tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35925528536939228562011-12-25T08:09:13.859+09:00Knitting and crafting my way to supreme nerdiness.tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.comBlogger671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-62290838189719157642009-10-07T02:19:00.003+09:002009-10-07T02:22:15.086+09:00

I'm a big geek, right? But a geek who's way behind, technologically speaking. I just made a website entirely in (x)html, and I am very excited. It's for a class, and we haven't gotten into CSS yet, so it looks like a leftover from 1998, but I'm still pretty thrilled.http://ruby.ils.unc.edu/~tmjacks/

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-26805094522298700112009-09-14T20:54:00.003+09:002009-09-14T20:57:10.692+09:00

Have y'all seen this?http://peopleofwalmart.com/Hilarious.I'm good, thanks. School's good, got a part-time job, met some lovely people. Finished a sock! Been checking out a lot of graphic novels from the libraries around. All is well.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-66407633548997448822009-09-03T08:43:00.004+09:002009-09-03T08:56:14.237+09:00

Okay, quick word here.1) I have wireless internet in my apartment now! I can finally use my lovely Powerbook again, at my leisure. This means blogs, blogging, and picture uploading are again within the realm of possibility.2) I have no leisure to speak of. And I don't even have a job yet. See this?Manning Hall at UNC-Chapel HillThis is school. Let's be honest, kids, a masters program is a

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-23531415520015321602009-08-24T08:14:00.002+09:002009-08-24T08:20:36.917+09:00

So! I'm starting to get caught up. I'm half-way down my list of blogs, and I did post an entry about the Fuji climb on my Japan blog. Also, those pictures are up.I've turned the heel of my first sock, and am on the foot. Except for the gaping holes in the gussets, it's really not so hard. And self-striping yarn is just fun.I have moved to Chapel Hill. YEA! I'm close to campus, just a short ride

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-77150128433402980152009-08-19T10:02:00.002+09:002009-08-19T10:24:41.071+09:00

Hey, kids. Yes, I am a terrible blogger. I am doing my level best to get caught up this weekend, because guess what? School starts next week! OMFG! After that, I certainly can't expect to be blogging much more often than I am now. Let's hope, however, that when things settle down a bit and I get a regular internet connection again (ahem), I can at least blog semi-regularly.Maybe.Anyway. Here I am

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-57581008095485997052009-08-04T01:49:00.002+09:002009-08-04T02:05:30.315+09:00

Oh, damn, has it been two weeks? Things have been crazy, as you might imagine. But I'm not dead, and I am home. In fact, everything is pretty peachy, except that it's in this weird in-between state.Brief update, which will hopefully be embellished later: Mount Fuji was complete torture but we did it; Tokyo was cool but utterly exhausting; my flight was long but uneventful; I got to see my sister

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-13967029284332692612009-07-20T18:38:00.004+09:002009-07-20T23:22:28.597+09:00

Oh, crap! Almost forgot it was Monday!Spent the whole day cleaning and now get to hang out. I leave Yatsushiro in just 36 hours, climb Fuji in three days, and leave Japan in nine days. Yowza.Here is another Japanese video, except that this one is only Japanese because I took it here. This week I am posting in honor of the amazing friends I have made here. This friend, who shall remain nameless in

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-82072571117612846852009-07-13T15:59:00.005+09:002009-07-13T16:36:42.194+09:00

Whoa! This entry's a bit late. But it's still pretty early Monday for y'all, right?So, yes, this blog has been intermittent lately. Thank you to those of you still reading, and extra thanks to those of you commenting. Things have just been super hectic the past couple weeks, and they are only going to get crazier. This is my last week teaching classes, and I leave Yatsushiro early next week.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-90761939142938994452009-07-06T09:32:00.002+09:002009-07-06T09:33:16.514+09:00

Aaaaaaaaaand here's your Monday Hilarity. Robot Chicken, again. Sorry, but they really are just hilarious.Happy Fourth of July! USA! USA! USA! Okay, I'm done.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-14086102743202450922009-07-06T09:08:00.003+09:002009-07-06T09:27:28.558+09:00

So that we don't have yet another week with no knitting...Here's the Prepster Librarian so far...Haven't picked it up in over a week, though. Too hot. Too busy. But I have started shaping the arm holes in the back, so it is coming along.Here's the baby hat, which deserves an FO post but won't be getting one:Huge. Oh well, the kid won't be getting any smaller.Did not finish the Not Quite Christmas

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-32701859954874734722009-06-29T11:01:00.002+09:002009-06-29T11:09:14.134+09:00

Although I am not at work today, Monday, I am bringing you your hilarity anyway, because you might be at work and need it. Why am I not at work, you ask? Well, for the simple reason that this job very rarely requires me to do anything actually resembling work, and sometimes even requires me to stay home. Okay, then, you say, why the hell are you leaving this job? Well, that is a complicated

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-59137077118742553452009-06-22T16:56:00.003+09:002009-06-22T17:01:00.448+09:00

In honor of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, which I watched yesterday, I bring you this week's hilarity:I can promise you, I found these 43 sounds vastly more entertaining, even on the third or fourth viewing, than all two-and-a-half hours of Transformers. Bleah.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-88783214583470372062009-06-21T10:54:00.005+09:002009-06-21T12:13:19.926+09:00

Yeah, I meant to write this earlier in the week. But I was attacked by an extreme case of "I'm SO bored! Therefore I cannot do anything I'm supposed to be doing and must go off in search of something new!" On the plus side, it did allow me to discover Dollhouse.First, a Finished Object:Name: October Baby Blanket, for Brenda's baby due in (you guessed it) October.Pattern: Janice's Easiest Ever

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-10649680406303416492009-06-15T11:17:00.001+09:002009-06-15T11:18:53.416+09:00

Ugh, Monday.Today we're going a little old school: Monty Python.Enjoy. And up this week: my thoughts on Terminator Salvation (I want to have that movie's babies) and an FO!

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-82867607979787290582009-06-11T12:19:00.003+09:002009-06-11T13:36:49.097+09:00

Hey, kids.Lord, it's Thursday already. Sometimes the weeks just fly by - usually when you're going to reach the end of it going, "Oh, crap, how did I manage to let five days go by and accomplish SO VERY LITTLE?!"Actually, this week hasn't been too bad. I'm behind, as usual, but I did get a chunk of my to-do list finished. Mount Fuji cabin - booked. Laptop loan application - completed (also

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-54710734449311840022009-06-08T09:15:00.003+09:002009-06-08T09:28:14.860+09:00

We are now back to our regularly scheduled Hilarity Monday.First, a word: Yes, I've been knitting. The October Baby Blanket is in fact almost done. This was able to happen because I have been watching a lot of Battlestar Galactica. In fact, yesterday I could not control myself and watched the last four discs of season two (a whopping two episodes per disc here in Japan - wouldn't want to overload

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-4406481279207967942009-06-03T13:34:00.003+09:002009-06-03T14:56:43.644+09:00

This'll be a long one. I wanna talk about the movie, because this is a geek blog, and I am a geek. One of my geeky interests is Star Trek, and has been for a very long time.First, though, a few words about my love for ST: I don't remember what grade I was in when I discovered the re-runs of Next Generation playing in the afternoons, but I was fairly young. Fourth grade? Fifth? Old enough to know

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-17468593979925269362009-06-01T08:31:00.006+09:002009-06-03T13:33:48.521+09:00

I meant to post another bit in the past week about how my knitting is progressing, but I had a hell of a week and a very full weekend, and didn't remember to take the pictures of my stuff until late last night as my computer was already right in the middle of a big back-up, and then I didn't bring the cord with me to work today...Bleah. I'm just exhausted. But I'm still working on the Prepster

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-40315858064015257682009-05-25T09:44:00.002+09:002009-05-25T09:48:58.098+09:00

In honor of the fact that I get to see Star Trek on Friday, this Monday's Hilarity will be something I may have actually linked to before on this blog, but which is worth viewing again because it is just that hilarious (to me, anyway). Since, like any good nerd, I love Monty Python as well as Star Trek, I find this charming as well as hysterical.And yes, sadly, it is already Monday here.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-67958972353355963812009-05-24T12:55:00.004+09:002009-05-24T13:31:16.950+09:00

Yarn! Delicious, silky soft wool!This will shortly become the October Baby Blanket, for Brenda's firstborn, due in (come on now, you can guess this one). She hits five months very soon, and in two weeks she's going to find out the baby's gender, as long as the bouncing fetus cooperates for the camera. Either way, this color will go nicely with even the most gender-specific colors and clothes. And

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-64490697248482772802009-05-18T14:00:00.002+09:002009-05-18T14:07:49.018+09:00

We're trying a new feature here at Geek My Stitch Up, which I am calling Hilarity Monday. Let's face it, Monday sucks. You're going along, living your life, camped out on the couch or hanging with the pooches or taking your kid for a stroll or whatever it is you like to do, and WHAMMO! Monday comes around and screws everything up by making you work.Well, with any luck your soul-sucking job allows

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-79551939669926385582009-05-17T15:30:00.005+09:002009-05-17T15:54:38.992+09:00

Hey, maybe by the time this wee one grows up, she really will be able to walk on the moon. Here's hoping!Name: Moon Booties, for Mary Kathleen, the daughter of Sheila, my infinitely patient friend.Pattern: Christine's Stay-on Baby Booties, by Christine Bourquin.Yarn: Hamanaka Wanpaku Denis in color 2, a creamy yellow off-white.Needles: Japan size 1 metal DPNs. It was a tough fit - the yarn was a

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-20483903791561574612009-05-15T11:30:00.004+09:002009-05-15T12:11:02.739+09:00

Hey, kids! Whoa, I have been gone a while. I am terribly sorry, honestly.It's just that, for some reason, my job has suddenly required me to work. Like, the whole time. And when I'm at home, I have been way, waaaaaaayy too lazy to do anything, you know, productive.So here's a brief report and I will attempt to do better from here on out, but I can promise nothing, since I expect the next two

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-30534820778303483862009-04-24T13:31:00.005+09:002009-04-24T14:03:36.257+09:00

Argh. I lied. I spoke waaaaaaayy too soon, as I should have known.Last week my neighbor, who is way more skilled in Japanese, came with me to the Post Office to verify whether I could ship my trunk home. This trunk is something I got at the Container Store in Pasadena in 2007, before I went on a film shoot to the Philippines. I brought it to Japan because it's a giant piece of luggage, and it

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-14609863910403283512009-04-22T14:01:00.004+09:002009-04-22T14:42:36.957+09:00

Ah, blog. I do love you, I really do. I've just been distracted. I will probably continue to be distracted for a while.There's just a lot to do. Loan applications, class registration, packing and shipping, avoiding thinking about all the stuff I need to do by reading and watching movies. Why not the blog as a procrastination tactic? Unfortunately, sometimes it falls into the "things I need to do"

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-39772453219094617592009-04-17T13:26:00.005+09:002009-04-17T14:15:26.763+09:00

So!1) I am now caught up on all the blogs I read. Mostly anyway - I did skip over a few, but I will continue reading them now that I can just read the most recent one rather than have to wade through three weeks worth of blogs from a variety of sources.2) I have posted some of my pictures from China and two little explanations of such. I'm not finished, but iWeb is making me want to hurt somebody

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-22567625433092653872009-04-11T18:16:00.003+09:002009-04-11T18:37:48.603+09:00

Yes! I'm back! Oh, Blog of My Heart, hello!Sorry about that. I actually returned to Japan one week ago exactly, but there's just been so much to catch up on, and it feels like I was gone way longer than eight days. Did you miss me? (it's okay to lie to me, my ego demands it) because I missed you. Well, sort of. I mean, I didn't actually spend all that much time as I was climbing the Great Wall or

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-61982045477023725052009-03-27T00:13:00.003+09:002009-03-27T00:17:23.876+09:00

Brief post, without even a picture, to let you all know that in eight hours (sheesh!) I'll be leaving for Beijing. I'm gone for just over a week, and while there will be plenty of picture-taking, a bit of knitting (I've got to knit at least a few stitches on the Great Wall, after all), and at least enough internet to call my dad on his birthday next Thursday, there will be no blogging. Rest

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-42649667051235952722009-03-23T09:00:00.005+09:002009-03-23T09:33:06.561+09:00

Now for an actual knitting update.Well, I've been... not living up to my own expectations. There's a big surprise.On the one hand, I finished Brenda's gloves, a project I started back in January, I think. Way overdue.Name: Not Quite Xmas Gloves, for Brenda here in Yats. A belated Christmas gift.Pattern: Fetching, by Cheryl Niamath. Again.Yarn: Ski Yarn Imperial Junmou Aibito, in color #3. Ski

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-61976999391941847082009-03-20T16:57:00.004+09:002009-03-20T17:23:00.897+09:00

My babyI would have updated sooner, but on Monday I spilled water on my beloved, my pet, my precious Powerbook. I was at work, goofing off as usual, and I knocked over my mug of water so it splashed onto my touch-pad and part of the keyboard. I freaked out a little bit, and the super-sweet teacher who sits next to me jumped up and helped me wipe up, and it seemed okay. I started using it again,

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-15098968597022329642009-03-13T12:55:00.004+09:002009-03-13T13:20:25.825+09:00

Isn't Friday supposed to be for eye candy or something? I keep seeing that on other people's blogs. So I've got something for you.Last Saturday I went and climbed the 777 Steps. This is exactly what it sounds like - a giant staircase up a mountain. Saturday was a nice day, and after reading about the Great Wall and talking to Pantalones del Fuego about the hike from one section of the Wall to

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-54971194641136112602009-03-12T10:48:00.005+09:002009-03-12T11:44:24.229+09:00

The blanket is still blocking. Actually, it's probably not blocking so much as sitting, pinned all to hell, on the futon upstairs.Wanted to show you the booties in progress. I no longer remember how or why I came across this pattern (that's the magic of Ravelry, isn't it?), but I fell in love with how it looks. Don't they just look like something out of 2001: A Space Odyssey? Or maybe the

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-17429610480382177722009-03-10T08:49:00.006+09:002009-03-10T09:28:15.202+09:00

Hagadaga! All right!The Leaf Blanket knitting is done. That bad boy is blocking in my apartment as we speak (type/read/whatever).These pictures are terrible, and for that I am sorry. It's been raining for the past two days here, making picture lighting non-existent, and the only surface on which I could block this thing is white (and yes, it is a futon). So you can't see it well, but just use

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-30145797405642061952009-03-05T14:26:00.003+09:002009-03-05T14:45:39.720+09:00

Here's where I'll be in just over three weeks:Even knowing that the baby has arrived and time is short, I haven't really knit anything in the past couple of days.First, there was drama. Now, I'm a little too old for drama, but I basically live in the equivalent of Melrose Place for the foreigners of Yatsushiro. Except with less sex. As far as I know. Anyway, there was drama and that involved

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-62199728020654340832009-03-03T11:47:00.004+09:002009-03-03T12:04:33.862+09:00

It happened! Here she is, Sheila's new baby:How the heck do I rotate this?Mary Kathleen, born February 15th. She was early but apparently hefty - eight pounds. Not exactly in Big Fat Baby Tracy range, but hefty. Isn't she cute? Well, as cute as a wrinkled red ball of baby can be, I guess. This does confirm my belief that newborns all look a bit like aliens, but she's a precious alien,

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-5056463430269176772009-03-01T15:56:00.005+09:002009-03-03T12:32:56.288+09:00

I bought the yarn for the Prepster! Yea!Terribly excited. Isn't grey and pink a nice combo? I found this yarn at Tokai Craft Heart, the neat little craft shop inside the Youme Town. It's Wister Araeru Merino 100, an obviously wool yarn that's worsted weight - I think (Ravelry agrees). That's the same as what the pattern calls for, and just to be sure I took some bits of yarn to the store with me,

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-85403195222399211412009-02-27T10:18:00.007+09:002009-02-27T10:45:10.814+09:00

Yurk! It's been a while.Last week I was sick and planted myself firmly on my heated carpet with all the Harry Potter books in our small but incredible ALT library. These are all books that ALTs in Yats have left and donated over the years, so while it is pretty huge, it is more than a bit random. I'm in the process of getting on Goodreads (do not get me started), so if you want you can check it

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-71028334154865686642009-02-16T15:55:00.004+09:002009-02-16T16:08:16.224+09:00

I didn't work on the blanket at all, all weekend. I was a very bad knitter.Instead I watched a bunch of sci-fi/apocalyptic movies and went to a really lame club despite being sick.So, I offer you this for your Monday:What I think is going on here: The man is going, "Thanks, honey! No one will make fun of me, now!" and the woman is laughing because the flowers are slowly poisoning her a-hole of a

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-88384182798832421732009-02-13T14:02:00.004+09:002009-02-13T14:17:08.764+09:00

All right! I finally have a picture of the Leaf Panelled Baby Blanket, so now I can finally post about it.After all, if I'm not sticking very well to my promise for shorter entries, I may as well always include pictures, right? Right.So, the blanket is going well, now. I have learned the vital importance of stitch markers to lace projects, and also not to watch tv while working on something that

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-80453947371533045292009-02-09T14:51:00.006+09:002009-02-09T15:57:13.325+09:00

So, I went yarn shopping over the weekend.I spent some time on Friday figuring out possible yarns for the Prepster and the baby blanket that I thought I might be able to find at the craft store I like in Kumamoto city. Thanks to Ravelry, I could scope out some Japanese yarn brands and look at weights in English. I smartly changed the blanket pattern I intended to do, after seeing a note somebody

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-2677975613702322092009-02-06T15:18:00.010+09:002009-02-06T16:08:24.155+09:00

So I had to share this with you, internets: my students knitting with their fingers.(click on each picture to get the mega-huge version then hit back to keep reading)Not exactly knitting, but close enough. These are my elementary school fourth-graders, in 4-kumi. The girls in that class are always doing something elaborate and crafty - one day I played the store game with them during the lunch

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-57327895731148818422009-02-05T13:23:00.007+09:002009-02-05T14:12:06.112+09:00

I started a new project. Yea! After the blanket and the catnip balls were finally finished (but still not mailed - knit gift failure!), I was absolutely itching to start something else, and so I did what anybody does when they're about to start a new project: I stood in the middle of my apartment quivering in indecision two minutes before I needed to leave the house.Tuesday was a very long and

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-41912817994631120112009-02-04T10:50:00.004+09:002009-02-04T11:26:09.672+09:00

Hey, look, I'm actually doing another blog when I said I would. This is pretty amazing.And what do I have for you? Balls!These delightful little things are the Stockinette Short-Row Spheres that have become cat toys. They are cute, aren't they? And super easy and quick. At least, they're quick when I can be bothered to focus.So I bought something that I thought was catnip at the pet store, and

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-21234969709594518972009-02-03T11:12:00.004+09:002009-02-03T12:05:26.624+09:00

Okay! Sorry for the delay. My birthday was last week and I took the opportunity to sit and do nothing but stuff my face and read embarrassing novels. And then I didn't want to post until I had something to show you. Which...Ta-da! The blanket is done! Complete! Finito! Owarimashita!I admit that I cheated slightly, and finished it a little earlier than was ideal. It's not quite square, or even

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-36853394111207938382009-01-24T10:38:00.005+09:002009-01-24T11:25:26.849+09:00

Why, hello, my little langoliers!It's Saturday, and I'm too lazy to go to the gym, and as soon as it's late enough to decently call Katie I'm going to see if she's interested in going to get something to eat. After that I will work on the Basket Weave of Eternity while watching Finding Nemo, and then tonight a group of us are going to see Quantum of Solace, which has FINALLY arrived in Japan.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-12461652152168333962009-01-20T14:08:00.009+09:002009-01-23T14:18:53.172+09:00

All right, updates!Christmas gloves are all given out. Both Katie and Aashima seem to love them. In fact, I took this picture on the spur of the moment when we were out to dinner and I noticed that they had both worn them out, all on their own. They turned out well and were well-received, so yea!Brenda was also out with us and she was very complimentary, so I asked if she wanted the gloves

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-87738528006812563502009-01-12T20:47:00.004+09:002009-01-12T21:42:18.296+09:00

Boy, am I a knit gift failure.I still haven't given Katie and Aashima their gloves yet. They live right across the parking lot, too, so this is pretty inexcusable. I'd do it right now but it's just too damn cold out.Haven't started Brenda's headband yet, either, although on the plus side, I did give her a knitting lesson this week! She told me way before Christmas that she wanted to take it up

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-1577562343043178472009-01-07T18:37:00.005+09:002009-01-07T20:39:55.949+09:00

Finally, I am caught up on all the blogs I read, emails I needed to send, major processes I needed to begin, and I can post the FOs that have happened over break.Actually, there are only two, a few less than was ideal. I was also quite late on both of them and haven't presented either one to its intended recipient, but these are paltry details.First, Katie's Fetching, an exact repeat of Robin's.

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-3326380781543221332009-01-05T17:27:00.004+09:002009-01-05T23:00:47.156+09:00

All right, my little chickadees! I am back.Vietnam was fantastic, in case you're wondering. Warm, friendly, lively, cheap, and relaxing - everything I wanted from a vacation. No yarn, alas, but then we didn't do much shopping. There was the adorable little girl, above, in a boat on the Mekong Delta wearing what I would swear was a hand-made hat. This same boat also had what looked like a

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-57971924101364206542008-12-18T10:52:00.006+09:002008-12-19T15:43:40.476+09:00

Finished the headband for Emily, woo-hoo!I finished and blocked it last night, added the cords tonight, and I think it looks nice, although it still seems quite big. I think it's smaller than the last one, but I can't compare them side to side because Sheila's is already on it's way to Maryland. So now I have something to give to the person I will actually be spending Christmas with, even though

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-1144097816556659462008-12-14T22:07:00.004+09:002008-12-14T23:11:03.789+09:00

Right, well, it's been a while, but it is a busy time of year. This is the one part of the year when I actually work a lot at work. Christmas lessons, my friends. I could go on for a while about how I don't really feel like I'm doing much of anything besides reinforcing the existing stereotypes of Christmas in America, but I just don't have the energy. I will tell you that I've had a few

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-48260503027973385872008-12-01T14:25:00.005+09:002008-12-01T15:48:17.167+09:00

At last, an update. You were starting to worry, weren't you?(yes, I love talking to my imaginary friends)Took me a while to update because once again, I am having technological issues. For a geek, I am remarkably computer-retarded. For a geek with an Apple computer, I have the IQ of pond scum. As I mentioned previously, my computer is full. I got a temporary reprieve by learning how to

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-11211912347573988772008-11-25T15:35:00.003+09:002008-11-25T15:49:57.183+09:00

Rather than be productive at work today (I only taught one class), I've been amusing myself on the internets. Here are some of my favorites from the day:Seriously, I was crying with laughter (contained, mostly silent laughter) in the teachers' room. Then there were these:more animalsmore animalsmore animalsmore animalsmore animalsAnd I can't stop! Aaaaaaaahhh!

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-19060055445737874042008-11-21T13:20:00.005+09:002008-11-21T14:45:33.568+09:00

Oi.Here are the pics for the lovely finished Diakeito Fetching for Robin. I think they turned out quite nice. I didn't screw up very much (you might notice the slight difference in length here - difference in tension? an extra row somewhere? I have no idea), and they look very sweet. The yarn is nice, not itchy, feminine and pretty without being obnoxiously so. They are quite tiny, though -

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-68052666417684888412008-11-20T14:10:00.007+09:002008-11-20T15:06:59.899+09:00

You know, I spend waaaaaaay too much time on the internet. Mostly when I am at junior high, but also in general.I guess I should have left the blog entry I did yesterday until today, because I've basically had nothing to do. Oh, there's still plenty I could and probably should be doing, but that's not what I've been doing. Instead, I've been surfing the net, checking on all the knitting blogs

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-4784821538776505762008-11-19T15:51:00.005+09:002008-11-19T19:18:07.865+09:00

Finished the Christmas Head Thing and Robin's Fetching, and started Stu's Nebraska Hat!The head thing is nice enough, but huge. Here it is being modeled by Brenda. I like the pattern and all, even with my wonky tension, but it's just so big I'm not sure if it's a practical wear. Was that just the yarn and needles? I felt like the yarn was thin enough, but maybe no. Now I'm wondering about

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-74145191332681016052008-11-12T09:40:00.005+09:002008-11-12T14:23:29.799+09:00

Once again, a busy weekend with very little knitting. How on earth am I going to get these gifts done?On Saturday I did actually get something done on the headband while in the car on the way to Costco. Living in backwoods Japan means that a few of what I consider the staples of Western food are missing. Cheese, for instance, and proper hot dogs or pasta sauce. One can technically buy both of

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-20962780316506049162008-11-06T11:53:00.012+09:002008-11-06T14:52:17.587+09:00

I had a very busy weekend, and so did very little knitting.  This is a preview of next year, I'm sort of hoping, because what I was busy with was mostly Graduate School Applications.  I'm only sort of hoping this is a preview because, while I obviously hope to get into the grad school of my choice, I also hope, futilely I'm sure, to still have time to knit once I start.There was also a Halloween

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-8697086679901705332008-10-31T10:57:00.004+09:002008-10-31T11:27:52.410+09:00

Not that I am at all tech-savvy.  I am not far from hopeless, actually.  What saves me is the ability to follow idiot-proof directions, and to sometimes tell when directions are not idiot-proof enough.I added those snazzy progress bars just now (yes, when I should have been doing something else, such studying Japanese or emailing my mother - but these look cool!), following instructions from

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-80147024316465410502008-10-30T23:13:00.006+09:002008-10-31T10:39:09.643+09:00

Okay, I really need to be in bed, to start with.  But I took a nap this afternoon, which always feels delicious when I do it, but then when I go to bed and stare at the ceiling that night, and struggle to wake up the next morning, it always turns out to have been a rotten idea.  So I'm doing this quickly so I can go stare at the ceiling.I finished the first pair of Xmas gloves, finally.  Rather a

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-35410749480515867612008-10-27T10:36:00.005+09:002008-10-28T22:56:56.216+09:00

So.  Yesterday I was talking about thumbs, and I finished those last night and was feeling quite happy about having finished the first pair of Christmas Gloves, another present to check off the list.  Yea!Then I tried them on.  Both, at the same time, which I had not yet done.  And I thought to myself, Huh, the right one feels different.  I look more closely.  This is when I discover that on the

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-16227103248352197692008-10-25T23:38:00.004+09:002008-10-26T00:52:09.657+09:00

So, here is the Stripey Zo, all pictured up for your viewing pleasure.  Well, sort of.  I'm having trouble getting the other pics up. Bleah.This makes blog #6 for this project, which is a bit silly.  Most people on Ravelry finished this thing in about five minutes flat.  I took more than a month and had to go on and on about it all over the internet.  But, at least he's cute.  I'm very pleased.So

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-88776397986951320802008-10-23T18:56:00.005+09:002008-12-01T15:43:46.527+09:00

I love knitting, I really do. But towards the end of a project with any level of complexity, there is always a time when I start to hate it. The seaming, sewing, blocking, making it all look put together part is by far my least favorite part. By the time I was finishing this little guy, I was calling him the Little Bastard. But he's done now, and he's so incredibly adorable that he is

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-57972177173985678922008-10-19T22:36:00.001+09:002008-10-19T22:38:14.308+09:00

Finished the ears, with just barely enough yarn!  Woo-hoo!  Pictures tomorrow, but I just had to say that they're finished.  Thanks, Betty Boops!

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-17636348196253762002008-10-17T09:44:00.002+09:002008-10-17T10:07:37.019+09:00

I cannot get the Elephante ears.  I watched the designer's video about fifty times, pausing and doing it along with her, consulting my one measly book on crochet, making at least four attempts on some spare yarn (hard to tell how many cause I kept frogging), and THEY ALL SUCKED.  I'm sure it's not the pattern or the yarn or the designer or anything but ME.  They would not lie flat, not a single

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-8821781544677507152008-10-16T15:20:00.013+09:002008-10-16T16:13:12.109+09:00

Technically, it began when I started the Stripey Zo, which is for my godson, but now it has started in earnest with the beginning of the first of several pairs of Fetching for friends.  Now, I love knitting these gloves - they are quick, easy but interesting, and pretty.  But I finished my pair a while ago and am not sure if I will ever actually wear them.  Yet here I am planning on pairs for

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3592552853693922856.post-20194037195618578992008-10-09T15:28:00.002+09:002008-10-09T15:36:27.765+09:00

Right.  Here it is: my knitting blog.  I haven't actually knit anything in a few days, so there isn't too much to enter here. I have several works in progress, of course, as one can see on Ravelry, but I really can't justify spending very much time on them right now, as I am currently in the process of applying to grad school. But soon the application part will be largely over, and there will be

tmjacksonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04491601421782115269noreply@blogger.com0