St. Anthony

Come around. So what is lost can now be found.

I lost my camera battery. Thus, the lack of postiness around here lately. There are a bunch of photos I would like to uplaod, but no battery = no sharing.
There's:

• a new batch of soap
• a gazillion stitch markers for the Knitting Asylum
• a green sweater I want to recycle, but also want to document a "before"
• some doll parts for Christmas projects
• a clapotis in the making
• a beret that's almost done
• a plaid coat that's all cut and marked, ready to be sewed up
• new shelves in the studio
  

So, ugh! If any of you are Catholic, go ahead and send a shout-out to St. Anthony for me. Oh, and while you're at it, put in a word to St. Rita so I can get the promotion I interviewed for a few days ago.

A few words about the promotion:
Since my boss quit back in September, I've been doing his job. Everyone around here says I should get the spot. My ex-boss has called in a recommendation for me. People yell, "Team Shannon!" when they see me coming down the hall (no, really, they do!) I have all the qualifications and experience needed.
Two things going against me: they've decided to interview two others (who might have a political advantage over me- name recognition, etc. if not actual qualifications.)
And, the Center Director, who will make the ultimate decision, is kind of unpredictable (?) when it comes to hiring. For example, we are an education research center, but most of the project directors that work for us have Speech backgrounds. They were mostly hired because they got their Ph.D.s from the university we are affiliated with. So, at least one of the other interviewees has a health sciences background, but she's got more name recognition, which might give her the edge over me- who actually has the Ph.D. (from a different university) and experience in the field of education research!
I should find out within the next two weeks. Wish me luck!

The Week that Almost Killed Me

I have photos, but I can't re-live that whole week at once. You'll have to get it in small bites.
Here are photos of the Maid Marion costume and House On Haunted Hill Birthday Cake that would have used up two of my lives if I was Super Mario. (And I'm not Mario, so those projects just kicked my ass instead.)

OMG!

This is The Awesommeness!!!!
Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Still Alive

I really think this week might just kill me.
Work is insane with me being all alone. They still won't tell me if they're planning on advertising for my boss's old job, or promoting me, or what. I'd really like his job, but I'm a bit green. I just hope if they hire someone else, that person knows what the hell they're doing. I don't have time to train a freaking supervisor.
I got Maid Marian all cut and I sewed up some of the longer seams (ok, three seams) while watching Ghost Hunters last night. (They were at Oak Alley, where I spent my teenage years as a tour guide. I might expand on that in a later post.)
Anyway, I tried sewing French Seams on Marian so I wouldn't have to try to finish the satin, or deal with satin fuzzies later. The seams came out great and I think I might add those to my regular repertoire.
I'm supposed to have dance class tonight- yes, me. Not the girls. But I think I might have to skip. I still have to get a buttload done on Marian and get to cleaning and baking for the party Sunday. I told Sean he might have to bake the actual cake and I'd decorate it. He seemed ok with that. He likes to bake with the kids helping, whereas I need to be alone. So it will be a good project for them all to bake all the layers while I would probably hate it thinking about all the other tings I have to do.
I also have to get some decorating things from Hobby Lobby. I want to make a monster wreath and an arrangement with a black stick and fake crows. I just hope I can find crows. I have the fake fur and eyeballs for the wreath, I just need a form to glue them to.
I also want a new Entertainment Center. I'd love to get that done today, but there are only so many hours in the day.
Because I feel bad leaving without a photo, this is from my office. I'm in an attic office with no windows and dark gray paint on the walls. (Sucky camera phone photo alert!) I made a Rasturbation of St. Peter's (?) Basilica in Paris and stuck it up to make a faux window. I have two more rows to put up when I get time and if I survive this week.

More Happiness

In real life, things have moved beyond hectic to downright f*cking crazy!
I came in to work yesterday to find my boss's office completely empty. Turns out he decided against renewing his contract and didn't bother to tell me. Now, it's supposed to be him, me, two computer scientists, two research analysts, and two grad assistants. Right now, it's just me! I have no staff and no boss!
I'm xanaxed out right now to keep sane for today. The CEO is supposed to talk to me about the "situation" but I don't know when that's going to happen. I'd love to take his job and build my own staff, but I have a nasty feeling they have someone pegged for the job. If it turns out they do want someone, and that someone doesn't have more research experience than I do, I'm going to go on a job search myself. I don't have the desire or time to teach someone about higher-level research and statistical methods, which is what we do.
To add to the crazy, I'm sewing G a Maid Marian costume for Halloween, which would be ok, but she wants it done for her birthday party this Sunday. I've got the pattern pinned up, but haven't started cutting yet. It's a lot of fabric!
But I promised happiness, didn't I? Well, I was inspired by Rhoda to make a scarf with an "accidental" plaid pattern. I didn't want to bother with the cables on Besotted and I noticed some people got similar effects with the My So-Called Scarf pattern.
I bought myself some Patons Classic in "Harvest" and got busy. The pattern is super easy to memorize and the yarn is so soft and squishy, I have a hard time putting it down. Here's what I'm getting so far:

Sorry about the phone photo. I have better ones, but they're at home.
Here's another so you can see the argyle better.

It's not plaid, but I totally love it. This might be the first knitted object I actually keep for myself!
Thanks Rhoda, for the inspiration!

PRGE Package

When I got home from work yesterday, there was a package in my dining room.


(Yes, this is my awesome dining room table.)
I knew immediately the package was from my PRGE pal and I was sooo excited!

It was filled with the awesomeness!!!


I am soooo going to make a bracelet for these:

Aren't you jealous?

Quite Possibly my New Favorite Site

Link

New in the Etsy Store

You know you want one.

We are young

No one can tell us we're wrong
Searching our hearts for so long
Love is a battlefield



And if you're not careful, you'll shoot your eye out!!!

I. Am. Speechless.

This pattern showed up on Ravelry today.



Yes.
Today.
In 2008.
Not 1988.

I guess the struggling economy has really hit the big knitting design houses hard.