Flexitarianism? Whaa?

I received two of the books I'd ordered today. One, which relates to the crafty part of this blog:
I've been enamored with Amigurumi for a while now, but I tend to err on the side of creepy-cute rather than just cute;) So when I saw this book (and I recognized the author from her etsy.com Needle Noodles site) I had to pick it up and see what it was all about.

Omg. Seriously some of the most adorable little ami-dolls I think I've ever laid eyes upon. Very worth it, they make faboo gifts and I think I'm going to sit down in the next week or so and make one of each from the book!

When you've finally decided to quit smoking, you need something, anything to do with your hands. At least in the meantime, right? Quick stats:

1 day, 8 hours, 27 minutes and 48 seconds smoke free. 27 cigarettes not smoked.

Since I'm on a health kick lately too, I snagged this book:
Because, let's face it. Here we are in the Pacific Northwest. We can get fresh fish, but more importantly, some AMAZING veggies and fruits for dirt cheap. Yes, money has been tight, but with the introduction of this new job, there's no excuse anymore. It's time to get serious about our health (Dragon will have to get used to it) and this is a good plan that suits us both. See, I'm a carnivore by nature, Dragon - even more so. I love veggies, but I cannot exist on veggies alone. I know that if I'm going to go in a more....vegan trend with my eating there has to be some way to still incorporate the occasional meat product (I adore fish/chicken, where Dragon is a pork/beef kinda guy).

No guilt. Just healthier eating!

Of course, I'm sure all of this stems from the Doctor's appointment I have tomorrow. Finally, I should get some answers about what's going on with me and get started on being human again.

In the meantime, I will keep you all updated...have no fear! I think I'm going to plunge into this book and start absorbing as much of it as I can so I can circumvent any complaints Dragon might have;)

XOXO
~Bella

Foggy days, crisp nights.

The last few days have been full o' fog around here and I've been enjoying every minute of it. To my macabre mind, I suppose it's just spooky enough to make it feel more surreal than it might to the average Pacific Northwesterner.

But then, I'm still newly transplanted.

It's a new year, therefore new goals, hassles, irritations and triumphs. We've been getting out and seeing the city more, slowly but surely, and I'm currently dying to get tickets for Cinematic Titanic's first show here in March. In case you don't already know, and I'm sure most of you don't, I'm a huge fan of MST3K. So when CT announced tour dates, you know I'll be in attendance:) See, this is one of the big reasons we moved here in the first place. The opportunities are crazy! Combine that with another Abney Park show next month and you've got a me that's just squirming in her pants to get out and get on with it!

I've been working on a new scarf. I'm using the lovely orange merino I got earlier this month and after searching high and low, I settled on a scarf that's similar to the Circle Crochet Scarf pattern and I fully intended on using that particular pattern. But then, while perusing through my Encyclopedia of Crochet the other day and found the perfect stitch pattern for it.

See, I envisioned this scarf, because of the yarn, looking like little slices of mandarin oranges, so I went with Catherine's Wheel. And yes, it's crochet:

See that gorgeous color? Believe me when I say that the camera does NOT do justice to how lusciously beautiful it is.

And my favorite dyer/spinner extraordinaire is at it again. Look at this: (picture totally taken by Andrea, by the way)

Now, I will admit my ignorance, because I don't know what Black BFL is (the fiber she used for this yarn) but is that not one of the most gorgeous red colorways you've ever seen? Can you imagine a deep violet color? OMG! So pretty!

So naturally, I want some. *laughs* We'll see what happens;) What with working two jobs now, I might be able to keep up my yarn-whore habit! (As it is, I'm totally tempted to have her add the Purple Haze merino she has in her shop. I keep lusting after it. Darn her!!)

Oh! And I haven't forgotten the backlog of stitch patterns of the day. I'm still doing them, I've just gotten caught up in other things. Hopefully over the next week, I'll get them all photo'd and uploaded and let you all know what I'm doing!

Game's on, have to run:)

XOXO
Bella

Knit-geek, ahoy!

I received a $100 gift card to Barnes and Noble for Christmas from my employer and I've been sitting on it, patiently plotting, trying to decide what I want to use it on.

I've had my eye on Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby for a while, but kept hem-hawing around picking it up because I couldn't justify buying it when I was still a n00b to the knitting scene. Well, I finally decided to get it and it's just gorgeous. I adore Victorian lace and have wanted to try it for myself. I'm still intimidated all to hell, but there is such a variation of different types of lace patterns that I really can't see myself NOT using it. I'll definitely be starting small, though. *laughs*

I also picked up The Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns by Sterling Publishing Co. from the bargain bin. At a little over $14, it was a steal! It is chock full of fabulous stitch patterns that I can already see myself making use of! So, so happy with it:)

As for the other books, they're not knitting related, but for anyone who's interested in how eclectic I can be:

Death, A Life by George Pendle,

and three of the The Element Encyclopedias:

Secret Signs & Symbols,

Ghosts and Hauntings,

and Birthdays.

I finished up the two Calorimetry scarves for the baristas, already given Dinah's to her tonight! She was quite excited that I hadn't forgotten:) Good. Girl needs something bright to wear because she's such a perky person anyway. Thursday we're going to swing by and give the other one to my punk-girl. She should love it too.

I've discovered that as much as I love buying yarn and knitting for myself, I also really seem to enjoy knitting for others too, if for no other reason than to see the joy on their faces when they get that hand-knit item. They truly appreciate it.

I'm still knitting away on the kitten paw scarf and I've been toying with the idea of making a skull motif scarf or shawl out of the "After the Fire" yarn I got from Andrea. It's such a darkly beautiful yarn....I dunno! Suggestions are welcome on what I should make of it! If I knew how, I'd make a pair of stockings, honestly, but I don't trust myself to make them look right. *laughs* I'd love to make it into a pair of the skull stockings over on the Victorian free patterns website I saw earlier today.

In any event, I'm going to go back to watching The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. Why yes, I watch Disney movies. My brother works there. I'm...er...supporting him;)

XOXO
Bella