WIP . . . err . . . Thursday

I was going to do a WIP Wednesday post last night (even though I have never officially participated in WIP Wednesday), but it was 7:50 p.m., the computer was acting up, and America's Next Top Model was going to be on any minute.

So, here's WIP Thursday!



Exciting right? 15 inches of stockinette stitch and all. The pattern is Artful Yarns Serenade pattern # 92154 Short Sleeve Hoodie by Jane Livingston. I noticed the pattern is not in Ravelry's database, so I'm not sure if anyone else has made it. It was in the FREE bin at Webs during their sale at the end of December/beginning of January, and coincidentally, they had Artful Yarns Serenade on sale, so I bought enough of that to make it. I think it's really cute, and I'm hoping to at least finish it by the NH Sheep and Wool Festival, which is Mother's Day weekend. I'd love to say I'd like to finish it by CT Sheep and Wool, but that's April 26 and I don't want to put that kind of pressure on myself. I can't stand deadline knitting, and groan whenever I see people setting themselves up to finish something Really Fast. I just think "poor wrists!!!"

Last night, I made myself some Tandoori Chicken:



Doesn't that look yummy? I decided that I wanted to start eating better, and am trying to cook meals that I can put into small portions to bring in for lunch. I can't handle those low-cal frozen dinners any more. I'm bored to death of them! This stuff is good because you can make a kick-ass chicken salad sandwich with it. Just make sure to open the windows and shut the doors to the bedrooms (so you don't set off the fire alarms! Our bedrooms are in a small breezeway off the kitchen, and the tandoori chicken makes things a little smoky.)

I haven't spun in a couple of days, because I seem to have lost my spinning mojo! I'm not putting enough twist into my singles and they break. I need some time to really sit down and spin the rest of the merino up (which I should have done BEFORE plying, and then just plied it all up at once!), so I can finish up my spring yarn and make my damn socks already! (Oh, yeah -- did I mention I was fixin' to make socks from it?). For now, the yarn just looks pretty. I was tempted to get a little basket and keep it on my desk at work, but it may lead to lots of Questions about my hobby and I'm not always comfortable having lots of people ask me Questions. It's looking pretty in the Stash Hutch though.

Okay, so who else watches the Wednesday night CW lineup? I gotta be totally honest here, on America's Next Top Model, I am really disliking Whitney. I'd link to her profile except it keeps bringing up StacyAnn's, which makes me think someone else doesn't like her either. I don't like her snarky confessionals on every other girl in the house, I don't like her open mouth in almost every shot, and I don't like that her way of showing "confidence" in her body shape is exhibited by trying to put down thin girls. I think it is great that there are women like Whitney out there who are confident about their body type, but to make comments insinuating that women who don't look like you "don't eat" is as bad as someone making a comment that a woman who looks like you eats all day. If she says something like "Real women have curves", then I swear, I'll throw something at the TV (and it will probably just be yarn or a cheap plastic wineglass, or maybe just a piece of bread). I really hate that saying. I hate the assumption that you have to be pro-one, and anti-another. What about women who are naturally hipless and boobless? They do exist, you know.

While I'm on my soapbox, I also hate when people talk about how much "better" it was when the "ideal" body was one like Marilyn Monroe's. Dude, that is just as unrealistic as today's "ideal" body being one like Giselle Budchen's. Skinny girls were frowned down on in those days; take a look at the ads in old magazines and comic books from the 40s through 60s, and you'll see ads for products to help skinny girls put on weight. I can scan one if anyone's interested; we have some. My mother, at age 16, weighed 95 lbs. (she's about 5'4"), and she used to go out for sundaes all the time to try to gain some weight. I got my body type from my dad's side of the family - thick and boobilicious.

/off soapbox/

Oh, and the non-elimination on Girlicious? Bull Shit. I wanted to see one of those girls go home! I think Chrystina needs to be put out of her misery, and I think Charlye just has a stank attitude. Dude, what's up with all the Ys in the names? I was hoping they would cut Natalie (although she is SO going to be in Girlicious), just to see Chrystina squirm in misery being without her BFF in a house full of girls who don't like her. I know; I'm mean. Then, after saying Chrystina was safe, and Robin was getting the girls' attention because they were fawning all over each other, like they do, I was hoping she was getting their attention JUST SO she would have it to say, "I'm sorry, Charlye. You will not be in Girlicious. You must hang up your boa." But no. Fake elimination. Douchebag. Does anyone else laugh at Robin's soundbite at the beginning saying, "I'm the one who can make you girls A STAR"? I think it's recycled from the 1st season, and they just edited out "one of" between make and you, but I'd like to think Robin is that much of a dumbass. Then it gets followed by the annoying Mikey saying, "work it, work it, work it, BAM!" as if he's Queen Emeril.

Now, I had no interest in watching Farmer Wants a Wife at all, until I saw a preview that had one of the contestants (I think it's this one)in a dress and make up that would make Divine proud, standing in what may have been a pigsty, and she burps. Since we don't get VH1 and I can't see Rock of Love, I might have to watch at least the first episode of this.