Tag Archives: Rambling

Trying Not to be Too Cranky on a Thursday

Posted on December 27, 2012 by | Comments Off on Trying Not to be Too Cranky on a Thursday

1.It took me until last night to finish my Christmas knitting.
professorsocks
The Professor only received one sock in his Christmas gift. But I also bought him a hand-thrown stoneware mug, so he couldn’t complain too much. Obviously it was worth the wait.

2. I hate my computer. I mean I really hate it. (I am typing quickly in case it overhears.) It took me twenty minutes to get it to behave properly enough to post on the blog. It took so long to start up I painted three skeins of yarn! (Same colorway, but still! Three skeins!) Then when it did start up, I sat another ten minutes before it actually did anything. I am about five seconds away from smashing it with a hammer and chucking it in a bin. The only reason I don’t is that it’s more difficult to run an online business with no computer than it is with just a shitty one. I am thinking of running a “buy Marla a new computer so she writes more and posts more product on Etsy without murdering things” fund. I’ll have a ticker and everything.

3. My dad gave me a really lovely, simple Christmas gift.
guitar
He cleaned up and restrung the guitar I bought when I was in high school (obviously he didn’t clean up the amp). I haven’t played in ten years and have been missing the ability to learn a new song every now and again. Of course, it’s been so long that I feel like I have forgotten everything I learned about the guitar between the ages of 12 and 17, but I’ll figure it out.

And check this out!
raptorguitar
My guitar is a raptor. This whole dino thing is turning out to be a lifetime theme, I think. I just didn’t know it at first.

guitarneck
Pretty.

4. The white Cormo is still on my wheel.
cormoonwheel
The first skein turned out to be a heavy 3-ply fingering weight yarn. I think it’s gorgeous how it is, and I can’t decide what to do with it. Sell it? Dye it? Both? Knit it into something fantastic first? Keep it? Maybe I will auction the whole lot off to the highest bidder and use the money to buy a new computer.

5. I want to frog because it sounds like fun.
calbedpulloverstorage
I am thinking about frogging this sweater in particular. I am still in love with the idea of white squishy cabled sweater–but I am just not feeling the knitting right now. And I want a red sweater. I can’t think of an easier way to get a red sweater on my current yarn budget (which is $0), than to dye some white yarn I already have. So, I might attempt this sweater again in the future, but I am just not in a cable place right now. I want lace and stockinette and that’s about it. I plan on ripping it and dyeing the lot tonight. After a stressful couple of weeks, all the ripping is going to be damn satisfying.

6. I am completely in love in with Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark‘s sweater designs. The sweater I am thinking of making instead is her craftsy class. And if I could get my hands on enough sport weight yarn I would have the Sazerac on the needles right this minute. Strangely enough, that’s the one weight I don’t sell…might have to change that.

7. There are only four days left to sign up for RAWR!. I have two spots left as of this posting, and then there isn’t another chance to get exclusive yarn from me on your doorstep again until April. And waiting that long would just be sad.

8. I have a desire to design elbow-length, sock-weight gloves / mittens. Possibly with some lacy embellishment. Just for kicks.

9. My birthday is coming up. And for the first time in forever, I have something I want to do to celebrate it. Every year, I want to go to a play, but because my birthday is ten days after Christmas, there are no plays to go to. This year though, Les Miserables is a movie, and I am going to see it, because it might be the closest I ever get.

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Building My Handmade Weddding; Step One: Admitting it’s Happening

Posted on December 6, 2012 by | Comments Off on Building My Handmade Weddding; Step One: Admitting it’s Happening


A pretty picture of some wool because I don’t have anything else to share at the moment.

Last Tuesday, I woke up with a plan. I was going to whip the apartment into shape, make a schedule for the Christmas knitting, take photos of the hand knit goods I have for sale but not up on etsy yet, and finally finish my blog plans and business mapping that I always seems to be half-finished with. I was actually making good headway into getting there too. I sketched out a knitting schedule over my lunch break (that I have since misplaced and have not followed in the slightest), and my mind was working overtime on developing new projects and new promotions. I was going to take over the world with yarn.

Then I unexpectedly had to work Tuesday evening. By the time I left the Museum Tuesday night, I was sick. I had a raging headache, clogged sinuses, and that really horrible fuzzyhead that makes you stupid when you have a cold. It came out of nowhere and I was down. I could focus on nothing more strenuous than silly novels. (I am not complaining. The best part about being sick is that it is a perfect excuse to read as many silly novels as you can.) My plans for world-domination-with-yarn were washed away just as quickly as they had flooded in.

Sort of. I still have plans, and I have a lot I want to do, but I feel like I have been playing catch up for an entire week. I try to put an equal amount of time into Tiny Dino Studios as I do into my day job and last week that just didn’t happen. I am recovering my energy and mental clarity, and I have SO MUCH I want to talk to you guys about, but I’m about a week behind, so please bear with me if I bombard the blog a little bit over the next couple of days. For now, I will lay the ground work for something I have been dying to unburden.

Weddings…..blah
If you were paying attention a couple of posts ago, you probably noticed that I dropped a little announcement in at the bottom of a picture post. Now that it’s had a few days to simmer, I feel like addressing it more substantially.

I am getting married in August 2013. I am giddy about it. I can’t wait. I want to throw a big party for everybody and dance to Roxy Music (and maybe that song that Luke and Lorelai dance together to for the first time at the end of season 4–because I am a huge sap) and tell the world how much I love this man. Now, keeping all of this in mind, I have to confess that most aspects to weddings make me want to vomit in a Mr. Creosote from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life sort of way.

Anything that says “Mr. and Mrs.” or has cartoon birds kissing or anything that otherwise boils two complicated people who are also part of a nuanced relationship down to little more than the symbols on the door of public restrooms I generally abhor. I can’t eat cake, so there’s no fun in looking at them and Bridal magazines make me want to withdraw from society when they proclaim “Dream Wedding on a Budget: Under $10,000″

I think I choked when I read that. $10,000?! You have got to be effing joking! I was thinking closer to $1000, not including rings. If I can make that include the rings, I will be happy. I am cheap and not ashamed of it.

Now, I am not putting down anyone who has spent $10,000 on their nuptials, nor anyone who had one of those Save the Date cards that had a Mr. and Mrs. banner. You did the wedding you wanted, your way (I hope). I just know that these things aren’t representative of who I am, or who Brock (I have the impulse to start calling him The Professor on the blog, just for the hell of it. That might start now) and I are as a couple.

We are simple, build it yourself kind of people with big dreams. Both a little shy sometimes, but we make each other laugh. And we dance together all jerky and uncoordinated like because it’s fun. He makes Mr. Darcy jokes, because he is the perfect man. We are not above being sappy and romantic.

So, here I am, thinking about how to plan this wedding, not being inspired by just about anything I see on websites or Etsy or at the craft store. I did start a board on Pinterest which basically just reinforces that I like yellow and flowers–something that we all already knew. But nothing has struck a chord in me just yet.

By now, if you are still reading, I am sure you are wondering where I am going with this little rant of mine. I’ll tell you.

I want a simple, pretty, handmade wedding.

Here’s what I’ve got so far:
The wedding will be at Brock’s The Professor’s family farm.
The wedding will take place in August, in Kansas, in the country. That means there should be *fingers crossed* no shortage of sunflowers.
I will make decorations and favors myself, as well as whatever necessary gifts will be given.
The affair will be fairly informal.

Now, here’s the fun part: I am taking you along with me on the journey of figuring out all the niggling little details of this great big party. And I need ideas. I will be searching out and sharing what I find over the next 8ish months on the way to making this thing a reality, because I have no idea where to begin. And if you have any tips or tricks, I would love to hear them.

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How to Plan Your Christmas Knitting*

Posted on December 2, 2012 by | Comments Off on How to Plan Your Christmas Knitting*

Like most years, I am doing a little bit of Christmas knitting, though I am getting a late start on it because of the sickness I have been suffering from. I am doing much better, thank you for asking, just a bit of a cough left is all.

I meant to start my Christmas knitting just after Thanksgiving, but there is so much more to Christmas knitting than simply gathering yarn and needles. It takes planning–a careful handle on time management to get it all done and still sleep in the week leading up to the actual holiday. Here’s my guide to getting it all done right.

First, clean the house and rummage through closets to make space for the Christmas decorations and later for all of the Christmas presents that are going to come in. If you are like me you will likely find a set of needles or two that might come in handy for the actual knitting part–or yarn you forgot you had. How handy! Aren’t you glad you did that?

Then decorate the tree.

Try to be tastefully spare, if you can.

Next, it is imperative to try out a new Gingerbread Cookie recipe.

I find that Gingerbread Monsters go very well with a bit of Earl Grey–good way to cozy down to knitting a pair of mittens.

Then of course comes the most difficult part of Christmas Knitting: putting away all of the projects you really want to work on until you get through the stuff you have to do for everybody else.

Then get distracted and start a new project!



Finally, you are ready to cast on.

Make sure to do the most luscious project first. This one is 45% silk!

*Alternatively, The Procrastinator’s Guide to Christmas Knitting

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So Not Paleo

Posted on November 16, 2012 by | Comments Off on So Not Paleo

I am going to talk about something I have wanted to talk about for months but have either put off because I was tired and it would take a lot of words, or because I wasn’t feeling like sharing that much personal information on the blog. Some people have no problem with bearing their souls for all to see, and it is something I am deeply ambivalent about. Because I am going to start talking about my food choices every now and then, and incorporated in that, is my journey to a much smaller, healthier me. Tons of people blog about their weight loss, and I can see why. Not only is it good accountability for the blogger and a great way to track progress, it is also a great resource for other people who are struggling with their health and weight. I have only ever hesitated because there is so much information out there, and so many different notions of what it means to be healthy. I have only just started to find my healthy place–and it is, to say the least–unconventional.

In the last six months, I have lost and kept off 30 pounds. To get to the weight I was before I had Athrun, I need to lose 40 more. To get to where I might be ideal, add another 20 onto that. So that means I am ? of my way to the goal of losing 90 pounds. The first 30 were easy peasy. I drastically changed my diet and they kind of just fell off. Losing more than that has proven to be a bit more difficult, but I am hopeful.

So what did I change:

First what I gave up: gluten, grains, legumes, sugar and sweeteners, processed foods including vegetable and seed oils. Basically, bread, sweets, anything that came from a package.

What I ate in moderation: Dairy (cream in the coffee, slice of cheese here and there), fruit, potatoes, honey, dark chocolate, red wine

What I ate: vegetables, Meat (poultry, red meat, bacon, fish, seafood) vegetables, leafy greens, nuts, eggs, fermented foods (plain full fat yogurt, saurkraut, kombucha), homemade bone broth soup, butter, olive oil, coconut oil, bacon grease (all for cooking of course, not like, with a spoon. Though maybe the coconut oil, drizzled in dark chocolate? Yum.) and some more vegetables.

Yes. I am one of those. Paleo. There I said it. I claimed it. And for the last time.

Paleo has been gaining in popularity over the last couple of years, so I don’t doubt that you recognized it just by what foods I have up. I was introduced to it by a friend of mine who was suffering from major food allergies and thought that I might be suffering from a similar, if not less severe, affliction. It took me a couple of months to come around to the idea, but once I did I knew I never wanted to eat any other way ever. Not only did I finally start feeling like I could digest my food, that constantly itchy, yeasty feeling in my tummy went away. I lost 30 pounds in 3 months almost without trying. And I was eating eggs for breakfast, leftover
soup for lunch or a salad for lunch, marinara sauce served over steamed vegetables. I feel satiated after every meal. I don’t feel bloated or overfull. And I like the food I eat. A lot.

I feel great. It’s easier to do yoga (when I do it once every six weeks), walk, sprint, do push-ups. I can run further, when I decide I want to try. It’s fun to cook this way. It basically goes along with my through vegetables in pan and stir most of the time, instead now I don’t feel guilty about starting with a little bit of butter and adding sausage.

But I don’t like the Paleo label.

Why not? Because. For one, I don’t like to be labeled with anything other than my name, and sometimes that’s pushing it. For two, I am not an evangelist of anything. And Paleo people, well, they tend start treating their food like a religion. And I get why, because I feel great, but I still don’t have any urge to convert people. I am just a girl with a gluten sensitivity and yeast overgrowth problems who happens to really like to cook with vegetables and bacon. And is trying to lose weight–mostly so I can knit sweaters faster because they won’t need to be so big to fit me. And to, you know, survive the Zombie Apocalypse. Pure selfishness here.

So selfish, in fact, that I am going to smear my food and weight loss exploits all over my blog for you all to see how well I am doing.

Ok so maybe not. But I feel like it’s been this thing. This big change that I have made that I somehow left you readers out of. I am not very good at being mysterious, or keeping secrets, so here it is.

Where I Want to Go
I have not lost any weight for about eight weeks. I haven’t gained any, and I still feel good, and cutting my hair makes me feel like I have lost about 10 pounds, but alas, I think those 10 pounds transferred instantly to my hips. I know exactly why I haven’t lost any weight. I haven’t been sleeping, I have barely been exercising, I switched up my birth control and my hormones have been wackadoo (mostly screwing up my digestion, of course), and I have been eating too much. I figure, if I address these things, I might be able to get back into the games. I hung black out curtains in my room, and that has helped tremendously. I am attempting to exercise more often by taking walks on my lunch break and sprinting or yoga a couple times a week. Push-up and squats when I remember. My hormones have started settling down, though they still need a bit of time. And eating less is easy when I remind myself that I need to do it. And for me, incorporating this into what I can talk about on the blog, keeps me honest with myself, and with you, plus, you get cool allergy friendly recipes out of it. So, bonus.

If your interested in learning more, Mark’s Daily Apple is an invaluable resource. Just saying.

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A Tuesday Jumble

Posted on September 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Tuesday Jumble

Life has been a jumble lately.

Yesterday I came out to my car after work (late, of course) to find that my right front tire was flat. This didn’t really surprise me because I haven’t been able to keep air in the thing to save my life and kind of just gave up on filling it up the last few weeks. The kicker is that I get off work with just enough time to get across town and pick Athrun up from school. And it was raining, can’t forget that part. You’ll be proud to know that I only panicked a little bit

I managed to snag a ride, Brock was out of class, so we picked Athrun up, put the donut on the car and drove home, dreading having to pay someone for a new tire, because I pretty much dread paying anyone for anything–except yarn. I will happily pay for yarn in almost any circumstance. At least I knew I was going to have Tuesday off, so I had plenty of time to take care of getting the tire replaced.

Having Tuesday off is not a normal thing. Last week, my place of employment played host to Kansas Book Festival, which meant I had to be at work all day long on a Saturday, which is apparently so awful it earned me an extra day off during the week. I chose Tuesday (today, for the record) not just because it makes more sense for my job, but because it seemed more special than having Monday off, because you know, that happens sometimes. Let me tell you, having Tuesday off is awesome. I didn’t have to compete with anyone else for the washer and dryer in the basement, I didn’t have anyone to mess things up while I cleaned, and nobody stepped on the sweaters.

That’s right, I dedicated my day off to fall cleaning. (That doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as spring cleaning…but it’s the same basic principle, just preparing for winter instead of recovering from it.) I cleaned the house from top to bottom, did all of the laundry, tidied closets, and washed sweaters. I love cleaning the house when there is no one home. I don’t know why, but that’s just the best time to do it. And it has been a long time since I have been home by myself for an entire day. Call me crazy, but it was heaven. I have shining floors, clean carpets, and when the weather turns for good, the family will be prepared with freshly laundered woolens.

All of this, however, has not left me very much time for knitting.

After getting distracted by two pairs of socks and a sweater, I am making a good faith effort to get my brother his birthday socks before the weather turns, even though he could probably use them now. He rides a motorcycle, and I know from my Moped days that it’s always 10 degrees cooler on a bike. So I have put all other projects aside until I can finish these.

That means my other projects look like this:



Almondine is one sock plus one sock cuff, and the yarn for the French Market socks finally arrived. I bought a lot, because I plan on doing a lot of swatching. Besides, don’t you just love the colors? I will admit, I chose these colors partly because of their names. The cream is, strangely enough, called Cream, the dark brown is called Bison, and the fawn color is called Wheat. The French Market socks will henceforth be known as Kansas Socks, because I know of a farm where I could one of each of these products within twenty miles of where I live. (The other reason I chose them is because it reminds me of the three most common Alpaca colors I have seen, and I really wanted to do these in natural colors. This way I can just pretend.)

I also have a design in my head for a sweater. And it will probably stay there for the foreseeable future.

Then there is this.

Yes, I found a craftsy class on stranding and steeking. The class was on sale, so I bought it over the weekend. I have never wanted to use the same exact colors I have seen in the pattern before, but I want that vest exactly. I just have to wait until I can afford all that yarn…but it’s so gorgeous! I have been watching the classes, and I think I can handle the steeking when it comes along–I think.

What have you been up to?

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Weekend Update

Posted on July 1, 2012 by | Comments Off on Weekend Update

I have so much news, it’s not even funny. I think the best way to proceed is in list form otherwise I will lose track of time.
Yarny News:

1. I will be adding a Farmer’s Market Schedule page to the website so all you locals can check in and find out what days I will be at the Farmer’s Market for the rest of the season. I should have thought of this in April, but it took me until July, so there you have it.

2. This week (July 7th) I will not have my own booth up at the Farmer’s Market because I will be doing my duty at the Potwin Fiber Artisans. However, I will be selling a selection of sock yarn at that booth this week that is normally in the Tiny Dino Studios booth. And it’s offered at 15% discount for anyone who signs up for my sock class.

3. Which brings me to some good news! I am finally back in the teaching game, and friends, it has been too long. In late July I will be offering my beginners sock class. If you live in NE Kansas and have always wanted to learn how to make yourself a warm pair of woolly sock for winter, now is the time to learn. Full details are on the Classes page. (However, if you want to sign up for the class, please EMAIL ME at marla at tinydinostudios dot com, and do not leave a comment on the blog.)

4. I (finally) ordered Tiny Dino Studios a Square, so as soon as next week I can start accepting credit card transactions in whenever!

In Other News:
5. My son’s birthday is on Friday. He will be six. 6! I really can’t believe how fast he’s growing. Accordingly, his third knitted puppy dog is underway, but way behind schedule.

6. My main goal for the day, after writing this blog post, is to reorganize my apartment. With three people, one running a business and one SCIENCE student, and one a child with many toys, this small space gets cluttered rather quickly if I don’t stay on top of things. And the past few weeks I have been anywhere but on top of things. Let’s just say I have my work cut out for me…

7.Upon last weighing, I have lost 25 lbs, which is an exciting and empowering experience. I promise I will write a blog post about that a little more in depth for those who are interested. A little preview, I have a ton more energy and I had bacon and eggs for breakfast.

8. And best of all, I finally found a job. I left my job at the coffee shop last November, and over the winter was able to support myself through various means while working from home. Then, this spring I started taking temporary positions when my various means were running a little dry. My last day of temping was Friday. The whole way along (since November) I have been applying for various and sundry positions I thought I might be good at / enjoy / be qualified for. I went to a few interviews, but didn’t find anything I really wanted to do, and obviously the hirers felt the same way about me, because nary a call for second interview came my way. I was at the point of discouragement where I enrolled to go back to school (which I am now going to have to undo…) And then, I had an interview with the Kansas Historical Foundation and it was the best interview ever. You know how when you go into an interview and they sit you down and say, “We just want to have a conversation about the position…” and it ends up just being a normal interview–yeah, well we actually had a conversation that was easy, and dare I say it, fun! I start Monday.

9. So, if you’re coming through Topeka this summer, may I suggest a short stop over? Of course you’ll want to go to the zoo and see the Penguins in the morning before it gets up to 105. But in the afternoon, when it’s so hot you feel you’ll melt, stop by the Kansas Museum of History and enjoy some air conditioning and some really interesting stuff.

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Random on Saturday

Posted on June 16, 2012 by | Comments Off on Random on Saturday

1. I still have not turned on the air conditioning in the apartment. Right now I am sitting in a pool of sweat and my computer is moving jerky, but I’d rather have the windows opens and hear the birds sing than feel like I live in a human cubicle like I do during the winter.

2. I am working on a writing project–for money– and all I can think about is my zombie story, and all the books (about American Bison migration) I want to read.

3. Upon finding out my real age (27), a 21 year-old man-kid told me I could pass for his age, therefore I am now 21 again and the fact that I have a (nearly) 6 year-old is not awkward at all.

4. I lost two more pounds, but as I am planning to eat my weight in bing cherries today, that probably isn’t going to last.

5. We got cherry tomatoes in the CSA bag yesterday. They are candy. And are going in to absolutely every meal until they are gone, because they are the first tomatoes of the year. OM NOM.

6. Athrun’s birthday is in three weeks and I still have not cast on his puppy dog. This would not normally be a problem, but I have had almost ZERO knitting time lately, and have no idea if/when my schedule is going to free up.

7. Now I am going to the coffee shop to write because I need a change of scenery. (And they have free air conditioning.)

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A Ramble (about Zombies)

Posted on May 25, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Ramble (about Zombies)

I finished my horrible temp position today. I say it was horrible, but really the people were very nice. It was all the dish washing that was horrible. And the hairnets. I am thinking of learning how to tend bar just so if I am ever low on the cash, I never ever have a wear a hairnet again. On the upside, I made some friends in one of the local school districts, which in two years time when I am looking for a teaching position might come in mighty handy.

I feel jubilant that I do not have to go back tomorrow. The fear that I might not get another assignment immediately is only mildly nagging at the back of my mind. (By the way, if any one is looking for a fantastic personal assistant this summer, I am your girl!) Perhaps it is the shedding of manual labor (for now) or that my potatoes are growing like gang busters or just that it has been a year since I finished school, but I finally feel like writing again. Don’t get me wrong, I have been writing, but it was work. Now I can’t wait to get to my computer to get some words down on a bit of an essay or whatever story is in my ear today. Some days I can’t decide which project should receive highest precedence I am so excited. Right now for instance, do I work on my food essay or my zombie story? Or do I ramble like a chatterbox to my blog because I can’t settle down enough to think critically about either one? (Obviously you can see which one I chose.)

About the zombie story. . .
I have never thought that much about zombies. I mean, I watched Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days Later and a couple of Romero flicks. I understood how the idea of the zombie apocalypse was inherently frightening and exhilarating, but I have never been particularly preoccupied by them or any other monster stories. (I did read Dracula and Twilight–both as academic endeavors, one an historical perspective, one a bang my head against the desk this lady is published! brain mash–but that’s about the extent of my dabbling with monster fiction.) Then we decided to give that one zombie tv show a try. You guys, The Walking Dead is damn scary. I made it through both seasons (some nights with the unintentional help of too much wine. You know how it goes, you settle down on to the sofa with your knitting and a post-dinner glass of wine, and then dead people start eating living people and magically your glass has refilled itself and you’ve had three post-dinner glasses of wine and your knitting is completely forgotten.)

I had dreams about zombies every night for three weeks. At first they were closely related to the tv show, but eventually the became more and more individualized to me. In one of them I had one bag of food, one bag of clothes and other supplies, and one bag of yarn and fiber supplies that I lugged with me as I fled for my life. In another, on our way out of town, my posse and I stopped to raid a brand new yarn shop (opened, in the dream, by a real life friend of mine who was sadly not in my posse), which had opened just before the unfortunate onset of zombies and we hadn’t had any time to check it out yet. Being eaten alive? New yarn shop? You see the dilemma.

The latest one was Monday morning, and after I laughed at my dream, and told the fictional yarn shop owner about it so she could laugh at my dream too, I decided I needed to write about zombies. Because 21 night straight of dreaming about zombies obviously means there is some unfinished business there. Monday, I sat down and wrote about 350 words to get my story started.

I haven’t had a zombie dream since.

As I pursue my zombie story, I am going to continue my otherwise complete indifference to zombies and concentrate on writing the story. I will also continue to be amused that I am writing a story about zombies–almost out of nowhere–when I still claim my favorite novel is Jane Eyre.

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