Thursday, July 3, 2008

I hate chiggers!

I really hate the little boogers. I don't know if you have these little critters where you come from, but here in Missouri, we have plenty! I'll ship you some if you want to try them out. You will receive an official certificate of insanity along with a box full of freshly mown grass, guaranteed to have chiggers in it. For the curious who still have some grasp on their sanity, this Wikipedia article explains a little more about the critters.

What this article doesn't tell you is exactly where the little boogers like to bite. They tend to go for areas with the most warmth, which in turn tends to be near the unmentionables. While I myself do not have any chigger bites in the areas in question, they are near enough to convince me to suffer in silence without scratching, at least in public. I don't feel like explaining exactly what I'm doing to the stranger next to me in line at Wal-Mart. Hydrocortisone is my friend right now!

For those of you who have left me comments on my previous posts, thank (both of) you! I did see them, I'm just not yet adept at figuring out how to reply to them.

I finished my pattern for Night's Candles this week and got it uploaded to Ravelry and to my Etsy store. Now that I've got it published, here are some pictures!

NC 3

NC 2

With most of my designs, familiarity breeds contempt. I usually like the combinations my testers come up with better than my own. While the ones I've seen in the testing phases are lovely, I'm actually pretty proud of this one!

I'm working on Miss Austen right now. Hopefully she'll cooperate with me. I'm making her in mohair and I really shouldn't work on her when I'm sleep deprived. I've already had to frog rounds 2-3 times. Blech. I haven't decided whether to self publish her or to submit her somewhere. Hmmm....

I've also come up with an idea for another shawl, based on this painting and the poem that goes with it, particularly the following excerpt.

There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.

The_Lady_of_Shalott

OK, OK, so it's not weaving, it's crocheting, but I really want to make one in this colorway.
It reminds me of the colors in the blanket.

Granted, the poem itself is rather depressing. I was so totally in love with it in high school. I also had a thing for Edgar Allen Poe. I think I must have been emo before they called it emo. Oh well.

Look at me, rambling on. I guess I'm making up for lost time. :D

7 comments:

cubedog said...

Have you heard Loreena McKinnett's version of this poem put to music? Its beautifully "macbre". Haunting even. I can't look at the painting now without hearing Loreena's voice in my head.

cubedog said...

oh, and your designs are LOVERLY. I may just have to bit the bullet and start making a collection of shawls.

Maureen said...

Wow! Your shawls are so beautiful. Love the lastest blue one. So pretty!
via Ravelry RAK!

queenmamajen said...

Thanks, Maureen! Your comment made me smile. :D

teejayhansen said...

Saw your blog via Rav RAK.
Have to say, I've love that poem too, but it always reminds me of Anne of Green Gables and her failed attempts to act it out.
I love your shawls, beautiful, almost makes me want to learn crochet... almost. ;]

queenmamajen said...

Thanks, teejayhansen! It's my goal to lure all you non-crocheting knitters to the dark side. };D

Otter said...

Hi there! I saw your comment on the blog my sis and I share, then followed a link in CLF rav forum. Love your shawls and am trying to decide which one I want the most. Hmmmm....

About Me

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Missouri, United States
I am a full time stay-at-home mom and a complete yarnaholic. I'm married to my favorite husband and we have 3 beautiful daughters and a handsome baby boy. I learned to crochet at the age of 11 and have been doing it off and on ever since. I love crocheting and want to learn how to knit eventually.