I totally found a pirate puppy coat knitting pattern while I was looking for Halloween costumes for the dogs (yes, I have become one of those weird pet people).  As I have dabbled in the terrifying and dangerous world of crocheting/knitting when I was younger (and more Mormon), I figured I should try it out.  However, I didn’t feel quite up to that difficulty yet, so I found an ADORABLE paw print face/washcloth pattern and have been practicing.  You can see a little picture down there on the right sidebar that links to my Ravelry projects.  Cute, huh?  I also found some badass Mario-themed ones that I’ll be working on for the kids.  Check ‘em out in my queue (you need a Ravelry account to see this).  I also plan on making some emo scarves–with fingerless mittens on the ends–for the kids and me.  The yarn’s due here Thursday!

Last week, I ordered some needles from KnitPicks.  They’re acrylic, circular, with flexible cables to connect them, and interchangeable tips to make them all different sizes.  They’re ultra cool but I’m having trouble as they’re less slick than metal needles and I knit tighter than I should.  I’m learning Continental style to help me loosen up (god, didn’t that sound FILTHY?!) but I’m still totally saving up for these.  They’re in the same circular, modular family but are metal and instead of the cables screwing on (which can come loose during normal knitting) they press in and click.  The cables also connect to make longer ones and more needles gauges are included in the starter set.  I read they’re the Cadillac of interchangeable knitting needles.  …I feel all kinds of the wrong nerdy saying that.

Lastly, I found a really sweet local knitting store: Blazing Needles.  I’m gonna check ‘em out soon as we’re un-poor.  Yay for Susie Homemaker! 

Now if I can just get my ass out of bed before 2 PM and clean something.

This is going to be a post full of mind-numbingly boring shit about my day-to-day life.  I was totally going to write a nice one about the hella fun shit that’s gone down lately in Darkfall but my real life rudely intruded so instead I’m writing this on my phone as I wait for a tow truck.  Feel free to skip it and return when I have something game-related or at least interesting to say; I’ll be totally unoffended.

Firstly, the hovel:

Most of you know I’m a stay-at-home mom.  I’ve got two boys:  Robert, 12, and Kenny, 8.  They’re wonderful, handsome, and clever.  They’ve also inherited my terrible organization and housekeeping skills.  Or learned, I should probably say.  Once upon a time, when I was single and living in a house the size of my current living room, Robert was much neater and definitely more organized.  (I’m not sure what it is about being single that makes me such a tidy person.  But as soon as I’m settled and happy I’m a pig.  Happy as a pig in shit, they say.  Coincidence?)

A few years back, I came across the Fly Lady.  I’m don’t remember who led me there but I was very interested as my house is always a sty and I despise having people over as a result.  I started reading and was intruiged, though I didn’t start the system (I’m a terrible procrastinator and I always feel like if I can’t get it all done at once there’s really no point in doing any of it).  However, this last month I decided to give it a go and I can’t tell how awesome it is!  I’m still not ready for company to drop by at any moment but there’s progress, by god.  Except for the kids.  Their rooms still look like someone shit in a shoebox and shook it hard…

Secondly, the ‘fro:

Since I’m half black, I’ve got this weird hair texture.  It’s definitely not “white girl hair” (you know, the kind that you put in a ponytail and it swings perkily when you walk?) but I don’t seem to have full on ethnic either.  That makes maintenance a real pain: straighteners are always ultra harsh to my hair, making it look like straw or steel wool, and I’ve never gotten the hang of a flat iron. 

For the last  five or six years I’ve been shaving my head with #2 guard (thank god I don’t have a weirdly bumped head or I’d never be able to pull it off).  Every few months I get the urge to grow my hair out and I get it a couple inches long and then get irritated and shave it all off.  However, since I found Oyin, I’ve been able to stick with it.  Their products are badass and I’m super impressed with the owners.  My hair’s longer than it’s been in AGES and actually looks pretty cute most of the time.  Yay!

Thirdly, the puppy:

Our adorable boy, Bruno, came home with us in May of this year.  Sadly, he had parvo and ended up in the hospital for eight days with ’round the clock care and IV fluids.  He pulled through and is a happy and healthy seven month old American Staffordshire Terrier.  We’d discussed finding him a lady friend (but not one he’d have puppies with; just one to hump for fun) and had been looking on and off since he got well. 

This week, we found a pit bull girl named Harley whose owners could no longer keep her.  We drove out to see her and let her meet Bruno to be sure they’d get on.  She’s seven months old  and had been in inside/outside dog in a family with two small children.  She is sweet and smart and lovable and was a perfect fit for us.  It ended up being nearly 150 miles round trip (and oh my god, the migraine I ended up with) but she’s so worth it.  She’s at the vet now, recovering from her spay and we get to pick her up tomorrow afternoon.  We’ve decided to rename her Kat.  Double yay!

Well, the truck is here and I’m off to see what’s going to happen to the poor Beetle.