Dear Prudence….

July 19, 2005 By

As I mentioned yesterday, MJ and I met at her LYS, Wildfiber. (Be sure to check out her post about it – her pictures are better than mine. Well, all except the one Georgie took of the two of us with her camera. But, in his defence, he did a better job with ours.) The store was/is an explosion of color – warm and inviting, lots of wonderful light. Places to sit and my god, the yarns! Everything you could ever want in an LYS. I’m still jealous!

As we were walking around the store, I came across this AMAZING item – I’m not sure what you would call the shape – but it’s FREEFORM at it’s best!

I’m not sure pictures can do the work justice. It’s crochet and knitting combined – and each piece is built upon the next creating a canvas of texture and color. As we walked further around the store, we came to the back classroom area and discovered more of this amazing artist’s work:

Some of the pieces are garments – well – they might all be garments. I tried on the long purple/yellow coat and to be honest, it’s about as far from practical as you can get – extremely heavy and itchy, but my god – WHAT GLORIOUS COLOR! This artist’s work is a Gustav Klimt painting come to life!

I don’t even remember the question I asked, but I asked a woman standing behind the table about the artist, and the woman ended up to be the artist herself! Prudence Mapstone. This Australian artist told us she got started with freeform when her carpal tunnel got so bad she couldn’t knit big pieces anymore – too heavy. So she started playing around with little pieces that she sewed together to make bigger pieces. And so on and so on. Prudence uses any kind of yarn she can find – natural fibers, synthetic fibers, novelty yarns – generally sticking to a specific color palette for her projects. I was so inspired I bought both her books and some notecards with close-ups of her work!

What’s really wonderful about the work is that it will go wherever your imagination can take you! Every stitch pattern – knit or crochet – is open as a possibility. I love the idea of this – truly I do and am going to try my hardest to figure out the lovely bullion stitch. What a great way to play with all the odd balls of yarn we have around!

Anyway, I encourage you all to visit the galleries on Prudence’s website. Her work MUST NOT be missed.

~+~+~+~+~

Okay. I’m not blaming any one person in particular – I’m blaming you all equally – but I had some crazy ass head-spinning dreams last night about this and this and maybe some of this.

STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!

I told G I might have a problem and showed him some of this stuff and told him if I got one of these and some of this I could make my own yarn like this. (Is that not EXQUISITE!!!) He looked at me with his drop-dead gorgeous puppy dog eyes and said, “Is that something you’d be interested in?” like totally all supporting me and stuff and I yelled, at the top of my lungs (in my head of course) HOW, I repeat HOW ON THIS EARTH DID I GET SO LUCKY? [ETA: Yes, well, Ann might be correct, but I’d prefer to think my sparkling personality has at least a LITTLE to do with it….]

But, really, leave me alone! All of you!

[ETA: Just say, and I’m just saying here, I saw something on ebay I might want to buy – what’s the etiquette for auctions? There’s a seller and one person has the only bid on a bunch of stuff. I feel kind of bad bidding over her – am I allowed to do that? What’s the knitting/web protocol here? You know what? Don’t even tell me. I need this like I need ANOTHER hole in my head. Oy gavolt!]

For Claudia:


The Bee and The Dahlia

Last but not least, Annie is putting together an Afghan project in memory of Kerstin‘s brother-in-law. I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but he died, along with two of his friends, in one of the most horrific traffic accidents I’ve ever heard about. It’s stunningly sad. A square is the absolute least we can do. Thank you.

Filed Under: Inspiration, Photographs

I’ll LOVE You With All the Madness In My Soul!*

July 5, 2005 By

OH MY GOD! You guys are incredible. I’m LOVING all the LOVE SONGS! What fun I had this weekend. Seriously – some I haven’t thought of in a while – some I just adore – some I need to try out. So great. But without further ado, the winner of The Summer of HATE LOVE LACE contest is:

KRISTIN

She chose Let’s Stay Together by Al Green as her favorite love song. Great pick Kristin! (I’m also quite partial to You Ought To Be With Me – a great one by Al Green if you’ve never heard it!) Congratulations Kristin! Send me your address and the Zephyr (plus some sheepy and flower cards) is in the mail!

I’d love to send a couple of other PhotoArtCard packages out too – first to Louise, who was the 1776th comment on my blog (she chose Blue Velvet as her lovesong)! It seems fitting that she should get a prize this Fourth of July weekend. Sheepy cards for you! And also for Anne, who chose Silhouettes On the Shade. (Click on the link to HEAR this great song!) Unbeknownst to Anne, that is one of my all time favorite songs. My daddy sang that to us when we were little – all the time! When I told my sister someone had put it on the blog, she said, well you have to send them something! My dad came to visit this weekend too and he got a good laugh out of it as well. Thanks Anne! Sheepy cards for you! (PS – Do you know your domain isn’t working? Hope you get it fixed soon!)

Thanks everyone for playing. I’m going to open the comments back up – so feel free to keep adding your love songs. I thought of a couple more I love: As by Stevie Wonder and Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Dancing in the Moonlight by Thin Lizzy. UGH! I could go on and on and on and on! I LOVE me a GOOD LOVE SONG!

The weekend was crazy – as expected. There was some of this:


The Carousel at Van Saun Park

And some of this:


Blankie/Pacie, Uncle Georgie’s shades and my Dora bikini!
Ah! This is the life!

And A LOT of this:


Chunkilicious Laughing it UP!

Today we had this:

And let me tell you, them leaving me is a HELL of a lot harder than my leaving them! I was so sad I may have shed a tear or two. Sure my house has been turned upside down! Sure I’ve got a ton of laundry to do! Sure I didn’t touch the knitting AT ALL since Thursday (I think I’ve been knitting in my sleep though!) But what’s better than little Charlotte walking around saying “Cara’s house! We’re at Cara’s house!” Or Max and Georgie swimming together and just hanging out. Or Baby Eli, so, so deliciously fat laughing and laughing and laughing! Nothing. There’s nothing better. My house is suddenly very, very quiet. I will be happy when G comes home tonight – I have missed him. Not much quiet time with three kids wreaking delightful havoc!

I’ve got to get a job out – so I have to dash. And I still need to get through two repeats and the border on the FBS. I’m dying to start my SockaPal2Za socks as well. Thank you again for all your comments and especially all the compliments on FBS. Can’t wait to show you a finished project!

Have a great back to real life day. I’m not sure I’m ready for it!
L, C

* Possibly my favorite Bruce lyric EVER. From Born to Run. Definitely a LOVE SONG!

Filed Under: Contest, Kids, Photographs

Fourteen

June 30, 2005 By

Flower Basket repeats done,
Fourteen Flower Basket repeats.

If a yarn over should happen to fall,
Thirteen Flower Basket repeats done!

That should sum it all up for you. Time spent: two hours (give or take a little) knitting ten rows. Two hours frogging two. Lace is a bitch – especially when you’re a bonehead like me. I managed to work my way back and have started the fifteenth repeat (which I think is actually the fourteenth repeat to be honest. When I’m done this repeat section I’ll have fifteen baskets.) I went to bed late. But I’ve already done a purl row this morning. I like to leave it by doing the first row of the next repeat so I can pick it up on a purl row. It’s like doing exercises at the piano – get my fingers all limber.

But the shawl is really taking shape. I was noticing all kinds of interesting things about it’s construction last night. Now that I’m almost finished, I’m finally SEEING the pattern. Have I mentioned that I love Evelyn Clark? I can’t wait to start my sock pal socks. This weekend for sure. Or next week. Depending on the kids.

Speaking of kids, I got all my work done yesterday. The photos are off to the printer and all I have to do today is clean! My bathroom’s in desperate need and the kids will need baths, so I’ve got to do that. Also, I have some errands to run before they get here tomorrow. And I’m on call in case my sister decides she wants company for the ride. Usually I take the train down and ride back up here with her, but she thinks she’s okay. So we’ll see. Better for me because I’ve got tons to do before they arrive.

I hope I wasn’t being too pedantic yesterday with my photography blatherings. I am a firm believer in “if I can do it, you can do it!” I thought as proof I’d show you some progress I’ve made over the years. My family gave me a digital camera for my 30th birthday – five and a half years ago. I had been interested in photography as a teenager – my parents gave me darkroom equipment for my bat mitzvah gift. It was never, ever used (and I really wanted the initial ring everybody else was getting.) The camera was a Kodak with 2.5 megapixels and I basically documented the first year of my nephew’s life with it. On his first birthday, I upgraded to my Sony DSC-F707 and I was off.

Almost every year we go to La Quinta. One year (I think 2001) while Georgie was playing tennis, I thought, why not take some pictures of the gorgeous flowers they have all over the property. BINGO! I was hooked. Every year we’d go back and I’d spend more and more time taking flower pictures. And every year they’d get better:


April, 2002 – Sony DSC-F707


May, 2003 – Sony DSC-F707


July, 2003 – Canon 10D

Over the years, I’ve taken (literally) thousands and thousands of pictures. Tens of thousands. With all of my cameras. (In fact, the shutter died on the Canon 10D after two years. They fixed it though.) I believe in practice makes perfect. 😉

I also thought I’d show you a before and after “developing” job. I like to underexpose my pictures a little so I can lighten them myself. Especially when I’m using a flash – it takes away the harsh flash light quite nicely. Anyway, here’s the same lily from above – before and after.


Before


After

The before picture is completely untouched except for resizing for the web.

I like to think I trained my eye to see things in a more pleasing composition. Don’t ever be afraid to get close! Macro lenses (and settings) are essential for this, but I think it gives a much better picture. Remember to look at the background – empty space can be your friend, but not when it’s cluttered and distracting. Most of all, experiment. There are many, many days when I go out to take pictures and get nothing. There are also days and when I go out, come back in and look, go back, look, go back until I get what I want.

Photographing kids is a whole other animal. Just shoot until you and the kid fall down from exhaustion. Cross your fingers and hope for a good picture. 😉

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day.

Filed Under: Flower Basket Shawl, Photographs

Nothing. Nada. Nil.

June 29, 2005 By

I purled a right side row on FBS yesterday and didn’t realize it until I was half way through the lace pattern on the next wrong side row. Sometimes I even amaze myself. So I ripped that and managed to get half way through another repeat. This is taking WAY too long. I actually think I might be getting ~GASP~ bored a little. And for some reason I can’t imagine how this is going to block out bigger. 80% Cotton, 20% Wool – is that it? What I see is what I get? C’mon Carrie! Show me your blocked FBS! Inquiring minds want to know!

I’m still cranking out pictures. For a job. People don’t realize, but with the digital SLRs out on the market, the pictures DO NOT come out of the camera finished. (As opposed to a P&S where the pictures tend to be overprocessed, so you don’t have to!) The cameras are made so that the pictures come out of the box, if you will, needing work. That’s why they call it a DIGITAL DARKROOM. Did you know that the “look” Ansel Adams is so famous for came from the darkroom, not the camera? It’s all about dodging and burning and tweaking exposures – darkroom, darkroom, darkroom. So I “develop” every picture I take. Most of them not much – just a little brightening here and there – a little sharpening. But with the kids, I go through every picture. I’m a GENIUS at getting out snot, food, little scrapes – if a kid can get it on them – I can get it out. Hell, I’m even working on a father whose kid got chocolate all over his shirt. It’s tedious work sometimes, but I like it. It’s time consuming though – and I don’t have a lot of time. The kids are coming and once they get here, I won’t be able to do anything. Nothing. Nada. Nil. (Unless you count giggling and cuddling and playing and crying and not a lot of sleeping…you get the picture!) So the pictures HAVE to be done today. This is all just procrastination.

I’m asked all the time about what kind of camera I use. Currently, I’m using a Canon 20D. Before that a Canon 10D. And before that a Sony DSC-F707 (long since discontinued.) I’d like to think (and I may be deluding myself here) that I could take the pictures I take with a pinhole camera. You know, like it’s the eye not the equipment. That’s not to say that a good camera can’t HELP me get the better picture. For the kid picture taking, my equipment is ESSENTIAL. The fast shutter helps me IMMENSELY. The shutter is like lightening and I can take a lot of pictures at the same time to get EXACTLY the one I want. Also, the camera body doesn’t mean as much as the lens on the camera. It’s the lens that gets you the picture – the camera body just processes it onto the film (or card, in the case of digital). Well, it’s not as simple as that – but I’ve paid a lot of money for a lens, and A LOT of money for a lens, and the difference is noticeable in every area – picture quality, focus quality, everything. You pay the big bucks for GOOD glass, and it’s worth it.

Lesson over for the day. I haven’t been out to shoot flowers in a while and I’m missing it. As much as I like the process, being stuck at the computer all day can get a little old, fast. So I leave you with what I’d rather be doing:

Taken with my old Sony DSC-F707, with an added Macro lens.

Filed Under: Photographs

It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature!

June 23, 2005 By

Remember those butter commercials, they were goofy to be sure, but good ol’ MN really showed her stuff yesterday.

I watched the most spectacular storm come across the swamp. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it, but it’s worth repeating. I live smack dab in the middle of a swamp. The Meadowlands to be precise. My apartment is situated in my building so that I look right out into swamp land – due west. We get THE most spectacular sunsets you can imagine. I think it has to do with all the chemicals in the air, but whatever it is, every night has the possibility for a technicolor cornicopia. I’m not kidding. G and I often yell to each other from room to room – did you see it? Look out the window? Amazing.

We talk about moving all the time, and if we ever do (which I hope we do eventually) one of the things I will miss the most is watching the weather from my balcony – be it sun or rain or snow. I have the perfect view.

Besides the sunsets, there is nothing I like better than watching a storm roll across the swamp. The dark clouds barrel down and the sky is often a mix of blue and black. Yesterday afternoon was no exception. I absolutely love the clarity in the air that comes with dark clouds. It’s hard to describe and I know my camera could never capture it, but there’s a glow in the air. The green of the tree leaves is crisper. The billowy grass in the swamp is tinged with gold on the tips, despite the lack of sun.

Yesterday I could see huge bolts of lightning hitting beyond the turnpike. Thick strikes that seemed to last forever. Kids by the pool (by the pool, not in the pool) would yell out, “did you see that? did you see it?” and not two seconds later another bolt would appear a little to the left. A little to the right.

The rains came and the winds picked up and the lighting became fierce! The strikes landed in front of my window, almost literally, in the swamp across the way. The winds were viscious, blowing around pool chairs and deck chairs and I closed the window because I was actually frightened.

The rain descended in torrents and marched across the swamp like ghostly soldiers. The thunder echoed their battle cry. The flag billowing tattered in the parking lot was a stark witness to the war.

I’ve never been truly scared by a storm since I’ve lived here. I’ve seen A LOT of storms blow across the swamp in fourteen years. Yesterday, I hung up on my sister and hid in the bathroom for a few minutes. We have windows facing west in every room of the house. The bathroom is the safest place with no windows.

It passed fairly quickly and I went back to work on my computer. Later on I passed by the windows again and witnessed the redest orb I’ve ever seen. The sky around the sun glowed like it was, literally, on fire. Here’s hoping that sun was a harbinger of a beautiful day with beautiful bloggers and beautiful yarn!


Not from yesterday, but from my balcony nonetheless.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Photographs

Hump Day

June 22, 2005 By

You know when you wake up with a headache, the day just might suck. Too soon to tell – I have a lot of work today, so hopefully that will keep the demons at bay. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone in my craziness.

I’ve lived with anxiety and panic since I was thirteen for sure, but probably earlier. It’s like an addiction – always there – even on the good days. I’ve learned A LOT about it over the years – it all has to do with control. The last few weeks I’ve been making some emotional breakthroughs (baby/infertility stuff mostly) and when I get very emotional I have a very nasty habit of hiding it with rationalizations. I’m not sure about you, but feelings CANNOT be rationalized. And when I can’t rationalize, I panic. It’s as simple or as complex as that. So I’ve let myself go a little. It’s okay – I’m figuring things out. Incredibly hard things, for sure, but stuff that needs to get worked out. I need to be patient with myself and kind to myself and let myself be sad, so I’m working on that too. In the meantime, I’ve got good friends/family who will listen, a shrink who’s kid I’ve put through college already and the greatest husband/best friend a girl could have. And blog buddies who don’t think it’s (TOO) crazy to buy 87 different kinds of self-striping sock yarn. Thanks for that, by the way! (My favorite, so far, is the Trekking Crazy Stripes. I LOVE the colors and the feel of the yarn. It’s all I can do to not cast on RIGHT THIS MINUTE!)

For all of you who asked about where I got the sock yarn from – I googled Cotton Surf or Trekking Crazy Stripes. The three places I bought from were The Knitter (they were super friendly over the phone), The Knitting Zone and Carodan Farms. Hope that helps! Have fun. (Oh and don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Some progress was made yesterday on the FBS. I finished another repeat. My goal is at least one repeat a day. We’ll see. I’m at nine repeats now and I want to go to 16 or 17 for the large shawl. Or maybe 15 or 16. I’m surprised at how fast the lace row goes (right side). The purl rows seem to take forever. I’m usually a little faster on the purl side. And I hate strongly dislike the first couple rows of the repeat. I don’t like the k2togs or the ssks, so I’m trying to get that first row done on the next repeat. Couldn’t do it last night, but that’s my goal. It’s good to have goals.

Yesterday I was organizing around here a little bit and accidentally deleted two posts. One was the picture of me in the Israeli Army. Don’t worry, they’re back. Apparently when you delete a post it’s deleted from your database, but not from your server. So I was able to cut and past them no problem. The thing I don’t have is all your wonderful comments. They’re there, on my server, but I’d have to cut and paste them all back in. I might. Not today. But I might. Anyway, be careful out there. When’s the last time you backed up all your stuff?

Another one for Norma – go see how her garden grows!

Filed Under: Flower Basket Shawl, Photographs

It was DEM dat fucked up!

June 15, 2005 By

Happy families are all alike; every
unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

For the most part, my family is excellent (I’m talking the family I grew up with, not George – although G-Love is excellent too.) My siblings and I get along better than siblings should be allowed, especially siblings who fought with bats when they were young; I would rather spend time with my sisters and brother than most people. They make me laugh uncontrollably and THEY UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING. It’s been a tumultuous year for my family. I’m not going to go into it here, but it’s been very, very hard. A lot of anger, frustration, tears. But my siblings and I have stuck together through it all and for that I am so grateful. Thank you for taking care of me last night. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

Suffice it to say, I’ve got some puffy ass eyes this morning.

And because I had such a shitty night – I’m giving stuff away!

Yes, it’s CONTEST TIME! CONTEST CLOSED! Thanks for playing!

You’ll get sheepy cards and flower cards and some yarn to be determined later. And some beautiful handpainted knitting needles from Peace Fleece.

Here’s what you have to do – in the comments identify the FILM that the following lines are spoken in – they’re all from the same movie. I will pick a random winner from all the correct entries.

“My mommy hurt my head.”

“It’s going to be so good.”

“What a colossal blunder.”

“It was dem dat fucked up.”

Some clues: The movie is fifteen years old. At least one of the leading actors is dead. Two of the actors in the film appear together on TV. The movie was based on a book.

I will close the contest at midnight tonight. Good luck!

I did manage to finish the sleeve to short-rows last night (I will spare you the photo – it’s navy blue and curled up – you can wait for the real deal.) And I cast on for the front, did a couple rows, then ripped it. I’ll cast on again today. Basically I was on the third row when I realized I messed up the moss stitch (by the way, what’s the difference between moss and seed stitch – can anyone tell me? I think they’re the same, but don’t know if I’m right or not.) No biggie – I wasn’t in the mood for knitting last night anyway. Yes, it’s true. It was more like a fetal position, baby blanket under my nose kind of night. You’ve all had those, right? 😉

I’m hoping to go shopping today. THE LA/SLO TRIP IS ON!!!! We’re leaving for Los Angeles on July 11 – eventually we’ll make our way up to San Simeon for the BLACK TIE DINNER AT HEARST CASTLE on Thursday. We may take our time and spend a night or two in Santa Barbara. At least one night. But I will be in LA for a day or two – so where should I go? I’m counting on you Hollyweird knitters to give me the scoop. I’m not sure where we’ll be staying yet. Probably either Beverly Hills or Santa Monica. Details to come.

Anyway – so I need a dress. Preferably black, so I can wear my Iris Flower Basket that I’m going to crank out all weekend. It seems halter is the style this season – but I don’t like to show my back, so we’ll see what I find. Did you know the secret to successful dress shopping is to wear sweat socks and a baseball cap? There’s some kind of inverse rule that the sloppier and shittier you look the more luck you have finding a dress. I swear by this. SWEAR. Bought every prom dress, my bat mitzvah dress, my wedding dress in this fashion. Watch out Jen – you’ve been warned!

Oh and I’ve been taken to task by some blogging pioneers that came before me. Apparently, when they weren’t walking 20 miles in 10 feet of snow on their way to school, they were checking blogs on their own with out the aid of feeds. GASP! And, I’m told, sometimes people didn’t read your posts for days. I’m not sure I believe them, but I’m not going to worry about bloglines anymore. 😉 Thanks for the reality check.

Don’t forget the CONTEST!

Filed Under: Contest, Photographs

Which came first?

June 14, 2005 By

In the chicken or the egg fashion, I ask: Which came first the desire to write, or the need for readers?

In other words, if a blogger blogs but bloglines doesn’t update the feed, does a blogger really blog?

Yesterday I spent a lot of time on my post – it was great fun for me, don’t get me wrong. I linked a lot, I relieved past lives, I longed for long hair. But since bloglines didn’t update me until around 10:30 last night, I was pretty lonely all day. Which got me thinking (yet again) about the whole blogging thing.

I used to be a writer. Used to be, because I haven’t written a story in quite a while – a fact that breaks my heart every day. But since I started the blog, I’ve been writing again. No, not what’s ultimately most important to me (telling stories – fiction) but about myself. And it really doesn’t matter because it’s still writing. I think about my posts almost the way I would write my stories in my head. I craft them, if you will. I’m getting my groove back. It’s coming.

I’d still rather pick up the needles than the pen – but honestly – there is nothing harder in the world, mentally at least, than staring at a blank screen and hoping to fill it with your blood and guts and genius. I’m in a rut.

Do you know what writer’s block really is? I teach this to my students all the time, so why not here? A writer has two distinct personalities living in their head (see – we are crazy!). A Generator and an Editor. The generator’s the personality that sits there and cranks out the words – the zone head – filling up pages and pages and pages of pure unadulterated Nobel winning genius.

The Editor’s the personality that takes one look at all that superiority and says CRAP! CRAPTASTIC CRAP! And starts rolling around on the floor laughing hysterically at the hubris of the generator.

Don’t get me wrong. The Editor is an essential partner in the writing process (remember – it’s all about the process) but really needs to be kept in a sound-proof box until about the second or third draft. Second draft. Really. Get two under your belt before you want to rip the thing to shreds. There will be that much more to save.

The Generator needs peace and quiet and unconditional love to work the magic. People – I’m all about the love.

So what happens with writer’s block is that these two warring factions are together a bit too early – like right out of the starting gate.

Here’s an illustration of what happens:

Generator: Okay, so they’re at the mall and they see a fortune teller and the fortune teller gets all freaky when the first girl walks by…

Editor: Snort. In a mall? Puleese. You’re setting it in a mall? Sweet Valley High, here we come!

Generator: Fine. They’re at a fair. Lots of noise in the background. Lots of lights. It’s hot. Sweating lemonades. All the sights and sounds and there’s a fortune teller…

Editor: Don’t forget the freaks! Got to have freaks. C’mon – what’s a modern short story without a two headed midget? The New Yorker’s going to want first rights!

Generator: Gotcha. I’m worthless. Let’s go knit and watch bad TV.

See how fast the Generator folds? Not very strong of character I’m afraid.

Life sucks and then you write.

Anyway, back to my problem. Yesterday I was frustrated. The nice thing about blogging is that I can convince myself that it’s JUST LIKE REAL WRITING (which it is – I’ve just got issues with myself)and I have an instant audience. Well at least I thought I did. It’s like my editor self and bloglines are conspiring against any and all writing progress I’m making.

The generator is a muscle that needs to be exercised. We’re about one step up from atrophy at this point, but getting better all the time!

Just so you know, I generally update my blog every day Monday thru Friday. I blog in the morning usually so my posts should appear mid-morning. Just so you know. In case you’re missing me or something.

I’m not quite sure that this post makes sense in any way. I’m PMS and pissed and tired. My neighbors think it’s fun to sit on their balcony and talk really loud at 6AM in a foreign language that I can’t understand right off my bedroom window and wake me from sweet dreams. That is when they’re not stinking me out of my own bedroom with their homemade delicacies. Seriously. Bloglines better watch out.

Obligatory knitting content: I will finish the short row sleeve tonight and immediately cast on for the front. I don’t care about the ends on the back anymore. I’ll deal with it later. AND in big, BIG, news – we may be attending this (yes, honey, dinner at Hearst Castle) and if we do it’s black tie and I need a new dress and I want to wear FBS. So I have about three weeks to finish it. Think I can do it? Oh Zephyr! God Speed!

I will find out for sure today or tomorrow. You know what that means though – I’m heading out to La La Land. Who’s going to entertain me with knitting delights?

Filed Under: blogging stuff, Photographs

Lemmings and Lace

June 13, 2005 By

Well, my experience in the city yesterday was decidedly UN-Seinfeldian. (By the way, the Puerto Rican Day parade episode has never been shown on TV after the first airing – it’s not even part of the syndication package. Guess it ruffled a few feathers.) Seriously – the whole day couldn’t have gone better: super cute kids, great party entertainment (the kids were laughing the whole time), nice employers. The traffic was fine – if I had a job in the city on a Tuesday morning I would’ve hit more traffic. Thanks for the good lucks. I think they worked.

Without further ado, I offer you boring progress pictures, just like I promised on Friday:

The short row sleeve is coming along nicely. I finished the increases and am about to start the decreases. I love how they say do the increases and knit until you reach 191/2 inches. Guess what? On my last row of increases I’m going to be about 201/2 inches. I realized my row gauge is about two rows over. No biggie, I’m thinking. I like my sleeves a little long anyway. So onto the decreases. Have I woven in any ends? NO! Damn they’re killing me!

Not much progress on the sock – although I did rip it a few more times before I was satisfied. I’m still a little hesitant about the purls at the joins – I moved some stitches around on the needles because the ktbls were looking REALLY bad at the joins – but I’ve tried it on and I can live with it. I’m not sure how to fix it though since I’m pulling the yarn as hard as I can. I swear my hands are completely cramped after only a few pattern repeats. I’m doing the Retro Rib from IK Winter 2004 in Koigu Color #2151. The yarn is definitely more green – think retro aqua Cuban colors. I’m not loving this like I was loving the Purple Socks, but I’m persevering.

Because I have no mind of my own and you can’t turn from one blog to another without seeing LACE, I conveniently became obsessed with The Flower Basket Shawl pattern from IK Fall 04. I’ve never knit lace before, so I immediately turned to the Great Enabler and lace knitter extraordinaire. She, in turn, sent me over here, and she, then, pawned me off over here! (That’s Cassie, Margene and Teresa – in case you were wondering! Damn you girls are good at the enabling!) Anyway, once I saw Teresa’s Flower Basket Shawl (make sure you look at ALL the pictures!) I was a goner.

Suffice it to say, by Sunday I had ordered two balls of Zephyr Wool Cotton SILK (tussah silk to be specific!) from The Knitter in Iris (and about five different kinds of sock yarn. I went a little crazy with the sock yarn this weekend. I’m a little nuts over the whole striping thing.)

Teresa was so kind – emailing me different yarn amounts and advice. I can only hope my finished project looks half as wonderful as hers.

Oh and I can’t discount the help I’ve received from two other sites! There’s an FBS Redux knitalong going on, and through them I found Becky’s gorgeous FBSes. She’s got three so far, I think. They’re amazing. And she took the time to write up this tutorial for lace-impaired people like me! With all that support, how could I not succeed!?! Thank you ladies! I’m eagerly awaiting my yarn. (I even joined this! Craziness, I know!)

I saw two movies this weekend – both made me cry hysterically (think it’s time to up the meds?) – but were about as different as different can be. First, on Saturday, I watched Hotel Rwanda. I’m finding it really difficult to say I enjoyed this movie, but I really did. It was incredibly well done. One of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. The story was extremely well played out and Don Cheadle was amazing. Absolutely HEARTBREAKING. But it made me want to learn more about the region and what happened there. It utterly amazes me – the destruction human beings can carry out.

Then, on Sunday, I watched 50 First Dates. I know, I know, it’s like feast or famine (culturally) around here, but I had seen bits and pieces of the movie at my sister’s and couldn’t understand the end, given Lucy’s situation. So it was on cable, I caught it about five minutes in and knit. Man did I cry! How sad is this movie? I guess hopeful too, but I don’t know it seemed so sad to me. In the end it’s a complete rip off of the existential classic Groundhog Day, but I guess you could say I enjoyed it. Maybe I just needed to cry some more. (Hey Jen – have you seen Groundhog Day? Add it to the list!)

I’m going to leave you with two pictures – one of which is explained in the extended entry.

First, a rose:

If you haven’t already, check out the roses Laurie posted today. Gorgeous!

Last, but not least, I was inspired by Lauren‘s post the other day about her amazing adventures in Israel. It’s been five years since she was there. It got me thinking back to my OWN amazing adventures in Israel – and MY GOD! it’s been fifteen years since I was there! How come it feels like just yesterday? I scanned a picture of me from the trip – one of my favorite pictures of me ever. I never looked as good as I did then –


Yes, that’s me in an army uniform with my long flowing hair – if you’d like to learn more about it, read on….

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Cuba Libre Socks, Photographs, Short Rows, Socks

Just a Quickie….

June 12, 2005 By

Have you seen this? What an accomplishment! The details are seriously amazing. Go congratulate Anna!

I’m going to be braving this today – I have a birthday party to shoot right off the parade route. I’m leaving two hours early to get there – that should give you an idea of the mayhem. Add to that it’s 95FUCKINGdegrees and I’m probably going to have to walk a while amidst throngs. At least the party will be airconditioned!

STAY COOL! (Or warm or whatever you need to be comfortable. I’d do anything for comfortable….)

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Photographs
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