boogaj

Crafting?

I've been crafting, but I have no photos.  I do however, have a list of cool tutorials I've seen around the blogs:

• Betz's Cashmere bunnies -- *so* cute!!
• Photoshop paintbrush tutorial at Juju loves polka dots
• Hexagon piecing tutorial at all buttoned up

And I've been browsing through this book:

When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters: An Emergency Survival Guide by Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore.  First of all, I like the fact that this is a little book -- easily slipped into your knitting bag so that it's there when you need it.  And unless you are an advanced knitter that never forgets anything (Now how do I start the Kitchener stitch again?  or the one that always gets me -- the difference between make one right and make one left -- argh!) you will probably find that this book comes in handy.

This would be a great book for new knitters, as it covers all the basics -- casting on and off, gauge and it's importance, increases and decreases.  But I like that it also covers yarn substitution and pattern alterations.  And of course there is a whole section devoted to fixing mistakes -- hence the name of the book.  There is also a section devoted to finishing (yeah!) as well as washing and caring for your knitted items.

There's lots more packed in this book -- you'd have to see it to believe it.  Thanks to the folks at Taunton Press for sending me a copy --- this is a book I actually feel good recommending.  Check it out!

Canterbury Tales in Middle English

It appears that it is the Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry Reading.  Well, I couldn't resist, having been an English major in college.  My favorite classes were in Old English and Middle English.  I actually read all of the Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English and our professor made us learn how to speak the language too.  In fact, we had to get up in front of the whole class and recite the beginning of the Prologue from memory.  To this day I still remember it! 

Just click on the link to hear me read aloud:

Canterbury Tales

And you can read along here:

Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,        
That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.

I'm sure my pronunciation isn't 100% accurate -- college was quite a while ago, but I think you can get the general idea of how it sounded.  What do you think?

More on the Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry Reading at roots down.

8 minutes

First I saw this on Bonne Marie's site, then Carolyn's and now Cara's.  My resistance is weak. . . (I have 8. . .wait -- now 5 minutes to complete this. . .

1. FIRST NAME? Julie

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Grandpa = Julius

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? I don't remember exactly, but I think I teared up during Oprah this morning when she was talking about Darfur.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Not particularly -- it's very messy.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Tough question -- I'm mostly vegetarian.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Sure!

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Um, Boogaj?

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Nope -- had them removed last fall -- yeah!!

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Kashi GoLean Crunch, although they have a new vanilla almond version I found at Target once that was even better, but I haven't seen it again.  Hmmm. . .

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, but only my workout shoes have ties.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Sure.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Like Cara, I enjoy the vanilla base -- and Ben & Jerry's is prob my fav brand.

14. SHOE SIZE? 9 1/2

15. RED OR PINK? Pink (don't hate me Bono!)

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Clinical Depression

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? What?  What does this even mean?

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black work out pants and a orchid sports bra (just finished work out -- thus short on time -- need to shower!)

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? See cereal question -- oh, with flaxseed & skim milk

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Maddie chatting downstairs.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? red-orange (no idea why)

23. FAVORITE SMELL? Origins ginger scented stuff

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Pete

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Things they say -- ideas

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? Heck yeah!

27. FAVORITE DRINK? COFFEE!

28. FAVORITE SPORT? Um,  I don't really like the sporting events.

29. EYE COLOR? Blue

30. HAT SIZE? huh?

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? nope.  glasses when I read

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Chocolate, noodles, baked goods

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Neither -- dramas maybe?

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter

36. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? chocolate

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ??

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ??

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? See yesterday's post

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? my mouse (duh)

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? not much -- new Nintendo DS game -- Harvest Moon DS!

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? ??

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME?France

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? ??

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?  A college town in IL

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? See above. Out of time. .  .

I got nothing. . .

I've been working on some socks for Maddie.  Last weekend, along with working on my quilt, learning PHP and the basics of databases, and spending a day out at the river, I also started to clean out the spare bedroom (aka the sewing room).  This involved going through Maddie's old clothes.  I discovered three pairs of socks I had knit for her when she was little(r) and she decided she needed a pair that fit her now.  I don't even have the first sock finished despite feverish knitting almost all day on the 4th (while sipping wine out by the river between boat rides -- quite relaxing!)

So. . . here's what's been interesting me:

• post after post after post -- oh look, she's gone and done another -- about button crafts at craftlog.  Added later I just looked at whipup and saw that Kathreen did a whole post on button crafts!  Yeah!
• Party Favor Ideas at Kiddley.  (Don't you just *love* Kiddley?!?!?)
• JapanesePod 101 for coversational Japanese and Hiragana Lessons too! 

And now I need to get back to work.  Too much fun last weekend has left me with a huge backlog and I want to go play this weekend.  Spinning at the Fold, don't cha know!

Project Spectrum

Today is the start of Project Spectrum!  I just signed up yesterday after being reminded about it by Jan (Thanks, Jan!) and I haven't a clue what red or pink project I'll be working on in March.  Maybe I'll use it as an excuse to cast on this Trekking sock yarn. 

I think my blog may soon crash

Pete was just linked on Boing Boing.  OMG!

**Update**

Heh -- Just looked in the help file and TypePad doesn't do anything if you go over your bandwidth.  Whew! 

Now go download the cute cute paperdolls at Wee Wonderfuls for the little girl in your life (or yourself for that matter!)  And while you're over there, stop by her new blog -- Thrift Craft which is also very cool!

Go take a look!

Jan has up the gallery of photos from her visit to the Tokyo Quilt Festival.  There are some *gorgeous* quilts!  Go check it out!