Tangled Mess

So my Tangled Yoke Cardigan isn't going very well. I'm bummed and annoyed and just...argrrah!!! I couldn't even talk about it at the last Knit Night. Sure I brought it, but I barely worked on it. What a mess. I would exalborate (I mean elaborate but that sounds like it has more Oomph!) but I don't feel like talking about it right now.

Instead, I've been playing around with the St. Brigid pattern. I have a bunch of acrylic yarn sitting around and don't really know what to do with it. Yes, acrylic isn't really on the A list of yarns but it was cheap. Supercheap. And I don't really know what I'm doing yet...so, eh. Yarn is yarn right now.
So yes...St. Brigid. I might make a shrug with it. An entire sweater would be too exhausing right now (plus all the alterations to make it fitted).

Boom Chikka Wah Wah

My hunny is stringing up his guitar! Finally! Ooooh la la sexy. And is this because I told him I would drool over him constantly? That serenading me would be the sexiest thing ever? No! Cuz you better believe I told him that like a YEAR ago. His new found interest to play his not one but two! lovely guitars is because of Alzheimer's. Yes....Alzheimer's. Apparently playing a musical instrument is one way to keep your neurons happy and in sync - thus warding off Alzheimer's. Fantastic! Being proactive is important and admirable. I want my sweetie around for as long as possible - all of him. It all started when we took a little trip to the library today. I simply HAD TO HAVE the knitting pattern for St. Brigid! The actual book "Aran Knitting" by Alice Starmore is out of print and something like $150-$230 to acquire. Hooray for libraries!!! For about $0.40 I now have the complete pattern, instructions and general design information for aran sweaters. Ha! But while I was running around like a kid in a candy store, my guy was reading the current Men's health mag. It would have been nice to be his muse but the end result is the same...I guess...

P.S. I know copywriting is an important topic in the knitting community. However, this book is out of print. $ spent buying it will just go to the book owner, not the artist. I will probably blog more about this later when I've had more time to read and mull things over.

Determination

Exactly! Thank you NU-POC for understanding.

So yes, I would like to use my ENTIRE brain - at ALL times. That is why I have set my sights on Prosthetics/Orthotics. Artistic technologically amazing devices that actually improve the world and people's lives. SATISFACTION at last! I'm in a bit of a rut at present. Apparently I need to be certified via an Associates Degree to do ANYTHING!!! Yes, I have a Biomedical degree but somehow a 2 year degree would be more useful for the positions I'm looking at. Its frustrating but I shall not be deterred. Heck no! I have too many goals! Too many aspirations! Muhuhahahahahahahaha! And these would be the following (in this order via necessity).

1. Become a Prosthetist's/Orthotist's Technician and assist in the fabrication of current prosthetics and orthotics.

2. Get my Prosthetist Certification and/or my Biomedical Master's degree. Preferably at Northwester University because they are da bomb-diggity (i.e. the best).

3. Get my foot in the door at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Research/Prosthetist/Orthotist - anything! I want to be involved.

4. Become a prosthetic designer and come up with ingenious, creative, simple, functional, affordable and amazing prosthetics.

5. Do pro-bono work, design affordable medical devices and prosthetics for low-income individuals and countries. Use my spare time traveling the world with do-gooder companies to make change for the better using my skills.

6. Start my own little business on the side to design prosthetics/orthotics for animals. Again-emphasis on the affordable aspect.

So whats stopping me? To get into a Prosthetist certificate program I need 2 letters of recomendation from health professionals (physical therapist, prosthetist, orthotist, etc.).

I don't know any.

To work for a health professional and gain valuable experience and hopefully (if they like my awesome work) get recomendation letters, I first need to be a certified physical therapy assistant or prosthetic technician.

To become certified it will take $ and at least 12 months of basic training.

With all my skills, knowledge, good intentions and education...this setback feels debilitating.

And thats my rant. Chin up....Chin up!

Lovely Lichen

I was browsing some knitting blogs and randomly found someone who makes terrariums. I've always been fond of a nicely arranged terrarium but hers had some unique items. By far the best addition was some trumpet lichen. I never heard of such a thing. They are so cute!

Achingly Beautiful

It's about time I actually wrote about some knitting business. Right now I am finishing up a teal-blue Tangled Yoke Cardigan. It required a bit of adjusting at the very end but I'm quite pleased with the results so far. Like any hobby, restraint is a must. Buying yarn can deplete the $$$ pretty quickly and really just builds up my stash until it overflows - everywhere. So far I've rationalized that I can't move on to another project until I finish the one I'm working on. It sucks, its no fun and its frustrating. However, I'm sticking to it. But, for being so behaved, I am allowed to look at new projects. Tee-hee!
When I look at some of this stuff (like this magnificent cable) its so exciting I almost feel dirty just looking at it. How beautiful! And I can make it. It can be mine! It calls to me... my preciousess...... The sense of accomplishment when you make something by hand is amazing. Whether it be a sweater, a garden, furniture or a car (shout out to my sweetie!) - it's so completely satisfying. And healthy! Everyone should have some kind of handy hobby.

So Bad Its Good

But wait! There's more!

Have you heard? Well, of course you have.

How about that Nick Sitko huh?

If you haven't heard about it (because I didn't until AP showed it to me) - it all started on a popular website - nsxprime.com

One of its many threads received numerous postings by yet another obnoxious spammer. No big deal right? Just sort of annoying?

Here is the rundown.

Spammer N/Nick tries to peddle his website by bragging he’s made a bunch of money and bought a fancy car NSX for $63k in cash. – Spammer gets exposed as owner of said website and his name is Nick Sitko.

N/NICK denies identity and address.

N/NICK continues to post spam and gets into all kinds of arguments with everyone. Everyone gets pissed off and start a mission to expose him. So he gets exposed for lying about paying in cash AND!! one Mr. Nick Sitko is found on South Carolina Sex Offenders website.

N/NICK attempts damage control still denies identity and address and the fact that he’s a pedo. He’s still claiming that he bought the NSX with $63K in a suitcase full of 20s.

Nick Sitko myspage page is found. His picture matches the sex offender websites and his myspace is peddling the same gambling sites, proving conclusively what we knew all along that Nick Sitko the spammer/gambler and Nick Sitko the pedo is one and the same.

Blah blah blah...big huge posting war back and forth. Everyone is annoyed at him, everyone complains to everyone else about him.

Things spiral way out of control until nsxprime.com is so overwhelmed by visitors that it actually CRASHES the site. And now, doing a search for this guy's name instantly brings up his colorful history. Now thats a great way to become famous.

What an idiot. And yes, this was just an excuse to post a cute/sad donkey picture.