webuyanycat.com has valued my cat at £14.33.

I think I’ll keep him a while and see if he appreciates – I spent more than 200 times that on him last year, and I need to make some of that back somewhere. ;-)

1. What’s your favorite holiday album?
   Either my two-disc set of Handel’s Messiah, or any album of carols. Puts me properly in the festive mood.
2. What song’s lyrics, title, or theme best expresses the positive aspects of your general mood at this time of year?
   “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”. It just makes me feel Christmassy.
3. What song’s lyrics, title, or theme best expresses the not-so-positive aspects of your general mood at this time of year?
   Hmm, I don’t know.
4. What’s your favorite song about a non-December holiday?
   More a season than a holiday, though I associate it with May Day: Summer is a Cumin In
5. What holiday song makes you want to cover your ears and flee?
   Any cheesy Christmas song that I hear over and over and over… there used to be several, but now that I don’t work in a shop and have to hear them on loop all day long, I’m more tolerant of them all ;-)

In other news, today is the start of this month’s IComLeavWe, and marks a year since I first joined that group! Maybe I’ll try for Iron Commenter status this time around. I’ll have a crack, at any rate.

IComLeavWe: Join the Conversation

Comments awaaaaaaaaaay! (If only the website will stay up; this server move seems to be taking longer than I expected… Apparently there are now some issues with SQL that’s causing database connection errors. Which temporarily eats this site! Hopefully that will be fixed soon.)

Friday 5 for November 5: Packing

1. How far ahead of time do you begin packing for a weekend trip?
   Planning, 2-3 days beforehand, depending on where I’m going. Actual packing will be the night before. I am little miss last minute!
2. What was your most recent purchase of a six-pack?
   Technically yesterday when my groceries were delivered, including a couple of six packs of Pepsi.
3. What do you look for in a good everyday backpack?
   Comfy straps, at least two pockets with a couple of small compartments for things like my mp3 player etc, waterproofing, and in colours that I like!
4. Among people you know, who’s the worst packrat?
   Me, I think. Ooops!
5. How do you know when it’s time to pack it in each evening?
   When the cat comes to demand his supper, or when I’m starting to doze off, if I don’t have anything in particular on the next day. If I have something on, then it depends on what time that is, because if I don’t get a good night’s rest I’ll never get up in time for it.

The meme says: “Edit the list, bold for stuff you’ve done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.”  I am also adding bold & italic for things I planned to do previously and have now done, and bold and underlined for things I’ve done now that I hadn’t planned to do before.  Oh, and italic & underlined for things I’m planning on now that I wasn’t before.

Afghan/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockingette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn [O.o - I still haven't come across this]
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch pattern
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn [but I have spun with merino/soy fibre!]
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards [OK, I know what this means now! Maybe one day!]
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewellery
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO [Is this on or off? I've done a tubular cast off...]
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair [But I knew a woman who did]
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I don’t know if that’s much of an indication of my knitting progress or not.  I suspect how well I’ve knitted things is more to the point.  But then again, this meme is about trying techniques.  There must have been some that are left off of it, though.  I just can’t think of them.

IComLeavWe: Join the Conversation

Whoops, I’ve just realised that yester-today* is the start of IComLeavWe for July.  So a quick hi to anyone who drops by – I am still here, but I’ve been so busy spinning and doing other Actual Real Life things (shocking, I know) that I haven’t remembered to blog.  And now I’m off to make today’s tally of comments.  Better get to bed after that – it’s late!

* technically yesterday, since it’s now past midnight, but still within the same “day” for me since I’m still up!

Do you owe an apology to anyone? Why?

Hmmm… not as far as I can think of.  I hope not!

You’ve just been given a million dollars. You are not allowed to keep it or give it to anyone you know personally. What do you do with it and why?

Well, first of all I’ll convert it into pounds ;-)  Or assume that it’s the correct equivalent amount already.  I’ll then donate half of it to charity – preferably a Bipolar disorder one like the MDF.  The other half I think I’ll do something fun with.  Like going to the local supermarket and paying for everyone’s shopping, or at least picking people at random to do that for until I run out of money.  Which could take a while, actually, so maybe I could buy some big purchases for places or people that need them.  I guess the ‘rules’ leave me room to do something like buy a minibus for an old people’s home or something, as long as there’s no-one there I know.

If you could go back in time and meet your 16-year-old self, what three things would you tell yourself?

1) Break up with your boyfriend asap – really, you’re better off single.  2) When things start to go really weird in your head, yes, you should go to the doctor and no, the doctors are not part of a conspiracy.  You’re not well, it’s not your fault that you need help.  3) A Levels.  Do some work for them.  You’ll get better grades.

So, A is for “Ambition”.  Which can be broken down into both short and long term goals:

1. Maintaining the daily blogging through this month, and also doing IComLeavWe at the end of the month.
2. Possibly do 750words.com (depending on time).
3. Sort out the photo album on this thing!
4. New site design (also for here).
5. Finish at least one knitting project – try sewing up the Menace jumper, for example.  And keep working on the Clapotis.
6. Make some blog posts updating my knitting progress – what I’ve been doing over the last few months as well as what I’m doing now, since I haven’t posted for so long.
7. Write up the patterns I’ve designed. Finally!

“Ambition” also works pretty well for the NaBloPoMo prompt for today – I may or may not do these every day, it depends what appeals to me. But the one for today is:

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a teacher.  Boring, I know!  Specifically, I think I wanted to be an English teacher, because I loved reading and writing.  On slightly more mature reflection, I decided that the idea of dealing with a classroom full of teenagers was an appalling one, so I changed my mind to librarian.  Needless to say, I’m in neither profession now, although I have done some one-to-one music tuition and enjoyed that.

I was completely expecting this week’s Friday 5 to be about tennis. I suppose it shows how completely Wimbledon and “Murray-mania” has taken over the national consciousness if I think that’s the first obvious subject. The US independence shebang never occurred to me at all. But Happy Not Being British Anymore, Americans! And hey, if Murray does keep winning then I’m sure we’re going to have tons of fireworks this weekend too. :-)

1. How do you feel about fireworks displays?
   I like them! I prefer the ones where there’s the parade and the bonfire societies and lots of colourful things that go bang… I particularly like the ones we have down in the town here where they have fireworks and lasers going off in the castle on the hill, from the beach, and also from out on the sea. Pretty!!
2. What were the details surrounding one of your mishaps with fire?
   I… don’t know if I’ve really had any mishaps with fire. I’ve had trouble getting them going, generally while camping or barbecuing, but I don’t remember any unfortunate incidents!
3. Who in your life could be described as a real firecracker?
   My Aunt A, and a couple of my friends, Ms Charlotte in particular. Hee! ;-)
4. When did you last feel you were being put on display?
   Um. I don’t know. The last time I sang in front of someone else?
5. How confident are you in your barbecue skills?
   Reasonably so, though I haven’t barbecued much recently: my brother likes to do it when we have barbecues at Mum’s house. The main problem is getting the bbq started and ticking over properly!

And now I’m going to watch the tennis (Murray/Roddick match of course) – result so far: 3 games all.