Hello!? Is anybody there?

January 27, 2005 By

[crackle crackle static crackle] Hey, can you hear that? [crackle static crackle crackle] I’m on gasp dial-up! That’s right – no cable in my town. At all. Anymore. [crackle crackle static] They say it will be fixed soon. [static crackle] Has anyone stopped laughing yet?

Have no fear, I managed to find 24 skeins of All Season’s Cotton in the lovely Tapestry color at Jimmy Bean’s Wool and Yarnia. At closeout prices to boot. I also picked up both a Bouton D’Or and an Anny Blatt layette book for the new baby, who will be stylin’.

If you do nothing else today, please read Aharon Appelfeld’s editorial on the 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.

Okay. Back to the cave.

PS – This post cost me $468,359.87 on AOLs trumped up connection. See how much I love you?

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Waaaahhh! I wanna go baaack!

January 26, 2005 By

Or What I Knit On My Fantastic, Brief, Beautiful, Star-struck, Brief, WARM, Romantic, Wonderful, did I say brief? Vacation! Thank you Georgie Mou!

From left to right:

Front of Picot-Boo
It wasn’t started on the vacation, but it was finished there, so it counts!

Swatch for baby’s blanket
I tried out the All Season’s Cotton for my new niece or nephew’s blanket, and of course, I love it. Wouldn’t you know, the color, Tapestry (#172), a nice, pale, gender neutral yellow, is discontinued. I’m going to try to find enough of it in Internetyarnland. Not sure what I’m going to do with it – the pattern in stockinette is so soft and I think if I wash it will get even softer. A nice knit/purl stitch would be nice, but I don’t know. I think I might like a nice satiny border on it as well.

Key Biscayne Socks
Annie was right. I was being ambitious to think I’d come home with a pair, but I did almost finish ONE! I’m using Koigu on size 3 needles – the color is like a nice cabernet (very difficult to photograph though). The pattern I’m using is from Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns, fast becoming my bible. I have something like a hole, let’s call it a gap, where I picked up stitches at the heel, but otherwise I’m pretty pleased with it! It’s too loose around the calf and will probably slouch, but whatever. I have to finish the foot and the toe, but the hard part’s done.

Hey! Get a load of my super-fine manicure! I had fun hanging with the salon girls and getting all the gossip. Nice tan, huh? I’m trying to keep my lower calves, not to mention my toes, wrinkle free, dontcha know! Oh yeah, and are socks supposed to look like ribbed casts?

Back to the vacation…can I go back to the vacation?
It was really wonderful. The hotel was very, very, very nice.

And we saw Conan again, on our last day. In one of the most surreal experiences in my life, I read this Op-Ed article about Johnny Carson while sitting lunching by the pool. When I got to this line:

There is another thing that never came back: late-night television for grown-ups. I know, there’s Jay and Dave and Conan, and guys on cable, too. We were supposed to get excited a while ago that Conan O’Brien was being groomed for the big one. But no one cares now.

I looked up across the pool – and there was Conan. It was definitely very weird. Never did talk to him. He was busy with his family and I didn’t want to interrupt. I’ll catch him next time! 😉

If you want to see some pictures from the trip, keep reading…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Key Biscayne Socks, Miscellaneous, Picot-Boo

Tag! I’m it!

January 26, 2005 By

Mrs. Pilkington tagged me – and how can I refuse such an ambitious knitter with such an adorable Cocoa Pebbles?

1. Total amount of music files on your computer:
10.6 gb in the file called Music. But there’s other stuff hiding out – especially lots of Bruce bootleg files.

Most of the stuff is from the good ol’ Napster days. And then we had a hard drive melt down about a few weeks back and most of the stuff I ripped on my own is completely messed up. I don’t have the energy to re-rip, but it’s such a bummer. Basically, the song starts out good and then gets completely corrupted in the middle.

2. The last CD you bought was:
Two at the same time: Maroon 5, Songs About Jane and the self-titled album by Los Lonely Boys. Honestly, both are still in the wrapper.

[Actually, this may not be correct, but I’m not sure about the dates. I was out with Georgie and Melanie one night and we went to see our friend Gus play. His band played an amazing version of Superstition by Stevie Wonder (made even more amazing since they’re all super white boys and they were playing in a very Irish bar.) We just had to stop by Tower on the way home and pick up some SW Greatest Hits. It was a funkalicious ride home through the Lincoln Tunnel that night!]

3. What is the song you last listened to before reading this message?
Cake, “The Distance”

4. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

You’re kidding right? Five songs. Ridiculous. Okay. Here goes.

1. For You, by Bruce Springsteen. I chose this because Georgie and I have been fortunate to hear it every tour we’ve been to over the last ten years. Really. We don’t go every night of every tour (I’m mean we’re freaks, but we’re not FREAKS!) so I pick and choose the nights we go very carefully. It just so happens I’ve picked the night Bruce plays “For You” on a fairly regular basis. And every time we hear it, we both go crazy and hug each other really tight then remind ourselves to ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE SONG, then are breathless for a least three songs after. I have actually been known to cry. (Okay, maybe I am a FREAK – I generally cry throughout the first three songs regardless of what they are anyway.) I love this song, but it could easily be switched out with Prove It, The Fever, Drive All Night – the list of Bruce love songs is endless.

2. The Very Thought of You, Tony Bennett Version. For our anniversary, right after we moved into our new apartment about seven years ago, I bought the sheet music to this song, our song, and had it framed. It’s the only thing to adorn our bedroom walls.

3. Lovely Day by Bill Withers. This song, yet another song introduced to me by my beloved, DOES NOT EVER fail to put me in a better mood. I recommend it as a remedy to work-induced nausea. It should be the wake up call to the workers of the world!

[By the way, “For You” just popped up on I-Tunes! Fate or what? I ask you….]

4. I’ve Seen That Face Before/Libertango by Grace Jones
This entry says it all.

5. Bad Sneakers by Steely Dan. This was the song I played in college a gazillion million times – basically every time I thought I was going crazy. Can easily be interchanged with Nik Kershaw’s Wouldn’t It Be Good.

One more for good measure:
Best of My Love by The Emotions because it just came up on I-Tunes and I can’t help but dance around and think about how much I love my man! I’m sorry, I’m missing him today – coming home from vacation is hard.

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to? (3 persons) and why?

I’m going to choose three people I don’t know very well, but would like to get to know better.

1. Colleen
2. MJ
3. Carrie

Hopefully they’ll be happy about it! If not, please, please forgive me!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous

Late Night Stalking

January 22, 2005 By

OMG! We’re sitting on the beach watching a seagull drinking an icy, chocolaty alcoholic beverage (no lie – it was hysterical – well maybe not to the woman whose drink it was…. Do animals have addictions?) when Georgie says hey, that guy over there, that’s Conan O’Brien! Sure enough! He was covered head to toe and at first we thought he was going incognito but the guy is that palest person in history. He’s with his wife and baby girl and they’re staying on the floor above us. How do I know this? Well we just happened to run into them in the lobby and the gift shop and the elevator bank and the…. Coincidence, okay? I mean, we were in the gift shop FIRST.

I kept telling Georgie we needed to go talk to him, not because we like him so much, but because we could all become friends and he could introduce us to Max and then we’ve got our BRUCE connection. But no. I’m still hoping Triumph poops up somewhere….

Okay – got to shave my legs real quick before my pedicure while Georgie’s playing tennis.

(Obligatory knitting content – I’m five decreases in on the front of Picot-Boo. It’s going fast.)

Oh and too all you readers caught in the Blizzard, it’s fucking gorgeous here! Forgive me!

Filed Under: Picot-Boo

School Daze – Final Exam

January 21, 2005 By

(Read carefully! You WILL be tested.)

Okay, these are the things I learned from this project:

1. I have big, heavy boobs that need to be lifted by either a) a crane, b) a forklift, or c) a better, newer, steel re-inforced bra.

2. These aforementioned boobs fuck up everything when it comes to clothes. Unless you have the kind that are filled to the rim with silicone, they just don’t look good in clothes. Maybe if you’re wearing the also aforementioned steel re-inforced boob cage.

3. I need to learn shaping. The always enchanting Juno discussed this big boob problem not too long ago and I’m going to take heed if I ever (which I will) knit something for myself again – make that if I knit a pullover type thing for myself again.

4. I wouldn’t have this problem with a freaking cardigan.

5. I now know that I can put together my own pattern and make adjustments as I go along and everything will come out right. The thing is, even though the vest isn’t the most flattering article of clothing I’ve ever worn, IT CAME OUT EXACTLY AS I’D IMAGINED IT! That, in and of itself, I count as a major, major accomplishment. Don’t get me wrong – I’ll wear it. I’m wearing it right now as a matter of fact, but I will feel fat in it. I just will.

[Big, huge, bigger than huge thanks go out to Ms. Budd and those fine folks over at the Harmony Guides – couldn’t have done it without you!]

6. I should’ve made the shoulders shorter. I panicked when I made the back because the collar seemed so small, but the neckband fixes that. I should’ve bound off a couple more stitches and the shoulders would be perfect.

[Add to this what I learned yesterday – NO STAIR STEP BIND OFFS! Got it? Good.]

7. I should’ve made it about an inch smaller around the body. I feared, as I was knitting, that it would be too big, and it is. Not as big as I thought it might be, but just a tad too big. It makes me look like I have a roll of fat around the middle. Remember what Righetti says! Knits STRETCH! You CAN go smaller than you think!

8. I don’t like taking pictures of myself. It’s hard. Especially since I’m used to having some control over the photograph I get. I don’t like tripods. I don’t like timers. but here are the pictures anyway:

See the pseudo roll of fat in the picture with the pink shirt? I can assure you this is all sweater. Sure, I need to lose anywhere between 15 and 20 lbs., but please take into consideration the gigantour boobs. They make you look fat! Besides, I’m PMS. And I am still quite nicely within the CDC guidelines for obesity thank you very much. Isn’t my neck lovely? It’s one of my favorite parts of my body.

9. The Manos is nice. I might knit with it again. The vest took about 4 1/2 skeins. Probably a little less.

10. I can’t wait to get started on my next design! It’s going to be a sweater for my father!

Okay! Next up…socks! We’re going to Key Biscayne for a long weekend and my goal is to figure out my new camera and come home with a pair of socks! Oh and finish The Plot Against America. Wish me luck!

Filed Under: School Daze

Flower Basket

January 19, 2005 By

Picked up the new VK yesterday and this caught my eye….

And wouldn’t you know it, while I was surfing the blogs today I found this:

So I joined up! The Tahki is really expensive so I’m thinking I’m going to go with Cascade Magnum. I just love this bag. It’s so not me, but I think it would make a nice yarn bag or something as decoration, not necessarily as a bag per se.

School Daze is coming along better than I ever expected. It looks EXACTLY like I wanted it to. Neckband’s done. One armband is done, but needs to be ripped a couple of rows – I think it’s too wide, next armband, seams and …. expect a picture on Friday.

* * * * *

I’m ready. Are you?

Filed Under: Flower Basket, Protest, School Daze

Taking Back Our Home

January 18, 2005 By

This weekend was all about taking back our home. It’s kind of falling apart (on the inside and out – we live in a high-rise and the Board has informed us the building needs about $15 million worth of work – who’s going to pay for that you ask?) but we’re trying to get it back in baby steps.

Last week we had the plumber in – $600 later we have a non-leaking kitchen sink and all three toilets flush, leak free! Yeah for working plumbing! (You may question why we need three toilets if there are only two of in the house. Options, dahling, options.)

So, now that that’s out of the way, we can clean things up. The place is a sty. I bought a Swiffer WetJet and I love it, except Georgie (who likes to give goofy names to everything) keeps calling it the Swift Boat thinga-ma-jig. I need to be reminded of that every five minutes for sure! The good thing is my floors might actually be semi-clean now. I love the little scrubby thing on the side too.

Georgie sealed up the windows in the bedrooms so our house is nice and toasty now that it’s freezing! And I finally organized my stash! I gave up on the cedar chest – too much money, not enough space – and went with some plastic bins that fit in the closet perfectly. And my stash pretty much fit in one of the bins so I have an emtpy one to fill. I also bought a lovely leather basket type thing at Crate & Barrel the other day – it was marked down a lot – for storing my current projects. I figure I can tote it around if need be, but it will probably sit next to me by the couch. Here’s a picture of it filled with Jo Sharp stash!

It’s actually not completely filled with Jo Sharp –
my project bags take up most of the basket and the Jo Sharp
accents the top. For a more pleasing picture.

Georgie made a lovely pasta bolognese the other night and for dessert – my own molten chocolate cake! He bought the mix and the ramekins from Williams & Sonoma and made it himself. It was fantastic. We may never go out to eat again.

ETA: Annie asked for a recipe. There is none! It’s a kit. They send you the chocolate drops and the cake mix and you melt the chocolate and add water and butter to the mix (two sticks of butter!) then add the chocolate to the mix. Once it’s all together, put it into the little ramekins and bake for 12-15 minutes. That’s it! So easy and unbelievably good. It makes about 8-12 cakes. We made four and put the rest of the batter in the frig. The next day I scooped out the cold mix into the ramekins, baked it, and it was just as good as fresh. The mix came from Williams & Sonoma.

While School Daze was blocking, I managed to finish the back and start the front of Picot-Boo. I’m still completely in love with this yarn.

This picture was taken with my new 50mm f1.4 lens,
which has an extremely narrow depth of field (that’s why so much of it is blurry.)
I thought the picture was interesting.

What I learned in school…

Never do a stair-step bind off on the shoulders (or anywhere for the matter!) What a pain in the ass. I started to seam the shoulders for School Daze last night – it blocked beautifully – and met with all kinds of problems. After consulting my books (they all said don’t do it – thanks!) and finding this very, very helpful web page, I think my seams look just fine thank you!

Like the rug underneath the knit? It’s Bonne Marie’s idea.

I figure if her blocking method works so well, might as well have the rug too!
As an extra bonus, it matches our decor too!

What else? Class went well on Thursday. Cassie sums up the teaching experience pretty well in her post today. It’s performance art all the way! I have fourteen people in the class and already I can tell the difference between Fiction I and Fiction II – in F1 they’re feeling their way – I want to write, but maybe I don’t have what it takes. In F2, they are there for the long haul. So it’s all good.

My new camera came as well. But I haven’t really played with it yet – I’m waiting for our trip this weekend to beautiful sunny Miami (fingers crossed for the weather.)

Have a great day!

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Picot-Boo, School Daze, Stash

Knitblogs Protest!

January 17, 2005 By

January 20th. Knitblogs everywhere. Protest the unbelievable decadence of the Inauguration in this time of tragedy and war. As seen on Kerstin’s blog.

I’m in. Are you?

Filed Under: Uncategorized

School Daze – Update

January 16, 2005 By

The front is finished! I’m thrilled with how the cable split for the v-neck, and really all because my math was screwed up. I’m still not sure how it all worked out – suffice it say I’m not positive that 1+1 really does equal 2, but I don’t care, because it worked.

Here are a couple of pictures:

It’s blocking as we speak, using my very favorite method. I’m thinking a few rows of 2×2 rib for the arms and the neck and finito! I doubt I’ll have it done for class on Thursday, but you can bet I’ll wear it the following week. And an A to any student who asks if I made it myself. (Of course, it’s continuing ed, so they don’t get grades….)

Thanks to all who answered my guilty pleasure question. It made me think a lot, which is always a good thing. I’ve decided that as long as we’re not killing any people, it’s all good. They have yet to prove TV can actually kill (or have they?)

Filed Under: School Daze

Not Guilty Enough!

January 13, 2005 By

Thanks everybody for commenting on my Fess Up entry. It seems a lot of you claim reality TV as your guilty pleasure. Why? What makes you guilty over it? Because it basically traffics in the humiliation of others? Or because you consider it wasting time? I waste time all day long on TV – I’ve been watching Days of Our Lives and General Hospital for as long as I can remember. I’ve literally spent hours on end watching The Nanny! But they don’t make me feel guilty – stupid, yes.

I feel guilty watching 24 because it goes against a lot of what I stand for – it promotes racism and stereotyping. It romanticizes extreme violence and lawlessness (all within the confines of a government agency – hmmm, sound familiar?). By watching it I’m inadvertently supporting a media outlet, conglomerate really, that I despise and do my best to avoid. Hence the guilt.

I’m sorry Wendy (and please, I don’t mean to single you out, but I have to! 😉 ) but I don’t understand. What can be bad about watching Fiddler on the Roof? Why would you feel guilty?

I guess what I’m trying to say is that by guilty I meant something much more sinister than bad TV. Because we all know that many times the worst TV can easily be the best.

So I invite you all to try again – or elaborate. Please. I’m enjoying thinking about this.

School Daze

Well, class starts tonight and it’s full! I don’t have a thing to wear! I had to rip out a bunch of rows yesterday, but all is right now. That Manos can stick though. It’s like it felts from the heat of my fingertips. I’m pretty sure I’ll finish it this weekend – at least the front, if not the whole thing. It’s going really fast.

I have to go prepare for teaching. I’m not looking forward to it – I have to talk a lot tonight and my cough is getting the better of me. Didn’t I mention? The rugrats got me sick AGAIN!

Wish me luck!

Filed Under: School Daze
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