A must see

The Exorcist in 30 Seconds and Re-enacted by Bunnies"

Feeling calmer...

All right.

I'm feeling a little less shell-shocked right now, especially since we went grocery shopping and I found things like gluten-free bread, pizza crust, and waffles. Right now I'm mostly living off pre-packaged stuff, since I don't really know how to cook gluten-free yet. I'm kinda holding off on buying cookbooks because even though the doctor said she's fairly sure I'm celiac (I have all the symptoms, my blood tests say I do), the only way to be truly certain is a biopsy (which we're not sure if I'll be doing yet, the doc has to find out). The books are really expensive, and I'll obviously buy them once I know for sure. I'm not in denial, I promise. I haven't consumed anything with gluten since yesterday morning, since I found out.

So, to answer a few questions from my readers (I still giggle maniacally at the thought that I have readers):

Angela, I'd love some recipes (although you already know that, since I'm talking to you on MSN!)

Elizabeth, I went to the doctor and stated "I'm tired of being sick and tired! I keep losing weight! I'm exhausted all the time! I constantly feel like I'm going to throw up! Help!", and she listened to me, thought I was absolutely right, and sent me for bloodtests for vitamin amounts, iron, and celiac testing. I came up positive with the antibodies, meaning my immune system is indeed making antibodies to gluten.

Up next: carving the pumpkin, sewing Sean's Quidditch robes, camping, decorating Iris and Dimitri's, and trick-or-treating with the kids!

So I just found out why I've been sick and tired for so long - I have Celiac disease.

I just went shopping for an entirely new pantry with all rice and corn ingredients, ironically, the things I thought for years that were actually what was causing my stomach problems.

No more pizza. No more pasta. No more cookies, cake, muffins, bread, pitas....

None.

Man, I had one of those days. It wasn't a bad day for me, in terms of events, but oy the people I met (or didn't!). My accompianist (sp?) didn't show up, and that really burns me up because poor Tellie is ill and we've missed two classes. My voice class is an hour after my last class on Tuesday, which meant that I had to wait an hour for an accompianist that didn't show up. I had to stop at Superstore and pick up sun-dried tomatoes, and while waiting in the 12-item-and-under line, the lady behind me is super impatient, has a good 30 items in her cart, and tries to push slowly in front of me in line. I seriously thought she was just going to step in front and take my spot! It's not like a I had lots of things - two containers of sun-dried tomatoes and two of pocky. Then the car next to me in the parking lot had whipped in really fast and had parked crooked with their wheels turned making it really hard for me to get out. On the drive home, I was behind a car doing 20 km/h UNDER the speed limit. I don't mind people that drive just or just under the limit, but 20 km/h? Finally, a customer at the store below us had parked so that we could just BARELY squeak bye to park.

OY!

In good news though I got my gorgeous socks from Melanie (in Edmonton too, did you know I used to go to U of A for three years? Planning on moving back soon too!). Thanks, they fit just right! Sean wants to know if your BF is a gamer, since he like the +1 Hat ;)

These are the beautiful socks I got from my pal (ironically, they are the same colour as the socks I got from sockapalooza from Linz) ;). They fit like a dream, are soft and non-itchy, and just bootiful. Thanks so much Melanie!

All work and no play...

We have a LOT of work to do, Sean and I. He has a ton of homework, and I mean a TON, because he's got either 6 or 7 classes this semester. I have some too, mostly a bunch of reading. However, my ContempCanLit class has a LOT of work for just a half-year course. 2 small essays, a large reading journal, an in-class essay, a large term paper, and a Christmas exam. That's actually more work than most of my 3rd year science classes last year! However, it's not hard work like those were, it's mostly "grunt" work.

There's also lots of housework to do, I'm doing laundry, then there's dishes. There's floors to vacuum and wash, bathrooms to clean, tables and desks that really need to be tidied...plus, I REALLY need to meal plan. I'm never inspired when I look through the cupboards. I'm going to set up a permanent grocery list, then keep it in a plastic sheath on the fridge, and just check off the things I need with a dry-erase marker. I may even laminate it if I can figure out where to do it (maybe the campus print shop?).

I am slightly less burdened with school at the moment, but for a not-good reason. My voice teacher got appendicitis and is in the hospital! She won't be back next week, but maybe the week after. Poor Tellie! I'm trying to think of something I can do to make her feel better.

Have you seen the new knitty surprises! I LOVE them all, particularly the Yorick scarf. It's all I can do to keep from pulling a harlot and tossing my Gryffindor scarf aside to make one. One thing that helps - I don't have white wool, only white yarn. Besides, I have a bunch of stuff to start working on for Christmas after this anyway, not to mention finishing mine, Sean's, and my cousing Sean-Patrick's Hallowe'en costumes. Sheesh.

My Gryffindor scarf! I'm up past the third set of trapped bars, so I have 11 left to go. It's actually going fairly quickly, if I knit LOTS I may be able to wear my for Hallowe'en. I also dyed my hair red, so I might have to masquerade as Ginny instead of Hermione this Hallowe'en!

The start of Sean's Gryffindor scarf! He has pretty tight guage, I think it's the way he holds the yarn and needles. I'll try and take a pic of him knitting to show you ;) He's a very fast learner though, he MAY be done without help for Nov. 17. Not Hallowe'en though, I don't think.

You are 'Latin'. Even among obsolete skills, the
tongue of the ancient Romans is a real
anachronism. With its profusion of different
cases and conjugations, Latin is more than a
language; it is a whole different way of
thinking about things.

You are very classy, meaning that you value the
classics. You value old things, good things
which have stood the test of time. You value
things which have been proven worthy and
valuable, even if no one else these days sees
them that way. Your life is touched by a
certain 'pietas', or piety; perhaps you are
even a Stoic. Nonetheless, you have a certain
fascination with the grotesque and the profane.
Also, the modern world rejects you like a bad
transplant. Your problem is that Latin has
been obsolete for a long time.


What obsolete skill are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Well, the Gryffindor scarf is coming along, although I had to do a few gauge adjustments. I did swatch, and got gauge in the swatch, but in circular it's a little larger so I had to a) rip out 24 rows at 90 stitches and reknit it as 72 stitches b) rip back the trapped bars when I realised they were too thick as well. However, I got the yarn yesterday, and so far have made it into the first set of trapped bars, including setbacks.

I haven't started teaching Sean yet (I will, it's just this is midterm week), but he sort of knows how to do knit stitch, and I'm going to cast on and start it for him, so it shouldn't be too bad.

It's weird, this afternoon my stomach was bothering me, and I felt really sick. Awhile after getting home it got really bad, and I had a fever. Now? No fever OR stomach ache. I love being me sometimes :P

Well, it WAS the knitpicks yarn in the package, so I've now got lots of balls of Wool of the Andes in Hollyberrry and Daffodil. The colours are just perfect, phew! It's also fairly soft, although it sheds just a bit on my fingers. I may give it a soak in conditioner too, when it's all knitted up.

Tonight, Sean learns how to knit!

Back from Thanksgiving, it was a good time! I came back to find a note from Canada Post that a package was waiting for me to pick up, so I'm pretty sure it's the knitpicks yarn, and I'll be able to start our Gryffindor scarves. I don't know if we'll get them done in time for Hallowe'en, but hopefully they'll be in time for the movie release.

Hope everyone else had a good Thanksgiving! What were you thankful for?

Still waiting for the knitpicks yarn, I despair of it arriving in time for us to complete our scarves. However, There's a lot of motivation to knit scarves right now. We have 46 km/hr winds right now, and it's 6C. It's been pouring rain (we already got 30mm, supposed to get 30 more), and it's supposed to turn to snow. There's no heat in our apartment building, so we're freezing to death.

The only knitting I've been working on is the second clown sock. I knit on it during anthropology, because I find it hard to focus since it's MOSTLY a repeat of geology/biology/palaeontology. However, it isn't completely a repeat, and if I'm not knitting I miss a bunch of stuff because my mind keeps wandering. The knitting is straight stockinette, so I can easily pay attention to the prof, and I can write notes as well. I'd do it in some of my other classes, but they're not big enough for it not to bother the prof or my classmates.

I need to go re-wet my hair and blowdry it, so it looks passable under a toque.

Thanksgiving weekend in 3 days, including today :D

Thanks for all your wonderfully kind comments everyone! I've had to temporarily stop knitting on the mittens, because the Classic Merino on size 6's is very tight, and I was getting a very bad cramp in my left wrist. Since I don't want to develop "The Claw" I switched back to something at loose gauge, my Rogue sweater. Don't worry, I don't have SSS (second sock syndrome) as of right now, I usually put a project or two in between socks so that that doesn't happen. I really like the colours of my clown sock, so I'm guaranteed to finish it. However, the other ball of yarn (also Regia Ringel Clown) will become top-down, with eye-of-partridge heel, since I've wanted to try that for awhile.

The only truly abandoned WIP's I have are the VK top and Clapotis. I have no intention of finishing clapotis, because I've realised that the big reason I want to make it is because the pattern picture is in such pretty yarn. Plus, I NEVER wear wraps. It's hard for me to remember to wear my poncho even, and I LOVE it! The VK top is stalled because it's no longer hot out, and the back got something red and sticky spilled on it, so I've stuffed it away and tried to forget about it. Also, the watermelon socks are halted for now because they also are a little stiff to work with, so I decided to work on things I actually have ambition for.

After the clown socks are finished I'm going to make one of three things: my candy floss mittens, watermelon socks, or Clown socks: the second.

The mitten so far! The pattern seems to be working quite well, and the stitch definition is really nice in the Classic Merino. However, I think I may write another version for fingering-sock weight wool to make more delicate mittens as well. Delicate mittens are often worthless here in Canada (unless you live in Vancouver/Victoria), but they look nice for special occasions.

This is the thumb gusset from the side, you can sort of see the second piece of k2 ribbing appearing out of nowhere next to the full piece of ribbing. It looks a little weird to me, but I'm going to finish the mitt and see.

The thumb gusset again. You can see it from the middle here. The cable is centered over the thumb, with the pattern building out as I increase.

Clown Stripe Socks

I did finish the one sock, it's the first time I've done a toe-up pattern. I used the figure of eight cast-on, which I quite liked. I wasn't quite so fond of the short-row heel though, I wish I could figure out how to use a heel flap with toe-ups. Anyone know how? I also had to re-knit the sock once. I didn't check guage for once in my life, and the knitting gods got me for it. I did the complete heel before bowing to the fact that it was much, much to big for me. I ended up making the child's medium size instead of the woman's small. That's two sizes different!