Sunday, December 03, 2006

He Did It!

Its official, folks. I'm gonna be an honest woman.

Pictures of my beautiful ring to come...

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Skirt! Skirt! Skirt Alert!

I totally made the coolest skirt ever. In the absense of my knitting, I've been sewing up a storm. Some good, some bad, but with each project, my technique is improving by leaps and bounds. I've also been collecting vintage sewing patterns, which I just adore. Like this one (I made View 2):

Pattern, View 2

And here it is. I made it out of brown velvet that I got in Ohio last winter but never seemed to find anything to use it for. Its a good thing I waited! This skirt has a waistband, a hook and eye closure at the top of the back zip, and is so awesome.

Skirt, waist

This is the fully clothed view. I love how a skirt that sits at my actual waist makes my legs look longer, not that you can tell from my top-down photo, which actually makes me look about 2 inches tall! Though, perhaps my midgetness will distract you from the disaster that is my bedroom. In my defense, I cleaned the bathroom today AND baked a sweet potato casserole from Cooking Light Magazine to contribue to my mother's table tomorrow.

Skirt, clothed

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday, November 10, 2006

Flaws are Fabulous

I had an exciting day today. Firstly, working for the city is great because we get just about every single holiday there is. This week, I had election day off and today as well, for the observed day of veteran's day. I thought I would get to sit around in my underwear and watch tv all day but my sweet pea had other plans.

Today I went to a gem laboratory. To get our diamond certified and appraised. It was so freaking cool! The guy I had the appointment with, a Gemologist (even typing that is cool), even showed me how to work this ENORMOUS microscope so that I could see my diamond for myself, under a bazillion magnification. Seriously. It was pretty cool.

The coolest thing, I think, is that inside my diamond there's a crystal that contains a garnet. You can't see it at all by just looking at it, or even with a simple magnifying glass, but under the jeweler's doohickey it is totally there. Its a unique thing that is rather rare, but does not decrease the value of the diamond. I happen to find it very cool. Mostly because my grandmother's favorite stone was the garnet and I have inherited a lot of her garnet jewelry. I think its a special connection, especially since the diamond is the one that my father, who died eight and a half years ago, gave to my mother when they became engaged way back in 1967. Its like this was the one meant for me, and here it is, mine, but also my father's, my mother's and my grandma's.

Aw.

Anyhoo, so yes. I have a diamond. My mom gave to Mike and I for our engagement ring. So, yes, I know we are getting engaged, I have known for a while, but the fact that we're not is still a big deal for me. Its like I can't see past my own nose far enough to tell that there is indeed a future out there for me, and that future, very soon, will certainly include a marriage proposal from the man I would very much like to marry. Its frustrating. I'm trying the whole Be Here Now stuff, and sometimes it works for me and sometimes it doesn't. These days it seems like nothing works.

Interestingly, I just finished reading a book by Elizabeth Wurtzel, the famed depressive author of Prozac Nation. The book I read is about her subsequent struggle with drug addiction, More Now, Again. I was frighteningly fascinated to see that her experience with addiction is not all that dissimilar from my experience with panic and anxiety. It turns out we're all the same, after all.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Two Months, Really?

Wow, I had no idea so much time had passed! Let's do the quick update and then I'll start to get back on track over the next few days/weeks:

1. Still not engaged. Am now pissed off in addition to broken-hearted.
2. Started and then frogged the Diamond Fantasy Shawl (in Debbie Bliss Pure Silk) for my mom's 60th birthday. Am too tentative to cast on again, though I have only one month to go.
3. Suddenly, blogger won't let me link links in Safari, what up?
4. Still at first color for my Charlotte's Web shawl. That may actually take forever to knit.
5. Still have not finished the Green Gable.
6. Started a scarf a la Yarn Harlot - that one row repeat scarf? Its in this gorgeous Cherry Tree Hill stuff with mohair, silk, wool and you name it. So pretty. Its my subway scarf.
7. Bought two skeins of Noro Cash Iroha to make the handwarmers in Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Shortly thereafter I realized that I do not have the right needles but am too lazy to buy them.

Well, I guess that sums it up. Oh, and my new job (THAT's why I haven't posted in two months! Now I remember!) is very hard but very very very awesome. School is taking a bit of time this semester, too, but at least I'm scratching my brain.

Okey dokey. Welcome back to me.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Stash Time

I know that I am not the most prolific knitter. But what I lack in production I sure do make up in inventory. I've never photographed my stash before. But last week, when I had the time off before starting the new job, I realized that I had yarn all. over. the. house. Literally. Yarn on the bookshelf in the living room. Yarn on the coffee table. Yarn on the kitchen table. Yarn in the office. Yarn on my dresser. It was everywhere. Some were WIPs and some were just balls of yarn. And I decided to get it all together and then put it all away. And here it is.



In the left corner, we have some lovely orangey-pumpkin coloroed Sunshine that was an aborted poncho from when I first started knitting. I got it on MAJOR sale at The Yarn Connection on Madison. Next to it we have some Knit Picks laceweight whose name I can't remember and the pattern for which I bought it is nowhere to be found. One extra skein of it is wound and may become a cowl-like thingy but I'm not sure yet. Next to that is leftover Knit Picks Elegance, which I may use to become a Ms. Marigod, but I promised myself that I cannot buy another shirt pattern until I finish the stupid Green Gable. Also of interest are one and a bit skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Glenwood that I used to make Mike's newphew's baby blanket. Yum, that yarn was amazing to work with. Perhaps a scarf out of it for this winter?



More random balls of leftovers that I can't seem to part with even though I know I'll likely never ever use them.



This is my yarn for a soon-to-be Charlotte's Web. I am probably the last knitter on earth to make one of these. I was reading a blog sometime not too long ago and the now-forgotten writer was on her 5th or 6th. I actually started it on Memorial Day weekend while visiting friends on Shelter Island and made a mistake in the second color change and ripped it all out. I may start again in the spirit of the holiday weekend.



Here we have 8 skeins of Debbie Bliss Pure Silk that I got for 50% off at the Suss closing sale. Its a lovely pale lemony color, and I believe that some of it will become a Diamond Fantasy Shawl for my mom's birthday in December. She's allergic to wool, so I'm glad I can finally make her something. I think she'll love the color.



Also from the Suss sale, 4 skeins each of Fishnet. I have ideas in my head for a top-down raglan in a large gauge. I saw something similar on a designer when I worked at a boutique in Park Slope last summer. I think I may be able to recreate it. Here's to hoping!



This is just some pretty, pretty Koigu that I got at Downtown Yarns to make some sort of poncho-shawl from one of their original patterns and then decided I hated the pattern. Now, I have three skeins of it and I love love love the colors but I'm not sure what to do with it. Perhaps a lacy scarf? Any ideas are quite welcome!!

And there you have it. There's some other random skeins that I didn't post, such as the two socks I am working on now that I doubt I'll ever finish. It was just too sad to post them in their current state. And I didn't re-photo the Green Gable, as it too is much too sad to show.

If anyone is interested in taking some off my hands, just let me know!

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Channeling Pippi Longstocking

I love my hair. Love it. Of course, there was drama. This is me, remember ?

For several years, I had been seeing a gal over at Salon Bohemia in Park Slope. She was great - she gave my a wonderfully inspired hair cut my first time out with her that was a big change from my regular cut, and I just loved it. But it seemed that everything afterwards just went downhill from there, though I kept going in the hopes that we could recreate that first sense of magic. The things I hated about her included: a) She was always late. Not just a few minutes late, but often a FULL HOUR late. That is just unacceptable, especially when I caught on and started calling before showing up to see if she was on time and she lied to me every time, saying, yes, sure, come on in its all fine, and I'd STILL have to wait an hour to get my hair done. b) She fucked up a few times. I used to get it cut much shorter than it is now, with lots of rock n' roll style layers. But she would always do it uneven, as in, the left side of my head would have much longer pieces than on the right side of my head. As in, depending on how you looked at me, I had two different haircuts going on at the same time. Not cool, especially for someone as self-conscious as I can be at times. After the 3rd time of going back for her to "fix" it, I decided enough was enough. c) She never quite paid attention. She was always talking to someone else while working on me. Part of the experience of getting your hair done, I think, is the relationshp you have with your girl (or guy). She just wasn't interested in me except for a tip. Eh. I was so done with her.

Which brings me to this wonderfulness. Almost.

My friend Julie recommended her girl, whom she loves. So I started seeing the new girl and I loved her too. But she was a bit awkward with me, and it was not uncomfortable but it wasn't as personal as I would have liked. But she did a great cut and decent color, so it worked. So, I've been seeing the new girl for over a year now. But when it was time to do my roots again, and I called to get an appointment with her, I learned that she broke her knee. Yes, you read that right, she broke her knee. Aparently she was doing some sort of athletic move while playing around in the park and shattered her patella. Ouchies. She won't be back for a while but I still had roots and didn't want to show up at a new job without new hair, you know what I mean? So there's an even newer girl at the same salon and it was love at first sight.

I lurve her. And she made me pretty. Not that you can tell here, but I couldn't wait to show just how amazing the color is. It'll tone down after a few washings, as reds do, but its perfect. She gave me a great cut, and a great blow out, but unfortunately, what you guys get is me, photographing myself with an unwashed face and just a few minutes out of bed. I'll try for a better pick post-gym/shower.



Its redder and little darker than I normally go, but I'm looking forward to that, because in the past its gone a bit too golden after the fading and I think that this will not do the same thing. And, I secured my new new girl for the future - I told her that its nothing personal about the knee girl, but I just loved the way everything came out today and that I'll be seeing her from now on. And I tipped really well, so I'm sure she'll be excited about seeing me again, too. Hooray for great hair!

Eventually I'll be knitting and sewing again, I promise. I just don't have the bug right now, though I do have huge aspirations. We'll see what happens.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Who Does This?

So, this is my week off inbetween jobs. I left my last job on Friday afternoon, and it was so sad and exciting all at once. And now, with this week off, I get to make a true transition. But it makes me wonder - who is out there during the day time? Yesterday I went to the dentist, did a little shopping, got some fake ice cream, and there were all sorts of people around my age just hanging out. Who are you, people of the daytime? They can't all be bartenders, right?

On the way home from the gym this morning, I saw a couple my age walking there dog. In Brooklyn, at around 10:15ish. Just hanging out with their dog and their coffee. On a Tuesday morning. No work? Really?

Walking to Park Slope yesterday to get my Tasti DiLite was the same thing - lots of youngish adults just hanging out. I want their job, I tell you that much!

Today is my special day. I'm going to see my therapist and then I'm getting my hair done. I always feel like an old lady when I say that, but I love it. I love getting my hair done. I'm revamping the color, and I'm totally overdue for a little trim. I think I'm going to keep the layers long this time and really try to grow it out. The color will be a va-va-voom red of the likes you've never seen. I hope. I'm excited!

Of course, as soon as I get over this bout of laziness, pictures of the new hair to follow.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

I did it!

Last week, I quit my job. And this Friday is my last day.

Whew.

More details to come, but suffice to say that I am done with the corporate world and am returning to my true love, public service. So public that I'll be working for the city. I don't think excited is a big enough word to contain how thrilled I am with this opportunity and all it can bring me, and me to it. Its so perfectly aligned with my Master's degree, which will make it all the more bearable when I consider that I have about 7 semesters left! And I'm happy about it. Its going to be a challenge for me but I am ready for it.

There, I said it out loud. I've been keeping it under wraps for months because of the nature of the hiring process, but its all approved and ready. For me. Me! Doing what I had labelled as a long-term goal! Hooray!

Monday, August 07, 2006

It So Pretty

I finished my dress! For a week, I let the poor dear languish in unfinished limbo. But on Saturday, I strapped on my working hat and set to finishing. I put in the invisible zipper down the back, then added sleeves (my first time making/inserting sleeves!) and hemmed up the bottom.

I swear, each time I do a zipper they come out better and better. I have finally got the hang of the bottom part, where it rests into the regular back seam. Whew.

And sleeves! I love sleeves!



I don't know if you can tell in this photo, but I had to pleat the sleeves. I wound up altering this dress down a few inches (inches!) once I had cut and assembled the main pieces. So, even though I tried to compensate for that by trimming the sleeves, it didn't work out quite as I had envisioned. Hence, the slight pleating/gathering at the shoulder on both sleeves. I actually much like the detail, to be honest. I think it gives a little charm.

See? Full dress:



I have a photo of the back, which is, well, the back. I'll keep you in suspense for that one. The front has angled darts from the nipple area down and out to the waist. Both sides of the back of mid-center darts as well. I love the shaping of this dress. The waist/hip area fits very well, but the shoulders are a wee bit big. I know how to correct for this if I use this pattern again, and intend to do so.



This is a close-up of the front dart shaping. I truly just love it. In fact, I am wearing it today to work. Its that good. Mike left early this morning or I would have asked him to take a photo of me in it. Someday soon, I will share with the blogosphere.

And I cut the fabric for a new dress right after I finished this one. I already altered the pattern down to a size 10 or so, give the issues with fit I had with this finished dress. Seeing a finished product that I actually feel proud of and want to wear is making me want to make even more. I'm so excited that my skills are improving and I am technically proud of what I have accomplished.

Yay!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Its Hot. And Oh, My Hair

Its hot. We all know this. The even worse thing about it being hot is that I can be very vain when it comes to my hair, and oh, the heat and my hair just don't get along very well.

I have very fine, thin hair. I also have very curly hair. But, and I know you know where this is going, the combo of fine hair and curly hair can only lead to one thing: frizz. Fluff. Not nice hair. To control it and feed my hair-vanity, I have a very systematic process that involves spray-on leave-in conditioner/thickening lotion, the perfect amount of gel, and my trusty hair dryer with diffuser.

But its hot. Its so hot that the mere thought of using a hair dryer makes me start sweating profusely. So all summer I've been on the hunt for products that I can throw in there and let dry naturally. It has been quite a struggle. I know this post would be better with pictures, but I'm at work now and no-can-do captain. But I thought I'd at least share my top faves of the moment:


This is MOP Form Foaming Heavy Hold something or other. It looks liquid in that bottle but when you pump it out, it turns into a foamy, sticky cloud. It is EXCELLENT as a thickener but can leave you a little sticky.

Then there's this, ThickenUp by Paul Mitchell. Now, I know people either love or hate PM, but I love this stuff. I love all PM products, really. And this one is good. I could also see using this one as my first step in the diffuser process, not just for drying naturally.

It seems that Blogger doesn't want to load any more photos, so you kids are outta luck and get links only.

The final waste of my money has been this lovely yet strange thing. I initially purchased it almost a year ago as a second-day-curl-enhancer which never quite worked out. It got too sticky and hard and cracked and strange. But its smells delish and I never gave up hope. This morning I used it on wet hair for the first time, and oh, the goodness. Its soft and curly and smells so good I want to eat it.

If anyone has curly hair and has questions, let me know. In my next life, I will definitely be a hairdresser. And now I go to work.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Race Day!


I. Am. Awesome.

How awesome am I? I ran my 3.5 mile race, with 5,000 other runners/walkers in

35:30

That's thirty-five minutes and thirty seconds. That's two and a half minutes down from my practice run on Friday evening, and a minute faster than my first ever 5K (3.1 miles). My goal was under 40 minutes, and I more than beat that.



This is me, eating a peach right after crossing the finish line. Note the dorky knee brace (for stability) and the red face. Trust me, the red face is much more red and eggplant-y in person. Plus, the sweat. Oh, the sweat. It was nice and breezy at Jones Beach, but it was still humid and for the first part of the race, the sun was kinda hot. But I loved every second of it.

Oh, and I started the heel flap on my Jaywalker on my LIRR rides yesterday. I love the k1 sl1 heel flap - so awesome. But, not as awesome as me.

I suppose that awesome is the word of the day. I feel great. Hooray!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Say Wha?

I did this today:







What NYC yarn store are you?



You are The Point!http://www.thepointnyc.comYou want it all. You might have a hankering for the most luxurious handpainted silk yarn. Or maybe a couple of skein of Kureyon. Don't worry, you can sit down, have a latte and absorb it all...
Take this quiz!








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And its interesting, because I have only been there one time. Don't get me wrong, it was great. The gal I spoke to was lovely, but I didn't purchase anything. I couldn't find a thing that interested me. Not a pattern (I was looking for a rectangular lace shawl at the time) or even a skein of something lovely to hold on the subway ride home. I know that lots of people love it and there's some Friday night thingy that happens there... I was surprised.

I favor Downtown Yarns and Purl. Interesting, the first time I went into Purl, I was so intimidated that I left almost immediately. But its now where I spend most of my yarn money (mostly because its expensive, no?) I felt right at home at Downtown Yarns right away, and think its my number one.

This morning on the LIRR (I'm working from the HQ today) I picked up my forlorn Jaywalker that I started in February. Yes, February. I started the heel flap and its so exciting. I love how the knit one slip one is looking and I can't wait to finish and start the other foot.

I'm feeling better today. I think I've relaxed a bit and am once again ready to face the world. And tonight is my race! It's 3.5 miles, and my goal is to complete in under 40 minutes. My test run on Friday night was 38 minutes, so I figure I'll give myself two extra minutes to deal with outdoor running and the hills that I just learned are part of the course. I'll let you know how I did!!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Best of Times or Worst of Times? Mostly Worst.

I feel so battered right now. Could it be due to the asshole who manhandled me on the subway platform in his effort to RUN FOR THE TRAIN? I swear, this man tred to pick me up by grasping the outer edge of my shoulders and lift me clean off the ground to get me out of his way. I have a slight bruise blooming on my right shoulder, but I'm more startled than hurt. C'mon, fucker. There's an E train every 30 seconds in the morning at 34th Street. There was no reason for you to hurt me to make just this one. No job is that important that you have to hurt a girl in your effort to get there. I can only pray for karma, right?

But that isn't what really hurts me right now. I just did something that I have only done one other time in my life - I have called my therapist and asked for an emergency appointment. How's that for ominous?! I'm fine really, sure, I'm just fine, its only that I can't stand to be inside my own head and I think I need a wee bit more help right now and waiting until next week just isn't going to cut it.

(Edited, sorry if you missed it)

I'm sure I'm making a terribly psychotic impression on the Fort Greene knitting gals I met this weekend. I truly had a great time and hope that we can do it again. It just so happens that I need a little time like Saturday in my life right now, so it couldn't have come at a better moment. Thank you all for a lovely day!

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Clarification

I feel like I must clarify my post from yesterday. Not defend, just clarify. Especially since Blogger has the no-reply-comments-thingy.

I know that looking at rings means that we're getting closer. But the looking has been dragging on for months. Months. With zero movement. How do I know its zero movement? We are inheriting a family gem for the ring (oh so luckylucky!), and I am positive that the trade-off has not been made. No diamond = no ring = no engagement, though I have said time and again that I don't need a stinking diamond to get engaged. Just ask me! Plus, I happen to know that my true love is a procrastinator of the finest form. Procrastination + no diamond = no ring = no engagement. Oh, that and the fact that we've been together for almost 5 years. Almost five years + procrastination + no diamond = no ring = no engagement. Something is seriously wrong with that equation, no?

I think because I know its coming, it makes it harder to see how far away we really are. I just feel like he's never going to get around to it for one reason or another. And believe me, I know for sure that its my own psycho-emotional business that's gotten me into this thought pattern in the first place, but I find it hard to break that thought habit. I think there's only one way to break it, and I just don't trust anything enough to hold my breath waiting for it. And I can think of lots of reasons why he shouldn't do it, which is even worse. For starters, my dad-business. I don't think I actually want a wedding without my dad there, and unless I find a retroactive cure for cancer, that ain't happening. I think he may also on some level be punishing me for our short breakup. I dunno. This is what happens when I spend too much time peeking into my own brain. Must remember to stop doing that.

Moving on.

A-line dress

I'm making this. I got some loverly fabric from Mood, a cotton sateen with a branch print in two shades of cool blue. So appropriate and so awesome. I cut the pieces the weekend before last, but its been way too hot to sit at my kitchen table to begin sewing. I may try doing some basting in the A/C just to get things started. Basting should be good to help with the expert finishing I'm looking for on this dress.

I also got this:



And this:



And this:



Don't you just love the scalloped hem on this:



And finally, this, which is not vintage but just a few years old. I'm all about the pencil skirt right now, and they are so freaking easy to make and require under one yard of material, so they are economical as well, especially when you get the pattern for under $5.



I've been doing a little bit of online shopping. For vintage patterns, which I believe is my new obsession. So sorry that some of the photos aren't the bestest - the light wasn't great last night when I was inspired to finally take these pictures.

I got the first dress pattern from ebay, and the others from Lanetzliving

Still no progress on the purple Green Gable, which I haven't even photo'd yet. But the night before last I started on my first short row heel on the toe-up trekking sock from ages ago. I think I'm doing the wraps TOTALLY WRONG but its fun to see the heel take shape so I'm not stopping yet. I can always rip it out, right? And though I thought that toe-up was the one for me, I liked seeing the sock take shape better from cuff-down. Huh. You can't please everyone, not even yourself!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

I try to be really good about my finances (try being the operative word), but the one thing I can say that I am very conscious of is bringing lunch to work as opposed to buying overpriced food near Penn Station, where I work. But its hot, and I'm lazy, so I've been buying more than my self-imposed limit of once per week. The upside to this is that I get my little frequent-buyer card stamped at the joint where I get my overpriced salad. And today, my friends, I got my free salad.

Free salad. Sounds great, right? But now, let's examine the situation. It wasn't free. I had to purchase ten (10) salads, at an average of $6.50 each, to get that free salad. That means I paid $65 to get my free salad today. I was so excited to get the free salad that for a minute, I forgot that my getting the free salad at all meant that I had shelled out a fairly serious sum of money in the days past.

I can think of plenty of ways to spend that $65 other than salad. Like, I could have gone to the grocery store and purchased a week's worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners instead. Or gone out for a few nicer meals than salad mixed by some minimum-wage worker wearing a hairnet, that I then shovel into my mouth while fielding emails from people across the country.

On another note, I must vent. I don't quite think this is the most appropriate forum, but I'm hurt and I feel like I can't say it out loud. That's why I blog, right? So I can say all things things that I can't say out loud? Or the things that nobody listens to, like obsessive talk of crafting? I'm not engaged yet. I love my true love, and he loves me, but I feel like he's dragging his heels. I just don't understand it. We have discussed when we want to have the actual wedding, and I know he's smart enough to know that the engagement comes before the wedding, but I'm still waiting. I half feel like I'm going to wait forever. FOREVER. We've gone to jewelers, we've looked at rings, and I know its coming. We're saving to buy a house together. We have more than one joint banking account. Intellectually I know that he's not going to disappear on me. But the emotional part of me hates him for not doing it yet. I feel like if he really really really wanted to do it, it would just be done and I wouldn't be broadcasting it for all of the zero people who read this. Every morning when I wake up next to him, the very first thing I think about is that he hasn't asked me. Every day that passes that he doesn't ask crushes me just a little bit more. Sometimes I get so hurt and angry about it that I just can't even look at him.

I look at every woman I see on the subway, on the street, at the gym, to check their hand to see if they are engaged. I hate the ones that are, because it means that their true love cared enough to ask them and nobody knows by looking at me that I am loved so fiercely by the best man I have ever known. I know I'm impatient about it. But I also feel like I want it so much more than he wants it, and that is such a scary thing because it means he can break my heart. I know this. But my heart clenches and I can't stop thinking about it even so.

I'm not some 50s throwback weirdo that wants to be a prim and proper housewife. Its not like that. I just want him, in a bigger way than I have him now. I feel like his not doing this yet means that he's not sure about me. That he's still trying to decide if I'm really the one, if he even likes me enough. I dislike that feeling enormously. It exposes me for being weak and unsure and truthfully, it isn't like me to be so unconfident. But this one thing turns me in the a skittish, sobbing, pathetic rag of a girl.

And thus, I have vented. Let the chips fall where they may.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Compulsive

I have a shoe problem. Actually, make that a wardrobe problem. After working at nonprofits for 6 years, I don't have much clothing that actually looks good enough to wear to my current office. So, after wiping out all of my credit card debt, I suddenly feel like I've earned the opportunity to rectify that situation. Its bad. I know its bad. But is it so terrible to wish to look a little nicer, to be a little more stylish, to feel a little more confident? Enter these:



They would look super sharp with the dress pants I recently purchased, and with the right dress or skirt, could even be all season shoes. Plus, they are from Naturalizer, which means you can actually walk in them. But how does one decide if the shoes that one covets are worth the expense? Oh, and are these even in style anymore?

Still no knitting. Its too freaking hot, though today is a lovely lovely day. Still no sewing either, though I have high hopes. I'd like to make something like this. Kind of obi-like. I have this great coordinating fabric that I used to make some friends tote bags, and matching grosgrain ribbon that I think would be perfect. I'd do it reversible, of course. And I'd like to angle the sides where the ties would live so that its not just a rectangle. I am certain that this is my weekend project.

If I can, I may stop by Mood today after work and look for some fabric for the vintage pattern I got from ebay recently. Its an a-line short sleeved dress and requires only 4 pattern pieces. I figure I have no more excuses. Right? Right.

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

Oh Dear

I just realized how incredibly long its been since I posted anything. Anything at all. I suppose there's tons to update, but is it even worth it as its been so darned long?

Aha! List it is!
  • I finished my first semester of graduate school, and somehow wound up with a 3.5 GPA. Now that's exciting news. I'm all registered for Fall, and ready for what will be a difficult semester as I'm taking a statistics/research class. Keeping my fingers crossed...
  • I got four new patterns and may have created an ebay addiction for vintage patterns, of which I am the proud owner of one. Pictures to come.
  • I started a Green Gable sweater in an effort to finally make a darned shirt to wear. I like how its coming so far. I am just a few rows away from the part where you separate the sleeves and get to try it on, so its the true test coming up. Whew.
  • I am in the middle of a few pairs of socks, all on foot #1. I am about to try my first short row heel on a toe-up sock with the orangey Trekking yarn featured in the last post, which as we've decided was ages ago. Maybe by the time I finish it'll be sock-wearing time again.
  • I'm still running and now have a new goal - I want to run a 5K in 30 minutes. I just clocked myself this weekend and I did 32:28 which isn't bad for someone with my stubby legs. I figure if I can work on some speed drills, I can easily shave off those two and a half minutes. My goal is by the end of the summer, so I guess that means Labor Day.
I have lots to say about all sorts of other stuff, but I think I'm taking a risk posting at work. I'll try to get some picks up at home in the next few days, and then be better about all this.

Welcome back to me!

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Try and Try Again

I did go yarn shopping yesterday. Due to the rain, I stayed in Brooklyn and hit up Knit-A-Way, which seriously? Gets stranger and stranger every time I'm in there. The owner is nice, but there's always something off when I go there - yesterday it was the homeless man seated at their main front table, and the register was down so the owner had to add my stuff up without a receipt.

On the plus side, I got the needles I wanted (size 0 bamboo dpns) and I found two balls of Trekking XXL sock yarn that I fell in love with. I know you're thinking, more sock yarn and you haven't ever finished a pair? I know, I know. But I have goals. Aspirations.

I brought it home. I love it.



I hope the photo does it justice. Its a great fall color scheme - oranges and yellows and pea green and a nice light brown. I love it.



I've seen others use this kind of Trekking, the non-patterning kind, and I love the way it comes out. I'm 90% crazy about the colors (a little too baby for even me) but I like it.

I started a sock, a toe-up sock using that new technique from the new Knitty - the magic toe thingy. Magic indeed. I started the damned thing, no exaggeration, 6 times. And on the 7th time, I got it to work for me. At least I know now that I have perfected the technique. It looks good, though you can see the wonky part where I cast on the slip knot. Haven't figured out a way to get rid of it, and by that time I just wanted to knit the darned thing.



I have completed the toe (thank you, laundry!) and am now into the foot part. I'm using Wendy's Toe-Up pattern, just with the different toe for the new method. Sorry for the non-links today. Mike's machine runs Safari, which doesn't play nice with Blogger. I think this is the perfect sock - its just stockinette, which is what I wanted. I love the colors. I'll be learning the short row heel, and I'll be able to take it with me on the subway. So, if you see me with it on the train, please say hello!

Friday, April 14, 2006

Sigh

I have some free time right now. I almost don't know what to do with myself.

I finished blocking the shawl and it worked beautifully. The stitches relaxed nicely, and the piece is so so so so so soft. I wore it a few times this week and last week, and I just love it. It works equally well as a shawl and as a scarf. In fact, its super snuggly nd warm as a scarf, which I love. It will definitely come in handy next winter.

Right now I'm torn as to what to do next. I am thinking socks, as I must make my heel on Jaywalker #1 (remember those, that I started mid-February? Haven't touched them since the Florida conference). I also started the other socks, but I am thinking I'd really like a plain stockinette sock to work on instead of a lace sock. But, I only have the two sets of sock needles that are in use, so that would require buying another set. I don't think that's the worst thing in the world, and in fact, it may be a good excuse to go to Downtown Yarns to return two balls of mohair I am never going to use. Let's just hope they have the sock needles! I know Purl has a set, as I saw them on my day off on Wednesday.

Speaking of which, two days off this week! And its Spring Break at school! Even so, I have two papers to write and a team presentation to work on, so I still have a lot to do, I just have more time to do it in. Today, I am debating what to do. I have drink plans for 6 PM on tonight, but I have the whole day ahead of me. Do I take a Pilates class at 10? Do I skip it and go for a run later? What about sewing? I have so many ideas right now, but I am also leaning towards just sitting still and doing nothing, as that seems like such a luxury right now.

I'm thinking socks. Maybe a visit to some stores and socking... and I'll do the dishes. For sure.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

A Finished Object!

Don't get too excited, as its unblocked and crawling with ends. But, I finally had a moment to myself and was determined to finish this thing! And I did! And I got almost all of my reading done! Hooray!

First, the dorky modeled shot (also totally blurry, sorry!), with me kneeling in front of an unhung mirror in our disastrously messy office at home:



Next, the full shot. This shot is great, because you can see Mike's plans underneath for his freelance project, as well as my big toe, his new computer and his old computer, and a box from when I moved in one year ago (for the second time for those of you who are counting) that is now filled with clothes we desperately need to donate.



And finally, the detail:



I think that the color is probably best represented by the full shot, at least on my screen. Its a really deep eggplant-y purple and I love it. Its super snuggly soft and I kinda wanna sleep with it tonight. The yarn is very sproingy, and so I hope it loosens up a bit once blocked - I'd like it to get a little bit longer, and for the garter stitch to open up a bit. I don't know what to exepct with this yarn. Has anyone used Knit PIcks Elegance and blocked it successfully?

Finally. Something is finished. And I actually can't wait to wear it! I suppose I can give it a soak after class tomorrow and spread it out to dry overnight. Maybe by Tuesday I'll be able to wear it!

Thursday, March 16, 2006

Forgive This Ranting and Raving

So no knitting, not until three years from now when I will potentially hold a Masters degree and get my life back. And no relaxing either, as the fuckers who live above me have taken to jumping rope in the apartment. I suppose it wasn't enough for them to play basketball inside the house, and I guess that after they got in trouble for that they decided something as simple and 1950s as jumping rope would be better received. Wait, that assumes thought. I don't think they actually have brains, as I have only heard them scream and grunt so far, in the two years I've lived here, below the worst fucking neighbors ever. If their mother was ever home, maybe she'd do something about it. Maybe she wouldn't. As of this moment, while the light fixture in my living room is shaking so badly that I almost pray the ceiling would give way so that at least the fuckers would fall through and break their legs and not be able to jump rope anymore, I seriously doubt that the bitchasscuntfucker mother would do anything to stop them anyway. She never ever has, so why ruin her perfect record? Huh? You're supposed to parent your children? Oh, and you're supposed to stay home at night so that your children don't jump rope inside an APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY RESIDENT? Huh? Really? Ok, so maybe I'm a little stressed out about working and schooling and not sleeping and feeling sick and not being able to concentrate and that eye twitch is coming back again, and I have to memorize the fucking Presidents for a grad school class and hello, did I mention that I'm 27? And that memorizing lists was so fourth grade, which was, like, ages ago? And its really hard to read stuff when you are SERIOUSLY THINKING THAT THE CEILING WILL FALL ON YOU AT ANY MOMENT and did I mention that I don't sleep anymore? Because I don't sleep anymore. In fact, tonight I am going to drug myself with Benadryl to make sure that I sleep just a little. Just enough to get me through the weekend, so that I can continue memorizing the fucking presidents. In order by election year. In fact, I don't see any positives at all, in this moment, which frightens me. My job is currently sapping the lifeforce of my soul through mindnumbing tasks, school work is overwhelming me, and for some reason, every time I wash the fucking dishes, its like they multipy by the thousands. I need to sleep but I can't because my home is LITERALLY SHAKING. And I'm too tired to even cry. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Ice Dancing

I don't know about your Brooklyn, but my Brooklyn is one big ice cube. As in, sheets of ice. Icy ice. Lots of it. Its like these jerks don't know there are city laws that require property owners to clear the sidewalks in front of their property within a certain time of snowfall. I hope every house I slipped in front of today gets a big fat ticket. Make that two tickets. Big ones.

But this makes me happy:

Sock progress

Look! Its two full pattern repeats! And it looks so nice and pretty! And look! Its on my foot! I didn't do schoolwork last night, and instead took some relaxation time to work on the sock.

Beauty shot

You can still see that strange part on the yellow side of the toe. Once I finish the sock and can turn it inside out, I'll be fixing that. I'm starting to get nervous about the second sock. I am not sure I want to knit second socks. That seems really intimidating and overwhelming to me right now. Of course, I want a pair of socks and not just one of each style. But to actually have to go through this twice? That's something to consider, especially given my time availability these days. Maybe after I finish this pair and my Jaywalkers, its time to consider stockinette socks only, and none of this lace or patterned stuff. But, that's part of the fun - getting to knit lace in such a small, controlled environment. Hmmm. Something to think about.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

104

It looks like I missed my 100th post. So, let this, my 104th post, be a celebration of all the times I actually wrote something!

Goals for the next 100 (or, 96):
  • Write more often. At least 2x a week. That seems like a good goal.
  • Post more pictures. Even if I can't get to knitting and progress photos, there must be something I could show.
  • Use my voice!
While we're on numbers, I was charged 50 cents for a banana today. 50 cents! Is anyone out there as outraged as I am over this price? Typically, bananas go for about 25 cents. Occasionally I've bought them for 30 cents. But 50? As in two for a dollar? That's like robbery. Seriously. I actually walked out of the first place, because I decided that I would not pay that much for one stinking banana. It didn't even look that good. But then, I really wanted a banana. And the next place I went into also charged the same amount. So I decided that today I would do it, but never again.



Now, the banana is an issue for me today because I'm hungry. I am hungry like I haven't eaten in weeks. Hungry like Nicole Ritchie must be, if her nerves even work properly anymore. Its the gym-in-the-morning thing. Yesterday I was starving all day, too. And I needed to feed my hunger with good food, and not with crap, or what's the freaking point in waking up at 5AM? It worked well today, too. Last night I was able to start a paper and read two chapters for school. I went to bed at around 10 PM, and then did it all over again this morning. Tonight I'll do more reading and maybe work on my skirt. I think this might work for me!

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Sleep. Sleep, little sleeper...

Today I got up at 5:00 AM to go to the gym. Say wha? You heard me right. I got up at 5 AM to go to the gym. I realized that I need my evenings for schoolwork, and I am unwilling to give up my gym obsession, so mornings it is.

Observations on waking at 5AM:
  • Its dark. Really dark. It seems like its darker than nighttime dark.
  • Its lonely. Nothing is open. And I'm talking about a ten-minute walk along a stretch of Fulton Street in Brooklyn. I think that one dirtydeli was open and that's it.
  • I saw 2 people. Strangely, they were both fat women and they were both wearing large down coats with the hood up. I did see a third person leaving my gym, but I don't count that person, as they're crazy earlygymgoer like me.
  • I saw 1 bus along the entire walk. Remember folks, this is Fulton Street. One bus. Typically there's one bus every 10 feet on Fulton.
  • Its hard to get up. But, thankfully, that's the hardest part. Once I was actually out of bed, the rest wasn't too bad. I had arranged my clothing the night before, so I grabbed my sneaks and my sports bra from the pile and left the bedroom so as not to wake my true love, and once I got out, it was easy. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, got dressed and left.
  • I like the gym in the morning. Its quiet. The gum-chewers as still asleep. And you know that the people there at that hour are as serious (read: obsessed) as me, not like the idiots who show up at 7 PM with makeup on and prance around, who are there to see and be seen.
  • And so I ran. I had to do a longer warmup than usual to get my legs working, but my run was just as good as it is in the evenings. And now I have the whole night free, though I'm not sure how long that'll be given I woke up at 5 freaking AM.
  • The nicest part was walking home. Its like my street came alive in the time I ran 3.5 miles. That was cool.
And now here I am. Its work-time, and I've already done my run. That's good. I feel good.

In knitting news, I am one and a half repeats into the Elfine sock, and I love the pattern. I love Magic Loop. Seriously. And I love the colors I chose for the sock. I just wish I had more time to work on it. I realized that I haven't finished a project in a while, and that's kinda bugging me. I think this weekend I'm going to make an effort to finish the purple blankie shawl that you may remember from the fall. Oh, and I also started a skirt last weekend that I'll likely finish this weekend. Its cute. Purple corduroy. Yum.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

What's This?

I had a decent time in Florida. The conference was super boring - there was really no reason at all for me to sit there and watch as all the lawyers walked right past my exhibit table. I think I gave out five brochures. That's it. But, I had lots of time to do some knitting and school reading, and each day I read three newspapers. I love reading many newspapers a day, and if I ever have the time to do so again, I will relish the opportunity.

I started my Jaywalkers while I was down there. I'm sure that by now, no link is required for this pattern.



I think its looking pretty good. I love how easy the pattern is, and how cool it looks knitted up. I fear that the sock will be too big for me - I didn't have my gauge thingy with me (I always forget something, don't you?) and I've got an extra stitch or so per inch. I think that if they are really too big, I can always gift them to my mama. She'd love them, I'm sure.



Just another gratuitous shot.

And since I'm now going sock-crazy, I started another pair this weekend in between nesting at home. These are worth linking to, as they are super cool. They're the Elfine's Socks
(that's a PDF to the pattern, so watch out) and they are knit toe-up. I have been wanting to try that method, and thought that the pattern was so beautiful. It took me about four or five starts with the figure-8 cast on before finally getting it to work, and I'm now one full 16-row lace repeat into the instep. The pic below is when I had just finished the toe.



You can see at the tip of the toe, on the yellow side, the larger stitches. When I'm all done, I think I'm going to need to open up that area and tighten those stitches. I guess I still have some learning to do on that cast-on!

Yay! Socks!

Friday, February 10, 2006

Getting Ready

No, not for that. No kniitting olympics for me, as I'll be traveling for work next week and have this pesky grad school thing interfering with life and my running, so I think I've got enough pressure thankyouverymuch.

But seriously. I have a lot going on right now and its starting to feel overwhelming. And I'm not even an official third of the way in to the first semester of the MPA and we're talking three years if I do this degree part-time. I'm tired. Bone tired. So tired that all week I couldn't for the life of me remember what day it was. I've got a zillion pages of reading to do a night, though I made a deal with myself to start skimming, because it can't all be that important and as long as I can debate major themes/topics, I see no need to kill myself with the teensy weensy details. I think this will work to my benefit, as I deal very strongly in my own perception of situations, and knowing that I'm getting it done is what I need to focus on, rather than Reading Every Word For Knowledge. There'll be time for that when I study for the final. Its just this one class... but anyway.

The good news is that I'll be in Florida next week for a conference. At the Ritz, that's right. Sure, I won't have time to go outside but at least I'll be there! And that means two 3-hour plane rides for school reading and knitting, and also manning a conference exhibit table for 3 days with loads o'time for school reading and knitting. It also means Ritz room service and awesome bedding. So, I guess in my own version of the Knitting Olympics, I want to knit the Jaywalkers while I'm there. Or at least one. I'm also going to bring that yarn I got for Knit Picks ages ago to begin a lace stole. The pattern, also from Knit Picks, and missing from their site, is beautiful. I plan to use that as a diversion from the socks if necessary.

Speaking of that yarn, I'm using my brand new swift to wind it up, but I'm finding that I really want a ball winder. Its just too freaking hard to wind 440 yarns of laceweight yarn by hand. I already got a knot and had to break/retie the yarn once. No good. I think today at lunch I'm going to trek over to the Yarn Connection on Madison and see if they have one. I also need the needles for it...

Friday, February 03, 2006

All In The Name Of Science

I fucked it up. I seriously fucked up the sock. I am so not happy about this. And its all because of you, dear blog, that I did this.

Let's set the stage. Its been over a month since I posted a picture. I haven't finished anything in a while, even though I'm so close on a number of items. Mike isn't home, so I knit while watching bad TV. I decide to model the sock for all the people out there that don't read my blog.



This is the sock post-fuckup, and I'm hiding the fuckup spot. Its also post-model, which is why (I think) it looks a little stretched out and weird. As you can see, I've turned the heel (I love saying that) and am now on the actual foot part, getting ready to do the toe.



This is the sock just minutes after the fuckup. You can also see what I was watching, for which I have no shame. Zero. What you may notice if you look at the actual sock is that it is a wee bit funny-looking at the front left. That's because when I tried the sock on the first time (not the time you see here, the second time) two stitches popped right off the freaking needle. I am not good at correcting mistakes, so I sort of fudged getting them back on the needle after they had dropped three rows down by the time I got the sock off my foot and into rescue mode. Oy. I busted out the crochet hook, I got out reference books, and I still goofed the whole thing up. All because I wanted to share a darned photo with blogland.

Eh. Whaddaya gonna do? Its my first one, admittedly my practice sock. But I'm still annoyed, because I kinda like it. I must say, the self-striping yarn has me running hot and cold. I get excited for a color change but when I see the sock as a whole it looks really busy to me.



Here's the heel. The heel looks small to me, but having never done this before I have no way of knowing if I am right or not. Any input? Anyone? Please? I followed the instructions to a T (well, minus forgetting to do the slipped stitches on the flap but that wouldn't make a huge difference for anything besides picking up for joining with the gusset again). It looks small, but when I tried on the sock, it felt ok.

Now I just wanna finish the things so that I can move on.



This is the last photo for now. And I'm only including it because, despite all the issues, I truly am proud of what I've done here. I'm amazed, really. I am making a SOCK. A sock that looks like other socks that I have purchased. As in, its not a tube sock, it has shape and style and even a little sass. And there you have it.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Again with the nophotos

I can't prove it, but I am making so much progress on the sock. I "turned the heel," as I have read about so many times, and it was a fascinating thing. I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I am. Making. A sock.

Of course, I fucked it up, but I was able to fudge it afterwards. I didn't slip the first stitch of the heel flap rows as suggested in the pattern because I skimmed over that part (I do this often). That made picking up the stitches later to rejoin with the gusset a little tricksie but not impossible. And, as this is my practice pair, I'm cool with it. Totally. For sure.

I even tried it on, after I finished those decreases before the straight foot part starts (are you with me?), and it seemed to fit. The heel seemed smaller than I would have thought, but as I've never actually touched a hand-knit sock before, I am not sure what it should look like or feel like. I'll try it on again and actually take a damned picture, as I've been promising to do for weeks now. I'm still interested in trying to make the second one toe-up, but I also got an order of yarn from Knitpicks, so I'm half tempted to just put this one aside after I finish sock #1 and move on to the Jaywalker socks. Especially since my skein of Trekking XXL is just not cooperating. The inside pull is getting all tangled on itself and I have to pull out chunks at a time and knit off the chunks instead of from the skein. its quite annoying. Has this happened to others? How do you deal with it? Its so freaking annoying, and makes the sock so much less portable.

On another note, I started graduate school this week. I have now had both of my classes, and I like them for very different reasons. I'll elaborate once I've had more classes, and more sleep, but I'm so thrilled. I feel really good about making the decision to go back to school, and as such, I am prepared to deal with the difficulties that go along with it.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Still Here

I feel like I've been writing a lot of those "I'm still here" posts lately. Sorry. I am committed to this blogging thing, I just haven't had the time or the energy to deal with it right now. How about a list?

  • My first semester graduate school officially starts today, though my classes are on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I won't start until then. I'm so freaking excited, yet worried about just how I'm going to manage full time work, full time life, part time school, gym obsession, and time with my hopefully soon-to-be-future-husband. My therapist is suggesting that I see this as a time of abundance (good) rather than a time of overwhelmingness (bad). Is that a word?
  • I just spent $175 on books, so I'll be working through my current projects for a while. No more yarn purchases for me!
  • On the current projects note, I'm still slogging away at the blankie-shawl. I'm into the fourth skein of yarn, which according to the pattern I'm using means that I should be done by know. But I want the shawl to be a little longer, so I'm going to continue. I think that this skein shall be my last, though, because there are just too many stitches on the needles right now. Picture as soon as I can get around to it.
  • Socks! I am sock crazy right now, even though I'm still on the goshdarned leg of the damned thing. As this is my test pair, I think that this weekend I am going to go into the heel shaping, etc, and see if I can actually pull this off. As per my initial idea, the match to the pair shall be tried toe-up. I'm liking the sock-knitting, though. So portable, and I'm so interested in seeing what pattern is coming up next on the Trekking yarn.
  • Sock confession: before the big book purchase, I did happen to place an order for enough yarn for two pairs of socks, size 1 dpns and a hugeass size 1 circular to experiment with Magic Loop.
I guess that's it for my update. I know, posts sans pictures are boring. I know this. This weekend, I'll steal some computer time and post a billion photos.

Friday, January 13, 2006

More Shoes? Really?

Its true. I just can't stop buying shoes.



But aren't they so cute? They are pretty comfortable, too. I find that most of time, flats are harder to break in than heels, because there is more of an unnatural feeling to a flat shoe. I actually find heels more comfortable in many cases. But these shoes, boy are they cute. I had no trouble the first time wearing them, and today is number two. Just as cute with jeans as with a skirt. And for once, DSW actually paid off! I got them there for about $45, and Zappos (thanks for the picture!) is selling them for over $70. I'm surprised because oftentimes I find that DSW isn't less expensive than regular retailers.

I didn't sleep last night. Well, I sort of slept last night. Snorey McSnoresalot came home drunk last night, and he has a cold. The triple-threat of snore possibilities. The dude is sleeping like a log due to the alcohol, which increases snoring behavior, can't really breathe because of his cold, and is regularly prone to snoring. Guess where that left me? If you guess awake on the couch, you win a zillion dollars. After still staring a the ceiling praying that he would just shut the fuck up until 12:30, I left our bed. It wasn't much better on the couch, where I could still hear him. I feel alseep sometime after 1, and then woke up with a start at 3:40, when I decided that I could try going back to bed. He was still sawing away, but I managed to sleep until my alarm went off this morning at 6:40. Suffice to say that this little scrambled egg is NOT a happy camper today.

I have decided that I must learn the Magic Loop method. I've been trying to work on my sock, but I just can't stand knitting with those toothpick dpns. It really hurts my hands, and when I do it on the subway, I'm too fearful of poking my eye out. Any suggestions for Magic Loop tutorials? Or do I really need to buy the leaflet?

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Doofus

I finished the baby blanket with a few days to spare. I soaked and then blocked it out, and boy oh boy did that work well. It washed up so nice and soft and smooth and drapey. And guess what? She loved it. And guess what else? I totally spaced out and didn't take a picture of it. Boo. I'm sure I'll get a photo of it wrapped around baby goodness, which will be way better than any photo I could have taken. But that still makes me a doofus. Especially since Mike got a tripod for X-Mas.

I am making a concerted effort to finish the green scarf. Its going well, and I should be fringe-ing by tomorrow. Pictures to be taken soon.

Happy New Year!