Weekend, Samurai Champloo, knitting, withdrawal

[telophase]

1. Toby's going out of town for the weekend to meet up and game with friends. I have the choice of driving all the way across town to watch a bunch of AMVs with my friends for judging for the AMV contest for an upcoming con, or staying home, eating popcorn and Tuna Helper, and watching HGTV until my eyeballs fall out.

This is a surprisingly difficult choice.

2. Toby and I have been watching Samurai Champloo via streaming on Netflix. We've just finished the episode where Mugen ends up fighting that guy who went to China and learned a deadly technique, then came back to Japan and got ticked off that nobody thought he was totes awesome.

This is my second time through SC and Toby's first. I've got a question about it, since it's been about six years or so since I watched it the first time, but I'll put it in another post so Toby can easily skip it. Feel free to squee non-spoilery in the comments here.

Next anime to watch after this (and to watch as we're on the bikes, once we get the TV set up in the bedroom): Fullmetal Alchemist, which Toby has not seen, and which I want to rewatch before starting on Brotherhood.

3. So, knitters on my f-list, if I choose option B in the first item in this post, and sit at home watching HGTV and using YouTube to teach myself simple knitting to make plant pockets (we've got an aloe named Stumpy that's serious outgrown its pot and needs to be broken up and repotted, and this seems like a nifty way to do it), what sort of yarn and needles am I looking for? Special snowflake details: the yarn needs to be acrylic or possibly wool (see comment in that post re: wool) so it doesn't rot and retains some moisture, and I need to be able to obtain them at a Michael's or Hobby Lobby, because I am not driving all the way over to the specialized knitting store in Arlington this weekend.

4. Failed to take my meds yesterday, and though I've taken them today, I'm still dealing with withdrawal symptoms now and for a while until they kick in. You know that way your head gets when you're really sleepy and trying to stay up and there's a kind of wave that goes through your head every so often? (Or is that just me? Don't know how else to describe it.) That's what I've got right now. Cannot wait for it to stop.

Will stop this post right now and go make the Champloo one I promised earlier.

Comments

[movingfinger]

Red Heart, as the OP used, is fine, it's cheap and widely available.

I agree about the acrylic, too.

The instructions look fine. Size 8 needles are big, so on the one hand they will feel clunky but on the other it will be easy to see what you are doing. They need to be long enough to hold the knitting, of course---so you look at the gage on your yarn and figure out how big what you're knitting will be, then get needles that allow you to work with that. There is some smoosh at the top but you don't want it to be too pushed together or you'll have trouble picking up stitches.

Choose your colors better than the OP did. Those neon ombre yarns overpower the plants. Pot/container colors can contrast with the plants, but they should enhance the color of the foliage, not scream it down.

Aloes, at least mine, are big and heavy, and I am unsure about plant pockets for large heavy plants. I have seen them at the various garden centers pushing this trend (I still do not know WHY), and it looks best when you have a mass of plants, not just individual ones. The ones shown are all cute little six-pack-sized ones. That said, one pocket to either side of a doorway could work well. Remember it is going to weigh a lot when wet, so have a hanging strategy in mind. It's also going to make the surface behind it wet, so consider which wall or fence it goes on---it would be a shame to end up with paint damage or a rot spot.

Good luck!

Yes, the wave of sleep. It feels like a succession of neurons blacking out ("I'm done! G'night, Fred!")

[loligo]

So, with anime on Netflix instant, what language are most of them in? Is there any way to change it? So far I've only tried one episode of Naruto (Japanese w/subtitles) and one ep of FMA:Brotherhood (English, which was just SO WRONG). I am not going to listen to Edward Elric in English! I don't want to get excited about all these series that I could potentially watch, just to be disappointed by the audio track....

[telophase]

I think they're in English, and I haven't noticed any way to change it, although Toby's been in charge of the remote for the SC viewings. (And although I prefer subs, Toby's a slower reader than I and subs drive him nuts because he misses stuff, so we go for dubs when he's watching.)

ETA This Netflix blog entry talks about how they're aiming for 80% of content to have subtitles, and where the button to change it is when it has that option.

[rurounitriv.livejournal.com]

I'm not much of a knitter, but you can get the Red Heart they mention pretty much anywhere that sells yarn IIRC - including Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and possibly Wal-Mart if you have one in your area that hasn't totally gutted the crafts section.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

You want size 8 bamboo needles that are straight. They look like sticks. You can also use plastic needles that look like sticks, again size 8, or metal, but I favor bamboo because it plays better with acrylic yarn and is easier on hands. Most hobby/craft stores should sell them. Clover is a popular brand.

For yarn, Red Heart is just fine. Most places sell it. If you don't like the colors, Lion Brand Vanna's Choice is a good substitute, as is Lion Brand Wool-Ease (regular size, not 'thick and quick'). They're all basic acrylic yarns (Wool ease has a dash of wool in it, but not much).

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

What Vom said. Wal-Mart sells Red Heart Super Saver (that's the weight you want, 'worsted', and hobby/sewing/craft stores sell Vanna's Choice. I'm fond of Caron Simply Soft, which is the same weight, but I find it a bit easier on the hands.

[fuchsoid.livejournal.com]

I'm very taken with the idea of the plant pockets. Would they work in yarn made from plastic carrier bags, I wonder?

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they would, if you could knit/crochet tightly enough to hold a bit of dirt in.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

I have grown ferns in wall crevices and niches without fancy pockets---I used two layers of mesh (onion-bag mesh, or finer) from vegetable packaging, a compost-heavy mix, and indirect misting or trickling drip for watering.

Lining a looser-woven or loose-knit plant pocket with such mesh and using a non-sandy potting mix---sand just washes out too readily---should work. With all plant pockets of this kind, I would expect to need to top up the potting soil periodically.

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

That's awesome.