And, boy, am I tired!

so, thankfully nobody really reads this (sorry folks). I've been super busy, and have lots of knitting to catch up on, as well as other entertaining life-stuff, but I've lost my camera, and am exhausted from two jobs, and just can't be bothered. Meh. Hopefully I'll locate my camera soon, and get back on track. So much good knitting...

Beauty is Pain

So, my tattoo is a week old today. It looks like hell. Actually, it looks pretty good today, compared to Wednesday especially. Yes, I was warned that it would scab up and itch, and I figured that I would just suffer through it, and that's about what I did. Man, though. I really don't handle itching very well. I did find that just rubbing it with the tips of my fingers helped, and keeping it covered. I really like to pick scabs, and it's only the thought of losing the precious ink that has stopped me. I hope that it's all cleared up by Sunday, when I'll have to show it around again.

I just keep looking at it. I'm so in love. On the first day, it was really hard to see the yellow through the bandage and blood, and then it was obscured again by the scabbing, but now that it's reemerging I can't help but be totally enthralled by it. Yellow is not a color that I ever would have thought to permanently apply to my own skin, but it really makes for a great tattoo. I was initially planning on black and grey only, and I'm really glad that Stacie suggested the yellow, and then the red.

It's a little weird for me to be part of the Visible Tattoo Club. I really don't like people very much, and I especially don't like it when they want to talk to me and I don't know them. (Yes, I really am this much of a grouch. It's not MeanRose for nothing.) I'm still surprised when people mention it, but a little exicted, too. I actually like the way that it's forced me to live outside of my bubble a little bit more. It's a new world every day. I think the next thing I'll need to work on is a more succinct explanation for its origin and significance. For now, "It's a family thing."

So, here's my family thing:



I'm still not 100% satisfied with that picture, but I'll need a helping hand and a couple more days of healing to get one that I'm actually going to like, so that's good enough for today.

ETA: This photo is from last Saturday, pre-scabs. Just to avoid any confusion.

Tomatillo Will Crush You!

A little photo heavy!

I made some bread. It's my first challah. Hopefully it will turn out to be fantastic, and I will be able to bring it to my friend's birthday party, as requested. Like many things in my life at the moment, it's not the size I expected it to be. It's a four pound loaf, and easily the size of an actual human baby. Huge.


after baking:

There's also been some progress in the garden. My tomatoes are just going crazy, and I have lots of little peppers. If nothing else, I'll have one nice-sized Anaheim and a Purple Beauty.
And more tomatillos than I can shake a stick at. What is up with those? I bought the last tomatillo plant that Black Lake Organics had, and it was nice looking (Gary complimented it, which was a little weird, since it was his to begin with), but since it's been in the ground, it's just gone gangbusters. It's easily twice as big as the Mortgage Lifter tomato that I bought and planted at the same time. Of course, in Yakima, I saw a single tomatillo take over an entire 4x10 bed, so I guess I'm just surprised that it's doing so well here. And that I haven't killed it yet.

And some tomatoes:
Sungold
Cabernet Grape
Siletz
Yellow Pear

Most of these are in the bed right next to the house, and they're just doing so much better than the ones in the actual garden bed. I don't really know why, but I have some thoughts. Last year, K used the bed by the house, and presumably amended it some, whereas the garden beds have been out of service for three years, at least. No one can actually remember seeing them in use. So, while I think I did more for them (adding compost and some organic fertilizer), they just needed more than I realized. The Mortgage Lifter especially keeps dropping it's flowers, and none of them are really making berries. J says it needs epsom salts, so I guess I'll try that. The garden tomatoes also went into the ground later than the house ones, so that might have something to do with it. I'm going to try the epsom salts, and perhaps mulch out there. We'll see how it goes.

Later this week, more Coachella progress (I swear! It's close to done!), and real pictures of the tattoo, which is really scabby and unpleasant at the moment. Happy Independence!

NeverNude

So, I will never be naked again. At least, not like before. More pictures another day, because I'm exhausted, and it's really hard to photograph this particular part of oneself.

Also coming, Coachella update, more garden things, and...who knows?

Coachella

So, I've been knitting Coachella from the latest Knitty. For those of you who know my knitting, the miles and miles of (nearly) plain stockinette are a huge departure for me. However, I think it's really cute, and likely to be flattering on my no-chest, little-waist frame. Also, pink! Yes, I have made some mods: no Berroco Suede for me, I'm using yarn salvaged from a shiny pink sweater bought at Goodwill for exactly this purpose. In addition, I'm a little longer/smaller in the waist than the size I'm knitting (S), so I'm reworking the waist shaping to better flatter my actual body.

For me, having decent knitting skills is nothing if I cannot use them to create clothing that is flattering to the body that I live in every day. There are a lot of patterns out there that I really like, but that I just would not knit, because they would do nothing for my body. This isn't about being vain; just making the most of what I actually have.

Yes, it looks like a big pink blob. It's much more flattering on, I promise.

In addition, this project (along with something I'll blog about later) is my big jump into the world of Continental Knitting. It's faster, and I live for the acquisition of new skills. That's all there is to it.

Things that grew

Yes, that arugula is totally bolted, but I think it's pretty. Above, purple bell pepper, and cabernet grape tomatoes (tomatoes!).

What was I thinking?

Well, I guess I was thinking that since my resolution this year was to get over it, I ought to get on with doing just that. So, here it is, then. I spend a ridiculous amount of time knitting. So much time, in fact, that I am loathe to admit exactly how much. Let it suffice to say that it is enough that I must emerge from my lurker-hood in the Knitting Blogiverse, and put it out there. Yes, it will be awkward. Sometimes extremely so. But who cares?? Let's go!