bone-deep bruises

"Yes, mother, I approve."
Day two of flash cards, Day 6 of deathmarch and counting.
Good news: I have a new appreciation for my sources and I think this will work. Eventually.
Bad news: it's taking waaaaay too long. I'm in day 2.5 actually, since I started on Tuesday night filling these little suckers out and I'm still at under 100. Trying to stay focused and positive.
Olympic sweater: done with body and half-way through first sleeve.Clearly we have motivational issues.

in cold dark places she dreams of spring

Deathmarch Day 4: new day, new plan. After lots of introspection (read cursing and knitting) I realized that I need to go old school on this f*cker...that's right. 3x5 cards. I have NEVER written this way but I've always been able to master all my source material in my head or map it out in other ways before now. This project is just too big for that. I was using my high tech, and really wonderful add-in bibliographic program for this, but I can't lay those notes out next to one another and visualize the project, which is key for me. So dear, dear GF is out at Target right now buying me all the 3x5 cards they have in stock. I'm picturing a big delay in olympic knitting in order to complete this. It's worth it. Wish me luck.
no exercise as yet, and lots of chocolate. Probably fried fish, sweet potato fries and mushy peas for dinner tonight. GF is going to wish she had a cider left. *chuckle*
The one good thing about this, aside from maybe helping me to finish, is that I can do it while watching the Olympics tonight

she's got her blue dress on and she's curled her hair

Deathmarch Day 3: or, wait, what am I doing again?
After staring at the same passage in Chapter 4 for about an hour I began to question what the heck my organizing premise really was...especially this late in the game, and after one major re-organization already, this is NOT GOOD. My argument is clear, but how to get there is the hard part, which is not exactly news, I know. I'm beginning to think that the organizing principle is not untangling the brocade but just presenting it in all its palimpsest-y glory...
Sweater progress: 11 inches and in body increases. I will finish the body section tonight and perhaps cast on for a sleeve. Maybe I'll have the entire thing done except for the colorwork before the pattern even arrives! At least something good came out of today. That, and I ran for half a mile straight today. 2.3 miles total, which helped my mood immensely. The home-made sugar cookies didn't hurt either. As my dear friends would proclaim, "Just say'n."

coyote oh coyote won't you tell me why

Deathmarch Day 2
page count: 137...excruciating editing of chapter 2 and I'm not there yet.
exercise: 2.5 miles on treadmill
sweater: through decreases on waist shaping, working on body, hopefully my pattern will arrive soon so I can plan for colorwork. Right now I'm thinking brown, cream and light green, but I still need to find the yarn.
on deck for tonight: women's longtrack speed skating, yum! (wow, that was over quickly, I barely finished posting this and they're done) My first Olympic love was Bonnie Blair...and the men are doing things on skis, but I'm not really paying attention. But there's short program pairs figure skating, which I adore. The GF has a love/hate relationship with figure skating because she's always on edge during the technical elements.

Deathmarch and Olympic Sweater: Day 1

Deathmarch stats: reading, thinking, no words on page as yet....trying not to panic...16 days to go.
Sweatermarch: Cast on as torch was lit (poor Vancouver, the ceremonies were AMAZING...k.d.lang is so fabulous...I felt really sorry for poor Nelly Furtado, great dress, terrible terrible song...but it went off flawlessly until the torch and then. FAIL. Leave it to Gretsky to carry on regardless) and am now through ribbing and starting body of sweater. I'm trying the no-sew steek, marked with the red yarn as seen. I'm still not sure if the tweedy yarn will work for colorwork, but I do adore this yarn/color combo!
maybe Blogger will let me post a pic:
Food consumed: migas, coffee (not enough!), pink lady apple
and now for some actual writing...

Deathmarch 2010 begins!

So clearly I'm insane. Not only have I decided that I will follow Elizabeth Bear's excellent example and complete a draft of the diss by Mar. 1st, but I have also signed up for the Knitting Olympics run by this knitting icon/fellow insane knitter. My project, you ask? Well it's this one: Lloie's Cardigan. Because I had such a great time with my last bout of color work that I decided to do another one...this time with steeks. In 17 days. And I haven't even ordered the pattern yet. While writing. Yeah. I'm nuts. In other, long-overdue news, there's been some snow, and some sweaters, and other things. Blogger is being rather annoying and not letting me upload photos of said snow and sweaters, so stay tuned and wish me luck!

Feathering the nest

Aquila, she is done, re-blocked, and ready for her photo-op. While the locale is a little less grand than she deserves, I think she is lovely enough to dress up any occasion. I am infatuated with this shawl. I have worn it on dozens of occasions since I finished it in England and blocked it on the ugly carpet of my dorm room. She is the perfect size (except for blocking, which was difficult in our little hardwood cottage), weight and color. I humbly believe she is the best thing I have ever produced. In order to keep the needles clicking I have begun (and nearly finished) a pair of Pomatomus...see my Rav page for comments on these. I LOVE them, mostly because they fit my calves without mods; which is a pretty rare thing for all sock patterns and especially for Cookie A's.
Yarn: Plymouth Happy Feet
Needles: US 2 circs
Knit using magic loop method




I also fell pretty hard for some incredible yarn at the Arden Fair yesterday. Gorgeous colors dyed by "Ewe Started It", who has a fantastic eye. I will show you the bounty that is the full haul later, but for now...feast your eyes on a very simple seafoam pattern scarf that (IMHO) shows off the yarn to its best advantage. It's peacocky goodness! Yarn: DK weight 50/50 silk/Rayon. Needles: US 7 circs.