Spazzmanda

I’ve spoken briefly about missing some of the “girl genes” before. I fear that I’m missing the bride gene (sorry Momma- I’ll try if the opportunity presents itself) and I have had some concern about missing the ‘Mom’ gene as well because infants kind of freak me out (but I’m learning, slowly) but I do know for a fact that I am missing the ‘mall’ gene.

Since the onset of adulthood, I have grown to loathe and despise the mall. I avoid it at all costs. Luckily, the mall in Gainesvegas is a poor excuse for a mall when compared to the massive, virtual cities raised in honor of capitalism (like the MOG.) And I have Target, so my life is pretty full- I don’t feel I miss out too much. I avoid the malls even more so during the holidays because to me, getting trapped behind people that are leisurely ‘window shopping’ or stuck in an endless line in a room with now windows is about as close to the seventh circle of hell as I can get. I do often get dragged in (kicking and screaming) by the promise of a bargain or an otherwise unfindable item. This year, you can forgettabout it. I’ve done almost all of my shopping either at small art and craft shows throughout the year (such as the Yellow Daisy Festival, Mule Camp and the Open House at Happy Valley Pottery to name a few) and the rest of my shopping has been completed online. I am now at an almost-through place with regard to the Christmas list. And I don’t have to go to the mall at all with sites like Amazon.com helping me through the Fala-madness I can get almost everything with a few simple clicks. I love you Amazon.com!

So, I’m sitting pretty smug here on November 28th in almost-finished-shopping land. Very smug indeed. Except for the knitting. I had three finished objects in just about as many days, but alas, I can’t post a bit about them as they are to be gifted and I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. But there is much knitting to be done, 12 projects in total, all for the most part small scale and I need to rip through them as soon as humanly possible.

Since I can’t post the knitting (awwww shucks) here is a glimpse of a normal night at Chez Spazz:

Notice the prerequisites for optimum coziness, pink skully do-rag (check), favorite fuzzy pink blankie (check), glass of milk (um-check- I drank it) and at least two hovering kitty cats (no wonder I dream about being stared at.)

Have a lovely holiday season!

I really should be working on my Christmas knitting, but I’m not going to stress. I finished the corset. And it is cute. Really. It worked with the Halloween costume and made me chuckle. I used an icky, stiff, black acrylic because that was the “look” I was going for (and it was cheap - so for an uncertain outcome for a costume, it was a good choice.)

Excuse the crappy bright photo, there is an equally dark craptastic photo here.  I’ll have photos with it on after this weekend.

This bugger took a while to finish. Thankfully, Shari gave me a booklet recently called “Learn to Crochet in just One Day” (Thank you Shari!) with some fantastic photos, because the crochet edges were to be lace and I wouldn’t have had a clue what the abbreviations were for otherwise. I learned to single crochet, and triple crochet, and chain- and now I don’t know why I was so hesitant to learn, it was really easy. The garment fit well, but with the stretch, it met in the middle a little more than desired- I should have made the smallest size- and probably swatched (yeah, I don’t always wanna and YOU can’t make me!) So Jeff and I called it my “tummy sweater” (because that is the only area it really keeps warm.) I think it will be cute over a white starched shirt with jeans and boots for a date night this winter.

This weekend I also whipped out (at warp speed) a simple roll brim hat - a pattern from one of my favorite bloggers- Crazy Aunt Purl.

This hat was a belated birthday present. It is not made from crappy yarn. It is the why-oh-why-didn’t-I-buy-more-of-this-stuff-at-half-price yarn from my stash. Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (wool/silk/cashmere blend.) So soft it makes you want to cry (particularly after knitting with nasty acrylic.)  The recipient’s head is much smaller than my big ol’ melon so it is even cuter on her. She seemed to like it very much (and said that it would go with her brown coat) which, of course, was the very idea. I’m so hating my stash right now and I want new, sexy yarn. The SAFF folks are probably going to make me weep with the beauty of all of their loot, I just know it.

And some eye candy for all you cat lovers. I have a very, very bitchy cat. And I love her. She is grumpy, grumbly and growly, but she loves to snuggle with me (as long as it is her idea) and will let me pet her (as long as I adhere to her guidelines). Her name is Manxie-Moo- and sometimes, in the spring I shave her- because her hair gets matted (the fact that it pisses her off is just a bonus.)  Here she is making poo-face at me on Sunday night.

Don’t you love it?

The end is in site for the costume construction for DragonCon. We will be revamping Pee Wee and Miss Yvonne (last year’s Halloween costumes) sometime this weekend in addition to our group outfit- the Life Aquatic team- and our ultra-secret creation. I just have to pack and make sure I don’t forget a single eyelash, in addition to packing up the car for the beach!

I have managed to do some knitting.

See- Baby Bobbi sans stuffing

I still have much work to do, but it is finishing stuff. The last arm is knit around the stuffing and closed up. This yarn has been a tad difficult to work with, but I went down a needle size too so the fabric would be more dense so it is probably my own fault. (I wouldn’t want his guts to come out, you know.) Then I will do the ears, a duplicate stitch around the neck - which I’m not quite sure of how or why it needs to be done, but I’ll do it. And then embroider the face. The head is freaking HUGE. I looked at the photo and I believe the head is supposed to be as big as the torso, but it looks, so far, gargantuan. But I think I may still be able to pull it off.

It snuggles good though. And, because I will eventually HAVE to mention it, so does this:

Look what Dr. Doolittle found in the woods. Yup, that would be a beh-beh kitteh, about a week old, abandoned by its momma and starving to death. No, it will not be living with us. In fact, I’m hoping that someone that will remain nameless will get off the fence and take this here little-un off our hands once it is old enough to go. (It has to be bottle fed and so far I’m proving myself to be not very maternal, thank goodness Jeff is maternal enough for the both of us.)

Because I can.

My bitchy kitty, Manxie-Moo, inside my JoAnn’s bag about two seconds after I put it on the counter.