Leaves of Lothian

NaNoWriMo and Old Friends

2007-10-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

Blog...haven't been here in a aeon...eon...ion..ionic...iconic...

Iconoclastic pyroclastic flows.

So, my friend started a NaNo blog and I suppose I can convert this one, though I'm more oft seen on MySpace as UrbanGypsy69.

I'm back. I'm bringing Karl, my imagination's Toy, with me.

Grin.

Dear God I Thought I Lost My Accounts

2007-05-05T19:03:00.000-04:00

Thank the gods that all of the blogs were recovered!

Blogger Deletion

2006-09-15T20:38:00.000-04:00

A friend got her entire Blogger and photobucket accts deleted! Was she hacked??

Sucky back check and a TENS unit

2006-07-24T15:46:00.000-04:00

Quick blogger note...of course I'm suspecting my Worker's Comp of trying to do bad things like keep me from getting my full $$, but that's common.

PT gave me a TENS unit. I don't know if i get to keep it. It hurts like hell at first, but for the rest of the half hour, it feels better.

If anyone else is having blogger issues, yell at me on myspace. Course, yesterday I couldn't load MySpace!

HI.

I'm still feeling pain in quantity, but I'll manage.

Returning to Leaves for a Today

2006-06-07T10:26:00.000-04:00

In Hotlanta for Trent. Ummmm yummmmmmm.... Going in as a Spiral guest and listening to sound checks and stuff. Then I drive home at 0600 tomorrow which will suck, but not like it sucked to be awake for 36 hours or more yesterday. That really blew.

I'm still doing the MySpace thing and crocheting all the time and reading books alot lately. My journal is full of stupid shit, but I'm trying to be faithful and write something every day.

Even the most globular of writing is still writing. I'm hovering in debt.

I'm going to make some crocheted animals for the business, too. We're needing that income badly and it's kinda free $$. I have the supplies. I just need the incentive to behave and help set up the site.

Poverty is a disease that I hope my 60 mil lotto ticked bought on 666 will remedy.

Blogging Nothingness

2006-05-08T19:22:00.000-04:00

I got my huge box of stuff from BloggersFuel. The coffee smells heavenly and the cap and mug were uber cool. I left the 'paperwork' at home, so I can't merge this blog with the site.

I spent all day in bed with a hideous back thing going on. I'm...angry with my back. s'Nothning new.

Tristan + Isolde

2006-05-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

http://www.tristanandisoldemovie.com/

This has a wonderful little feature where you can make your own "romantic trailer". The movie is beautiful.

Aragorn and His Ladies

2006-04-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

boca java

2006-04-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

I'm going to blog out this fuel. I hope I'm one of the first 500 so I can get a giftie pack of stash.

http://www.bloggersfuel.com/

MySpace

2006-04-07T01:35:00.000-04:00

http://www.myspace.com/urbangypsy69

Been doing alot of work here!

Yarn HO

2006-03-28T09:37:00.000-05:00

So far, I've collected approx. 300 crochet and knit books from my gimongous room and 17 55-gallon garbage bags of yarn. Yes. Seventeen. SEVENTEEN. Mwahhahahahah. She who dies with the most yarn...had better have offspring that warrent inheriting it (and I sooooo do. I have a Mini-Me Yarn Ho and she's sooo cute.)

http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTkate.html
This is an adorable kitten to knit for all you knitty people....

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer05/PATThardcore.html
Arrrrr....

Anyway, I have a headache, a house full of peeps working w/hammers and I wanna cry sobbing tears of woe. My money is depleted and i'm sooo uber f'ked but I'm groovin' to the new bookshelves and French doors (not that I like French doors, but it'd take NO wolf to have blown these puppies in).

I did, however, use my Jedi voice and got the delivery fee waived when they delivered late. $70 back in my pocket, mudderfudding losers at Lowe's who tried to rip me out of $200 bucks yesterday due to an idiotic cashier.

Glass Knitting Needles

2006-03-13T18:58:00.000-05:00

Clicky on the linky/title and go to some lovely glass knitting needles!

knitPro

2006-02-26T15:14:00.000-05:00

Discovered knitPro courtesy of a new book I bought: The Happy Hooker. Between us all, we own the author's other books, but this one focuses on crochet, which is my favorite crafty, by far. Trust me, if I could find/figure out a way to make even $10K less a year than I do now as someone who did crafty/crochetey/fibery/beady things, I'd abandon my current profession, and take up the cause. The problem is, most women who can be "designers" have a husband who pays the bills. Trust me, that is not the case here.

If you click on my Title above, it will take you to microRevolt, the website where knitPro lives.

Ok, No More Plague Dreams....the last one was of a flood...and it was freaky.

I'm done with plagues.

Nightmares...

Ew.

Crocheting Madness

2006-02-22T13:22:00.000-05:00

Solid Grannies: The Ultimate Utilitarian Square

I've included some instructions below from a site by Pumamouse. She and I vary in several ways, but the look is identical. Here are my variations first.

First, I crochet only four chains to make my initial loop...I also crochet over the slip knot's tail and the tug on it before I secure it...that makes for a closed center.

I don't slip stitch to a corner and always start in a corner. I usually just chain 3 for the dc above where I slip stitched the round before closed and I'm careful to make each corner, not with 3dc ch2 3dc, but instead use 2dc ch2 2dc.

These solid grannies are wonderful for modular clothes, blankets, bags and more. If you like, you can make on huge one and have an afghan from hell that's just this huge, solid piece of material. I've been using my variation on this old pattern for about 20 years now and occassionally I get a yearning for a traditional granny and do one with shells and all those lovely little holes.

Current project:
A baby blanket for Stephanie. It's being made from this cool Red Heart discontinued yarn that I scrounged at AC Moore's mill ends bin. I got six 6oz. skeins for about $7. I have managed, this season, to score specialty yarns in the $11 range for as little as $2 a skein and it's been great. Can't wait to make more stuff for the business and for my Tuscan makeover for my house.

The baby blanket is a bit unconventional in color. Pale teal, purple, rich blue and a forest green make up the colorway. It's a discontinued yarn from a coupla seasons ago, but it's supersoft like their tweedy/heathered skeins. I'm either going to border it in purple or light teal... haven't decided yet. The forest green might work, too, but it'd have to be a Caron yarn since C&C never made anything that matches this. Total Cost: $3 or less not including 'sweat equity'.

Right now, the blankie is about 2 feet across. At 3 feet, I'll call it a day and I might get there using less than 12 oz of the varigated yarn. I love making baby blankets. Must be senility setting in.

The Ring: Make a loop on hook, Ch 6, Sl St to first Ch to form a ring.

Round One: Ch 3 to count as first DC, 2 DC into ring, Ch 2, 3 DC into ring, Ch 2, 3 DC into ring, Ch 2, 3 DC into ring, Ch 2, Sl St to top (third chain) of beginning Ch 3.

Round Two: Ch 3 to count as first DC, 2 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner. (3 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner) three times. Sl St to the top (third chain) of beginning Ch 3.

Round Three: Ch 3 to count as first DC, 4 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner. (7 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner), three times. 2 DC, Sl St to the top (third chain) of beginning Ch 3.

Round Four: Ch 3 to count as first DC, 6 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner. (11 DC, 2 DC into corner, Ch 2, 2 DC into corner), three times. 4 DC, Sl St to the top (third chain) of beginning Ch 3. Finish off.

Just keep going. It grows.

from PUMAMOUSE...
http://pumamouse.com/crochetbasicgrannys.html

Doom-age

2006-02-06T07:47:00.000-05:00

http://www.doommovie.com/

Too graphic for movie theatres? Is Karl nekkid? Is there a god?

I'm feeling all proud of myself. I finished the last 525 pages of "Possession: A Romance" by A.S. Byatt in my spares last night at work. Now I read fairly fast, but this is a dense book. Not that it's weighty, but it's very...British. Love that, actually, and it ended extremely well, for which I am ALWAYS pleased. I hate shitty endings, where all has to go wrong for someone to feel it's worthy literary fiction. What gets me about fiction at all is that I read between 325 and 500 pages an hour making a $25 dollar expenditure for a new novel ridculous. If I were on a fiction glut, I could wipe out $75-100 bucks in a day before my eyes crossed at that rate. Screw that. I wait for $4.95 at B/N. Cheaper than a magazine is good in my world anyday.

Heard the Steelers won.
Whoop.

Now, off to send good health and feel goods to Nimmie and hit the road for some power shopping and later, nappage.

Must pick out new book for today.

Started jotting Regency stuff again. Wish I had sticktoitiveness.

Happy B'day to Me, Agani Aniwaya

2006-02-01T08:32:00.001-05:00

Happy B'day to Me!

I'm having a fair day. Tonight, family is going to sport lasagna for me! But, in the meantime, I'm drinking a Dew and listening to Sting and Jimmy Buffet on some sort of b'day celebration rotation.

I'm using my new omg power supply with my laptop. It cost a bloody fortune and pisses me off that I have to buy one after the third Dell I had shit itself. Frustrating. This one cost $40 more. Yep, that's right. $40.

Reading "The Celts" and "Gods of the Celts" but I also have "The Return of King Arthur", "Possession" and "Pompeii". Am I omnivorous? Oh yeah!

"DOOM" available Tues.
I work lots next week.
*yawn*

I can't stay awake.

Abandoned Blog

2006-02-01T08:32:00.000-05:00

Go Lessy!

Sweet mother of god, he gets better every year. Is it normal for a girl from Dol Amroth to fall for her older cousin? Is is safe around Nim? I want to tell my cousin, Sabine, from the depths of my heart, never would I think to come between you and your beloved. But oh, girl, don't leave him to wander about.

I Will Find You
Appears on Banba, Themes, Ultimate Collection
Language
English
Style
New Age Jazz
Background
Theme from "The Last Of The Mohicans".
Lyrics
Hope is your survival
A captive path I lead

No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a long long time
No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

(Mohican)
Nachgochema
Anetaha
Anachemowagan

No matter where you go
I will find you
In the place with no frontiers
No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

(Cherokee)
Hale wú yu ga I sv
Do na dio sv I
Wi ja lo sv
Ha le wú yu
Do na dlo sv

No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a long long time
No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

No matter where you go
I will find you
In the place with no frontiers
No matter where you go
I will find you
If it takes a thousand years

No matter where you go
I will find you

Not that this song has anything to do with anything, I just popped in the cd this morning and it makes me think of a time when my grandmother would speak in Cherokee (Tsalagi) to avoid my mother or others knowing what she was saying to one of her younger sisters.

Working next week as much as 60 hrs covering the house and I hope it's a fine week. The only day I have scheduled off is Tues. I'm not sure I'm up for 60 hour workweeks anymore, but it's a shot.

Off to fall asleep. 2 comes early!

http://www.studioloo.com/index.htm

2006-01-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Cool site...found while wondering around knitty.com.

Song of the Shield-Wall

2006-01-19T23:31:00.000-05:00

Note from "Little" Rory McGowen, CLM, Fyrdman of Calontir:
Huscarls are Saxon Axe-men, guards of the King, and a fighting Order of Calontir.

Hasten, oh sea-steed, over the swan-road,
Foamy-necked ship o'er the froth of the sea,
Hengest has called us from Gotland and Frisia
To Vortigern's country his army to be
We'll take our pay there in sweeter than silver;
We'll take our plunder in richer than gold,
For Hengest has promised us land for the fighting
Land for the sons of the Saxons to hold!

Hasten, oh fyrdsmen, down to the river
The dragonships come on the in-flowing tide
The linden-wood shield and the old spear of ash-wood
Are needed again by the cold water-side
Draw up the shield-wall, oh shoulder companions
Later whenever our story is told
They'll say that we died guarding what we call dearest,
Land that the sons of the Saxons will hold!

Hasten, oh Huscarls, north to the Dane-Law
Harold Hardrada's come over the sea
His longships he's laden with berserks from Norway
To gain Cnut's crown and our master to be
Bitter he'll find there the bite of our spear points
Hard-running Northmen too strong to die old
We'll grant him six feet, plus as much as he's taller
Of land that the sons of the Saxons will hold!

Make haste, son of Godwin, southward from Stamford
Triumph is sweet and your men have fought hard
But William the Bastard has landed at Pevensey
Burning the land you have promised to guard
Draw up the spears on the hilltop at Hastings
Fight 'til the sun drops and evening grows cold
And die with the last of your Saxons around you
Holding the land we were given to hold!

Optional: repeat first verse.

Nothing to write about...

2006-01-15T01:22:00.000-05:00

I've got nothing to write about. Money woes are...subsiding just a tiny bit, I retrieved my JEEP (Whooo Hooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) It's not 100%, but it's like 90-95% and that's better than NO GO. No va...

I checked out the 4WD...I drove happily home!

It'll take a little gettin' used to, but the clutch is cool, all in all.

I'm watching a tattoo/ritual scarification show on Nasty Geographic channel and we're up to a tattoo convention in Oslo, Norway. Next is "Who Built Stonehenge" ish thingy.

I want a tat of a Confederate flag, tattered...with a superimposed Jolly Roger over it. I also crave some type of Grail/Soverignty/Mary/Mary Magdelena/Morrighan/Sophia and something based on Cernunnos/Herne. I have to find a way to get perhaps the Green Man on my skin, as well....we'll see. I want the Awen symbol at the top of my neck and the Celtic tree of life as an asstopper. OH...and that "9"...heh.

Ok, it's time for watching this show on ancient Pagan Celtic religions. *grins*
Right up my alley.

I'm going to be working a whole lot more in order to pay off bills and get my house repaired. I'll not be about as much. It's not withdrawal - it's a strong desire to sleep.

I'm creating new crochet designs, using a size L hook. I did a great skully yesterday. Taking only 9 rows...with a 10th in sc around in an I hook...I love it. It's like open work near your face, so that it's not too hot, yet it holds your hair perfectly. Like a Juliet style crown design, it's lovely. I was very pleased! If I get a chance to take some piccy's, I'll post up some of my lovely designs. Our website isn't up yet, but hey, I'm not shy!

OK, night night for now. Good posty. Will include some pic now:

Greenville! March...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

new year's resolutions quiz

2006-01-09T08:28:00.000-05:00

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet hairless cat

2) Eat more Cheetos

3) Travel to India

4) Study fashion design

5) Get in shape with roller derby

What Should Your New Year's Resoluton Be?

Expect to see a roller derby buddhist female transexual who loves women and cheetoes. I need to run with more wolves, I guess.

The Business

2006-01-08T16:48:00.000-05:00

“The Business!”

Can’t stop the signal…Gods, I love “Serenity”! I have a business license that has been flickering since 1989 and hasn’t jelled yet, but will so very soon. We’re checking out some new wholesale folks and re-establishing old business relationships. The focus of the business will still be New Age products still, but we’ll also have a Renaissance side.

Years ago, I had a business at the local huge flea market, and we made about $500 net a weekend in a time when I was making only $15 an hour as a nurse. Do the math…after my monstrous taxes, I was making more on the business working two days a week! Stupidity and yet another glitch in my ex-relationship led to me closing the shop. Foolish, foolish me. One of my old customers still runs a business there, doing what I used to, and she supports herself on it.

Had I looked closely or followed the signs in tarot readings and my astrology chart, I’d be in a storefront now and not standing on my feet hauling around 250 lb. men for 12 hours straight at night as a nurse.

I’m a dork.

Anyway, off to Wally World to see about fierce yarns and candy, maybe…Will write more later. Keep in mind that soon, perhaps by tomorrow, I’ll have a domain name chosen!

Testing The Word Feature

2006-01-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

I’m using the new Word/Blogger feature that supports the Blogger Hobs that sit behind the scenes working frantically to convert my words to HTML (aka Magick Language No. 489,836). It seems to work nicely, with the exception of pictures. Growl.

Testing the posting of pics… “currently not supported”. Well, that sucks. If I could do that, all my crochet fun could be posted, but noooooo….. argh. I’d take digi piccies of everything and post hats, fun, weirdness.

Happy New Year

2005-12-30T18:21:00.001-05:00

CROCHET

I'm aching to climb outside and get a bag of yarn and start something, anything. Usually that means a bag...I'm a bag freak. I can't wait to get the business started and get busy making hats, shawls, scarves, and BAGS for folk. I might also make a few awesome bikini and belly dancing tops and jingle-ly scarves for dancers. Just new ideas.

Yarn Junkies Fix is a great place for linkies! Hit there and see what other yarn freaks like me are doing.

http://yarnjunkiesfix.blogspot.com/

If you're into kinky, and enjoy porn or naughty stuff try out:
http://www.erosblog.com/

Great recent archival Frazetta pic...

Happy New Year to all!

Boston Bound

2005-12-30T18:21:00.000-05:00

I may be going to Massachusetts! I gotta call Adair and Marin and see if they want to host a poor ol' witch for four or five days Midwinter. Brrrrr.... I need to call him tomorrow and see if I can get ahold of him via Azure Green.