Knitting Cybrarian

Today's Bushism...

Heard during President Bush's last press conference:

"...and you sometimes misunderestimated me..."

I seem to have ...

lost something.  Like at least 30 lbs.  I just pray I've not misplaced it.

I've not done the scale test, which is ever so depressing.  But I've done the pant test.  Now guys, you probably won't get this, but the women will.

Like most women, I have several pairs of pants in a variety of sizes.  My FAT pants (the ones you wear when the others seem a little snug, or you're tired and/or sick and feel gross anyway, or maybe they're just the ones you find that are clean) were... well, hard to stay up.  The waist kept falling down -- almost embarrassingly so.  And when I wore them, people remarked on how much weight i had lost.

I stopped wearing those, and went back to my "regular" sized ones, which indeed, seemed loose.  I bought a pair of pants, same size -- they seemed loose, but I thought because they're knit, elastic waist, no probable change.

Last Friday I wore my favorite pants to work.  They seemed loose.  But hey, they're old.  Maybe I just lost weight over the break while sick -- after all, I didn't eat much.

But my jeans.  My jeans seemed loose.  This morning I thought I'd wear black jeans to work -- not necessarily the most professional looking, but hey, I've been sick.  The jeans were pretty loose.  And I thought that maybe I'd try on those twill pants I've not been able to wear in a very long time.  In fact, I've only worn them a couple of times and the waist seemed too tight then, and they showed my tummy bulge more than I liked.  I put them on and they fit -- in fact, they're loose!

So I think I've lost something.  I don't know how much.  I hope I can keep it off.  Maybe it's a good thing I was sick and couldn't sew up the new pants I was going to make!

Thursday musings

I'm going to attempt going back to work today.  I still sniffle, cough, etc., but it's much less than earlier in the week.  Go meds!  I hope my voice holds up.

This morning I leafed through the pages of the most recent J. Jill catalog.  I don't order from them too often ($$), but I love the styles.  I think I found what really appealed to me, though.  The photos showed a lovely spring day -- not too bright, but spring still (which won't be here for quite a while).  The women look lovely in the clothes.  Comfortable.  Effortless.  Glowing, but not too.  Confident.  They don't have too much makeup on (which appeals to my minimalist aesthetic).  The hair styling looks to be fairly natural (illusion, but still).  The children are always clean and smiling (a few are included in select photos).  The rooms are clutter and dust free.

All in all, it seems like a big slice of a life I'd like to have.

Yes, as I've gone through 2+ boxes of tissues in less than a week (haven't broken my prior record, though), have scaly skin on my face (from the 2+ boxes of tissues), and no matter what I have in my closet, I still go back to black knit pants, black knit top, and my beloved alpaca sweater that although clean, needs a trim (to get rid of the pilling).  Oh, yeah, and my Birks.  We won't discuss the cat hair.

I look at this page (if the link doesn't work, it's the lower left hand back cover image), and I think  "Oh, tulips!  A lovely comfy sweater with a rosy pink!  Ah, spring!"  And then I remember that I don't look so great in pink.

But hey, I can dream.

And you thought...

cashmere was expensive!  Check this out!

another personality test

Do you agree? I think most of this is spot on, except for the introverted bit!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are a Grace!

You are a Grace -- "I need to understand the world."

Graces have a need for knowledge and are introverted, curious, analytical, and insightful.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Be independent, not clingy
• * Speak in a straightforward and brief manner
• * I need time alone to process my feelings and thoughts
• * Remember that If I seem aloof, distant, or arrogant, it may be that I am feeling uncomfortable
• * Make me feel welcome, but not too intensely, or I might doubt your sincerity
• * If I become irritated when I have to repeat things, it may be because it was such an effort to get my thoughts out in the first place
• * don't come on like a bulldozer
• * Help me to avoid my pet peeves: big parties, other people's loud music, overdone emotions, and intrusions on my privacy

What I Like About Being a Grace * standing back and viewing life objectively * coming to a thorough understanding; perceiving causes and effects * my sense of integrity: doing what I think is right and not being influenced by social pressure * not being caught up in material possessions and status * being calm in a crisis

What's Hard About Being a Grace

• * being slow to put my knowledge and insights out in the world
• * feeling bad when I act defensive or like a know-it-all
• * being pressured to be with people when I don't want to be
• * watching others with better social skills, but less intelligence or technical skill, do better professionally

Graces as Children Often

• * spend a lot of time alone reading, making collections, and so on
• * have a few special friends rather than many
• * are very bright and curious and do well in school
• * have independent minds and often question their parents and teachers
• * watch events from a detached point of view, gathering information
• * assume a poker face in order not to look afraid
• * are sensitive; avoid interpersonal conflict
• * feel intruded upon and controlled and/or ignored and neglected

Graces as Parents

• * are often kind, perceptive, and devoted
• * are sometimes authoritarian and demanding
• * may expect more intellectual achievement than is developmentally appropriate
• * may be intolerant of their children expressing strong emotions

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Not enough

Not enough
Originally uploaded by lauragayle

Sometimes you just have to try, right?  i knitted a baby hat and a pair of baby mitts from one skein of ShiBui sock yarn.  I wondered if I had enough to make booties too.

So I started knitting.  Ripped back one pattern, because it was using too much yarn.  Picked another pattern.  I ran out of yarn with only 4 rows to go. Before I started using on the little ball to the left, I thought I'd weigh the almost finished bootie and compare it to the little ball.  The bootie weighed 11 grams.  The little ball?  4 grams. 

Oh well, no booties.  Moving along to the next item in my knitting queue now.