January One -- Purple Stripes

June 09, 2005

This little piggy

went to the market,
This little piggy stayed home,
This little piggy had roast beef,
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went...
"Wee wee wee" all the way home...

TO JUMP IN HER NEW SOCKS!!!!!

Yarn: Regia Cotton Surf - color no. 5410
Needles: Addi #1s, 16" and 24"

Start to finish 11 days. A pair of socks. I'm so, so proud. I'd like to thank Meredith, because without seeing her superfantastic socks I wouldn't have gotten off my ass to figure out how to use two circulars. Seriously. I took one look at her purple pair and ordered the yarn straight up. I'd also like to thank the kind person who put together these pages: Socks on Two Circulars and Sock Tips. Oh and this video for figuring out kitchener stitch. And, of course, all you people out in blogland who kept talking about socks, socks, socks and I was all like yeah whatever. OH MY GOD! I love them!!!! (And G thinks I'm a genius once again!)

The two circular thing really saved me. Honestly. I tried to do socks on dpns - I got as far as turning the heel and starting the foot then promptly lost a dpn. I will now knit every sock on two circulars. I can't wait to start my next pair! I'm going to do the retro rib from IK in a super cool retro Koigu color. I started to cast on last night but got too tired. Today for sure.

And because I'm feeling so, so happy, I offer you a rose....

When I saw this yesterday, I immediately thought of Claudia.

I'm not sure if the majority of people will read this - Schmucklines hasn't updated my most popular feed since around noon on Tuesday and I've posted about 491 times since then. But I don't care - I MADE A PAIR OF SOCKS!

Posted by Cara at 09:30 AM | Comments (50)

June 06, 2005

I shaved my legs for THAT?!?

Warning - this one's long!

In the end, the afternoon was redeemed by not one but TWO knitbloggers, but seriously, there were some moments when I was like what the fuck?

Yesterday was the opening of the BBG show - I have two photographs in it. A little background - the organization is the Professional Women Photographers group in NYC - I only just joined. I have never been to a meeting. I know only one person who belongs (I joined on her recommendation). So I'm a nobody where this group is concerned. This show is really my one and only association with them.

That said, everyone else's photographs hung together and my two were hung on completely opposite sides of the room. I mean besides the fact that they were the ONLY TWO matted in black, there's no way you'd know they were by the same artist. Why? I'm guessing because they needed to fill a couple of spaces and had no idea who I was so they chose to split them up. Everyone else's work appeared together.

Okay. They didn't say anything about white mattes or colors. I've always matted my photographs in black. Apparently I didn't get the memo. (I guess they do stand out.) One picture was hung right by the exit. You know. The loser outpost. Fine. No biggie. Someone expressed great interest in it though - so we'll see how that pans out. It would be the best revenge honestly.

I was feeling really awful for a little bit. After killing myself to get there in time (I thought it started at 3 - it started at 1), leaving super early from Philly, rushing to get G from the airport, I was more than a little disappointed when I got there.

So I sent G out to get something to eat and some sun and I sat down and pulled out some knitting. A woman sitting nearby came over to talk to me. She pulled out her own knitting, a scarf on size 19 needles, and asked if I was making a sweater. I said no, a sock and pulled out it's finished mate (more on that later.) She asked if I usually made sweaters. I said yes, I've made a few. She said she hadn't tried one. I told her I liked to challenge myself with my knitting, but that sweaters weren't that hard. She asked me if I had ever knit with fun fur, because it was certainly a challenge.

Confession time. (Remember, I'm sitting there feeling pretty dejected about my skills as a photographer and whether I'm really an artist and feeling disrespected by the committee and such.) I have to tell you, I felt the most overwhelming sense of superiority. FUN FUR?! Challenging? Yeah. Keeping it from bursting into flames IS quite the challenge. It made me feel so GOOD! Isn't that so awful? I'm a terrible person. The woman meant well and I really should've thanked her for helping me out of my funk.

I'm pretty sure I politely said, "No. I've never knit with Fun Fur." I don't think I laughed, but she never said anything else to me.

The day was soon further rescued out of the depths of self-pity by Cassie and her family! Cassie was so sweet to walk the gallery with me and encouragingly nod her head every time I lambasted another photograph (you know that old trick, knock em down as a pick me up.) And her husband generously commented that he liked my black mattes! And her daughter was equally horrified by some out of focus "arty" photos. Thank you Too Much Wool Family!

Then Mrs. Pilkington appeared! I've been wanting to meet Mrs. P forever and she wasn't alone. Mr. P was there along with Cocoa Pebbles - who is in the running for cutest girl alive (she's got some stiff competition from my niece though.) Mrs. P did some much needed reconnaissance on some potential clients and admired my knitting and confirmed my feelings that I was in fact being dissed by the committee. We will definitely be getting together again!

Thank you both for coming. Georgie did offer to rough up the committee chair - but he was dead tired and wasn't in the mood for a fight - no matter what he said. You girls did the trick! Thank you!

Enough already. Are you still here? God you guys are the best.

[ETA: I should be honest - the show is really nice. There are many, many beautiful photographs and if you're in the neighborhood, totally stop by!]

The birthday party was great. My niece had THE MOST FUN EVER! She was smiley and happy and laughing and loved the food, loved her cake, loved her presents. She made it all worth it.

This is all I got, picture-wise. I was too busy helping with the party. I never even took pictures of the baby - who my brother dubbed Chubsicle - he's so fat - but in a good breast-fed chubby cheek healthy kind of way! And he loves to smile. Really he just grins away with his cute dimples and he even sort of laughs. Such a sweetie pie! And nephew #1 was sweet and crazy as ever. Did I tell you that the other day one of his teachers was wearing a sweater (my sister said it was kind of an open, webby type thing) and he asked her if she had knit it? She told him no and he asked, well who knit it for you? Gotta love that boy!

A huge thank you to all the comments on the birthday girl's post - my sister had a good time reading all the comments.

Even with all the party craziness, I managed to finish this:

Check out that TOE!

I immediately (we're talking 1AM) cast on for the second sock. And then ripped it the next day. Cast on, knit, rip, cast on, knit, rip. It's finally coming along.

Right now it looks like the stripes are matching up - we'll see how that goes.

Of course, I'm loving this sock thing. How come you never told me they were so much fun?! ;-) Cassie's got her own fabulous pair up today. Thank god I bought all that sock yarn!

Have a good one. I need to eat ate. A salad. And I totally agree with Carolyn. It's all about the dressing.

Posted by Cara at 01:59 PM | Comments (24)

June 01, 2005

Fits and Starts.

Rip, rinse, repeat.

But that's okay. Cause I'm in training. Practice, practice, practice.

The Great Enabler helped me get in touch with my adopted heritage with lunch. (Georgie was really jealous.) And did you think I could walk away empty handed?

DK Cashcotton and Koigu

It was weird - I felt like I hadn't bought yarn in forever. That stuff really IS crack. In Cassie's defense, she talked me out of the other Koigu, which, of course, I can't stop thinking about.

I'm crazy busy today - I have to frame two photographs and get them into the city by 2 - think I can do it? We're about to find out.

Posted by Cara at 09:04 AM | Comments (13)

May 31, 2005

My Lost [Knit] Weekend

My weekend was eh.

Don't get me wrong, it has some really good moments - mainly good food moments, but otherwise - not so good. You see, Summer is my LEAST favorite season. I've never liked it. Never. Goes back to being bored and waiting desperately for school. I also hate to be hot - at least in the buggy, muggy Mid-Atlantic kind of hot (drop me in a desert and I'm in heaven). Not that it was hot this weekend - but you know what I'm talking about. Also, I hate Summer because I become a Tennis/Pool widow. Some women lament football season. CursingMama competes with a bike. For me, it's tennis.

Part of me loves Summer in that G can be doing what he loves - he loves Tennis and he loves the sun. And because of the sad state of his body, he always has the feeling that this is the LAST SUMMER he'll be able to do what he loves. I would NEVER want to be the kind of person that keeps him from what he loves. NEVER.

But I get lonely. I'm by myself pretty much the entire week. In my little office working. Out taking pictures. Knitting. Don't get me wrong. I LIKE to be alone. But I can't wait for G to get home from work. Even just to have him in the house. And when Summer comes, it's like I'm alone all week, and then I'm alone all weekend.

So, what better to celebrate than to throw a little tantrum on the first official weekend of Summer? There were tears, there were recrimations, there were apologies. I was so pissed off at myself, really, that I scrubbed the stove top (it was disgusting), cleaned the microwave (not as disgusting as the stove top, but close), mopped and swept the kitchen floor (sticky AND disgusting), mopped and swept two of the three bathroom floors (more dusty than anything else.) Who says mental anguish can't be good for the soul? Or at least the house?

The rest of the day I spent in bed, mad that the TV in the living room was taping FUCKING TENNIS and watched seven consecutive hours of Band of Brothers. It was pretty good and I knit past two decrease sections on Clap-o-TEE. There was no way I wasn't going to finish it this weekend.

Georgie redeemed himself by making me the best lamb chops either of us have ever had. He was SO proud of himself all weekend! They were amazing really - all he did was marinate them in Balsamic Vinegar and some meat rub and throw them on the bbq. He grilled them to perfection.

Then we watched some 24 (we finished the season - more on that tomorrow) and I started dropping stitches on the Clap. GASP! Something went really wrong somewhere on one of the dropped stitches. Suffice it to say the next morning (I could barely sleep thinking about it) I was up at 7AM ripping out all that I had knit the day before (remember 7 hours in front of the TV!) and then some. Can you say broken heart? I got it all out and managed to knit it all back the same day. How come even though you're decreasing stitches, the end doesn't seem to go any faster than the any other part of the project? I finished it last night (well, I need to weave in the ends and drop a few more stitches) watching Empire Falls at around 2AM. It looks good - pictures later.

I also knit this:

Twice.

The first time, it was looking pretty good and I was getting to a really crucial part when I decided to check for size. Too small. There were also a couple areas that could've used some improvement, so I ripped it all out and started over. I'm happier with it now, so that's good, but my whole weekend started to feel like Groundhog Day. Destined to knit the same shit over and over.

I'm just glad it's over.

PS - Donna asked if I jumped in the 50 degree pool I posted a picture of on Friday. No, Donna, I don't do 50 degrees, but the pool was the highlight of the weekend. It was funny as shit to hear people jump in and immediately start screaming about the cold. I'm not kidding. And you know a pool is cold when the kids can't handle it. Georgie said it was crazy cold (and this is a guy that swims in the Atlantic Ocean in October without a wet suit). Even he was questioning his sanity.

Posted by Cara at 08:49 AM | Comments (13)