|
|
Friday
Okay, if you've already seen the entry from down below of what happens when frantic mommies meet tight corners and cars coming at them, let me elaborate on that story ...
Guess what just happened? Some guy came to my door and offered to fix the door for $400 although "his shop" would have charged $1000, while his 12-year-old daughter was in the car. I said, "we weren't really planning on fixing it," to which he responded, "okay, give me $300." I said again, "we weren't really planning on fixing it," to which he responded again, "but I'll be saving you $700." You know what I said to him ... "We weren't really planning on fixing it." (This, you readers who are also parents of young children, will recognize as the "broken-record technique" to get your point across .... funny how it comes in handy at other times as well.) He finally stormed off.
How weird is that? Just thought I'd share.
Instead of having a big cleaning day, I cast on for the Triada ... and I'll update my progress both here and on the triada-along blog later today or tomorrow, but let me just share that:
1. The provisional cast-on (a new technique for me) wasn't too hard!
2. The Addi Turbos, which are costing me just 50 cents a year for the next 41 1/2 years, are working well (phew) ... and you'll definitely need 24" or smaller. My scarf is stretched tightly across it.
3. The Fisherman's Rib isn't quite so easy. When doing the "p into the stitch below", you might want to bring the yarn to the stitch from behind, rather than bringing the yarn to the front as you normally would for to begin a purl stitch. Why, you ask? I'll answer that in time ...
4. I might try to cast on for another project using Fisherman's Rib just to get it down before trying it on this scarf. I'll see.
Photo update later! I need to go clean my house now.
Posted at 5/20/2005 2:26:02 pm by Jen
Permalink
You've probably seen these, but I'm sharing nontheless ...
I happen to have Star Wars fans living in my house. Now we have something in common to talk about!
And in case you think that knitting isn't hitting Hollywood hard, go check out " Knit Club." Too hilarious! ...
And, I really want to make this bag some day.
Happy knitting this weekend!
Posted at 5/20/2005 7:24:37 am by Jen
Permalink
I keep coming up with the most interesting blog titles this week, but trust me ... I really need a Friday.
Update on the chapter of my life entitled "In Which There Are Ups And Downs In The Farrell Household" ... (and just to warn you, there aren't really many Ups here.)
I missed the mommy knitting group on Tuesday. Not because I couldn't make it, but because I made it late, and because of the crazy changing weather for which Colorado is famous. When Cathi and Amy* arrived at the mall, the weather was yucky and nasty and gloomy and windy. By the time I got there, it was sunny and a little windy, but we stuck it out in the sandbox rather than going inside to the "mesozoic corner". Girls, next time I promise I won't diss the dino area and I'll look for you there! Oh well, not the end of the world, as I still accomplished a fair amount on the infamous Cathay cap sleeved top while the kids ran around pouring sand on each other.
Next, when realizing that I didn't have the correct length of needle to actually cast on for my Triada scarf (for which I'm the host of the Triada-along, for which I just kind of thought would make me get my butt in gear to get it done ... wrong.), I went to a LYS that usually has a most excellent selection of needles. Surely they would have a pair of cheapie bamboos, right? Well, obviously the 24" circular, size 17, needles aren't in huge demand as the only ones that they had were the Addi-Turbos, of Michaele's famous Haiku challenge.
Boy, I could write a haiku about these ...
twenty three dollars
over the next forty years
50 cents per year
... right?
At least, that's what I'm telling myself over and over again to justify the price on these puppies. When what I really need are a pair of size 8's ... and I thought this would be the month. Size 8's, you'll have to wait until next month, I guess. (This is really my own darn fault for going overboard on all that Cotton-Ease at Hancocks for 30% off ... does anyone know, by the way, if they still have any more? Never mind, I don't really need to know.)
Then, as if one surgery only a week ago weren't enough, my Big Sweetie (yes, that's the DH of the household) had another surgery scheduled this Wednesday. (He's the kind of man who thinks that two surgeries in a week is a breeze.) This one was supposedly not going to be a big deal, just taking off a little bit of Basal Cell Carcinoma off the top of his head (remember, he was diagnosed several weeks ago). He had one other spot taken off, which required only a tiny office visit and a few stitches. Obviously (we know this now) when skin is taken off the scalp, a longer incision is required. The little tiny appointment turned into a three-hour saga (kids in tow) and twenty stitches. The Big Sweetie then looked like this by Wednesday night:
I'm not kidding. The arm in a sling from the shoulder surgery, and a huge pressure bandage around his head to stop the bleeding from the slice on his head, with an ice pack ... just in case. He's holding a favorite recent read about the Depression ... the perfect ironic touch, I think. (That is, considering my own state of mind.)
Luckily, Distraction #1 from my previous post provided me with a little ... distraction, for lack of a better word. I just love cabling.
I could seriously just cable all day long, and be a happy knitter. The Lion Cotton-Ease is obviously not Debbie Bliss Cotton Angora, but for $21.00 for the sweater, who can complain? It's turning out well, I think.
I'm also making steady but slow progress on the A Line Ribbed Cardigan, as I'm onto the "Collar Which Takes One Whole Ball Of Yarn" and the sweater is heavy enough now that I can't carry it around with me.
But at least I'm using my new stitch markers there, right?
Thursday the kiddos and I went to the zoo, which was an absolute mob scene. I saw a girl that I've known since the first grade ... and she had two kids under age 3 and was pregnant with a third! ... and then this happened on the way out of the parking garage:
Yes, I don't have to elaborate on my misfortune here, as a picture is worth a thousand words. Let me just say that tight corners in the parking garage + cars coming towards you = enormous dents on your car. (This little formula is for those of us who didn't do so well in math [or, shall I add, driver's ed] in our younger years.) Luckily, my car, now 11 years old, already "totalled" by hail damage last summer, was considered a total anyways because the odometer hasn't been working for about five years, and so it's not really a huge deal. Still, it did not make me feel good. (Or, like a competent driver.)
AND JUST BECAUSE WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS ... add to that the fun of potty-training a two-year-old and finding little brown smudges all over my children's feet -- and carpet -- Thursday night, and I can tell you that I'm ready for a Friday.
(I'm kindly not inserting a photo of that here.)
And, because I already potty-trained the older child, how sad is it that I already know the magic recipe of getting those brown smudges out of the carpet?
So, that's all I have to say for now. I might just go cast on for the Triada scarf ... any trauma suffered there can't be too bad, compared to my own reality, right?
*And I have it on good notice that Amy B. is going to be knitblogging soon ... so you can all drool over her stainless steel Habu Textiles yarn and amazing shawl and other fun projects that she has going on, along with me.
Posted at 5/20/2005 6:14:45 am by Jen
Permalink
Tuesday
Just when I thought that I'd outrun a few tags, Cathi tagged me, too! Here it is ...
1) Total number of books in your house: I don't know exactly, but I know that my house is overflowing with them and we're always trying to sort a few out. Maybe 600? 800? We're a bookish family, so I think a lot. Between just my kids, we probably have 150.
2) The last book you bought was- well, because of the massive overpopulating of the books in our house, I'm not sure I can answer that. I'm a regular patron of my local library, and once I figured out that "Search Prospector" will bring any book from any library in my state to my library's front desk to me for free, this has been the source of most books. But I can tell you that I bought Debbie Bliss's Special Knits recently. As well as the Yarn Harlot's new book.
3) What was the last book you read before reading this? Boy, Cathi, you were embarrassed about chick lit? Check out my most recently completed work of fiction: La fiancée du pirate. (Just the title so cracks me up.)
Yes, at my most favorite local library there's always a book bin of "free books." I recently picked these up -- for free!! -- and I just couldn't resist some good cheap harlequin romance novels (but I'm practicing my French, really!).
(Don't think less of me because I love a good cheap romance novel here and there ... but this stuff does make chick lit look so literary, I have to say.)
4) List 5 (or 6) books that you read often or that mean a lot to you.
Don Quixote, volumes I and II. Mainly because it's been on my mind lately and I've blogged about it a ton, but I do have to say that this is my most favorite "literary fiction" book that I've read as an adult. Cervantes is amazing. The book is hilarious, while at the time incredibly thought-provoking about issues that are still incredibly modern considering that the book is 400 years old. (I recommend trying it in Spanish if you can! There's a lot of bilingual editions out there.)
100 Years of Solitude. Mostly for the same reasons as above, except that it's not nearly as old. But Garcia Marquez is a genius, and the genre of "magical realism" is my favorite kind of fiction. (Again, I recommend trying it in Spanish if you can!)
The Chronicles of Narnia. Because these were the books that I read over and over again as a child, and please don't laugh, I actually thought that I might wander into an enchanted wardrobe one day when I was ten years old (it doesn't matter that I didn't really know what a wardrobe was). I credit these books for my love of books. (I see that Heidi just found this on audio book ... I. Must. Get. Those. Now.)
Anything by Bill Bryson, but namely English: The Mother Tongue or A Walk In The Woods. Both of these books are about completely different subjects (the first, about the English language and how wacky it is; the second, about the author's adventures while attempting to walk the Appalachian Trail) but he is my favorite author that is alive today, and one that I would treasure being able to meet one day. I read his books and re-read them all the time. In a Sunburnt Country, about Australia, is also good, as is A Short History of Nearly Everything. (I know I'm cheating by listing all these books as one. Hey, it's my meme.)
Body-for-Life, by Bill Phillips, which I list because I happen to refer back to it all the time, and it's the book that I credit for putting me on the right track for eating well and exercising well. It's an incredibly simple fitness concept, but if you can follow it, you'll be in the best shape ever.
I wish I could choose one favorite feminist book, but I can't, so let me just give a few favorites as maybe one will pique your interest:
1) Gyn/Ecology, by Mary Daly, which is a really crazy feminist must-read. That's all I'll say there ... the author has a really amazing world perspective which, while being completely crazy, makes sense in a way. Highly recommend you checking it out, but be forewarned that, again, it's rather crazy.
2) This Sex Which Is Not One, by Luce Irigaray, which I find really fascinating if you can also get some good articles or other books to help explain her philosophy ... this is the theory that I used to analyze a coupla books in my MA Thesis, and it's the kind of theory that will completely warp the sense of reality that you grew up with and make you see things in a whole new light. (I just love that.)
3) Anything by Judith Butler, and in particular Gender Trouble. A very influential book in postmodern feminism.
4) And let's not forget anything by Barbara G. Walker, especially the amazing book Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets (yes, it's the same Barbara Walker), which I can't believe that I still don't own! ...
and I'll stop myself before I could go on and on here ...
6) Who are you going to pass this onto and why? Let's go with a few more Colorado bloggers here ... let's ask Amanda (if she hasn't done this meme yet) because she's going to be starting her MA at CU in English next fall ... Kirsten, because a girl with a yarn-eating cat has to have some good reads as well ... and Michaele, because don't we all want to know what real professors read? And, because I'm hoping that Michaele will update me on my feminist thoery. (Will you share a few good books, Michaele?) As always, at your own leisure and feel free to ignore the tag if you wish. :)
Posted at 5/17/2005 6:29:10 am by Jen
Permalink
Monday
Such an interested blog entry title, right?
Well, today is a Monday. The Big Sweetie had shoulder surgery last week, and has spent the better part of the last 5 days recovering, in addition to having somewhat of a nauseous reaction to the drugs that he was on. Not much fun. Meanwhile, my little boy came down with a double-ear infection on Thursday, so we've been coping with that as well. Again, not much fun. Add in a willful 2-year-old, and it's just been a barrel of laughs around here.
I'll be ready for some knitting at the beach tomorrow.
But, just to save the day .... look at what came in the mail for me this weekend:
Yes! Yet another secret pal angel to the rescue!! Wow, I'm so impressed. Each of these little boxes has really made my day, and this one arrived on a day when I really needed it. Thanks so much, anonymous secret pal angel!!
You want to look inside with me?
First, we have a most adorable coloring book which my daughter-the-colorer has really enjoyed. How cute is that, a coloring book about wool?? (Almost cute enough to make me not want to share it with her, but that would indicate a serious problem, which I'm in complete denial about. I mean, I can share my coloring books with my 2-year-old, right?) Next, the knitting things that I always lose but never remember to buy more of ... very handy indeed. Next, a lot of little carbie goodies that I generally don't buy, but which also came in very handy as I was coping with a house full of sickies. (Is it terrible of me to reveal that I ate them all? It is? Let's just forget then that I revealed that.) Next, the yarn:
Check it out ... a new yarn for me! I love being introduced to a new yarn, and I can't quite figure out what to do with this yet ... it's a cotton blend. I would say a scarf set, but I'm not so sure about that. Maybe a tank top? Time will tell. Thanks so much again, anonymous secret pal angel!!
Meanwhile, the A-line ribbed jacket set is inching along. I've worked on the capped sleeve top a bit. Here's the finished back, having just been pulled out of my knitting bag and in its crumpled state:
Check out the cute little capped sleeve, however:
I'm going to like this! I cast on for the front last night.
But I can take size 5 needles for only so long before I start to lose it, and I've had a few distractions ....
Distraction #1: I decided to cast on for a new lavender sweater.
It's Grace from the DB Cotton Angora book. I just am in a big Debbie Bliss phase right now, aren't I? I'm using a lavender Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, whose discontinued state we are all lamenting, right? Actually, I don't know if I'm lamenting it or cheering it, mainly because I've never bought so much cotton-ease in my life as I have in the last couple of weeks since Hancock's has marked it 30% off. Let's just say that "stocking up" is a mild understatement of how much of that stuff that I've bought. So, I feel the need to rid my stash of just a little bit of it.
I do plan to be good and not get distracted from the Cathay Set.
However, Distraction #2: I will admit to some minor indiscretion this weekend as I made up a bunch of these:
Thanks, Stacey, for the most excellent tutorial! You can see that I'm not as easy-going as Stacey as I felt an incredible need to really wrap my wire around itself several times, much in the same manner as I tie about 15 knots when I come to the end of a bind-off, but overall these are the best stitch markers I've ever made. My mania showed itself just a bit more when, like Cynthia, I felt an overwhelming need to make matching pairs of stitch markers. Still, overall a fun activity and I love having these ... enough to have signed up for one more -along:
The bead-it! 2 which I have more confidence in finishing than some of my other knitalongs.
I'm still not going to be distracted from my Cathay Set.
But ... Distraction #3 appeared in the form of wanting to finish up one of my knitalongs, and so I wound my La Boheme into a ball:
which was so not a big deal, contrary to what someone at a LYS warned me.
My size 17 needles, however, were of the 36" variety, and not the 24" variety that the pattern calls for, so I will not be casting on until I find the appropriate needles.
So, not to be distracted from the Cathay Set, but look at what else happened to me over the weekend:
Distraction #4. (I can see that I'm getting back to my usual old ADHD knitting self.) I cast on for another unfinished knitalong, the Cable 8 Top, using double strands of Bernat Cottontots, and stopped at the cable row.
I usually do cables without a cable needle, and I'm having issues over whether to try to forge ahead and figure it out or to go grab a DPN and use it as a cable needle for this project. Watch for progress at some point.
And that's it! A Monday's worth of progress.
Posted at 5/16/2005 9:09:07 am by Jen
Permalink
Mommy Knitting at the Beach!
Just a reminder, or a note if you haven't heard ...
We have a kid-friendly knitting group starting up on the
First and Third Tuesdays of the month!
Meet around 10:00-ish till lunch-ish at the "Beach",
a.k.a. the Sandbox at Flatirons Mall in Broomfield.
(In case of crummy weather, go to the dino area.)
Bring your kiddies! Bring your lunch! Don't forget your knitting!
Hope to see you there ...
Posted at 5/16/2005 8:33:40 am by Jen
Permalink
Friday
Kathy outran me and tagged me ...
Pick five and fill in the blank:
If I could be a scientist…
If I could be a farmer…
If I could be a musician…
If I could be a doctor…
If I could be a painter…
If I could be a gardener…
If I could be a missionary…
If I could be a chef…
If I could be an architect…
If I could be a linguist…
If I could be a psychologist…
If I could be a librarian…
If I could be an athlete…
If I could be a lawyer…
If I could be an inn-keeper…
If I could be a professor…
If I could be a writer…
If I could be a llama-rider…
If I could be a bonnie pirate…
If I could be an astronaut…
If I could be a world famous blogger…
If I could be a justice on any one court in the world…
If I could be married to any current famous political figure…
Now choose three more people to tag.
Okay, here goes:
If I could be a musician… I'd be a flutist in the London Philharmonic Orchestra, or something like that. Or maybe I'd be a female punk rocker. (This indecision is probably why I never became a musician.)
If I could be a painter… I'd be an American expatriate living in Paris in the early 20th century amidst all of the artistic upheavels occurring with the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists.
If I could be an architect… I'd be a designer of eco-friendly homes, with small footprints and large doses of style and storage (like the book the Not So Big House).
If I could be an inn-keeper… I'd wear cute business clothes, drink coffee all day long and answer the phones with an attitude (or have I just been watching too much of the Gilmore Girls lately?).
If I could be a world famous blogger… While the obvious answer is to choose the Yarn Harlot (who, after all, doesn't want to be just like Stephanie Pearl-McPhee going on [and on] about knitting?), I think that I'll choose Eilene of EiKnit. She's world famous (isn't she??), she's an amazing knitter (did you see that last cardigan that she made?? and how about the Rogue Cardigan I'm about to copy??), she's not only a kick-ass grandma, but one that has a belly button ring (and the abs to show them off I suspect). In short, I want to be Eilene when I grow up. :)
Now choose three more people to tag.
Hmmm... let's see here .... how about the newbie bloggers up here at the elevation of a mile high?? Kathy at Runs With Needles ... Angela at Knitting Momma ... and Wanda at Wanda Woman ... if you ladies want to, that is. :)
Thanks for the tag, Kathy! (By the way, I'm still trying to figure out how you've got such a cute iPod cozy pattern on your blog if you don't ever intend to own an iPod ...)
Posted at 5/13/2005 6:27:17 am by Jen
Permalink
Thursday
Of winners and more mistakes
We have a winner!
I assigned all of the 27 entrants to my oddball contest a number, from first entrant to last, and I included Cathi as #28 as she emailed me a ton of links off the contest entry. Using the rather unscientific method of "cut up little numbers and mix them up" ...
I choose ...
That means that Nyxxie, a.k.a. Jennifer, of Knitting Nyxxie, is #6! I have your addy already from the RAOK group, so you can watch for a little knitting music to come your way, Nyxxie!
And I'll compile a big ole list of tons of oddball patterns ... keep sending them my way if you have more in mind, and I'll update the list.
Meanwhile ...
The mismatched fronts of my A-line Ribbed Jacket have been resolved.
Ahh ... the sweet image of a successful match-up. Too bad I had this to finish up next:
Do you notice sleeve #1 on the left, which I finished first, and then sleeve #2 on the right, which I then (of course) finished second? When I got around to the second sleeve, I put in the row markers as directed and actually thought to myself, "Hmm ... I didn't remember doing this on the other sleeve. Oh well, I might as well proceed ..." and I then worked the "continue straight for 6 more rows and then begin shaping" section. The more observant knitters out there will notice that the left sleeve has some issues:
1. There are no row markers.
2. There is no "continue straight for 6 more rows" section.
3. That it was knit by a mother who generally madly chases her children around the house, which is my excuse for totally forgetting that part of the book. I'm not sure if I read it and ignored it, thinking that I'd already done it, or if I just totally skipped that part of the directions.
Here's the close-up in case you really want to grit your teeth like I'm doing:
Well, I've now become a "fix-it-before-you-regret-it" knitter, so there will be a little bit of rippage here before I can put her together and knit up one big ole collar.
Have I been seriously working on this for four weeks?!!
Meanwhile, because I just can't seem to get enough of this dk-weight yarn, let me show you what I cast on for while waiting at a local surgery center yesterday while the Big Sweetiewas getting an old shoulder injury fixed (and the Big Sweetie came out just fine!) ...
Here it is, the "Cap Sleeved Top" from the same Cathay book. And here's what this little piece of knitting will become:
Cute, isn't it? I just really am wanting a cute summer twinset, and this matches the bill right now.
I am, however, going to take time out for the triada-along, if you're wondering.
And in other non-related news, while putting the ice cooler (with the ice pack in it) into the trunk en route to surgery yesterday, my husband found an enormous bag of yarn ... do you store yarn in your trunk, too? Then you understand me. Where did I get it, you ask? If you're in the Denver area, you might want to be made aware (mostly because I've cleaned out the colors that I really really wanted) that Hancock's has a certain discontinued yarn on clearance for 30% off ... and the one near 88th and Wadsworth has the best selection. Like I said, I'm ready to share the secret. Just don't store the yarn in the trunk to your car where your significant other will find it, okay?
Posted at 5/12/2005 8:28:29 am by Jen
Permalink
Tuesday
In which Jenifer is a lucky girl ...
Look at what I got in the mail this weekend:
Check it out! I had not one SP4 Angel, but two SP4 Angels! Thanks so much, Michelle!! That was really too sweet of you ... The chocolate is no longer, the cute magnet is warming me up for summertime, and the yarn is awesome (can you tell how much I love Alpaca?) -- and I spent the better part of Mother's Day thumbing through my patterns wondering which would be the best. I think I've settled on the Shaped Triangle from A Gathering of Lace. (Note to self to check the errata listed here.) I see that there's also a knitalong going on here, hosted by fellow Coloradan knitter Kristi, but I hereby forbid myself to join any more knitalongs before I finish up a few of those on the left. Anyhow, a girl can dream, right?
I'm pretty lucky.
Besides pawning alpaca on mother's day, look at what else I did:
The Title 9K Race around the Boulder Reservoir, in not the best Colorado conditions. For those of you perceptive readers (or simply those whom I've already told) ... you'll note that I said "did", not "ran." It's true, that dorky photo is of the "finish" of when my friend Laura and I walked the whole thing. Hey, I still feel like it's a good thing ... going on a 5-mile walk rather than going out for a greasy egg dish (the preferred method of celebrating mother's day that I grew up with). My friend Laura has been going through a pretty horrific divorce ... and she walked with her 5-month old, baby Tommy, who I regret not having snapped a photo of as he was the one "wearing" the race number in his Baby Bjorn. So I was pretty proud of her, too!
I'm focusing on the positive right now as I'm coping with a certain rejection letter that came on Mother's Day (so not nice), in addition to not giving up on The Sweater That Wants Me To Give Up On Her, or otherwise aptly nicknamed, The Sweater Who Will Lead Me Down The Path Of Humility. Oh, yes, the a-line ribbed jacket and I are having a pretty tempestuous relationship right now, but those details will have to come later.
Meanwhile, thanks again, Michelle, for making me feel so lucky! I'm definitely signing up for SP5.
You have until the end of the month to sign up, too!
Posted at 5/10/2005 9:19:04 am by Jen
Permalink
Sunday
Hey there, all you hot mamas, and hot expec - tant mamas out there, Happy Mother's Day!
(I shamelessly stole this from these people, but don't copyright laws expire after 100 years? So it's not really stealing.)
Look at what my sweetie got me this year:
Yes, this is the most awesome of news. I've been hanging around for at least three months saying, "Everybody has an iPod but me." (I did the same thing for the whole three months while trying to get pregnant, which is nothing compared to the true anguish that some people go through while trying to get pregnant, I know.) So, only my sweetie would take our tax return money and get That Which I Was Truly Coveting. (Who says that tax returns are the savings account of the poor?)
Thank you, Big Sweetie! That's his official nickname in our house. It might become his new moniker here, too, as I've always felt "DH" to be a little dorky but I couldn't come up with a better alternative.
Check out the back, inscribed with my own personal motto:
Feel free to vomit if this is too cheesy for you ... I still love it, and highly recommend that everyone have their own personal motto.
I was thinking of having the perfect contest to name her, but I've already come up with a perfect name and I'd be disappointed if nobody else thought of it, so I'm christening her right now:
Rosita.
What will I be listening to on Rosita? Great music, including a new personal favorite song (listen to it in its entirety here as a video -- it's really worth it to hear the whole song), and many old favorites. This is what led me to rediscover both my own KBCO Studio C CDs as well as to find that little one packaged away that someone will win in an announcement soon. Besides great music, however, I can also listen to great audio books. Look at what I just checked out from my local library:
Yes! Now if I could only get my hands on the Spanish version, I'd be in a quixotic heaven.
What of the knitting, you ask?
Sleeve #2 of the A Line Ribbed Jacket has been completed, and I hope to rip out my other front and finish that up soon, too. So, I'll have a photo of a finished object later this week. Yep, sewn up, buttons in and everything.
Posted at 5/8/2005 1:11:52 pm by Jen
Permalink
|
|
|
