Oh, Here I am...

Yes...I am a lazy blogger, I'll admit it. But it has not been so because I've been loafing about, reclined, staring at nothing, and breathing--which I bet would feel really nice sometimes. It seems like life is catching up, or maybe it has caught up. PhD is on summer vacation hiatus, and while it's summering, I am supposed to try to publish my previous thesis, and conduct a literature review on all the knowledge out there on my chosen dissertation topic. While I'm busy doing that, I'm supposed to hold a full-time job that is increasingly becoming more demanding and prepare myself for the impending doom of the fall semester which starts next week aack! I am also supposed to, or rather I force myself to attend to lifely duties like laundry, cooking occasionally, eating, and fighting a never ending deluge of dust bunnies. I also have mildly amused myself by reading all of His Dark Materials Trilogy, the last Harry Potter installment, seen several movies--Transformers, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, gone tubing. Oh yeah, and I did a bit of knitting.

I'm not complaining, although it does sound like I'm whining doesn't it? I'm just stating what I've been up to as more things that I will be up to continue to swim around me. As you have probably guessed, there has been no publishing done (I actually got declined by the Journal of Ecology), so I have to try again elsewhere. So if any of you happen to have any sort of influence on any scientific journals, you know where to find me, I will knit you something beautiful in return...probably a pair of socks.

I did finish reading all I intended to read (ummm, fiction-wise). After years of reading science-y stuff, it's been hard to read fiction again but thanks to many good friends that insisted I got started again with His Dark Materials Trilogy. I highly recommend it. I also picked up a few more books--Christian Priest's "The Prestige" (most excellent), Stephanie Pearl McPhee Casts-Off (halfway through already), and Tolkien's The Children of Hurin.

So really, what do I have to show for this summer of blogging silence?

Knitting pal Emily finished her Monkey Socks

Knitting pal Ana started and finished these Jaywalkers in this uber scrumptious Jitterbug yarn. Alas I do not have a finished object photo.

My Mother-in-law acquired Bearance Bee Bernett or "Beary"...redunkulously adorable so we visited him a few times.

I finished these organge Jaywalkers in Koigu I got from a trip to Knit NY a while back. (Check out the squintage by Fred)

I purchased this most colorful knitting items containment unit.

Daley O'Maley took alot of naps in between knitting.

I acquired this beautiful yarn by Jitterbug which I absolutely love. Just absolutely love.

I wound it into this delicious ball

And I turned it into these socks from "Sensational Knitted Socks"

Then I completed this Lace Shawl (pattern from Vogue Stitchionary 1)

I soaked it in Eucalan Lavander Woolwash

Blocked it

Fred had to collect its smell as he always does when I wash something wooly (sometimes he misses).

And here it is in all it's glory, "Ana's Wedding Leaf Lace Shawl"

Which was gifted to Ana for her wedding shower. She married VJ that guy in the background grinning widely. Lovely couple. Meant to be together forever!

And the bane of my existence...Pomotamus...which I almost completed but ran out of yarn with two inches left to go. Beware of the Jitterbug yarn, it's not quite enough. So I basically reknitted and I'm still reknitting. And my head hurts.