Shugo Chara

This week I've been watching Shugo Chara, a pink shoujo anime filled with heart-beam battles that surprisingly captured me into its fandom (perhaps Ikuto had a part to play in this...). The anime is at CrunchyRoll and its manga scanlations is OneManaga, and there are good points for both mediums. The manga has a faster pace with wonderful art, is less pink, and has more smutty scenes. The anime molds the manga scenes differently, and though it has filler eps and lots and lots of pinkness and tones down sexual hints for a younger audience, it's great to see Shugo Chara alive on screen.

As the manga and anime series are both ongoing and the scanlations are a few volumes behind, and I've already burned through everything I could find, I next read some spoilers. It's not uncommon that I wish my Japanese is much better than it is, but to be faced with the newest possible ch filled with Amu x Ikuto is so, so exciting and cruel.

Van has competition as my favorite bishi...

For the lack of other interesting things to talk about, you get to learn about my knitting again.



Following sock pattern “7 stitches to the inch” from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd, and doing the Thuja stitch pattern from Knitty.

CO 64 sts.
8 rows 1k1p rib
thuja pattern 35? rows for leg (8.5cm long).
foot thuja pattern for instep _ rows.

I started two days ago. Today's progress: A few more rows to finish the heel on the first sock. (1) Again, omitted the “knit _, turn, and p _ on one needle” instructions in Getting Started Knitting Socks. I didn’t see them in the first two socks, and this time because I don’t work with stitch markers and it’s easier to just keep track of rounds with the original cast-on yarn tail. (2) Definitely glad I picked Thuja pattern for this yarn and recipient–it’s turning out to be a gentlemanly sock.

I am itching to purchase items again--though I should probably lay off more yarn buying and the next sock book purchase until I finish my stash and the nice free patterns. (The other thing I want to buy is a larger Le Creuset, but seriously when am I going to make food for that many people and I barely cook real food anymore.)


Oh yeah, I'm looking up lots of journal articles for analysis of tocilizumab for the treatment of multicentric Castleman's disease, and also for our proposal to study abdominal radiation long term effects--but this is also under the list of not interesting things to talk about.

I suppose one of the good side effects from knitting is that it prevents me from playing ffxi very much.

SWAT Team Kitties

I'm so making these kittens when the pattern arrives by email.


Sock pair #2 is done:


And now on sock pair #3, my brother's birthday socks (yes, those are cat hair; yes, I need to vacuum):


I've been watching Monster while I knit--at least until the next episode of House is up.

New Yarns

Sock again

Second sock: half done!



I keep redoing the beginning of socks--I always screw up the first three rows. At least this Manos yarn take up a lot of abuse, and I'm getting lots of practice at doing the beginning over and over again. I ordered some Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock yarns tonight. Its colors are so pretty and well, it was on sale. My brother likes to say that my mom and I will buy anything with even a dollar off--untrue, but it does tempt me to buy now instead of later. I wonder if sales are similar to the psychology of free items.

Strangely, I find myself now engrossed in knitting. I'm embarrassed and disappointed about putting my fanfiction project on hold--but I only have so much time each day beyond work and daily living--and I'm still interested in finding a research project. Time to time each day I'll still get ideas about DS and play with words and sentence constructions and atmosphere in my mind, but these only serve to nag me. I'm becoming lazier.

Speaking of lazy, I really must erg again tomorrow.

Starting Again

The start of new socks in Manos del Uruguay silk blend, color #3109, that was in a previous post:

A pair!

They don't quite match and I totally messed the toes up, but still, first pair of socks and they feel wonderful! :D (Crystal Place Fjord, in rose petal--since these are ankle socks, it only took about 1-1/4 balls.)



Now I just have to step carefully to avoid slipping all the time...and of course, a second pair.