, The Velveteen Rabbit. (Yes, it's a children's book. But it's a real tear-jerker.)

6. One book that you wish had been written: Get Over Yourself: A Survival Guide to a Type-A World.

7. One book you wish had never been written: The DaVinci Code--ditto. I haven't even read it, I just feel like I have. Several times.

8. One book you're currently reading: William Manchester's A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance.

9. One book you've been meaning to read: Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman.

10. Tag 6 people: If you are literate and would like to demonstrate it with this meme, do it, and let me know, hence saving me the embarrassment of tagging you.

Gourds, and an evening on the Serengeti

Freshly picked gourds. And a pumpkin.

Aren't you done with that yet?
Well, can I at least have the funnies?

Stealthy house panther Isis lies in wait for Morgan to exit the bathroom.

Meanwhile, as twilight falls on the Serengeti, the unwitting Morgan has no idea what evil awaits her just beyond the seeming serenity of the wateringhole...

Yet all is ultimately well within our happy tribe. Behold 11 pounds of kitten purring in blissful sleep. Who knows what trifles, what triumphs and what terrors tomorrow may hold for our twosome?

Let the Games Begin

I got a present from my SP--yes, already! Aren't you jealous?

Well, it is one that you too may partake of. And I highly recommend it, because it is exactly what this wacky worldwide web is so perfectly designed for...a kooky cat picture, and dozens of web denizens musing upon its significance. Ah, yes, my dears!

This is well worth a visit (and the commentary is no little waste of time, either). Go here for a few minutes (or more) of sheer interweb zaniness. The pure, unadulterated joy of it truly brightened an otherwise gloomy, rainy, dreary day here in my Michigan mitten, and yes, coffee very nearly squirted out of my nose.

By the way, does anyone know who--or what--crashed Photobucket? My cup runneth dry!

1 Cat a'Sleeping, 35 Birds a'Laying, + more things

Cat trees aren't just for fighting anymore. (And yes, I plan to cover it with something soft. Not that Isis seems to care...)
My little chickens have grown up into big chickens; they just began laying this week. Little (19-week-old) bird eggs (left) and big bird eggs (right).
Work-in-progress. Can I wear it soon, puh-leeese?
After seeing everybody's loverly warshrags (and Chaos in baby bibs), I ordered Mason-Dixon Knitting all for my very own. If you too hafta have it, get it from KnitPicks for 34% off list price (plus $1.99 US shipping, and I got mine in less than 10 days). Now who's gonna model the bibs in my 4-cat household, hmmmm?

Actual knitting-related content; plus mice

I got a really great present from my dear friend R at Purly Brites. Lookee!



Not only did she send me her swag bag from the SF Giant's Stitch'n'Pitch, but she included a skein of raspberry (yum!) Lamb's Pride, 2 skeins of Knit Picks merino in a great fall colorway called "Flower Power," 515 yds. of lusciously fine silk/mohair Tsuki, and 1000 yds. of hand-dyed silk/merino from Interlacements. All these beautiful fibers and colors for me to play with!


The Stitch'n'Pitch tote is cute; it came with a pair of Clover needles (#4--handily, the one size of straight needles I didn't have), and two skeins of Caron Wintuk in SF Giants colors--orange and black which are, yes, conveniently: Halloween colors!

I leave you with a shot of treats friends brought over for dinner last night. They are little chocolate mice made out of Oreos and Hershey kisses. Eeeeek eeeek!

Punk Rock Gift Exchange Questionaire, or...

...40 Things You Prolly Don't Want to Know About Me if You're NOT My PRGE Secret Pal
So go ahead, skip on down to the next post and find out where I've been for the last two weeks...hint: it involves Lamafest, a UFO (yep, actual knitting-related content), and cat fights.

Punk Rock Gift Exchange Qs & As:

How long have you been spinning—1 yr.
Knitting—10 mos.
Crocheting—2 mos.
Needle-Felting-2 yrs.

Do you consider yourself a beginner, novice, or experienced Yarn Artist?
Somewhere in the middle. But hey, I have llamas. Does that make me an artist of the pre-yarn (i.e. fleece) phase?

What type of fibers have you worked with?
Llama (heh!), cotton, wool, merino, and the cheap stuff.

What types are you dying to try?
Silk? I don't know, I'm easy.

Are you allergic to anything, (Fibers, Food, Smells that make you want to puke, etc.)?
Um, mushrooms. ICK!!!! And alcohol (the kind you drink)

Do you have any Disorders, ex: Diabetes?
I'm bipolar, does that count?

What is your Favorite Time/Style period (ex: Romatic, Grecian, Metal, Goth, etc)?
Oh, the 80s, goth, I like vampires, bats, cats. So just make that things with fangs. My favorite time/style period is Things With Fangs.

What fibers do you dislike?
Scratchy wool, sparkly novelty stuff.

Name some of your favorite Artist, Movie wise, Television if you watch it.
Christopher Walken. For movies I like things that have Christopher Walken in them, lots of explosions, and/or happy endings. One of my absolute favorite movies of all time is Repo Man. Recent TV addictions include SuperGroup (*blush*), Lost, Battlestar Gallactica, Smallville, The Venture Brothers; also Deep Space Nine, Buffy/Angel, & X-Files reruns.

Who's your favorite Character (ex: Jack or Cpt Jack)?
Emily the Strange.

Do you prefer natural colored fibers, or handpainted/dyed fiber?
I like both.

What are you favorite colors?
Dark Green/Deep Blue/Indigo/Purple end of the spectrum, grey, black, chocolate.

What colors do you dislike?
Pastels, neons.

What projects are you currently working on?
Razor Cami
Pixie Hat

Rummy Diamonds UFO (at left)
Irish hiking wristwarmer (made 1 of 2, of course), and lots of fleece to spin

Do you have a wishlist?
No—maybe some needles I need.

Do you have any other favorite hobbies?
Being a llama-mama, chicken-raiser, and cat-slave.

When is your birthday?
June 4

What is your favorite food, candy, scents that you love!! Etc.?
I love me some good chocolate! lol And cheese, mmmm cheese! Sweet Tarts. I like Lavender, Rosemary, Lemongrass.

Are you pierced at all? Any tattoos? Can you/would you wear jewelry that isn't real?
Just my ears, but I never wear earrings anymore. One tattoo. Now that I'm farmgirl instead of citygirl I don't wear much jewelry anymore, but I like jewelry—especially the fake stuff! (Like goofy rings! lol)

What do you like Culturally, ex: Celtic, African, Devil Worshiping, Kidding!?
Things with Fangs (see above). Oh, seriously? Bluegrass. Goth. Celtic. Punk. But mostly Things with Fangs.

What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have a cylindrical paper-covered wine gift box for the long straight ones (but they're too tall to put the lid on, so it's not cat-proof, haw!) and the dpns and circulars are in a vinyl zippered tote.

What kind of music do you like?
Oh, this is always such a hard question...80s, new wave, dark wave, goth, punk, 4AD, social distortion (yay mike ness!), johnny cash, bluegrass, ministry, helmet, pearl jam, nirvana, alice in chains, bauhaus, joy division, love and rockets, violent femmes, the cure...
Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Yep

What's your favorite season and why?
Fall. Apples, sweater weather, blood-red leaves, Things with Fangs.

What season do you abhor?
Summer. It's hot.

How about Sports, any that you just can't get enough of or do they make you throw up in your mouth just a little?
Gag. Mostly.

What is your family situation? Do you live alone? Do you have any pets?
Live with spouse, 2 cats and 2 kittens. Also 4 llamas and 36 chickens.

Do you like handmade gifts?
Love them!

What's your favorite thing to make, knit/crochet or other craft wise?
I like to make wristwarmers (although everyone is poking fun of me for not making anything with fingers) and needle-felted baskets.

Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I like both.

Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
What's a swift? Hey, I do have a niddy-noddy though!

Tell us how you learned to knit/crochet?
My mom taught me how to knit, and my grandma taught me to crochet. Here's the long version of the story.

Do you enjoy getting helpful hints from others or does it just piss you off?
I like it. Just be very, very gentle.

How old is your oldest UFO?
Several months, but only because I Just started knitting last winter.

Is there anything that you collect?
You mean besides strays? I like stones. It started when I was in Santa Fe—I got some really cool rocks: a small geode, a polished globe of labradorite, pink lepidolite, jasper, moss agate carved into a little cat, and a tiny fossilized trilobite. I like rocks.

Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I have to think for a bit on this one...

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have if any?
None.

Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I need to work on my spinning. I also want to learn to do lace. The Razor Cami is sort of a beginner lace pattern.

Do you enjoy knitting socks? How big are yer boats (feet)?
I've never tried knitting socks. I wear a size 8.

When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
06/04

When the Kitten Was Away

Okay, so I was only away for a few days, but I haven't posted for two weeks. "What's up with that?" you may be asking. "Where's she been?" Well, I had to take a week off for PMS. Yes, a week. (Mr. O'K fondly calls me Our Lady of Perpetual PMS.) My main symptom is extreme fatigue. How silly is that? And this is the midst of pretty much everything in the garden ripening simultaneously (zucchini, onions, beans, peas, tomatoes, cantalopes, corn, watermelon, cucumbers, as well as several apple trees...)

Anyway, so much for the aspiring farmess. Plants and animals don't much seem to care what part of your cycle you're in. Case in point...

This is how "King of the Mountain" fights begin.
At least they're putting the new cat tree to good use.

Hey, you're asking for a smackdown!
Well, I have more toes! I'll poke your eye out!
Thinking of going somewhere? I'm not done with you yet, sister!

Finally, on the needles: Razor Cami. Turns out those two balls of that chocolatey Millefili Fine won't be enough--drat! But at Lamafest this weekend I found a skein of beautiful Fleece Artist merino that I think (cross fingers and needles) will work. [After an extensive net search, I gave up hope of finding more Millefili.]

So at least I've gotten some knitting done. This will be my first wearable project--aside from hats, scarves, and wristwarmers--so I just pray I like the switch from chocolate cotton to variagated...if not, I know some kittens who are just dying to frog it for me.