yuccy

disgusting weird internal organish yucca root
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

We spent some time this afternoon digging out some of the roots of the yuccas I cut down recently. The roots are EVERYWHERE and really oddly shaped and kind of gross.

At least we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that we'll never get them all out and they'll most likely keep coming back every year from now until eternity.

Bleh.

Michigan gardening on Flickr

07-08-2005 lilies
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

I started a group for Michigan gardening on Flickr. Join it!

Rowan Kidsilk Haze lace scarf

Rowan Kidsilk Haze lace scarf
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

I finished this scarf a bit ago, blocked it, and finally got around to taking a few photos. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I haven't done a lot of lace before but I used a not-too-challenging stitch pattern and it was actually pretty easy.

I used a size 9 circular needle and cast on 33 stitches, trying to keep them loose.
Row 1 (wrong side): purl
Row 2: K2 (yf, K3, pull 1st stitch over 2nd 2) K1
Row 3: purl
Row 4: K1 (K3, pull 1st stitch over 2nd 2, yf) K2

I used shade 595 of the Rowan Kidsilk Haze that I bought in London in May. I cast off when it seemed like a good length.

White & Nerdy

I saw this referenced on a couple of blogs earlier this week but didn't realize that I needed to watch it as soon as possible. Thanks to Roland for encouraging me to take a look.

Favorite thing: Donny Osmond!

The Last Knit

sweet

What a great thing to find first thing in the morning.

new crop

The OED has released the list of new words to be added this year. Personal faves include beer pong (makes me feel old; when I was in college we just played quarters), de-pants (just plain funny), fancy-pants (this is new?), gross-out (ditto), hard-ass (obvious), lebkuchen (having grown up in my family this doesn't seem new, just German), scooch (validation! though I didn't realize this wasn't a word already), and scrote (can we thanks Tenacious D for this one?).

viva la fleurchon

So the photos are out of the final four Project Runway designers' collections for Spring 2007 Fashion Week, and I have to say, I am seriously underwhelmed.

Michael

For all his concern about fashion that strays into the territory of working girls, most of his collection seems really, er, skanky to me. This fabric is gorgeous but the length of the skirt combined with the exposed decolletage feels like the least classy dress in a Destiny's Child costume set. Also, he's got several weird bathing suit-ish things that look exactly like the ones we used to make for our barbie dolls by wrapping fabric around them just until their bits were covered.


Uli

Uli used a surprising number of solids in her collection - half of the outfits are all basically the same neutral tone. I feel like some of her passion for prints was squashed on the show. As with anytime there's a designer with one thing they have a real flair for, the judges asked to see something different and her passion kind of deflated a little.

Laura

Of the four collections, I like Laura's the best overall. There are several dresses here that I like, though as usual there are hardly any that anyone but someone shaped just like Laura could wear. I do like the fact that Laura used a variety of fabrics and textures within the limited color palette she chose - more than any of the others, hers looks like a collection.

Jeffrey

Where, oh where is the rock and/or roll? Come on! I was expecting to at least love or hate Jeffrey's collection but I'm seriously bored. I do like the red dress pictured above, but it hardly seems like a Jeffrey dress. And yeah, there are some skinny pants in his collection, but skinny pants do not a rock'n'roller make. I'm seriously disappointed in Jeffrey more than any of the others.

Which makes me wonder - is he the decoy? Based on the past couple episodes, I would guess not, but if he were, would he half-ass his collection so as to save "the good stuff" for himself? I could easily see Michael Kors and Nina Garcia having issues with the so-called taste level of Michael's collection. I'm picking my winner as Laura, but that's based on my own personal taste and preference toward classic style. Usually the judges go for innovation, and I'm not sure if any of these four collections display that.

Kobayashi Maru

Kobayashi Maru
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Are you a geek? Do you need some motivational posters? Head on over and check out the selection.

and there was much rejoicing

My MacBook is back!

(You might have guessed by the flurry of posts.)


(My Mac had to travel to have a new keyboard surround and new heat sync installed.)


(I missed it very much.)

ray-off

ray puppet
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

We got some new puppets in today at the library and one of them is another ray (some of today's puppets are duplicates of existing ones that haven't quite died yet), so at the moment we have two. At one point this afternoon I looked over and noticed a little boy playing with both of the rays. He had them on the floor, facing one another as if ready to duel.

It was interesting on its own and then I thought of the manner of Steve Irwin's tragic death and felt sad.

Wolves

Wolves by Emily Gravett
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

This is by far one of my favorite picture books of 2006. I first picked it up in a bookstore in London in May, and it was published here in the US in August. The book is admittedly one that is practically (or perhaps actually) designed to appeal to librarians but who cares! It's fun and funny, dynamic and expressive, sly and smart. Walk don't run to your local library and check it out.

Hobbitville

The Shire of Bend, Oregon
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

Wouldn't you like to live in The Shire? Now you can, as long as you're willing to believe that it's in Oregon. And you have a spare half a mill handy.

ALSC Institute, Pittsburgh

Hilton Pittsburgh
Originally uploaded by annethelibrarian.

I'm in Pittsburgh for the ALSC Institute. The preconference starts later this morning so things really haven't gotten started yet. I've had lots of adventures, though! My luggage got lost but was thankfully returned to me in the early hours of this morning (who needs sleep?). I want to send a big thank-you to the only helpful person ever at Northwest who finally figured out all the crap and actually located the bag in Chicago late last night). Boo to the six people I talked to before that who were spectacularly unhelpful. And, as you'll see by the comments on my photos, the hotel sucks! The building is reportedly "old" and that apparently means that they are allowed to provide crap service in any number of areas. Boo.

All in all, though, I'm looking forward to the actual Institute. Time to get going to the preconf.

paper dog

Perplexing, yet irresistable.

ewwww

Because hot dogs aren't scary enough on their own.