cellio | short takes

Knitting fun (too bad I'm not a knitter).

Clue-by-fours for loud cell-phone users (PDF) (link courtesy of goldsquare).

A response to the responses to that cheese sandwich on eBay (link courtesy of profane_stencil).

Brilliant idea I wish I'd thought of: today a coworker and I retrieved some heavy boxes. After putting her box in her trunk, she pulled out a "corner" -- two foot-long 1x4s joined edgewise at a 90-degree angle, covered in cloth and with long outside edges covered in velcro -- and stuck it onto the carpettted floor next to the box. Voila: no box sliding around the back of the car while driving home! Her sweetie made it for her.

I said before that I think it would be a mistake for West Wing to continue past the Bartlet administration. I still think they should end the show, but if they do continue it, based on what we've seen so far I would keep watching a show with Alan Alda's character as president. He hasn't lost his edge in the many years since I saw him in something new, and so far he's being written well. It probably helps that what we've seen of his politics matches me reasonably well. :-)

This rant isn't productive (in fact, it might be counter-productive), but it sure is funny (so long as you don't mind coarse language). Link from buoren.

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This week, I have seen so many lj-cuts titled "knit yourself a uterus!"...It was a real relief to click that link and see Tux.

As for the chocolate- why should Christians be the only ones having all the fun?

If that had been the uterus link I would have said something less vague. :-)

As for the chocolate- why should Christians be the only ones having all the fun?

Oh, I agree! Though I suspect that many of the followups weren't fron Christians either, though of course the original sandwich was.

That knitting pattern is too cute for words. Now I want to relearn how to knit (I learned over 10 years ago, but haven't done it since then)

That cheese sandwich response is also too funny!

I'm 90% done with the penguin; I have to put together his little feet and then sew them to his tubby little body.

(did you find the link through

mabfan, or is it just the week for people to come across the pattern?)

Hmmm, I may have to figure out a way to crochet that penguin. (I taught myself to knit years ago but never went anywhere with it; knitting is slow and I get impatient.) I'll have to finish the bunny I'm making for my husband before I start any more animals, though ...

Huh, I think of knitting as reasonably fast, but somehow how to cast on and cast off doesn't stick in my brain, while how to crochet does, so lots of crocheting for me.
(The downside for me is that there are (a) lots more knitting patterns out there, and (b) knitting uses less yarn per square foot of finished piece (usually).)

Ah, thank you. It was probably

mabfan; I (uncharacteristically) stashed the link without recording the source, and then couldn't figure it out.

That penguin looks really cute. Is yours a gift, or are you making it for yourself?

The thing about knitting for me is that it seems like you have to go through row after row after row in order to see any difference in size. Crocheting, on the other hand, seems to show results quickly. I am impatient enough that I don't get frustrated with crocheting the way I do with knitting.

Either way, crocheting is a skill I'm really glad to have picked. I find it very relaxing, and I like being able to make things for people.

Oops, I mean picked up, not picked.

My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was a child (alas, the skill did not survive into adulthood), but I've never tried knitting.

Crochet's easier than knitting (at least it is in my book!) But I think knitting's more versatile. But maybe that's just because I've never learned how to do all the cool "master crocheter" things...

cool "master crocheter" things
Such as...?

(I'm trying to figure out new things to try crocheting :-)

That penguin looks really cute. Is yours a gift, or are you making it for yourself?

The first one is for

mabfan -- I sent him the pattern in a fit of "oh, how cute," and he asked me to make him one. But it's a relatively easy pattern, and I've now got gobs of polyfill for stuffing things, so I see more knit penguins on the horizon.

penguins on the horizon
tromping across the plain with wild, eerie battle cries!

well maybe this stuff isn't "master crocheter" stuff, but when you don't know how to do something, it may as well be magic! :-)

Basically, I have no idea how to do some of the neat crochet patterns I see on a lot of kippot. I also don't know how to read patterns.

For example, I'd love to make this for my son: http://www.barney.gonzaga.edu/~aburton/froghack.html but I can't quite figure it out.

You can't make just one, eh? :-)

(I feel I should clarify that while I think this penguin is very cute, my initial "I wish I knew how to knit" reaction came from a desire to make one for

tangerinpenguin, maybe not in the standard colors. :-) )

I haven't done crochet embroidery, but I have done patterns in color (also in texture). I'd be happy to show you, if you end up visiting Boston at some point, but I suspect there are lots of local crocheters there who could show you.

(I feel I should clarify that while I think this penguin is very cute, my initial "I wish I knew how to knit" reaction came from a desire to make one for tangerinpenguin, maybe not in the standard colors. :-) )

I would be happy to do one up in non-standard colors (they're a relatively quick project), for the cost of the non-standard-color yarn and the shipping, if you wish.

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