It's Here!

This yummy bit of soft goodness is my yarn for the HSS2! It's from RazzyTazzy Knits over on Etsy, and I cannot wait to get my needles into it! Again, I would highly recommend the seller - she was incredibly kind and helpful trying to figure out where in the world the yarn had ended up. I'll be able to speak more knowledgeably after working with the yarn, of course, but at this point, I would say with confidence that I'd buy from her again. In case you're wondering, my pal prefers the blue and silver Ravenclaw colors of the movies over the blue and bronze (which, admittedly, I've only seen a few combinations that really worked for me, too) of the books. This yarn is mostly blue and silver, although there are a few flecks of the bronze in it, too.

Now, the dilemma. Do I finish the Felici socks first? The yarns feel like they are about the same weight, maybe I will need those needles! And I'm so close on the first Felici:

(okay, so I really just wanted photographic evidence that I did, indeed, conquer that heel). I kind of want to make these longer socks - you'd think I'd never worked with striping yarn before, but this is So Darn Fun. Of course, the bubble burst is going to be trying to make the stripes match on both socks. I'm hoping for identical twins this time, although this particular sock is going to be called Scar, as the stripes coming out of the heel don't quite match up and he has half a row of green stitches in the middle of a purple block.

I'm also still trying to decide on a new sweater pattern, and have a lot of 100% cotton laying about. Any suggestions?

Ooo....

My HSS2 pal put up a pic of the yarn she just got. Man, is it yummy looking!

Mine still hasn't arrived. It was re-mailed yesterday, so I shouldn't really expect it so soon, but still. I can't wait! I'm so excited and I want to get these socks done! So far, I have half of my package for my pal ready - I'm missing the stitch markers and the socks!I'm amusing myself by finally forcing myself to do a flap and gusset for a toe-up sock on the first Felici. It's actually working for once! I figured I should get it worked out, since I did give Intern the option of a flap and gusset OR a short row heel. I should think before I speak sometimes...

teaching, me?

I'm bad. I didn't make it to knitting this morning. Sorry ladies! I missed you! I just completely slept through my alarm and it was too difficult to get out of bed this morning. In fact, I ended up going back to bed around 4:00p and sleeping for another hour or so before class. So drained and lazy today! And I won't be able to go next week, either, as I'm supposed to be in LA by 10:00a on Monday. I'm trying not to think about how early I'm going to have to get up to get there in time.

I do have something fun to report, though. One of my interns asked me to teach her how to make socks! She picked out some yarn from my stash (it's not like I am starving on sock yarn) - KnitPicks Dancing - and borrowed a pair of my needles. I'm pretty much just showing her my favorite way of doing socks - toe up, magic loop, we haven't decided on a heel yet - but trying to impress upon her that there are many different ways to do them in case she isn't comfortable with these techniques.

We're just doing plain stockinette socks. Yes, we. I had to start a pair to show her, right? And my HSS2 yarn, while finally having been located and is in the process of being resent, has not arrived yet. (Truly, though, the seller has been great, it was a simple UPS mistake, no hard feelings and I'd recommend her!) So I was stuck *ahem* with this:

My pair is in my new KnitPicks Felici. I have to say, I ADORE this yarn! It's a lighter weight than Bearfoot, but just as soft, if not softer, and I really like the stripes. It might just be me, but striping yarn seems to make socks go faster - like being able to watch the stripes change somehow makes the distance smaller psychologically. And did I mention that the yarn is soft? And I adore it? I'm totally going to have to get more. Probably the reason I'm not starving for sock yarn, eh? Too bad I'm pretty close to flat broke right now. Luckily, I have the shows with John next week to make some money. Mom and Dad are coming out and meeting me in LA next week, too, and we're going to go to Disneyland that Wednesday! Yay!

I still haven't done the armbands on the vest, although I did stop in the LYS and get an extra skein of yarn for it. I figure I should trust Murphy's Law on this - if I don't get an extra skein, I will need it, and if I do get one, I won't need it. I'm saving the receipt.

TKD after the cut

Class was really....calming...tonight. Like I said, I was dragging and exhausted most of the day, so I was rather dreading it, but once I got there it just felt so good. Viv was my partner again and was pretty relentless on me during kicking drills - my kicks are getting higher, but they aren't THAT high! She has amazing hook punches, too. I got randomly attacked by Sir during self-defense but managed to get through it. Oh, and the board break? Brown board, second kick. I think it is the angle and height. I wanted to try it again after class, but Ma'am suggested I just leave it be. She really doesn't want me to bruise my foot before testing on Saturday, I guess. I'm actually feeling good about testing, and am not doing a pickup this week. I am going to make sure I work through my form and sparring segments several extra times this week, though. I really hope I don't pick up another cold from the kiddies this time!

Now I gotta dig up my paperwork for John - apparently we're having a phone meeting in about five minutes. Yay.

I wanna go to class!

Okay, I'll stop whining now. Nothing particularly fiber-related has happened this week. I've started Clue 4 of the MS 3. I'm not sure how I feel about Clue 5 at this point. I'm not a fan of asymmetry as a rule, although I kind of like the lace pattern. I'm going to wait and see what other people's look like first. My yarn for the HSS2 has STILL not arrived. I've been in contact with the seller, who assures me that if it has not come by Saturday, she will send another skein at no additional charge. She's been great, but I want my yarn! I purposely have not started another pair of socks because of this swap, and now I'm getting behind in my classes! I guess the multidirdiag scarf will be my bus project until the yarn gets here. Also, I have not done the ribbing to complete the vest yet. I want to. I really do. But for some reason, the idea of picking up the stitches at the armhole is very daunting. Maybe I'll bring it to the knitting group on Monday and they can throw things at me or something until I get the stitches picked up correctly.

Non-knitting stuff after the cut.
1. I'm officially the SM for Kate now. I started calling it last night. It wasn't too bad, although I did mess up a few things that will be corrected tonight. It's not a fast-paced show like Dames or Seuss, but it does have its moments. I'm going to meet up with Chrissy this afternoon and get her notes for me for this evening, then I'm on my own. Yikes. I had a dream last night that I totally and unfixably messed up calling the show and it was just...BAD. I'd be worried, but a.) most of my dreams are not prophetic and b.) we were in a theater I've never seen before and I have no intention of moving the show to a new venue tonight, so I think I'm good.

2. If I also end up calling the Solvang run of Urinetown, which is looking like a pretty good possibility right now, I will have called four of the six shows this summer, not to mention having called the last show of the spring and will be calling the first show of the fall. And yet, I really do have the lightest schedule. I think its because I will have spent a billion times more time in performance than having to deal with rehearsals, and performances are generally less stress because everything is already set. Unless, of course, you have a light cue that causes a power surge in the booth and fries the light board (happened Wednesday). Then you just have to kind of roll with the punches.

3. I will have company this month! My two best friends from high school, the ones I've made the afghans for, are coming out for the last weekend in August/first weekend in September! It will be so cool to have them out here! We're going to go winetasting, and shopping, and to the beach...will be fun! My parents are also coming back out to California this month, although they won't be making it up to Santa Maria. They're coming out the week of John's shows down in LA, so they're getting a hotel down there. They'll see John's show on Tuesday, then Wednesday we're gonna go to Disneyland! Yay!

4. I went running the other day for the first time this summer. Did just under two miles in 15 minutes (all the time I could squeeze in). I suppose I'm going to have to get back in the habit, particularly since once the school semester starts, my evenings are going to be strictly limited, at least until the holiday show opens.


And I still want to go to class.

Another FO!

The Tori Socks are done. Only two years in the making. You might remember that I finished the first one the day I learned my second cousin, Tori, had finally succumbed to the cancer she had been battling for several years at that point. She was a beautiful little girl who loved horses and rainbows and butterflies. Although there is nothing special about these socks - other than the first one was my first sock ever, they are just basic, stockinette, toe-up socks - the bright and cheerful colors will always make me think of her. I don't know why I felt the need to finally make the second now, but I started it a few days ago and just had to finish it.

I also have the front and neck finished of the HP vest:

the only thing that's left is to do the armband ribbing and block it. I really really want to get this done, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to start picking up the stitches. And I have the sneaking suspicion that I am going to have to hit the LYS to pick up one more skein of the grey. Two armbands! Mrph! Maybe I can get it to work out.

Finished Clue 3 a few days ago, actually, but am just now getting around to posting a pic.
I'm going to have to add the length to it. It's only 23.5" long from tip to needle right now, which would make an approximately 71" stole. I'm 70" tall, and I think I'd want it a bit longer if I decide to make it for me. I have to figure out what I want to do about the edge bead sequence, though.

TKD stuff after the cut.
I had, for me, my first disappointment in class tonight. Well, technically, not in class, after class. I stayed after to work on my sparring segments and board break. I could do the blue board, the easiest board and the minimum requirement for testing, just fine. I could not break the brown one, the next hardest board, for ANYTHING. It was the first time I've not been able to break a board at all. Even after hurting my hand with the knife strike, I still broke the board eventually. This time, I didn't hurt anything, not really, although the ball of my foot was getting a bit sore. I just couldn't do it. Ma'am finally made me take a break - "Katie, it's too close to testing to risk hurting your foot more!" - but Mr. R promised we'd work on it again next Monday. I *think* it might have to do with where the board was held. I think it needs to be higher and flatter for me, which surprised me because I don't expect to kick very high, but I felt like I couldn't get a solid kick on the surface when it was lower and more angled. Like I couldn't extend as well. I didn't know that you could ask the holders to adjust the boards (within reason, of course), until Ma'am told me afterwards, so I will have to try that next week. I can do all the minimum requirements for testing, but my nature always prods me to do better than the minimum - I've always hated the idea of conforming to the lowest common denominator - and I want to do the most challenging things that I can. I'm finally comfortable with my form, surprising myself when I was able to do it without thinking about it the other day, and I'm comfortable with the self-defense for once. My second and third sparring segments need a bit of work, but I think if I snag a rehearsal room again a couple times this week, I'll get them. I'm a little nervous about the sparring, but I was able to talk to Sir about it last week, and he said I should do fine. Obviously they aren't going to judge my skills the same way they would a higher belt with more experience. I think Mr. M is mid-terming, so he might be my sparring partner for testing. That would be okay. I might still do a pickup, but I'll wait until after class next week to decide. It'd be kind of cool to not feel the need to do one, though!

Too Nice

I've decided that I'm far too nice for my own good. I'm taking over Kiss Me, Kate in Solvang now, starting Sunday. I actually gave up my last two full weeks of class before testing for a show that I not only don't know, but don't particularly like. (In fairness to the actors, I think their performances are great. I just don't care for the book and most of the songs, which seem to come pretty much from absolutely nowhere for no reason. Those sort of musicals irritate me.) I have been in production, with at least one show in rehearsal or performance, since March. And, I am babysitting Outreach, doing the first series of shows for the fall and going straight from there into the holiday show, with the possibility of also taking on the Solvang run of the final summer show. On the other hand, I did have a lighter summer schedule, mostly because of getting stuck with Lifeboat. Given other people's schedules, I can hardly complain too loudly. But man, I would much rather be spending my evenings in class, working up a sweat, breaking boards, sparring, and generally feeling pretty good than do the whole three-hour-big-musical-show-in-blasted-Solvang again. Isn't one time doing that this summer enough? No more sparring class now until the end of August! Pout!

Speaking of class, I've been taking classes for seven full months now, and I'v noticed three things lately.
1.)I'm starting to get more flexible in my lower back. I can stretch farther than I used to be able to.
2.)My kicks are higher when I'm not thinking about them and when I'm warm and loose in class, rather than when I do formwork and drills on my own. I've had a couple of head kicks this week!
3.)If you'll remember my first couple posts about going to class, I was going once a week and coming home so stiff and sore. Not now! Now I can do three classes a week without too much trouble, although sparring does take a slight toll on my shoulders.

Why can't theater work regular hours and have evenings free like normal people? Sigh!

Two Down

Completed Checklist

1.) Went up to AG this morning and met Inky and Christina and a few other ladies (I'm sorry, I'm terrible with names!) It was lots of fun, although I think Inky is right - MS3 is not the easiest project to work on while chatting. Will have to bring something a bit simpler next week! (And get up earlier!)

2.) Went further up to SLO for the baby shower this afternoon. The blanket went over like a hot air balloon. Val told me afterwards that she was really hoping that I was going to make her something - because everyone knows she knits, no one thinks to knit for her! It was a pleasure, though, and the first time I've really tried to figure something knitterly out on my own, so it was a challenge, too. I'm so happy she likes it!

3.) Had a bit of a sad phone call with Mom after getting home from the shower, though. One of my dad's best friends and mentors was shot in the line of duty a few weeks ago and passed away earlier this week. The funeral, apparently, was yesterday. I don't know if any of you know much about police funerals (thankfully, I've never been to one, but unfortunately, I've kinda had to grow up knowing about them), but there is a lot of symbolism and formality to them. Just Mom's description of it had me in tears, and I honestly barely knew the man. It seems like it was a very fitting tribute, though, and please send comforting thoughts to my family. (My parents had a wedding and a funeral this weekend - Mom says they're definitely crashing this week!)

4.) All that right before I have to walk in and change for class, and there were a ton of people there tonight. Luckily, it looked like there wasn't anyone in the kids' class before ours, so we got some extra warmup time on the mat, and that helped me calm down and focus. I bowed the class in and out again tonight, which was fun. Sir also taught me the second and third sparring segments for my next belt. (I've been the only one in my belt block this circuit, which is a bit weird.) Crescent kicks! I get so frustrated, because Sir would show me the kick, I would imitate it, and mine look horrible next to his. I have to remember that Sir has been doing this since he was seven (according to C), and he is older than I am (although I don't think by too much). He's had just a bit more practice ;) Patience, grasshopper! I should be able to go Wednesday and Thursday this week, which will be nice. I hope we do our board breaks again on Wednesday. We usually do them on Wednesdays, which means I've only been able to do mine once so far, and I'd really like to practice it more.

Oh, and I finished the front of the HP vest last night and grafted the shoulder seams this evening. Someday when my brain stops being tired, I'll be able to pick up the correct number of stitches and do the neck and cuffs. Or maybe even figure out where I lost a stitch on the MS3. Until then, though, I'll just finish the ribbing on the second Green Gables sock.

Obsessions

Okay, first off, I actually got something done, not just on time, but a few days early! Ta da!

I actually finished it Friday, but just now got around to taking pics. I hate borders, but they do complete the blanky nicely. Gonna toss it in the wash tonight, then wrap it up. I'm waiting until the last minute, as Teddie seems to have developed an unusual fondness for this project and will try to lay on it wherever I put it, including bags, baskets and drawers. I only want to have to get all the cat hair out of it once, and I really really hope the poor kid and her parents aren't allergic to cats! The shower is tomorrow, thank goodness!

Also, got a lot of work done on this:
this weekend. This is the back of the Harry Potter vest, completed. I'm hoping to spend the evening working on the front, and have the whole thing done possibly by midweek. I'm finding myself with a bad case of Finish-It-Upitis. I want to finish things. Ideally, Miter Squares (already finished), HP vest, and Green Gables socks (ha, you thought I'd forgotten about them, didn't you? I've been working on them in the booth!) will all be finished this week. I'm hoping that my yarn for my HSS2 pal will have come by then, and I can start playing with patterns. I hope that the yarn I ordered ends up more varigated than self-striping, but I can make do with either.

It's not very often that two of my hobbies loves obsessions collide, three is much rarer. Yet it happened this weekend! After a long and difficult debate at the Lifeboat (production photos aren't up yet, just publicity ones) opening (btw, I did mention I spent the week in Tech Hell, didn't I?) party (properly held at Olive Garden, I might add), I was talked into getting my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at midnight on Friday night/Saturday morning. Okay, so it was more like "It'd be awesome if you came. You know you want to. A bunch of us are going. Well, gee, okay!" than a debate, but still. I ended up waiting at the bookstore with my light board op and a trio of girls from props I didn't know very well. Of course, I pull my HP vest to work on, and one of the girls pulls out a very pretty pink and white sock to work on! (LL SSock, but I forget what colorway she said it was.) She'd also just picked up Charmed Knits, so we had fun flipping through that. I also had another lady, who looked kind of like Kim, but since she wasn't bundled up in a winter coat, I wasn't sure, compliment my knitting as she walked by. Probably the first person who ever told me my tension was really nice! (Hey, maybe I can do this knitting thing!) So we spent the last hour to the release happily knitting and tossing out theories and in general getting wayy too excited. Once the book was on sale, though, it was needles down. I was last to get mine, then we all met over at the local Dennys around 1:00a and Read (yes, it deserves capitalization). There were six of us crammed into a booth, all with books out, and food and drinks. I read extremely fast (I really can't do the chapter at a time thing. Reading, for me, is sitting down with a novel and reading it cover to cover in one sitting. I've always been like that), and the other knitter was only a few pages behind me, but everyone else was much slower. We developed a rhythm - I'd read something and react, then knitter would and say the page number, and it would go around the table until the slowest reader had gotten to it, then we'd have to pause (in my case sometimes go back a chapter or two) and comment/discuss. It made for slow reading, but it was a lot of fun. The waitress thought we were mad, I think, but it was fun. We finally broke up around 5:00a, when there were only four of us left and our legs just couldn't handle sitting in the booth any longer. I finished it about three hours later. Knitters who work in theater reading Harry Potter. Good things happen in threes. (The copy of the book I preordered and had delivered, btw, didn't show up until almost 4:00p Saturday afternoon. I'm letting my ASM borrow it for now, mostly so he and I and LBO - who finished it this morning - can talk about it during shows.)

I don't want to talk about the book much here, and I don't want a lot of details in the comments, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. There are some great threads over at the KR Forums and in the Harry Potter Lovers group over at Ravelry created to discuss the seventh book after it has been read. I'd be happy to discuss things via email or IM, though. I will say two things, though: 1.)I LOVED it and thought it was a fitting ending to an amazing series, and 2.)It's war. People will die, no matter how much we like them. If everyone we liked stayed safe and sound, it wouldn't be much of a war, now, would it?

Oh, and because I was the first one in my pool of friends to finish the book, I won!

About a month ago, some friends (online and off) and I each put in $10, went to The Official WB Harry Potter store, and picked out what shirts and stuff we liked. Then we voted on each item, and the winners became the swag for whoever finished the book and posted first. I got a tshirt and messenger bag with the DA logo (the tshirt also has "Dumbledore's Army" written out on the back), and an "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" tshirt with "Mischief Managed" written on the back. The wand wasn't part of the swag, actually, it was an opening night gift from the Lifeboat director, but it seemed to be appropriate to include it in the pic. It's not an "official" HP wand, but it lights up and makes noise and we have far too much fun playing with it in the booth.

I'm pretty darn tired right now - I did get almost nine hours of sleep last night, but it doesn't seem to have made up for staying up all night and working all day yesterday. Tomorrow isn't exactly calm and relaxing, either, for a Monday, although it does promise to be fun. I have plans to crash a MS3 sit & knit up in Arroyo Grande in the morning, then the baby shower tomorrow afternoon up in SLO, then class in the evening. Must go to class - I haven't been since last Monday, and testing is coming up August 11th. Actually, I really need (okay, want and need) to go to sparring class more than regular class, but oh well. I like sparring a lot more than I expected to - there's just something so satisfying about it, although it's still scary at the same time.

Going to go turn the brain off and maybe watch mindless tv or a movie or something. Have fun!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (no spoilers)

Finished at 8:22a, Saturday, July 21st. (I would have had it done faster, but spent the first four hours reading at Denny's with some friends and the "Oh my god!"s slowed me down a bit.)

I was wrong and I was right.

Read it.

MixUps

Wow, people actually pay attention to both this blog and the HSS2 blog! Thanks for the comments letting me know about the mixup! I actually am in Gryffindor, but for some reason (probably due to the massive amount of people added at once, an honest mistake), a Slytherin (hiss!) got linked to my blog instead of his own. I've sent an owl to the Deputy Headmistress, and she is working on correcting the problem!

Thanks everyone!

Hogwarts Sock Swap 2!

Woo, signups began on Saturday (July 14th)! I can't wait to find out who my pal is! I've never done a swap before, and this one sounds like so much fun! Come check it out!

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Gryffindor

2. Shoe size? Women’s US 9W – I have big feet, sorry!

3. Foot Length? 10”

4. Foot Circumference? 9”

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. Umm…I’ve actually never knit socks on dpns, I prefer magic loop, so I have no idea what my favorite brands are. My favorite sock needle size is US 1.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? I’m up for anything!

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? Not applicable - go Gryffindor!

8. Allergies? Nothing that would be aggravated by fiber, although I would prefer smoke-free if possible.
Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? Yes, I have a long-haired cat who gets hair all over everything, despite my best efforts.

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I live in the US, but I would be fine with having an international pal!

Now I'm gonna be forced to actually complete a pair of socks again! Of course, that means I'm going to have to get sock yarn in the appropriate house colors. Can't wait!

In other news, I have a corner border and a top border done on the blanket. Class was huge tonight. Lifeboat tech starts tomorrow. I think I might go see Harry Potter again tonight, after a shower. And food. Definitely food.

Getting Closer

Finished up the edge triangles this evening. Will deal with the borders on Monday, and then it will be done! Which is lucky, since I'll be in Lifeboat tech all week. Sigh. If it was wool, I'd say it needs to be blocked, but since it's acrylic, I have faith that once I get the borders on and run it through the laundry cycle, it will all even itself out. It always has before, anyway. Or, it will all come undone and I'll end up buying her a gift anyway. Eh.

Miscellany

Got Clue #2 done:

You can see the line from the end of the first clue. It's all going to get reblocked at the end anyway. Gotta get more lace-sized blocking wires, though. I only have two right now! Anyway, I like this method of lace knitting. I can feel like I've accomplished something when I finish a clue. The next will come out tomorrow, but the clock has started ticking for the Miter Squares Baby Blanket. We had to move the shower up so we could cover two people instead of one, and the deadline is now July 23rd. I felt a bit awkward, since I didn't make anything for the other couple - I don't know them that well outside of work, and I know the Miter Square recipient is a knitter - but they have asked for mostly gift cards and things like that, as they are in the process of moving. Whew!

This is the box the KnitPicks stuff came in the other day.
You can see how it has been totally taken over by a thoroughly content kitty. This is what the box looks like now:
after thoroughly content kitty forgot he was sleeping in a box, tried to stretch, and promptly gave himself a heart attack when the box tore apart. I've never seen a cat jump straight into the air, do a complete 180, and land two feet away, back arched and hissing at the box. I thought it was hysterical. He didn't. Now he's pouting:

(Okay, so I'm the last person in the world to discover lolcats!)

Had sparring class tonight - seven black belts, one colored belt *ahem*. It was tough, but I only cracked shins with Ma'am twice. I cracked ankles with someone and have a nice bruise there, but other than that, I seem to have escaped unscathed tonight. I even scored a point in King of the Mat, which is when a pair spars to the first point, then the next person in line spars the winner, etc. Of course, I was out the next round, to the person who eventually won, but whatever, it was fun =) Mr. R taught this evening, and Sir just watched. He told me that I looked really good on the mat tonight, but considering that it's only my second class and I was hugely out-ranked and out-experienced, I think "slightly better than last time" is my goal. I know they are looking for me to do more reverse kicks and spin kicks, but I am so scared of those in a sparring situation for some reason. I have to get over that. Tomorrow's class is self-defense in the park. I'll actually be able to make it!

Now, off to the shower, then to curl up on the couch with Miter Square and Burn Notice. USA has to be my favorite station for original series!

HP:OotP

This post should be read with the assumption that one has read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix!
It ROCKS! I really really loved it. I thought they did a fantastic job with the screenplay - really finding important plot points and making what is really a very internal story very visible for the audience and screen. I'm liking the more recent movies, because they have more of a "real" feel to them - creating the atmosphere that the envelope on the desk there really could float up and start talking, for instance - rather than the somewhat separate world that was created in the first two films. There's a lot of nice one-liners in there, too, which I always appreciate. The kids are far more interesting now that they're growing up a bit. Tonks and Bellatrix LeStrange are cool and I wish they'd both had more screen time. Luna is just fun. Battle scenes are amazing, although I have to admit that one part of Voldemort and Dumbledore's battle at the Ministry totally had the fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in the original Star Wars pop into my head. We had a great audience - there were lots of cheers, boos, and applause for appropriate moments. Umbridge is just so...evil...you want to jump up and throttle her. The Weasley twins' escape is very fun, and of course, the Order of the Phoenix' entrance into the Ministry is just plain cool. I could go on and on, and I really want to see it again!

In all honesty, as much as I was excited about it, OotP is tied with GoF for my second-to-least-favorite Harry Potter book (my absolute least favorite has always been CoS, which I just can't get over for some reason), so I was a bit nervous. (Of course, part of that is still remnants of shock, anger, sorrow, and surprise that she killed off Sirius that I still attach to that book.) The only complaint I heard from anyone, which is somewhat valid but made me think "What the hell?" was that you really need to know the series, if nothing else at least know the end of the GoF movie, to really get what's going on. They assume, and I think it's a valid assumption, that if you're coming to see the fifth movie in a series, you at least know the general plot by this point, and they don't explain a lot of backstory. But actually, I think I like the movie better than the book. Sort of. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go reread the book again!

What's Wrong With This Picture?

So, my KnitPicks order came today. I ordered 2 skeins of Felici in Aurora, a 2.75mm circ, a 40" cable, a 32" cable, and a 24" cable. That's all I ordered, and all I paid for. So...notice something..weird in this pic?
Like, the really random set of US 4 Clover bamboo dpns? Yeah, no idea where they came from or why they were in my package. I rarely even use dpns, much less bamboo ones. I guess it was my present for the day! Unfortunately, that's one of two sets of bamboo dpns I actually already own! What are the odds?

Btw, the Felici? Extremely soft and pretty! Can't wait to work with it! I think I might do some fingerless gloves with it for Solvang. No, I haven't started knitting with it yet. I'm being good. The reason the one is balled is because...umm...because it had started vomiting during shipping and I didn't want it to get tangled. Right. Okay, so it is soft and squishy and I wanted to play with the yarn but am not quite ready to knit with it.

I also picked up two more skeins of...never mind. I didn't. I went to Michaels with the intention of getting two more skeins of SWS to finish the multidir and just realized that I only came home with a crochet hook and a couple skeins of Homespun for a *duck* crochet project I'm toying with. You know how I love modular afghans. Anyway, I guess I'll have to go back to Michaels tomorrow. Oops! (They're also having a sale on these adorable latch boxes, and if I actually participate in an upcoming swap I'm thinking about, my pal might get one. If I give it up...)

Tickets for the midnight showing of Harry Potter are totally sold out. They might open up another theater, but they won't know until tomorrow. Yes, that means I'm going back tomorrow to check. If not, I have a ticket for the 1:00p showing on Wednesday. ETA: They opened up another screen and I was able to get a ticket and return my original one. At least two of my interns are also going tonight. Should be fun! People were already starting to line up at 3:30p!

My round kicks are apparently better than I thought. My new board break is a right round kick, and I broke it first try. I thought I'd just barely hit it, too. Definitely going to get a harder board next time. Kicking breaks are a little scary. Other than that, it was sooo good to be back in class tonight!

Woo, this might just have some promise to it!
I really like the way the edges are turning out now. I have twelve more triangles to go, but they really only take me about twenty minutes to do. Today and tomorrow are going to be spend on HP vest and MS 3.

Oh, and a better pic of my haircut (sorry for the wet hair):
I still love it!

AF Guy came down to visit yesterday. He's getting stationed in Texas in a few weeks, and then on to Hawaii, so this is the last time I'll see him for probably a long time. We spent the day hanging out, then went out to dinner and saw Transformers. It was surprisingly good. It wasn't an "Omg, you HAVE to see this movie!" for me, but I did enjoy it. Surprisingly, I'd even consider it safe for kids. The leads need some work - the guy wasn't too bad, but c'mon, no WAY am I going to believe that girl is in high school, and that took me out of the realm of believability for her right there - but the rest of the cast did a pretty good job. I really liked the visual effects, but I have to admit that some of the action sequences were difficult to follow. It just seemed like there was too much going on sometimes and the brain just couldn't process it, at least on the big screen. All in all, though, a very enjoyable evening. Of course, I didn't think about getting a picture of AF Guy until after he'd left. Grr. I guess I'll just have to visit him in Hawaii. Darn the luck.

And the Good Year Blimp made a random appearance over Santa Maria the other day:
No idea why it was here. I noticed it driving home from the theater, and by the time I'd gotten home and gotten my camera, it was starting to drift away. Who knows?

Class tomorrow! Thank goodness!!

Happiness is...

1. Three open shows in the space of four weeks.
2. A department that gets along pretty darn well and doesn't want to kill each other.

We have a running joke that we cannot get our pictures taken together without drinks in hand. At least half the people in the picture must have a glass. It's a tradition we try to uphold and maintain with honor. Or at least, humor. =)

3. A new haircut
4. A great dress
5. A drink in the hand.
Happy Opening! Company and Earnest didn't get Opening parties this year, so we combined them all and celebrated with Kate's opening last night. Traditionally, we go to Olive Garden and flirt with bartenders for breadsticks, but this year Olive Garden finally had had enough of us, I guess. (Actually, something about the chain won't let people enter the restaurant after a certain time at night, even if the place is being rented, and that would mean our Solvang folk couldn't come. I don't really know the details.) We went to Roadhouse Grill instead, and I think we scared the bejeezus out of them. One bartender confessed as I was closing out that they'd been told only 40 or so people, in two waves (one from the Marian show, one from Solvang a bit later). I don't know who told them that, but the ENTIRE COMPANY turns out for these things, and we're a bit more than 40 people (more like 140). They only had two bartenders and ran out of stuff very quickly. They'll learn.

A better pic of my outfit, although you can't really see the haircut:
It's kind of that reverse-bob cut, I guess. It's layered and longer around the face, and then is in short short layers in the back. I love it, although the idea of styling the front more forward and not pushing it behind my ears is taking some getting used to. I can still pull the sides back a bit for class, or wear a headband, which is all I really need. I'll try to get AF Guy to get a pic when he comes down today. I also got my eyebrows done yesterday. It was fine, the stylist I had was very gentle, but apparently either my skin doesn't like the wax or the wax was a tad too hot. I have some definite irritation on the upper part of my eyelid and it hurts to touch. Of couse, I sucked it up to put makeup on last night, and to clean it off when I got home, but it still hurts. I think it might be a burn, actually. Ugh. (I have to give a lot of credit to Clinique's concealer, though!)

On the knitting front, my KnitPicks order still hasn't come in yet, so I've been switching cables between MS 3 and Miter Squares (my other 24" cable is on the multidirdiag and I just haven't gotten around to putting that on waste yarn, whereas MS3 got put on waste yarn to block). I have to finish a triangle on the blanket, and then I might start Clue 2 before AF Guy gets here. Assuming I get the place cleaned up, first.

Lazy Bum

Okay, so, um, this isn't row 54 or whatever of the HP vest.
I kind of, um, realized I obviously didn't know how to join new yarn in the round (I really do, I just...didn't for some reason) and had a major hole that I could not get rid of. So I frogged back, fixed it, and am reknitting back up. It's all good, now that I have this:
finished. This is the first clue for the Mystery Stole 3. (Remember, the KAL closes July 6th - that's Friday!) Pay no attention to the crappy blocking job - I just wanted to pin it out enough to see the pattern, and my 24" circs aren't long enough to block it on. I'm really liking the beads, actually. In real light, they are pretty subtle (the yarn is much darker than the flash picks up), and they don't really take that long to add as you work. And can I say that, while yes, lace is a pain in the butt - you can't really watch anything while you're working on it - the border is pretty darn cool.

Anyway, the next clue will come out on Friday. I have tomorrow afternoon and evening off, so I'm planning on working more on Mitered Squares until the next clue is available. Why? Because I'm a Friggin' Genius, of course:
I was working on the multidirdiag scarf (I still need to pick up the next skein or two to finish that with) and it hit me. Triangles. Attached to what you worked before. DUH! This will probably not make much sense right now, but, these are short row triangles, started from the right corner and worked towards the left until all the rows of the right side miter square edge are worked. Then the final row is grafted to the row of picked up stitches on the left side miter square edge. Clear as mud? If someone is really curious, I'll try to explain in more depth with pics.

LA was awesome Monday, btw. It's actually HOT there, not this "maybe it will hit 70 degrees and we'll call it summer since it's not raining" craziness. Worked through the August show with John, played with some new toys (SO cool!), got lunch & ice cream. Good times. I really need to get a full-time job down there. I know, the grass is always greener - when I lived down there with Steve, I couldn't wait to get the steady job up here. Now that I live here alone, I can't wait to get a steady job back down there! I wouldn't mind freelancing again, but I just don't have the connections to afford living on my own, and the main reason I wanted the steady job was so I wouldn't need roommates. I'm keeping my eyes and ears open, though. Oh, and Jersey Boys is in LA through the end of August! I'm totally going to have to get down to see it!

I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July! I had a pretty boring one, myself - most of the company is working a 10/12 today, so no parties. (Much better than last year's, though, which was shortly after I broke up with Steve and I spent most of the day crying after we had a fight at the beach.) I actually get some time off in the next week. AF Guy might come down this weekend, and there's a possibility of more shows with John coming up in September and October. Why is it that the really great guys I get to hang around with are all either exes or people I work with/for? Makes them totally undateable. Sigh.

I haven't been working out nearly as much as I should this week. The studio is closed this week for the Fourth, and I can tell I'm PMSy when I have absolutely no energy and a huge craving for junk food. I've also been working honest hours (9:00a-6:00p rehearsals) this week, which has totally thrown my sleep schedule off. I'm going to stay after rehearsal tomorrow and do formwork again, though. I really want to try to nail down the rhythm of this one - I think that helps me more than anything.

Haven't done one of these for a while...

Your Power Element is Fire

Your power color: red Your energy: hot Your season: spring Like a fire, you are full of power and light. A born leader, you easily draw people toward you. You are full of courage and usually up for anything dangerous. You have a huge ego and love to be the center of attention.

What's Your Power Element?

Actually not TOO far off the mark, although, in general, I prefer cooler colors (as I'm sure you all know!)

And, I was bad and indulged in some of the new sock yarn at KnitPicks. It just grabs me, for some reason. I got two skeins of Aurora, as well as getting a few more cables for my Options set (too many WIPs! My new rule - after this, of course - is that I cannot have more WIPs than I have cables!) and one of the new size US 2 sock needles. Can't wait!

And look what Ar nominated me for!

Isn't that sweet?
I'll nominate Brittney, Amie, Coleen, Kim, and Amanda - I always look forward to new posts!

Got up early and have ten items already crossed off my to-do list for today, including laundry! I do believe that means I can get some knitting time in for a bit, no?