I've knitted a hat

I have fallen completely in love with Grumperina's Odessa hat. It was such a lovely, easy and fun pattern. And a nearly all too fast knit.
And right now it's actually a bit wet and drying after an incident with spilled tea and a quick wash.
Cheapish but surprisingly soft and pleasant superwash wool/acrylic yarn from the yarn store near work (where I quite often go to fondle yarn on my lunch breaks).
I have decided to attempt a slightly more mannish version for lovely colleague, who has been asking me to knit him something, anything - even a nose cone.
I do knit at work. In a strange way it keeps me calm and happy all through the day, or evening.
The hat is for Katrine.
As an extra little package for the calendar, which I can finally give her tomorrow. I'm not sure if the bed socks will be able to wait in their wrapping until the 24th. That's a lot of warm softness going unused while it's cold outside.
This very evening I have cast on for the beautiful Simple Knitted Bodice, using Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Tweed in black. And I'm terribly excited about it!
Sadly, Vigdis has been put on the backburner for a while, as I had to return the book to the library and cannot find the copy I made of the cable chart. And I do not dare try it out from memory. So untill the book returns to me or the chart shows up - no finished Vigdis. Unless I decide to test my memory or whatever skills may be needed.
I have also prepared for tomorrow's lecture - after a full day at work.
And cleaned the bathroom. And done the dishes. And played tag with the bad cats.
This weekend should bring more cleaning, more knitting, more reading, a bit of work, and hopefully also a bit of Christmas decorating, just for once.
And more playing with the cats.

Bed socks and a bit of Christmas spirit

Today i finished the bed socks I've been knitting for my lovely friend Katrine.

Using the incredibly delicious Regia silk which makes them ultra soft and .... a bit hard to part with.
They are to be part of the Christmas calendar I've put together for her.

As we are both orphans December can be a bit tough to get through, and I hope a small present a day will cheer her up.
Small things, and not so small things.
Portion-packed facial masks, as she rides her bike in all sorts of weather, which is rather rough on her skin in winter time.
A few DVDs, as she just recently got a DVD-player - America's Sweethearts, L'Amant, Amélie, the Pillow Book.
Small hurricane lanterns for her balcony.
Glass ornaments. Christmassy CDs. A beaded key chain. Chocolates. Goofy poems.
The grand finale being the bed socks.
I cannot wait to give it to her Friday.

Nice and warm

Why don't you just get your own radiatorbed...

And a very young Laurenz in same bed. It does stretch.

Come here, Spidey, Spidey

Vincent is a great hunter.

If he can get to his prey....

"Come here, spidey, spidey"

"Stupid spider"

Gmail freaks me out - and cracks me up

I love gmail. It's easy and friendly, and, well, easy.
However, I generally find myself confused and a little baffled by the ads, the super-targeted ads, which are generated by certain words in the emails I receive. I try to ignore them, especially as they do give me an eery feeling that someone is reading my mail - even if it's just a program.
And sometimes, although rarely, it is very amusing.
As today.
Headline "Dick Cheney totally hates you" (very gifted SF Chronicle columnist Mark Morford)
And the carefully chosen ads:
"ONE Disposable Underwear"
"CMI Erosion Solutions"
"Girl Underwear"
"The Proven CFIDS Cure"
"Environmental News"
"Under Pressure"
Because, naturally, when you think of Dick Cheney, your next thought is .... disposable underwear!
.... but "Girl underwear"?!
Well, maybe you have to know Cheney to know.
And gmail probably reads his mail too.

My brain needs its beauty sleep

I've slept like sh*t these past few nights, and I have no clue why.
And after class today I had a job interview with big pharma co, which came as a bit of a surprise. A bit too much of a surprise.
So I was wearing knee-high turqoise suede boots and unruly hair and funny shirt dress to job interview with very big pharma co Sales and Marketing Manager, who was very correct and white-shirted.
And I was of course underslept and unprepared, as the job-mediator had forgotten to give me the correct date and time, and called me the very last moment, and I had not expected to go to any job interviews anywhere today - or even this week.
I remember talking about rarely taking the train, and labelling the Metro as a non-train.
And then I talked a bit about knitting too.
And cats, probably, well, most likely.
And... Oh, yes, I did make sure to mention I got a fine on the Metro this morning.
Which is of course important for a future, potential employer to know.
I'm an underslept fool.
Or my brain just needs its beauty sleep.
I would have liked that nice assistant's job, though, but they probably test on animals, anyway.

Vincent knits

I decided to knit a mouse. Of course.
I had some leftover yarn from the kitty pi (which has been sadly ignored since the heat was turned on and was replaced as favourite spot by the radiator bed).
Vincent was as always most helpful.

However Laurenz has decided the mouse is his, all his. And he leaves it out of reach or sight only when sleeping or eating. Any attempts by Vincent to sniff it or give it a little playtime is met with low growls leaving no room for doubt as to who is the rightful mousemaster.
I will have to knit another one.

Sleeping beauty

Well, hello again, Vigdis!

I have been so absorbed by sock-knitting and general going-ons that I have ignored the poor Vigdis.
However, as the wintry cold quite suddenly arrived without warning, I realized that I really, really need this sweater.
And, voila, I've finished the front. Not quite as "voila" as that, but I'm a bit surprised by it, nonetheless.
I had expected to knit for ages, and ages, and ages, before reaching this point.
But it seems I may very well be much more efficient than I think.
"She" will not be nearly as big as the original Vigdis, as I'm really not tall enough to carry something that wide, but the length I do like.
And since this was the first thing I started knitting, before I was sure if it was a thing for me to do, I chose a cheapish (but still wonderfully soft and nice) wool, with a higher gauge, but stuck somewhat to the original pattern (in spite of a surprising lack of pattern-following skills), with a small, intended, variation in the ribbing.
Cat-less photos are hard to come by in this house.
Hence the stretching taking place.