Chickenlips Knitting

I have news of the most amazing, stupendous, fan-freaking-tastic kind that I hope you're sitting down (well, duh, doesn't everybody sit when at the 'puter?). No, it isn't that Rush is coming to town, that's old news but no less awesome. Nope, I'm not a mega-star of the fiber world yet, although I will be by next week. (More on that to come.) And no, I'm not pregnant--I don't even have the organs for it anymore. (That was probably more than you wanted to know.) Are you ready?


I've lost SIX POUNDS, people!!!1! Without even trying! I found that out at my doctor's visit today, along with my BP, which is 136/80. Not perfect, but last November it was around 149/90. Hmmm, let's see, what was my work situation then? I'm not saying it did have, but it might have, had something to do with my high blood pressure. I think what happened is that since I became a full time dyer, I'm on my feet a lot more, and when I'm doing yarn I don't eat. When I do eat, I consume far less sugary foods, and I know that's helped a lot. My diet is far from optimal, but I have made measurable progress since the beginning of the year, and I feel just great about it.


One of these years I will have a finished knitting project to share with you. I'm still cranking away on the wrap for Jodi--it's more than three-fifths done. I also cast on for a short-sleeve cardigan from last summer's VK and knit about 7-8 inches of it. Then sanity returned and I realized that while I love the yarn, phosphorescent lime green would not ever look good on me. I ended up frogging it, and cast on for another Baby Surprise Jacket, which I love knitting. The really fun part of making them is finding the perfect little buttons to sew on. Josephine's Dry Goods and the Button Emporium are great places to find 'em. Ah, Portland. We are blessed, even if our weather sucks ass. They're predicting snow showers. On April 19. Can you believe that? And here I was today going out in sandals and wondering why I was freezing.


I dyed some Corriedale roving this week. I have to say that while I enjoy dyeing fiber a lot more than I thought I would, I'm not inspired the same way as I am with yarn. Yet when I get results I really like, I do get satisfaction from it. Top to bottom: Sherbet, Peace Like A River, Bright Red Bug (for Duffy's snazzy VW), and Vanity Fair. I like the bright and dark colors best, and I think next fiber session I'll focus more on the brights.

The next few days will be primo knitting time, in which I might actually get something finished. My SIL is having a hysterectomy on Monday, so I'll go hang out at the hospital to lend whatever support I can, having undergone the same surgery in December of 2004. Oh, and I took one last whack at dyeing a colorway for the Yarn Harlot. It's still drying, so I'll put up a photo of it before her visit next Tuesday and maybe you guys can help me come up with a name! Provided, of course, that it doesn't look like total shyte. The other two that I dyed became new colorways, which I put up on Etsy. It would be lovely if they sold--I'll have to wait and see.

When I was a kid there was this radio station in Boston, WBCN--this was when FM radio was ultra hip and cool, practically "underground". Anyway, every Friday at 3:00 pm, they would announce that the smoking lamp was lit. "Smoke em if you've got em, roll em if you've got em." How times have changed. But whenever Friday comes around I can't help but remember that. Is there such a thing as a knitting lamp? The Ott-Lite just doesn't have the same charm...