Gemini Twins

As I've mentioned before, I am a Gemini. The Gemini symbol is The Twins. And I really do have a twin aspect to my personality. My twins are not identical twins, however. There is ME, and then there is BIZARRO ME. (Yes, Chrissy, you slipped Seinfeld into my subconscious!!)

Last week was all about ME. ME is over-achieving OCD fanatic at her finest. ME cleans and cleans and cleans, and still finds more that needs to be cleaned. ME does at least one load of laundry every day. ME exercises like a good little girl. And ME actually loves doing all this stuff, and finds great joy in it.

This week, BIZARRO ME has taken over. BIZARRO ME sits in her pajamas until 11 every morning. BIZARRO ME will exercise later . . . and later could be in an hour, in a few hours, tonight while watching TV, or next week. BIZARRO ME has decided since so much cleaning got done last week, the house really doesn't need much cleaning this week (besides a swipe of the kitchen counters and a good vacuuming every couple of days). BIZARRO ME spends hours playing computer Mah Jong. BIZARRO ME can go out and get some Christmas presents bought. (Don't click the link, Sweetpea) Oh but BIZARRO ME sure has a lot of fun, and has decided this week is "vacation week!!

BIZARRO ME is not all bad, because a lot of knitting sure gets done. Look, progress on Pea's secret Christmas present. And look, it's a hat, coming along pretty quickly as well. I'm worried about the wonky edge (which is worse in the picture than in real life), but hoping some blocking will help.

And today Wool-Ease was purchased for slippers for my brother . . . my tall tall brother with the size 12feet (maybe I should have bought three skeins).

Okay, all this talking about myself in the third person (not to mention as if I have a split personality) has sufficiently freaked me out. I'm going to knit some more. I should walk on the treadmill, but I'll do it "later".

It's about time

Okay, I've been terribly lax in my blogging lately. Here are a couple of things I've been meaning to get to for quite some time.

First up, Christine tagged me with a meme weeks ago. So here are my answers to: Why do knitters have blogs and read blogs?

I guess I have a blog for a few reasons. I've always liked to write and always considered myself much better at writing than I am at speaking. When I first began reading knitting blogs, I thought to myself "I could do this", and my blog was born. Having a blog is a great outlet (for knitting and for non-knitting). I've always loved working on the computer as well. I love learning HTML basics, setting up my blog, making my banner and button, and dreaming of the other cool stuff I may someday learn to add to my blog. But I could have any kind of blog and satisfy my writing and computer itch. I have a knitting blog for a few reasons too. I don't know any "real life" knitters, so my blog is a place I can show my stuff to people who understand knitting. I can share my mistakes and achievements. I can get feedback from people who know knitting - as opposed to my feedback from Sweetpea who is biased and thinks everything I knit is the most wonderful thing in the world.

So why do I read blogs? The first reason is because there are so many wonderful blogs out there to read!! The people who write my favorite blogs feel like personal friends to me. Also, blogs are a great place to pick up tips and techniques I might never have discovered out here on my own. I may be "(mostly) self-taught", but the rest I have learned in cyber-space! I love to see what everyone else is working on, and I get so much inspiration from the knitting of others. I can't imagine not knitting, blogging, or reading blogs. It's like my life had been lacking a passion, and now I've found one again.

Okay, part two. Does everyone remember Lolly's collector post from the beginning of November? Is it too late for me to post pictures of my collection? I hope not, because here they are!!

My all time favorite movie and book is Gone With The Wind. So I seem to have amassed some GWTW "stuff" over the years. I have figurines.

I have plantations.


I have pictures.

And I have the plates.

This isn't even half of the plates. There are more "in storage" - ie, with the stuff still at my parent's house that I haven't "had time" to get in the 6 1/2 years since I moved out!!

I also have a collector's edition book, the movie on tape and DVD, the soundtrack, picture books, music boxes, a GWTW cook-book, Barbie-size dolls of Rhett, Scarlett and Mammmy, gosh, the list goes on. (I couldn't imagine trying to upload all those pictures, so you'll have to take my word for it.) There is a fine line between "collection" and "obsession"!!!

Hot new contest!!!

Hey there, Keohinani has started a great contest. You have until 11/30 go join by admitting "you know you knit too much when . . . ". The prize has not yet been announced, but if you've ever seen this girls stash you'll know she has great taste, so I'm sure it will be something fabulous!!!!! What are you waiting for, check it out here!!!

What makes a great day?

I've got a few ideas. Take one FO, one trip to a huge yarn store, one trip to the bookstore and one wonderful husband to share them with.

I finished my first hat today, and it came out pretty well.

It's the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'n Bitch (modeled on a small stuffed bear, since no babies were handy!) This is a great first hat project, because it was very easy and very quick. I used Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino - so soft and snuggly and also machine washable. I don't really like the umbilical cord look, so I double tied the "cord" to give it more of a knot look. Valuable lessons I learned were 1)Do Not Overcompensate: I was a loose knitter, as I suppose every new knitter is. My knitting must be tightening up with experience, but I am also trying to knit tighter - thus overcompensating and knitting so tight that I sometimes can't move the stitches around the needle. Not good. 2)The right way to tink: A valuable lesson learned when I had to re-do a row because I had overcompensated and knit way too tight. 3)How to pick up a dropped stitch: An extremely valuable technique learned when one stitch slid off a DPN needle and I didn't notice it until it had dropped four rows down. Learning this saved me from Frogging Practice!!

This afternoon, Pea took me to this great knitting store!!! I had never been there before, but I plan to go back a lot. I can't show much of what I bought, because most of it was gifts. (Tee hee) I did treat myself to a set of Denise interchangeable Needles, which many people raved about in their memes and seemed easier (and cheaper) than running to the store every time a pattern calls for a circular needle I don't have. I do love my Addis, but now I can build up my collection of them at a more affordable (on one salary) pace!! Oh, and I bought this yarn too! So pretty.

Somehow, I was still able to talk Pea into stopping at the big Barnes and Noble too! (Lady Luck was smiling on me!! It also didn't hurt that I promised to buy him a hot chocolate.) I got some more gift shopping done and had a yummy coffee and biscotti. What more could a girl ask for?? It was the best day!!!

Why does OCD have such a negative connotation??

The Count's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
It started with a simple affection for counting and the terror it induced in others, didn't it? But now it's turned into a full-blown life-consuming chaotic nightmare of order, repetition, zealousness, and perfectionism. You used to be so grand, but now you find yourself obsessively worrying over the littlest things--like, maybe if you don't check the light switch at least once every two minutes, the electricity will go out (and damn it, you're a vampire--that shouldn't be a problem!), or maybe if you don't wash your hands until your seams are coming out, you'll get some fatal disease. Get yourself some treatment.
Which Sesame Street Muppet's Dark Secret Are You?

Yeah, so, I like things neat and organized. I re-arrange the silverware in the dishwasher because Sweetpea doesn't put it in correctly. I love the phrase "A place for everything and everything in it's place". I've mopped the kitchen floor three times in the last three days. (At least I used a mop - my mom does her floor every night on her hands and knees with a wet rag! I "come by it honest" - as Jen would say.) I have been known to scrub the bathroom floor by hand.

I don't see that there's anything wrong with that. Have a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope nobody spills gravy on your tablecloth!!